That night, an old memory resurfaced in her dreams.
“I never wanted to make you my wife from the start. That’s my reason.”
It was the memory of the day when she had confessed her feelings to Fernan. He had spoken those words in a voice devoid of warmth, not a trace of tenderness. His cold expression, which had chilled her to the core, appeared vividly in her mind as if it had happened just yesterday.
Julia slowly opened her eyes after waking up from the dream. The dawn was still in full bloom as she glanced toward the window. However, the old memory that had unconsciously resurfaced left her feeling restless, preventing her from falling back to sleep. With a vacant expression, Julia rose from her bed, wrapped a thick shawl around her shoulders, and approached the door.
When she opened it, the empty hallway greeted her. Walking down the hall, she finally reached the staircase. Perhaps they assumed she wouldn’t run away at this hour, or maybe they were watching from an unseen place, but there was no one in sight in the hall. Slowly, Julia descended the stairs and soon stepped outside. She wandered aimlessly, letting her feet guide her, walking at a leisurely pace.
With each step, the ground gave way slightly beneath her feet, as if snow had fallen. When she looked up, she could faintly see coniferous trees bathed in the moonlight. Julia continued walking along the line of trees until she found herself standing on the long bridge that crossed the lake.
She had often seen the winter lake from beyond the window, but this was her first time coming out to see it in person. The lake shimmered in the moonlight, with patches of thin ice scattered across its surface. Julia leaned on the railing, bending down to take in the view of the glowing lake.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her waist and pulled her back.
“…Ah.”
She was pulled into someone’s chest by a firm hand. The empty gaze in her eyes finally regained focus. When she looked up to see who it was, she was met with Fernan’s startled face, as if he had rushed over in a panic.
“What on earth are you doing here at this hour?”
Fernan’s grip around her waist tightened. He looked uncharacteristically flustered. Julia blinked vacantly, trapped in his large embrace. She had no idea why she had come outside. Had she tried to escape? Or had she just wanted to get some air unconsciously? Without answering her own question, she tried to push his hands away. However, Fernan responded by wrapping his arms around her shoulders, holding her even more tightly.
It was then that Julia noticed his breath trembling.
“Don’t scare me like that. I thought… I thought you might…” His voice broke off as he held her even more desperately. He seemed to believe she might throw herself into the deep waters again. His rigid body pressed against her back rose and fell slowly.
Julia lowered the hands that had been trying to push him away, realizing how much he was trembling. She couldn’t bring herself to resist anymore.
…What could he possibly be so afraid of? His trembling made him seem strange and unfamiliar. Julia pressed her lips together tightly, trying to ignore the warmth that seeped through her back.
After a while, Fernan’s breathing slowly calmed down, and his grip on her loosened. Seizing the moment, Julia slipped out of his arms and turned to face him. When she raised her gaze, she was met with his flickering golden eyes.
The eyes looking at her now were not the same cold ones she had seen in her dream. His warmth was entirely different from back then.
“…Julia.”
Fernan suddenly reached out his hand. His large hand carefully cradled her cheek, as if he still couldn’t believe she was standing before him. Despite the biting winter wind, his hand was incredibly warm. Julia looked into his eyes, which were bathed in moonlight, before quickly turning her head away, regaining her composure.
His hand, which had hovered in the air for a moment, finally fell away.
“You must have been feeling cooped up, staying in the bedroom all this time,” he said in a low, calm voice. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, just don’t disappear on your own.”
Julia looked up at him, sensing his gentle tone.
“…Weren’t you planning to imprison me entirely?”
“I never intended to imprison you from the start. As long as you stay within my sight, you can go anywhere.”
Julia mulled over his words. It sounded as if he was offering her freedom, but in the end, it meant she could only go where he accompanied her. Too exhausted even to sigh, Julia merely lowered her gaze. She then spoke quietly, her voice filled with doubt.
“I don’t understand what benefit keeping me here gives you.”
Her serene face was tinged with an expression of incomprehension. Since the moment she had awakened after losing consciousness for so long, she had been unable to grasp the situation.
And that was natural.
Fernan swallowed his distant emotions and calmly replied, “I don’t need any benefit. As long as you’re by my side, that’s enough.”
“……”
Julia half-closed her eyes and then opened them again, as if she still couldn’t accept his words. However, the unfamiliar warmth in his gaze made her fall silent.
The warmth this man showed her now was temporary. It was a fleeting feeling, one that wouldn’t last long. Perhaps Fernan was under the illusion that he wanted her right now.
The wife who had run away and hidden for a year. A man who had never lost anything in his life—perhaps her escape had wounded his pride.
Julia kept reminding herself over and over again not to be deceived by this man. Slowly, as if shielding herself, she pulled her shawl tighter. Finally, she turned her body away from him and began to walk away.
Fernan quietly followed her from a short distance, letting her walk briskly ahead of him.
—
Cedric arrived at the monastery when permission was finally granted to leave the temple.
It had been a month since the Holy Kingdom had been invaded by monsters without warning. Monsters—more accurately, those who controlled them—had appeared during the annual ceremony at the central grand temple. Perhaps they had intentionally chosen that day, leading to the senseless deaths of many unprotected people.
And still, the monsters continued to pour out relentlessly.
Eventually, the central temple declared that a prolonged state of war against the monsters was inevitable. The village where Cedric had stayed was difficult to reach due to the ongoing battles, and he had been unable to visit the monastery for a long time. It was only after a month, when the situation in the village had somewhat stabilized, that Cedric was able to return with his knights.
He had already heard that the entire place had turned into a sea of blood, but he couldn’t believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. After personally confirming the ruins of the monastery, Cedric dropped his head, utterly devastated.
“Eight bodies were found here, and due to concerns about an outbreak, they had to be cremated immediately,” one of the knights reported quietly. The knights who had arrived earlier had hastily gathered the bodies from inside the monastery.
“Aah…”
Cedric trembled, burying his face in his hands. Those who had died so meaninglessly were all people he had once lived and worked with.
“Why such a tragedy, why such a disaster…” At that moment, Cedric couldn’t help but resent the god he had devoted his life to. He desperately wished it was all just a terrible dream.
“There appear to be no survivors. Were there only eight people staying in the monastery?” the knight asked solemnly. Cedric, who had been gasping for breath, slowly raised his head.
“…No.”
Cedric muttered, his eyes creasing in anguish.
Including the priests, there had been more than eight people staying at the monastery.
“Did you record the ages and genders of the bodies?” Cedric urgently grabbed the knight’s arm.
“Yes, of course,” the knight quickly replied, nodding. Although the bodies had decomposed to the point where it was difficult to identify their faces, they had been able to determine the genders and general ages. The knight pulled out a note with the recorded details and handed it to Cedric.
“All eight bodies were identified as adult males,” the knight explained.
As Cedric scanned the note, his eyes began to tremble uncontrollably. It really did only list adult males. There were no records of any children or women.
That meant that Gabriel, Julia, and the children were not found there.
With a hand gone pale, Cedric pressed his forehead as he considered the possibilities.
The reason for the invasion of the Holy Kingdom by the monsters was clear: the invaders had a specific purpose. They sought to offer those with holy powers as sacrifices to grant their king eternal life. Because of this, even the priests in the central grand temple had been in danger.
In other words, while Gabriel and the children might have escaped, there was a possibility that Julia had been taken by them. Her heart, too, held divine power.
“Father, the monsters have not been fully eradicated yet. They could reappear in this village at any moment. You must set aside your grief for now,” the knight said, looking at Cedric with a mixture of pity and firmness.
War was brutal like that. It didn’t even allow time to mourn the dead.
Cedric knew this as well, but he couldn’t gather the strength to push through this devastating situation.
At that moment, another knight who had been surveying the area approached quickly.
“Father, you should see this.”
The knight placed something heavy on the ground with a thud. It was the dismembered corpse of a monster.
“We found these bodies scattered around the monastery,” the
knight explained. The corpses of monsters were left in various places around the monastery, suggesting they had been killed here during the battle.
Cedric’s eyes, filled with despair, momentarily focused on the corpses.
This must have been the work of knights or soldiers who had been passing through. However, no soldiers had arrived in the village for nearly a month. Eventually,Cedric started focusing again on the bodies and he do not know why but suddenly a man came to his mind…!!!
