The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 97

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The common instruction for using abilities was to feel for a tiny gap within the flow of blood, a sense of it moving forward. The book Mother had tossed at me, urging me to try and use my ability while looking at it, said the same thing. I even checked educational books for six-year-olds, hoping for a simpler explanation, but they all repeated the same phrase.

‘What tiny gap?’

I couldn’t feel any “tiny gap.” Since it seemed impossible, I gave up on trying to sense it. Instead, I recalled how I’d saved Kin in the past.

‘I didn’t really do anything back then.’

Kin had simply come to me. We played together, made a marriage promise… he even gave me a cosmos flower as a farewell gift. That was it.

‘Kin did say something about my ability…’

I strained my memory. I vaguely recalled him saying something like this, though I wasn’t sure.

“I think your ability prevents outbursts and soothes other people’s abilities, making them stronger than usual. That kind of ability isn’t very noticeable when used.”

“An average person would just feel comfortable around you, unusually well, maybe. The ripples in a small cup are different from the waves in a large bowl. Even if you calm the water, if it’s just a ripple, it won’t be noticed. The bigger the wave, the more the calming effect is felt.”

Kin’s words were half right, half wrong. People might not have noticed for that reason, but a physical examination should have revealed my ability in the first place. I didn’t have an ‘ability control organ.’

Kin, too, seemed unsure how I used my ability. He could only speculate on why others hadn’t noticed it and what it actually was.

‘This is getting me nowhere.’

Since both Mother and Kin were busy, it was the perfect time to see Father. I changed into my outdoor clothes and headed to the tower where he resided.

***

Father greeted me before I even entered the tower, hurrying towards me.

[My dear! What brings you here so early? I’m delighted, of course! Ho ho ho!]

Since I’d made sure no one was around when I coughed up blood, talking to Father was safe. However, with guards and servants milling about, I had to pretend not to see him until we reached his room.

[Ah, Minerva said she was going to… wreak havoc today… no, wait. Did she say she was going to her family’s? She said goodbye to me this morning. Did you come because you thought I’d be lonely without her? Oh, how thoughtful!]

Once inside, I asked the medical staff for a moment alone. They politely nodded and excused themselves.

Click. The door closed, leaving me alone with Father. Only then could I bow and greet him properly.

“Good morning, Father. Did you sleep well last night?”

[Of course! Naturally. So, what brings you here?]

Father gestured to the chair in front of his bed, inviting me to sit. I hesitantly sat down. Father settled onto his own physical body. His soul, perched atop his body. The strange sight sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept my composure.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I went straight to the point. Normally, it would be polite to exchange pleasantries, but time was of the essence.

“Father, I’ve been trying to figure out how to wake you, but I can’t find the answer. I know I have an ability, but I don’t know how to use it.”

[So, you came to wake me. You must be tired after running around all day yesterday. How sweet of you. Don’t strain yourself, dear. The abilities within my body are steadily organizing themselves, so don’t worry.]

“…It’s true, isn’t it? If I organize all your fluctuating abilities, you’ll wake up?”

[Absolutely! You know how I can be so sure? I forgot to mention, this all happened because I drank a cup of tea once.]

Father chattered on as if reminiscing. His expression wasn’t serious at all.

[To elaborate, when I was younger, I met a peculiar old man from the East. I helped him, and he gave me tea in return. As he handed it to me, he explained that his ability was to separate a person’s soul from their body. He said that once the soul is out, he can control that person’s abilities. He must have sensed that my abilities were overflowing, on the verge of an outburst. He said he didn’t have the power to stabilize them, but he could stop the outburst. Stabilizing them would require an ability far superior to his own.]

The power to separate souls? I’d never heard of such a thing. Nor of controlling another’s abilities.

[He added that he could control the timing of his ability’s activation and deactivation. In other words, my soul would separate right before an outburst, and once stabilized, it would return immediately. I wasn’t sure whether to be angry or not. Stopping the outburst was appreciated, but I was understandably shocked that my soul would be ejected from my body. The good news was that no one would be harmed by me, but the bad news was that I’d be floating around outside my body until someone killed me.]