Question Rose and Melancholy Rose Devourer - Chapter 12
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
“Ah, no… you see, the fairy tale of the ?Blood Witch? is a universal story on the Fifth Continent, right? So I’m a little astonished to learn that they don’t exist…”
Roselle, who was tongue-tied and stuttered, composed a patched-up smile before averting his sight from Seth and resuming his work.
“…Is there really no?Blood Witch??” Roselle blurted out as he weaved Seth’s habitually excessively long white hair. “The fairy tale of the ?Blood Witch and the Kindhearted Girl? is based on an actual event that unfolded during the time of the witch hunts. When the girl saved the ?Blood Witch?, the red rose she received as a token of friendship remained in real life.”
Roselle strung the words together rather quickly, “Even though they were lost in an accident at the Alchemy Institute five years ago… I believe it existed there. Their existence has remained in photographs as well as in the literature.”
His tone was as if he was addressing himself, not Seth, prompting Seth to raise the question, “What’s the harm if the?Blood Witch?isn’t real?”
That question came to Seth’s mind and he said it bluntly.
Roselle’s face rapidly raised. For an instant, it seemed as if Roselle was dismayed, yet all that greeted Seth was a very composed expression on his face.
“Alright, I’m done! I struggled with it because of my strong habits… but I managed to get it all together.”
Roselle held up a thick braid.
After using a ribbon to tie it back together, the white hair was braided from there and the ends were bound with a thin ribbon. The bristles that had been bouncing here and there were now neatly in a single strand.
“Ohhhh…!”
Seth let out an exclamation.
“I never expected it to be this neatly put together.”
“It takes time though, because of my strong habits and the length. Putting it together isn’t so terrible, right?”
“This is… impressive.”
Seth touched the braid with fascination. Thanks to the combing, it felt good to the touch.
“Thank you.”
Seth put the braid around his neck while thanking him in a tone that tinged with joy.
The single braid not only made it easier to put it in place but also made the hair feel less dreary to the touch on his neck. Furthermore, the braid shortened the length of his hair somewhat, making it less obtrusive where it hung down.
“You’re very skilled at this.”
“I have a younger sister. When she was little, I used to tie her hair for her. She also has a bit of frizzy hair.”
Roselle’s cheeks relaxed with nostalgia.
“I haven’t enjoyed it in a long time because she doesn’t let me do anything with it now. It is refreshing to reminisce about it.”
Roselle’s azure eyes were cast in a dark shadow.
“Above all, it was a nice change of pace… really.”
Roselle weakly covered the corners of his mouth with the ruffled sleeves.
Seth then recalled that the other party in front of him was not comfortable with riding a train.
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry. I have taken my medicine.”
“Uh… take care of yourself…?”
“Thank you. If I suddenly run out of the passenger room, please understand.”
Seth nodded at Roselle’s serious look.
“I’ll give you that ribbon.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s something I used to wear, but I don’t… use it anymore.”
Roselle touched his short hair. With his fingertips, he brushed his bangs, which were short enough that his eyebrows were exposed.
“Isn’t it a beautiful color? Even though I don’t use it, I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, so it’s perfect. Use it if you like.”
“You’re not going to grow your hair out? I think it would look good on you…”
“I have frizzy hair as well. Once it’s short, everything will be much easier. Besides.”
Roselle played the tips of his chain earrings with his red fingernails.
“The shorter my hair is, the more the earrings stand out, right? Since I’ve fallen in love with this style, I just can’t help it.”
“I see…”
Seth conceded.
“I’ll have to use it.”
“You should.”
“It’s just… the question is whether I can knit it by myself or not…”
“It’s the same process over and over again, so you’ll get used to it. Do you want me to teach you?”
“By all means!”
“It would be a little inconvenient to unravel that hair again… so let’s start with a string to learn how to braid it. I have a few strings for decoration, so hold on a second.”
“That would be great.”
“No problem. It’s also good for a change of pace for me.”
The latter words were imbued with sincerity and power.
With a click of the bottom of his heels, Roselle went to his luggage bag to stow away what he had taken out. A sweet scent was fluttering along with Crimson.
Seth was determined to learn to braid. As he made a fist with both hands, “Let’s go for it,” ? a realization dawned on him.
“…Ah…”
He ended up having a regular conversation with Roselle.
“Aahhhh…”
Seth was sorely disappointed at how easily he had fallen into the trap he had sworn to be so careful about maintaining a distance and keeping communication to a minimum.
“Even though I’d decided to keep my distance…”
Seth lamented, resting his forehead on the table.
“We had… a normal conversation…”
Seth, wracked with remorse, pressed his forehead against the solid table. Gripping the braid around his neck more fervently, he bit his lower lip.
“W-What’s wrong?”
As he was being intensely tormented in spirit, Roselle, who had returned, was puzzled by Seth, who plopped down.
Seth did not reply immediately. He contemplated ignoring the situation as it was, but it was probably too late.
Seth let out a sigh that was heavier than a lead ball.
“I am… painfully reminded of the weakness of my will…”
Seth moved his head with the dullness of a squeaking spring. When he shifted the surface touching the table from his forehead to his cheek, Seth dropped another muddled sigh.
Roselle lowered his brows curiously. It was something Seth was anguishing over alone. Not knowing what was going on in Seth’s mind, it was inevitable that Roselle would find it strange.
“Do you want to stop with the braid practice?”
Roselle asked, concerned.
Seth silently raised himself up.
“I’ll do it,” he said, extending his right hand to Roselle.
After a beat, Roselle’s lips, tinted with glossy rouge, lifted.
Seth took the three strands, vowing once more to wait until he had learned how to braid before he would distance himself from Roselle again.
?????
Then the two practiced braiding with the string.
This went on until it was announced that they would be arriving at Alba’s central station, the trip’s final destination. Seth and Roselle paused their practice and double-checked their luggage while listening to the conductor’s apology for the delay caused by last night’s accident and the standard on-board announcement.
“I’ll hold it.”
Seth called out to Roselle’s back, wearing a sleeveless long cloak over a women’s black cloak that was halfway over his arms.
As Roselle was about to take his two large travel bags near the entrance, Seth snatched them from his hands.
One of them was a rectangular leather bag in which Roselle kept his jewelry box and cosmetics when he was getting dressed. The other was a square bag that was remarkably light despite its size. It had blue satin upholstery and a gold tapestry depicting a graceful pattern of thorns. The shade of blue was similar to the color of a rose blooming from the witch whose habit of walking was so bad.
“It must be hard to carry all this stuff on your back…”
He lined up Roselle’s luggage in front of the passenger room doorway so he could carry it with him right away.
“I’ll carry your luggage.”
“Thank you, but you’ll get tired.”
“Please don’t equate witches and humans. I am one of the most physically fit and proficient in healing, especially among witches. Carrying a bag or two… doesn’t make me feel fatigued,” Seth delivered his line decisively.
Roselle regarded Seth with keen interest as if he were evaluating him as a whole.
“Even though you look just like a human being.”
He stroked his lower jaw with his finger, looking intrigued. Perhaps recalling yesterday night’s events, his attention shifted from Seth to the lapis lazuli cane propped up on the table.
“It’s only the exterior. The interior is completely different.”
Roselle’s azure eyes slowly returned to Seth as he said this.