Prologue
“Hu.. Lady Grace…”
“Ukh… Huhuh…”
In a room that is not flashy but luxurious,
A group of people had gathered around a woman in her late twenties lying on a pure white bed.
Sadness filled their faces. Those with red eyes were silently shedding tears.
“Lady Grace, please come to your senses! Please! Open your eyes!”
“…My disciple.”
“Yes, yes! Master!”
“It hurts my ears.”
“Huh?”
“It hurts my ears. Stop yelling, you fool…”
And she had been awake for a while now! Her eyes had been open all along!
Her complexion was pale, lacking any color, and her body was emaciated to the bone.
In contrast, the voice flowing from the woman’s mouth was very clear.
“Ah…”
At that moment, seeing the dazed expression of her prized disciple, Grace clicked her tongue lightly.
Who would believe that the face that seemed to have just entered her late teens actually belonged to a woman in her late twenties?
Is that why? Despite being much older than her, she felt uneasy about leaving things to him.
“Enoch.”
“Yes, Master.”
At Grace’s gentle call, tears welled up in Enoch’s eyes once again.
It hurt to realize that there wasn’t much time left until he would no longer hear his name from her lips.
But he couldn’t show such a foolish appearance at the moment of his master’s departure.
He hurriedly took off his round glasses and wiped his eyes repeatedly.
Grace clicked her tongue again at him.
At this rate, he would start sniffling too.
When she lightly nodded her hand, Enoch quickly moved closer.
“Where’s Kai?”
“Ah, that… I think Lord Kainel has already received the news by now.”
As soon as the name Kai was mentioned, Enoch’s complexion visibly paled.
“But, Master. Is it really okay to inform him this late? Shouldn’t we have told him earlier…?”
“If he had known earlier, it would’ve only caused unnecessary trouble.”
This is for the best.
Even she, who had known Kainel for a long time, couldn’t guess what he might do once he found out she was in this condition.
‘If he doesn’t go off trying to slay a dragon and feed me its blood, it’ll be a miracle.’
Just thinking about it was exhausting.
“But he will be very upset…”
“Enoch.”
“Yes, Master.”
With a gesture to come closer, he brought his ear close to her face.
Was there something secretive she wanted to say?
“When Kai comes…”
“Yes.”
“Run.”
“…Huh?”
“You know his personality, right?”
“……”
Kainel’s personality…
Enoch couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Take the others and run.”
“Ah, understood!”
Grace let out a sigh and looked at her disciple with concern.
In front of her, he acted like a docile lamb, but she recalled how he was a ferocious wolf to others.
Especially Kainel. He was the type of person who would punish them all just because he believed they had failed to properly serve his master.
“Of course, no matter how bad that guy’s personality is, he wouldn’t kill you…”
“…….”
“…Just run.”
“Yes!”
Both of us knew Kainel’s personality well.
Right. Running away is the answer. Isn’t it?
Crash!
“Wha-What is it?”
In that moment, the door burst open with a loud noise as if it would break.
Thud.
A figure entered.
With pure white hair and silver eyes, without a speck of dust to be found.
As if an ice sculpture had come to life, everyone present froze in place.
Just taking a deep breath seemed like it would cut them with the sharp cold.
Step.
The man who hadn’t taken his eyes off Grace since entering the room walked straight toward her.
“Kai?”
Enoch, you idiot…
You said Kainel just received word of my condition. So why is he here already?
“What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast…?”
Ah.
Realizing something, Grace shut her mouth. Even in her weak state, a laugh escaped her due to the absurdity and joy of it all.
The distance between here and the Persian Grand Duchy is by no means close.
Yet here he was, having just received the news…
‘He must’ve burned through a lot of mages.’
Guessing the kind of chaos that had unfolded, Grace shook her head inwardly.
“Welcome.”
She greeted him warmly, with the brightest smile she could muster!
Although she had grumbled that his arrival would bring trouble, seeing her friend’s face like this wasn’t bad at all.
Honestly, if she didn’t see his face and closed her eyes, she would feel regret.
“……”
The expression of the man, who had been silently staring at her for a long time, gradually twisted.
He let out a deep sigh and roughly wiped his face.
“Explain.”
His pleasant bass voice flowed softly.
‘It’s still not getting through.’
I’ve known all along that he could stab you with a knife even while smiling.
Grace let out a short sigh inwardly but made an effort to maintain her smile.
“I have an incurable disease, you know.”
“Wait. I will find a way somehow.”
Grace hurriedly grabbed his hand, which looked like it was about to leave at any moment.
Her thin and frail grip made Kainel’s frown deepen even further.
“I didn’t tell you beforehand because I was worried you’d act like this. Who do you think could cure something I can’t? Have you forgotten who I am?”
She was a woman who had been called a saint after conquering numerous rare diseases and saving many people.
Who could possibly cure a disease that she did not know about?
It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but it was also something no one could refute.
“Is this why you always kept me from visiting?”
Grace averted her gaze, having used every excuse in the book to deny Kainel’s visits until now.
“I’m in so much pain that I feel like I’m dying, and I don’t want to worry about you too.”
“…You’re as selfish as ever.”
Grace, who had been chuckling softly, lightly gestured for him to come closer as she saw Kainel’s already cold expression harden even more.
Whoosh!
The moment they were right next to each other, Grace suddenly grabbed him by the collar.
“Kai.”
“Speak.”
Kainel’s response was remarkably calm, as if he was used to Grace’s sudden actions.
“Don’t trouble the others.”
“……”
“Don’t take out your anger about my death on our friends.”
Grace, who seemed to have paused for breath as if it was exhausting, sighed.
Ugh, to be worrying about such things until the moment of my death…
“Don’t hit or kill me. Just leave me alone.”
I guess that old saying is true. They always say to make good friends.
Trying to scold him with a petty remark, she noticed that Kainel’s tightly sealed lips showed no signs of opening.
Grace’s eyes sharpened.
He really seemed to have been planning to hurt them. I’m losing my mind.
“Answer.”
“…Understood.”
Only then did Grace let go of him.
However, even as Grace’s touch slipped away, Kainel didn’t move at all. He continued to gaze at her closely.
In response to that gaze, a faint smile reappeared at the corner of Grace’s mouth.
“How unfortunate.”
“……”
“I wanted to see you cry at least once. Such a good opportunity has come, yet I can’t see it… Um…”
“Why?”
“…You’re not really going to say that you won’t cry when I die, are you?”
Grace playfully poked at the deepening lines on his forehead.
But soon enough, it seemed like even that playful act was too exhausting, and her hand quickly fell away.
Kainel quickly grabbed her hand.
“…I’m tired.”
“Grace.”
“I want to rest.”
“Who gave you permission?”
“Gee… you know you’re selfish too, right?”
Grace playfully rolled her eyes and burst into laughter.
The stubborn look on her friend’s face reminded her of their childhood.
“Don’t fight with Alti.”
Is that why? The nagging she used to do as a child slipped out without her realizing it.
“Make sure to eat well and don’t cause trouble.”
“……”
“Don’t get sick…”
With those words, Grace’s eyes slowly closed.
Kainel’s gaze grew heavier as he watched her.
As if he didn’t want to lose the warmth slowly fading from her, he held onto her hand tightly for a long time.
****
Grace Ellsia.
The young head of the Ellsia family, who had once again brought the family to the peak of its power.
Some called her a saint that the world desperately needed, while others labeled her a vicious demon.
And on October 18th, 1213.
Grace Ellsia, who had accomplished so much in her life, closed her eyes for the final time.
—
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