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1660-chapter-160

That summer, after we awoke from our long sleep, my brother and Princess Ariel held their wedding.

Watching the happy couple walk down the aisle, I was grateful that I hadn’t woken up too late.

Seeing them wave enthusiastically in my direction, so full of joy, made me wonder.

‘Had I not awakened this spring… would they have kept postponing their wedding until I did?’

Such a possibility seemed likely with my brother who dotes on his younger sister foolishly, and Princess Ariel, the benevolently foolish female lead of the novel. It was entirely plausible.

They would wait another year or two.

Hoping to have their sister open her eyes and applaud at their wedding.

‘Actually, we were planning to delay our wedding until Selena woke up.’

Princess Ariel confessed shyly after the ceremony, before they left for their honeymoon. Her confession pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

I couldn’t help but laugh at my sister-in-law’s sincere face and shy smile.

‘They might have ended up getting married as an elderly couple if I hadn’t woken earlier.’

Looking back, I am extremely grateful I woke when I did.

Because I woke up early, they were able to marry early, and thanks to that, I got to meet my adorable niece much earlier.

Despite the chill of the early dawn air, my heart felt warm. Just thinking of that family warmed me up.

‘And…. after the summer wedding of my brother…’

Came autumn, when Aiden and I got engaged.

I carefully spread my hand to ensure the bed didn’t shake. The thin silver ring with a blue sapphire sparkled on my finger, a gift from our father for our engagement.

Peeking through the sheets, Aiden’s hand had a similar ring gleaming in the light. Slowly, I reached out to place my hand next to his.

Our hands fit well together.

I secretly cherished this thought, recalling that autumn day of our engagement.

There had been no objection from our families regarding our engagement. In a way…. it was unexpected yet perfectly natural.

Although Aiden was a servant, he had become a remarkable wizard and my lifesaver.

Ordinary people do not chase after their loved ones into the realm of death.

Perhaps they were moved by that. I would be moved, too.

Oh, our lovely Aiden.

Father, mother, and brother each warmly hugged Aiden on the day of our engagement.

‘If you ever make Selena cry… it’ll cost you your life.’

Despite their warm gestures, a hint of coldness seemed to resonate.

I awkwardly looked at the sky, reminded of the day I had threatened to tear out Aiden’s tongue when we first met.

Faced with such semi-threatening remarks from my family, Aiden had looked pale before confidently nodding.

‘If Miss Selena ever has to cry, I shall cry in her stead.’

He made such a bold statement effortlessly.

I shook my head vigorously as I observed the serious faces of my family.

Was I the only one whose ears burned that day at that place? That question still remains unanswered.

Holding the hand of the one who warmed my ears, we promised each other a future that would someday come.

And then… winter arrived.

A fierce winter with rattling windows. The chill made the body shudder.

Just like the day we had fallen asleep.

An odd tension lingered in the mansion. Black magic had vanished, and though we knew all misfortunes were past, we couldn’t help feeling on edge.

Indeed, everyone was overly concerned.

Well, I was no different as I stood straight and nervous.

The tension finally lifted after we held a long-postponed New Year’s celebration.

It was a joyful gathering with only close nobles invited, free from any pretense.

Under the bright lights, surrounded by festive decorations, delicious food, and cheerful people, the once somber mansion was lively once more. We welcomed the new year with joy, a stark difference from the year before.

Finally, the mansion seemed to relax and go with the flow of time. Grateful for a peaceful year past and welcoming the new one.

And so, the seasons cycled through—spring arrived, followed by summer, autumn, and winter.

This February, I turned 22. It marked one year before 23, when Selena in the original story met her untimely death.

Despite the original story’s death just one year away, my life went on as usual.

After all, her death at 23 had been due to a sudden, rare disease—an unexpected and abrupt ending. Given that, it was only natural that I felt fine for now. Plus…

‘Destined to die at 23 or not, it’s as if that fate has been twisted.’

I faintly remembered Eunji’s words that gave me some reassurance.

Could it be that I could continue to live? Not having to leave behind my beloved family and lover. Could I continue this smooth life after next year?

Ever since my 22nd birthday, this issue has been a constant source of my troubled mind.

I might not show it on the outside, but the slight turmoil was gradually eating away at my peace of mind.

Why is it that everyone else’s worries seem trivial, yet I always find myself grappling with thoughts of death and survival?

This made me have many sleepless nights.

Until last year, it had been routine for Aiden to wake up first and watch over me, but since last month, I found myself waking up at dawn to watch him sleep—it had become my new routine.

I pressed heavily on my eyelids with tired hands and then let go.

Unlike me, Aiden’s face looked utterly peaceful as he breathed softly in sleep.

I loved this face. Just looking at him brought peace to my heart.

“It’s okay.”

His voice, almost like a pain reliever, naturally came to mind with his handsome face.

It provided some comfort on this tired and drowsy morning.

“Aiden…”

My savior who saved me from death.

I hope he can save me again, but perhaps that’s asking too much.

I muttered softly to myself before closing my eyes again.

Some time might have passed, and I seemed to have dozed off.

Sitting up against the bed in a rather uncomfortable position, but it was more comforting than the restless sleep I usually had alone with my troubled thoughts.

I only opened my eyes when bright sunlight hit my face.

Golden sunlight poured in through the parted curtains. I squinted as the light hit my eyelids, and just as I grimaced, the bright light above my face disappeared.

What happened… had it suddenly become night?

While thinking such absurd thoughts in my groggy mind, I slowly opened my eyes. Through my blurred vision, I could see someone’s hand. It didn’t take long to know whose hand it was.

“Aiden…?”

“Are you awake, Miss?”

His hand shielding the light and his voice were even more tender.

I nodded slowly and checked my condition. I had come to see Aiden wake up, but somehow, I had ended up in his bed.

Aiden had been soundly asleep until a moment ago yet was now neatly dressed and sitting beside me.

“You seemed tired, so I didn’t wake you.”

As if he had read my thoughts, Aiden spoke. A warm hand brushed my forehead.

I shivered slightly, and with a gentle smile, he tucked my disheveled hair behind my ear.

I stared blankly at him and then, like a child resisting sleep, covered my eyes with his hand.

“Yes, I’m tired.”

“Do you have any worries?”

Worries… Well, yes. A lot of them. But how could I discuss these things with you? To talk about them would mean mentioning death again.

No, it’s not just about that.

If I start talking about this issue, I’d also have to explain about what’s causing this ‘death’—what would I even say?

‘I’ve actually read about this world, and in the original story, I die in a year.’

Or maybe,

‘I’m worried about whether I’ll be alive in a year.’

Either way, it sounds bizarre.

As I fumbled with my words, I suddenly felt like I might cry from the warmth covering my eyes.

Oh, I was just so tired. It was exhausting to feel chased by death when happiness felt so good.

“About our marriage…”

Aiden’s hand twitched significantly at the mention of marriage. He probably didn’t expect me to bring it up, as it was the first time I had mentioned marriage in front of him.

Actually, I was surprised, too. This was just something I blurted out impulsively due to my sudden emotional state at dawn, not something I had planned to discuss.

It’s been almost two years since we got engaged. It’s common for other nobles to marry within a year of engagement, so our engagement period is relatively long.

In other words, it was time for marriage to be a reasonable topic.

My parents seemed to think so too, occasionally asking about my intentions, much like the princess did yesterday.

For me… well, marriage is fine.

After all, we’re going to live in an annex in the backyard after we get married, so we won’t be far from my parents… and spending whole days with Aiden seems quite satisfying.

If we were married, we wouldn’t have to mind others and could be together day and night.

If we could just live happily together for a long time, I wouldn’t mind getting married right away. But the usual problem was whether we would ‘live happily for a long time.’

Especially the ‘for a long time’ part.

Every time I woke up from death, my feelings for my loved ones grew stronger.

Over the years, my fear of death grew and the longing for life increased.

To me, the lifespan set in the original story felt like invisible shackles, and so I had subconsciously and consciously refrained from bringing up marriage to Aiden.

If I married him out of my own greed and then died early, how devastated would he be….That thought held me back.

Aiden was quick to notice and simply played along with my pace.

Pretending not to know even though he did. When marriage was mentioned by others, he’d awkwardly smile and quickly change the subject.

I wondered what that felt like.

What kind of feelings must he harbor, avoiding imagining the future for the sake of a partner who shies away from talking about marriage?

I clenched my hands tightly. The thought that Aiden might be as tired as I was crossed my mind.

I couldn’t tell him all the truth, but I wanted to explain that my avoidance of marriage talk wasn’t due to a lack of love but for other reasons.

“The truth is… I don’t want to have children.”

So, I brought up what sounded like an excuse. It wasn’t entirely an excuse, though.

It was a genuine sentiment I’d always had, and this truth was indeed a stumbling block for our marriage.

I slowly took Aiden’s hand from my eyes with both of my hands and lowered it.

The warmth disappeared, and my view cleared. Aiden was looking down at me, his eyes wide with a bit of surprise.

“Did you not know that?”

As I quietly asked, Aiden quickly shook his head, looking quite taken aback.

What was he startled about?

Was it my statement about not wanting to have children?

Or was it my direct question?

I hoped it was the latter.

 

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