His eyes, sparkling like shining stars, were so beautiful. His black hair, resembling the darkness yet even deeper than it, was lovely.
When had I grown so attached?
Without realizing it, I said,
“Call me Ailet.”
Sate’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but soon he nodded firmly.
“Yes, Ailet.”
“Thank you… for showing me a place like this.”
“It was nothing.”
He held my hand tightly. It was a little embarrassing, but it felt warm, and I liked it.
“Thank you… for staying by my side all this time. There were many things I couldn’t have done without you, Sate.”
I expressed the gratitude I had felt but hadn’t been able to say until now.
Sate shook his head, reached out, and tucked my hair behind my ear before speaking.
“No. I gained a lot because of you. Even if we go to the capital, even if I regain my memories, I want to stay with you.”
“What did I even do for you?”
As I laughed, Sate suddenly said,
“Ailet. Thank you so much.”
“Me too.”
“Please… keep your promise.”
I nodded, and beneath the beautiful cluster of stars, I spent a special night with someone special.
A few days passed.
I felt confident that I had nearly finished studying medicine and herbalism and that I was ready to go to the capital.
‘I can’t hesitate forever.’
Now it was time to go to the capital, settle down with Sate and Ain, and live happily together.
If the portrait on the missing-person flyer really was Sate, I would take him back to his family. If not, I would keep him with me until his memory returned.
‘Tomorrow morning, I’ll tell Sate and Ain, and we’ll leave right away. We should avoid being seen as much as possible to minimize contact with the villain duke.’
As I ground important herbs and made pills while packing, exhaustion overtook me, and I fell asleep at my desk. Then, sensing someone’s presence, I opened my eyes.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
“Ain.”
I met Ain’s eyes as he draped a blanket over my shoulders. A savory smell caught my attention, and when I looked at the desk, there were canapés.
“You fell asleep about 30 minutes ago. It looked like you were doing something important, so I didn’t wake you. Sate made a late-night snack and went to sleep.”
“Thank you, Ain.”
When I smiled, Ain’s blue eyes curved as he smiled back.
Picking up a canapé, I asked,
“Is Sate asleep?”
“Yes. He was busy all day cleaning the house for some reason, so he went to bed early.”
Ah.
Sate had noticed.
That I was preparing to leave soon with them.
Feeling grateful to Sate—who had made late-night food for me after I studied late and even cleaned the house knowing we’d be leaving—I went with Ain to his annex.
“Why aren’t you asleep, Ain?”
“I don’t know. If you’re not asleep, I can’t sleep either.”
“You sleep well when you’re drunk though.”
“…I’m going to protect you, Ailet. So I won’t drink anymore.”
“That’s cute.”
“I don’t want to be cute to you…”
Not understanding his grumbling, I shrugged and opened the door to Sate’s room.
Perhaps because he had overworked himself cleaning the house, his steady breathing filled the room.
Along with his unique scent.
‘He smells nice.’
I quietly stepped inside and looked at his sleeping face.
‘So handsome.’
But then—
Flash!
A status window suddenly appeared above Sate’s head.
‘W-what? Why?’
A status window only appears for people with fatal illnesses. Why would something like this appear for a healthy Sate?
Confused, I hurriedly read it.
Serbil Berriot (24): Unknown low-grade fever (Gauge 75/100)
An unknown low-grade fever?
What is this?
I couldn’t identify the illness immediately, but the appearance of this status window meant he was in danger of dying. Frightened, I shouted to Ain,
“Ain, I’ll get some fever medicine. Put a wet cloth on Sate’s forehead.”
“Okay.”
Leaving Sate to Ain, I rushed to the herb room, grabbed the fever medicine I had prepared, and fed it to him.
How could a mere fever trigger a death-status window?
After giving him the medicine, Ain and I watched over him.
Fortunately, his fever dropped quickly, and I sighed in relief—but then I noticed something strange in the status window.
‘Wait… his name is showing!’
The part that had been hidden with question marks was now clearly written. Had his memory returned?
His name…
‘Serbil Berriot?’
My breath caught in my throat.
Time felt like it stretched endlessly.
W-wait. If it’s Berriot… isn’t that the villain, Duke Berriot?
A chill ran down my spine.
And if his name was showing, it meant his memory had returned. But when had he regained it?
“Ailet?”
My hands trembled, and all the color drained from my face.
Sensing something was wrong, Ain quickly grabbed me.
“Ailet? What’s wrong? Huh?”
I had been foolish.
I was an idiot.
I thought I had been carefully avoiding becoming the villain duke’s physician, but instead, I had been closer to him than anyone else.
So this was how I would meet the duke, become his physician, be forgotten as an extra, while he would fall in love with the saintess—the heroine of this world—and attempt to seize the throne?
Looking at the sleeping man, I felt intense betrayal, anger, and fear.
‘No.’
No.
If I stayed with this man, I wouldn’t escape death. Before I could be discarded, I would discard him first.
I will never become your physician.
Then suddenly, the contents of the status window changed.
Serbil Berriot (24): Will suffer from lovesickness after losing the woman he loves (Gauge 100/100)
“Ailet? What’s wrong?”
“A-Ain. Let’s go. Quietly.”
As I pushed Ain’s back, I stared blankly at the status window again.
Losing the woman he loves must refer to the saintess. It seemed the story was about to begin.
Then Ain called me.
“Ailet!”
Snapping out of it, I grabbed him and left the annex.
My mind raced.
The duke, now with his memories restored, had likely planned to take me to the capital and make me his physician.
Once Sate—no, Duke Berriot—woke up, it would be over.
No matter the route, he would find a way to take me as his physician.
“Ain, come here!”
“Huh? Y-yes!”
I quickly packed only the essential herbs with Ain and rushed out of the mountain.
“Where are we going?”
“To the capital.”
Ain blinked in confusion.
“At this hour?”
“Yes. We have to go. As fast as possible!”
I moved quickly as I answered him.
I brought the map I had prepared in advance, but in the darkness, it was hard to see the path.
At this rate, we would definitely be caught by Sate—no, Duke Berriot.
He was a sword master. Or maybe… he might forget someone like me and not even look for me. No matter what he chose, I had to run.
Tears streamed down my face.
I didn’t know why. Maybe because I felt betrayed by someone I had trusted like family.
If he had regained his memory, he could have at least told me…
Then Ain grabbed me and looked me straight in the eyes.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“We—we have to go. To the capital. Right now. Before he wakes up.”
“Why? What is he? He’s just Sate.”
I shook my head, tears falling, unable to explain anything yet.
Frustrated, Ain ran his hand through his hair, then tightly grabbed my hand and pulled me.
“Ha… this is driving me crazy. Then come here.”
Holding my wrist as I cried, Ain pulled me along.
But it wasn’t toward the capital—it was toward the mountain.
Sniffling, I asked,
“Where are we going?”
“The foxes’ path.”
“The foxes’ path?”
“It’s the Fox King’s path. I’m only showing it to you.”
I stared at Ain, stunned.
Ain… was the Fox King?
Though confused, I had no other choice right now, so I followed him.
As I continued following him, a large cave I had never seen before appeared.
Inside, shining crystals lit up the path.
“A place like this…”
After walking for about 30 minutes through the connected cave—
When we came out, my mouth fell open.
We had passed the village in an instant and arrived at the mountain at the edge of a village right next to the capital.
‘Incredible… the Fox King’s path.’
That’s how I managed to quickly escape from Duke Berriot.
I felt uneasy about not leaving him even a single note, but I had no choice.
Live well.
I hoped he would commit fewer evil deeds and live kindly and innocently, as he had been until now.
Thinking that, I cried my heart out again at the inn.
