Richard consciously cut off his thoughts there.
He had to cut them.
Because it was over.
Despair? Despair?
Despair was nothing short of the only thing left over from all that bloody ti that had passed.
ness, Your Highness!
Ophelia called urgently when his golden eyes, which seed to see sothing other than her, rapidly dried up and lost their luster.
At that mont, Richards gaze seed to be directed towards her.
But his eyes still didnt co back, as if they were going sowhere far away, no, sowhere endlessly deep and dark.
Almost instinctively, Ophelia grabbed his cheeks and shouted.
Richard!
Right then, a red light shot through the abyss like the deep sea and pulled Richard out of it.
The golden eyes that had sunk deeply rose and soared to the blue sky at once.
He was facing Ophelias blue eyes.
Ri chard? Richard.
At the end of the thinly trembling voice, a low, subdued voice followed.
Ophelia.
He gripped her cold, intermittently trembling hands, which were wrapped around his cheek, and squeezed it hard.
Ophelia. Ophelia. Ophelia.
Ophelia answered him as he called her na.
Hey Im here.
At the words that she was by his side, Richards dry face collapsed.
Going on her tiptoes, Ophelia hugged him, and he rested his forehead on her rounded shoulder and exhaled slowly.
How long has it been?
Richard slowly raised his head, and Ophelia naturally took a step back from him.
Facing each other, the two opened their mouths almost at the sa ti, and spoke imdiately regardless of who was first.
Im sorry for using Your Highnesss na on my own.
Call by na.
And the silence that followed.
Ophelias eyelashes flapped like a hummingbirds wings.
Your Highness? Youre still not okay, are you?
Na.
How dare I.
As Ophelia, who took one more step back, looked at him like he was speaking nonsense, Richard went forward as much as she backed away.
Ophelia.
Yes.
Call by na.
The pupils in Ophelias eyes shook like an earthquake, but Richard didnt give her a break.
Its an order.
Yes, Im not Richard?
Was she really allowed to call him by na? Her eyes shifted left and right, revealing her thoughts on her face.
Richard brushed the hair that fell over her forehead and smiled, folding the corners of his eyes.
Yes. Like that.
Yes. Richard.
It was just calling him by na.
Of course, no one, including the emperor, called the na of the crown prince, Richard.
Perhaps a long ti ago there was soone who called him by na.
But as the crown prince
After a long ti, maybe
Perhaps even when he beca emperor, he would be called His Majesty, not Richard.
Still, he didnt care.
It doesnt matter how Im called.
But only you are different.
Ophelia.
When he was about to lt and disappear without a shape in the endless darkness.
She called.
He was back because she called him.
No, it should be he could co back.
Lets live together!
Only she said that.
Even in this terrible loop, only she did not forget him.
I didnt forget you either.
So if you call my na, I
The next second, the warmth Richard felt at his fingertips disappeared.
Quietly pulling her neck back and then clearing her throat very awkwardly, she asked,
Yes. Right. So, Y-Your No, um So what are you going to do with that rain?
Ill have to see for myself.
You want to see it in person. Then, what? In person? Directly?
Ophelia brought her face closer, in front of Richards nose, as if she had never avoided him or felt awkward.
Can I go too?
The answer is fixed, youre just telling to say it.
You know well. I will go with you.
Good. As long as you can run faster than a horse, theres no problem.
I can ride a horse what?
Im not going to ride a horse. Its cumberso and conspicuous.
No, thats not it. You just said to run faster than horses.
Yes, it is faster to just run than to ride.
Ophelia tilted her head, her mouth twitching.
So, what nonsense is that? Nothing changes even if you look at like that.
No, when did I say its nonsense?
Its written on your forehead.
Reflexively covering her forehead with both hands, Ophelia raised her chin with a hum.
It doesnt make sense. How can a person be faster than a horse?
One could run.
No matter how much you dont want to take , that reason is just
Its possible to do it with the record thats in Bolsheik.
Ophelias jaw dropped.
Richard added, kindly lifting a finger and helping to close her chin.
Its a record from soone from another world. I cant explain it exactly, but I tried it because I had to, and I found it to be real.
(TL/N: oh my god, this is really related to the authors previous work!! More on that below.)
Is there a situation where you have to?
Yes. I had to. To make the impossible possible.
The mories of the past that were buried in the dry voice had already turned to dust and disappeared, but the experiences that were in the body did not disappear and piled up.
Even though Ophelia hadnt seen or experienced that far-fetched ti, she felt clear sohow, and held his hand that was holding her chin with both hands.
She did it as if she was going to catch and prevent him from falling sowhere.
Richard smiled as he looked at the soft hand wrapped around his own that was much smaller than his.
Why do you look like that?
He ran his thumb across her chin and withdrew his hand, but Ophelia did not let go of his.
She couldnt put comfort into her mouth for the pain that piled up in the golden eyes that t hers, so she had no choice but to hold his hand.
Dont be in pain anymore.
Ill be there.
Ill survive with you.
So, no more
No, no matter what she said, she couldnt undo the wounds he had already received.
Even though limitless ti was turned back, the wounds he suffered could not be undone, and he was bleeding without ever healing.
Ophelia put all her strength into the hand holding him, straining it.
About to respond, Richards lips parted as Ophelia added strength to the point that the back of her hand turned white, but she was quicker.
Ill go with you.
She didnt say where she was going, and he didnt ask either.
He just put his hand over hers, which was holding his desperately.
Then Ophelia took a deep breath and withdrew her hand from his.
She clenched her fist and pounded her chest.
I cant run faster than a horse, but Ill go with you!
Ophelia.
Being faster than a horse ans that you have to move very fast because you dont know when or where the rain will co from.
Exactly.
Then if we can find out where the rain will fall, we wont have to be fast?
Ophelia stepped towards the map.
See this? From here to there.
A clean fingertip swept across the red dots on the map.
If you want to say that its heading to the Imperial Palace
I know, but theres not enough grounds yet. But if it rains like this one or two more tis, theres enough evidence!
You an to wait for you.
Yes! Thats right!
Although she gave a quick answer, Ophelia soon tilted her head.
Oh, it doesnt sound right.
Wait for you? Huh?
Definitely, she said that she would wait until it rained one or two more tis.
Did that an to wait for ?
What?
Richard, staring down at Ophelias head which tilted intently because she couldnt figure out exactly what was going on, said,
All right. Ill wait and see. For you.
.
The next morning.
Ophelia, who had to make sure that the strange rain was heading towards the Imperial Palace, was smiling blankly with a face that seed like it was about to depart the world.
She was not in front of the map in Richards office in the Imperial Palace, but in the drawing room of the Sheffield familys mansion.
Ha.
She let out a short sigh, picked up a gorgeous teacup, and inhaled her favorite scent of chamomile, looking out the window at the sun pouring in.
Only one thought was spinning in Ophelias head.
The weather is wonderful today.
But sowhere, that strange rain must be coming.
So, she wanted to escape.
No, I want to escape even if a storm is brewing right in front of my eyes and the trees are being uprooted.
Escape no matter what! I want to escape!
What did I do in the past?
Im not accustod to running faster than a horse!
No, it must have been possible because its Richard, right?
And what the hell was up with Bolsheik.
After hearing Richards explanation about how he could be faster than a horse, Ophelia spent most of last night looking through all the books in her mansion.
And she discovered a more incomprehensible history.
A guest from Murim.
Murim? Isnt that a place I only saw in dramas and movies? I an, theres really the real thing?
Even as Ophelia was raging in delusion, lightning was striking from her left and right.
A: YES ITS CONFIRD! This world is the sa as !! Valerie (and her siblings) are Ophelias ancestors!! Id assu Marshall beca the next family head though I wonder how many generations after is Ophelia, how did Bolsheik go from a county to a viscounty in na, how did they fall on hard tis TT_TT and those records is certainly Jias secret murim arts lmao
Dea: The author is going the extra mile and i appreciate it, i love it when stories connect (also this is my cue to finish )
ps: HOW CUTE ARE OPHELIA AND RICHARD?? PLS THEYRE SO SOFT TOGETHER! theyre lting my cold heart quicker than the sun lts an ice cream on a hot sumr day
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