‘Has it become a habit already?’
Once Rosetta’s tears started, he couldn’t easily stop crying without pouring out all his emotions.
Now, just seeing the man automatically made tears burst out. Even though he knew this made the man’s sleep uncomfortable, he couldn’t control it.
Perhaps it was because of a dark greed—wanting the man to feel him through fatigue, at least, just as the man had dyed his entire life, always thinking of and recalling him until everything became colored by him.
Rosetta smiled softly today as well, recalling the man who couldn’t sleep comfortably because of his crying.
Angel, who was sitting in front of Rosetta, opened her mouth in disbelief upon seeing Rosetta’s smile.
“…I heard rumors that you were pleased with the mirror.”
At Angel’s words, Rosetta realized he was still with Angel. Displeasure came over him.
Right now, he shouldn’t be having a meal with Angel but should be standing in front of the mirror. These days, the man slept very irregularly, so occasionally the mirror and he would connect at completely unexpected times. Growing anxious, Rosetta decided to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
“Yes, now you must have something to say to me.”
Angel let out a hollow laugh as if she’d expected this and answered:
“You deliberately let the rumors spread.”
“Too many useless words.”
“What do you want to know?”
The reason for asking a question while obviously knowing the answer was probably because she wanted to feel superior to Rosetta, even if just for a moment.
It was a laughable act, but since he needed to hear the answer quickly and return to his room to check if the man was visible, Rosetta gave her the answer she wanted.
“I need to know how to bring him here.”
When Rosetta obediently stated what he wanted, Angel fell silent before opening her mouth.
“…The more you use the mirror, the stronger the red thread becomes.”
Angel looked down at where his ankle was.
“The worn thread that seemed almost ready to break is now solid. Honestly, it’s hard to even call it a thread anymore.”
Rosetta followed her gaze and looked down at his foot where nothing was visible.
“Can you actually see it?”
Since Rosetta couldn’t see it at all, it was hard to completely believe Angel’s words. At Rosetta’s question, Angel smiled brightly and answered:
“Yes, I can see it.”
“Really? What an ability to have.”
He didn’t particularly believe Angel’s words, but it would be good if there really was a red thread connected to him on that man’s ankle as well.
“I’m not a carrier pigeon, you know.”
Rosetta ignored Angel’s barbed words. More important than a thread that may or may not exist was the method to bring the man here.
“So what’s the method to bring him?”
“Looking at the current state of the thread, you just need to wait another month or two. When the connection becomes stronger, a passage will open in the mirror.”
One or two months. Not bad. It had been three months since he learned of the man, and now it was approaching four months. He could wait one or two months with a happy heart.
A smile naturally flowed to his lips. With an excited heart, Rosetta asked a question he wouldn’t normally ask.
“Just as I can see that side, can that side feel me too?”
He’d noticed that the man couldn’t sleep deeply due to his crying, but right now Rosetta wanted someone else to confirm that the two of them were connected. At Rosetta’s question, Angel looked at Rosetta’s ankle once more and answered:
“At this point, he can probably feel strong emotions at least?”
Rosetta looked at Angel with a displeased face. It seemed that even with that great ability to see the red thread, she couldn’t figure out anything more than that.
“It’s all speculation.”
At Rosetta’s gaze looking at her as if she were useless, Angel became upset and added an explanation:
“The mirror has been used for too long. The records are uncertain.”
Then didn’t that mean her earlier statement that he could bring the man after one or two months couldn’t be completely trusted either?
Rosetta stared at Angel with suspicious eyes.
“You’re certain I can bring him?”
“Yes. However, he must have his own life on that side. I don’t know if he’ll follow obediently.”
“Life?”
“Things like family, friends, assets, work.”
Angel said with a meaningful smile:
“If you bring him by force, won’t he probably hate Your Majesty?”
Angel’s tone, not hiding her emotion of hoping he would be hated, would normally have been dismissed as trivial, but today it was particularly grating. A different kind of irritation from the annoyance of watching something bothersome tickle his fingertips until now—an irritation that made his body prickle.
His divine power reacted to the negative emotion. Dark energy slowly flowed out from Rosetta’s body.
That darkness covered Angel in an instant without even giving her time to properly react. Angel tried to cut through the darkness using her holy power, but her holy power couldn’t dispel the dawn.
Rosetta only withdrew his power when Angel’s mind was about to become hazy. He wanted to kill her just like that, but Angel was the only one who knew the mirror well.
‘This has become troublesome.’
Angel had probably refused Rosetta’s orders to properly report about the mirror until now for a situation just like this.
He could clearly see her ridiculous intent to make him treat her well if he wanted to bring the person in the mirror.
‘The problem is that even knowing this, I have no choice but to put up with it.’
Rosetta had requested books related to the mirror from Angel several times, but she refused his demands with the excuse that all records had been lost and it was only passed down through stories.
If the records were lost, she could compile the stories she knew into a book, but inevitably she personally visited Rosetta like this and revealed stories about the mirror little by little.
Annoyed by Angel’s grating behavior of nibbling around, Rosetta had searched for materials related to the mirror several times, but even with his information network, he couldn’t find any proper information at all.
That’s why Rosetta appropriately accepted Angel’s behavior. Because he truly wanted the man.
‘But I’m reaching my limit now.’
Rosetta didn’t want to waste unnecessary time arguing with Angel.
Angel was sprawled on the floor, trembling. Rosetta spoke to Angel, who was clutching her neck and breathing roughly:
“I’ll take care of that myself. But can I only see him when he’s sleeping?”
Rosetta didn’t even mention what had just happened, as if it were nothing. Angel couldn’t answer easily and continued to supplement her insufficient breath.
“…Heok!”
The sound of her breathing was grating. Rosetta urged an answer.
“Answer.”
When Rosetta’s dawn rippled threateningly at Angel once more, she glared at Rosetta before opening her mouth.
“…That’s when the connection to the world is weakest. Since it’s unconscious, the soul is also floating. Unless it’s right before the passage opens in the future, it’s impossible now.”
Rosetta decided to wrap things up. He’d heard all the necessary answers, so there was no need to continue staying together.
At that moment, Angel, who had staggered up from the floor, asked Rosetta:
“Why do you like him so much?”
Rosetta answered without even looking at Angel:
“Do I need to tell you?”
If he were to tell someone about this overflowing heart, it would be that man, not the Saintess. As Rosetta was about to get up from his seat, Angel threw out another question.
“Do you really like him?”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be meeting with you.”
Angel narrowed her brow as if she didn’t understand.
“You’ve hated me from the beginning.”
She had quite the nerve to act like this while knowing that.
“Because you were the start of this troublesome position.”
At Rosetta’s answer, Angel realized he was talking about the oracle at the founding ball and expressed her grievance:
“That’s not something I can control.”
“That’s why you’re a carrier pigeon.”
“……”
Rosetta left the silent Angel behind and moved his steps. Behind Rosetta, Angel said:
“…Wouldn’t it be better for him if you remained in a high position?”
That was something Rosetta agreed with. It was an extremely troublesome position, but if he was going to bring the man here, it was better to be in a high position.
If anyone dared to try to take the man from Rosetta, he could easily deal with them, and it was a position where he could fulfill anything the man wanted.
As Rosetta approached the door, Puti, who had been waiting in front of it, opened the door. As Rosetta left the dining room, Angel raised her voice.
“I really don’t know why someone like you was chosen by Father!”
That voice ringing out as if dying of injustice held no meaning for Rosetta. Rosetta ignored those words and left the dining room. Puti quickly followed behind Rosetta.
The more steps Rosetta took, the more he couldn’t bear the desire to see the man. His leisurely extended steps gradually picked up speed, and now Rosetta was walking almost as if running.
“Your Majesty!”
Puti, who had been following him, called out to Rosetta in shock, but couldn’t stop him. Rosetta began running down the corridor.
He wanted to see the man again quickly. Too much time had been stolen by the Saintess.
‘What if he’s already asleep? What if I missed time with you?’
Rosetta wanted to know everything about the man. He wanted to capture in his eyes every moment the man himself didn’t know, and wanted to know the man better than the man knew himself.
Puti had been following along but eventually fell behind and was watching Rosetta’s retreating figure, but Rosetta didn’t even notice such things and quickly climbed the stairs and ran to his room.
