The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 81

“Did you say you met Zion at the Tower of Repentance?”

“Just call me Yuli,” she replied, dodging the question.

Evelyn sighed, giving up on extracting any more information from her. She turned her attention to Zion, who was now playfully tossing a ball in the air with his beak. Since Ilya returned from the war, Zion had been loyal to her and Libe’s side.

What is Zion’s true identity? Why is he always with Libe and me? Evelyn mused, deciding to observe him more closely from now on. She glanced back at Yuli. Although she wanted to serve tea to their new guest at the grand castle, she had one more question.

“Yuli, have you greeted your aunt yet?”

Yuli’s cheerful face turned somber, her scowl eerily resembling Libe’s. “I don’t want to go see her.”

“But don’t you think you should?”

“I’ll stop by there later,” Yuli said, making Evelyn’s eyes widen in surprise. Yuli laughed and grabbed Evelyn’s hand, pulling her along.

“Bring my horse,” Yuli demanded. When Evelyn resisted, Yuli’s expression softened. “I’m going to the Tower of Repentance. Won’t you come with me?”

Yuli’s face looked so much like Libe’s when he wanted a treat that Evelyn couldn’t refuse. She nodded, making Yuli beam with joy. Evelyn turned to Bellina, who was standing nearby.

“I’ll be accompanying Countess Edith to the Tower of Repentance shortly.”

“Arthas and I will escort you,” Belina offered.

Yuli interrupted, “Not Arthas. Zion.”

Zion dropped the ball from his beak and glanced at Yuli. She continued, “Zion is Evelyn’s guard, after all. Or perhaps he’s just the young master’s playmate…”

“Silence, human,” Zion growled, spreading his wings menacingly.

As the guards brought the horses, Yuli helped Evelyn mount first, then climbed up behind her. She loosely held the reins and turned the horse toward the tower.

“To the Tower of Repentance,” Yuli announced. Evelyn shook off her thoughts as their horse galloped forward, with Zion soaring high above them. The guards, led by Belina, hurriedly followed in their wake.

****

Before long, they arrived at the entrance to the Tower of Repentance. Yuli gazed up at the pointed tower with a look of admiration.

“Wow, it looks the same as when I saw it as a child. Nothing has changed here.”

“You must have visited often,” Evelyn remarked.

“No, just once. I snuck out to see my cousin who was here,” Yuli replied, her tone casual.

Evelyn focused on her words. The cousin Yuli referred to couldn’t be Naser, the eldest son of the ducal family, who lived in the main estate. She must be talking about Ilya from their childhood.

Evelyn recalled a fleeting memory of young Ilya at the Tower of Repentance. A boy who looked just like Libe, with hands like autumn leaves, holding his ears and on the verge of tears. Her heart ached, sensing she was close to understanding what might have happened to him.

“Let’s go inside,” Yuli urged, leading the way. Evelyn quickly followed, with Bellina and Zion right behind them. The remaining knights stayed at the entrance.

They entered a box-shaped room to ascend the tower. Yuli smirked at Zion.

“Isn’t it funny that we’re taking this instead of flying up with your wings?”

“Hmph, it’s convenient. Why bother with the effort?” Zion replied with a bored expression. As they bickered, they reached their destination. When the doors opened, a spacious and luxurious room came into view. Yuli strode in confidently, and the others followed.

“Nothing has changed at all!” Yuli exclaimed, running around the room, and exploring every corner. Evelyn watched her throw herself onto a plush sofa before her eyes landed on a canopied bed. Her cheeks flushed as memories of that bed surfaced—nights spent pouring out her emotions to her husband and eventually falling asleep beside him.

Zion, who was standing next to her, noticed her reaction. “Human, are you unwell? Your face has been red for a while now,” he asked gruffly, but his bright yellow eyes were filled with concern.

Evelyn decided to be honest. “I did something embarrassing here once. That’s why I’m blushing.”

“Hmph, as if you could do anything that embarrassing,” Zion teased, a sly smile on his face. Seeing the eagle in a good mood, Evelyn seized the moment to satisfy her curiosity.

“Have you been here before, Zion?” she asked.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the Tower of Repentance. Yuli gazed up at the pointed tower in awe.

“Wow, it looks the same as when I saw it as a child. Nothing has changed here.”

“You must have visited often,” Evelyn remarked.

“No, just once. I snuck out to see my cousin who was here,” Yuli replied casually.

Evelyn focused on her words. The cousin Yuli referred to couldn’t be Naser, the eldest son of the ducal family, who lived in the main estate. She must be talking about Ilya from their childhood.

Evelyn recalled a fleeting memory of young Ilya at the Tower of Repentance. A boy who looked just like Libe, with hands like autumn leaves, holding his ears and on the verge of tears. Her heart ached, sensing she was close to understanding what might have happened to him.

“Let’s go inside,” Yuli urged, leading the way. Evelyn quickly followed, with Bellina and Zion right behind them. The remaining knights stayed at the entrance.

They entered a box-shaped room to ascend the tower. Yuli smirked at Zion.

“Isn’t it funny that we’re taking this instead of flying up with your wings?”

“Hmph, it’s convenient. Why bother with the effort?” Zion replied with a bored expression. As they bickered, they reached their destination. When the doors opened, a spacious and luxurious room came into view. Yuli strode in confidently, and the others followed.

“Nothing has changed at all!” Yuli exclaimed, running around the room, and exploring every corner. Evelyn watched her throw herself onto a plush sofa before her eyes landed on a canopied bed. Her cheeks flushed as memories of that bed surfaced—nights spent pouring out her emotions to her husband and eventually falling asleep beside him.

Zion, who was standing next to her, noticed her reaction. “Human, are you unwell? Your face has been red for a while now,” he asked gruffly, but his bright yellow eyes were filled with concern.

Evelyn decided to be honest. “I did something embarrassing here once. That’s why I’m blushing.”

“Hmph, as if you could do anything that embarrassing,” Zion teased, a sly smile on his face. Seeing the eagle in a good mood, Evelyn seized the moment to satisfy her curiosity.

“Have you been here before, Zion?” she asked.

Zion’s bright yellow eyes narrowed, as if recalling something. Evelyn suddenly felt dizzy, her vision blurring. She almost stumbled but managed to stay upright. Her ears felt muffled, and the world seemed to shrink until only she and Zion existed.

{The dark sorcerer instinctively reads the memories the other wishes to hide the most.}

Evelyn remembered this passage from a book on dark illusion magic. What she was seeing now were Zion’s memories.

A young boy with black hair lay limp on the floor. Red handprints were stark against his neck, and tears streamed down his cheeks. Evelyn reached out to wipe those tears away but couldn’t touch him.

Fortunately, the boy wasn’t alone. A large eagle with outstretched wings gently patted his shoulder.

“I wish I could disappear from this world.”

“Are you talking about your mother?”

“No, I want to disappear forever.”

When Zion’s eyes met hers, Evelyn’s vision cleared. She shook her head vigorously to regain her composure. Zion’s bright yellow eyes bore into hers as he asked, “Human, did you see my memory?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but it happened,” Evelyn replied, her voice trembling with guilt.

“You’re a distraction,” Zion said coldly. Evelyn looked up at him, surprised. His feathers, lit by the sunlight streaming through the window, glowed like strands of gold.

As Zion glanced toward Yuli and Belina, they suddenly vanished. Evelyn stared at him in shock.

“I sent them outside. They’ll be at the entrance, so don’t worry too much,” he said.

A heavy silence settled between them. Zion was the one to break it.

“You want to know who I am, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’m curious about who you are,” Evelyn admitted.

Zion gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know who I am either. My memories are fragmented, like a puzzle with missing pieces.”

He looked at her intently. “Does it matter who I am?”

“No, it doesn’t. You’re Zion, the friend who was there for Libe and me when we needed it most. That’s enough for me,” Evelyn said simply.

Zion laughed heartily at her straightforward answer. After a while, he spoke again.

“There are only three people I remember clearly. The former Duke, who was pitiable; the elder human, who was angry; and the young human, who gives me hope.”

His voice was filled with regret. “Do you know the former Duke?”

“I think I’ve met him. But I don’t remember what happened. All I recall is that he had silver hair and seemed very sad.”

Evelyn was confused. Was he sad because he died so young?

What does he mean by being angry when he sees Ilya and hopeful when he sees Libe?

She had many questions but couldn’t bring herself to ask, seeing the turmoil in her friend’s face.

Zion smiled weakly at her. “I promise, when I regain my memories, you’ll be the first to know.”

Evelyn’s smile brightened, and Zion looked at her with affection.

“Zion, let’s go back down. The others will be worried.”

“Yes, Evelyn.”

For some reason, hearing her name from Zion felt different. If it felt this way to him when she called his name, she wanted to do it more often.

***

When they stepped outside, the group had dwindled significantly. Evelyn glanced around and asked, “Has Countess Edith gone back?”

Bellina, who had been glaring daggers at Zion, replied, “The head maid came and escorted her away.”

Evelyn silently sympathized with Yuli, who was probably enduring Countess Glenn’s tirade at this very moment.

A red-haired man emerged from the mage tower and approached them briskly. He was René’s assistant and the mage of the grand castle.

“My lady, you need to come with me,” he said.

“Are we going to see René? Let’s go,” Evelyn agreed, and both Belina and Zion turned to follow him toward the mage tower.

“Leave the guards behind. Only the lady is to come,” the mage insisted.

Belina and Zion protested simultaneously, “What do you mean by that, mage?”

“Don’t blame me. René’s orders,” he said, scratching his head. He muttered a spell, and Evelyn disappeared from their sight. She heard Belina and Zion shouting angrily, but their voices quickly faded.

A moment later, Evelyn found herself standing in a narrow room. She had expected to be taken to the spacious reception room on the top floor, but instead, she was in Pia’s chamber on the middle floor.

‘Why did they bring me here?’ she wondered.

It was already dusk outside, and the room was dim. Evelyn moved to light a candle when a deep, resonant voice startled her from the shadows.

“Why did you go to the Tower of Repentance with Countess Edith?”

Evelyn stumbled back, nearly falling, but a firm hand caught her. The proximity of the man, close enough that she could hear his breath, left her unable to think clearly.

“Is my voice still so unfamiliar to you?” he asked.

“It’s not that… you just appeared so suddenly, I was startled,” she stammered.

After regaining composure, Evelyn asked, “Why did you call me here?”

“I didn’t call for you, I called for Pia.”

Evelyn snapped her head up at his unexpected reply.