No way.
Is he worried that once he realizes Laila Hildegarde’s predicament, he’ll find himself pitying her?
That he’d unnecessarily pity her and feel compelled to keep her alive?
Sion gritted his teeth silently. That wouldn’t happen.
The reason why Laila must die in the first place is not because she lived a privileged life as the daughter of the Marquis Hildegarde.
It’s just because she’s Hildegarde.
Because she has their blood in her veins, he swore he would not leave them alone in this world. That’s all.
So, no matter what treatment Laila receives in this castle right now, that wasn’t important.
Yeah. It’s not important at all…
Sion reached out his hand hesitantly. It was then.
“Hey.”
Laila stared at him through half-open eyes, her lips pursed.
“Why are you… in my dream?”
“…….”
“How unlucky. A nightmare……”
Sion furrowed his brow slightly in response to Laila’s outburst, who usually only flatters in front of him.
Sion slightly furrowed his brows at the unexpected remark from Laila, who usually just flattered him.
‘A dream?’
Even if she thinks it’s a dream, is that all she has to say?
Sion thought about what he would do if he encountered an enemy in his dream.
At the very least, he would have told him to get lost.
No, that’s not it. Rather, he would have already been stabbing the opponent.
Maybe Laila Hildegarde also wants to do that.
It’s just that her body doesn’t cooperate.
Laila frowned as if she realized that her body had no energy at all.
Because it’s a nightmare, she has no strength. She muttered, then took a deep breath and looked back at Sion.
Laila’s lips moved.
“You’re stupid…….”
“…….”
“You’re a fool…”
“…….”
“Do you think you did something wrong?”
“What?”
Sion, who was trying to grasp the rope while letting the insults pass through one ear, reacted momentarily to the incomprehensible words.
Laila blinked slowly, staring at Sion.
However, the Sion that currently occupies Laila’s mind is not the one present here, but the one from about a week ago.
The Sion, who had been shot with an arrow,
The one who had called his family while he was unconscious…
The Sion who admitted he was wrong.
Laila opened her mouth.
This is all because of the drawing. The drawing she saw in the courtyard. If she hadn’t seen that house, she wouldn’t have said such things. Even if it’s just a dream, she wouldn’t have thought to say such things to the person who killed her.
“Your family is dead…….”
“…….”
“Are you sorry for being the only one alive?”
Sion’s fingertips paused.
Eventually, he released the rope he had been holding and instead grabbed the headboard of the bed.
Crack.
Sion’s knuckles turned pale from how tightly he held the headboard.
While watching that scene, Laila thought it was ridiculous, but perhaps the headboard might break a little.
It’s practically impossible in reality, but this is a dream.
In her dream, Sion seemed stronger and more fierce.
With his hand gripping the headboard, Sion bowed his head toward Laila. Laila just stared at him intently.
“What?”
“…….”
“What did you just say?”
Those jet-black eyes glared at her like they were going to kill her at close range.
If it had been usual, Laila would have started trembling long ago.
She would have been terrified and tried to find a way to escape from that gaze.
But…….
Laila blinked in silence.
Sion in her dream was scary, but not frightening.
So, how should she put it?
If Sion in reality, always felt like a malicious beast capable of harming her.
The Sion she saw in her dream felt like a ghost or a specter.
It’s scary. It’s true. But so what?
It’s scary, but what could it do to her?
The fact that it was a “dream”—even if it was a misconception—gave Laila calmness and courage.
Facing Sion’s eyes squarely, Laila spoke.
“I made a promise with my sister.”
Sion momentarily paused at the unexpected new topic. Sister? Out of the blue?
His brow creased a little.
‘Is it sleep talking… or something?’
It dawned on him that Laila had returned to her senses, but not fully.
…Yeah, this isn’t someone in their right mind.
This is…
Sion regained his composure and looked down at Laila.
He felt ridiculous for reacting sharply to mere sleep talk.
He didn’t need to make a bigger fool of himself. Sion let go of the headboard and slid off the bed.
He didn’t want to be anywhere near a bed with someone talking nonsense anymore.
If anyone was out in the hallway,
He would call one of them, have them here, and he would leave this room forever.
Thinking like that, Sion turned away.
It was then.
“I promised to live until I’m ninety. My sister asked me to.”
“…….”
“I promised to live like that… Just me.”
Sion froze in place.
Without moving forward or looking back, he stood still.
As he remained silent, Laila continued.
“Everyone had to leave. It was the day they had to go far away. They may not be able to come back. I knew that. So, I wanted to go with them. But…”
“…….”
“My sister told me to stay. Just me. She asked me to stay. She begged me…”
“…….”
“I love my sister, so…”
So I didn’t refuse.
Because it was a request from someone she loved, she nodded her head.
Even at a young age, she could understand how heavy her sister’s request was.
But still, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. Because she loved her sister too much.
And her sister loved her more than anyone else.
“In the end, no one came back.”
“…….”
“They died… all of them… I was the only one left alive.”
“…….”
“Did I do something wrong?”
No answer came back.
But anyway, Laila didn’t speak in order to receive an answer.
The answer was already decided.
Long ago, within Laila.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“…….”
“Because it was my sister’s request. There’s no one who wishes for their beloved family to make a mistake.”
Laila didn’t have an answer right away, either.
Having lost her sister and all the other loved ones, spending countless dreadful nights feeling like simply surviving alone was a great sin.
One day, she suddenly remembered the promise she made with her sister, and at the moment she clasped her fingers, she recalled her sister’s joyful face as she smiled.
She then found the answer.
I.
I didn’t. (I am)
Do anything wrong. (Not a sinner.)
“My sister was strict. She loved me, but if I did something wrong, she scolded me severely. She hated me for making mistakes more than anyone else.”
That’s the kind of sister she was. That was her sister’s request.
So, surviving alone after losing everyone else…
“It’s not my fault. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“…….”
“So it’s not your fault either.”
That was the end of the long story.
With a thud, Sion’s stiffened shoulders were noticeably relaxed.
“Sion, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You…….”
What do you know to say such things recklessly?
But those words didn’t come out of Sion’s mouth.
Sion noticed when she turned to look at Laila, who had closed her eyes again.
Her breathing.
The sound of regular breathing.
“…….”
She was either asleep or passed out.
Sion, however, clenched his fist tightly, staring quietly at Laila, whose consciousness had once again sunk beneath the surface of sleep.
Then he turned around and left the bedroom with heavy steps.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
After precisely two days and one afternoon, Laila fully regained consciousness.
As a result, the meal restriction punishment, which had two days left out of the week, ended almost simultaneously, with Laila regaining her senses.
Laila leaned against the headboard, staring at the tray in front of her.
The bowl on the tray.
In the bowl, there is yellow egg porridge with steam rising slowly.
It was breakfast.
‘I’m crying…….’
How long has it been since she had a meal? And this is even the first meal of the day out of three!
She missed it. She really missed it.
With excitement, Laila cautiously took a spoonful of the egg porridge.
It’s delicious.
Actually, objectively speaking, the seasoning was weak. It seemed like they intentionally put in less salt, making it a bit bland.
But still, it was delicious. Well, at this point, even chewing on leaves would taste good.
Laila diligently finished the porridge.
After consuming about half of what was in the bowl, she finally had a little room for other thoughts.
Laila stopped eating but still held the spoon tightly and spoke to Marie, who brought her breakfast.
“What about Sion?”
