Chapter 52: For someone, it was the beginning once again

The night was as gloomy as ever. Simon looked up at the sky.

A full moon glowed faintly behind dark clouds.

Once again, the day had ended under Lila’s blade.

He chewed on that fact, his tongue pressing against the ulcerated wound on the roof of his mouth.

The image in his mind stopped at the moment he was casually kicked down by Lila.

He lay on the ground, looking up at her unrestrained smile.

More painful than his injuries was his own helplessness.

She wore exquisite, luxurious clothing, fabric so fine Simon couldn’t even imagine it. Crimson tassels hung at her waist, swaying with her sharp, unrestrained movements.

He had counted the pearls lining the hem of her skirt, twelve of them. Each one was enough to buy half a street in the slums.

At her cuffs were gold buttons engraved with thorn-wrapped irises, the emblem of the Stuart family.

Her swordsmanship was flawless. To this day, Simon had never seen her take things seriously. In every memory, it was just Lila knocking him down again and again.

Lila was a noble. A genius.

And he had nothing, no talent in any field.

Did that mean she could do whatever she wanted to him?

The answer was obvious.

That was simply how this world worked. The strong took everything. The weak struggled to survive in the dust.

Simon hated Lila. Hated this world…

No, he suddenly denied that thought.

Maybe what he really hated was that he hadn’t become someone like Lila. Someone who could act freely, backed by power and status.

“Why does she treat you like that?”

From a hidden corner, Rebo emerged from the grimoire, tilting her head in confusion.

Even inside the book, she could still observe the outside world.

“Because I’m weak. Because I was born low. In her eyes, I’m someone she can trample at will.”

Simon’s tone was calm, devoid of emotional fluctuation, yet carried a piercing coldness.

“So I ask you… can you help me?”

“Yes.”

Rebo answered brightly, like a child making an innocent decision.

Simon had only one choice, believe.

“Within the test of our contract, I’ll do my best to help you. Fairies don’t value power or authority.”

She said cheerfully, flying circles around him.

“Then what do you value?”

“Fate. Or interest.”

Rebo replied casually.

“So you’re interested in me?”

“Yes.”

“In what way?”

“Hmm…”

The fairy hesitated, stopping mid-flight. She hovered in front of Simon, leaning forward as she examined him closely.

As a strange and unknown being, Simon had every reason to believe she had already seen through the dark magic within him.

Silence filled the air.

“Well… people with black hair and black eyes are rare.”

After a pause, Rebo finally spoke.

Simon froze slightly, then subconsciously touched his hair, a faint smile forming.

“That’s it?”

“Of course not.”

Rebo circled him again, blue light flickering.

“There’s something about you. Even though life is crushing you, you still have this stubborn refusal to give in. That’s far more interesting than those who are born at the top and just waste their talent.”

Simon suddenly felt lighter.

“So how do I use this grimoire?”

“It’s simple. This grimoire doesn’t store much magic, but it can directly draw on ambient mana to cast spells. And you don’t need to construct magic circles inside your body.”

The fairy hovered proudly.

“All you need to do is give commands. The only drawback is that its performance is limited, it can only cast a few basic spells in a short time.”

“That’s enough!”

Simon said excitedly. To him, being able to use magic at all was already an incredible gift.

He understood one thing well, if you don’t desire the impossible, you won’t feel disappointed. So even a small bit of sweetness felt overwhelming.

Under the night sky, he moved forward with excitement.

He desperately wanted to see someone. To tell her about this turning point.

To tell her that her healing hadn’t been in vain. That his promise of repayment wasn’t empty, that he could and would do something.

Just the thought made his eyes well up.

The strength he had maintained for so long wasn’t true strength, it was compromise born from powerlessness.

The dignity he clung to was just a way to cope with a life without light.

He had kept going with the mindset that things couldn’t get any worse, pretending to be strong.

What kept him alive, what gave him the strength to resist his brother’s temptation…

Part of it… most of it… almost all of it…

Came from that bright, warm girl.

Comfrey.

Simon repeated the name in his heart.

He always felt ashamed to say it out loud. He didn’t feel worthy.

Or perhaps, because she treated him like a pet, the distance between them remained vast.

He couldn’t bring himself to say her name as an equal.

As he got closer, his heartbeat quickened.

Passing a streetlamp at the corner, his shadow shrank and stretched beneath him.

He turned the corner…

And felt as if cold water had been poured over him.

The window was dark. The usual warm glow was gone. A “Closed” sign hung on the door, looming larger in his vision.

He stood there, stunned.

He had forgotten, it had been closed these past few days.

A hollow feeling spread through him.

He silently scolded himself.

She wouldn’t wait for you. Coming here at night was just part of her job. Healing you was incidental.

The thought echoed faintly in his ears.

He shook his head, trying to dispel it.

“Simon, why did you stop?”

Rebo still looked innocent, glancing around curiously.

Her voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. He could feel his emotions growing harder to control, nearing a breaking point.

But as long as he lived in this world, the desire to see her remained real.

“Is this your home?”

she asked.

“No.”

Simon shook his head.

“I just came to find someone. But she’s not here.”

“She must be very important to you.”

Rebo said decisively, fluttering her pale blue wings.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because your face right now looks like… like a beggar who just lost his last coin.”

She sounded helpless.

“We fairies may be straightforward, but we’re not stupid. If you can’t recognize such obvious disappointment, you must be some emotionally broken idiot!”

She crossed her arms, proud yet slightly annoyed.

“Then tell me, what kind of person is she?”

Rebo pressed on without pause, not giving Simon time to sink back into despair.

“If I had to summarize… she’s a girl blessed by holy light.”

“Then she must be gentle and kind.”

the fairy replied.

The blue-haired fairy drifted briefly into Simon’s blind spot. A trace of sadness flickered across her face.

She remembered something from long ago, two people who had once said similar things.

But those happy days were long gone. She knew that if one didn’t focus on the present and future, only sorrow remained.

A world without peace.

She quickly returned to her cheerful demeanor and continued chatting, asking Simon to describe the girl in more detail.

Simon began recalling his memories, describing Comfrey bit by bit.

Each detail was like a treasure, carefully preserved in his heart.

As he spoke, his mood gradually calmed, and a new feeling quietly took root.

From today onward… perhaps he could allow himself to hope for the future.

That was what Simon thought.