Chapter 36
When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.
The luxurious marble ceiling I’ve been seeing since I became Tristan Ruelberta.
I sat up.
Bright sunlight poured through the window onto my face.
It was morning.
I stretched.
How long had I been asleep?
My head felt clear.
I couldn’t remember the last time I woke up feeling this refreshed.
But… something felt off.
If my memory serves me right, I was just in a bloody battle with Blanshe.
I suffered a fatal wound to my abdomen and was barely clinging to life using ‘Patience.’
“I got lucky…”
It felt like I was walking a tightrope on the edge of life and death.
I had to use all my strength to fight Blanshe, barely maintaining enough ‘Patience’ to stay alive.
If I had lost that balance, I would’ve died by her hand.
But I survived that fight.
I don’t even remember much after that.
I remember asking Wendy to call a wagon… So, did she bring me back to the mansion?
I lifted my pajamas slightly to check the wound on my abdomen.
“……Huh?”
There wasn’t a single scar there.
Just then—
*Knock knock.*
“Count, are you awake?”
The moment I saw the woman who entered, I couldn’t help but frown.
“Wendy…”
“Yes, Count.”
The girl who became Tristan’s exclusive maid at a young age… Well, it’s hard to call her a girl now.
Wendy was no longer a girl.
She had become a lady.
“Did you sleep well?”
Wendy smiled, brushing her hair aside.
Her face still had that childlike innocence.
Her neatly tied hair shimmered in the sunlight.
She was as beautiful as Princess Bella.
The clumsy, crybaby girl was nowhere to be seen.
Only the composed lady, Wendy, remained.
Wendy giggled as she looked at me.
“You must’ve been very tired yesterday, Count. You didn’t even need a night vigil and just collapsed.”
I rubbed my temples.
An indescribable irritation washed over me.
“…Come here.”
“Yes, Count.”
Wendy walked over with a flirtatious stride, unlike any Wendy I’d seen before.
“Come closer.”
“As you wish.”
Wendy climbed onto the bed.
Her eyes stared into mine.
I reached out and stroked her cheek.
“Wendy.”
“Yes, give me your command, Count—Ow ow ow?! Why are you pinching me?!”
I pinched her.
“Enough with the cheap act.”
“……You don’t get it. With all my personalities, how could I not act?”
“Wendy isn’t that frivolous. Michaela.”
At that, Michaela, who had taken Wendy’s form, laughed.
“Not now, but it could change depending on what you do.”
“Change?”
“Yes. This is one of Wendy’s many possible futures. How is it? Pretty, right?”
Michaela, still in Wendy’s form, spun around on the bed.
Her skirt swayed dangerously at eye level.
Is this what Wendy would look like in about ten years?
“Certainly…”
It felt like seeing my grown-up daughter, and my heart swelled.
Is this what being a dad feels like…?
But Michaela spoke in a slightly subdued voice.
“Well… It’s a happy future that shouldn’t have been possible for her.”
I understood what Michaela meant.
In the original story and game scenario, Wendy is a character destined to die.
Her life is filled with misfortune.
Born into a poor farming family, she struggled to grow up and moved to the city, only to work for the infamous Ruelberta family, known for their cruelty.
From then on, Wendy endured harsh abuse from Tristan.
Her only futures were dying from beatings, illness, or accidents.
Despite having the bloodline of a hero who saves the world, the world doesn’t save her.
“But now, she has a new future. One that didn’t exist until recently.”
At that moment, Wendy disappeared, and a golden-haired girl stood in her place.
It was Michaela, the goddess of the otherworld, in her true form.
She grinned.
“It’s you, idiot. You created that future.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Not just her, but you’ve already created new futures for many characters. For example, like this.”
Michaela clapped her hands, and the lights in my room went out.
Countless lights appeared in the air, hovering between us like colorful fireflies.
“This is a part of the futures I hold. All the characters’ futures are like this. And…”
The floating lights gathered around her.
But they were all dull, and some were fading.
“These are Wendy’s futures. Pretty bleak, right?”
I nodded.
Her futures were all dark or tainted.
“And… this is the future you created.”
Michaela held out a rainbow-colored light.
Its warmth resembled Wendy’s magic.
“I’m glad she has at least one happy future now.”
Michaela smiled.
“I think I understand a little why *that person* sent you here.”
That person… That guy.
The only god Michaela believes in is my younger sister.
The original author of this world and the one who pushed me into it.
Michaela looked as if she had just interpreted a divine revelation.
“Everything *that person* does has a reason. You understand, right?”
No, not at all.
“More importantly, where is this?”
“It’s like paradise. Not quite this world, not quite the afterlife.”
“Do you have business with me or something?”
“Business…? What are you talking about? You’re the one who came here—”
Michaela tilted her head, then clapped as if she understood.
“Ah, you being here means you’re on the verge of death.”
“What?”
On the verge of death?
What kind of nonsense is this?
Michaela chuckled.
“You’ll understand soon. Remember, I’ll always be waiting at the end of your limits.”
The room began to darken rapidly.
The lights around us flickered one by one.
“I am your trial.”
No voice came out.
Only Michaela’s voice could be heard.
“It seems you’ll luckily survive this time… But who knows what’ll happen next. Stay on your toes, idiot.”
*Clap.*
With the sound of clapping, I opened my eyes.
Once again, I saw a ceiling.
The difference was that it was an unfamiliar one.
A pure white ceiling.
What’s going on?
“…!”
I tried to sit up but winced from the pain in my abdomen.
I tried to touch my stomach with my right hand, but it wouldn’t move.
“…Wendy.”
Beside me, Wendy was asleep.
In the form of a young girl, not an adult, she was tightly holding my right hand.
Only then did I realize I was in a patient room.
The wound on my abdomen was bandaged.
A wound that nearly took my life.
I must’ve reached the limit of ‘Patience’ and lost consciousness.
Wendy didn’t look so good either.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, her maid uniform stained with dried blood, and she had small wounds on her arms and legs from what looked like a fall.
I couldn’t remember, but I could guess what had happened.
I quietly watched Wendy’s sleeping face.
The image of Wendy as a grown lady that Michaela showed me overlapped with her current face.
Surely, if this kid grows up, she’ll become that beautiful.
I placed my hand on her soft cheek.
It was warm.
“Uuu… I’m sorry for being useless…”
Wendy whimpered and pulled my hand closer.
She must be having a nightmare.
After admiring her clueless face, I pinched her cheek.
“Ow ow ow?! Huh?!”
“Wake up already.”
“…Huh?”
Her half-closed eyes looked up at me.
It didn’t take long for her sleep-filled eyes to widen.
“C-Count?!”
“Don’t shout. My head hurts.”
I quickly covered her mouth with a pillow.
“Mmph… Mmmph! Pwah!”
“I hate noise. So…”
“C-Count!!!”
Wendy hugged me, crying.
I tried to push her away, but the pain made it impossible.
This kid isn’t listening to me at all…
“I’m so glad… So glad… Sniff…”
I’m suffocating…
I didn’t know such a small body could have this much strength.
“Stop making a fuss. I’m alive.”
“Sniff… I-I thought you died… The doctor said you almost didn’t make it… Sniff.”
Yeah. I almost died.
I held on as long as I could with ‘Patience,’ but I reached my limit.
It was impressive I lasted that long.
I had a hard time shaking off Bella’s constant chatter.
If not for that, I might’ve collapsed in front of her.
“How long was I out?”
“You collapsed the night before last… It’s evening now… Sob.”
Wendy kept clinging to me, making it impossible to move.
This is so awkward.
I can’t even push her away with magic…
I had no choice but to stay still until Wendy calmed down.
While gently stroking her small head.
But… Why do I keep smelling something weird…?
Looking around, I finally realized the source.
“Wendy.”
“Y-Yes…? Sniff…”
Wendy looked at me, swallowing her tears.
I spoke to the loyal kid who had been by my side since the day before.
“Go wash up first.”
