Chapter 199

Andrei shoved her gently on the shoulder.

“I can’t go,” he said quietly, his voice steady but tinged with sadness. “My body is already merging with the dragon. Maybe it’s for the best. While I’m still in human form, his frenzy will at least be slightly tempered.”

Every so often, when he regained awareness in the unconscious, Andrei could sense the raging emotions of the mad dragon he could not contain. Sameshita hadn’t even managed to turn a page of Gallian’s diary.

“…So where are you and Sameshita now?” Elise asked, her eyes fixed on the faint light in the distance.

“The heart of the Grenthern Mountains. The very place where our ancestor sealed him. I suggested we go there,” Andrei replied.

If he remained in the south in this precarious state, and the dragon ran rampant while still bound to his body, it would repeat the catastrophe from seven hundred years ago. The responsibility of sealing him would fall to Elise.

Andrei had moved closer to the northern seal for that very reason, but even he couldn’t be certain how long this fragile balance would hold.

“Sister, my soul has already separated from my body. I’m only bound here by the dragon’s power, but in essence… I’m as good as dead. So you shouldn’t be here, Elise. Understand? Are you listening?”

Elise stayed silent, staring at the path indicated by the mineral in her hand. That faintly glowing light—the entrance to life—kept guiding her forward. She had only to follow it without losing her way.

“…Take this,” Elise said, pressing a small, vibrating mineral into his hand.

The power that could pull someone from the edge of death to life transferred to him. Instantly, warmth spread around Andrei like a gentle tide.

“I can make it back on my own. But you—”

“What do you mean?” Andrei asked, frowning.

“Reclaim your consciousness from Sameshita. Keep the dragon from rampaging. Ideally… you should soothe and persuade him. He’s cowardly, more than he seems, and still a child in heart.”

“…Then how do you plan to break through this darkness alone?”

“I can. No matter what it takes, I’ll return.” Elise clenched her fists. “And I… have a man I need to make sure doesn’t go mad while I’m gone.”

Someone had run across her kingdom, leaving his responsibilities behind, simply out of love for her. Someone who longed to claim her entirely, yet always surrendered to her in the end. If she were to die now, he would live the rest of his life in hell.

Elise kept her eyes on the flickering shard of light and pressed the thought to her brother.

“And you too, Andrei. No matter how long it takes, come back. Go to the place where you belong.”

***

The road back was long and treacherous.

Even the slightest blink made the light seem to flee into the distance, and every time it did, her heart clenched in panic, afraid she would be trapped forever in the darkness.

Still, Elise ran, refusing to give in. Even in the dream, when her lungs threatened to burst, she cast recovery spells. These were more refined than the crude, force-amplifying spells she had used before.

Andrei, who had stubbornly resisted her guidance at first, finally relented after taking a few more kicks from her in their unconscious tussle.

Before parting, he taught her every spell he remembered, including healing techniques.

“Run with all your strength, Elise. I… will come to see my niece without delay. I promise.”

She ran, keeping her gaze forward, until finally, blinding white light engulfed her.

Elise opened her eyes.

The ceiling was above her, familiar yet strangely alien with its worn wood grain. Sunlight poured in through the open window, harsh and brilliant. That had been the light driving her mad dash—the sun itself.

Ah… I’m back.

Relief mingled with pain. She groaned softly and traced a recovery circle. Mana flowed over her skin like melted butter, soothing her from within. Once was not enough. Only after several successive spells did she have the presence of mind to take in her surroundings.

She lay in the inn room near the border of the Regal Kingdom, the same place where Rezette had rented the entire building for the Rotiara villagers. The very room where she had given birth.

Yes. This was where she had delivered her child.

Her abdomen felt hollow. Reflexively, she touched her navel and recalled the memory before she had passed out.

Cherry…!

The details were hazy. She remembered the pain, sharper than anything she had ever endured. The smell of blood, the man’s hand she had desperately clung to, cold and trembling.

“Rezette.”

Elise threw back the covers and stood, only to double over in a stifled groan. Her body ached as if beaten from head to toe.

If it still feels like this, it hasn’t been long…

Even after casting recovery spells three times, lingering pain tormented her. Her chest throbbed oddly, yet she could stand.

Rezette… Rezette.

She staggered to the door and grabbed the handle. It turned in her hand with startling ease.

“What’s that sound…?”

The door swung open before she could brace herself. Elise nearly collided with it. Rezette stepped inside, panting, frozen like a statue. Shock mirrored in Elise’s gaze.

His eyes…

The normally pristine whites of his eyes were bloodshot. His face, already sharp from weight loss, now looked carved and drained.

He stood motionless, as if he had seen a ghost, staring at her.

“Rezette.” Elise’s voice trembled, her eyes reddening. She had spent this time in agonizing labor, convinced she might never see him again. Yet even on the brink of surrender, fear had made her breath catch.

Afternoon spring wind burst through the window, whipping the curtains and her hair around her. Her nightgown fluttered chaotically.

Sunlight sparkled off her silver hair, pale skin, and the shifting folds of her gown.

Rezette said nothing. Moving instinctively, he grabbed her, as if afraid she might vanish into the light.

No words passed between them. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, inhaling the returning warmth, the scent of wildflowers too precious to exhale.

Elise swayed under his weight but did not fall, cushioned by his embrace. The pressure of his chest pressed into her, heavy yet bearable. She now knew exactly how to revive a broken man.

“Rezette.” The stiff man flinched at her voice. Elise pressed on. “Have I slept long?”

“It’s strange… my body feels light,” she continued at Rezette’s silence. “Like waking from a deep sleep. Is it the weather… the day…?”

There was no time to choose words. The moment silence stretched, his arms would stiffen again, freezing her in place.

“Ah… Cherry. How is she? You fell asleep like a fool and couldn’t even see the baby. She’s safe, right?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

“Is it a boy or a girl? What did you name her?”

Still no response.

“I’m fine. I had a dream, and I met Andrei. I got his promise to return, so I’m a little late. Oh, did I ever tell you about our dream? There’s a path connecting Andrei and me… Rezette, are you listening?”

Every time Elise babbled, her voice vibrated, her delicate shoulders rising and falling. Her heart beat in a steady rhythm within her now-normal breathing. Rezette felt the pulse in her neck.

He managed only a single word.

“Don’t go.”

Then his tightly held breath broke like a dam.

“…Don’t leave me.”

His voice was worse than anything she had ever remembered. Elise forced an arm free, brushing the black strands from her face. For the first time, she felt not that she was clinging to him, but that she truly held him.

“I’m not leaving. Sorry to have made you wait…”

Running until her throat burned had been the right choice. She had already terrified him multiple times. She vowed silently—never again.

But… hmm.

A new, awkward thought intruded despite her resolution. She nervously licked her lips.

“…Um, Rezette?”

Finally, when she could no longer hold it in, she whispered softly.

“My chest… it hurts a little.”

She felt embarrassed and offered an awkward smile at the man trying to pull away.

“It’s… strange.”

Elise watched the newborn cling to her chest, nursing, her heart swelling with wonder.

I… made something like this.

A tiny human being, existing.

Cherry was a girl, with soft, black hair.