“……!”
Lunox pushed me aside with his shoulder, and our bodies overlapped.
At that moment, a bright light consumed my vision. The purification stone in my hand shook violently, as if swarming with insects, then burst into flames, and Lunox vanished.
As soon as the powerful energy was released like a storm, another blinding light filled my sight. Crack! A fracture appeared on the purification stone.
‘I did it…’
Panting heavily, I looked towards where Edmund should be. But then, my foot slipped on a blunt rock at the edge of the cliff, and my body plunged downward.
Edmund’s outstretched hand reached for me in shock, but in an instant, we were far apart.
“Etricia!”
Whoosh! The wind pushed against my back, lifting my hair into the air.
For a moment, I opened my eyes. But the wind that had shoved me and even Edmund had vanished from my view.
Splash—!
Boiling white water swallowed my vision.
“Etricia!”
Etricia, who had fallen off the cliff, disappeared into the crashing white waves.
Without hesitation, Edmund threw his spear aside and leaped off the cliff.
His shoulder scraped against the jagged rocks, and blood flowed from deep wounds, but the pain was nothing compared to the fear of losing her.
As he plunged into the sea, saltwater stung his eyes, forcing them shut. But just for a moment—he sensed a faint, shimmering light and opened them again.
There, sinking deep into the sunlit shallow waters, was Etricia. The purification stone in her hand glowed like a lighthouse, guiding him toward her.
Edmund swiftly cut through the water, swimming toward the descending Etricia.
Splash—!
Moments later, he emerged from the waves, holding her close. Battling the surging water, he patted her pale cheek.
“Etricia…!”
No matter how much he shook or called her, she remained asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.
She felt like a lifeless wax doll.
“Etricia?”
His heart, frozen with fear, sank heavily.
Even though he wasn’t running, his breath came in ragged gasps. With trembling hands, he rubbed her cheek.
Cold.
“No…”
Panic-stricken, he shook her harder.
“Etricia! Etricia!”
Damn it! As Edmund’s frantic eyes searched for a way out of the water—
Cough! Etricia suddenly choked, spitting out seawater as consciousness returned to her. His wandering gaze snapped back to her.
Cough, cough. Her body, now dangerously cold, trembled violently, her lips a bluish hue—but she was alive.
Haah. Finally, he let out a breath of relief, his shaking eyes locked onto her as he pulled her into his embrace.
“Master!”
From the top of the cliff, Rail had just arrived after receiving the urgent call.
He had gathered the remaining knights from the Duke’s estate and rushed to help.
Edmund quickly looked up and shouted.
“Rail, take her somewhere safe—now!”
Later, Etricia would hear that Edmund’s face had been so deathly pale at that moment that she had thought he was the one dying.
“Hmm.”
Lova sighed as he stepped back from the bedside.
Lilien, who had been anxiously watching, immediately grabbed his arm in desperation.
“H-how is she? Lady Etricia…”
Lova glanced at her before shaking his head slightly.
“She is asleep. A very deep sleep.”
Lilien gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.
“W-what do we do…? When will she wake up?”
Lova frowned, his smile tinged with regret.
“No one can say for sure.”
“Ah…”
Lilien buried her face in her hands.
She knew nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She hadn’t realized the significance of Etricia’s farewell. She had thought it was just a casual goodbye.
She hadn’t known that the banquet at the Duke’s estate was meant to capture the culprit of the disaster.
She hadn’t known that Etricia’s power was necessary to solve the case.
‘If only I had known…’
But even if she had, what could she have done?
She wasn’t reliable enough to be entrusted with an important task, nor was she someone who could be useful even if informed.
Lilien bit her lip, her white teeth breaking the skin. A drop of blood welled up, but she was too consumed by other pain to notice.
At this moment, she had never hated her own helplessness more.
There was no one else to blame.
Not her environment, not her birth, not even fate. It was all her fault.
The sin of being so weak that she couldn’t even protect herself.
The consequence of always relying on her younger brother’s protection.
The years of neglecting to change, despite countless realizations.
Lilien clutched her own shoulders tightly and lowered her head.
‘What can I do for Lady Etricia? For her…’
Deep down, she already knew the answer.
She had just lacked the courage to move forward.
She had to become stronger.
No one else could do it for her.
Just then, the door opened, and her younger brother, Edmund, entered after finishing his treatment.
Lilien glared at him.
Even if no one else had told her, Edmund should have.
“Edmund! Why didn’t you—”
She stopped mid-sentence, ready to lash out in frustration.
The man before her was not the younger brother she knew. He looked fragile, as if a single breeze could blow him away.
She had never seen him like this before, and it left her utterly shaken.
‘…Has Edmund ever looked this weak?’
For the first time in her life, she saw him as something other than strong. Or maybe, she had simply never noticed before.
Edmund stared at the bed, his dry lips barely moving.
“Etricia…”
His voice was hoarse and cracked. Lova, who had been checking on Etricia, turned to him.
“At this moment, we can’t say for sure when she’ll wake up.”
Haah. Edmund exhaled a deep sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.
“Leave me.”
“Have you removed the monster’s poison?”
Lilien, still frozen in shock, belatedly looked at Edmund’s shoulder. She saw the bandages wrapped around it and sighed in relief.
Unlike her, Lova scowled and scolded him.
“Do you know how worried we were when you refused treatment? Saying to heal Lady Etricia first! If it weren’t for the priest accompanying you, your arm could have—”
“Leave.”
His icy gaze shot towards Lova.
Lova flinched before clamping his lips shut, muttering about how inconsiderate Edmund was.
“Priest.”
Lilien guided Lova out. Before stepping through the door, they glanced back.
His back, standing by the bedside, looked like a crumbling sandcastle.
They exchanged glances before silently leaving.
Click. The door closed, and silence swallowed the room.
Only one person’s breathing filled the quiet space.
Edmund gazed at the sleeping Etricia with empty eyes.
I could see her round forehead like an apple, her smooth nose, and her dry lips that were pressed together in a straight line.
The lovely voice that always called my name flowed out from there.
“Etricia.”
When I called her like this, she lifted her red lashes, lowered like a fan, and looked at me.
With eyes full of love, like dew sitting on a summer leaf.
It felt like she might rise any moment and call out to me. Like she might open her eyes and look at me.
Edmund slowly reached out his hand.
When he saw his scratched, rough hand, he clenched his fist and pulled back.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he carefully brushed her lips with his fingertips.
“Etricia.”
He breathed out her name, like letting out a heavy breath.
“Etricia.”
He stood like that for a while.
“Etricia.”
Waiting for her lips to move.
My body floated.
It felt like my body had become water, gently flowing somewhere.
It was like I had become a fetus, peacefully sleeping inside a mother’s womb.
“-cia.”
I heard someone calling me, but I didn’t want to wake up.
“Etri-cia.”
The voice repeated.
I slowly opened my eyes.
It felt like all sense had disappeared—no ceiling, no walls, only pure white everywhere. As I blinked slowly, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Am I dreaming again? I really want to stop peeking into other people’s dreams.
I closed my eyes and opened them again—and when I did, my eyelids trembled at the sight of a familiar face.
“Leticia?”
Leticia was sitting on a pure white chair, quietly watching me.
Her clear eyes and graceful figure, like a lily, were surrounded by a pure energy. It was as if only the space around her was untouched and clean.
Leticia smiled gently and waved her hand slowly, as if she could see me.
‘No way… Is this not Leticia’s memory but my own dream?’
I was suddenly scared, wondering if I had died.
Seeing my face pale, she smiled and wrinkled her brow.
“Don’t worry. You can go back. You’re only here because my divine power in the purification stone pulled you in.”
“I see…”
I finally let out a relieved breath and looked around.
“Then this place is…”
“A frame of my consciousness. Once you leave, it will collapse due to outside forces.”
“Then did you bring me here?”
“No. I left my consciousness in the purification stone only because I wanted to know Lunox’s final end.”
She gave a bitter smile and stood up.
“If you’ve come here, then it means Lunox has already been destroyed.”
Then Leticia walked over gracefully and held both of my hands.
With the tip of her nose red, tears hung under her purple eyes as she gave me a bright smile.
