How About a Refill? ~The Elegant Tea Party of the Grand Witches~ - Chapter 45

Gil and Alessia Part One

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I like lilies.

If I were to compare you to a flower, rather than a rose, I’d say you look like a lily. What do you think?

G

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Will you listen to my rant?

My father always enters my room as he pleases!

He doesn’t even knock.

Can you believe it!

G

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There is nothing to do today.

I wonder what you’re doing?

I’m going to take a nap in a place no one would disturb me at,

It’s a secret place no one knows about…

I’ll take you there someday.

G

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Why do other people’s things look better?

I already have all I can ask for,

And yet I still feel envy and jealousy.

I wonder if it will fade its colour if I take it.

G

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I sometimes think about it,

What it would be like if I was born someone else.

What should I do?

G

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I want to meet you.

G

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A bunch of these small letters were stored in a beautiful box in her dresser’s drawer. Alessia had never replied to these letters that would sometimes show up ever since that day.

They were always one-sided, and she never knew when but they would just appear at her bedroom’s window.

The letters were always signed off with a ‘G’. It must be that man who, for some reason, she couldn’t get out of her mind.

Even though he was the culprit behind her kidnapping, she’d end up thinking about him without even realising.

The kiss he stole from her that day, and the passionate gaze looking at her from under the silver hair.

“Ah…”

Alessia sighed as she opened the window and stepped into the balcony of her room.

The Caparoni house’s garden was not just filled with flowers, but also had many lush trees that were currently swaying in the summer breeze.

When her eyes closed the image of that mansion buried in flowers came to her mind.

‘I don’t feel like doing anything these days. It’s not like me…’

‘Like me… I wonder what that is…’

“Is there something on your mind?”

Surprised at the voice of someone who shouldn’t be there, Alessia flinched and turned towards the sound.

Her eyes met golden ones staring at her from the tree right in front of her balcony.

“W-why…?”

She didn’t think he would actually show himself. That he just left a letter sometimes and then left. Come to think of it, he never said he wouldn’t show up in the letters; he didn’t even sign his name properly in them.

“Well, I came to deliver a letter. But since you’re here on the balcony by yourself I couldn’t help but call out. Can I come over to you?”

He leaped over to the balcony without even waiting for her reply and leaned over the railing a few paces away from her.

“Gil… What do you want? You’ll be caught immediately if you’re seen here.”

“You’re worried about me? I’m touched.”

Alessia kept her guard up in case he tried to do something again. However, unexpectedly, Gil kept a respectful distance away from her and didn’t even try coming closer.

The two stood at the balcony and gazed at the garden.

“Have you been well?”

“I should be asking you that.”

Slowly, they started talking to each other.

They talked about trivial things in their daily lives, Gil’s complaint about his father, the flowers they could see from the balcony, or the rumours currently going around in society. After exchanging these ramblings for a while, Gil went back home.

Ever since that day, Gil would occasionally visit Alessia and, just like that day, they would talk a bit before he would go back.

Alessia didn’t realise when it happened but she started looking forward to these visits by Gil. However, like the letters she had stored in her drawer, she locked away these feelings in her heart.

◇

“Will you accompany me for a walk today?”

“Huh?”

Alessia looked quizzically at Gil at his proposal to go out.

Her reaction was to be expected since it wasn’t only after midnight right now, but she had also been kidnapped by him once before.

Gil smiled at her reluctance.

“Don’t worry, This time it’s a personal invitation from me so I will properly return you back here. Come, let’s go before someone sees.”

Gil hugged Alessia and conjured up a teleportation magic circle.

A golden coloured light glowed in Alessia’s room before enveloping them and vanishing the two.

When Alessia opened her eyes she was shocked to see the starry sky spreading out as far as her eyes could see. It looked like they were on top of some tower.

“Sit here.”

Gil watched Alessia with a smile who was gazing at the stars in wonder. He spread a carpet and beckoned her to sit down there.

“Where is this place? The sky is so beautiful!”

“This is my secret place. I told you I’d bring you here, right?”

He sat down next to Alessia leaving a wide space between them, and then leaned back to lie down on the carpet.

“I like to see the sky here. It feels like I’m the only person in the world.”

Alessia glanced at Gil who had become silent after saying those words and, she too, leaned back to lie down.

She could see the whole sky clearly with nothing obstructing her view. Beyond her was an endlessly spreading starry sky. There was probably nothing around the tower, but she couldn’t hear any hustle of the city, or any insects or even the sound of trees swaying in the wind.

“I’m the only person in the world…”

Without thinking, Gil grabbed Alessia’s hand at the small murmur that spilled out of her lips.

“I’m here with you right now. I hope you will allow me to hold your hand.”

Alessia turned to the side to look at Gil only to find his own gaze on her. They looked at each other for a while, no one saying anything, before she turned back to look up at the sky.

“Where do you think this place is?”

“There isn’t anything around so it must be somewhere in the outskirts?”

“Sorry, but that’s wrong.”

Gil let out a devilish laugh.

“This is a tower that was thrown away by the kingdom long ago. It’s in the demonic realm now.”

“What!?”

Shocked at the unexpected answer, Alessia quickly got up.

“If this is the demonic realm then why are we unharmed? Isn’t the demonic realm covered in toxic gas making it impossible to be able to do anything in it?”

Gil slowly rose up at Alessia’s inquiry and started talking.