“Anyone who sees you would think you’re seriously ill… or not? Have you had Dr. Owen examine you?”
“Madam, you mustn’t give up.”
“Hmm?”
“The most important thing in fighting illness is willpower. A strong, unyielding will.”
“….”
“You will surely get better, Madam.”
“Yes.”
“And if Sion offers to give up half of his life to save you, just accept it. Please don’t refuse.”
“Eh?”
Laila blinked up at Taylor, who seemed to be hinting at something.
Could it be…
“Did you hear something?”
“Yes?”
“…Did you hear something from Sion?”
“Is Sion hiding something from me?”
Laila scrutinized Taylor’s tired face and suddenly realized something.
“Come to think of it, Sir Taylor, you mentioned something like that before.”
“Yes?”
“You said Sion was a great swordsman in his past life and remembers it…”
“Oh, yes. That was when I had just started training him in swordsmanship.”
Taylor’s eyes suddenly became moist, as if lost in memories.
“Back then, Sion was a genius…”
“…”
“Now, he’s reached a level that goes beyond even being called a genius…”
After savoring the memories for a moment, Taylor’s eyes returned to their usual state.
“But why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“Just… if you ever stop being a knight, try learning fortune telling or something.”
“Fortune telling?”
“Yeah. I think you might have a talent for it.”
“Really?”
Taylor tilted his head, adding, “That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
Laila then moved on, deciding not to go to the kitchen.
She wanted to see Sion.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Sion was in his office. Laila went straight there.
She brought a chair and sat right next to Sion, crossing her legs.
“You like me.”
Sion, taken aback, stared into Laila’s eyes. Laila, with her arms crossed over her chest, continued.
“How much do you like me?”
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden…”
“I thought you didn’t like me. I thought I was the only one who liked you.”
“That’s—”
“A misunderstanding? It’s not a misunderstanding. And we’ll talk about that later. Right now, we need to talk about something else.”
Laila suddenly stood up and approached Sion. Sion flinched but did not move away.
Laila placed her left hand on the desk and leaned toward Sion, who was gripping the armrests of his chair tightly.
Laila glanced at Sion’s hands and then spoke.
“It’s really strange.”
“……”
“You worry about me, react to everything I do, and care about me so much…”
“……”
“Why don’t you approach me first?”
“……”
“Have you tried to like me but couldn’t? Is it because my body has Hildregarde’s blood in it, and being close to me made you uncomfortable?”
“Laila.”
“Your expression says it’s definitely not the case. But now I understand.”
“……”
“Why did you confuse me? Why did you say it was impossible for me to like you…”
I understand now.
Laila whispered and leaned her head further.
With her free right hand, she gently cupped Sion’s cheek and pressed her lips to his.
Once.
Twice.
Each time Laila’s lips lightly touched and parted from Sion’s, his eyelashes fluttered.
Laila straightened up and looked down at Sion’s unsettled face, letting out a faint smile.
“Are you still bothered by the fact that you killed me?”
“……”
“So you can’t be greedy for me? Do you feel like you’ve committed a huge wrong against me?”
“It’s not the same; it’s true that I did something wrong.”
“Well, yeah. I can’t say that I did a good thing either. But…”
“……”
“What if I said it doesn’t matter? What if I said that the debt you owe me is completely erased?”
Sion silently shook his head.
“Nothing will change.”
“Why?”
“Because what happened won’t truly disappear just because you say it doesn’t matter.”
Sion gritted his teeth and spat out the words.
“Right now, you’re…”
“…”
“Under the illusion that you like me.”
“That damn illusion—fine, keep talking.”
“…That’s why I can say it doesn’t matter. For now.”
“Hmm… Does that mean that if we move beyond this moment, my feelings will change?”
“Yes.”
“So, using your words, once I get out of the illusion that I like you…”
“…”
“The fact that you killed me will occasionally come to mind, and because of that, I will start to avoid you?”
“You’ll be afraid.”
“……”
“Just like before.”
At the mention of “before,” Laila’s eyes widen slightly. Soon, her eyes returned to their usual size, but with a slight sharpness at the corners.
“So, the conclusion is that you’re a huge coward.”
“What?”
“You’re afraid! You’re worried that I might like you now but push you away later! That’s why you think we can’t have a mutual relationship, right?”
“…It’s not that. It’s just that I don’t feel worthy.”
Sion sighed, and perhaps it was just a feeling, but there seemed to be a tremor at the end of his breath.
“I’m just a murderer to you.”
“…Are you really going that far?”
“It’s the truth.”
Laila curled one side of her lips into a smirk.
The truth.
That was truly a case of knowing one thing but not knowing the other.
Truth does not exist in isolation.
If it’s true that Sion is the murderer who killed me, then it’s equally true that Sion is the benefactor who saved my life.
This foolish Sion.
Stubborn.
Cowardly.
Foolish idiot…
As Laila muttered various curses inwardly, her expression gradually became calm.
Sion paused at the change in Laila’s expression. Looking down at Sion, Laila spoke calmly.
“Are we leaving early tomorrow morning?”
The topic of conversation had shifted. Sion scrutinized Laila’s face as if trying to discern her intentions and responded.
“…If you’re okay with it.”
“I’m fine. Then let’s leave in the morning.”
Sion nodded. His gaze continued to observe Laila’s expression.
Feeling his gaze, Laila thought to herself.
Look as much as you want.
You still won’t know.
What plans I’ve come up with because of you…
Laila stared at Sion’s finely chiseled face and gave his lips one final, firm kiss.
Before pulling away, she deliberately bit Sion’s lower lip hard.
“……!”
Laila left Sion, who was frozen, and quickly exited the study.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Esther mentioned the existence of the “Moon Clan.”
According to Esther, the Moon Clan was a group of several hundred individuals with unique abilities.
The coachman who saved Esther at the inn, Rail—no, Aidal—was a member of the Moon Clan.
However, he was one who had left the clan’s home.
Esther learned from Aidal’s family, whom she met after ten years, that Aidal had longed for a normal life.
So he had left the clan and mingled with others.
But the place where Aidal had ended up was none other than the Marquis of Hildegarde’s estate.
As a coachman, Aidal witnessed the atrocities.
And he saved Esther.
By sacrificing his life.
Or more precisely, by using his own life as the material.
“Is this where the Moon Clan lives?”
Laila got out of the carriage and looked around.
The carriage carrying Laila, Marie, and Esther had departed from the Duke Axid’s residence two months ago.
Sion had taken a separate horse.
Esther, who was the next to get out of the carriage after Laila, answered Laila’s question.
“Yeah.”
“No matter how I look at it, it just seems like a mountain…”
An icy mountain at that.
As Laila muttered, Marie was the last to get out of the carriage.
Marie was holding a thick fur vest.
“Madam, please put this on too.”
“What? I’m already dressed in layers…”
Feeling like she was a bundle of clothes from all the layers she was wearing, Laila hesitated.
“Hurry up.”
Seeing Marie’s rather stern expression, Laila reluctantly added the fur vest to the already many layers of clothing she was wearing.
Великолепно 😍