Free Web NovelChapter 34: Departure from the Capital
The next morning was awful.
Not because I was tired.
Not because of the cold.
But because escaping Lilith had somehow become stronger overnight.
"...Lilith."
No response.
I sighed heavily while staring upward at the ceiling.
At some point during the night she had wrapped herself around nearly my entire body again.
One arm around my chest.
Another around my waist.
Both legs tangled even more tightly around mine.
I was beginning to think she subconsciously evolved new limbs while sleeping.
"...Lilith wake up."
Immediately—
Her grip tightened.
"No."
"...I have to leave today."
The moment I said it—
Silence filled the room.
Slowly, Lilith buried her face deeper against my chest.
"You can stay longer."
"I can’t."
"Yes you can."
"I have work back home."
"I’ll buy your work."
"That’s not how work functions."
Lilith ignored that completely.
Instead she held onto me even tighter.
Breathing was becoming difficult.
"You can just stay here with me forever," she mumbled quietly.
"I’ll take care of you."
"...Lilith."
"You won’t need those dirty furnaces anymore."
Her voice softened further.
"You won’t need to work."
For once—
She didn’t sound demanding.
She sounded genuinely desperate.
"I can give you anything you want."
I stayed quiet for a moment.
Then sighed softly.
"I know."
That only made her hold tighter.
"I’m serious."
"I know you are."
Lilith slowly looked upward toward me.
Her deep purple eyes looked slightly red from exhaustion.
"...Then stay."
Seeing her like this made leaving harder than I expected.
But—
"I can’t abandon everything."
The bloomeries.
Finn.
The nitrate beds.
The blast furnace.
The steam engine plans.
Everything I’d built over months.
I shook my head slightly.
"I have things I need to finish."
Lilith’s expression slowly crumbled.
Then—
To my complete shock—
Tears started falling again.
"...Seriously?"
"I hate you."
"You absolutely do not."
"You’re leaving me."
"I’m going back home, not dying."
"For how long?"
"...I don’t know."
That answer clearly made things worse.
Lilith suddenly buried her face against me again while her shoulders trembled slightly.
This was the same girl who terrified academy students into silence.
And now she was sobbing because I was going home.
"You can just live here," she muttered weakly.
"I’ll make father give you anything you want."
"Lilith—"
"I’ll even help with your steel."
"...You don’t know how steel works."
"I’ll learn."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"Just stay."
For several long moments, the room remained quiet except for her soft crying.
This was painful.
Eventually I carefully placed one hand on her head.
Immediately she froze.
Then slowly looked upward.
"I’ll come back eventually," I said quietly.
"...Promise?"
"...Yeah."
Lilith stared at me silently for several seconds.
Then finally—
Very reluctantly—
Her grip loosened slightly.
Not fully.
Just enough for me to barely sit up.
Progress.
Though even then she still clung tightly onto the back of my shirt like if she let go for even a second I’d disappear.
Leaving today was going to be difficult.
After what felt like an eternity—
I finally managed escaping the room.
Barely.
Even now, Lilith still held tightly onto my sleeve while walking beside me through the massive halls of the NightBane manor.
Neither of us spoke much.
The atmosphere felt strangely heavy.
The servants and knights throughout the manor quickly stepped aside the moment they saw Lilith approaching.
Though several of them looked surprised seeing her unusually quiet.
Usually she was clinging onto me while arguing about something ridiculous.
But now—
She simply walked beside me silently.
Eventually we arrived outside the manor where a large carriage already waited near the front gates.
Snow lightly drifted from the sky while several knights prepared the escort for departure.
I stepped toward the carriage slowly.
Then stopped.
Because Lilith hadn’t followed.
I turned around slightly.
She stood several feet away near the manor entrance watching me silently.
Long black hair moved gently within the cold wind while her deep purple eyes remained fixed entirely on me.
Seeing her this quiet felt far stranger than her usual insanity.
"...Lilith?"
For a few moments she didn’t answer.
Then slowly—
"You really are leaving."
Not angry.
Not demanding.
Just quiet.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"...Yeah."
Lilith looked downward briefly.
Then back toward me again.
Her expression remained calm.
Too calm.
That worried me more.
The cold winter wind passed between us quietly while the knights nearby pretended not listening.
Eventually Lilith walked forward slowly until she stood directly in front of me.
Then without warning—
She grabbed onto the front of my coat tightly.
"...You promised you’d come back."
"I know."
"You better."
"I said I would."
Lilith stared at me for several long seconds as if trying memorize my face completely.
Then quietly—
"If you die while I’m not there..."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"I’ll destroy the kingdom."
"...That is an insane thing to say."
"I’m serious."
I knew she was.
Which somehow made it worse.
After another few silent moments, Lilith slowly leaned forward and rested her forehead lightly against my chest.
The knights nearby immediately looked away pretending they couldn’t see anything.
Cowards.
"...I already miss you," she whispered softly.
And honestly—
For the first time since meeting her—
I didn’t really know what to say back.
For several quiet moments, neither of us moved.
Lilith simply remained there with her forehead resting lightly against my chest while snow drifted softly around us.
Seeing her like this made leaving feel strangely difficult.
Eventually I let out a quiet sigh.
Then slowly—
I raised my arms and hugged her.
Lilith froze instantly.
Completely froze.
As if her brain had stopped functioning. fгeewebnovёl.com
"I’ll miss you too," I muttered quietly.
For a moment—
She didn’t react at all.
Then suddenly her arms wrapped tightly around me again.
Not painfully this time.
Just...
Warmly.
I could practically feel the shock radiating off her.
This was probably the first completely voluntary hug I’d ever given her.
Which apparently meant more to her than I expected.
When I finally pulled away slightly, Lilith still stared up at me silently.
Her deep purple eyes looked wide with disbelief.
"...You hugged me."
"...Yeah."
"You said you’d miss me."
"...Lilith."
A faint blush slowly spread across her face before she immediately tried hiding it behind her usual composed expression.
It failed completely.
Then quietly—
"I changed my mind."
"...About what?"
"You’re not allowed to leave anymore."
I sighed tiredly.
There she was.
The real Lilith.
Before she could attempt physically kidnapping me again, I quickly stepped backward toward the carriage.
Several knights immediately opened the door for me.
I climbed inside before Lilith could rethink her choices.
Then the carriage doors slowly shut.
For a brief moment—
Silence filled the interior.
Then outside—
The carriage finally began moving.
I glanced back through the window.
Lilith still stood exactly where I left her.
Watching silently.
Snow drifted around her black hair while the massive NightBane manor towered behind her.
And even as the carriage moved further away—
Her deep purple eyes never left me for even a second.
Slowly—
The distance between us grew larger.
The manor became smaller.
And eventually—
Lilith herself slowly disappeared into the falling snow behind me.
The capital suddenly felt a lot quieter without her.
——————
The manor felt empty.
Too empty.
I slowly walked through the massive silent halls alone while servants and knights bowed as I passed.
Usually—
Leon’s voice would be nearby.
Complaining.
Arguing.
Telling me I was insane.
The thought alone made a small smile appear on my face.
Then disappear again just as quickly.
Because he was gone.
The room felt even worse.
The moment I stepped inside, the silence became unbearable.
No Leon sleeping on the sofa.
No Leon trying escape through the windows.
No Leon complaining while I dragged him into bed.
Just...
Quiet.
I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed for several moments before letting out a soft sigh.
"...I miss him already."
Eventually I stood back up and walked toward my wardrobe.
Hidden deep within the very back—
Beneath several dresses and coats— freewebnσvel.cѳm
Was something important.
I carefully pulled it out.
A pillow.
One wearing Leon’s stolen clothes with a crudely drawn smiley face on it.
For several moments I simply stared at it quietly.
Then softly hugged it against my chest.
"I guess you’ll have to do for now."
Not nearly as good as the real thing.
Still—
It smelled like him.
That alone calmed me slightly.
I slowly climbed into bed while hugging the fake Leon tightly before burying my face against it.
The room remained silent except for the faint crackling of the fireplace nearby.
"...Leo."
My fingers lightly tightened around the pillow.
"That old woman was annoying."
My expression slowly darkened slightly.
"She saw too much."
The image of that woman in the market replayed within my head.
The way she looked at Leon.
The way she realized something.
And worst of all—
The way Leon listened to her.
Mana burnout.
A damaged core.
He heard everything.
I buried my face deeper into the pillow.
"...What if he starts looking into it?"
Leon was smart.
Too smart sometimes.
If he kept digging—
If he learned what happened—
My grip tightened slightly.
"...Would he hate me?"
The thought alone made my chest ache painfully.
I slowly closed my eyes.
Back then—
I truly believed I was helping him.
Protecting him.
Keeping him safe.
But now—
Now I wasn’t sure anymore.
"...You won’t leave me if you find out, right?"
The fake pillow Leo gave no answer.
Of course it didn’t.
Still—
I quietly kept talking to it anyway.
Because pretending it was really him made the room feel just a little less empty.
