Chapter 13
Kailyn, my childhood friend and wife, whom I was meeting after a very long time.
We exchanged a brief eye contact, but there was nothing special about it. She didn't say anything to me.
This feels rather bland.
I wasn't expecting anything in particular, but her reaction was so lukewarm that it felt a bit off. I thought she might say something, but she didn't say a word. Of course, there was a possibility she didn't notice me.
Anyway, the brief reunion with my childhood friend ended very blandly.
They're drawing a magic circle in the church to find the spirit, right?
The people from the magic tower seemed very busy. The three, including Kailyn, immediately headed to the church. They met with Levia, had some discussion, and then started drawing a magic circle.
Is that the magic circle to find the spirit?
I had heard from Levia. They said they would activate it near the church.
They said they were going to search for a spirit that might be here.
It's not like they'll succeed, anyway.
Of course, that plan wouldn't succeed. The reason was simple. They didn't find it in the original story either.
If it had succeeded, wouldn't they have had the spirit long ago in the original story?
Even in the original story, the spirit never appeared. The magic tower kept searching, but there was never any mention of finding the spirit. It was just a MacGuffin-like existence, there was no way a spirit would appear from doing something like that.
What a pointless effort.
Seeing them diligently drawing the magic circle to find it made me feel truly pathetic. To think she abandoned her child to search for a spirit that might or might not even appear. I wonder if she ran away and left the child with me for this.
I sighed and returned home.
***
After returning home, I immediately took care of Eleana. Usually Levia took care of her, but she seemed busy with the mages from the magic tower now. So I ended up taking care of her.
Still, playing with my daughter after a long time was very enjoyable.
"Awawa."
"Say 'Papa'. Papa."
"Awawa."
Just then, Eleana in my arms looked at me. I didn't know how she could be so intelligent when she had only been born for a short time. Even though it was just babbling, seeing Eleana trying to say, "Papa" made me smile strangely.
"Ha. Our daughter. You're really cute."
"Waa?"
Plus, her appearance was already so incredibly cute. When she grew up, wouldn't she be an extraordinary beauty? I think she'd never lose to anyone in terms of looks wherever she went.
But that worried me.
"You'll grow up pretty, taking after Kailyn."
Although Eleana would inevitably be pretty, taking after her mother Kailyn, I hope she didn’t take after her in other ways.
"Eleana. Never become like your mother."
"Awa."
"If possible, be like Levia."
You really shouldn't take after Kailyn.
I asked her to become like Levia, who was always taking care of her. Of course, Eleana wouldn't understand what I was saying.
As I was spending this enjoyable time with Eleana, I couldn't help but think about Kailyn.
"You know, Eleana. Do you think your mother will come back?"
"Waaa."
At this point when Kailyn was in this village, she could come to this house anytime if she wanted to. I might be waiting for her at home right now without realizing it.
"I'm waiting as Levia said, but honestly, I don't know."
Of course, I knew there was almost no possibility of Kailyn coming back. If she was going to come back, she wouldn't have left in the first place. When I said I knew what kind of person she was, it wasn’t an empty statement.
Still, there was what Levia said to me. That she wouldn't have forgotten about the child. I think I was trying to believe those words, even if I might be fooling myself.
"Your mother probably won't come, will she?"
But Kailyn was still Kailyn. No matter how long I waited, there was no sign of her coming. She was probably busy drawing useless magic circles, having completely forgotten about the child.
"Dad's going to give up on mom."
I decided to just give up. The tiny bit of hope that remained had disappeared. I felt like I had finally completely let go of any lingering attachment to Kailyn.
I hoped she would come back, at least for the child's sake.
Actually, I thought that if Kailyn came back, I would take her back. Kailyn irresponsibly left the baby with me and left, and I still couldn’t forgive that action. But it was different from the child's perspective, wasn’t it?
No matter how hard I tried, a mother's presence was inevitably a very important factor in a child's emotional development. Even if I disliked Kailyn, even if I resented her, I wanted Kailyn to be a mother for the child's sake.
That was partly why I couldn't let go of my lingering feelings.
"But Eleana, it's okay. Even though you don't have a mother, Dad will try to make up for Mom's part, too. Please grow up well."
But we couldn’t keep clinging to someone who would never come back. I'd just work hard myself. Looking at Eleana who had fallen asleep, I resolved to do my best for my daughter.
Let's do well.
It'll work out somehow, right?
There were many children who grew up well even without a mother, weren’t there? If I tried my best, somehow it'd work out.
Just as I was regaining my resolve, something completely unexpected happened.
Knock knock.
"Davian. Are you there?"
A voice was heard from outside the door. A very familiar voice. I could immediately tell who it was just from the voice.
It was Kailyn's voice.
"What?"
Kailyn came? That Kailyn?
It was truly unbelievable.
Is this real?
Until just now, I thought there was no way she would come here. She was an extremely selfish person.
But now Kailyn had come. It was unbelievable, but it was undoubtedly true. I was quite flustered, but I calmed myself and opened the door.
"Kailyn?"
"It's been a while, Davian."
And I could see my childhood friend whom I hadn't seen in a very long time. Kailyn greeted me calmly. Somehow, it felt like I was seeing her again.
With a trembling heart, I faced Kailyn and continued the conversation, "What brings you here?"
"I thought I should talk to you at least once if I came here."
"Talk?"
"Yes. I have something to say to you. I'm extremely busy, but I made time to come."
Kailyn said she had something to say to me.
What on earth could she want to say? What could she want to say so badly that she'd abandon drawing the magic circle?
Could it be...?
Maybe I can have some hope?
Somehow, it felt like the extinguished hope was rekindling.
Could it be that Kailyn had been thinking about the child deep down? Even if she couldn't give up her dream, could she had come here to take some responsibility as a parent?
Because I thought there was no way Kailyn would do this, I was now feeling quite hopeful.
What will Kailyn say to me?
I waited for her words with anticipation.
That anticipation was shattered in vain.
"Davian. I realized we haven't done something we should have."
"What's that?"
"Divorce."
Kailyn was still the same. The purpose of her visit wasn't anything else. It was divorce.
"Let's get divorced. Being married is viewed negatively as a mage. It's seen as having attachments to the secular world. It will probably hinder me from becoming an archmage."
Kailyn was only thinking about herself. Even now, the purpose of getting divorced was just to take one step closer to her dream. She cared about nothing else.
"So, give me a divorce. You don't have any reason to continue this marriage either, right?"
"..."
Kailyn demanded a divorce. Seeing her like this made me feel somehow drained.
I thought I had given up hope. But it seemed I had unknowingly held onto hope. I didn't know why I kept hoping even though I knew she wouldn't do that.
How disappointing.
I wanted to make it clear this time. So that I didn't need to hope anymore. I was going to ask her one last time.
"...Is that all you have to say?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah."
I asked her cynically. Wasn't there anything you've forgotten? Kailyn looked at me with an expression that said she didn't understand what I meant.
"Don't you want to ask about the child?" I spoke more directly.
Don't you have anything to ask about the child you gave birth to?
"Aren't you curious if she's eating well, if she's not sick?"
I asked her again if there wasn't anything, even something trivial, that she really wanted to know. Hearing my words, Kailyn looked blank for a moment, then...
"Ah... that? You still have that?" She finally said, as if just remembering.