Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 60

[Translation By Divinity]

The two entered the cafe on the first floor of their boarding house and took a seat. The cafe’s name was “Rabbit’s Garden.”

At first, Damian thought it was a strange name, but seeing the cafe’s interior and Lilliana, he almost nodded in agreement.

The cafe, decorated with well-maintained wooden furniture, hand-knitted lace, and various potted plants, matched Lilliana’s atmosphere surprisingly well. It was almost like fate.

The tables in the cafe were spaced far apart, making it suitable for private conversations. Located away from the main street, it was a quiet cafe where locals could relax rather than a bustling one.

Damian and Lilliana settled into a corner seat and placed the borrowed books on the table.

Lilliana opened the fairy tale on top and said,

“Half of the content in this book isn’t a true story.”

“What?”

“But the historical accuracy is good.”

Damian asked with a puzzled expression,

“Didn’t you borrow it because you thought it was all a true story?”

Lilliana looked surprised.

“I thought you’d say these stories are all nonsense. Did you really think everything in the books I borrowed was true?”

“Huh? But I told you, I don’t disbelieve your story; it’s just hard to accept… So I didn’t think the stories you chose would be false.”

Lilliana looked at Damian with a complicated expression.

“You’re surprisingly naive. You’re the type to easily fall for scams.”

“But it’s coming from you, Lilliana…”

“You shouldn’t easily believe people, even if you know them well. We haven’t known each other for that long…”

Lilliana wagged her finger in a lecturing tone, and Damian grumbled, feeling wronged.

“I’m the one who always says that to you, and you were the one who started talking about strange things…”

“I know I’m suspicious. But at least I showed you proof, didn’t I?”

Lilliana pushed the fairy tale towards Damian with a wry smile.

“Let’s stop chatting and read for now. Even if half of it is made up, the descriptions of mythical creatures are pretty accurate.”

“Yes.”

Damian answered obediently and opened the book, reading with a serious expression.

While he was reading, Lilliana sipped her coffee, rested her chin on her hand, and started scribbling something in a notebook with a pencil. Damian glanced at her, curious about what she was doing, but continued reading his book slowly.

Although they had borrowed quite a few books, most of them were fairy tales, so they were short and easy to read. Thanks to that, Damian finished reading all the borrowed books in no time.

Closing the last book, Damian said,

“I’m done reading.”

Lilliana, who had been engrossed in her notebook, looked up and smiled.

“I’m just about finished too.”

“Finished what…?”

Lilliana turned the notebook around and showed Damian what she had been drawing. It was a portrait of Damian. The sketch was meticulously detailed, capturing his features perfectly. Damian was impressed that she had drawn so much in such a short time.

He knew Lilliana was an art major, but this was the first time he had seen her drawing, so it was fascinating.

“See, it’s more fun to draw when the model is handsome. It’s important to be good-looking.”

Lilliana wiped under her nose proudly, leaving a graphite smudge like a mustache on her upper lip.

“Lilliana, that…”

“What? You think it’s well-drawn too?”

“No, you have graphite on your upper lip.”

Lilliana quietly wet a napkin and wiped her upper lip. After confirming that the graphite was gone, Damian nodded, and Lilliana awkwardly took a sip of her coffee. At times like this, it was hard to tell who was older and who was younger. Lilliana cleared her throat and spoke.

“So, based on what you read in the fairy tales… do you understand what mythical creatures are?”

Damian thought for a moment and then answered cautiously,

“They seem to be beings beyond human comprehension. For example, the fire manipulation you showed me uses a power completely different from human technology. They also use magic and defy the laws of nature.”

“Hmm… You’re almost right, but there’s one thing slightly off. Mythical creatures don’t destroy the laws of nature. They have the right to modify them.”

Lilliana’s words seemed to freeze Damian’s thoughts, so she explained again.

“It means they can rearrange the laws of nature as they wish… You’re not understanding, are you…”

“No.”

“Mythical creatures don’t have to follow the laws of nature that bind humans.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t think too hard about it. In the end, it’s what people call magic.”

“I think I get it… I think I understand… Maybe.”

“Well, let’s say you do. So, to define mythical creatures, they are beings with the right to modify the laws of nature.”

Lilliana observed Damian’s reaction.

“Do you understand?”

Damian looked unsure but nodded anyway.

“Then do you know why mythical creatures can wield transcendental powers?”

Damian could roughly guess the powers of mythical creatures from their descriptions in fairy tales, but Lilliana’s question wasn’t addressed in the books he had read. So he shook his head and waited for her explanation.

“Do you know how this world was created?”

“The Big Bang happened, and the universe…”

“Not that. Not the scientific explanation. The more romantic one.”

Lilliana clicked her tongue, and Damian quickly changed his answer.

“Uh… Gods and spirits joined forces to create the world.”

“Exactly! Gods and spirits created this world. That means they also created the laws of nature in this world. Do you understand so far?”

“Yes. Sort of…”

“Then, wouldn’t the creators of this world’s laws be able to change them? That’s why gods, spirits, and their direct descendants, the mythical creatures, have the authority to alter the laws of this world and wield powers like magic. Do you get it now?”

“More or less.”

Lilliana saw that Damian’s eyes were more focused now after her explanation, so she sighed inwardly and crossed her arms.

“Well, there’s a more profound and complex explanation, but this is the best I can do for your current level of understanding. Just think of it like that.”

“Alright.”

Lilliana decided to be content with Damian’s slight improvement in understanding, even though she wasn’t sure if he truly grasped it.

“Now that you roughly understand what mythical creatures are, can you accept my existence?”

“No.”

At Damian’s words, Lilliana slammed her forehead on the table and shouted,

“Why?!”

A few people in the cafe glanced at them due to the commotion, but Lilliana ignored them and pretended to be in pain, clutching her forehead.

“Ow, my head hurts. Why are you being so difficult?”

“Well… it’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but I think it’s encouraging that I’ve moved from a stage of complete ignorance about mythical creatures to a stage of some understanding. It’s definitely progress for me. But I think it’s still too early to accept your true nature. So… unlike recognizing mythical creatures intellectually, the fact that they actually exist contradicts my 21 years of experience…”

“…I get what you’re trying to say.”

Lilliana’s voice was tinged with defeat, and Damian, flustered, suddenly called the waiter and ordered a slice of chocolate cake.

TL/N: Join my disccord: discord.com/invite/cPdAhxcXn5