105. A Love Story

“When we have a child who looks like us, can I think about who they might resemble this time? I hope their fingers take after you, Anette. They’re delicate and pretty.”

Noticing that she was awake, Darius, who had been making a pillow with his arm, adjusted his position, clinging closer as he whispered.

His smooth voice clung moistly to her eardrum.

‘To immediately spot my weakness, as expected of a male lead, even overnight his skills have improved……’

Listening with one ear and letting it go out the other, she didn’t realize that Darius’s words were an extension of the teasing they had secretly shared with kisses in the forest.

Because it wasn’t that kind of situation.

“My lady, excuse me…… Oh! Yo-Your Highness?”

The maid who came to announce morning had arrived screamed in surprise at the sight of Darius awake.

“My, my lady! The Grand Duke, the Grand Duke is!”

Apple, her maid, was so surprised that she didn’t even recognize Anette right beside her and called for her to come hear the good news that Darius had woken up.

“Yes, you’ve worked hard while I was unable to get up. Apple.”

“You’re finally awake! The lady was so worried. She didn’t even take care of herself and personally nursed you!”

Apple bustled about, counting on her fingers how many days it had been since Darius collapsed.

“I woke up yesterday evening.”

“Yesterday evening! Then why are you only letting us know now that you’re awake……”

Apple, who had been overjoyed at first, gradually regained her senses as her words trailed off.

Her eyes, which had been filled with pure joy, discovered Anette buried under the blanket, not moving an inch. Moreover, Darius, the patient, was shamelessly displaying his bare upper body.

“I’m tired of patient clothes, so bring me something else to wear.”

Darius was shameless. Born a lord, that’s why.

“What about the clothes you were originally wearing……?”

“This and that happened, well.”

Quite a few buttons had fallen off.

Ahem, hmm…… Still, it’s fortunate that what I scratched with my nails was Darius’s back, not his shirt…… no, that’s not right. Hmm, hmm.

“Why isn’t our lady coming out from under the blanket……”

“Ah. While you’re bringing my clothes, bring some for this person too.”

Instead of answering the question, Apple’s workload increased.

Slap, slap! This person really has no shame! Embarrassed, Anette hit Darius’s thigh with her reddened face from under the blanket.

Meanwhile, Apple, who had disappeared muttering something, returned with two sets of clothes after spreading the news throughout the castle that Darius had awakened.

With that, Darius disappeared into the bathroom with the clothes Apple had brought.

“Could it be, maybe, but……”

Left alone with Anette, Apple opened her mouth.

“For someone who had been lying down unable to eat anything for days, to do that as soon as he wakes up is a bit……”

I also thought I should call the doctor first when I saw Darius wake up…… but at some point I forgot…… that, well.

I didn’t say, um, let’s not do it…… for the sake of your body.

Even if we did, I didn’t say let’s do it…… after you regain your strength.

But he was healthy, okay?

“No matter how much you love each other, still.”

Hey, he was the one who suggested it! Sob, sob, when the patient wanted it! Huh?

……Of course, even if the patient wanted it, we shouldn’t have done it.

“What would Dr. Schmidt think if he heard about this. I won’t tell him, but still.”

“Apple, you don’t know anything.”

Darius said to bring everyone who makes me feel bad, who troubles me…… Apple doesn’t know anything!

And so I received the extremely obvious lecture from Apple that “patients need absolute rest.”

Newlyweds can do that…… sob, sob, Apple, you don’t understand because you’ve never been married.

* * *

Those who fear the eyes of others take advantage of darkness. Pink hair briefly appeared and disappeared under a deeply pulled veil.

It was dawn, still far from morning mass, a day after Darius had awakened. Anette visited the temple accompanied only by Sir Daniel. Looking at the temple shrouded in darkness, the light seemed still far away.

“I thought only this old man couldn’t sleep at dawn, but Lady Anette is no different.”

The old priest who had listened to the worries of the northern people all his life sat in the confessional, laughing heartily.

“Lady Anette, no, sister. What sin have you come to repent? Don’t worry. God does not abandon those who pray.”

“I haven’t come to repent.”

Even though she knew the old priest on the other side of the partition would be surprised, Anette spoke deliberately.

“I’ve come to declare.”

She had constantly asked God.

Why is my life like this? Is it true that I am not Darius’s true other half? So should I ignore my feelings and his, waiting for her who will come someday?

But God had no answer, and now she decided to wait no longer.

“Father Michael, I don’t know where God is. So please relay this instead. Tell Him that Evangeline should not appear now. Tell Him she came too late and there’s no place for her. Because I’ve decided to stay by Darius’s side now.”

Anette didn’t know what expression the priest beyond the confessional partition was making.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t understand. Michael’s understanding wasn’t important; what mattered was that God, who had sent her here, heard her intention.

Wherever God was, He wouldn’t ignore what was happening in His house.

“That’s all I have to say. If I have any sins, I’ll donate a lot of money, so please pray hard on my behalf, Father Michael, to reduce my sins.”

Whoosh, without waiting for the priest’s prayer following the confession, Anette stormed out of the confessional.

I don’t care whether God forgives me or not.

Evangeline, I’ve clearly conveyed it. If you didn’t hear it, that’s your house’s system’s fault.

So, don’t appear belatedly without any tact.

Because I won’t give up my husband now.

“Even lost property rights expire after a year.”

I’ve fulfilled my moral obligation sufficiently.

Having visited the temple’s confessional at dawn to avoid others’ eyes, it was still morning when she returned to Castle Inkheart after finishing her business.

She returned to bed and burrowed into Darius’s back. Perhaps because her hands were cold from the dawn breeze, Darius made a sound. He habitually pulled her arms from behind and embraced them.

“You said you were going to the temple, did you find peace of mind?”

“I wonder.”

They say God dislikes those who are greedy, but she couldn’t even gauge how excessive the greed she was indulging in now was.

When she evaded the question, Darius asked an unexpected question.

“Anette, if we get God’s permission, can anything be forgiven? Even if it’s a sin?”

Anette patted Darius’s back at his sleepy voice.

“Did you do something wrong?”

“I might commit something in the future. I was thinking of getting permission in advance.”

“What is it?”

“That one day in the future, I might imprison you, Anette. So you can’t be separated from me.”

Her tense heart loosened a bit at the frivolous joke.

“Hahaha, who announces a crime before committing it.”

She laughed heartily, but he remained silent. Hmm, so he’s serious. She also became serious in response.

“That’s not allowed.”

Darius, unable to give up his lingering attachment, turned his body, met her eyes, and said,

“Just tell me it’s allowed in words.”

“If I say it’s allowed in words, later you’ll imprison me saying, ‘You said it was okay before.'”

Anyway, I shouldn’t give him any excuse.

Even as they bickered, we chuckled. Darius looked up at her, rubbing his cheek against her hand.

“Anette.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you being so good to me? It makes me anxious.”

“You’re complaining even when I’m being good to you? What nonsense all of a sudden.”

“You’re not being this good to me and then going somewhere, are you?”

“Where would I go?”

“You’re always a person who prepares for the aftermath. You wouldn’t just be good to me for no reason.”

His face while saying those words clearly looked nonchalant as if talking about something trivial, but beneath his measured words was an undisguised fear that didn’t match, making her feel a surge of emotion.

“I’ll stay by your side.”

I will be by your side forever. Even without you imprisoning me. Let’s stay together until the day all the fear I’ve created in you melts away and disappears.

“I’m more worried about you getting tired of me.”

“There’s no way I could ever get tired of you, Anette.”

The golden morning sunlight rippled like a wheat field in the bedroom. Receiving that enchanting light, Darius kissed her.

It was a peace they finally achieved.

* * *

Looking at Anette, who was sound asleep, perhaps tired from visiting the temple at dawn, Darius was lost in thought.

〈How could you do such a thing? Just thinking about it still makes my heart pound!〉

The day he regained consciousness. After spending sweet time alone together, when his mind calmed down from worry and passion, Anette suddenly seemed to remember something and jumped up from her seat.

Then she repeatedly scolded Darius for taking his life lightly.

〈You’re really skilled at worrying people.〉

He wanted to ask who had been worrying whom all this time, but Darius held back. When Anette clenched her fists and hit him, he took the blows; when she questioned him in a sudden burst of anger, he just smiled apologetically and accepted the rebuke.

〈Don’t ever do that again. Whether for me or for anyone else.〉

The lovable woman, who repeatedly checked if he was really alive, pleaded with a face that looked like she might cry each time.

〈……Even if it’s to save the world, I won’t forgive you if you risk your life.〉

Of course I won’t do such a thing. Darius swallowed those words too.

It’s a world that only has meaning if he’s with Anette. If only one of them remains, what meaning would there be in risking his life?

If he answered like that, Anette would open her eyes wide and ask.

‘But you just recently rushed to save me, risking your life? How could you risk your life so recklessly while having such thoughts?’

The answer to that question lay in a terrible feeling he wanted to hide.

Even knowing it was a selfish act that would only leave wounds for those who remained, he thought that if he could see her one last time when he closed his eyes, and if she would look back at him, wouldn’t that be good enough for his end.

〈Darius!〉

The snow-white air of the snowfield being erased.

Through the red flower-like bloodstains, you called my name.

Trembling, screaming as if you couldn’t believe it.

At that moment, your world was clearly just me.

And realizing that, a viscous emotion of immeasurable density began to bloom from deep within his heart.

Emerging from the afterimage of the past, Darius gently stroked Anette’s soft cheek and whispered.

“I don’t regret staking half my life for you.”

Even if this life, which now has only half remaining, is split in half again.

〈Where would I go without you.〉

〈Where would I go, leaving behind someone who gave their life for me.〉

Your promise to stay with me forever. If I could just obtain that, I could do anything.

“It was truly a good deal, Sylphid.”

Darius murmured quietly. It was a voice that Anette would never hear.