Ahwin’s doubt did not last long. Leticia soon stopped crying and smiled brightly.
At the same time, the sorrow emanating from her disappeared as if it were a lie.
“Will you believe my words now?”
Ahwin was confused. He could not tell if his feelings were a misconception or real.
‘If it were Noel, she might have figured something out.’
Wings resonate with their owner’s emotions.
This extent varied depending on the relationship between the wing and its owner. The closer the owner felt to their wing, the more the wing felt.
Ahwin, being newly winged, was inevitably lacking in many aspects.
“By the way, Ahwin, I have something I’m curious about. Could you tell me about the elixir?”
Just then, Leticia asked.
“I didn’t receive proper training as a representative of the goddess. Somehow I was chosen by the elixir… but I want to know more about it.”
Ahwin decided to answer Leticia’s question, putting his doubts aside for now.
“…The elixir is a medium that connects the power of the goddess and Lady Leticia. More precisely, it is a token that allows a wing to recognize its owner.”
“A token?”
“Yes. As you know, receiving the loyalty of a wing allows one to use the power of the goddess. Ultimately, the elixir can be seen as leading the power of the goddess.”
“Now that Noel and Ahwin have decided to help me, I can use the power of water and wind.”
“That’s right.”
Leticia’s eyes sparkled as she listened to his explanation. There was no trace of sadness in her smile.
‘Was it really just a misunderstanding?’
Still, he carefully observed her expression, just in case, not to miss even the smallest clue.
“What powers do other wings have?”
“As you know, Tenua uses the power of wind. There are also wings that use darkness, space, earth, fire, light, time, or even the power of healing.”
“Ahwin can handle the power of wind, too.”
“Yes. It’s quite rare for wings to use the same power. That’s why, the nature of Tenua’s and my power is quite different.”
Ahwin continued.
“When I met Lady Leticia, Tenua and my reaction was different, as you see.”
“…I don’t know how other wings will feel about me. I guess I’ll have to meet them first.”
“That’s right.”
Ahwin nodded.
“If possible, I’d like you to meet Kailas first among the various wings.”
“Kailas? Is there a special reason?”
“Because she uses the power of healing. It would be the most important power for Lady Leticia, who has someone to protect.”
“The power of healing?”
Leticia tilted her head.
“Is it different from the divine power of the clergy?”
“Anyone serving the goddess can use divine power, but the power of healing is not so.”
Ahwin continued.
“The power of healing revives everything that is dying. Even those who have dipped their feet in the river of the dead, it turns them back, that is the power of healing.”
“Reviving everything that is dying…”
“More precisely, it repairs everything that is broken. It can heal not only the body but also the mind.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Of course, with such overwhelming power, there are significant restrictions, but it will be very useful for Lady Leticia.”
Leticia pressed her hand against her fluttering heart for a moment.
Even now that Noel and Ahwin were on her side, it felt like a dream to wield other powers.
“It seems too far in the future. I can’t even properly handle the power I have now. I still don’t know how to control water.”
“When the time comes, the goddess will provide the answer. Just as the elixir responded to Lady Leticia’s wish.”
“The elixir responds to my wish…”
Leticia looked down at the elixir and whispered very softly.
“Right. Now that I think about it, it has been a great help all along.”
Looking back, the elixir was always with her in moments of crisis.
From the time when Leticia had to hide Julios’s remains until just before she called Ahwin.
The elixir had always helped her.
“Just once, it didn’t heed my request.”
On the day Josephina manifested the curse, the elixir did not hide the remains.
She had no choice but to bury them in the ground and then lost consciousness.
It was fortunate that Dietrian appeared; otherwise, it might have been a dangerous situation where she could have lost the remains.
Ahwin tilted his head in confusion at Leticia’s words.
“The elixir ignored Lady Leticia’s request even when a crisis befell its owner?”
“Rather than ignoring, it seemed like it lacked the power.”
“Lacked power?”
“When I first saw it, it was cracked. So, I thought it was a fake.”
Leticia showed her bracelet as she spoke. Ahwin, who had been closely examining the elixir, said,
“It seems intact now.”
“After I woke up, I checked and the jewel was intact. That’s how I knew I was the real owner of the elixir.”
Ahwin furrowed his brows at Leticia’s words.
“That’s strange.”
“In what way?”
“I’m bothered that the elixir didn’t fulfill Lady Leticia’s request.”
“Maybe it was because it lacked power?”
“Your words might be partly true. But I keep having another thought.”
“Another thought?”
“Regardless of the elixir’s power, that might have been the elixir’s intention.”
Ahwin continued,
“A fragment of the goddess’s soul is contained within the elixir. The will of the goddess is conveyed to Lady Leticia through the elixir.”
“Then…”
“That day, the elixir not helping Lady Leticia might have contained the will of the goddess. Do you have any clue?”
“I’m not sure…”
Leticia, looking down at her bracelet, paused as she recalled that day.
‘Come to think of it, Dietrian said he found me by chance that day.’
He had been wandering in search of her since they parted at the temple and luckily found her unconscious along with the remains.
‘If all of that wasn’t a coincidence but intended by the elixir…’
Though she was shocked at the time, ultimately, that incident turned out to be a great help to Leticia.
‘Thanks to the remains, he became certain of my past.’
Just as she desperately wished, Dietrian did not hate her.
“Did the elixir really help me?”
As she murmured,
Twinkle, twinkle.
“Huh?”
Leticia’s eyes widened.
Again, twinkle, twinkle.
Ahwin’s eyes sparkled.
“I’ve never seen the elixir shine like this. Is Lady Leticia’s elixir something special?”
Leticia, looking at her sparkling bracelet with puzzled eyes, soon laughed.
“Yes, it’s special. It always fulfills the dreams I desire the most.”
Now she realized.
That it was indeed the elixir that had summoned Dietrian that day. It had intentionally not hidden the remains.
‘It has been trying to help me even when I didn’t know. I’m truly grateful.’
The black jewel continued to sparkle joyously. Warmth filled her heart. Leticia smiled broadly.
“I could never have imagined it would turn out like this when I first saw it, with the crack in the jewel…”
“The restoration of a damaged elixir is unprecedented…”
Ahwin hesitated for a moment before breaking into a broad smile.
“There are unprecedented events happening all the time. For some reason, the elixir that had lost its power seems to have regained its original strength upon meeting Lady Leticia.”
“Does that mean it will become stronger over time?”
“Exactly. That’s the nature of the elixir. The day when all the things you dearly wish for come true is not far off.”
“The thing I wish for the most…”
As soon as she said that, a dream seemed to wait for no one to surface.
Living happily ever after with Dietrian.
Leticia’s smile faded slightly.
‘But that’s impossible.’
The curse Josephina had cast on her was no ordinary curse. The power of a goddess could not manifest through curses meant to harm others.
Yet, through some act, they distorted the power of the goddess into a curse. It was incredibly strong, being made of several spells stacked together, unlike ordinary curses.
[Consider it an honor, Leticia. Even if the goddess herself were to incarnate, she could not break this curse. It contains the essence of my power, along with the deepest darkness.]
Thus, Leticia had never even dreamt of breaking the curse.
Dreams that can’t come true only cause heartache.
She was also afraid to have the will to live. It was because of her greed that Dietrian had died.
Had she not been greedy for life in the past, Dietrian would not have died.
So, in this life, she did not want to repeat the same mistake. Leticia smiled faintly.
‘Maybe it’s still okay to dream.’
Because another miracle might happen.
Just like she became the representative of the goddess, received the vow of loyalty from two wings, and Dietrian learned about her past. A miracle might be waiting by her side.
‘Then I might still be by his side in half a year.’
Hope is cruel yet sweet. She knew dwelling on unachievable dreams only caused more pain, yet she kept sinking deeper into them.
‘If a miracle happens to me.’
If she could truly become his wife.
‘…I want to be a mother.’
She had never experienced a mother’s love, not even knowing what it was. That’s why she wanted to be a mother.
‘I want to create a family for Dietrian.’
A person who, like her, had lost all family and lived in loneliness. She also wanted to comfort him through a new family.
‘Will such a day really come?’
She knew it was better to give up. Miracles aren’t common.
She also knew that letting go of all attachment was the way to live happily for the rest of her life. Even so.
‘It’s okay to keep it as a dream.’
Dreams aren’t a sin. Yet, thinking this, her heart ached, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“Lady Leticia?”
Ahwin, startled by Leticia’s tears, called out to her. Leticia quickly wiped her tears and smiled.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Leticia smiled sweetly, making excuses for her tears.
“I’m happy.”
“What?”
“The thought that Ahwin and Noel don’t have to part makes me cry with joy.”
Ahwin looked at her, bewildered.
‘Was that… tears of joy?’
Just now, Leticia seemed very sad. He could faintly sense a trace of sorrow.
‘Could that have been a misunderstanding?’
Having become Leticia’s wing not long ago, Ahwin still doubted his ability to feel her emotions.
Looking puzzled, Leticia teased Ahwin with a playful smile.
“By the way, Ahwin, once you return to the empire, you’ll probably propose to Noel.”
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