Chapter 29: The Last Battle Part 1

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

I felt something warm on my cheek when I woke up. I slightly moved but then, I felt a sharp pain on the palm of my hand. 

“Uuugh….”

“Melodia!”

I could hear Dietrich-sama’s voice close to my ear. 

“Dietrich….-sama?”

“That’s right, it’s me!”

The moment I heard his answer, relief washed through me. For a moment, I was sure Dietrich-sama had died but a miracle had happened and he was brought back to life. 

“Hm? Brought back to life?”

My consciousness suddenly became crystal clear at how impossible this situation was. I opened my eyes open and saw the face of a man looking down at me with concern. 

“Umm… Who are you?”

“Melodia, it’s me.”

A familiar voice but unfamiliar face… Just who is this man again?

His silky smooth silver hair looked like silk. His eyes were so clear, like the reflection of the blue sky. Under his long nose bridge, his mouth was slightly smiling in relief. An amazingly handsome man was looking down on me. 

He gave me the similar impression of Gilbert-sama but he was an entirely different person. Still in the middle of confusion, I ask him once again.

“Umm… I’m sorry for asking the same questions again but may I know who you are?”

“You don’t recognize me?”

“No, I mean, your voice sounds exactly like Dietrich-sama’s voice but….”

When I answered him, his blue eyes were painted with joy. 

“Do-Don’t tell me, you’re really Dietrich-sama?”

“That’s right.”

“How did you return to your human form?”

“That’s… A long story.”

“I don’t mind.”

I tried to get up but Dietrich-sama prevented me from doing so. He said I could listen to his story while laying down like this. 

“Well then, I will start.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been released from my wolf curse and completely cured of my cursed wound thanks to the miracle of the ‘Holy Mark’ of the Lou Garou tribe that Melodia bears. That is all.”

It was not a long story. Not at all. 

No, no, no, that’s not it. 

“Wh-What do you mean? What do you mean by ‘Holy Mark’?”

“Gilbert was the one who did the research.”

The ‘Holy Mark’, was a miraculous power that appeared in exchange for someone’s life. Apparently there were 2 holy marks in me. It seemed the holy mark had removed the curse and brought Dietrich-sama back to life.

“But how come there’s things like that in me?”

“It seems the holy mark is one of the inheritance left by Melodia’s parents. One from Melodia’s father and another one from Melodia’s mother.”

“You mean they gave it to me in exchange for their life?”

“Most probably when they were on the verge of death during their fight against the Wolf Witch, they sacrificed their life in order to bestow a holy mark to Melodia.”

“………….”

“They’re the fruit of love from Melodia’s parents.”

The holy mark served as powerful protection against evil just by having them in my body. 

“I guess that’s why even someone with a tremendous power like the Wolf Witch couldn’t come near Melodia.”

“So this is the reason why I was safe from the Wolf Witch’s attack.”

“I suppose.”

Probably, the luck I had been feeling was also due to the power of the holy marks. My parents had been protecting me all this time. I put my hands on my chest, calling out to my parents in my mind. 

Father, mother…. Thank you. 

I couldn’t receive any answer but I could feel the warmth spreading through my chest. 

“Melodia, thank you for saving me.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. Dietrich-sama, thank you for protecting me against the wolf’s attack.”

But before I could finish my sentence, tears started to spill from the corner of my eyes. Dietrich-sama used his fingertip to brush the tears away. 

“I thought I had managed to help you in a cool way but by the time I realized it, I was already bitten by the wolf. It really wasn’t a smart way to help you at all.”

“N-No, that’s not…..”

“In the end, I also made Melodia cry.”

“This is the tears of happiness.”

“I see… Well if that’s the case then I’m glad.”

After we finished our conversation, I once again started to doze off. This comfortable sleepiness lulled me back to sleep. 

◇◇◇

In the morning, I was woken up by the sound of the chirping birds. 

Just how come these birds can be so lively since morning like this?

“Uuuuh~…..”

I felt the presence of someone close by when I opened my eyes. Beside me, there stood Ruri-san, my personal maid. Our eyes met and I greeted her. 

“Ruri-san, good morning.”

“Good morning, Melodia-sama.”

When I was trying to get up, another yawn slipped out of me. 

“Fuwaaaah~~….”

Since I wasn’t completely awake yet, Ruri-san offered me a cup of black tea that they called ‘wake-up tea’. From the appearance alone, it looked like a strong cup of tea and when I tasted the bitterness of the tea on my tongue, I felt as if someone was yelling at me to wake up. Suddenly, I realized the injuries on my palm were completely gone. 

“Hm?”

“How do you feel?”

“I feel like I’m having a hard time distinguishing between dream and reality.”

“What kind of dream did you have?”

“I dreamed that I was chasing after the Wolf Witch who had stolen the jewelry from a store.”

It all started when a messenger came to Fenrir’s residence. 

“All of the merchandise displayed in the store was completely uprooted. Dietrich-sama, Gilbert-sama and I, the three of us went to investigate.”

It was just a dream but my memory of it was crystal clear. I could remember the temperature of that time, the sound of someone’s voice and even the feeling of the wind. 

“This and that happened and then we were able to locate the Wolf Witch’s whereabouts. We sneaked into her place and Dietrich-sama died to protect me. After that, a strange miracle occurred-”

“The master’s injuries were completely cured. He was also freed from his wolf curse.”

“That’s right! It was just a dream but I was really surprised!”

“Melodia-sama, that’s the reality.”

“Huh?”

“The master has returned to his human form.”