“Ow, my stomach...”
Having been unexpectedly punched in the gut by Tiffany, I could do nothing but clutch my abdon and remain collapsed in the carriage long after it had started moving.
What the hell just happened...
So much had gone on that I still didn’t understand how everything had unfolded.
Why did Tiffany Astellade, whom I’d always thought of as a childhood friend, believe I was her boyfriend?
And what on earth had driven her to hit in the stomach like that after stepping out of the sa carriage as Lady redia?
Just what kind of conversation did they have in there...?
Originally, I had planned to stay at Lun Ordo for a few weeks to search for a way to break Lady redia’s curse.
But that plan had gone completely up in smoke after the string of events that just took place.
Still, it’s not like I ca away with nothing. I had uncovered the truth behind my own power and the nature of Lady redia’s curse. On top of that, even though unofficial, I’d managed to earn Salem’s willingness to cooperate.
That alone ant I had more or less accomplished what I ca here to do.
But... my worries have only grown.
The problem was the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) specific nature of the curse affecting Lady redia—one tied to a ti limit. There was still hope, of course. If my powers could truly break her curse, then the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.
Still, the ti is too short.
According to what Lady redia had said, she had only about a year left to live. If I couldn’t find a solution within that ti... then all the miraculous progress I’d made would be for nothing.
“Sigh...”
As soone who once lay in bed awaiting death, this situation filled with dread. If I was this overwheld, then how must Lady redia be feeling?
Maybe that’s why she beca the final boss in most routes of the original story. It could’ve all stemd from despair and helplessness.
...No, this isn’t the ti for pointless thoughts.
I realized I was slowly scrunching my face and forced myself to relax as I glanced over at Lady redia, who sat silently near the window.
“...Okay, that’s a little better.”
“...What?”
“I figured you were planning sothing sneaky while staring at .”
A quiet voice ca from the front.
“Lady redia, could you at least look at now?”
“......”
“I get that you’ve been avoiding eye contact since earlier, but this awkward silence is killing ...”
I murmured, watching her for any sign of response. But her gaze remained fixed on the passing scenery outside the window.
Well, at least she didn’t ride off alone... that’s sothing.
I’d been around Lady redia long enough to grow accustod to her cold reactions. Which made her earlier words all the more unreal.
Maybe I was hit with an illusion spell or sothing.
To think the fearso Lady redia had blushed and said she liked ... That was the kind of thing I’d expect to see in fanart or fanfiction from my past life. I’d never imagined I’d be the one on the receiving end of such words.
Until now, it had always been one-sided affection from . Honestly, it felt like I was dreaming.
Maybe if I pinch my cheek really hard, I’ll wake up drooling on my office desk.
I’d had plenty of weird dreams in my past life, so I figured I’d be fine even if it was all in my head—
“...Ow.”
With a slightly dumb grin, I gave my cheek a hard pinch—but instead of waking up, all I got was a jolt of pain and tears welling in my eyes.
“Sorry for the stupi— Oh.”
Turning my eyes forward in embarrassnt, I straightened up in surprise.
“......”
Lady redia, who had been silently staring out the window, now had her eyes closed. She was dozing off, nodding gently.
“Well, this is a surprise.”
From what I knew, Lady redia wasn’t the type to show such a defenseless side in front of others. Thanks to chronic insomnia and nightmares, she couldn’t sleep anywhere except her magically fortified room at the mansion.
“Haha...”
So the fact that she was now nodding off like this ant she must’ve been absolutely exhausted from everything that happened.
Or maybe... maybe she’s started to trust completely.
“...Whitney.”
“Whoa—yes, ma’am.”
Just as I was quietly watching her, she suddenly muttered my na.
“...Where...”
“...Sorry?”
“...Where are you...”
At first, I thought she was awake. But from her heavy voice and expression, I quickly realized—it was sleep talk.
“Whitney...”
Her voice trembled.
I had seen her vulnerable before, but this... this was different.
The expression on her face as she said my na carried a profound sorrow I couldn’t ignore.
“I’m right here, Lady redia.”
After a mont’s hesitation, I gently moved closer and offered her my shoulder.
“Mmm...”
“I’m not going anywhere, so don’t worry.”
“......”
Still sweating and murmuring in her sleep, she rested her head against —then slowly drifted back into quiet slumber.
...This is way too close.
Maybe it helped her relax. But for , it was agonizing.
Her soft breathing echoed directly into my ear—her head leaned against my shoulder in full contact.
“Haha...”
But I couldn’t possibly pull away now.
So I stayed frozen in place, holding my posture and enduring the rest of the carriage ride in silence.
“...Well, if she’s comfortable, that’s what matters.”
To be honest, it wasn’t the aching in my shoulder that bothered .
It was the overwhelming pressure in my chest...as if my heart might burst.
***
—Creeeeak...
Ti passed and passed again, until the once-clear sky turned dim with dusk.
“Lady redia, I believe it’s ti for you to wake up.”
“...Mmm.”
Seeing the distant outline of the Embergreen estate appear outside the carriage window, I gently shook Lady redia awake, her head still resting against my shoulder.
—Rustle...
But even after opening her eyes, she just stared blankly at for a while—then suddenly reached forward with her hand.
“...Lady redia?”
Was she still not fully awake? She began squishing my face with her hand, and I blinked in confusion, calling to her again.
“...Aaagh!”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
In the very next mont, she grabbed my cheek and stretched it hard, making let out a wheezing, deflated scream as I jerked my head back.
“So it’s not a dream after all.”
“Ow ow ow... But did you really have to check by pinching my face?”
“...Sorry.”
Tears sprang to my eyes again, but since apologies from her were rare, I decided to endure it and forgive her.
“...I’m really glad it wasn’t a dream.”
“Did you have a nightmare?”
Her complexion still looked awful, and sweat clung to her skin—so even if she hadn’t apologized, I couldn’t have gotten mad.
“I should’ve gotten that talisman from Seol Baekhwa to chase nightmares away.”
“In any case, it’s about ti to get off.”
Still, her breathing had gradually cald, and as I saw that, I smiled and began preparing to escort her.
“Oh, but before we part... there’s sothing I need to make absolutely clear.”
“......”
“I will never give up on lifting your curse, Lady redia.”
Before she left, I had to say it—I lowered my voice and whispered.
“You know why, don’t you?”
If she couldn’t accept my help because she had feelings for , then I couldn’t give up on her because I had feelings for her, too. This kind of back-and-forth was ultimately a war of persistence—and the one who lasted longer would win.
Even if she said she didn’t want to see ever again from today on... I would still—
“Whitney. Do you believe in fate?”
“That’s sudden.”
Just as I was solemnly renewing my determination, Lady redia looked at quietly and asked that out-of-the-blue question.
“...Just answer.”
“I’m not sure, but... yes. I do think fate exists.”
I wasn’t sure why she brought it up, but her expression was unusually serious, so I answered with all the sincerity I could muster.
“Every step we take and every decision we make becos part of fate.”
“......”
“So in that sense, fate changes based on what we choose to do.”
At that, she slightly furrowed her brow and asked,
“Then you’re saying there’s no such thing as a predetermined fate?”
“...No, that’s not it. Don’t you rember our fated eting, Lady redia?”
Back in my past life, I wasn’t in a position to believe in fate. But in this life, I could say with so confidence...
“...You an the day I almost killed you?”
“Ha... Yeah, I still lose sleep thinking about that day.”
But the fact that I was now living a second life—that alone was a miracle. How could I possibly deny fate after that?
“What happened that day... I truly believe it was both luck and fate.”
As I finished speaking, I caught a fleeting, unreadable emotion in Lady redia’s eyes.
“If I had drunk that tea and died that day... everything would’ve changed.”
“......”
“So what I an to say is—”
Just as I was about to wrap it up with sothing hopeful—
“...Let’s terminate our contract.”
“...What?”
“I’ll take full responsibility. I’m unilaterally dissolving it.”
Lady redia suddenly said it. Just like that.
“Lady redia... Did you really think I would just accept that?”
Naturally, I couldn’t accept such a decision—not even if the sky fell—so I looked her straight in the eye, serious now.
“Once again, if the curse is the problem, you don’t need to worry. I just walked away from my deal with Lun Ordo for you—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll pour all my power into breaking this contract if I have to.”
But from the look in her eyes, she’d already made up her mind.
“...You’re serious?”
I bit my lower lip, stepped in front of the carriage door, and spoke more quietly.
“If you go this far... I won’t sit back quietly either—”
“You could at least let finish before making that face. Honestly, anyone else would faint just seeing it.”
I had fully intended to force her to take back her decision if necessary, even if it ant threatening her...But I shut my mouth, puzzled by her unexpected response.
“In exchange for canceling our engagent... I have a new proposal.”
“...A new proposal?”
The words that ca next felt just as surreal as what she’d said a few hours earlier.
“Instead of being engaged... marry .”
“...What?”
But I didn’t need to pinch my cheek this ti to know—this was real.
“Marry , Whitney Ringaarden.”
She reached out and took my hand as she said it... and wore a look on her face so stunning, my brain nearly short-circuited trying to comprehend it.
“...Haha.”
Of all the unusual expressions I’d seen on her face before, this one was different. Because this ti, she was smiling—just a little.
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