Shu’s eyes remained veiled in a blue glow for quite some time.
Kyle did not step a single foot out of the bedroom. It was only natural that he did not allow anyone else to enter, either. As if his own life depended on Shu’s well-being, he devoted himself solely to him.
Even after reducing the excess magic, Shu still did not regain consciousness easily. To make matters worse, his fever raged on.
“…Shu.”
Kyle gently brushed the back of his hand against his lover’s cheek.
His shallow, ragged breaths made him look vulnerable—and in agony. It was a stark contrast to the usual composure with which he always insisted he was fine, and that difference wrenched Kyle’s heart.
“I’d rather be the one suffering instead.”
If only he could, no amount of pain would matter.
Each time he saw Shu in pain, each time he was forced to stand by helplessly, unable to ease his suffering, Kyle was reminded of how utterly powerless he was. And each time, he resented the world all over again.
The night had deepened.
Kyle, who had been sitting by Shu’s bedside with his eyes lightly closed, suddenly felt a sense of unease.
“……”
His crimson eyes opened, scanning the silent surroundings. But something was different.
It felt like someone was watching them.
At that moment—
[□□□□□]
A message appeared before him.
Something was wrong.
It was undoubtedly a message from the Messenger of Love, but it didn’t seem to be from Shu. In fact, the letters themselves were indecipherable.
Kyle’s entire body tensed. His red eyes gleamed sharply, as if sensing an unforeseen danger.
Then, another message arrived.
[Interference □□□ □□□ □□ □□□□]
[□□□ Rift□ □□□□ □□ □□]
His vision swayed slightly. Kyle glared into the empty air. He had a hunch about who was speaking to him.
It was a primal instinct.
‘The system.’
The very entity that had brought Shu here. The one aiding him in his struggle to survive. The force at the center of all these anomalies.
Kyle calmly responded, just as if he were sending a message to Shu.
[Is there something you want to tell me?]
Until now, as far as Kyle knew, only Shu had been able to communicate with the system.
But the fact that a message had now appeared before him—whether through some loophole or an unforeseen circumstance—meant something had changed.
[I have something to ask. I want Shu to recover. Is there any way to help?]
For a brief moment, the blue message window flickered, as if hesitating.
Then, a series of fragmented, barely legible messages began appearing one after another.
Kyle’s eyes sharpened as he strained to decipher the messages, like someone desperately trying to grasp a fleeting truth.
In summary, the system’s message was this:
Draining the power of the deviation had been a wise choice. Restoring it to one hundred percent would be ideal, but violating the natural order would destroy Shu’s body. Shu’s body must return to his original world. The preparations were complete.
“So, he can return at any time now, since all the required miracles have been fulfilled…”
It was a story Kyle had heard before.
‘Baek Soo-hyun’ had come to this world to overturn his predetermined death. Once he gathered enough miracles, he would be able to return to the place where he was born and raised.
And for that to happen, he had to accomplish something that never occurred in the novel Heart of Winter, the story Shu had read. The events at the Mage Tower had already secured enough miracles.
The system blinked, as if feeling somewhat apologetic.
Kyle thought it was almost like conversing with a sentient being.
Another set of incomplete words appeared, struggling to convey their full meaning. The boundary between reality and illusion made communication difficult.
[Shu□ Save him □□□, □□ □□ Reality□ Settle him □□□ □□.]
Yet Kyle understood what the system was trying to say.
And he also wished he didn’t.
If he wanted to save Shu, he had to help him return to the world where he truly belonged.
Kyle could not conceal the weight of that realization.
The farewell that had once seemed distant was now looming right before his eyes, stark and unforgiving.
Why is it that everything I love always leaves me so easily, so helplessly, so quickly?
I never even wished for anything grand. Not for something extravagant or magnificent.
[Persuasion]
[Necessary]
As the message gently dispersed, Shu let out a pained sound and opened his eyes.
***
When I opened my eyes, the sight before me was exactly as I had expected.
“Shu.”
Kyle was looking at me as if he were on the verge of tears.
He was trying his best to maintain a calm demeanor, his gaze firm with determination. But that only made him look all the more sorrowful.
How long had I been unconscious?
‘He must’ve been so worried… I think I even coughed up blood.’
I wanted to jump up, take a lap around the room, and reassure him with something like, “See? I’m fine. Perfectly healthy!” But my body, utterly drained of strength, refused to obey.
The moment I shifted slightly, Kyle caught my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“It’s been a day. Your fever was high.”
“I see… But I’m fine now—”
“You don’t have to force yourself to act fine. I eased the strain since it looked like you couldn’t handle it.”
At his words, I checked my Deviation Interference rate.
[Current Deviation Interference: 90%]
I was 10% short. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed.
“That 10% would’ve been crucial in a fight against the mages…”
I pouted as I stared into the air. Kyle stroked my hair and murmured in a soothing tone.
“It’s important, yes. But not important enough to risk your safety.”
“Mm.”
“It would be best if you never had to face any danger at all. This place is about to become a battlefield.”
Kyle’s voice was quiet—so quiet it felt like he was suppressing his emotions.
“…Isn’t it time to go back, Shu?”
His words barely settled in when a system window popped up.
[Current Miracle Count: 100%]
[‘Recall’ to Reality is now possible.]
After being thrust into an unfamiliar world and enduring countless hardships, I had finally gathered all the necessary miracles.
I was free at last.
I could return to my original world, escape the threat of death, and even enjoy the rewards for the years of suffering I had endured.
And yet, at the very moment I had waited for so long… I felt no joy.
“…Your Highness.”
Kyle avoided my gaze. Fixing his eyes on the window, he clenched his fist tightly.
“I want you to be happy. To be safe. To live the life you desire, in the place you desire.”
“……”
“Even if it means you and I must part ways.”
His words were firm, each syllable carrying weight. At a glance, they seemed cold, as if he were decisively severing ties.
But I knew better.
I understood him now.
He was deliberately holding back his grief because he wanted me to make a choice for myself. He wanted me to think only of my own happiness, without being shackled by his love.
For my sake, and mine alone.
“…I…”
I reached out and gently wrapped my fingers around his clenched fist. His knuckles, stark white from the pressure, trembled slightly.
“I was happy by your side.”
“……”
“You always protected me.”
“……”
“And even if my body felt cold, my heart never was. For the first time, I was freed from that suffocating loneliness.”
“…Shu.”
His crimson eyes turned toward me, wavering. The rims were tinged red, sorrow welling up within them.
“There’s no need to decide right now, is there? Let’s resolve the Northern matter first, and then have a real conversation about this. I still have things I can do here.”
“This place…”
“I know. This is your world. The reality you were born and raised in.”
I smiled faintly.
“But it’s also a world I’ve come to love. A place I want to protect.”
Kyle bit his lip before speaking.
“To you… this world is just a novel, Shu.”
“So what? Right now, this place feels more real to me than anything else.”
I traced my fingers along Kyle’s hand, then guided it to my face.
The tension in his grip melted away as he slowly caressed my cheek. He touched me as if I were the most precious thing in the world.
“Tell me the truth, Your Highness. Not words meant to push me away.”
A long silence stretched between us before he finally answered.
“…Don’t go.”
His face twisted with a mix of sorrow, relief, and regret, yet a desperate light flickered in his eyes.
“I need you, Shu. Not for the safety of my domain, but for me. Because there’s no one else like you. No one who could ever fill the space you would leave behind.”
“……”
“Choose me. Choose this world. If all I can offer is a promise—to love you endlessly and to never let you be alone—would that be too selfish of me?”
I gazed at Kyle in silence.
But this was a choice too important to make on impulse. I couldn’t answer just yet.
Kyle seemed to understand that, nodding quietly. As if simply voicing his true feelings was enough for now, he even gave me a faint, bittersweet smile.
“…If only…”
My voice cracked slightly.
“If only this were my reality.”
Kyle pulled me into a careful embrace. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he stroked my back with gentle motions.
I leaned into him, savoring his warmth.
And so, at that moment, I remained unaware.
Unaware of the system window that had appeared—one visible only to Kyle.
[When wishes and desires converge, miracles are born.]
[I am the manifestation of a longing for a dream to be real…]
[A miracle.]
[A power that can grant anything.]
[Not only the body, but the soul needs miracles, too.]
[To turn reality into illusion, and illusion into reality.]
[Are you willing to become his world?]
“……”
[If you so desire.]
