Chapter 43: Chapter 43

JONEA

"Aland…?" I held my breath as soon as Daran took off his mask.

Our faces are so close. For a moment, I lost my mind because the figure I saw right before my eyes was Aland Hamilton, not Daran Carver. How could that be?

I couldn't move at all. I'm so scared. I thought that if I breathed, I could lose Aland again. I might miss what I saw before my eyes. I wanted to enjoy Aland's face displayed in front of me for longer.

He reached out and stroked my jawbone with his thumb. "Who do you see Jonea?" he whispered.

My eyes opened wide, and I reflexively grabbed Daran's hand. I took his hand away from my jaw.

I gritted my teeth and hissed. "Daran Carver, your joke wasn't funny at all. How can you change your face to someone else? I don't even know your true face after everything I witnessed."

I took two steps back to stay away from Daran. "I'll go in first. You should also immediately change your habit of staying up late every night. Because it is very disturbing."

After leaving Daran alone in the garden, I ran as fast as I could to my room with tears in my eyes. I quickly moved away so Daran couldn't see my tears.

"I'm really stupid. How could I lose control of myself? In fact, I almost touched and hugged him just because he showed Aland's face in front of me. I really miss Aland..."

Daran is so evil! I knew he was a skilled magician, but how cruel he was to take advantage of my weakness. Can he really read my mind and reflect the contents of my thoughts? Or was what I saw just a hallucination? I'm too hopeful Daran is Aland? Obviously, they are two figures with different characters.

***

DARAN

Looks like I've hurt her this time. I had to do it because I was curious about who was always occupying Jonea's mind. She never really looked at me. She always sees other people in her mind.

Even though I used mind mirror magic, I couldn't figure out who Jonea was thinking about. Jonea could see the figure through my face but not vice versa.

"Who exactly is Aland? Jonea had mentioned that name several times. However, I didn't manage to find out any information about this person. If this person is still alive, of course I can find him."

I looked to the second floor at Jonea's bedroom window, where the lights had been turned off. I should apologize to her immediately.

When I walked to my room, my steps stopped before Jonea's tightly closed door. I accidentally heard the sound of sobbing from there. Of course, I know she cried because of me.

This cry was the first emotion Jonea showed, although not directly in front of me. Since I bought her from the auction, Jonea hasn't shown any emotion at all. It was as if she had become numb and resigned herself to waiting for death to come. This was the first cry I heard overflowing from within Jonea.

My hands hang in the air. I failed to knock on the door. I looked down and turned to leave Jonea's room. After two steps, I stopped and went back. Evangelista's words rang in my mind again.

The last time I visited Eve's place, it was for more than work. Eve is like my own sister. She always advised me and even reprimanded me when I made a mistake.

"Daran, are you sure you want to give up your wolf and turn into a mortal human? To be honest, after what happened hundreds of years ago, I thought you had forgotten everything and stopped hoping. Who is the real woman to make you like this? I know you have been waiting for the appearance of the red moon girl for a long time. Is she related to your past and related to the red moon girl? So, have you found a way to remove the girl's wolf seal?"

The words that Eve said the other day kept running through my head. I have difficulty distinguishing and separating my past and current problems. When dealing with Jonea, I became very impulsive. Even though I haven't been like this for years.

I have to do something before it's too late, and I regret it. An endless life filled with regret is much more painful than a life shrouded in loneliness.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I knocked softly on Jonea's door. "Can I come in?"

I no longer heard Jonea's sobs. But she also has yet to respond to my calls.

"I know you haven't slept. And I know you probably don't want to see me. But I have to…"

The door to Jonea's room suddenly opened with a bang. She stood in front of me with a puffy face and wet eyes.

"What is it? What else do you want to say?" She asked curtly.

I should immediately end my attachment to Jonea tonight. I didn't want to keep her by my side any longer if it would make us both hurt. Actually, I already know how to remove her wolf seal. Now I can do it, too.

"Jonea, you are free now. Just think that whatever you experienced from the first time you met me until today was just a dream. The next day when you wake up, you have to forget everything."

"What do you mean Daran? What kind of joke do you want to play on me?" Jonea looked disturbed.

She was ready to close the door to her room again, but I held the door open and grabbed Jonea's nape. I moved my mask aside and showed her my natural face. I put my lips to her lips. I'm ready to remove her wolf seal.

I almost kissed Jonea, but she suddenly grabbed my chest tightly and pushed me, so I flinched back.

"Stop it, Daran! What do you think you're doing? Go away and leave me alone!"

Jonea slammed the door, but I quickly moved and blocked the door once again with the toe of my shoe. This time, I won't let you go, Jonea. I opened the door as wide as possible and scooped her in my arms. Jonea wasn't even able to fight back. I hugged her tightly.

What did I just do? I almost hurt Jonea.

As long as I hugged her, Jonea kept her eyes closed, even since I took off my mask.

"You don't want to see me? Don't you want to see my face without a mask?" I whispered in her ear while still hugging her tightly.

"I don't want to see you with that face!" Jonea answered hoarsely as if she was holding back tears. "Please put your mask back on. I can't face you with that face."

I knew I made a mistake by applying mind mirror magic to her a while ago. But, now I don't do it anymore. I now really show my true face in front of her.

Jonea continued to close her eyes. Maybe she thought I was still applying mind mirror magic. I was hurt to imagine who Jonea saw when I took off my mask some time ago.

Why can't Jonea let go of this man named Aland? Why couldn't Jonea see me as Daran Carver—the man who saved her?