“How’s Selena?”

Aiden silently observed the uninvited guest who arrived early in the morning.

Swollen-eyed Aiden and clean-faced Lucas stood side by side, the heavy air looming over their shoulders.

“Your face says it all.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Did something happen to Selena?”

Aiden remained silent, his closed lips trembling. His eyes, which had just calmed, reddened again. Lucas’ lips twisted at the simple yet significant change in expression.

“Talk.”

“I can’t talk.”

“I was the one who sent you to Selena.”

“Yes, I went there.”

At the continuing conversation, Lucas burst into laughter. His mouth, curved into a smile, firmly shut.

Lucas reached out and grabbed Aiden’s collar and pulled him closer. Their gazes clashed at close range.

“Stop joking and talk.”

“I can’t. I can’t say anything.”

Lucas’ throat emitted a growl of suppressed anger. Despite the furious gaze, Aiden was unfazed.

He simply repeated his resolve to keep silent.

“….Keeping silent forever isn’t always good. If something happens, you need to tell the truth.”

“If the truth is not meant to be revealed, it should be kept secret.”

“You’re not just any wizard. You’re affiliated with the Duchy, Selena’s guardian wizard. If something happened to her, you have a duty to report it to the Duke.”

To Lucas, Aiden’s eyes appeared empty. Even when his collar was grabbed, he remained composed, like someone who had seen it all.

Lucas didn’t like that one bit.

Aiden slowly raised his hand and gripped the wrist holding his collar.

“Before I am the Miss’ guard, before I am her wizard… I am a person. Something Miss doesn’t want, something that person doesn’t want… I have no intention of uttering a single word.”

Lucas slowly released his grip on Aiden’s collar. The crumpled white shirt remained creased. Looking at the wrinkled fabric, Lucas brushed past Aiden.

He headed to the window, where curtains covered the view.

As he drew the curtains, the dim light of dawn flooded the room. Lucas stood with his back to the light and stared at Aiden.

Aiden had followed Lucas’ movement and naturally met his eyes.

“I used to hate sunsets. My mother passed away at sunset. Is this incident similar? Will I start hating another time of day… to the extent that it’s severe?”

Lucas nodded in the silence that followed.

A smile formed at the corners of his mouth. As usual, it was a carefree one.

However, the tension in his hands showed that he was different than usual.

He walked slowly at first, then gradually quickened his pace. The fast footsteps seemed as if he were being chased or chasing something.

By the time he grabbed the doorknob, his breath was rough.

With actions as rough as his breathing, Lucas flung open the door and paused to look at Aiden.

Aiden stood with his back to him. His usually straight posture seemed smaller today. Like a dog drenched in the rain.

With his lips firmly sealed, Lucas left the room without a word.

Thud, the loud noise made Aiden turn his head toward the door.

Then, he slumped back into his spot.

The tears he had managed to forestall began to flow again. He was indeed a crybaby, just as he thought.

Yes, just for today. Not more, not less, just today.

Aiden’s sobs filled the room.

* * *

I leaned deeply into the chair. On the desk lay the wish list.

Why, isn’t it a complete mess already?

1. I want to go on a trip. I want to go to the lakeside with my family and loved ones. (△)

2. Have a funeral photo (or picture). (△)

3. Say my farewell words to my family in person. ( )

4. Make friends. (O)

5. Don’t say it. (X)

Looking through it, it was really a mess.

A day had passed since the trip, which had ended ambiguously. Now, the fourth petal was about to bloom.

In other words, the time to tell the truth to my family was approaching.

Originally, I planned to tell them at the fifth petal… but seeing how exhausting it is now, keeping quiet until the fifth seemed impossible.

“Let’s ditch this list.”

I muttered softly and then carefully folded the paper, hiding it deep in the bottom drawer.

“What are you doing, Miss?”

“Something pointless.”

Since yesterday, or rather, since we returned home, Aiden started staying in my room.

Though Jane seemed somewhat perplexed, she nodded and accepted it when I said I had permitted it.

‘You two match well!’

She left the room seemingly excited after uttering those cryptic words.

No, actually, I understood her. That sly Jane.

“Would you like a cup of warm tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Soon, Aiden brought the tea and poured it into my cup. The steam rising was a pleasant sight.

Looking at the beautiful teacup, I felt the urge to sit properly at the tea table and enjoy my drink.

As I carefully lifted the cup, Aiden chuckled. Apparently, my trembling fingers looked amusing.

Oh, this.

When I glanced at him, Aiden tilted his head slightly and flashed a grin. As always, he was too pretty to be mad at.

I burst into laughter along with him, and Aiden took the teacup from my hand.

“Aiden.”

“Yes?”

Aiden sat opposite me.

He poured the same tea into a similar teacup, his large hands fiddling with the cup.

“Do you really not regret it?”

My question made Aiden’s hand stop. His smile stopped too, the corners of his mouth faintly drooping.

A stern light flickered in his tender eyes.

“Miss, let’s not think about that.”

It was a sincere heart carried in a serious voice.

When I tapped the table with my fingertips, Aiden reached out and intertwined his fingers with mine. Looking at our interlocked fingers, then lifting my gaze to meet his eyes.

“Let’s just focus on now, Miss.”

Just now… just now.

“Alright, let’s do that. Let’s just focus on the present.”

Time flows, moments pass, and the future is set.

Every minute and every second is too precious. So, we must only think of the present.

“By the way, Aiden. So, does this mean we’re dating now?”

I asked while fidgeting with our interlocked hands. Aiden’s gaze wandered from our hands to the air for a moment.

What’s this reaction?

“Aiden?”

As I called his name, Aiden blinked widely.

Like an innocent child.

“If I haven’t given you an answer yet, we’re not lovers, are we?”

His response was far from innocent.

“What? But you confessed first.”

Aiden’s lips curled up slightly, and he pouted. Chuckling at his playful expression, I saw Aiden shrug his shoulders casually.

“I was rejected, so that confession ended there. Now… I was confessed to, wasn’t I?”

“Huh, something feels off about this logic.”

“No, it sounds perfectly normal to me.”

“No, it doesn’t. It sounds quite strange to my ears.”

As I shook my head and released our interlocked hands, Aiden let go without any hesitation.

Ha, what’s happening right now?

Astonished by the loss of warmth, I saw Aiden shrug again. He seemed quite pleased with himself and continuously shrugged his shoulders.

“Stop that shrugging.”

“Why? It’s a habit of someone I like.”

His brazen reply made me burst into laughter.

Laughter erupted, and my body was shaking. I reached out my hand to him, and Aiden didn’t hesitate to intertwine his fingers with mine again.

Letting go without hesitation, and now grasping without hesitation?

“I really can’t figure you out. So, what’s your answer?”

Aiden remained silent. A smile lingered at the corners of his closed mouth.

What unbelievable response is he preparing now?

Just as I thought this, Aiden pulled our clasped hands toward him.

Simultaneously, his lips touched the back of my hand. His round, white eyes were mischievously attractive.

Where on earth did he learn such a thing?

My jaw heated up.

* * *

That night, before Aiden left the room, the fourth petal began to bloom.

I resented the petal blooming without any warning. I didn’t want to show my suffering self to the one I liked.

Remembering how miserable I was when the third petal bloomed, I just wanted to leave only good memories… But soon, such thoughts disappeared from my mind.

My mind was filled with nothing but pain, pain, and more pain.

“Uuhh…”

As I groaned in agony, Aiden swiftly came to my side and placed his hand on my forehead.

“Miss, are you alright, Miss?”

I shook my head at his quiet voice.

It was far from alright. I could never get used to the pain tearing through my flesh.

As I writhed in distress, Aiden held me in his arms. I was always struggling alone in the cold room.

I had to endure it alone.

But now, the warmth that reached me was immensely comforting.

I buried my head in Aiden’s arms, desperately clinging to him. Yet the pain did not subside. As my moans continued, Aiden loosened his grip.

“Miss, I’ll go fetch Priest Ian. Just wait, just wait for a moment, I’ll be back quickly, so just hold on.”

He was about to leave me.

No, don’t. I don’t want it.

More than the pain, I dreaded being left alone. Being left alone to wait for him, floundering like a fish out of water in this vast room.

As Aiden tried to step away, I clutched his arm with all the strength I had left.

My nails dug into his flesh, but in my panicked state, I didn’t notice.

Just don’t go…. Was all I could think.

* * *

“No, don’t. Don’t go….don’t go. Uh-huk… Aiden. Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone.”

Aiden looked at Selena, who was desperately clinging to him.

It felt like his mind was going blank.

She had been so happy during the day, but the happiness was far too fleeting.

A happiness that couldn’t last even a day.

Had the Miss always been like this? Suffering alone, in pain alone.

Logically, the right thing to do would have been to separate himself from the Miss and call for Priest Ian. But…

“Uh..No. Don’t go. Don’t go.”

How could he leave someone who was clinging to him so desperately, someone so terrified of being alone?

He remembered the day she sat precariously by the window, her hair fluttering in the wind. Her sky-blue hair billowing in the breeze. That day, she apologized to him with a cloudy expression.

He still regretted that day.

For not taking one more step toward the Miss who was sitting so precariously alone. Despite the kind consolation that it wasn’t his fault, the deep regret never fully faded.

Today felt just like that day.

This moment felt just like that moment.

Aiden bit his lower lip. Blood oozed from the punctured flesh.

“I won’t go. I’ll stay here. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”

Aiden’s voice was filled with sorrow.

Pushing aside his own sadness, his gentle voice only comforted Selena.

* * *

“Uh… don’t go. Don’t go… cough, cough… cough…”

Despite Aiden’s promise to stay, Selena kept twisting her body and clutching onto him. Suddenly, her body heaved violently.

“Miss? Miss!”

“Uuhk…”

Selena vomited blood. The amount of blood gushing from her mouth was substantial.

The sight of bright red blood soaking his arms turned Aiden’s mind red, then blue, and finally, stark white.

The blood flowed relentlessly. Selena was soaked in red.

“Miss… Miss!”

“Uuuhh…” Selena let out a stifled groan.

Her quivering body convulsed violently.

As the convulsions subsided, Selena’s hollow eyes met Aiden’s.

Though her lips didn’t open, it was as if she spoke.

‘I’m scared.’

And then, her eyes closed.

Her limp body was drenched in sweat. The cold sweat rapidly cooled her body.

Feeling the weight of Selena’s body slumped in his arms, Aiden stiffened.

“Mi….Miss…?”

Aiden stammered and called Selena. Her body was motionless. Slowly, he bent down and placed his ear against Selena’s neck.

Thump, thump, thump.

The faint heartbeat reassured Aiden that Selena was still alive.

“Haa… ha… haa…”

Aiden breathed raggedly and held Selena tightly.

He slowly rose to his feet.

Covering her blood-stained figure with a blanket from the sofa, he moved sluggishly to the door and grasped the doorknob.

“Come … come to your senses.”

The source of magic is… the mind and… concentration.

Muttering to himself, Aiden turned the doorknob. He opened the door and arrived at the door of Ian’s room on the first floor.

“Priest.”

Holding the cold Selena in his arms, he called out to Ian like a child searching for their parents.

Inside the quiet mansion, he held back, held back, and held back again, the urge to cry and knock on the door in case someone would notice.

“Priest. Priest… Pri… Priest.”

His calling voice was filled with tears.

 

__