Chapter 464 – #98_Perfume(5)
#463
One.
Just as smelling the smoke from burning wet firewood reminds you of a fire in a cozy cabin.
As if the earthy smell mixed with the fresh smell of grass reminds you of a picnic in spring.
Smell is the sense most closely related to memory.
The last letter left by Master.
The will was not simply a piece of paper written in typeface.
A magic that materializes the link between the fragrance sprinkled on the stationery and the memory to materialize the clearest memory.
Amelia wiped her blurred vision several times.
“Amelia.”
As I wiped her tears with my sleeve, which dimly wet the corner of her vision, the Master I missed so much sits.
Excluding the hat decorated with plain flowers, the non-glamorous witch’s clothes and the cloak that have now become mementos.
Benevolent eyes and light blonde hair that exuded grace.
When she was still a child, on the sofa where Amelia would come in after playing to the fullest, and she would greet her with a polite smile.
As it was in her lifetime.
Amelia bit her trembling lips.
Master’s eyes staring straight ahead, but not looking at Amelia, but hovering in the air.
A welcome that doesn’t run right away and hug you or whisper the words I love you.
This is not a miracle that turns back time.
A gimmick that uses magic to make you have happy dreams for a very short time.
Even so, the appearance of Master, whom she thought she would never see again, came to Amelia like a small miracle.
“Master….”
The teacher in front of her was a face that looked much younger than in Amelia’s memories.
Also, it was not the image of a flawless Virgin Mary full of kindness, as in her memories.
A little bit of mischievous playfulness can be seen in the slightly protruding tongue in the soft smile, and the eyes wandering here and there look a little restless.
Well, a lot of time has passed since then.
Amelia had already outlived her master for many years.
“You never know when you will be reading this letter.
You have a corner where you secretly want to run away from something you don’t like. How many springs have come and how many winters have you had?”
It was not until long after Master called Amelia’s name that she finally made up her mind before bringing her words out.
“I already have a lot of questions.
Are they eating well, or are they sleeping soundly without me? Are you drinking cocoa too often? Are you on good terms with Sophia? Are you studying magic hard? .
Oh my, she’s not an apprentice witch now, but a full-fledged witch, right? I was worried about performing.
I still want you to understand. Parents say that no matter how old their children are, they still look like children…. I guess this is my mother’s heart.”
It wasn’t just about writing it down and reading it line by line.
Recalling and unraveling Amelia’s words one by one that she had suppressed in order to prevent her from knowing the truth of her succession, Master gently stroked her hair, as if it was awkward for her to talk to herself.
“Are you very angry with me? I left without telling you properly. I think you might think it’s too selfish. In fact, it may not be very different…. Sorry. You must have resented and hated it a lot, right?”
I hated it.
He said he was more resentful than anyone else in the world.
Why did you leave me alone
I wanted to howl, shout, argue and get angry.
Even if I met Master again someday, I would have made up my mind that I would seriously investigate that point….
“I don’t hate…. I don’t resent….”
This is just a video message recorded in the past, not Master’s return.
Still, Amelia advances to her master step by step.
Even though she knows it’s useless, she hugs Master.
That moment.
Her arms wrapped around Amelia’s back like a lie, wrapped warmly around her body.
Surprised, Amelia raised her eyes, and Master responded with a gentle smile.
“Yeah, maybe you’re hugging me by now. I’ve been trying on my own too. Isn’t that wonderful magic?”
I could clearly feel the body odor, warmth, and even the small sound of the fabric rustling from Master, who must be an illusion.
Just like Amelia’s memories, when she fell asleep in her arms, the touch she felt said, ‘You’re kind. You’re nice,’ she whispered, sweeping her back.
“Master, look… I wanted….”
Amelia, swallowing her cries, couldn’t hold it in any longer and buried her head in the nape of her neck.
“If you’re blaming yourself, I want to ask you not to.
Amelia, do you know what a happy gift you have been to me?
She pricked herself on a raspberry bush and brought back a bunch of pretty strawberries.
Just looking at your face sleeping like an angel in my arms, it was so amazing that all the fatigue from that day went away…. There were times when I stayed up all night after stroking it for a long time.
When I was forced to do homework, I pouted and puffed out my cheeks like a squirrel, but then I laughed at a single cookie. Who got permission and was so cute….
The times when I insisted on sleeping together whenever it rained, the times when I set the oven on fire to bake a birthday cake, the times when I threw homework into the fireplace and scolded you for being silly, I was happy like a lie.”
Master’s hand stroked her hair.
“Amelia. You were a precious miracle to me. So that’s it.
It may sound blatant, but I won’t ask you to forgive me for leaving silently.
No matter how many chances I had, I would have made the same choice. I will never regret this decision.”
I forgave you.
I really don’t hate it now.
I just wanted to be hugged like this.
The words that rose to the top of his throat just turned into tears and flowed down.
“For not showing you the wider world and forcing me to study magic…. Not having more time together…. That is the only thing I regret.”
Amelia shook her head.
She understood that it was inevitable.
Just like Amelia, Master loved Amelia so much.
Even though I was left alone, what I faced was an achromatic, dark world, but the days I received from Master were not a diary of confinement in a narrow cage.
It was a precious memory that made it possible for me to endure small and trivial moments.
“The moment of parting will be short. He probably won’t be able to say much. I’m not very talkative, and…. To be honest, when that time comes, I think it will be too much for me to hold back so as not to cry.”
Master smoothing out his trembling tone.
Her hand didn’t stop, patted her back, caressing Amelia’s past regrets and the marks of her tears.
“So I’ll leave it like this for now. Will you listen?”
At her belated message from her master, Amelia slowly nodded her head.
As if she had been waiting for it, a voice that rang in her ears.
“Don’t be too sad. Just as buds bloom on frozen soil covered in winter snow, beautiful flowers will bloom on top of your sadness. I want you to be as happy as half of the happiness I received from you.
Was the cabin too small? The world is very wide. Go anywhere and look everywhere. From Border Town to Ars Magna Town and all over the unnamed lot. A world you have never experienced will give you a new experience. I’ve never been, but go out in the present world. In such a beautiful world, isn’t it too boring to live only studying magic?
Make lots of good friends. Sofia has a mischievous side, but she is a caring child. Don’t hate me too much and play with me often. If you value friendship, one day I will definitely repay you.
Get enough sleep. Even if the witch doesn’t need sleep, it lets her clear her head neatly. If you have unresolved problems, put her head on her soft pillow and close your eyes. Sometimes there are problems that can only be solved by turning a blind eye.
Don’t neglect decorating. People say that the essence is inside, not the outside, but they don’t look inside first. Comb your hair neatly, and when you go out to an important place, wear makeup to the fullest and show off. And….”
The hesitation before then has disappeared.
In order to hide the truth of succession, Master continued the words that he couldn’t timely.
Amelia nodded her head at each of her words and hugged her master tightly.
“This is enough… Could it be? Have you ever been bored because it was too long? I thought it would end simply…. There are so many things I want to say.”
Master’s words with a bitter smile on her face, and her two arms that once again powerfully embraced her.
“You don’t have to push yourself to be a great person. You are already a wonderful and precious person, Amelia.
Still, if you goofing around too much, you’ll become someone in the name of the previous witch. Live like a witch and like a noble, and….”
At the same time as Master’s last words in her memory, her hands held Amelia’s cheeks.
Their foreheads touched as if they were going to tell a really important story, even though they wouldn’t actually be able to see it.
“Make love.”
The tear-stained smile was directly facing Amelia, as if to say, ‘Of course you’re looking, right?’
“My heart is about to burst with happiness, just thinking of that person with my eyes closed makes me smile, my heart warms like a fire…. Love like that
It could be a witch, it could be a nice guy.
The only thing missing is not seeing her face to see who will take our sweet Amelia.
But whoever you choose must be nice and kind.”
Tears finally began to flow and dripped onto the back of Amelia’s hand.
“Not all moments are sweet. Because of my clumsiness ahead of my heart, sometimes I get hurt, and sometimes there will be days when I get hurt. Maybe it will end in vain without being fulfilled. Even if you want to be together more, there may come a day when you have no choice but to part.
So even more, if you meet someone whose heart is beating, hug him as much as you can.
Even when he is angry because he did something wrong, don’t hesitate and kiss him after hitting him on the cheek as hard as you can.
So that I don’t leave any regrets, at least so that I don’t think I’ll love you more then.
Even if you are afraid, even if you are afraid. Get on her knees and go.”
After touching their foreheads for a long time, Master let out a relieved sigh as if he had no regrets.
There was not the slightest regret left on his face.
“I love you so much. Amelia, my proud daughter, my breath, my miracle.”
As she hugged Amelia one last time, she released her arms.
With a sad smile, as if telling them to leave the nest and fly freely.
“I want you to be happier than anyone else in the world. From Malika, a mother who cares for you.”
She ended her letters without adding her witch name, as she always did when introducing herself.
Marigold was named after Amelia.
The letter is over.
The scenery of the cabin, which was full of life, has returned to its original state, just like the photos that contain memories in the album.
The only trace left in the empty and desolate cabin is the firewood from the fireplace.
Even so.
Even in the cold room, where her breath came out, Amelia felt a blazing warmth.
It is because her warm support and her love remain in her heart.
“I love you very much too. Master.”
The words I couldn’t really say when Master left.
Amelia uttered the words she had to say, and kicked the cabin door open.
She didn’t have to look back.
Feeling the touch of Master’s hand.
At this moment, I just run to the person I want to see more than anyone else.
