Laila’s eyes wandered as she became lost in thought. Taylor usually listened quietly when Marie scolded him. Sometimes he even stood side by side with Mason to hear her lectures.
Ah, a complete set of three siblings.
Laila brought the teacup to her lips. The honey tea was sweet.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Her eyes suddenly opened.
It was dawn.
There was about an hour left until sunrise. Laila hesitated for a moment before getting out of bed.
It seemed like a good idea to start the day earlier than usual.
Laila washed her face in the bathroom and changed her clothes. She wasn’t feeling hungry yet.
Should she take a walk before breakfast?
Laila straightened her back and left her room. Although the sun would be rising soon, the hallway was still dark.
‘Is Sion still asleep?’
It was strange.
She had intended to go to the garden.
She was sure she had…
When she snapped out of it, she was in front of Sion’s bedroom. Laila hesitated for a moment before turning away.
Let’s not do this. Last time, she had ended up waking someone who had barely fallen asleep.
She could see him during the day. It’s not like Sion would disappear somewhere if she didn’t see him now.
Act maturely. Laila.
As she reassured herself, Laila moved her steps.
Or at least she intended to.
At that moment, a moaning sound brushed past her ears.
Did she hear that correctly?
Before she could even question it, the same sound came again.
Laila quickly turned around and entered Sion’s bedroom without hesitation.
She placed a small lamp at the foot of the bed and turned on the bedroom light.
“Sion!”
She rushed to the bed. Sion, lying there, was sweating profusely. Despite Laila’s call, he didn’t open his eyes or respond.
Laila placed her hand on Sion’s forehead.
It felt like a burning flame.
Biting her lip, Laila dashed out of the bedroom.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Dr. Owen, who examined Sion, shook his head.
“I don’t know the cause of the fever. I’m sorry.”
“…It’s not your fault.”
“I’ll prepare some antipyretics right away.”
“Alright. If the symptoms change, I’ll call you again.”
As Owen left the bedroom, Marie approached Laila.
“The antipyretics won’t be of any use.”
“What?”
“It’s happened before.”
“…What do you mean?”
Marie began to explain. Laila’s eyes widened as she listened.
“He’s been like this several times… since my soul was transferred?”
Marie had also told the amnesiac Laila about the Moon clan.
“Yes, so he came back on a carriage, leaving the horse behind. When he gets sick, he’s out for several days…”
“……”
“Every time he was sick, we’d visit a village, have him examined by a doctor, and force him to take antipyretics, but nothing seemed to work.”
“……”
“It was just a matter of time. He will recover completely after about three to four days.”
Laila looked at Sion, who was lying with his eyes closed.
Three to four days…
“He had been fine for a while, so I thought he wouldn’t be sick again…”
“Why is he sick like this?”
“Well, maybe it’s a side effect of the soul transfer ritual, like how you lost your memory…”
Laila’s expression hardened.
She did not lose her memory.
It was Sion who was experiencing the side effects alone.
“……Could you bring me a wet towel?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll get one right away.”
Marie left the bedroom. Laila sat in a chair and stared intently at Sion.
Though she had never forgotten it, she felt it again.
That Sion had sacrificed his life to save her.
“……Be a bit greedy.”
Laila murmured softly.
“Do you know how many times you’ve saved me? So…”
Laila stopped speaking. She pressed her lips together and took out a handkerchief from her pocket.
Marie would soon return with a wet towel, but the sweat accumulating on Sion’s forehead could not wait.
Laila carefully wiped the sweat from Sion’s forehead with a handkerchief.
Just as she was about to put the handkerchief away,
“……Sion?”
Laila paused, still holding the handkerchief tightly. Sion opened his eyes.
His unfocused gaze turned toward Laila.
Then Sion spoke in a heavily groggy voice.
“It was you.”
“What?”
“It was you back then…”
Sion closed his eyes again. Laila called out to him several times, “Sion?” but received no response.
As Marie had said, Sion was completely fine after three days. His consciousness had fully returned, and his fever had subsided.
Once he regained his senses, Sion turned to Laila and said:
“It’s nothing.”
“……I haven’t said anything yet.”
“It’s just that I slept a bit longer.”
While sweating profusely?
Laila swallowed the words that came to her mind. What could she gain by saying it? Nothing.
Sion, observing the now silent Laila, spoke up.
“Do you happen to have that handkerchief?”
“The handkerchief? Any handkerchief?”
“No, the one you used to wipe my forehead when I was sick…”
“You remember what happened while you were sick?”
“……I woke up briefly.”
“The handkerchief isn’t with me right now; Marie probably took it to my bedroom after washing it. Should I bring it later?”
“Yeah.”
“Got it. But what do you need the handkerchief for?”
“I’m not going to use it…”
“……”
“I just want to keep it.”
Later, while Laila was spending time in the master’s vacant, she happened to find the handkerchief.
It was in the first drawer of the nightstand beside the bed.
Laila stared at the handkerchief for a long time.
Come to think of it, there was a time when Sion had prevented her from touching the first drawer of the nightstand while they were staying at the marquis’s residence.
Did Sion keep the handkerchief in the drawer back then too?
‘It was you back then.’
If so, what did that mean…
Laila closed the drawer again.
She lay down flat on the bed.
“Laila.”
How long had she been lying there? The owner of the room, having arrived, spoke to Laila, who was occupying the bed.
“Are you planning to sleep here?”
Laila didn’t respond and instead gazed silently at Sion.
Soon, she began to speak.
Did you keep a handkerchief in the nightstand drawer when we were staying at the marquis’s residence too?
Was that handkerchief, by any chance, mine?
The handkerchief I used to wipe your sweat when you were shot by an arrow and on the brink of death… was that the one?
You knew that someone had wiped your sweat back then.
But you only found out recently that it was me.
So, how did you feel when you found out it was me?
Were you happy?
…Did I become even a little bit better than before?
Instead of the swirling thoughts in her head, she blurted out another question.
“Can I sleep here?”
“Yes.”
Laila’s eyes narrowed.
Why was he being so compliant?
Could it be…
“You’re going to sleep here too, right?”
Sion hesitated.
Seeing Sion hesitate, Laila was so taken aback that she got up from the bed.
“Are you trying to make me someone who stole someone else’s beds?”
“It’s not that you stole it; I gave it to you.”
“Let’s sleep together.”
Laila and Sion’s eyes met.
“We’re married, after all.”
“The reason we got married was…”
“I know. I haven’t forgotten what you told me.”
Laila lifted her chin slightly.
“But so what? No matter what circumstances there were to our marriage, the fact is that you and I are married now.”
“…”
“What matters to me is now. I don’t remember the past.”
Seeing the agitation on Sion’s face, Laila continued speaking.
“You’re going to sleep here with me, right?”
Laila succeeded in lying side by side with Sion on the same bed.
Although they merely lay together and she couldn’t even hold his hand, at least she was able to fall asleep beside him…
‘This is fine.’
There’s no rush. They can take their time.
Laila, sleeping in the same bed as Sion, had a good dream.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Two seasons passed.
“Sis, do you really have to go?”
Esther decided to leave the Duke of Axid’s residence.
“I’ve found that traveling suits my nature. I’ve tried it and it’s true.”
“…”
“I’ll keep in touch.”
“Sis, actually…”
Laila whispered the truth into Esther’s ear before she departed.
“What? Laila—no, Lala. You…”
“Make sure to stay in touch.”
“…”
“If you start missing me, come visit.”
“…Okay.”
After sharing a final hug with Laila, Esther boarded the carriage.
A month later.
A letter arrived.
