Chapter 167: Black Dust
Ahspid wrapped his right hand around his wavy white hair behind his neck and tied it into a loose low ponytail with a thin black silk ribbon—a gift received from Aideen, one of her own treasures.
He slid his fingers over the final result of his attempt to tidy up his hair and released a long sigh. Something as trivial as wrapping a ribbon around his locks now seemed like a chore. He used to hate doing it in the past when this appearance was cherished by him, but once he met Lina, the duty to tie his hair was transferred to her, saving him both time and an annoying waste of effort.
When she disappeared, he could not stop thinking about cutting his hair short and never letting it down again, but now he was glad he did not. Now, he still had something of hers with him—a precious memory, an unforgettable experience nobody could take away from him.
As his hair was taken care of, the man stood before the tall mirror hanging next to the bedroom door and took a good look at his own reflection.
Although he was completely naked, Ahspid did not feel vulnerable or exposed. The body in which he was now trapped seemed like a foreign shell, something unfamiliar, alien even, and he couldn’t help but think that even though he was born with it and wore it for almost twenty-seven years in the past, just like a kitten flustered by its own reflection, he will have to get used to it again.
’How bizarre... This body is nothing but a canvas of painful memories that I have been struggling to wipe away up until now. Human nature is absolutely astonishing—just one glimpse at something so significant, and I am pulled back to hell once again. I hate this body... This body is the coffin I have to drag around wherever I choose to go.’
With another long exhale escaping his lips, the man slowly walked up to the large wooden chest and opened its lid. This chest was the only thing he brought with him when Duke Valentine asked him to move to the castle, and this chest was the only thing he had.
As he looked down at everything inside, his lips curled into a lightly bitter smile.
Several books on magic and alchemy wrapped in intricately designed leather covers—expensive gifts Ahspid received from his parents once he was appointed as the Royal Magus. He knew the contents of these books by heart and was still never tired of reading them over and over again; he was embarrassed to admit that what he really kept going back to was the beautifully written notes left by Lina and then by Princess Aideen.
Under the books were his personal journals where he noted interesting thoughts and ideas that usually popped up in his head on random occasions. The journals were always with him, hanging in the air above his head, made invisible with his magic; thus, whenever he needed to write something down, a mere snap of his fingers was enough to have one in his hands.