One Hundred Years As An Extra

The tips of his ears were a bit red.
Everything about Kaichen right now was so adorable to me.
I averted my gaze quickly and tried to brush my thoughts away. I must be going crazy. We didn’t talk until the plate was empty.
I felt all fluttery. He hates me yet he worries about me and occasionally cares for me…I really don’t know what to make of it…

He was also extremely serious and focused while teaching me facts about magic.
He never looked at me like I was a monster.
He didn’t get jealous of me, either.
He only occasionally twitched his eyebrows.

I had been trapped in the time magic for a hundred years.
It would make sense if people looked at me strangely or treated me differently because of that fact alone.
I was grateful Kaichen never treated me any different.
He would only display surprise not resentment.

“Teacher,” I said tentatively.
“I have to go back to Acrab, right?” It was something I didn’t want to bring up.
 However, it has been three months.
The ‘incident’ described in the novel would take place soon.
Kaichen would leave to be by Julius’ side, and I will have to leave for Acrab.
Besides, I couldn’t ignore my work back in Acrab any longer.

“Do you want to go back?” asked Kaichen.
I had expected him to say yes.
His question surprised me.
He looked at me.

“What?”

“Do you want to go back to Acrab?” he asked calmly.

“It’s… not up to me to decide,” I said.
“It’s my land.
My people are there.”

“Will you be resuming your duties as the countess?”

I sighed and lay down on the bench.
The cool wind ruffled my hair.
“I can’t abandon Acrab,” I said, “I can’t let it go to ruins.”

Going back to Acrab was akin to going to hell, but that was the only way.
I had to protect my people.
If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.
It was as much my duty as a need to appease my guilt from my past.

“I want to ask you something,” said Kaichen after a long pause.

“Ask me anything you want,” I replied.
I looked up at him with my back on the bench.

His warm, golden eyes looked at me.
Usually, he would have nagged me for laying down so carefree on the bench, but today he went oddly quiet.
Today he was different.

“I want to know what happened when you were trapped there.”

My eyes went wide.
The Kaichen I knew was so indifferent to everything so why was he asking me that? Was it for his research? But his research on time magic was already done.