Chapter 8 Part 4

Even after Rumpel finished speaking, Irina was unable to say anything for a while.

A past she didn’t remember, a long story. How did Rumpel spend such a long time looking at a child who only saw him once and then forgot about him?

“Just in case, Don’t apologize.”

“……I’m sorry.”

He jokingly said it first, taking the initiative, but for Irina, there was nothing else to say besides sorry. She had nothing else to say or excuse.

Of course, she knew it wasn’t her fault. But she didn’t know how to comfort the person who had been by her side for such a long time, hoping and wishing for a miracle to happen once again. All she could do was just say sorry.

“Lady Irina. I was really happy. And I was glad. During those long years, the only person who saw me was you, Irina, and it’s still the same now. There’s no way I could resent you. I’m just grateful.”

“Still……”

“That’s enough. There’s no need to say ‘still’.”

Irina almost burst into tears at Rumpel’s sweet smile. He looked happy, as if he was recalling really good memories. 

What would it be like if what happened to him happened to her? Just imagining it was devastating. Yet, Rumpel was just kind.

“I remember.”

“What?”

“The events of that day.”

At Irina’s words, Rumpel’s eyes widened as he met her gaze. Irina, fully contained in his golden eyes, felt as if she was trapped in his eyes.

“Really?”

“Well… I remember it in fragments… That day was the first time I was invited to the Imperial Palace. My father had to go to hear the message of His Majesty, and I begged him to let me go too. At first, he said no, but later he allowed me. Instead, he told me to be well-behaved.”

Irina calmly spoke about the memories that came to her mind in pieces.

Rumpel listened attentively to Irina’s words and nodded. Occasionally, he showed reactions such as ‘That’s how it was’ and ‘Oh, really?’

“Then I went out to the garden…”

“You went out?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember meeting anyone. Except that the tree was pink…”

“It’s okay. That’s enough.”

Irina’s voice was so dejected that Rumpel soothed her. But even after hearing his consolation, Irina’s mood didn’t improve at all.

Since it was a memory from her childhood, it was only natural that she couldn’t remember him completely. Still, Irina felt sorry that Rumpel was the only one who had the full memories of that day.

“It’s really okay. The pink tree was beautiful, wasn’t it?”

“Yes… It was truly fantastic. It was like seeing a cherry blossom tree in full bloom.”

“Then that’s enough. If the tree was beautiful, and if you were even a little happy with that memory.”

At his warm words, Irina barely held back her tears and buried her face in Rumpel’s chest. As she rubbed her face against his broad chest for a long time, she felt a little better.

Irina, who had her face buried in his chest until her swaying heart calmed down, suddenly raised her head at a thought that came to mind.

“I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“How did I see Rumpel at the Imperial Palace, …and then not see Rumpel for a while, and then see him again?”

Irina felt a pang of conscience as she used the expression ‘for a while’ to describe the time that must have been at least 10 years. Rumpel didn’t seem to mind.

“Hmm… I’m curious about that too. I wanted to solve the mystery, but I just couldn’t figure it out.”

At his answer, Irina also fell into a maze.

Since seeing Rumpel in the tower, there hasn’t been a day that she hasn’t seen him. Only she could still see his appearance.

Another strange thing was that while Rumpel’s magic was not visible to others at all, why were the pink tree at the Imperial Palace and the straw and stones that turned into gold in the tower visible to others?

“I don’t understand at all. How is that possible… What on earth are we missing…?”

Irina murmured and fell into thought. There must be something they missed.

There must be something in common between that day when she first saw Rumpel and the present. That’s why Rumpel was visible then, and he must be visible again now.

“You look serious.”

“Of course!”

Irina’s voice was almost tearful. That’s because if she could only see Rumpel under ‘certain’ conditions, it also meant that if those conditions were not met, she might not be able to see Rumpel again.

“If we’re not careful, I might not be able to see Rumpel again. That’s… that’s too cruel.”

“……”

“To Rumpel… and to me too.”

Not being able to see him again was a sad thing not only for Rumpel. It had become a tragic thing for Irina herself as well. Because she had started to like him. She felt like she wouldn’t be able to bear it if she couldn’t see him.

That’s why Irina had to find out the secret. The condition that made it possible to see Rumpel.

“Are you worried that you won’t be able to see me again?”

“Is that even something to say?!”

At Rumpel’s calm words, Irina got angry instead of bursting into tears.

It was better to be angry. If she cried in front of him, Rumpel would feel even more uncomfortable.

In fact, not being able to see him was devastating for Irina, but it was nothing compared to Rumpel’s despair.

Knowing this, Irina didn’t think whose suffering was bigger or smaller. She just wanted to see Rumpel and be with him. That was all.

“Me too.”

“Rumpel…”

“I want to keep seeing you. Of course, I will watch over you no matter what moment comes… But I want to make eye contact with you like this, Lady Irina, and feel your body temperature.”

Rumpel clasped Irina’s hand and placed it on his chest. Irina felt warm even though what she felt from his hand was a cold temperature that couldn’t even be called body temperature. That’s why she was happy. Her heart was at ease, and she felt reassured.

No matter what situation might come, she would hold onto him. This time, she would surely remember. She would never forget him.

“Let’s go back now. It’s late.”

“Yes……”

Irina replied in a regretful voice. Rumpel lightly kissed Irina’s cheek. At the gentle skinship, Irina’s mood, which had been endlessly depressed, seemed to improve a little.

Rumpel, as if he knew Irina’s heart, gently stroked Irina’s fine hair a few times and then took her hand and pulled her. Irina followed his hand and walked.

“Uh, uh! Wait a minute! …Uh.”

As she walked along with him, she was soon right in front of the lake. If she took one more step, she would have fallen into the lake.

Irina stopped in surprise, but then let out a soft exclamation at the sight she saw. It was because Rumpel, who had been walking ahead, was already standing on the surface of the lake.

Only then did Irina muster up the courage. As she carefully put her foot into the lake, ripples spread across the surface of the lake, forming small concentric circles. But that was all. Irina didn’t fall into the lake or get her feet wet.

“Wow! Amazing, Rumpel. It’s really fantastic.”

The moonlight had already fallen on the lake. Rumpel led Irina to the center of the lake.

Irina, walking along with him, soon stepped on pieces of the moonlight spread over the lake. Every time she stepped on the swaying moonlight, her heart fluttered along with it.

“Okay, that’s enough.”

As soon as Rumpel finished speaking, the place where the two were standing changed. The scenery of the forest and the lake that had surrounded Irina all disappeared, and the view inside Irina’s room took its place.

“Then… My beautiful Lady Irina, did you enjoy today’s date?”

“Of course! It was the best.”

The word ‘date’ was quite touching. Irina felt a strange but not unpleasant sensation, as if her heart was being filled with warm water.

Furthermore, at the playful but never joking and sincere question, Irina not only raised her voice to answer but also nodded greatly. Seeing this, Rumpel smiled along with Irina seemingly satisfied.

“So did I. Lady Irina.”