I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

“Ah…!”

The pendant string broke into pieces, leaving only the gem in his hand.

Soon, light imbued with divine power spread around Julia. At the same time, her appearance gradually reverted to its original form.

Fernan’s face slowly contorted as he watched.

“Ha…”

He let out a dry laugh with a complicated expression, looking somewhat pathetic.

He couldn’t easily speak, merely staring intently at her.

“How… how did you know?”

Julia murmured with a bewildered face. How could he recognize her?

Suddenly, she felt a renewed fear of this man. It seemed she could never escape from him, no matter what she did.

Holding the pendant as if to crush it, he spoke calmly.

“This pendant, it faintly radiates divine power.”

The pendant had lost its light. Though she hadn’t heard from Mateus what would happen if the pendant broke, she instinctively knew.

The divine power in the pendant had been absorbed into her heart.

Maybe that’s why her heart felt hot and painful, as if burned.

The excess divine power was rampaging inside her, wanting to escape from this confined space.

“Let’s go back now. You’ve troubled me enough.”

Fernan roughly pulled her hand. She looked at the knights surrounding her and bit her lip.

There was nothing more she could do. Silently, she let herself be led by Fernan’s hand.

He lifted her onto the saddle in one motion and naturally climbed up behind her.

“Julia.”

His low voice settled down. His hands pulling her waist closer felt somewhat tenacious.

Julia looked at his large hand for a moment before turning her gaze away.

Fernan, watching her tense back, tugged on the reins.

The horse started to run quickly.

They left the city and entered the forest leading to the castle walls.

Julia calmed her anxious heart and observed her surroundings. The path was densely packed with trees covered in snow.

Among the trees, she saw paths winding through the forest.

She glanced at his arm encircling her.

“Your Highness.”

She quietly called out and turned to look at him.

“I’m tired. Let’s rest for a while.”

She said it to make him lower his guard, but her face was indeed pale with fright.

After the pendant broke, the pain in her heart had intensified sharply.

Fernan watched her silently for a moment before gradually slowing down. He finally brought the horse to a complete stop and said something to the approaching knight.

“I’ve ordered them to bring a carriage. It won’t take long.”

Julia nodded slightly. As she twisted her body to dismount, Fernan, who had already dismounted, gently lifted her.

His touch felt unusually cautious.

Her legs wobbled as she stood on the ground. Already exhausted, her body couldn’t bear the long ride on the horse.

She subtly scanned her surroundings, looking for an escape route.

“Where have you been staying?”

A low voice fell. Julia kept silent with her lips tightly closed.

“Have you been with the priest from Illion Temple?”

Her hand flinched. How did he know even that? She lowered her gaze to hide her surprise.

“The pendant too, that must have been given by him.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. I’ll just capture them all and interrogate them.”

His harsh words forced her to speak.

“Don’t harm innocent people. He has nothing to do with me.”

Although it was Cedric who had helped her this time, delving deeper might implicate Mateus.

She couldn’t let harm come to those who had helped her out of pure goodwill.

Fernan narrowed his eyes, looking down at her. Julia met his gaze directly and changed the subject.

“Why did you look for me?”

She still couldn’t understand why he went to such lengths to find her. After a moment of silence, he answered coldly.

“Who wouldn’t look for their missing wife?”

Julia lost her words, her mouth curling into a faint smile. The word ‘wife’ felt more foreign from him than any other word at that moment.

“…Was I ever truly your wife?”

Her weak question left him with a complex expression, lips moving but no words coming out.

He couldn’t answer. He never truly saw her as his wife.

Julia struggled to stand up. Ignoring Fernan following her, she walked along the path.

She didn’t want to waste any more time.

After a while, she stopped at a cliff with a wide-open view. Below, the river flowed fiercely.

Her eyes showed determination as she looked beyond the cliff. This might be her most certain escape route.

“Julia, come this way.”

When she kept walking, Fernan called her with a strained voice.

Without answering, Julia rummaged through her robe’s inner pocket, feeling the small dagger’s sheath.

She had hidden it inside her robe in case of emergencies, never expecting to use it like this.

Turning to face him with a stern face, she drew the dagger. Although it couldn’t threaten him much, it could buy her a moment.

“You…”

Fernan looked at her, uncharacteristically a bit flustered.

“Don’t come closer. If you do, I’ll really stab you…”

Despite her attempt to sound threatening, Fernan’s expression only grew colder.

“Do as you wish.”

As if he was sure she couldn’t stab him.

When he took a few big steps forward, Julia stepped back, trembling.

Biting her lip, Julia changed the dagger’s direction from him to herself.

“What are you doing…?”

Fernan stopped momentarily, staring at her coldly. Julia took another step back. This method seemed more effective.

“Damn it, put that knife down!”

His face cracked instantly. As if ready to pounce, he advanced, but Julia pressed the dagger closer to her throat.

Blood trickled down her neck. Oddly, she felt no pain.

Backing away slowly, Fernan’s face showed increasing despair.

“Damn it… don’t move! I was wrong. So please…”

While he couldn’t approach hastily, Julia moved closer to the cliff.

Fernan stood still, indicating he wouldn’t come closer, slowly stepping back.

Yet, Julia didn’t stop.

With a pale face, Fernan watched her, finally speaking in a broken voice.

“Please don’t do this. It’s all my fault. I’ll do whatever you want. So…”

He was trembling, unlike the cold, indifferent husband she knew.

Staring at him, Julia felt reality slipping away.

The knife at her throat, her steps on the cliff’s edge, and Fernan’s desperate pleas all felt foreign.

But one thing was clear: she had to end it here with him.

At that moment, the falling snow intensified. Julia quietly lifted her gaze.

Behind Fernan, she saw knights running towards them.

Watching them blankly, Julia etched his face into her memory one last time.

She knew she would never escape him if not now. She might even love him again.

“…I’ve had enough misery.”

She didn’t want to be tied to him any longer.

Julia stepped back. Her body, already half-over the cliff, lost balance and began to fall.

“Julia!”

Watching Fernan desperately rush towards her, Julia fully leaned into the fall.

In the final moment, she saw knights grabbing Fernan as he lunged for her.

Julia slowly closed her eyes. Her rapidly falling body sank deep into the cold river.

Simultaneously, the divine power from her heart began to envelop her body.

As Julia’s body sank deeper into the cold river, the divine power from her heart began to envelop her, creating a protective barrier against the freezing water.

She felt an odd sensation, a mixture of pain and warmth, as the divine power spread throughout her body. It was as if she was being cradled by an invisible force, protecting her from the harsh reality around her.

Above the surface, Fernan struggled against the knights who held him back. His face was a mask of panic and desperation, a stark contrast to his usual cold demeanor. He watched helplessly as Julia disappeared beneath the water, his heart sinking with her.

“Julia!” he screamed again, his voice hoarse with anguish. But there was no response, only the relentless flow of the river and the falling snow.

Underwater, Julia’s consciousness began to fade. She could feel her heartbeat slowing, the divine power within her stabilizing and forming a cocoon of light. Her last thoughts were of Fernan and the tumultuous journey they had shared. Despite everything, a small part of her still felt a pang of sorrow for leaving him behind.

As her vision blurred, the divine power reached its peak, surrounding her in a soft, glowing light. Julia’s body relaxed, surrendering to the gentle embrace of the divine power.

Fernan watched in despair as the light from the river gradually faded. He knew that Julia was gone, taken by the river’s depths and the divine power that protected her. The knights finally released their grip on him, but it was too late. The love of his life had vanished, leaving him with an empty void that nothing could fill.

He sank to his knees, the cold seeping into his bones as he stared at the river. The snow continued to fall, a silent witness to his grief and regret. Fernan’s shoulders shook with silent sobs, his tears mixing with the snow on the ground.

“Julia…” he whispered, his voice breaking. He had lost her, not just to the river but to his own mistakes and failures. The weight of his guilt was unbearable, a constant reminder of the life they could have had if only he had treated her differently.

Time seemed to stand still as Fernan remained by the river, consumed by his sorrow. The knights respectfully kept their distance, understanding the depth of his pain. They knew that their commander, once so strong and unyielding, was now a broken man, shattered by the loss of the woman he loved.

In the days that followed, Fernan’s grief only deepened. He spent hours by the river, hoping against hope that Julia might somehow return to him. But deep down, he knew that she was gone forever, taken by the divine power that had both protected and separated them.

Julia’s sacrifice was a poignant reminder of the love and pain that had defined their relationship. As Fernan grappled with his loss, he vowed to honor her memory by becoming a better man, one who would carry her spirit with him always.

The river continued to flow, a silent testament to their love and the tragedy that had befallen them. And in the heart of the forest, beneath the snow-covered trees, Julia’s light continued to shine, a beacon of hope and divine power that would never fade.