TAPED 61

Chapter 61

Silence weighed down the room, broken only by Ethan’s prayerful voice.

“You’re doing well. Just keep it steady.”

Oel handed over the freshly concocted potion to Hereis.

“Hereis, it’s your turn.”

Watching intently, Hereis took the potion into his mouth.

Then, he pressed his lips against Siena’s pale ones.

Even as he forced open her tightly shut lips and invaded her mouth, Siena neither pushed him away nor struggled.

It hurt—like his heart was being torn to shreds.

“Siena, Siena, please…”

The hand cupping her cheek trembled.

The desperate plea, even unspoken, was enough to still everyone’s tongue.

Moments later, when the last of the potion had been passed on, Hereis wiped the wetness from his lips and straightened.

“It’s done.”

“Well, that should be enough for now.”

At those words, Noah—who had kept back so as not to interfere—rushed forward to question Oel.

“Did it work? Siena—what’s her condition?”

“For now, we’ll say it worked. But there might be side effects, so I’ll stay at the manor for a while. Is that acceptable?”

“Please, I’d be grateful.”

After thanking Oel, Noah dropped to his knees and clasped Siena’s hand.

“Siena, you have to wake up soon.”

Wake up, so you can complain about how horribly painful this time was. Run away from home again, saying it’s suffocating to be cooped up inside all the time.

Scold Father for working outside while you’re sick.

So please…

“Noah, you must love and cherish Siena as much as Mother loved you.”

“When Father and Mother aren’t here, you’re Siena’s guardian. Understood? You must protect her. You promised Mother.”

He had promised—no matter what—to protect her.

“Siena, if you leave me too, just like Mother did… Father, and I…”

Noah stared at Siena’s pale face until he could no longer hold back and buried his face against her hand.

Watching him, Hereis turned his back coldly.

He had decided: he would kill the Frank family who had done this to Siena.

Kill them as painfully and miserably as she had suffered—only then would the torment inside him be eased.

“…Hereis.”

If not for that hoarse, choked voice holding him back, he surely would have acted.

“Do nothing. I understand your rage, but not yet.”

Hereis had noticed before: the young lord was frighteningly perceptive.

Even while consumed with worry for Siena, he still managed to catch on to Hereis’s intent.

“When Siena wakes, we’ll decide everything then.”

“…Fine. But I don’t know how long I can hold back.”

Suppressing the fury boiling inside him, Hereis left the room.

Ethan followed him out and caught him by the arm.

“Why did you let things get this far?”

Ethan’s eyes burned with anger and hostility, but beneath it all was a storm of worry for Siena.

Hereis gave a hollow laugh.

See, Siena? This is how it is. Even this bastard…

It drove him mad.

The impure look Ethan gave him. The way he called Siena’s name as if close to her. His concern for her. All of it.

Without Siena there to rein him in, he couldn’t keep himself in check.

“…I have no excuse.”

Still, Hereis forced down his temper.

Whatever else Ethan was, this had undeniably been his own failure.

“You think just saying you have no excuse makes it better? You always acted like you’d do anything to protect Siena, and this is what happens!”

The truth was, Ethan knew. This wasn’t really Hereis’s fault.

If anything, Hereis was probably more tormented than he was.

But his silence was unbearable.

“Hey! Don’t take it out on Hereis!”

Ban, who had followed after them, rushed in between.

Blood is thicker than water, and to Ban, it looked like Ethan was bullying Hereis unfairly.

“You keep out of it. Wasn’t it your fault to begin with?”

“What?”

“With your tainted aura hovering around her, is it any wonder Siena’s wasting away?”

“…You’re out of line.”

The tension between Ethan and Ban spiked, threatening to explode into a fight.

But Siena, the only one who could stop them, still lay unconscious.

Realizing that, the two only grew more agitated, raising their voices louder.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

It was Oel, emerging after tidying up, who stopped them.

“If you’re going to fight, take it far from here. The young lady needs absolute rest from now on.”

Chasing them off with sharp words, Oel turned to look at Hereis, who seemed half in a daze.

“What about you? Are you going back in?”

“No.”

Hereis shook his head quietly.

He wouldn’t intrude on Noah’s time, nor was there anything he could do.

All that was left for him was to wait.

Like a lost child, he stared blankly toward Siena’s room.

Two days had passed since Siena collapsed.

Throughout that time, Hereis hadn’t moved from her side.

Ban had tried to drag him away, Noah had pleaded with him—but all in vain.

It was as if he feared Siena would vanish the moment he looked away, clinging to her hand desperately.

In the end, everyone gave up trying to dissuade him.

“Her condition isn’t bad. Color’s returning to her face.”

As Oel said, Siena’s pallor was beginning to fade, her complexion improving.

“Then why hasn’t she woken up?”

“That depends on her will.”

“…”

“You should rest too. At this rate, you’ll collapse before she does.”

Oel’s rare words of concern were proof of how haggard Hereis looked.

But Hereis said nothing.

“…Honestly, if she saw the state you’re in, she’d scold you.”

Unable to break his stubbornness, Oel sighed and left the room.

Even then, Hereis stayed motionless, watching Siena.

“Siena, I got scolded just now. Guess I look awful.”

“…”

“Funny, isn’t it? How could I be fine when you’re like this?”

He reached out, brushing her cheek. Just as Oel said, warmth had returned to her skin.

Still, unease gnawed at him.

“That depends on her will.”

Oel’s words echoed in his mind.

“What kind of dream are you lost in, that you won’t wake up?”

His hand slid from her cheek to her lips, cracked and rough.

“You need to wake up soon and scold me for kissing you without permission.”

Hit him, curse him, even cast a spell to keep him away—it didn’t matter.

Hereis’s lips twisted into a faint, pained smile.

“So please, Siena… it’s time to wake up.”

Anxiety devoured him as he buried his face against her hand again.

“—”

Someone shook my shoulder. Half-asleep, I swatted at them, grumbling.

“Mm…”

“Wake up.”

“Just a little longer…”

“This is the last time. If you don’t wake now, I’ll cancel today’s lesson and leave.”

Lesson? What lesson?

My body was wrecked—I shouldn’t even be able to think about lessons.

Because I had coughed up blood and collapsed…

“Ah!”

My eyes flew open.

Startled, I bolted upright, and the hand tapping my shoulder withdrew.

Looking up, I saw Hereis, sighing as he pressed a hand to his forehead.

But… something was different.

His clothes?

He wasn’t in his usual shirt but wore strangely designed garments, layered with a robe.

Almost like… a mage.

Or is it his expression?

Not his usual lazy smile, but a cool, closed-off look. It was unfamiliar.

And maybe because of that, the man who had always seemed older and so composed looked suddenly younger.

I opened my mouth, intending to ask what was going on.

But what actually came out was something completely off.

“Ahem, when did you get here?”

“A while ago.”

“That’s odd. I only closed my eyes for a moment…”

“Wipe your drool before you talk.”

Startled, I wiped at my mouth. My hand came away damp, and my face burned.

What the—what’s going on?

My body moved on its own, ignoring my will.

Am I… dreaming?

If it were a lucid dream, I should be able to control myself. But no—it wasn’t like that.

And Hereis… he wasn’t the same either.

Such a strange dream.

“Sit up straight. Lesson’s starting.”

“…Okay.”

As I straightened my slouched body, my gaze flicked to the calendar on the wall—

And I nearly fainted.

[xxxx. x. xx]

It was 500 years in the past.