Elise fainted. Karan stood up, holding her in his arms.
“Your Highness!”
Haltbin fell to his knees. He curled up and wailed.
“What an ugly reunion.”
Karan lightly kicked Haltbin’s thigh. Despite the signal to stop crying, Haltbin continued to sob like a child.
“We need to, sob, check if your body, hic, is alright.”
Leber approached to examine him, but Karan pushed him away with his shoulder.
“Elise first. And why are you crying? Wipe your snot and tears first. How can you examine anyone when your eyes are as small as ants?”
Leber turned away to blow his nose, but he struggled as the tears wouldn’t stop easily.
Just as it seemed to quiet down, another wail burst out.
Karan turned his head to see Regina pounding on the bed, now dry from his magic.
“Our Miss did it! Our Miss! I knew she could. Our Miss is a genius. Waaah.”
Karan left her alone, pleased with what she was saying through her tears. Next was Feu.
He came to Karan’s side and closely examined the magic circle.
The magic circle drawn across Karan’s shoulder and arm was much more intricate and clear than if it had been drawn on flat paper.
Newly impressed by Elise’s remarkable skill, Feu couldn’t hold back his tears either.
“You’d think I came back from the dead.”
Though Karan meant it as a joke, everyone froze. Their unusual reaction made Karan’s eyes narrow. He looked at Leber, demanding an explanation.
“…Judging by the rise in body temperature alone, it wouldn’t be wrong to say you died.”
It was a bit funny to hear Leber sounding so professional with his crying face.
When Regina chuckled, Leber glared at her. But with his eyes swollen like a carp’s, it only looked amusing.
Karan snapped his fingers as if to clear the air. The windows opened, and the night breeze swept away the heat accumulated in the room.
“Can you really use magic now? And you’re not in pain anywhere?”
Haltbin rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, stood up, and approached Karan.
“That’s right.”
“It’s not just temporary? It won’t get blocked again in the middle…?”
They had struggled for over a decade to unblock Karan’s mana. It wasn’t just Haltbin.
Tyllo had also put in tremendous effort to make Karan a magician.
Yet, with no improvement, they eventually gave up. It wasn’t a simple abandonment.
The humiliation and hardship Karan endured because of this were indescribable.
It wasn’t always failure. As if to tease Karan, there were times when he could comfortably use mana.
But without fail, he would fall ill the next day.
It was reminiscent of a myth where a god tempts with fruit only to bring divine punishment.
What truly hurt Karan was falling into an even deeper abyss after moments of hope.
From then on, Karan became extremely reluctant to use magic. It was an unconscious effort to protect himself from further pain.
This was why Haltbin couldn’t wholeheartedly rejoice even after seeing Karan recover completely and use magic freely.
“Haltbin, there’s only one thing you should say to me right now.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s sweep them all away, Your Highness.”
Tears welled up in Haltbin’s eyes once again.
“There’s nothing to fear now, Haltbin.”
In other words, Karan had no match.
“You’ve… completely succeeded.”
“Say ‘perfectly’.”
Karan corrected Haltbin’s words. He left the rest of the cleanup to the others and headed to his bedroom to lay Elise down comfortably.
‘So you came looking for me, knowing who I was.’
Karan looked down at Elise.
Whether because she was in Karan’s arms or simply in deep sleep, her soft breathing sounds were endearing.
It felt like a reward for the long wait.
For Karan, regaining his memories was an even greater joy than being able to use magic freely.
****
Her body felt so heavy, as if someone was pressing down on her from above. Elise tried to turn over but gave up and opened her eyes.
And she was surprised. First, by the fact that she had fallen asleep; second, that she was in a bed; and third, because of the person smiling down at her.
Is this another dream following the previous one?
Elise blinked slowly and exhaled the breath she had been holding. Yet the handsome face before her didn’t disappear.
Rather, her heart began to race at his smile, which seemed to deepen as if to tempt her.
“Elise, say something. I’m content just looking at your face, but you must have questions.”
Karan spoke as he gazed into her eyes.
Still, Elise only blinked, offering no response.
If only she could put into words the overflowing emotions reflected in his eyes.
Having no choice, Karan decided to ask the questions himself.
“Are you surprised?”
Elise nodded.
“Were you worried?”
Her head dropped. With her crown showing, Elise’s head nodded up and down.
Her hand moved across the blanket, seeking Karan’s hand. When her fingers grasped his, Karan asked,
“Were you afraid of losing me?”
Elise’s grip on Karan’s fingers tightened. That was her answer.
“I felt the same.”
When I regained memories of my past life, I was surprised; throughout that life, I was always worried about you; and when I saw you collapsed in the underground prison, I was afraid of losing you right then.
“…Are you really alright?”
Elise raised her head. Her gaze lingered on Karan’s face before slowly moving down to his shoulder.
The place where Elise’s engraving pen had passed was now completely healed.
Karan spread his shoulder as if showing it off.
“Isn’t it great?”
“No, it’s not.”
How much pain you went through because of that. It wasn’t great at all.
“Hmm, that’s a problem then. Can it be erased?”
“No! Erasing it would be even more painful!”
Elise was alarmed at his joke. Karan grinned. Realizing he didn’t mean what he said, Elise hit his arm.
It was a gesture full of discontent, but there was no strength behind it.
Fearing Karan might be in pain, she couldn’t even throw a punch with confidence.
“We should ask about other things too, Elise.”
Karan, still chuckling, held Elise in his arms to keep her from moving and asked.
“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”
She wasn’t curious about whether he could use magic. Strangely, she really wasn’t.
She was grateful just for Karan’s fever subsiding and him being safely in front of her.
She didn’t have the courage to face the emotions that would come if he said otherwise.
Right now, she just wanted to be thankful and happy that she could be with Karan.
She didn’t care if it was selfish. She had decided to forget all about Ragnaros the moment Karan lost consciousness due to high fever.
“But I want to talk about it. What should we do?”
Karan stroked Elise’s back. She burrowed into his arms, trembling like a rain-soaked kitten.
Having heard in detail about Elise engraving the magic circle on him, Karan fully understood her anxiety.
That’s why he wanted to reassure her more, to tell her that her choice wasn’t wrong.
“No, don’t say anything.”
However, Karan hadn’t expected Elise to react like this. Elise whining like a child?
‘She’s unbearably cute.’
Karan had to clench his fist to keep from pouncing on Elise, who still didn’t look in good condition.
At this rate, he might start burning with fever again, so Karan detached Elise from his embrace.
“It’ll only take a moment, Elise.”
Unwilling to be separated even for that moment, Elise resisted being pushed away.
‘Is this woman trying to drive me crazy?’
Karan swallowed hard. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down noticeably.
“It was successful.”
Karan spoke before Elise was ready to hear it. The strength left Elise’s body as she had been resisting being pushed away.
“I can use magic, Elise. Like this.”
As Karan snapped his fingers, light sparkled around Elise.
The thin streams of light wrapped around Elise’s fingers, traveled up her arms, and sparkled beside her face before disappearing.
The gentle movement was just like a fairy’s dance.
“I can use it without pain now. What’s more amazing is…”
–I don’t need incantations anymore, Elise. I can use magic as I wish, in any way I want, just like now.
Elise’s eyes widened.
“Telepathy…”
Magic telepathy was quite an advanced magic. Karan was using even that magic with ease.
“That’s right, Elise. It’s telepathy. Now, no matter where you are, I can speak to you. And there’s something even better.”
Karan snapped his fingers once more.
This time, golden streams tied a knot around Elise’s finger. The light streams disappeared as if absorbing into Elise’s skin.
“Elise, call for me.”
“Karan?”
“In your mind. Say what you want to say.”
Elise hesitated but then did as he instructed.
“Yes, Elise. Everything’s fine. My body, and my magic too.”
Karan responded. It was the exact answer to Elise’s question.
Elise’s eyes widened.
“Now, whenever and wherever you need me, you just have to call in your mind. I’ll always be by your side when you need me.”
