Time Healer Ceres

“Are you really... Lady Grace?”

His voice trembled. His mind refused to believe it, insisting it couldn’t be true. However, every instinct he had was screaming that the person before him was his master.

“......”

A gentle smile tugged at Ceres’s eyes. Looking at the fool disciple she’d secretly missed, who was blinking up at her with those big and innocent eyes, she had to fight back a laugh.

“Why? Do you think another punch would convince you?”

“N-No!”

Ersi frantically shook his head.

“But...”

“What now?”

“Um... why did you hit me?”

And why was he still being punished? Fine, let’s say she really was the person he’d known. But why did he get hit?

“Are you seriously asking why I hit you?”

The corners of Ceres’s lips curled up once more. The instant Ersi saw that smile, the color drained from his face. He knew that smile far too well. It was the smile she always wore right before beating someone senseless.

“House Ellesia.”

Flinch.

Ersi stiffened the moment the name left Ceres’s lips. Without taking her eyes off him, Ceres pointed to the green medicine vial on the table.

“The lost medicine formula.”

Ersi slowly lowered his head.

“The knight order that’s become a complete disaster.”

By the time she uttered those final words, cold sweat was already trickling down his face.

“So you just stood by and watched everything fall apart? Even though you’ve been alive this whole time.”

You trained your juniors into that sorry state, and you still slept with a clear conscience? Really? You actually slept?

“On top of that, you threw away the position of family head I entrusted to you and ran off. Did my words mean so little to you? Or did you decide you could do whatever you wanted once your master was gone?”

Seeing the chill in Ceres’s eyes, Ersi immediately straightened his posture and raised his arms even higher, as if silently admitting his guilt.

Ceres clicked her tongue before repeating the question she’d asked earlier.

“So what happened?”

I’m one thing, but what about him? How has this punk managed to stay alive for over 300 years? Unlike me, he didn’t take over someone else’s body. That’s his own body.

“I...”

Ersi glanced at Ceres cautiously before forcing an awkward smile.

“I’m... immortal.”

“...You’re what?”

Ceres rubbed at her ear. She’d surely misheard.

“Immortal...”

“......”

But when he repeated the word, just as clearly as before, Ceres could only stare at him in stunned silence.

“So you’re saying...”

“Yes.”

“You can’t die?”

“That’s right.”

“......”

...What nonsense is that? So he’s just like Kainel? He doesn’t age, and he can’t die either?

“Were you already like that when you were my disciple?”

“I’d already lived for about 500 years back then.”

“...500 years.”

500... 300... Just how old are you?

Ceres could only gape at him, too stunned to find the words.

What the...

Was she supposed to start speaking politely to him now?

“So... you really can’t die?”

“That’s right.”

“But...”

A thought suddenly struck her. She muttered as if talking to herself.

“When you were my disciple, weren’t you always saying you didn’t want to die? You’d refuse to set foot in the Black Forest no matter what, even though you were the vice captain of the knight order.”

Now that I think about it, I ended up going into the Black Forest for him every single time. I couldn’t exactly drag along someone who kept insisting he didn’t want to die.

“H-Haha... I may not die, but I still feel pain. I absolutely hate getting hurt.”

“And weren’t there many times you dumped all your work on me and ran off because you said you couldn’t pull an all-nighter?”

“I may not die, but I still get tired. Besides, sleep deprivation is terrible for your skin.”

“...Your skin?”

“Yes.”

You get it, right?

“......”

Bzzzz.

Shing.

Watching Ersi smile so innocently, Ceres quietly opened her sub-space and drew out her sword.

“W-Why are you pulling out a sword all of a sudden?”

“Why else? I’m planning to use it.”

What kind of question is that? Don’t make me feel ridiculous for drawing it.

“M-Master, please calm down!”

Ersi scrambled as far away from Ceres as he could. Never in his dreams had he imagined he’d see that pitch-black sword again. That demonic sword.

“Master! I was wrong!”

“No. I don’t think you actually know what you did wrong.”

“N-No! Masteeer!”

“Master! Please spare me!”

“......”

The grip on Ceres’s sword loosened a little. Somehow, hearing him call her that naturally again made it hard to stay angry.

Master...

Haah... I’m really a softie when it comes to this.

Clicking her tongue under her breath, Ceres asked again.

“Why did you abandon the position of family head? I heard you left right after I died.”

“Um...”

She still didn’t lower her sword. Watching it nervously, Ersi carefully continued.

“I was afraid the Fire Spirit King would find out what I am.”

“What you are?”

“That I’m immortal... and that I live on human blood.”

“Hold on. Wait.”

Are my ears acting up today? I could’ve sworn I just heard something completely ridiculous. What did he just say?

“...You live on what?”

Blood? There’s no way I heard that correctly.

“Please don’t misunderstand!”

Seeing Ceres tighten her grip around the hilt, Ersi hurriedly explained himself.

“It’s not like I go around draining people’s blood!”

“Then what is it?”

Choose your next words carefully. I may have finally reunited with my disciple, but I can still send you straight to the afterlife.

“I only take a tiny amount! Really, just a few drops as payment!”

“That’s the same thing, you idiot! You’re still feeding on people’s blood! What, do you sink your fangs into their necks and drink it?!”

Don’t tell me you’re one of those vampires from the old storybooks!

“No!”

Even as his face turned deathly pale, Ersi couldn’t hide the offense in his voice.

“Through skin contact.”

“...Skin contact?”

“Yes. I can absorb blood just by holding someone’s hand. Why would I bite someone’s neck? That’s disgusting. I’d never do something so unhygienic!”

That was exactly why he’d joined House Ellesia. As a healer, he could absorb blood while treating patients without raising anyone’s suspicions.

“You brat...”

That explanation only made Ceres more furious.

“So you’ve been feeding on your patients’ blood all this time?!”

Patients, of all people!

“I-I’m serious! It’s only a tiny amount! So little it doesn’t harm them at all. I swear!”

Ersi sniffled miserably.

“There were even times I drank the tainted blood from their wounds for them...”

Do you have any idea how awful that tastes? It turns your stomach.

There were many times when he’d deliberately absorbed the tainted blood left inside an injured patient’s body. Doing that sped up their recovery considerably.

“It’s actually healthy to let out a little blood every now and then. It improves circulation, so it’s basically...”

“Would you shut up already?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ersi had been mumbling excuse after excuse, but one sharp remark from Ceres was enough to snap his mouth shut.

“Haah...”

With a quiet sigh, Ceres pressed her fingers against her brow.

She’d kept him by her side for all those years, yet she hadn’t noticed a thing. There was never anything about him that seemed different from an ordinary person.

“A vampire...”

“I told you I’m not!”

“Quiet.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Once he’d fallen silent again, Ceres begin sorting through her thoughts, absently brushing the sword hanging loosely at her side.

“Is that why you gave up the position of family head?”

“If I’d signed a contract with Lord Jubelios, it would’ve exposed the fact that I was still alive after stepping down as family head. It was better not to make the contract in the first place.”

Enoch knew that once someone entered into a contract with Jubelios, everything would be shared with him until the day they died.

“What about the key? Why do you have Artia’s key?”

“Ah...”

Ersi crossed the room to the wardrobe in the corner and pulled out a small wooden box hidden deep inside.

Click.

As soon as he opened it, Ceres saw something she recognized immediately.

Artia’s black key.

“Why do you have this?”

Why would her precious disciple be carrying Artia’s key instead of the next Tower Master?

“Well...”

A silent sigh slipped from Ersi’s lips.

“Lord Artia found out.”

“Found out what?”

“He discovered that I’m immortal.”

“What?”

***

“Big Brother, when’s Mom coming back?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can’t we go see her? You know where she is.”

“It’s too far. We don’t have money for a carriage, and we could never make it on foot.”

A little girl who looked about nine and a boy a year or two older were crouched together on the ground.

“It’s cold... When can we go back inside?”

“When Auntie and Uncle calm down.”

“Sniff... I’m cold...”

The children wore clothes far too thin for the start of winter. They huddled close together, clinging to each other’s warmth.

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