Episode 15
“The temple is a sacred place. If Ian Blighton takes the medicine, I can no longer stay there.”
“Brother, please!”
If this happened, I could no longer ask my brother to make the medicine for me.
It was because I never wanted to trample on my brother’s dream just because I wanted to live.
‘I thought too lightly.’
The deep-rooted denial of the Blighton family was more severe than I had thought.
When I heard that Lloydin needed medicine infused with divine power, I thought that if I could persuade my brother, he would readily make the medicine without any hesitation.
Using his power to make medicine wasn’t a difficult task for my brother, considering the abilities he possessed.
However, I never thought that his statement about being able to do anything for me would mean something like this.
‘Stay calm.’
I tried to suppress my excitement and quickly thought about what to do.
‘What should I do?’
How can I make sure my brother doesn’t quit being a priest and still obtain the medicine?
The medicine was absolutely necessary.
It was not just to cure my illness and marry Lloydin; even if that weren’t the case, I wanted to get the medicine for Lloydin.
Recalling the desperate look in his eyes from earlier, filled with despair, and vowing to find a solution, an idea came to mind in that moment.
‘Oh, that could work.’
Having thought of a solution, I immediately turned to my second brother and spoke.
“In that case, I won’t ask you to make the medicine.”
“What are you talking about, Ayla? If not Hyung, who else can make the medicine?”
“I heard there are priests who found it difficult to train and fled or were expelled from the temple. We can hire those people.”
Upon careful consideration, I realized my brother didn’t necessarily have to be the one making the medicine. As long as the medicine contained divine power, it would suffice. Although they might not have as much power as active priests, it would still be helpful.
“That’s too risky. If it’s ever revealed that the medicine went to the Blighton family, there’ll be no escaping the consequences. So, it’s better if I do it.”
It could indeed be dangerous for someone to do the job as they have eyes and ears, as my brother pointed out.
“No, I was too selfish. I shouldn’t have asked you for such a favor, Brother. I’m sorry.”
However, I didn’t want to proceed with the plan at the expense of sacrificing someone from our family.
“Let’s end this discussion here. Brother, I’m really sorry again. I pushed you without considering your situation.”
Thinking back to my brother’s contemplative state earlier, I apologized once more, realizing how difficult it must have been for him to make a decision.
But suddenly, my second brother, who had been silently listening, approached me, grabbed my shoulders firmly, and with a determined look, spoke to me more resolutely.
“No, I’ll make the medicine.”
“Brother.”
I thought the conversation about the medicine was over, but the situation had unexpectedly returned to square one.
“I can’t let you fall into danger. I’ve said it before, but I’m your brother. So, don’t entertain any other thoughts. Got it?”
“But then, Brother!”
“Ayla, do you know why I became a priest?”
My brother, who interrupted me, suddenly asked me a question.
“Because it was your dream.”
I answered as I knew it.
“Yeah, that’s true, but there’s actually another reason I became a priest.”
“What is it?”
“I believed that if I became a priest and gained divine power, I could cure your illness.”
As those words flowed from my brother’s mouth, tears burst out like a waterfall.
“W-what…?”
“You’ve been suffering since birth, and it pained me so much to see you like that. So, I wanted to heal my younger sister. But now, it turns out that the way to cure you isn’t through divine power but magical power. If your illness can be cured, I won’t need to stay in the temple anymore.”
Throughout my brother’s words, tears kept streaming down my face. The enormity of his affection for me, willingly sacrificing his life to cure my illness, was beyond my imagination.
“Brother, h-hiccup…”
Feeling both grateful and sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at my brother, so I bowed deeply.
“Don’t cry, Ayla.”
Saying so, my brother embraced me with open arms, and I cried in his arms until my tears couldn’t come out anymore.
* * *
The next morning, holding the medicine my second brother made overnight, I left the room to go to the Duke of Blighton’s mansion.
*Sigh*
Descending the stairs, I looked at the medicine in a small bottle and let out a deep sigh.
The feeling that I needed to convince my family still weighed heavily on my heart, making it as suffocating as ever because of my second brother.
I believed my brother’s words about becoming a priest to cure my illness, but I still couldn’t feel entirely at ease.
With that heavy heart, I left the mansion, and my second brother was standing in front of the carriage.
His eyes were dark as if he hadn’t slept while making the medicine.
“Brother?”
“Ayla.”
“Why did you come out when you’re tired?”
Even though he looked extremely tired, I asked, sounding concerned as I observed my brother who came out to see me off.
“Are you going to the Duke of Blighton’s mansion now?”
“Yeah, I need to deliver the medicine as soon as possible.”
Recalling the face of Lloydin, who pleaded with me to deliver the medicine urgently, as if he would collapse while holding onto me yesterday, I couldn’t afford to waste any time.
“That’s right. Do you know how to administer the medicine?”
“Yeah, you explained it in detail, Brother.”
“Okay, you’ll handle it well. But why is your expression like that?”
“Huh?”
Perhaps my brother noticed the apologetic feelings I had toward him, he asked.
“Ayla, there wasn’t a single lie in what I said yesterday. And I really intended to quit being a priest once your illness is cured. In fact, being a priest wasn’t suited to my aptitude.”
“What are you saying?”
Uncertain whether he was trying to ease my mind or if he was genuinely saying this, I looked at my brother with a bewildered expression.
“It’s true. But now that I’m quitting, I should thank you once your illness is cured.”
“Really?”
“I mean it.”
Unable to believe it, I looked at my brother, and he responded with a sincere expression.
“In that case, I’m relieved.”
“Good. So from now on, just focus on getting better. Got it?”
“I got it, Brother. Still, I’m sorry and really grateful.”
I nodded slowly.
“Alright, then let’s get going.”
“Brother, thank you so, so much. If there’s ever anything I can do to help you in the future, I’ll do anything. So, don’t forget that I’m here.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
With those words, I boarded the carriage with a slightly lighter heart than before. As the carriage left the mansion and my brother’s figure became completely invisible, I kept watching his silhouette through the window.
‘Noah Anaïs.’
Throughout the journey to the Duke of Blighton’s mansion, I couldn’t help but think about my second brother. He had become a priest to cure me, with the sole purpose of accumulating divine power.
Until my brother spoke, I had no idea of his intentions. I thought he became a priest like any other, longing to connect with the divine.
But…
In the novel I know, I eventually die.
So what happened to my brother, who lost his life’s goal?
Even in the novel, where I, as a character, barely gets mentioned, it seemed highly unlikely that my family would be properly described.
Therefore, I had no way of knowing the future of Noah, my brother, and our family.
‘Anaïs. Anaïs.’
“Ugh, I can’t remember anything!”
“What? Miss? What’s wrong?”
When the words I thought in my mind unintentionally slipped out, Lia, startled, asked.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Feeling a bit stifled inside, I tried to calm myself by looking at the distant mountains outside the window.
Even though I could vaguely recall the lives of the main characters now, it was normal not to remember the fate of other people in detail.
If I didn’t remember my past life, I probably wouldn’t have thought much about it.
But the fact that none of our family members were among those who knew the future left me with an uncomfortable feeling.
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