Chapter 53

Recalling one precious memory after another, Jade’s footsteps quickened slightly.

He wanted to see her soon—he missed her so much.

Once he let those emotions, which he usually kept tightly sealed, burst out just once, he could no longer bear the longing that overwhelmed him.

If he suddenly appeared in front of her, what kind of expression would she make?
Would she be startled?
Or would she greet him with a smiling, happy face?

Either way, as long as it came from her, he knew he would feel joy and happiness.

And so, for the first time, Jade decided to step into the outside world purely of his own will.

Not as a divine agent, not as Astell’s pope, but as a man named Jade—going to meet the one and only person who had ever touched his heart.

Somehow, things felt noisy around me.

I was sleeping quite well, so I frowned deeply, wondering who was making such a racket. With that expression, I forced my heavy eyelids open.

Just as I was about to tell them to go chatter somewhere else, a familiar sight appeared—a ceiling I didn’t recognize.

No way, again?
Just then, I felt hurried movement beside me.

“Liz!”

This time, the voice was familiar. My sleepy eyes flew open at once.

“Brother!”

The moment I saw Michael’s face, shock and relief hit me at the same time.

I instinctively tried to sit up, but panic immediately followed.

This time, my body didn’t just ache—it barely moved at all. Forget muscle aches; I couldn’t muster any strength whatsoever.

Huh? Why is my body like this again?

I was already confused about why my body felt wrong again—and why I was once more waking up in someone else’s bed—when Michael suddenly grabbed my cheeks with both hands like he was squishing a rice cake.

“You little brat, why are you collapsing and losing consciousness again?”

He looked even more baffled than I felt as he scolded me.

“How does the most well-fed, well-rested, carefree person in the entire world keep fainting like this?”

…Was that part really necessary?

I stared at him, thinking how unnecessary and rude he was being.
He clearly saw the rotten look on my face, yet Michael didn’t waver at all.

He simply looked like a man who could not comprehend how his “happy-go-lucky, freeloading sister” had collapsed not once, but twice.

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, another hand reached in to stop Michael from kneading my face any further.

Only then did Michael realize what he was doing to his sister’s face and quickly withdrew, clearing his throat in embarrassment.

“Ahem. It seems I’ve shown an undignified side of myself.”

“No, it only shows how deeply you care for Lady Christener. I don’t see it as undignified at all.”

Following Michael’s gaze upward, I turned toward the person who had just spoken.

It was Rixion Luhanes.

Compared to last time, he seemed slightly better dressed—though he still sparkled like always.

I stared up at him, dazed.

But wait… did he just call Michael Your Grace?
Was I hearing things? Maybe I wasn’t fully awake yet?
I must have misheard… right?

“I really was shocked, you know.”

Michael looked back at me, still exasperated.

“When I returned to the estate today, you weren’t there. Then I heard you hadn’t come home once—not even once—since the day I left for the desert. They said you’d been staying at the Duke of Luhanes’ mansion this entire time! I rushed over here without even changing my clothes!”

“The carriage rushed you here, you mean.”

“….”

That sharp retort slipped out before I could stop myself—I was still annoyed that he squished my face in front of Rixion.

Rixion suddenly turned his eyes elsewhere, and Michael looked like he wanted to pull my cheeks again like a frog’s.

But since Rixion was watching, he only furrowed his brows and held back.

…Huh?

While trading such familiar glares with my brother for the first time in a while, confusion suddenly hit me.

“You returned today? From the desert, to the capital?”

I reached out instinctively and grabbed Michael’s clothes, bewildered.

Questions piled on top of each other, and my mind grew messy.

Why had I woken up in someone else’s room again?
Why had Michael returned already, when he should still be at least seven or eight days away from the capital?

Had I fainted again?
Trying to recall my last memory, I frowned.

I remembered healing the unconscious Rixion with my own power before falling asleep.
I remembered waking up and having a meal with him.

But after that… my memory cut off—cleanly, as if sliced away on purpose.

And now, I had opened my eyes in someone else’s bed, with Michael—freshly returned from the desert—standing before me.

So I fainted again? I was unconscious for days? And in that time, Michael returned?

Nothing made sense. As I darted my eyes around nervously, Michael responded with frustration.

“Exactly. I finally returned to the capital only to hear that you’ve been staying at the Duke’s residence this whole time.”

Frowning at my hand gripping his clothes, he seemed genuinely worried—this wasn’t something I usually did.

“And when I came here, you were passed out cold! You were supposed to stay home quietly, yet somehow you’re causing trouble here?”

“Where’s Jieun-ha?”

I groaned as I pushed myself upright, bracing my elbow against the bed.

I nearly fell midway, but two sets of hands reached out at the same time to help me sit up straight. I clung to whoever it was without knowing whose arms I was grabbing.

“Where is Jieun-ha?”

As I asked, my heart pounded violently.

I looked up at Michael with hopeful eyes.

But Michael only looked confused—as if he didn’t even understand what my question meant.

“Jieun-ha? What’s that?”

“Huh? You haven’t heard her name yet? That’s strange—I thought you could communicate with her right away…”

Somehow, I thought I’d be meeting Jieun-ha much sooner than expected. My heart raced uncontrollably.

I knew I must have looked strange to Michael, but I hurriedly explained:

“The girl you found in the desert! The one with black hair and black eyes—the incredibly beautiful girl!”

I barely stopped myself from blurting ‘the saintess from another world’ thanks to the last scrap of rationality I had left.

My excitement mingled with anxiety, and I tightened my grip on his sleeve.

But—

“Liz, I don’t know what you dreamed about, but I’ve never seen such a girl. Snap out of it.”

Michael’s eyes remained blank with confusion.

He flicked my forehead lightly, and I blinked in shock.

After rubbing my stinging forehead, I glanced down at the arm I was still holding—and froze.

Not Michael’s.

It belonged to Rixion Luhanes.

Startled, I immediately let go and scooted back.

Rixion, meanwhile, had made no reaction whatsoever—neither when I grabbed him, nor now.

I had no idea what was going on in his head.

Michael watched the awkward air between us with clear disapproval and spoke again.

“Even if you two are dating, what do you think you’re doing? Visiting the duke’s mansion before marriage, even staying overnight—how improper can you be….”

“Jieun-ha really isn’t here?”

Only one thought echoed in my head—

Jieun-ha doesn’t exist.

My breathing grew harsher as the repeated words crashed into me.

My heart pounded painfully. It hurt to even breathe.

Gasping for air, I raised my shaking eyes.

With a trembling arm, I reached toward Michael again, desperate.

“Liz, what’s wrong with—”

“Why isn’t Jieun-ha here?”

I was angry.

So angry I couldn’t contain it.

My mind knew Michael hadn’t done anything wrong—yet my mouth wouldn’t listen.