<8>
Edwin had a dream. A dream where he stood on a battlefield. In the dream, Edwin swung his holy sword, cutting down enemy soldiers. It had been a long time since he had used the holy sword, and Paccio ran wild on its own, slicing through the enemies’ necks and splitting their bellies.
After relentless effort, Edwin and the imperial army finally seized victory, raising their swords high and letting out a triumphant cheer. Ah, this must be the western border battlefield, Edwin thought.
Eventually, Edwin sheathed the holy sword and began moving on horseback toward where someone might be waiting. But as he and the imperial army crossed the mountains, a figure appeared to block their path. It was a dark mage Edwin thought he had killed, now standing right in front of him.
The dark mage smiled ominously and began chanting a spell. Edwin, who spotted him first, drew his sword and charged, stabbing straight at the mage. The mage abandoned his incantation and hastily conjured a barrier to block Edwin’s strike.
The sword bounced off the barrier and returned to Edwin, who clenched it tightly and prepared to thrust again. The dark mage quickly finished casting a spell and sneered cruelly. Then the mage’s hand stretched out toward the imperial army. Surprised, Edwin turned his head and saw the figure standing at the mage’s fingertips.
It was Arnold Perdo.
The Edwin of reality might have sacrificed a few to punish evil, but the Edwin in the dream was different.
He was desperate enough to throw himself to protect a knight of neither great skill nor close friendship. Even in a dream, it didn’t make sense. Why would I risk myself so desperately like this?
The thought was fleeting, as the dark magic struck Edwin full force, and he collapsed to the ground. Arnold was standing beside him. The space before him felt dark and oppressive. Though it was a dream, it felt disturbingly real.
Gasping for breath, Edwin muttered to Arnold:
“-P… please…”
The dark mage, observing this, gloated at his unexpected gain before quickly teleporting away. If he stayed any longer, the imperial mages might have killed him.
The dream shattered once more. All traces of it vanished from Edwin’s mind, leaving a sharp headache in its wake. He grimaced, muttering to himself, and opened his eyes.
“…Ah.”
A hoarse voice escaped. Edwin sat up and looked around. He was in his bedroom. For a moment, he was bewildered—why was he here? But soon, the memory of yesterday returned.
He remembered hastily returning from Count Perdo’s mansion to the duke’s residence without any recollection of how he got there. The bedroom he had returned to felt strangely unfamiliar, as if something were missing.
Edwin stared at his room for a long while before shaking his head. He couldn’t identify exactly what felt off. The unsettling dream left him in a sour mood. Rubbing his forehead, he stood up, crossed the bedroom, and flung open the door.
“Ah, my lord!”
“Ah, Theo.”
“This…! Truly, truly, my lord…! I’m so relieved, really relieved!”
It was his butler, Theo. Theo examined Edwin closely, letting out a sigh of relief. Edwin’s puzzled expression lingered at Theo’s overly joyful demeanor. But that quickly changed when Theo shoved a schedule into his face, forcing Edwin to take a sharp breath.
“Two days from now at noon, His Majesty the Emperor—”
Seeing the following events, Edwin frowned and waved his hand dismissively. Theo, reassured that Edwin was still his usual self, continued:
“By the way, my lord, when shall we set the wedding date? Miss Delcia will need time to prepare as well—”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking who I’m supposed to be engaged to. I have no memory of this at all.”
“…Huh?”
Theo’s mouth dropped open. He had assumed that because Edwin remembered him, he would surely remember Delcia too—Delcia being the most precious person to Edwin. He had nearly forgotten the phrase “memory loss” from the letter sent by Count Perdo.
Yet here was Edwin, who remembered insignificant things, claiming he didn’t know Delcia. Theo was too stunned to respond. The one erased from Edwin’s memory was none other than Delcia. Even considering it a joke seemed impossible; Edwin truly acted as if he didn’t know her.
The bright vitality that had always shone in Edwin’s eyes when he met Delcia—warm as spring sunlight—was completely absent.
“You… you don’t remember Miss Delcia?”
“…What?”
Theo’s voice rose. Edwin felt a mixture of fondness and repulsion at the name. The more he repeated it in his mind, the more excruciating his head became. Edwin shook his head, trying to dispel the pain.
“First, you’d better explain in detail why I was at Count Perdo’s mansion.”
Edwin narrowed his eyes as he asked. Theo had to wrestle with how to even begin answering, unsure of where to start.
Sunlight streamed through the transparent window, illuminating Delcia lying on the bed. When the dazzling rays touched her face, a large hand shaded her.
It was Count Perdo.
As soon as the morning sun rose, Count Perdo had rushed to Delcia’s room. Contrary to Vianna’s claim that she would wake soon, Delcia remained motionless past noon. The sight filled the Count with anxiety.
She must be hungry, but was she delayed because of something in her dreams? Count Perdo’s lips trembled. An inexplicable unease coursed through his body.
No matter how he tried, simply seeing Delcia’s pale face did not dispel the anxiety. If he had known this would happen, he would have intervened earlier—or given his own heart if necessary. Watching his beloved daughter lie as if dead was unbearable.
He refused to think of the witch’s words, that living even a year was a miracle. Could it be true that his precious daughter was again given a limited lifespan, that she might fade in less than a year?
Tears slid down Count Perdo’s cheeks. The shadow over Delcia’s face wavered slightly. He desperately tried to swallow his sobs, but the sound came out in strangled gasps, filling the room.
His daughter, the apple of his eye, who had always brought him joy—his happiness.
“Why… why are you like this? Delci… If I had known… I would have—”
He would have refused the request for nails and hair. If he had doubted Delcia based on Arnold’s warning, he wouldn’t be facing this disaster.
His unfinished words fell into his throat. No metallic voice, no matter how sharp, could wake her. Count Perdo’s heart sank. Had he ever felt such resentment toward her perfectly serene face? Such hatred toward her sleeping visage?
His legs buckled. His vision blurred as he gazed at Delcia. Through the mist, her pale complexion showed. He trembled as he stroked her hair, the ivory strands swaying gently under his touch.
The child who had smiled at him, even at this touch until recently, now lay completely unresponsive.
“Delci, open your eyes. How long are you going to make me worry?”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Father, are you here?”
Count Perdo hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks. No matter how distraught he was, he would not let his son see him collapse.
“…Come in.”
Arnold entered, his eyes darkened by sleeplessness, the result of worry over Delcia and self-reproach. Seeing Delcia still lying there, he sighed quietly.
She remained exactly as she had been in the morning. Arnold, standing by the window opposite Count Perdo, looked at her pale face with a wry smile.
“…She looks just like the sleeping princess from the fairy tales I read as a child.”
“Indeed…”
“Even if she’s in a deep sleep, and even if she fancies Duke Adelio… still…”
His idle chatter became a small lament.
“Better that she scold me, better that she demand my heart…”
“…Arnold.”
“I gave it to her… without complaint, I gave it…”
Even his small pangs of resentment were turned inward. Arnold grasped Delcia’s hand lying on the bed, despair washing over him. Pain and guilt flashed repeatedly through his blank pupils.
After a long while, he noticed Delcia moving. She frowned, shifted, and finally opened her eyes.
“De… Delci! Are you… feeling any discomfort?”
“Delcia, are you alright?”
Count Perdo and Arnold asked simultaneously, anxiously. Delcia, blinking slowly as she assessed the situation, let out a faint whimper, seeing her family’s faces. Her newly opened eyes reflected both despair and relief.
Delcia blinked deliberately, frowning at the brightness of the room. She felt as if she had just woken from a long sleep. After sending Edwin away, how long had she truly slept?
Gasping and clutching her chest, she struggled to sit up.
“Ha… haah…”
Panting, gripping her chest, Delcia looked at her family with a pale face. The eyes watching her were filled with fear.
