IWSC CHAPTER 13, EPISODE 60

His Majesty rose from his seat and shouted loudly at the people.

“Everyone, stay in your places and do not act rashly. I hope you will maintain your dignity as nobles and not lose your composure over a small disturbance.”

As his commanding voice spread across the grandstand, the uneasy atmosphere that had been quietly simmering instantly calmed down.

Meanwhile, I silently endured the crushing fear that weighed on my heart.

Please, please let nothing happen to Ares…! Let him not have thrown himself into danger to protect the Princess and Leia!

I don’t care what happens to me, but Ares must be safe!

My heart was pounding so hard that I couldn’t help but gasp for breath. My vision grew dark and blurry, and a sense of faintness overwhelmed me, as if I might collapse at any moment.

“Bianca!”

My mother, noticing my alarming state, quickly supported me. I took a deep breath with all my strength, struggling to stay conscious.

It felt as if time had completely stopped until the guards brought back Princess Ariel and her party from the hunting grounds. As these endless moments dragged on, I desperately clutched my fan to stop my trembling hands.

He will be safe…! He has to be safe!

There’s no way he could be hurt! Ares is the protagonist of this world!

The suffocating tension filled the grandstand and its surroundings. Just then, His Majesty arrived at the grandstand with urgent steps.

“The hunting competition will be halted here! Trumpeters, sound your horns loudly and summon everyone from the hunting grounds!”

The attendants of each family began to move busily. After a brief glance at the now bustling nobles in the grandstand, His Majesty addressed the Empress and us who stood by her side.

“It is said that unidentified assailants attacked Ariel. However, thanks to the efforts of Duke Stanley, both Ariel and Lady Saturnus are unharmed.”

“Then…”

As the Duchess spoke in a trembling voice, His Majesty raised his hand as if to calm her.

“I have been informed that Duke Stanley sustained a minor injury. The bullet only grazed him, so it is not a serious wound. Once he returns…”

In the midst of His Majesty’s words, someone suddenly shouted loudly.

“Look! Her Highness the Princess is coming!”

Without anyone prompting, my mother, the Duchess of Stanley, His and Her Majesty, and I all sprang to our feet simultaneously. Without a moment’s thought for decorum, we rushed out of the grandstand to greet the arriving party.

Princess Ariel and Leia, disheveled and still on horseback, were escorted by the guards.

And Ares…

“Aah…!”

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, barely suppressing the scream that threatened to escape. Tears were already streaming down my face.

Ares was holding the reins with one hand, but the sleeve of his white shirt was drenched in blood. The white handkerchief wrapped around his arm had long since lost its color, soaked in crimson.

The world seemed to spin before my eyes.

“Ares!”

Unlike me, who collapsed to the ground as my legs gave out, the Duchess of Stanley rushed to Ares, supporting him as he carefully dismounted. She embraced him tightly.

I saw him slowly open his mouth to say something to the Duchess, but all I could hear was a faint buzzing in my ears, as if the entire world had gone silent.

I felt someone shaking my shoulder, but I couldn’t respond. My vision was growing darker by the second.

Princess Ariel is safe, and Leia is unharmed…

Thank goodness…

But Ares is badly hurt…! He’s lost so much blood, what do we do…?

What do we…

“Bianca!”

Through the haze of my fading consciousness, my name was called out like thunder, jolting my heart and waking me instantly.

“!”

The world came back into focus, and Ares’ beautiful but pained face filled my vision.

Before I could even think, I threw my arms around him with all my strength. I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my chest.

“It’s okay, Bianca. I’m okay…”

Ares gently patted me with his uninjured arm, over and over, as I couldn’t even muster the strength to speak. My wildly beating heart gradually began to calm.

Beside me, my mother’s calm voice broke the moment.

“Bianca, the Duke needs medical attention.”

Oh! What have I done…! Overwhelmed by emotion, I clung to Ares without thinking! How could I be so inconsiderate to someone who needs urgent care?

I quickly released him, almost pushing myself away. Seeing his face twisted in pain from the injury, I could only bow my head in shame. Soon, the palace doctors arrived and began treating Ares and the others who were injured.

As they worked, the blood-soaked handkerchief that had been tied around Ares’ arm slipped to the ground. Without thinking, I picked it up.

Along with the one I had given him, another red handkerchief was tied to the end, the two connected. In a part not yet stained with blood, I could see letters embroidered with platinum thread—Ares’ name.

It was, without a doubt, a handkerchief that someone had meticulously made for Ares!

Something heavy dropped into my chest with a thud. The moment I saw the platinum thread, the same color as Leia’s hair, I instinctively knew it was hers. My eyes almost reflexively searched for Leia.

She stood there, her large eyes brimming with tears, gazing at Ares with a look of sorrow and deep concern. That heartbreaking gaze sent a shiver down my spine.

…It has appeared. The ‘pillar’ of the novel.

Even without Princess Ariel losing her life, the ‘pillar’ of the novel had safely emerged. It seems the ‘pillar’ was indeed tied to the changing relationship between Leia and Ares.

Should I be relieved?

My hand, still holding the handkerchief, trembled uncontrollably.

I had prepared myself for this. From the beginning, I knew this was coming. I should be relieved that the ‘pillar’ of the novel appeared without anyone being sacrificed, just as I had hoped.

Seeing Ares covered in blood was something I hadn’t anticipated. Even though Ares had gone along as a guard for the princess, I never imagined he would return injured. So, this overwhelming sense of collapse I’m feeling isn’t because the love between Ares and Leia is rekindling, but because the person I love has returned to me, bleeding.

If I had known Ares would get hurt—no, if I had even guessed this might happen—I wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.

Yes, that’s it.

I took a deep breath and loosened my grip. The blood-stained handkerchief slipped from my fingers and fell to the ground.

I heard Leia’s tearful voice.

“He got hurt while saving me… If it weren’t for Ares, I would have been shot…”

“Oh…!”

“Thank you so much, Duke Stanley!”

People exclaimed in admiration. The Baron and Baroness of Saturnus, who were standing beside Leia, wept as they expressed their gratitude to Ares.

Ares is a man of integrity. He doesn’t betray others lightly. He doesn’t hesitate in the face of danger. When someone’s life is at risk, he steps forward without a second thought.

He did the same for me. Once, when we were ambushed by bandits in the mountains, Ares didn’t hesitate to draw his pistol and save my life.

Why would Leia be any different? If he were to choose whom to save and whom not to, would that really be Ares? The Ares I know isn’t someone so narrow-minded. My man is truly remarkable. He’s a shining, beautiful person, more deserving than anyone else to be the protagonist of this world.

A faint smile finally crept onto my lips.

My ever-radiant love, you always shine so brightly, illuminating everything around you. The one who will stand by your golden light for years to come will surely be the pure and luminous Leia, not Bianca, the cold, dark villainess who chose Princess Ariel over her unwavering affection for you.

His Majesty looked over the gathered nobles with an air of authority and spoke firmly.

“I will ensure a thorough investigation into today’s events, and the results will be published in the gazette. Therefore, I ask that all of you return home promptly once the participants have returned.”

In the distance, I could see my father returning from the hunting grounds. My mother gently took my arm, guiding me.

“Let’s go home, Bianca.”

“…Yes.”

I mustered the strength to keep walking, despite my knees threatening to buckle beneath me. As I followed my mother back to the grandstand, I glanced back at Ares. He was watching me with a look that suggested he had something to say.

But now wasn’t the time to linger for a conversation. He needed to tend to his wounds first. Resolutely, I turned away.

On the way home from the hunting grounds, our family traveled in heavy silence. The attack on the most prominent heir to the throne was sure to cause a significant stir.

I had no idea how this massive event, orchestrated by the “author,” would affect the future development of this novel. Since this world within the novel has both parts influenced by the “author” and those that aren’t, it’s impossible to predict all the possible outcomes of this event.

There’s nothing I can do but continue living each day as best as I can, just as I’ve been doing.

After all, I’m not the only one who doesn’t know when death might come. Even my parents, who sat before me with stern expressions, might leave this world before I do!

When we returned home, I didn’t even bother to change out of my clothes. I went straight to my desk, pulled out my locked diary from the drawer, and recorded the day’s events, connecting them to what I had previously written.

[“The pillar of the novel has appeared. Ares saved Leia’s life.”]

I added an arrow leading to the next line.

[“The relationship between the male and female protagonists has been restored.”]

As I wrote, I could see the plot of the original novel, penned by the “author,” taking shape.

The strained relationship between the two protagonists, caused by the villainess, has been dramatically restored through the hunting competition. Now, all that’s left is for the villainess to pay the price for disrupting the love between the protagonists, isn’t it?

Of course, there will be other smaller incidents along the way, but it wasn’t hard to predict what the next ‘pillar’ would be.

…The end is approaching.

The climax of the novel is now just around the corner. Anyone who’s read a few romance novels can easily guess what that climax will be.

Am I afraid right now?

No, I’m not afraid of dying itself. I’m just a bit scared of how painful my death might be. Since meeting the “author,” I’ve always been prepared for the possibility that I could leave this world at any moment, so there’s no fear of the unknown when it comes to the sudden end of life.

I’ve organized the drawings I’ve done in my spare time and placed them in the bookshelf on my desk where they can be easily found. I’ve also gathered all my jewelry and accessories in one place so they won’t be scattered.

I’ve made peace with those I’ve had petty disputes with by sending them letters and gifts. I’ve avoided encounters with people allied with Princess Ariel and Leia Saturnos to prevent unnecessary conflicts.

The only thing left now is this diary…

Since I don’t know when I’ll die, I’m concerned about how to deal with the diary. But I absolutely cannot leave it behind. If I do, and someone finds it among my belongings, they’ll discover the truth of this world.