A Sorcerer's Journey 280 Regret, Sorry, Repen

"I… No… I…"
Lefay covered her face in tears as she hid behind one of the cages. Her body was trembling from the overflowing emotions.
"Grimm! No, don't come near me! I don't want you to see me… to see this ugly version of me. I'm… I'm a sinner. I'm… I'm an evil Black Sorcerer…"
Nina York clenched her teeth to hold in the ache she felt in her heart as she said, "Lefay… I think you should…"
"No!"
Grimm yelled loudly before begging Nina York with his quivering voice, "Please, Nina York. I've wasted two hundred years already. Lefay is the love of my life. Please give me a chance to repent. Please allow me to be by her side in her final days. To repent my regret."
Nina York replied in a sore voice, "Grimm, do you know what you're saying?"
"Hahahahaha! Evil Black Sorcerer, you're going to face your doom. The pain and agony that we felt would befall you ten times… No, hundred times fold. O' great Sorcerer, please slay this evil mons… arghhh…"
A warp of dimension distortion slashed across the chamber, and the chirpy prisoner was clasped into a ball together with his metal cage.
Seeing this, the prisoners, who thought they were finally able to see hope, were horrified as they stared at Grimm.
No.
He was not their hope. He was the actual devil himself!
"Grimm! You're a Demon Hunter! If you're going to protect a Black Sorcerer-apprentice, the Holy Tower will surely lay down harsh punishments on you. You need to snap out of it."
Nina York glared at Grimm.
Grimm replied determinedly, "Nina York, I know what I'm doing. Do you still remember how we survived our ride on the ship back then? We were just a bunch of arrogant, ignorant brats. It was our first meeting with the harshness in the world of sorcerers. Without anyone to rely on, we were allowed to live all because of Lefay's reputation as the Vine Caster! As for the Holy Tower…"
Grimm took a gaze at the tearing Lefay before stepping towards her slowly.
His gaze was filled with love and care.
He saw his younger self pulling her up to the ship's deck from the ocean.
He saw how after Faceless Nilmar hijacked the ship, Lefay formed a group of children and relied on one another to keep on surviving.
He saw how the drunk girl kissed him forcefully before the Gory Test.
He saw after the Holy Tower Qualification Battles, how beautiful her smile was when she was holding the wine in the celebration ball.
And now…
Two hundred years had passed since Grimm underwent biological lifespan evolution.
And two hundred years were an obscenely long time for a sorcerer-apprentice.
"No, Grimm. Please, stay away. I'm not Lefay. I'm just an ugly evil Black Sorcerer… sob… kill me. Just kill me! I've got a lot of bounty on my head. I don't deserve any sympathy at all. Just kill me already!!"
Pushing Grimm away tearfully, Lefay continued on crying out senseless words in an attempt to cover up her ugliness in front of the love of her life.

At this moment, she was no longer a powerful evil Black Sorcerer-apprentice. She was just an anxious and disgraced girl.
Grimm, without hesitation, grabbed the bloody hands that were pushing his chest.
Drip.
Grimm's tears were overflowing in his eyes, rolling down on his gray mask and onto her icy cold hands.
"Lefay, stop. Don't say anything anymore. I don't care what wrongs you did. I don't care how others see you. I want you to know that I will always be by your side, guarding you. This is love. This is our love for each other."
Holding Lefay's hands tightly, it was as though Grimm was trying to physically provide her all of his care—the care of a man for his beloved.
Raising her eyes that were no longer crystal clear after succumbing to the sunder of time, Lefay looked at Grimm and felt for the first time in the longest of time, a sense of safety. This was a feeling that told her that this was a man that she could trust with all her heart, that he would love her with all his heart without prejudice.
Lefay felt as though her heart was shattering into pieces.
She then collapsed into Grimm's arms and started sobbing silently. Finally she was able to put down all the weight on her mind. Now, she only wanted to rest Grimm's arms and let it all out. She finally got to cry it all out like any ordinary girl, releasing all the pain and despair that she had felt in the last two centuries.
"Don't worry. Allow me to handle this. Lefay, I will do my best to repay all that I've done wrong. To repent my regret. I will make everything right again." Grimm whispered in Lefay's ears.
Lefay's quiet sobbing escalated into a loud weep.
Putting his hand on his mouth, Grimm struggled to cover his sobbing—to conceal the feeble side of his. He must not show any sign of weakness, so that Lefay could feel safe.
Combing his fingers on Lefay's hair, the long hair bulging behind her head curtained down.
Gulp…
An ugly tumor could be seen twitching.
Grimm could feel a fling of sadness and relief after seeing this.
He felt sad because Lefay was indeed controlled by some other shady entity.
This would mean that Grimm would need to deal with an actual Black Sorcerer to fight for Lefay's freedom.
On the other hand, he was also relieved that she was controlled.
This meant that Lefay had not turned to the dark side willingly. Thus, according to the laws of Holy Tower, she was not criminal. She was a victim.
Nina York too saw the tumor and started to calm down as memories came flowing in her mind.
She recalled that other than her own brother, it was this Black Sorcerer-apprentice in front of her who always shielded her when she was just a child.
And now, could she hurt this woman, who had sacrificed so much for her in the past? And that was not all. She was forced and blackmailed to become a Black Sorcerer-apprentice.
Under this circumstance, even if the Holy Tower wanted to punish Grimm, the punishment would not be too severe.
Thus, despite being a cold Dark Sorcerer, Nina York was not able to disagree and reject Grimm's plea anymore.
Slowly, Nina York let out a breath of sigh and took a gaze at the pair of love birds.
"I understand. Grimm, Lefay… I will wait outside."
Finishing her words, Nina York looked at the embracing duo caringly and shut the metal door softly, giving them some private time and space.
As for the prisoners?
They were essentially dead the moment Nina York gave in. This was, of course, going to be Grimm's responsibility.
Resting in Grimm's arms, Lefay, who still retained her youthful look, sobbed, "Until the moment I was forced to choose to live or to die… I realized then how terrifying death is. It's an agony of losing every hope. I wanted to see you, for one last time. I couldn't let go. I couldn't bear to just die and lose you…"
"I know. I understand. I can't bear to lose you too." There was a whimper in Grimm's voice.
Then, Lefay started to hammer her fists on Grimm's chest, "Then why? Why?! Why didn't you come and visit me in the last two hundred years? Why?!"
Drowning with regrets, Grimm grabbed her hands and replied, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
He had no excuse. No excuse indeed.
All he could do was accept the love of his life scolding him in his arms.
Finally, Lefay stopped and was able to relax. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on Grimm's chest. It was like a dream.
"Lefay."
Grimm whispered.
"Hmm?"
Resting on his chest, Lefay softly replied, like a cuddling kitten.
She was once a forceful queen. Yet, after the two-hundred-year torment, she only wanted to enjoy the love her beloved man provided her. Her eyes were shut, not thinking of anything else.
Gazing at Lefay determinedly, Grimm said, "Let's get married. The way you had always dreamt of."

Chapter end