Chapter 331: To You... That I Hold Now

One evening, she helped him find a cheaper place to live.

He was surprised when she told him about the apartment.

It was close to the academy, the rent was low, and the area was quiet.

It helped him save a lot of money.

Strangely, though, the apartment was near her own place.

When he found out, he laughed awkwardly. "That’s quite a coincidence."

She smiled and said, "Yes, it is. But this area is safe. You’ll like it."

He didn’t think much of it then.

A few days later, while waiting for class, Alice leaned over her desk and asked, "Isaac, what’s going on between you and that professor?"

"Huh?" Isaac turned to her. "Nothing. She just helped me find a cheap place to live."

"That’s it?"

"Yes. Why do you ask that?"

Alice didn’t answer right away.

She looked at Professor Catherine, who was at the front of the class talking to some students.

Then she looked back at Isaac.

"Listen," she said. "If she ever calls you saying she needs your help, or if she asks you to come to her office alone, don’t go. And if you absolutely have to, make sure it’s not in a closed room."

Isaac frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I feel like she’ll devour you if she gets the chance." Alice looked serious.

"Devour me? She isn’t a monster though."

"You know that’s not what I meant."

"???"

Seeing as how Alice was making no sense, Isaac decided to move on from the topic.

Life moved on like that.

Training, studying, working. It became a routine.

He had to manage his tuition fees, food, rent, and other expenses.

Alice offered him work at her place, but he refused.

She had covered his tuition despite his protests, which already made him feel indebted.

He didn’t want to owe her more.

"If I accept everything. I’ll end up depending on you for everything. I need to stand on my own."

Alice sighed but didn’t argue.

To manage the rest of his expenses, Isaac started cutting costs wherever he could.

The apartments Catherine helped him find was a big help.

But something about it started to bother him.

He realized that every place she recommended was close to where she lived.

When he mentioned it one day, she smiled. "Oh, really? I guess it just happens that way. I’m still new to this area myself. And I’m still looking for a good permanent place."

Isaac nodded, though he felt unsure.

He thought it was strange, but later that night, when he went to bed and woke up the next morning, that thought was gone.

It felt natural again. Of course, Professor Catherine’s place was near his.

It was natural to happen. Why? He didn’t know. But it was definitely natural.

He didn’t even notice the incoherency in his thoughts.

Days passed, and soon, both of them ended up living in the same building.

It wasn’t intentional, or at least, that’s what Isaac believed.

One night, while returning from work, he realized something strange.

He had never seen any other tenants in the building.

There were several floors and dozens of rooms, but he never heard voices, never saw anyone in the hallways, not even the landlord.

Only him and Professor Catherine.

He stood in the hallway for a long moment that night, staring at the other doors. They were all locked and silent.

It was unsettling.

But by the next morning, that unease was gone too.

When he passed the same hallway, he didn’t even think about it.

Life kept moving forward like that.

Catherine continued helping him.

She was supportive, always giving advice, helping him with small things, checking if he was eating properly, even sharing her lunch sometimes.

She was like an older sister in many ways.

At least, that’s what Isaac told himself.

But she also loved teasing him.

"Isaac," she said one morning as they left the building together, "you look tired again. Are you sure you’re not overworking yourself?"

"I’m fine," he replied. "Just didn’t sleep well."

"You should rest more. I don’t want my favorite student collapsing on me. Of course, if you do collapse, this older sister can you give you a massage to help you recover. Ah, you will have to get naked for massage though. It’s a special massage."

He rolled his eyes.

Moments like these made him smile despite himself.

He didn’t know why, but he felt comfortable around her, even when she was being annoying.

It was a strange mix of trust and irritation.

A love-hate kind of feeling.

And yet, underneath it all, there was still that strange sense of familiarity he could never explain.

Time passed.

The semester continued, and Isaac’s life settled into a rhythm again.

He would train early in the morning, attend classes during the day, work part-time in the evening, and come home late at night.

Sometimes, Catherine would wait in the lobby and greet him when he returned.

"Welcome back," she’d say.

He’d nod and head to his room, pretending not to notice her mischievous smile.

More time passed like that, and then, he met a ghost in his apartment.

...

The memories ended.

They were sad. They were happy. They were sorrowful. They were mundane.

Isaac’s chest felt heavy with countless emotions.

Rage. Sadness. Questions.

There was anger toward Mother, sadness about being separated from Catherine, and confusion about how he was even alive.

He couldn’t help but grumble a little too.

She could’ve told him everything when they met again in the future.

Why didn’t she?

There was worry too. What had Catherine been doing all that time?

Had she been living with Mother?

He didn’t get much time to think because the floating sensation he’d been feeling finally stopped.

He could open his eyes again.

The first thing he saw was Catherine sitting beside his bed.

Her head was lowered, and she was holding his hand tightly. Her hair fell forward, hiding her face.

"I’m sorry," she said softly.

There was a faint tremble in her shoulders. It was so small that if Isaac didn’t have sharp senses, he might’ve missed it.

"Because of me... you almost died," she continued in a shaky voice. "Because of me, you lived without knowing your childhood—"

"It’s not your fault," Isaac said, cutting her off gently.

He had many things to say, but this needed to come first.

He sat up slowly and placed his other hand over hers.

"It wasn’t your fault. It was Mother’s. I’ve always wanted to say this to you, even back then before I... died. Mother hurt you. She hurt both of us, and our siblings. We were the victims, Catherine. Don’t carry the blame anymore."

He smiled faintly. "Besides, I’m happy we’re together now, sis."

Catherine froze for a second.

Then she lifted her head.

For once, there was no teasing smile on her face.

For once, she was looking at him without masking her expression.

Moist eyes. Trembling lips.

There was fear too. Fear that he’d reject her now that he remembered everything.

There was guilt for not telling him sooner.

And there was a silent promise. A promise to protect him, no matter what.

She had been carrying all of it alone for years.

Isaac’s chest tightened.

Without thinking, he reached out, gently pulled her by the arm, and hugged her.

Catherine didn’t resist.

Her arms came around him immediately.

Her grip was tight, like she was afraid he’d disappear if she let go.

Her body trembled, and soon, he felt something damp on his shoulder where her head rested.

He didn’t say anything.

He just kept one hand on her back and used the other to slowly stroke her hair.

It wasn’t an apology or an explanation, it was just quiet understanding.

No words were needed.

After a while, Catherine’s voice broke the silence.

"Is this how you consoled Selene and Celia?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "I have to admit, this method works quite well."

Her voice still had a slight tremble, though she was clearly trying to hide it.

Isaac chuckled, for once not rolling his eyes at her teasing. "If you don’t like it, how about we stop hugging?"

"Should I? I feel like you will lead me to a moment where you can pounce on me if I follow your words."

"Just say that you don’t want me to see your tear and snot covered face. Actually, I kind of want to see the great Professor Catherine, crying. That would be a rare sight."

He pulled back a little to look at her, grinning.

"Let’s see—"

Before he could finish, Catherine’s arms tightened around him again.

"Isaac," she said calmly, "I have a lot of poisons. Do you want to try them?"

He froze.

"...Cough. On second thought, I think we can stay like this."

"Good choice."

He laughed under his breath. She did too.

For a while, they just stayed like that, holding each other.

It didn’t feel awkward.

If this had been before his memories came back, he might’ve been tense, confused, maybe even a little suspicious.

But now, it felt natural.

Comfortable.

Familiar.

Her presence felt warm, steady, and home. Something he didn’t realize he’d missed so badly until this moment.

Before long, he noticed something brushing against his back.

He looked down slightly and realized he was wrapped in thick, fluffy tails.

They moved softly, coiling around him like a blanket.

Being wrapped in them felt surprisingly pleasant. The warmth, the softness, it was calming, almost soothing.

He could feel his heartbeat slowing down.

"It’s rare to see your tails," he murmured.

Catherine didn’t reply.

But the faint smile on her face said she knew what he meant.

It wasn’t just comfort. There was some kind of power flowing through the tails. A gentle, steady energy that seemed to calm his mind.

He guessed it must be some kind of ability of hers.

"So," Isaac said after a moment, his voice quiet but steady, "how did I survive that day?"

Catherine’s expression softened. She didn’t let go, but he could feel her take a slow breath before answering.

Her fingers tightened slightly on his sleeve, and her voice came out low.

"I... don’t know where to start," she said. "That day, I thought I lost you too, but..."