IDED | Chapter 122

Episode 122

Azaid immediately dashed out of the merchant guild and headed toward the hill where the maple tree stood. It was a place he had visited countless times as a child, but after their relationship grew distant, he had never set foot there again.

On the autumn hill, the large maple tree swayed its branches gently in the wind.

The crimson leaves, ripened by the season, clung to the sky like scattered red stars, like the tiny hands of a baby spreading all five fingers wide.

And beneath it, Serena stood, quietly tidying her windblown hair.

Her long, violet hair fluttered like a butterfly.

It had only been three days since they had last seen each other, yet it felt like three years.

Azaid, as if spellbound, slowly walked toward Serena.

And just as he reached her from behind—

As if releasing the longing he had held back, Azaid pulled Serena into a tight embrace.

Arriving in front of the maple tree, Serena gazed at the canopy of red leaves spread across the sky.

The tree that had once seemed so tall in her childhood no longer felt that way. Instead, it felt close and familiar, like meeting an old friend after a long time—strange yet comforting.

‘How could I have forgotten this place?’

As memories of this hill flooded her mind, Serena was overcome with emotion.

She recalled the first time she met Azaid and all the moments they had shared. A natural smile formed at the corners of her lips.

As her anger faded, only longing and regret remained.

She had failed to recognize an old friend, and because of that, she had hurt him for so long.

Regardless of Raffaello’s intentions—good or bad—Serena and Azaid had been forced to live incomplete lives because of each other.

And when they met again, perhaps their instincts had already known the truth. That if they stayed by each other’s side, they might finally become whole.

‘In the end, it was thanks to Lady Mydia that we met again.’

If Mydia hadn’t used her divine power back then, Serena might have lived out her days as half a person.

And Azaid—relying on his broken mana core—would have eventually lost control and died.

In a way, Mydia had saved both Serena and Azaid.

Though it had taken three lifetimes for them to recognize each other, that was still better than never knowing at all.

Just as Serena was lost in thought, someone suddenly embraced her from behind.

But just from the warmth and scent, she knew who it was instantly.

Serena carefully leaned into his embrace.

“You came early.”

“I was afraid you’d leave if I was late.”

Azaid murmured softly, holding her even tighter. His voice lacked confidence.

Perhaps, unable to see her expression, he still felt uneasy.

Serena forced down the smile creeping onto her lips and spoke with a feigned heaviness.

“But, Your Majesty, I don’t recall saying you could hug me.”

“Oh… Sorry.”

At her words, Azaid shrank back slightly.

As soon as he took a step back, Serena met his gaze and promptly pulled him into a hug.

“…Serena?”

“I never said you had to let go either.”

“……”

“Stay like this. It’s a little embarrassing to look at you right now.”

As Serena fidgeted and spoke shyly, Azaid finally relaxed and hugged her even more tightly.

The warmth in his arms was so comforting that Serena’s expression softened.

Azaid had waited, just as she had asked.

And when she called him to come back, he had run to her without hesitation.

“Are you not angry anymore?”

“I wasn’t mad at you, Your Majesty. I’m sorry for taking my frustration out on you.”

“It’s okay. You came back.”

Azaid gently stroked the back of her head and whispered,

“…I missed you.”

His voice was hoarse, as if he had endured too much.

It was clear he hadn’t been sleeping well.

Serena burrowed further into his arms and murmured,

“I missed you too.”

“……”

“I missed you so much, Azaid.”

When Serena softly called his name, Azaid’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

The meaning behind her words was unmistakable.

When she had first met him, unaware that he was a prince, she had called him Azaid without hesitation.

This was probably meant for that Azaid—the one from their childhood.

Because after all these years, they had finally met again.

Azaid gently brushed her disheveled bangs aside, meeting her gaze.

His eyes naturally drifted to the scar on her forehead.

Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the mark.

As his lips parted from her skin, he let out a soft breath, like a sigh of relief.

“We finally met again.”

“……”

“I’m sorry it took so long. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you right away. I missed you so much.”

At his quiet confession, Serena simply nodded.

The setting sun bathed the maple leaves in a deeper shade of red.

Azaid gently stroked Serena’s flushed cheek, warmed by the sunlight.

Their gazes locked—layered with countless emotions, all leading to one undeniable truth.

They only wanted each other.

Serena wrapped her arms around his neck.

At the same time, Azaid lowered his head.

And without knowing who moved first, their lips met.

After a short leave, Serena returned to the palace.

Marie, who had come later to help pack, grumbled a bit, but she seemed secretly pleased that Serena had reconciled with Azaid.

The next day, Serena went with Azaid to visit Colin.

“Be careful going down.”

Azaid held Serena’s hand as they descended the stairs.

Colin was imprisoned in an underground cell hidden within the Gordon Merchant Guild’s secret hideout.

Though spacious for a dungeon, Colin—deprived of sunlight—looked more like a sick man than a prisoner.

A musty stench clung to him.

Unbathed and barely fed, it was no surprise.

Serena didn’t seem to care about the smell as she stepped closer.

Colin, bound tightly, couldn’t resist even as she approached.

His hollow eyes darted around nervously, as if he had fully grasped his situation.

Whether he was executed by the duke or the emperor, his fate was the same.

Serena nudged him lightly and asked,

“You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“Yes. He’s just refusing to speak.”

“I see.”

Serena scanned him keenly, her sharp gaze taking in every detail.

Azaid watched her in silence.

Right after reconciling with Serena, Azeid learned the truth about his illness. And also about Serena’s unique magical attribute.

That day, Serena returned all the mana she had taken from Azaid. The mana, which had been too vast for him to control in his childhood, was absorbed into his body in an instant, like filling a dried-up well.

And when he had regained every last bit of it, Azaid could feel it—his body would no longer suffer strain or pain when using his power.

‘You won’t have to be in pain anymore.’

‘Yeah. It seems that way.’

His weakened mana core had regained its strength, pumping mana properly, and the mana within him resonated with the natural mana, settling into place.

As Serena had said, he no longer had to count the days until his death and merely survive from one day to the next.

Before even completing the one-year contract, Serena had saved him. And she had regained her own power as well.

With this, the two of them had become whole as individuals. Realizing this once again, Azaid felt a surge of emotion.

Just then, Serena broke his train of thought and asked seriously,

“So, you said it’s a spell that activates when a secret is revealed?”

“For now, that’s what we assume. Everyone who tried to say something suddenly died.”

Though they couldn’t confirm it with those who had already died regarding the smuggling of magic stones, Sebastian had activated the spell and died the moment he attempted to speak.

Because of that, they suspected that the spell’s activation condition was tied to certain ‘words.’ Colin had frozen up at the mere mention of the possibility that he was cursed.

Since Colin himself hadn’t known, it seemed the duke had carried out his actions in complete secrecy, even from his subordinates.

The magical circle that had burned Sebastian’s heart so intensely was still vivid in Azeid’s mind. Though Lily had yet to decode the formula and identify the culprit, it was undoubtedly the work of an Awakened.

“Then, if we remove that spell, Colin will be able to spill everything he knows, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That makes it simple!”

Serena grinned and clapped her hands before stretching her arms. Since it was clearly magic rather than a curse, all she had to do was absorb it.

Without the spell in place, Colin would no longer have an excuse to keep his mouth shut. If he wanted to live, he would have to reveal everything he knew.

‘This is my first time using magic by my own will.’

Serena took a deep breath, her face tense. While she had returned Azaid’s mana to him, forcibly absorbing another’s mana or magic was a different matter altogether—it made her nervous.

After a brief moment, Serena gently tapped the area near Colin’s heart, where she suspected the spell had been cast.

At the same time, Serena’s mana core gave a faint glow, and waves of violet light surged toward Colin’s heart.

“!!!”

Colin’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively tried to resist, but with his limbs bound, his struggle was pathetically weak.

The violet light swirled around his heart, absorbing something unseen.

Then, as Serina withdrew her hand, she clenched her fist with a grave expression.

“I had a feeling…”

“What? Did something go wrong?”

Azaid approached her, concern written on his face. Serena gave a small shake of her head to reassure him.

“It’s not that…”

The spell placed on Colin had been completely absorbed, so there was no issue there. The problem was that after absorbing it, Serena felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

It didn’t feel like the first time she had taken in this magic.

Serena gathered a small amount of the foreign mana now inside her body at her core. As she did, the mana she had just taken from Colin clung to the mana that had already been within her.

Soon, the two merged into one—and unmistakably, they were of the same nature.

It was safe to conclude that they had come from the same Awakened individual.

Realizing the source of her unease, Serina muttered under her breath,

“I think I’ve absorbed this person’s mana before.”