After sharing what had happened today and exchanging the information each of us had gathered, we washed up with the prepared water and filled our stomachs with a simple meal. Before we knew it, the sun had completely set.
“You managed to send a message pretty well.”
“A message… Ah, you mean the Messenger of Love.”
“Yeah. You didn’t even make any typos, surprisingly.”
“It turned out to be quite useful.”
Kyle let out a low chuckle as he moved his hands. His touch was gentle as he used a towel to dry my damp hair.
“Still, you could’ve just told me everything from the start. I thought something had happened to you and got worried.”
“I figured getting to you would be faster than explaining it all.”
Considering his speed, that made sense.
‘Maybe I should ask him to make an auto-complete function or something.’
I thought about bringing it up but decided against it. Now that the tension had eased, a wave of drowsiness hit me. Kyle seemed relieved as well.
Based on what he had explained earlier, we were practically trapped inside this magic tower. The central gate leading outside was shut, and it would only open when a specific type of energy was infused into it. He guessed it was probably a mechanism that recognized the master’s magic.
“When I tried to force it open, the servants attacked. There was also a legion of armored corpses. I saw at least twenty of them.”
“No matter how grim life is in this region, scattering corpses all over the tower is just… ugh, what a disgusting hobby.”
“More importantly, what exactly happened?”
“You know Nox—causing trouble is his daily routine. Nothing major. I’m fi—”
Before I could finish saying I was fine out of habit, Kyle frowned and pressed his hand over my mouth.
“‘Fine,’ you say, with a mark like this on your neck?”
“Oi—mmph!”
What the hell, let go!
“Come to think of it, you always say you’re fine, don’t you? Even when nothing about the situation was fine.”
“Ayehhuwoo!”
No, I don’t!
Ah! Let me go!
Kyle only pulled his hand away after I bit his palm. His lips twitched as if he was trying to suppress a laugh. I could tell he was probably thinking I looked like a hamster.
I took a deep breath and exhaled before answering.
“And what would change if I weren’t fine? It’s not like what’s already happened will magically undo itself, or an answer will suddenly appear for a problem without one. That’s why the best thing to do is adapt as quickly as possible.”
Crying about it wouldn’t change anything. I didn’t want to burden others with unnecessary worry either. At some point, I had developed a habit of brushing things off with an ‘I’m fine’ just to move on quickly.
Kyle gently pulled me into his embrace from behind, tilting my chin up. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, whispering softly.
“You’re strong.”
“Coming from the Lord of the North, I’ll take that as an honor.”
“Still, I’d like it if you complained sometimes and let yourself rely on me honestly. It would be even better if you showed a bit of vulnerability.”
“……”
“You don’t have to keep swallowing everything down, pretending it’s fine. If it means you can be happy, I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”
It sounded like something he had always wanted to say.
“You need to lean on others more.”
His warmth reached me fully, along with the kindness in his words.
He was always gentle with me, as if it was the most natural thing in the world—like he believed that being this way was the truest proof of his love.
Was I moved by the sincerity of his promise to grant me whatever I wished for?
For some reason, I suddenly wanted to act spoiled in a way I never had before.
I leaned back slightly, resting against him.
“Nox, that bastard—his sense for this kind of thing is no joke. The moment I try to use even a little strength, he reacts immediately. Given how much information I managed to dig up today, it’s no wonder he’s in a foul mood.”
“Sounds like you had a decent haul.”
“Yeah, pretty decent. But that also means Nox learned quite a bit as well.”
The fact that he had outright told me to brace myself… I had no idea just how much preparation that would actually take.
“Honestly, I was a little scared, but right now, I don’t even feel any pain. I’m fi—”
Ugh. I wasn’t even planning to say it, but now that I stopped myself mid-sentence, it felt so awkward.
But then I met Kyle’s gaze—those red eyes, as if they were both chiding and expectant at the same time. It made me feel like I had to muster up some courage.
Swallowing hard, I finally spoke.
“…Ahem. To really feel better, I think I’ll have to sleep with Your Highness tonight.”
“……”
“Your Highness?”
Say something, damn it. Just staring at me all frozen like that is making this even more embarrassing. Weren’t you the one who told me to rely on you?
“Pft.”
“…….”
“Pft—Ahaha, hahaha. …Alright. I understand. Let’s sleep together.”
For some reason, he found this so amusing that he laughed for a long while. Then, pressing kisses all over my face, he effortlessly scooped me up and carried me toward the bed.
His freshly washed body carried the soft, comforting scent of soap. Feeling satisfied, I burrowed into his embrace.
Kyle, though he calmly wrapped his arms around me, had a heartbeat that was noticeably racing.
‘Yeah, this is what living should feel like.’
It was a little childish and simple, but whenever I was with him, I felt truly alive.
Each day, struggling to survive, I felt the raw vividness of reality. Even though our days were filled with danger, every time we overcame something together, there was a sense of fulfillment. Knowing that I had managed to change his fate and survive in the process—it filled my heart with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
But this… wouldn’t last much longer.
The miracle gauge had already surpassed 90%. If we handled this magic tower situation well, I could likely fill it up completely.
‘Then… would I have to leave?’
Strangely enough, the moment that thought crossed my mind, a chilling emptiness spread through my chest.
Would I have to go back?
Now that I had gained the power to undo death, should I return to the world I originally lived in?
“What’s on your mind?”
Maybe he sensed the sudden tension in my body. Kyle pulled me closer and gently patted my back.
“I was just… wondering what would happen if I had to go back.”
How much time had passed over there? Was my body really in perfect condition? If I went back, would I remember everything that happened in this world?
Like a dream that fades the moment you wake up—would I forget it all?
No… could I even really make it back alive?
I quietly asked the system.
‘If I fill up the miracle gauge completely, will I truly be able to return?’
After a brief silence, the system answered.
[If that is what you wish.]
The letters weren’t distorted, and the glowing blue edges didn’t flicker. Yet, for some reason, those words sent a chill down my spine.
On impulse, I reached out—toward the translucent system window hovering between Kyle and me, as if trying to grasp something only I could see.
Of course, my hand sliced through nothing but air. As my fingertips passed through, the system display blurred and distorted.
Instead, Kyle’s hand reached out, firmly enclosing mine.
“What’s wrong?”
“…….”
He was warm.
His scarred hands, so incredibly real and warm.
“…It just feels too real.”
This world was supposed to be the novel Winter’s Heart, after all.
It was a world I had never even finished reading—a world I had abandoned halfway through and then completely forgotten about for a long time. A fictional setting crafted by someone, filled with characters born from “plot” rather than reality.
And yet, now it felt strange and unnatural to think that something which had once been nothing more than printed black letters on a page had turned into an entire world I could see, touch, and feel so vividly.
‘It’s just fiction, nothing more.’
At what point had I become so deeply immersed in this world?
Somehow, it felt like I was stuck between two realities, wedged between the cracks of two different existences.
Sensing my faint unrest, Kyle tightened his grip on my hand slightly and whispered,
“It’s real.”
His voice was gentle, yet firm.
“Isn’t this world cruel to you?”
“I won’t deny that. But it’s alright.”
Kyle Jane Meinhardt was a character destined for tragedy—someone who fought to survive within his misfortune, only to meet a sorrowful end.
And yet, now, as he held me close, fingers tightly interlocked with mine, his face bore a smile that was undeniably full of warmth and contentment.
“Because I have you.”
Yes. That’s right…
I didn’t want someone this kind, this gentle, to simply remain a character fated for misery.
I nodded and buried my head back into his embrace.
The miracle gauge was almost at 90%, but the Deviation Interference rate was only around 30%.
If I wanted to increase it further, I would have to start moving around more aggressively tomorrow.
I had to keep pushing forward.
I would save him, no matter what.
Whether this world was fiction or reality didn’t matter anymore.
Just before I drifted off to sleep in Kyle’s arms, I thought I saw the system window flicker back into view.
[If that is what you wish.]
***
The next day.
Kyle insisted on accompanying me to Nox’s laboratory, claiming he needed to protect me. He seemed worried that if he left me alone, Nox would threaten me again.
“Well, I suppose that’s not a bad idea. Today’s experiment is going to be more intense than usual, after all.”
Nox, whom we met in the dining hall, nodded casually as if to say we could do whatever we wanted. His usual sly grin was even more polished today, which somehow made it all the more infuriating.
“The contract…”
“I’m not violating it. I’m carefully selecting things that will actually be helpful to the kid, you know. I may be eccentric, but I do have standards in my field. Why not try trusting me for once?”
I shot him a glare as I took a sip of the drink Kyle had tested first before handing it to me.
“Yeah, right. Like hell I’d trust you. Anyway, I’m done eating. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Quite the energy today, aren’t we?”
“Well, you were the one who told me to brace myself. But if you push things too far, His Highness might just draw his sword first.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll be sure to be careful. Shall we head upstairs, then?”
The three of us slowly ascended the spiral staircase.
Nox took the lead with his hands clasped behind his back, while Kyle followed closely behind him, his hand resting on his sword hilt, clearly unwilling to let too much distance form between us. I stayed right behind Kyle, pressing close to his back.
Beyond Kyle’s silhouette, Nox’s white hair swayed like drifting snowflakes.
“We have all faced death once before. And we have all overcome it.”
We hadn’t even reached the laboratory yet, but Nox had already begun revealing his secrets, as if he had resolved to share them today.
“We came together because we refused to accept death. And so, we research magic for the sake of the most eternal, the most magnificent truth.”
“‘Hollow Wraith,’ Lukit, is essentially our medium. ‘Undertaker’ Salina loved him, and even after realizing his soul was lost, she refused to let go. ‘Drowned Corpse’ Rosalia had no interest in their tragic love story, but she was determined to continue the research she couldn’t complete in life. And if she could, she wanted to use it to rule like a queen.”
“……”
“And then there’s me—‘White Wraith.’ I move only to satisfy this insatiable curiosity of mine, dancing atop this grand chessboard.”
Stopping in front of the laboratory door, Nox turned back to face Kyle and me.
His presence was blindingly white, as always.
“Kid, what’s your real name?”
