A mysterious disease.

In her original world, Hana had been dying of organ failure as her body was aging. There was no known cure. As she continued living here, she couldn’t stop wondering.

When she first heard about Weed’s condition from the priests, she had the same thought.

The divine disease was described as one that desiccates people and steals their life span. Her suspicions became convictions when she saw the princess brought by Kalden. Witnessing her condition firsthand, she was inevitably shocked.

“What…am I…? Why am I afflicted with this divine disease? Why am I even here?”

Outwardly, her condition didn’t seem exactly the same as Inis’s. But the nature of the disease was too similar to deny.

Hana believed this mysterious illness, which modern medicine from her world couldn’t identify, was indeed the divine disease. She could maintain her composure in front of Kalden but not in front of Void.

…A disease causing aging, either in parts of the body or the whole body.

Inis had a problem with her entire body, and Kalden with one arm. Perhaps the reach of the divine disease varies. And clearly, Hana herself had developed a problem with her organs.

“What does it mean to be ‘unworthy’? I…don’t understand…”

Such thinking was surely a leap. The claim was that those who are unworthy and try to live in this place will face a backlash. This idea came from that statement but was undoubtedly a reach.

Hadn’t she lived exactly like that? Hadn’t she experienced such a backlash?

Hana grew up with people who were not her biological parents. It was speculated that there had been a mix-up with the babies at the hospital. However, ultimately, her parents didn’t find their biological child, nor did Hana find her biological parents.

The makeshift family she was placed with quickly fell apart.

Hana endured and endured until she was left to live with her grandmother, whom she considered her only family. Yet society scorned her, saying a dark-haired beast like her shouldn’t be taken in.

Even though she truly regarded them as family, nothing changed.

Hana filled a role that should have belonged to someone else one by one. She grew up hearing resentment that she had ruined a family that could have been happy and that her illness was a consequence of this.

“Are you saying I never belonged there?”

“Hmm.”

Void did not respond. Perhaps Hana had exceeded the limits of the answers he was willing to provide, or maybe her leap of logic was too great to give a response to. Yet Hana continued to press him as if venting her resentment.

“So where do I belong? Who are my real parents?”

She knew it was a reach. She had been managing her emotions up until now, not letting them bother her. Still, why did these insignificant memories shake her so deeply now?

Tears finally broke from Hana.

The reason she wanted to understand the divine disease was solely for this.

Could there be a possibility that the divine disease would resolve without her having to sacrifice herself? Could she live a long life with Weed?

After seeing the princess improve from consuming her blood, she had hoped it was possible. Even if it meant enduring pain to continuously give her blood for Weed, she felt she could do it. But if, as Void suggested, this world itself demanded a price, then there was only one way to cure the divine disease.

“Me… what am I, really? Can my sacrifice actually resolve the divine disease? Can it save Weed?”

Void nodded to that question, even showing kindness by bending down to wipe her tears.

“Such as you? Is there anyone more noble than you in this world? It will be resolved. All that is needed is the final price. And there isn’t much time left.”

“Not much time left…?”

“The world is nearly complete. Soon, even those life forms currently suffering under the influence of the void will be able to live.”

“So the only way to cure the divine disease is that?”

Void nodded again.

Hana bit her lip and asked in a fleeting voice.

“Can I… can I not stay here and live longer, even with this disease?”

“Do you still cling to that body? Do you want to live longer? Well, there is a way.”

Hana tried to have a glimmer of hope, though she felt she shouldn’t. Predictably, this fleeting hope was shattered by Void’s following words.

“The last life can be paid by him. One with golden eyes like yours. No problem. His lifespan is also…”

Tears moistened her fluttering eyelashes as Void’s finger touched them.

With a face identical to Weed’s, he displayed a gentle smile that Weed would never show. Void was referring to Weed. Hana laughed hollowly. She wanted to heal Weed’s divine disease to stay with him longer, but to do so, it seemed she would have to end his life.

Moreover…

Her voice trembled relentlessly.

“…What about his lifespan?”

Void fell silent. He swallowed the rest of his words, but Hana could guess what he was about to say.

As he had indicated, there wasn’t much time left. She had hoped at least to fulfill a human lifespan. It meant that they couldn’t even continue as they were.

“…That’s impossible.”

Hana swatted away his hand. Void looked at his rejected hand for a moment, then quickly asked Hana with an unreadable expression.

“What are you still clinging to in this world?”

Hana was at a loss for words. She didn’t understand the question.

Void continued in his ever-flat, monotone voice. The question he had repeated throughout their encounters.

“At first, I thought it was resentment. So, I cut off the breath of that bastard who was making your life miserable. Didn’t he especially devastate your life? Didn’t you suffer because you couldn’t be there for the deathbed of the one person you considered family, because of him? Didn’t you say you wanted him dead? So, I thought it was over. I thought everything was finished, and I called you. But it wasn’t that. What is it? What keeps you holding on to this world?”

Void shot back sharply. Why hadn’t she died yet? What was she clinging to in such a worthless life? Those were his questions.

“Or is there something else you’re curious about? Do you want to know who your real parents are? What do you want to know? If I answer, will you come to me? What do I need to do to cut off your lingering human attachments?”

Hana shook her head vehemently, tears streaming down her face. What lingering feelings does she have? She didn’t know. She couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t ready to die. What was the issue?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. Her heart felt unbearably heavy.

Hana just let the tears fall without a word. A groan slipped through her clenched teeth. It felt like her emotions would overwhelm her and lead her to sob uncontrollably.

“Please answer me.”

Hana couldn’t respond.

She had taken his conditions too lightly, thinking she could answer anything. But the questions he asked were ones not even she knew the answers to.

What lingering feelings did she have? It was a question she couldn’t answer at that moment.

‘Why am I still alive?’

Hana whimpered and swallowed her sobs.

Void did not press her further. He quietly waited for an answer, and Hana found herself unable to speak.

[ …Hana? ]

His voice, sweet as if to comfort her, echoed in the air.

[ Oh no, are you hurting? Why are you crying… ]

Suddenly, there was a hint of confusion in Weed’s voice. Hana began to regain her senses. The dark figure that resembled Weed frowned, seemingly displeased. Their private conversation in this dream-like world was falling apart.

Void bowed his head. It seemed as if he was saying, ‘Call me anytime.’

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