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“….Uugh?”

A strange sound escaped my mouth as I felt a fluffy sensation surrounding my whole body.

Just a while ago, I was in the Training Grounds sparring with Wilhelm, so why am I now on a bed?

I barely managed to lift my sluggish body and racked my brain, but I couldn’t remember what had happened before arriving here. The only clear memory that came to mind was deflecting Wilhelm’s sword as it flew toward me during the duel.

The events that followed felt as hazy as a noise-filled photograph.

“Could it be… did I faint during the duel?”

Considering my physical condition at the time, fainting mid-duel wouldn’t be strange, but I still had a vague impression of seeing Elena’s face at the end. Why was that?

I paused my thoughts and got up from my position to take a look around the room. Since I had just woken up, my body felt a bit heavy, but I seemed to have no injuries.

However, one curious point stood out: if I had fainted during the duel, my shirt, which had moved around since dawn, should be soaked in sweat, but the shirt I was wearing now looked as fresh as if I had just changed into it.

There was no trace of sour sweat on me. Instead, a light lavender scent tickled my nose.

As I caught a strong whiff of that scent clinging to me, I couldn’t help but feel my lips curl into a smile, realizing I could probably guess who had done this to me.

For my body to be this clean without being washed, it could only be magic.

Looking out the window, I noticed the stars and the moon hanging in the sky.

I had completely lost a whole day.

This room had no clock, so I couldn’t know the exact time, but judging by the position of the moon, I could guess how long I had been lying there.

Because of that, I inadvertently skipped all three meals. My empty stomach was crying out for food ever since I regained consciousness. At this moment, I felt like I could devour the macarons Elena might hand to me in one bite.

Considering the time, dinner must have long passed, and I wondered if there would be anything left to eat.

Still, it seemed better to check the kitchen rather than sitting quietly in the room, so I grabbed the coat hanging on the rack and began preparing to leave. But just as I was ready, a brief knock sounded, and Ken walked into the room.

“I thought you would be awake by now.”

In his hand was a basket that seemed to be filled with bread prepared for me.

If someone were to witness this scene, they might be surprised by Ken’s perfectly timed entrance, but after five years of adapting, it wasn’t shocking to me.

I reached into the basket Ken had placed down and took a piece of bread. No matter how late it was, the texture of the bread in my mouth didn’t feel very good. My comical chewing on the tough bread made Ken chuckle and open his mouth.

“It’s the first time you’ve looked so exhausted aside from Count. I never thought you’d lose to anyone but him.”

“Ken, I’m only sixteen. And it’s not like I lost… I doubt I did.”

Ken, laughing, poked fun at my trailing words. Although I wanted to retort at his teasing expression, the memory of the duel with Wilhelm had completely slipped my mind, leaving me speechless.

Wilhelm was known as one of the most recognized knights throughout the Empire, not just in the north, so even if I managed to keep my sword from flying away in that duel at my young age, that wouldn’t necessarily mean anything remarkable for me.

Among the blurry memories, his swordsmanship stood out clearly.

I remember that sword as sharply as a wolf stalking its prey.

Although it felt like my throat would be slashed in an instant by that fierce sword, the very fact that I recalled it gave me confidence that I hadn’t lost to him.

Of course, that was my feeling in the moment, and I can’t say for certain what the outcome truly was.

But it certainly feels like I didn’t genuinely lose…

I didn’t think I lost, even if I couldn’t remember it clearly.

If I really did lose that duel, I should have at least had a hole somewhere in my body or one arm dangling uselessly, but my body felt perfectly fine. There was no way I could have lost like this.

Yet, since I had no way to explain that to Ken, I kept my mouth shut and continued chewing on the bread from the basket.

Though it was tough, it was manageable to swallow as I drank the tea Ken had brought. After a while, the basket that had been packed with bread was emptied.

As my hunger subsided a bit, I looked again at the darkened window. The stars that had now settled high in the sky made me realize how much meaningless time I had let slip away.

Thinking about the time I could’ve spent with Elena made sudden regret wash over me.

There wasn’t much time left for me to stay in Merohim.

At most, maybe two days.

For someone who wanted to create as many memories with her as possible here, wasting time like this felt unfortunate. It seemed that since coming here, my responsibilities had increased like a mountain… Truly, nothing in the world happens as I wish.

The strong lavender scent lingering on my body hadn’t disappeared either.

Now, with my heightened senses, the lingering fragrance kept reminding me of her with every moment, and I couldn’t help but repeatedly recall Elena’s face.

I couldn’t just leave it like this.

Unable to endure the persistent lavender scent swirling around me, I eventually stood up.

Looking at my reflection in a small mirror placed in the corner of the room, I adjusted my clothing and opened the door. Ken, who should have been surprised at my sudden action, seemed unfazed and calmly sat in his seat.

“You don’t need to rush. The lady hasn’t fallen asleep yet.”

“What?!”

Even without saying anything, Ken hit the nail on the head, causing me to stare at him with a bewildered expression. The warm, smiling old butler looked at me as if he already knew everything.

“When you’re anxious, you end up making mistakes you usually wouldn’t. Look, your brooch is tilted, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

Looking back in the mirror as Ken pointed it out, I noticed that my tie brooch had indeed shifted slightly.

As I continued to spot wrinkles and other minor issues with my clothes, I slowly straightened everything again. Ken spoke to me in a calm voice.

“Young Master, if you meet the lady, you should honestly express your feelings and not make excuses. It will be better that way.”

“…I understand. Thank you, Ken.”

It’s like he can see directly into my mind.

With Ken’s advice, I smiled softly and stepped out the door.

The hallway, now shrouded in darkness, was illuminated only by the moonlight streaming in through the windows. That darkness made my heart race, but I maintained my pace without speeding up, just as I had at the beginning.

As I walked to the beat of my racing heart, I felt my excitement calming a bit.

I could see the light.

With everything around dark, the light seeping through the cracks of the door was even more striking. As I took in the light, knowing I would see her restored my heart to pure calm. Thankfully, as Ken had said, she didn’t seem to have fallen asleep yet.

I cautiously approached her room door and knocked.

*

I can’t sleep.

At the usual time, I should be lying in bed trying to doze off, but for some reason, I couldn’t keep my eyes shut. It felt like I had something important I needed to do, but I seemed to have let it slip by.

Frustrated, I stepped out onto the balcony and quietly looked down at the scenery spread beneath the Winter Castle.

Despite having seen this view countless times since my previous life, perhaps because I was leaving for Sarham soon, I felt a slight sadness knowing I wouldn’t be able to see this scene for a while.

I absentmindedly turned my head and looked sideways, quietly murmuring, “What a shame…”

Though I spoke those words, they weren’t derived from not being able to see the scenery before my eyes. What prompted me to say them was the absence of someone who had become a natural part of my side.

It’s a pity.

When I recalled the face of someone who wasn’t next to me, I began to understand why I couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t even something to ponder deeply. I simply felt regret for not having spent today with him.

With that realization, I leaned against the railing and let out a small smile.

At first, I was satisfied just being near him, but now, I felt regret over not having had a conversation with him throughout the whole day. This change I felt within myself, in contrast to the past when I found happiness in the little things, was a clear indication that my relationship with him was evolving.

The regret of him not being here still lingered in my heart, but a smile wouldn’t leave my face. This was evidence enough that I had grown accustomed to spending time with him.

A small bluebird flew down and perched on my hand, cutting through the dark night sky.

With its beautiful blue feathers shining and bright eyes glimmering, it gazed up at me. I gently patted the little bird on its head with my finger before sending it back into the sky.

“Master.”

Who would think that bird was created through magic? Even the Master of the Golden Tower, renowned for his expertise in golem magic and sorcery, wouldn’t be able to create such a finely detailed magical creature.

That bird sent by my former master, despite its cute appearance, possessed sufficient power to incapacitate any average magician.

Yet, I didn’t think she had sent it to threaten me; rather, this little bluebird I had seen in my previous life was simply a tool she sent to assist in fulfilling a promise she made.

“No matter what, I might not be able to find it right now.”

I murmured, watching the bluebird flying toward the sky.

Dragon eggs grow by feeding on the magical energy flowing through the ley lines.

That’s why before the Dawn’s Tower was erected, she had hidden her egg in the ley line flowing through this place. However, once the tower was built, its magicians took her egg out and began storing it somewhere in the Magic Tower’s storerooms, leading to complications.

The dragon egg wouldn’t show signs until it consumed a certain amount of magic, so to those who discovered it back then, it would have merely seemed like a stone absorbing magic. Now, to find the egg, one would have no choice but to scour the vast storerooms entirely, but in just five years, the egg would steadily awaken by absorbing the prevailing magic nearby.

And this little bluebird was intended for that time. The moment it detected the egg’s magic, it was designed to guide me to where the egg was located.

Teia, connected to the egg through thoughts, might not have been able to ascertain the exact awakening time, but she could make an educated guess and thus sent me this bird. Of course, having rewound time several times now, I knew quite well when the egg would awaken.

Recalling the promise I made with Teia, the events of that day came flooding back to my mind.

Looking back, Teia had a bewildered expression when our agreement was made. Considering that it marked the beginning of my bond with my master, it wasn’t surprising. But had he known about my return, his reaction likely would have differed.

“There will be countless more events like this in the future… I’m looking forward to it.”

Borrowing his phrasing, would this be called breaking the original story?

In the past, I had scrambled around to change my fate with him, but now, simply staying put would overturn everything he believed he knew. No longer would fates exist that he understood as the original story.

Imagining how he would react to the flipped future sent an involuntary smile across my face.

“….I can’t just sit here.”

I pushed myself up from leaning on the railing.

I thought looking at the surrounding scenery would help me feel better, but it had no effect. Even when I thought alone, I found myself inevitably returning to topics about him.

At the very least, it seemed I needed to see his face once before bed to set my heart at ease.

Knock knock—

At that very moment, someone knocked on the door.

Was it instinct? The moment I heard the sound, I thought I could tell who was standing at the door, even without it opening.

“Come in.”

I spoke, controlling my voice to neither be too high nor too low, ensuring no emotion seeped through.

As soon as my permission was granted, the door opened and he walked into the room. His eyes, reflecting on my face, were unmistakably dragon-like, yet they lacked that sharpness. The warm gaze he directed toward me was akin to the sun.

He took a moment and then smiled gently as he approached.

“It’s late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Because I was thinking of you… I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“…I can’t seem to sleep well. What about you, Damian? Why are you here at such a late hour?”

I circled back, vaguely questioning him. It was clear that he wasn’t asleep any more than I was, after all. Yet, as I spoke, I could more or less anticipate his answer. He had surely noticed the light in my room was still on.

But his response completely exceeded my expectations.

He briefly avoided my gaze after my question but soon smiled softly and stepped out onto the balcony beside me. He looked up at the sky for a moment before turning his face toward me, opening his mouth.

“…When I woke up, I just wanted to see your face, Elena.”

His soft voice brushed past my ear, melting in my ears.

His answer, far from what I had expected, was more than sufficient to evaporate my rationality for a while. But I wouldn’t turn into someone incapable of doing anything at his words like before.

I took his empty hand, cooling the heat rising from the breeze.

With his warm and forceful heartbeat pulsing, I tightened my grip on his hand. Holding his hand, I too looked up at the sky.

The starry night sky was beautiful. Knowing that I would depart for Sarham in a few days and not see a sky like this again didn’t make me feel sad, though.

I felt certain that the sky viewed from the south would also be just as beautiful, so I leaned against him, savoring the warmth flowing from his hand.

 

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