Side Story –3-4
This human—my former superior and current subordinate—was just… unbelievable.
“If you get out of here, I won’t forgive you…”
I ground my teeth while my hair was soaked and plastered to my head like seaweed.
After barely crawling out of the river, Edgar was now drying my hair with magic.
Edgar, a candidate for the romance-fantasy male lead, could look fine even soaked, but I definitely could not.
“I’ll never forget today’s humiliation.”
Why had I been standing so stupidly in the river in the first place? People really do drive me crazy!
Edgar looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Layla. I got too startled and overreacted.”
“Phew, it’s fine. At least I know you’re okay.”
I dusted myself off and stood up.
“Let’s go find the others. And we need to figure out whose wish this artifact is trying to grant.”
“Ah… that was mine.”
“Excuse me?”
“It was trying to grant my wish.”
I widened my eyes.
All this chaos… happened because of Edgar’s wish?
That was shocking enough, but…
“Wait… his complexion looks really bad.”
This human had a quietly strong sense of pride, so he wouldn’t normally complain about being sick.
And I didn’t want to push him too far.
But in an emergency like this, there was no time for formalities.
“Edgar. You’re not feeling well, are you?”
“…”
“Was this a side effect of the artifact? Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Well…”
“Why? You think I’d fix you and then ask for a donation?”
Seriously, what did he take me for?
Edgar gave a troubled smile.
“Actually, it’s my soul that’s damaged, so I can’t really show you.”
“…Did I hear that wrong?”
“My lifespan… has been shortened.”
“What? Since when—how much?”
He smiled more awkwardly.
“It’s been a while, Layla. Even before we met.”
“…? How much has it been shortened? There are still a few years left, right?”
Hearing this ridiculous “you’re dying soon” news left me stunned.
Ten years? Maybe that much was left.
“Judging by your state… less than a week?”
“…”
I looked up silently.
Blackness filled my vision.
This was Edgar’s future—where he would be scolded by me like crazy.
I roared and jumped up.
“Are you out of your mind?! What were you thinking?!”
“Ouch, my ear.”
Edgar made a fake pouting face.
“I’m the patient here. Don’t yell at me, Layla.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything until now?”
The more I shouted, the angrier I got.
Had this human really not cared if he died?
“Of course, sometimes you feel like giving up… life can be hard…!”
But to stay silent even with only a week left? That was insane!
There were so many people around, including me…
“How could you keep this from me?”
Even if I had been ‘the worst memory’ once, still… now we weren’t that far apart.
“If only he’d told me a bit earlier.”
If he had just said something a little sooner…
“Layla…”
“I might be able to help you, so why keep this from me…”
Edgar’s embarrassment began to look pale and frail.
Edgar was at a loss for words.
Layla Lowell, crying?
He had seen the ‘fake’ cry before, but this was different.
“Layla.”
Having the woman he liked cry because of him sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine.
Still, he held Layla’s hand and lightly rested his forehead on the back of it.
“I’m sorry.”
“Liar.”
“No, really. I’m sorry.”
“Liar…”
“I didn’t know it would upset you this much.”
That wasn’t a lie.
Layla had looked genuinely happy with Carlisle before.
Before Carlisle, she had chosen Archduke Justinian, so she had been used to giving little attention to others.
“I thought she’d just be a little sad.”
I never expected her to cry like this.
“…You’re really crazy.”
Layla’s tears streamed as she scolded him.
“Now that it’s my turn, you’re finished.”
“…”
“I’ll figure out a way to save you, and after that, it’s the punishment you deserve.”
“Haha, what’s that?”
Edgar just chuckled softly.
“Fine. Do that.”
“You’ll regret it later, and—”
Sniffling, Layla looked around.
“How do you know this view? It’s from my past life.”
“…”
Only then did Edgar flinch and give a helpless smile.
The real Layla was naturally very different from the fake one created by the artifact.
After Layla had poured everything out… she showed no mercy, and her sarcasm was top-notch.
“Ah, so in the past… you saw all my deepest thoughts?”
“At that time, I was suspicious of you.”
“And now you tell me? Years later?”
“…”
Edgar raised both hands in surrender.
He never had a chance against Layla. Especially after she cried.
“Layla, since I’m getting scolded anyway, can you teach me?”
“Teach you what?”
“Why I returned from the river that night.”
“….”
Layla stayed silent at that question, but soon pointed across the river without a hint of displeasure.
“There was a really famous bakery there, Edgar. But I never went while working at the company.”
“Why not?”
“It closed before I finished work. I got off at ten every day.”
Ah. Edgar closed his eyes and silently reflected.
Layla chuckled softly.
“Thinking about it, I suddenly felt like I’d missed out on so much. Funny, isn’t it?”
“….”
“I was still a little resentful, but the world had too many good things to get distracted by that.”
Layla stared at him.
She was no longer crying, but the sadness lingered.
She grieved that he had not struggled to survive, that he had not asked for help.
“If your life has good things like that… would you try to live stubbornly?”
“Maybe.”
“Then first, let’s find some delicious bread.”
“….”
“On the way back, look at the flowers, look at the sky. Take a day off and relax.”
“Haha.”
Edgar smiled reluctantly.
Layla, meanwhile, was growing anxious.
“We still need to deal with that artifact quickly… the wish…”
“It will stop working soon. Don’t worry.”
“Eh? How do you know?”
“You heard how you got out of the river.”
He had wanted to ask earlier but hadn’t.
“Because I didn’t want to fall for her any more than I already had.”
Whatever answer he got, he knew it would happen.
[I’ll grant your next wish.]
But the fake Layla kept her word.
Even though her life had been controlled by artifacts, this time it had been pretty okay.
The barrier around the excavation site disappeared.
Everyone caught in it had only fainted, thankfully.
Edgar realized there was no way to forcibly extend his life.
“I should at least prepare to say goodbye to those around me.”
But he had underestimated Layla.
“How does it feel to be my servant, Edgar?”
He looked at his body.
“Hmm, I don’t feel any different. Except the shadow is gone?”
Layla had bound him with a servant contract.
“To bind a near-death soul…”
No one had ever done that to a living human before.
[But a servant binds their soul to their master, right? Is it really impossible?]
Thanks to Layla’s desperate effort, the contract barely succeeded.
Now, Edgar felt no need for sleep or food.
“I can’t even die of old age.”
Layla was shocked by the extreme result, but he accepted it willingly.
On the day Layla died, his soul could sleep alongside hers.
Yet he was still surprised when she handed him the artifact with its light extinguished.
“And take this. I made sure it passed all safety tests.”
“Why…?”
“For you to have it.”
“Eh?”
“I told you to find what’s missing in your life, didn’t I?”
“….”
“Try wishing for that.”
Holding the small box, Edgar couldn’t say a word.
Of all people, he had picked someone he had loved from afar his entire life.
Still… he smiled.
“I’ll accept it gratefully, haha.”
“Ugh, you smile so easily after causing trouble.”
“But I’m your most loyal servant, Layla.”
Edgar whispered with a charming smile.
“I’ll serve you my whole life. Can you forgive me this once?”
“That’s enough. Let’s just say ‘subordinate’ for the modern age.”
Layla shook her head.
Edgar followed a step behind her, fiddling with the artifact in his hands.
If Layla were reborn, he hoped to meet her earlier, giving him the first chance.
“It might take a very long time with an artifact like this…”
But who knew? If he captured the starlight until his soul slept, maybe a miraculous chance could come.
<Edgar’s Story – The End>
