My Childhood Friend the Demon Knight Hates Me - Episode 28: Elucidation

28 Elucidation

Translator: Lioness

Editor: Arya

The room that was given to Reiss was on the same floor as mine, the only difference was that his room lay at the end of the corridor.
　
His room was on the different floor than the ones where the apostles lived, and it seemed that the patrol hadn’t started yet, so there was no one to cross paths with as you walked down this dimly lit corridor.

I wonder if the upper apostles, including Mr. Roa, were still working on the lower floor about the post-processing of the case. But the rush from there didn’t reach here, and the space I walked in right now was filled with cold silence.

I came here on the spur of a moment, but … I’m starting to get a little bit nervous.

This was the first time I had visited Reiss since we met. In the past, I used to show up at the orphanage and break into Reiss’s room without hesitation, as a matter of course.

But now that I had come this far, there was no turning back, I told myself as I grabbed the bag and approached the door to his room.
　
But then I noticed something that made me pause.

The door was open…?

The door was slightly open, and the light was leaking from inside.

I wondered if he had simply forgotten to close the door.
　
Feeling strangely uncomfortable about that part, I naturally stopped my footsteps and moved closer to the door.
　
The faint light radiating into the dimness seemed to be a path that would lead me to a mysterious road. Even though I knew it was a bad idea, I couldn’t help but to peek through the slightly open door to see what was going on inside.

The window in front of me was covered with thick curtains that prevented any moonlight from entering. Even though the lights were on, the room was generally dark.
　
As I looked down, I saw my cloak I put on earlier falling haphazardly beside me. To give you an idea of the situation, he rushed into the room and took off my cloak…? He didn’t even have time to close the door.

I held my breath and turned my sight … I found Reiss kneeling on the floor from the bed.

Objects were scattered around him, and several familiar vials were lying empty.
　
Red flower vases. They were Ricolla’s sleeping pills.

Reiss’s whole body was shaking, and he was holding his chest in pain.

His other hand clenching something tightly… it was hard to see, but it was probably a spirit crystal. It was discoloured black, but I think it was a piece of crystal that was broken during that incident. It seemed that it was recovered without being swallowed by the black swamp. The sharp edges of the spirit crystal hurt Reiss’s palm, and the dripping red blood stained the white carpet.

I wanted to open the door and run over to him immediately, but my body was frozen to move, as if this situation reminded me of the distant past.

This situation was somewhat similar to that day.

A dimly lit room in disarray.
　
The flowing red colour.
　
A struggling Reiss holding his chest tightly.

It was more than two years ago. It was on that day when Reiss and I parted ways. It seemed to be repeating the situation itself, in front of my eyes.

“…!”

Reiss was whispering something in a gentle but in a strong tone.
　
I sharpened my ears, ignored the sound of my own nervous heartbeat.

“No, no, no! I don’t like that woman. I hate it, I hate it! So …!”

“I don’t like that woman. Rather I hate her. I hate her.”

… It’s the same.
　
It was the same as what I had heard in the past.

On Reiss’s fourteenth birthday, when Rinse and the others gathered around him and asked him if he was in love with me. That was the response Reiss gave me for that question.
　
At that time, Reiss was responding to Rinse’s question.
　
I was so hurt by it that my heart was gouged out.

—-, but now?

Who the hell was Reiss talking to?

!

Throwing down the blackened spirit crystal, Reiss grabbed one of the vials lying around. It was a bottle that still had content in it. He slurped down the blood-red liquid in one gulp.
　
Dropping the empty bottle to the floor, Reiss breathed hardly.
　
I couldn’t move from my spot as if I was surrounded by ice.
　
Eventually, his trembling body began to show some signs of composure.

“A little more. Just a little more, please. Then we can end this. I promised him it wouldn’t matter if I was … I’m sure that … will let me finish with … Just a little more. Please hold on.”

The next time he muttered, Reiss seemed to start talking to himself.
　
It was choppy and very hard to hear.
　
But the sound was almost like a clinging, earnest plea. In his red eyes, an unfathomable darkness shimmered.

“When it’s all over, I’ll finally be able to —- go to Suria.”

His body slumped, and he reclined on the bed behind me.
　
I heard he called my name clearly, and my shoulders gave a small jump.

The moment he released his hand which was holding his chest and I saw a particular ‘pattern’ peeking through the gap in his crumpled shirt with open buttons, I stepped backwards, two steps slowly, and slammed my heels. I returned and ran away.　

My legs were tangled and I couldn’t run properly.
　
It seemed as if the corridor paths stretched forever, as if the distance to my room seemed to be so far.
　
The light of the full moon falling down on the corridor through the transparent glass was eerie and frightening for some reason.

There was a pattern of —- upside-down black butterfly on Reiss’s chest.

I already know what that pattern meant.
　
I’ve been aware about it for a while now,…

Why did Reiss hold his chest for so long?
　
Why were his hands as cold as ice?
　
Why was he so concerned about the moonlight?

I had noticed all of it sometime long ago. I was aware of it, but I pretended not to see it.
　
Even after I had made up my mind to talk to Reiss face to face, I still couldn’t make up my mind to avoid thinking about it. … But if I looked at it directly, my brain would come up with the right answer.

I’m sure it was in the —- Reiss chest.

Oh!

When the door to my room finally came into my view, my legs couldn’t keep up with my flailing mind and I fell over unceremoniously. The long hem of my nightgown was also to blame.
　
The contents of the bag were flung openly as I crawled on the floor.

Something that was hard hit the floor with a small thud.

Before I could get up, I caught a glimpse of it, and my eyes slightly widened.