“Great Spirit’s relic?”

That… was a very precious artifact that had been passed down in the royal family. The fact that Owen possessed such an item meant… King Roderick had given it to the Everett family.

Damn King Roderick. He had been causing trouble for the world until his death.

“Everything you need is here, Lily. You’ll be staying here with me from now on, until you’re completely tamed by me.”

“….”

This bastard… Upon closer inspection, his eyes were peculiar. It was expected, given his vision was impaired. He looked as if he had gone insane… probably because of the mental blow I had delivered using Somnia’s power.

‘So, he chose to abandon the battlefield and kidnap me… because of this, the battle will be a complete victory for the Alliance. I wonder if this will turn out to be fortunate or unfortunate.’

Perhaps by now, Theodore has realized that I’ve disappeared… Will he come to rescue me, even if it means leaving the battlefield?

…..I don’t know. What’s certain is that it will be difficult for Theodore to pinpoint this location quickly. It will likely take at least three days for him to find this place.

During that time, I have no idea what Owen might do to me. So instead of waiting for someone else to rescue me, I need to come up with a plan and rely on my own strength.

“…..So, are you thinking about Theodore Valentino?”

Owen asked, gripping my chin painfully, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

“You’re so transparent. Your eyes change when you think about that guy, even though you try to appear indifferent.”

I was a little surprised by his words. Owen was one of the people who knew me too well, despite how unpleasant that was. If my eyes showed it so clearly, then it must be true.

…Well, I couldn’t help it. Theodore was the man I had first fallen in love with, and it might not be easy to completely erase the lingering emotions from that time.

“Don’t make me angry, Lily. I could easily strangle you right now.”

“….”

Did he think that was a threat? I almost laughed at that. I wasn’t afraid of dying. What truly scared me was becoming someone other than myself.

“I need some rest.”

“What?”

I said abruptly, and Owen furrowed his brows in annoyance. I didn’t care about his reaction and lay down on the couch. With my eyes closed, I added,

“At this rate, considering my current state, I might just die on my own. I mean, I’m practically dead already. I’m going to get some rest.”

I heard Owen chuckle softly. I ignored his reaction and made an effort to actually fall asleep. If it was difficult to communicate with Somnia in the real world, then I had no choice but to enter the dream realm. But for that, I needed to sleep.

‘Please, Somnia, if you can hear me, lead me into a dream.’

— Simply sleeping wouldn’t be enough. You had to dream.

Somnia’s faint response seemed to reach me, and soon I gently sank into a shallow slumber.

— Lily, Lily!

Somnia’s voice calling my name woke me up. I suddenly realized that I had entered a dream.

It worked. Thank goodness.

— Lily, can you hear my voice? Ugh, I thought I was going to suffocate!

I felt Somnia’s comforting presence enveloping me. I smiled faintly and replied.

‘I was so frustrated because we couldn’t connect. I’m grateful that we can at least talk in the dream. Somnia, is there any way to temporarily lift the restraint on you by the Great Spirit?’

To defeat Owen and escape safely, breaking the relic alone wouldn’t be enough. Somnia needed to be free from the restraint, so she could use her power without limitations.

The problem was whether there was a way to do that…

— Well…. It’s not that there is no way…

‘A way? What is it?’

Somnia hesitated with an uneasy tone. While I didn’t fully understand, it seemed like the method was quite tricky.

— I need to meet the Great Spirit and ask for a brief release from restraint. But… I can’t be sure if the old man will grant my request.

Somnia muttered uncertainly. The way she referred to the Great Spirit as ‘old man’ was quite intriguing. From a human perspective, the Great Spirit was an enigmatic entity, but did it feel more like a wise elder to the spirits?

After contemplating for a moment, I suddenly proposed a solution.

‘What if, instead of you, I meet the Great Spirit and make the request?’

— What…? You?

‘Yes. Once the Great Spirit knows my circumstances in detail, it might show mercy and grant my request.’

— Well, the Great Spirit is a mysterious entity, even to us spirits… But yes, at this moment…, it’s worth a try. Okay.

‘…?’

Somnia sometimes said enigmatic things like that. Perhaps it was because she was a dream spirit that traversed all timeframes. She often felt like a close friend, but occasionally, she seemed distant and mysterious.

__