Life Becomes Duke's Beloved
Contract With the Witch 2

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"Orlando?" Abela was slightly transfixed to see Orlando coming at her. Abela could not hide the relief she felt seeing the child was fine.

Everyone was silent for a long time at their own place. Rewelin glared at Abela. He knew he had to leave from there.

"I've been bothering madam for a long time" said Rewelin again speaking formally.

Abela bowed slightly in response to Rewelin's farewell greeting.

"May all go well" whispered Rewelin behind his fan. Making Abela smile was a bit awkward.

"Come in. Don't stand there too long" Abela told Orlando and Bastian.

The two young men looked at each other before finally entering Abela's room. The servants deftly cleaned the table and replaced the new sweets and tea.

Abela still felt very awkward this time. What Orlando will say first since their dramatic farewell the other day. Orlando was still speechless, making Abela understand the gesture. He wanted the servants to leave the room. Abela finally gave them instructions to come out.

"How are you?" abela asked a little awkwardly.

"I'm fine." Orlando answered flatly.

"All right," Abela murmured softly. Silence enveloped them again.

Bastian noticed the two awkward-looking people. On one hand he found their rigid expressions funny. On the other hand, he knew he shouldn't think so.

"Thus ... I'm here to ask ..." said Orlando slowly.

"Yes?" Abela was prepared with any questions. From the first moment she entered this body, Abela knew the person who would be hurt the most was Orlando. That's probably why Abela always feels melancholy every time she hears her name or alone with this child.

"Who are you? The one in my mother's body?" ask Orlando.

The thirteen-year-old was clearly trying to look sturdy and strong. Abela let out a short breath before replying.

"I'm Ghotel. I'm the witch that Armand killed two years ago" Abela replied flatly. I don't know how many times Abela has explained who she is.

Orlando did not show himself to be surprised. Orlando just nodded slowly while stroking Mossie. The cat coiled comfortably on Orlando's lap. Not paying attention to Abela at all.

"Moreover ... What do you want to ask?" Abela sounded impatient. But he couldn't help himself. He did not want to continue to fall silent in that awkward silence.

"Since when? You in there?" ask Orlando.

"Since the day I told everyone I lost my memory. At that time, I did not lose my memory. I really don't know anything."

"I guessed it," Orlando murmured softly. More on himself.

"Yes ... You must have felt it. If I wasn't your mother." Abela answered Orlando's murmur.

"Yes ..." answered Orlando. He looked down at the floor. His feelings are actually very chaotic. She's not okay yet. But eventually the boy took a breath to calm himself down. He looked at Abela again with confident eyes.

"Let's make a contract with me" Orlando said.

"Contract?" Abela repeated Orlando's statement and glanced at Bastian who was unwilling to look at her.

Abela raised her eyebrows. His fingers knocked on the table slowly. He considered for a moment. Before returning Orlando's serious gaze.

"What contract? What do you want from me?" ask Abela at last.

"I need a guardian, you know, I'm a minor and my mom's hard-nosed. So I need a guardian to protect what's mine."

"Whatchu mean? You have Armand," Abela said a little quickly.

"He's not my official guardian. So you have to make it official for me" Bastian said. He doesn't want to back off anymore. He wanted to clarify it today.

"I still don't understand" Abela said honestly.What can she do to get Armand to become Orlando's official guardian?

Abela was a little surprised to hear what Orlando said. Married the boy said?

"I'm not sure Duke would do it, you mean marry me." Abela never thought the Duke would marry her after finding out that she was not Abela's lover.

"It's your job to convince him" Orlando said in a stern tone.

"Look ...." Abela said softly and closed her eyes looking for the right word to reject Orlando's idea.

"What is your purpose? Is it in my mother's body?" ask Orlando.

Abela slowly opened her eyes, staring straight into Orlando's blue eyes. He smiled faintly before answering.

"Dead ... My goal is to die again" Abela replied calmly.

Orlando was startled and turned towards Bastian who was still flat-faced. Can Orlando guess, if Bastian already knows about it.

"To-why?" ask Orlando to stutter.

"Why? Hm ... Let me think ...." Abela smiled again. He looked at Orlando's face that looked sad.

"If we lose someone precious, life seems to stop for a moment. Then there's pain that we can't explain. A taste that even time cannot cure." Abela was staring at Orlando. But his eyes were empty. Like seeing something in the distance.

"You may be feeling it right now, that suffering ... So imagine me experiencing it hundreds of times in my long life" Abela said.

Orlando flinched in his seat. He could not find the word he wanted to say. Orlando swallowed his saliva. Then a glimpse of the face of his mother who smiled when calling his name. His mother's voice that sounded real echoed in his ears.

What Orlando remembered most about the woman he called the mother, was that her palms were getting smaller and smaller. It used to be that the palm felt big grasping his small hand. Lastly as Orlando grasped it, the hand felt smaller than his palm.

Orlando stared at the same face as his mother's. But there was no smile of his mother there. There was no look at his mother. Or her mother's spontaneous gesture of always sticking her hand out at Orlando's head to shuffle her blonde hair.

There was only a sad look and an empty smile. As well as his flat voice that said if he wanted to die.

"Thus ... My mom's really gone?" ask Orlando again. He did not want to hear this woman's answer. But he doesn't want to fool himself anymore.

Abela still hasn't answered that question. He actually felt afraid to explain this to Orlando. He wanted to bestow that responsibility on Armand. What did Armand say to Orlando? And what hasn't he told you?

"You can say it now, I don't want to be lied to anymore." Orlando looked at Abela with a sharp and stern look. His hands were clenched on the sides of Mossie's body.

Abela sighed before smiling wryly again, "Yes ... Ii'm sorry. At first I thought your mother and I could exchange again and go to our respective places. But not after I've seen all the memories of your mother in this body."

Abela looked at her finger playing the tea cup. Trying to put together the right words to convey to Orlando.

"No one will remember the memories of a person's body if that person is still alive or his soul is still there" Abela said without looking at Orlando.

"Then why did you come back? Into my mother's body?" Orlando didn't know why he wanted to know about it. He just didn't want to hear hurtful things about his mother.

"I don't know. At first I thought, I just need to take out the dangerous monsters, then in the end I know that there are people using my body, to gain my power and magic. So I guess my job is to destroy my own body."

"And when that task is done ...." Orlando said softly, looking down at the floor.

"I wish I'd die again."

Orlando fell silent at Abela's reply, something strange pierced his chest. I don't know why it hurts so much. Orlando tightened his teeth holding back the cries. His hands are still clenched in his thighs. Of all the people he knew, did anyone understand him?

There aren't. They only hoped that Orlando would sympathize with them as well. Bastian and this witch. Orlado ended up biting his lower lip as it trembled too tightly. Tears finally escaped the corner of his eyes.from the stifled sobs made his back tremble. Orlando cried silently in his seat.

Bastian widened his open eyes, "Or ..lan ..do?" call Bastian slowly.

Abela was in her place. He could not make his throat move to get the words out. His body felt stiff, like something was holding him back from moving. Which Abela realized from her now choked and hard to breathe. It was only the fact that, she also did not stop crying.

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