“But... is it really okay to just leave like this?”
Amy kept glancing back, clearly worried about Eileens.
“Weren’t we going to save her?”
“Only she can save herself.”
Eileens had the power. But choosing to discard her na—she did that because she feared the inevitable sacrifices that would follow.
Even if we forced her to co, it wouldn’t work if she had no will to fight.
“I told you we don’t have to save her. Didn’t you hear earlier?”
Penny, who had been listening nearby, frowned deeply.
“Stop bothering her, and if you want to go, then go alone!”
“Hey, how old are you, kid?”
“Old enough to know when soone’s being annoying.”
As Amy and Penny bickered, I quietly slipped away, drained from the confrontation. The boy next to , who seed to share my thoughts, wore a similarly weary expression.
Maybe it was our silence that made things awkward. He watched closely, then asked:
“Sister, do you not plan on helping Lady Eileens?”
Those eyes—deep and familiar.
No, it can’t be…
Still, I couldn’t ignore it.
“Do you want to save her?”
“Yeah.”
“Co to think of it, you said she would save you. What do you want her to save you from?”
He paused, then gave an answer that didn’t quite match the question.
“That little girl said… this place is soone’s mory.”
Hmm. For him, this must be reality.
Would it be okay to tell him the truth?
“That helped understand completely.”
“Understand what?”
He hesitated before clinging lightly to my sleeve.
“Why I keep dying.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“It’s already the twentieth ti. I die, then wake up again—always at Lady Eileens’ return ceremony.”
“…”
“I went to her, hoping to find a way out of this nightmare. And that’s where you saved .”
That ant… he’d been here before we arrived.
The familiarity I’d felt earlier now surged like a tidal wave.
Too strong to ignore anymore.
I stopped and grabbed his shoulders.
“Is your na... Peril?”
“No. I’m Edwin.”
A sigh escaped my lips.
Edwin was Peril’s surna.
He, the man who lived eternally, had gone by countless nas and appearances.
But Peril shouldn’t be here. Eileens lost her na before, and Peril gained his immortality after.
So maybe… he’s trapped in this mory, too.
“Were the causes of death always different?”
“No. They’re pretty similar. I’m always murdered. Then I wake up again at the return ceremony.”
“By whom?”
“That, I don’t know. I don’t even rember when this all started.”
Edwin shook off my hands with a grimace.
“I don’t even rember who I was anymore. Maybe I did sothing terrible and this is my punishnt.”
For a brief mont, despair clouded his detached gaze. Without realizing it, I spoke firmly:
“That’s not it.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I know you. Really well.”
“What…?”
“Even the fact that you feel like you owe sothing.”
Suspicion filled his eyes. I shrugged casually like it was no big deal, but that only deepened his doubt.
If his despair grew here, there’d be no fixing it.
But I wasn’t Idette—calm, wise, and full of empathy.
And I wasn’t the heroine of this story either.
So…
“You can’t die yet. You still owe a debt. Pay that back first, then die.”
What an outrageous thing to say.
Edwin’s furious gaze turned to instantly.
Sotis the best way to erase despair is to just make soone mad.
“After everything I just told you, that’s your response?”
“What else?”
He looked at blankly, lips parted in disbelief.
But the hopeless look he wore earlier? It had faded, even if just a little.
Then, a sigh ca from the side.
“Still… I’m glad.”
“Glad about what?”
“If I really do owe you, you wouldn’t let die so easily, right?”
“…”
“Guess I’ll count on you, then.”
His tone held a hint of arrogance.
Just like when he was a child.
The future version of him overlapped with this boy.
“Huh? Princess?”
As we arrived at a village, Amy spotted soone and called out.
Following her gaze, I saw Hestia standing there.
I gave a small nod in greeting. She let out a dry chuckle.
“Princess! I’ve found a way!”
Amy ran over and told her everything Penny had shared.
“…That’s it? Can we trust this info?”
“Yup.”
Amy looked to , urging with her eyes. I sighed and spoke up.
“Of course. Why would I lie to the princess?”
Reluctantly, I backed her up.
Hestia pressed her hand to her forehead, clearly exasperated.
I wasn’t thrilled to see the impulsive princess, but at least Amy had reunited with her group. That was good enough.
“Then take care, Lady Rowain.”
“W-Wait, you’re just leaving like that?”
I tried to break away quickly, but Amy called out in alarm.
“Our agreent was only until we found the princess.”
I could tolerate Amy, but not Hestia.
I’d suffocate.
“Amy, you…”
“Don’t misunderstand. We just happened to take the sa path, that’s all.”
Amy cut in before Hestia could say anything.
Really? Are we seriously doing this territorial face-off here?
“Y-Yeah! We only traveled together for a short while! I’m the princess’s maid, after all…”
Amy trailed off and lowered her head. Hestia glanced at her.
“Penny, Edwin, let’s go.”
“Finally, so peace and quiet!”
Penny sighed in relief and picked up her pace.
I could feel Amy’s gaze lingering on the back of my head, but I ignored it.
“So we’re going to that man you ntioned?”
Penny asked. I shook my head.
“No. There's soone else I need to find first.”
“Who?”
She looked around, then clapped her hands as if recalling sothing.
“Oh! The one who sat beside you? The guy who spent all that money?”
“…Yeah.”
Her eyes sparkled with interest.
I hoped she wasn’t really falling for Ricardo.
“How are you going to find him in this ss?”
Edwin asked.
“Easily.”
Ricardo always left traces.
Annoying as he was, he wasn’t the type to abandon civilians in chaos.
And his walk—so arrogantly noble—made him stand out.
He had this habit of resting his hand on his sword, even when calm.
And when thinking deeply, he tapped objects with his fingers—especially where a watch used to be.
Thanks to that, I developed a bad habit of drumming my fingers on the desk when lost in thought.
* * *
[Are you heading to the shelter?]
Arkan, quick to guess where I was going, began leading the way.
The dry wind ruffled my hair.
Then, after a gust, I saw a man standing in the sunlight.
His porcelain-like cheeks were stained with streaks of blood—like a painting.
No trace of emotion. Just staring up at the sun as if it were the only thing worth seeing.
“…”
Suddenly, his eyes turned to .
The boredom in them lted away, and his blue eyes—clear like a sumr sky—glead brightly.
No longer the Ricardo trapped in text.
This was the man I’d watched all along.
“…Found you.”
Even in the noise around us, only his voice rang out clearly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)