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That evening, Allice carefully spoke. “Your Highness.”
“When are we going to get married?”
“Someday, we will.” Raios pinched her cheek. “Why? Do you want to do it soon?”
“Well… because I want to be with Your Highness every single day.”
“We already are.”
Of course that was true, but still, still! Allice fidgeted with her nails anxiously. No matter how she looked at it, Raios didn’t seem to have any intention of rushing the marriage.He used to pester Sister Dana daily to get married, though…
Feeling hurt, Allice stuck her lips out. Perhaps finding it cute, Raios grabbed her lips and wiggled them.
“Tch. Never mind.”
“Come on, tell me.”
“Your Highness, are you going to annul your engagement with Sister Dana?”
“Would you like me to?”
“No, that’s not it, but…”
“Danae stayed in this world for my sake. So I have to take responsibility.”
“B-But! Wouldn’t it be better if Sister Dana lived with the person she loves?”
“Danae loves me.” Raios turned a page of the newspaper and said it calmly. His tone sounded as if he were reading out a news article. “Right now, she’s just angry at me.”
What?For some reason, Allice’s head rang. Suddenly, the man beside her felt unfamiliar.
“What about Your Highness? Do you still love her?”
“I used to love her. Not anymore.”
Allice had asked with difficulty, but Raios answered just as easily this time too, as if it weren’t even worth thinking about.
“I love you, Allice. The only woman I love is you.”
But Your Highness, do you normally whisper words of love while reading the newspaper? What on earth are you looking at?Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Allice glanced at the newspaper.
[Who Killed Justin Lancaster?]
Huh? Allice shot a sharp look at Raios. He still wore an expressionless face.What was that? Was I mistaken?Just now, it seemed like Raios had smirked…
Upon returning home, Dana immediately called for Lethe. “Deliver the original scripture to His Majesty.”
But just as he was about to leave,
“Wait.” Dana held onto Lethe.
Right. Why am I doing this?
Dana opened the box and gazed at the worn-out book. The ancient scripture bearing marks of time.It’s definitely scripture. The land’s memory has never been wrong.Not just accurate but frighteningly so.And yet… Dana couldn’t let go of the hand holding Lethe.
What if. Just if. Just in case. This scripture turned out to be a fake?It’s unlikely, but still, what if?
At stake was not only her life but the entire Windsor family. Viego, Noah, Carl, Allice, Rumie… The lives of the Windsor who betrayed, trampled, deceived, and silently watched her crumble.
A laugh escaped her.Why should I even care?
Who was it again? The person who jokingly told her to stay in this world? Who toyed with my life for their amusement?Ah, right. It was Noah.
And who was it that told her to die rather than tarnish the honor of Windsor? The one who said to just shoot herself in the head?It was Brother Viego.
Who told her to adapt instead of clinging to compensation, even though they didn’t force her to stay in this world?It was Brother Rumie.
Allice, who betrayed and mocked her. Even Carl, who deceived her and aimed for her life. They were all from Windsor. So, is there any reason to hesitate? If she hesitated, it would be truly foolish. Foolish indeed…
At that moment,knock, knock,a servant’s voice came along with the sound of knocking.
“This morning, Lord Noah returned.”
So what? That was the first thought that came to her.
The servant continued. “But he is very ill right now. His fever is extremely high.”
“I see. Take good care of him.” That was the end of it.
In the past, Dana would have already been running to Noah. But now, she wasn’t that much of a fool anymore. Even if she went, he would just tell her to get lost anyway.
Right. Come to think of it, it was the same about a year ago.
Once, Noah had broken his left leg. He’d been injured during training at the military academy. Back then, she had gone to visit him, hugging a whole armful of daisies.
“Get this trash out of here!”
The bouquet flew straight at her face.
“Who do you think you’re mocking? Get out of here at once!”
The memory of Noah’s flushed face and murderous glare was so vivid that Dana let out a laugh.I was really upset then.But now, even recalling it, she felt nothing particular. More than that, honestly…I really don’t worry about him at all.Whether Noah was sick or not, whatever happened to him, she didn’t care in the slightest.
He must’ve been shocked because his roommate was murdered.That was all Dana thought.
But why couldn’t she let go of the hand holding Lethe? Fortunately, her secretary waited calmly.
I need to make a decision quickly.Whether or not to make a deal that gambled the lives of the Windsor family. She had to choose.
Noah Windsor woke from a long, long nightmare.
When he opened his eyes, bright sunlight rushed in. It was blinding enough to sting, and he narrowed his eyes.
As his vision adjusted to the light, the shape of a woman came into view. Snow-white hair, like the wings of an angel…
“Noah. Does it hurt a lot?”
That woman. She was looking down at him with the same worried expression as always, tears welling in her eyes.
“What to do, you poor thing.”
“You’re hurting this much. What should we do? Noah, it must be so hard, right?”
Noah let out a sigh. It was tiresome.
She was the kind of woman who would make a fuss and worry even if he just got a paper cut. There should be limits to overprotection. Honestly, it was annoying and disgusting.
“Get out.” The moment Noah muttered that….
Noah blinked vacantly.What? When did it become night?The room that had been flooded with bright sunlight just moments ago was now sunk in pitch-black darkness.Did I fall asleep for a moment?
Noah turned his head. The place where the woman had been sitting just before. He reached out and touched it.
Not a trace of warmth remained, as if no one had been there from the beginning. In that emptiness, Noah felt a hollow, gaping loneliness tear through his chest.
“Lord Noah, you’re awake.”
“Danae Windsor?”
“That woman, when did she leave?”
At that, the maid looked troubled.
“She hadn’t come to visit yet.”
“S-She hasn’t come at all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She was here.”
He had definitely seen her, sitting by his bedside as always, her eyes brimming with tears.
“But Milord, I’ve been caring for you the whole time. Lady Danae hasn’t come even once…”
“Are you saying I hallucinated? Or that I dreamed about that woman?”
“Ah, perhaps that’s the case. Lady Danae went to meet the crown prince today and just returned.”
What?Noah sharply furrows his brow.The crown prince? Don’t tell me that woman is still hung up on the crown prince? After being humiliated like that, is she still acting like an idiot?
“Milord? A-Are you crying?”
“Ah, it must be because of the fever. Your fever is still high. You need to rest.”
“I said go away.”
Noah roughly knocked the maid’s hand aside and forced himself up. Truly, his whole body burned like a lump of fire. Maybe that’s why. Tears formed in his eyes like now.