Afterward, Mrs. Nashi led Leticia to a room.
The room was located further in on the second floor. The door wasn't particularly new, but it had been wiped very clean.
As Mrs. Nashi stood at the doorway, her hand seemed to pause for a moment.
But then, she still gently pushed the door open.
The room was very quiet. It was obvious that no one had lived here for a long time, yet there was barely any dust inside.
The desk had been wiped down, and the bed was neatly made.
There was even a small wooden shelf by the window, holding a few small, slightly worn ornaments.
It looked as though someone had been cleaning it regularly.
“Please use this room for tonight,”
Mrs. Nashi said, standing at the doorway and offering Leticia a gentle smile, much like her usual one.
“If you need anything, I will be in the room downstairs.”
“You can call for me at any time.”
With that, Mrs. Nashi left.
Her footsteps as she departed were even a bit faster than usual, as if she were reluctant to stay in this room for too long.
Leticia stood in the room, watching Mrs. Nashi's retreating back.
Only after Mrs. Nashi disappeared down the stairs did Leticia begin to observe the room.
By the bed sat a slightly worn stuffed doll.
On the windowsill was a small wooden box containing a few faded hair ribbons.
This room was filled with signs of someone having lived here.
Leticia looked around the room.
She recalled the slightly unnatural expressions on Mrs. Nashi and the male lizard-kin named Data when they had spoken of this room earlier.
No matter how slow Leticia might be, she could guess that this room likely held some painful memories for them.
Or rather, memories they were reluctant to touch upon.
Leticia lowered her head slightly.
Should I not be staying here?
As Leticia was lost in thought, she suddenly noticed what seemed to be a humanoid mass of light in a corner of the room.
It was slowly floating from the window to the desk, gently circling around one of the desk legs.
Leticia froze.
The light drifting in the room seemed to sense someone watching it.
It stopped.
Then, looking at Leticia in the room, it tilted its head slightly.
Though it was merely a ball of light, Leticia could inexplicably sense its confusion.
It seemed to be curious.
Curious as to why Leticia could see it.
Leticia fell silent for a moment.
Then, she tried to speak.
“I am indeed looking at you.”
At this point, she paused.
“Um...”
“Miss Light?”
Since the room looked like a place where a girl had once lived, Leticia subconsciously thought of the mass of light before her as female.
Upon hearing this name, the light seemed to brighten slightly.
Then, it nodded to Leticia.
Leticia's pupils dilated slightly as she watched its movement.
“You can understand me?”
The light nodded again.
Looking at it, the strange feeling in Leticia's heart grew even more pronounced.
Ever since the Goddess had brushed her hand over her eyes, Leticia had been able to see all kinds of light.
The platinum blonde light on Lin Ling.
The deep purple light on Ivelia.
...
But this was the first time she had ever seen light like this—independent and existing without any physical vessel.
Leticia stared at the mass of light.
“Are you the owner of this room?”
Hearing this question, the light paused in midair.
Then, it slowly floated over to Leticia.
It seemed to want to take her hand.
Leticia instinctively raised her hand.
But when the light met her fingers, it passed right through them.
There was no sensation of touch at all.
Leticia looked down at her hand.
The mass of light paused too.
However, it seemed this wasn't the first time it had failed to make physical contact.
So, it didn't seem too disheartened.
It merely circled around Leticia's hand once.
Then, it flew over to the desk in the room.
It bobbed gently there.
It seemed to be gesturing for Leticia to come over.
Leticia stood up and walked over to the desk.
There was a small drawer in the desk.
The light hovered in front of the drawer.
Leticia hesitated.
“May I open it?”
The light nodded.
Only then did Leticia reach out and gently pull the drawer open.
There wasn't much inside the drawer.
Only a recording stone.
The recording stone was wrapped in a soft cloth, well-preserved.
Leticia took it out and placed it on the desk.
As the recording stone was touched, the images stored inside slowly lit up.
A faint light cast its glow across the room.
In the projection was Mrs. Nashi's family.
But compared to the three family members she knew now, there was an additional girl who looked to be around twelve years old.
The girl, who also had faint scales on her face, stood beside Mrs. Nashi. She held onto Mrs. Nashi's hem with one hand while waving toward the recording stone with the other.
Leticia looked at the girl in the projection.
Then, she looked at the mass of light beside her.
“Is this you?”
she asked softly.
Upon hearing this, the mass of light suddenly grew joyful.
It spun around in midair.
Then, it nodded vigorously at Leticia.
Watching its movements, Leticia felt her heart sink slightly.
If this light really was that girl...
Why had she become like this?
And why was she in this room?
Leticia parted her lips, wanting to ask something.
Just then, a knock came from outside the door.
“Miss Sia?”
Mrs. Nashi's voice drifted in from outside.
“Are you alright?”
The noise in the room just now seemed to have caught Mrs. Nashi's attention from downstairs.
Leticia instinctively looked toward the light.
The mass of light hovered next to the recording stone, remaining still.
After a brief hesitation, Leticia gently put the recording stone back on the desk, then walked to the door and pulled it open.
“Ah, my apologies.”
She bowed her head to Mrs. Nashi, who stood at the doorway.
“Did I disturb you?”
Mrs. Nashi looked at her, then glanced into the room.
Her gaze lingered on the desk for a brief moment.
But she quickly withdrew her eyes.
“It's fine.”
Mrs. Nashi's voice remained gentle.
“It's late. You should get some rest.”
Leticia nodded.
Mrs. Nashi gave her one last look before heading back downstairs.
Quiet returned to the room.
The mass of light in the air also seemed to realize it had disturbed Leticia's rest.
After circling the room gently, it slowly faded away.
Leticia watched this happen. Only after a long while did she walk back to the bed and sit down.
The events of tonight kept replaying in her mind.
Mrs. Nashi's family's unusual behavior.
This room that was kept so clean yet remained unoccupied.
And that mass of light.
These thoughts made it impossible for Leticia to fall asleep for the moment.
She looked down at her hand.
When the light had tried to touch her earlier, it had passed right through here.
Though there was no physical sensation at all...
Leticia felt as if an indefinable warmth still lingered there.
“Tomorrow...”
Leticia murmured softly.
“Once I return to the Demon King's Castle, I'll ask Mr. Phelan.”
As a recorder.
Mr. Phelan should have some records.
At the very least, he should know what had happened to Mrs. Nashi's family.
With that thought, Leticia slowly lay down.
The night outside had completely deepened.
The lights in the residential district went out one by one.
Meanwhile, Phelan had already arrived near the residential district.
Standing on a high vantage point, he closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings for a moment.
Soon, he felt Leticia's magic coming from Mrs. Nashi's home.
Phelan fell silent, seemingly recalling something.
But judging by the current situation, it seemed Mrs. Nashi had chosen to let Leticia stay.
Afterward, Phelan teleported back to the Demon King's Castle. After a brief search through a large pile of recording crystals, he finally retrieved the one concerning Mrs. Nashi's family.
Looking at the crystal in his hand, which recorded the four members of Mrs. Nashi's family, he felt that this item might be of some use to Leticia.
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