Black on Yellow, Peasant on Princess

Chapter 3.5: In Between

After leaving the sick Jihye and opening the dimensional portal, he quickly traced Athanasia and Lucas's magic aura. When he was about to open the door that has the strongest aura, he felt a strong wave of magic trying to throw him away. Fortunately, he had prepared for this to happen, so he used evasion spell on his body, and went in.

He put his feet at Athanasia's rose garden near Ruby Palace, another Lucas scowled at him with a disgusted face. He was in his teenager form, short black hair reflecting sunlight. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"Hmph, same to you."

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the intruder. "Your magic seemed to grow, how many World Tree's branches did you steal? Poor old tree. He must still be wailing for your crime."

Adult Lucas scoffed. "What? You've been doing the same, try acting saint somewhere else."

Teenager Lucas scowled at him with dangerous glint in his eyes. "Arrogant little wannabe. Give up, I won't let you see even a strand of her hair."

"Ironically, I didn't come for that. I came here for you."

Lucas in teenager form showed him an expression of 'What the hell is this stupid runt talking about? He came here for me?' "...Go back. You're creeping me out."

Adult Lucas laughed. "Right. So what do you know about souls?"

He then conveyed to his other self about souls, reincarnation, dimension, and space-time continuum. Interested in the topic, this world's Lucas joined in the conversation. No matter how they hated each other, they were still Lucases, the Black Tower Magicians. Talking with someone like that was an experience one didn't get any day. When the intruding Lucas mentioned Jihye and her soul's relation with Athanasia's, the discussion between the two Lucases became even more enthralling.

When they were finished, this world's Lucas huffed. "Got your answers?"

"Yeah." He looked at the teenager in front of him. "Take care of the Princess. If you ever make her cry, I'll come here and rip out your very essence."

"That will not be necessary. You better keep good maintenance of that person you are guarding right now. She might not be Athanasia, but she has her soul."

"Shut up, don't tell me what to do." Adult Lucas glared and with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

The teenager Lucas exhaled. Dealing with other Lucas was always troublesome. But at least this one was not so bad. Beside the father Lucas he met when he was looking for Athy inside the book, this one was one of the two Lucases he could tolerate now. Well, at least for the current time. Now, he was playing Catch Me if You Can with Athy, where was she now?

''

One night, Lucas told Athy about Lee Jihye. Excited and a bit nostalgic, Athy pestered him to bring her to that Korean girl. Unable to resist Athy's constant nag, he opened a portal and brought her to where that girl lived. She was cooking some ramen, fortunately, that little runt was not around. When Jihye turned around, she saw Athy smiling and Lucas grumbling. To say Jihye was shocked was an understatement, the ramen she was holding dropped to the floor with a loud 'CLANK!' into a sad pool of spicy red. Jihye gaped for her voice, but was too shaken to speak.

"She looks so plain, but her soul indeed is rich." He muttered, to which Athy elbowed him right away. A vein popped in her head. How can he say that at someone he just met?!

Leaving no chance for the stunned girl to react, Athy danced her hand in the air and her fallen ramen was gathered in the pot. She put the pot on the dinner table as she introduced herself. "H, Hello, Jihye-ssi, I am Athanasia. You have heard of me in that novel, surely?"

"Who would believe that?!" She almost shouted at them.

Lucas's eyebrows raised in slight amusement. "Wow, she really acts like you."

"Well, she is me. Jihye-ssi, listen to me..." Athy felt that it was weird calling herself like that. She had seen other Athanasias, but this was the first time she saw her own past self. Then, they explained everything casually, as though giving a weather forecast. Jihye thought that this Lucas looked a few years younger than the Lucas Jihye saw in her dreams. In between, Athy had mentioned that she died from hypothermia sometime around February in her twentieth year. Jihye listened closely, never once interrupting.

Before they returned, that world's Lucas had mentioned, "That bastard was lucky to have found you. He should be thanking me right now. Ah, I am such a nice person to kick him here with no way back."

Athy and Jihye didn't bother to tell him that he just contradicted himself.

"I hope you make the wisest choice with this information."

"Thank you, Princess." Jihye had bowed to the Princess. Athy chuckled and stepped forward, hugging Jihye, whispering in her ears that she had been so strong all this time. Athy let go of the slightly older girl and wiped the unknown salt from her cheeks. Embarrassed, she urged Lucas to open the portal quickly. "Goodbye, me."

Jihye had a few days before her Lucas would come find her again. All this information at once, she was glad that Lucas showed her magic before. Had he not, she could have fainted and denied all this in blind disbelief. Magic... What would it feel to be able to utilize magic? Would I be as happy as Princess Athanasia, my own reincarnation? I'm dizzy...

Anyways, since he is a magician that has lived for God knows how long, he is not underage, right?