# Chapter 66
“But… did you pace outside my room?”
“Not that often. Only about three times a day…”
“What??”
Seeing my surprised reaction, he hastily added.
“Ah, I worried it might inconvenience you, so I always had someone keep watch. I only visited when there were few people around, so don’t worry. Though now I might need to deliberately make myself visible…”
As he waved his hand and gave me a reassuring look, I recalled the attendant’s face full of annoyance.
“I understand perfectly why he dislikes me.”
It was a moment where his displeasure made sense.
I had asked out of curiosity, but now that I heard the answer, I felt strange. Thinking about Kadilen anxiously looking for me, confused by the suddenly changed situation, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was both amusing and pitiful that Kadilen had been frantically searching for me in places I didn’t know, behaving unlike himself. Above all, seeing Kadilen now with such an easily readable expression, watching me carefully, made his sincerity feel profound. It felt more real than when he confessed his feelings to me, or even when he tried to take on my illness in my place.
“Why didn’t you just come in?”
Finally, I said something I couldn’t have said before, squinting my eyes slightly. But as soon as I spoke, I regretted it. If he had been coming in and out of my room all that time, I might have reacted with intense anger given my state of mind back then. Since even I was lost, unable to understand my own feelings. Kadilen seemed to have the same thought as he said sadly:
“How could I do that?”
But I didn’t give up. After all, things were different now than they were then. Hoping that all the sadness surrounding us would disappear, I smiled brightly. Kadilen seemed surprised by the unexpected reaction, just looking at me with a face full of questions. Feeling sorry for him, who found even my smile unfamiliar, I raised the corners of my mouth even more demonstratively.
“What about now? You should get closer to me now.”
And I narrowed the distance between us. Looking straight into his eyes.
“Are you still going to avoid me?”
Kadilen, who had been frozen, reached out to me uncertainly. I quickly grasped his hand, afraid I might lose him. Kadilen was startled but soon wore a gloomy expression. A dark voice escaped his lips.
“Luan would be pleased to know this.”
When I made an uncomprehending expression, Kadilen smiled a little. Then he added an explanation.
“If he knew what a great torture it is for me to get close to you.”
“…”
“Especially if it’s happiness that will soon disappear.”
It seemed like there was a dark cloud only above his head. His gaze, which had been precariously scanning me, was withdrawn, and Kadilen bowed his head, caught in bleak thoughts. It wasn’t difficult to guess where his thoughts had drifted. To him, I was still someone who would soon disappear. Even after hearing what I discussed with Wimu, he couldn’t be confident. That I would stay by his side.
“Didn’t you hear?”
I lifted Kadilen’s head so he could look at me properly. Just as he once gave me an opportunity in the same position, I wanted to let him know there was another path. I had missed my chance by not asking him for help, but I hoped Kadilen wouldn’t make the same choice. I wanted him to believe that I would truly stand here.
“I’m not going to disappear.”
“…”
“I have too many reasons to live now.”
Kadilen looked at me with wavering eyes. I firmly captured his gaze, as if grabbing a lifeline.
“You are one of them, Kadilen.”
* * *
Even after completing preparations, Jiman wasn’t reassured and checked my condition again. I couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was, creating such a fuss whenever I had to go somewhere. Even though I tried to reassure him that this time I wouldn’t be alone, that I would have a magician by my side and a king behind me, his anxiety didn’t subside.
“Did you bring all your medicine? No symptoms? You might get angry, but you shouldn’t get too excited, it’s not good for you.”
“You’ve already said that four times. Everything is fine.”
Jiman, seeming to recognize his own excessive behavior, nodded with a slightly reddened face.
“I’m just worried…”
As I was about to sigh and repeat what I had said earlier to comfort him, Devan blocked my path. He placed his hand on Jiman’s shoulder and said with a serious face:
“Don’t worry. He’ll be safe.”
“…What?”
“I’m not teasing you. Not trying to pick a fight either. I’ll do my best to help him return safely.”
“Um… thank you.”
In the sudden silence that followed, Devan shrugged and gradually backed away. Jiman and I briefly made eye contact. Seeing bewilderment replace worry on his face, it seemed the reassurance had some effect.
Taking advantage of Jiman’s confusion, Devan and I left the room. We moved slowly toward the building, giving Wimu time to find his position to follow us. Glancing at Devan walking beside me, unlike Jiman, he looked composed. Despite the serious situation of going to face Luan, seeing his changed demeanor made me feel good.
“You’ve really become kind, haven’t you?”
“…What do you mean.”
At my compliment, Devan’s composed face became slightly flushed. I couldn’t help but smile as he suddenly started walking faster ahead of me.
“Let’s go together.”
After confirming that Wimu had taken his position, we reached the place we had arranged with Arzel. Remembering Rio who had collapsed here, I could still feel those emotions vividly, but now wasn’t the time to be swayed by such things. Following the plan we had gone over many times, we first entered the secret passage. Previously, Rio had gone through a small hole to open the door for us, but this time Devan flicked his hand, sending a small light inside. As before, the wall moved, and our eyes met with Arzel who was waiting for us.
“Was there anyone following you?”
“I checked everything. There’s no one.”
“Let’s go.”
He glanced at the corridor and gestured to us. Following him, there was a tunnel leading outside the palace. Hoping that Wimu would find his way well as we had previewed, I followed behind Arzel. As soon as we safely hid in the bushes behind the royal palace, he directed Devan to hold out both hands. Then he quickly bound Devan’s wrists tightly with an unknown cord.
“I’ve suppressed your magical power, so don’t think about doing anything strange.”
Devan obediently nodded. Anxiously looking at Devan in this unexpected situation, he calmly signaled to me with his eyes. For now, I hid my tension and followed Arzel. He pushed through the bushes and moved further inside. Finally, his steps halted, and before us was something that looked like a small carriage.
Devan and I boarded the carriage together. The windows were covered so we couldn’t see outside. We couldn’t tell if Arzel was driving it himself or if he had called someone else while we weren’t looking, but in any case, the carriage slowly began to move. Since there was a possibility he could hear us, I couldn’t have much conversation with Devan. I could only look at his bound hands and hope that nothing would go wrong.
After traveling for quite some time, the carriage stopped, and someone flung the door open. Luan, with a pleased expression, was waiting for Devan and me to get out.
“You’ve come, Brother.”
As soon as I got out, I checked my surroundings, but we were in an unrecognizable forest.
“You’ve brought something interesting with you.”
Luan said, examining Devan closely. I looked at Devan imploringly, hoping there wouldn’t be a commotion like last time. But rather, Devan respectfully bowed his waist.
“It’s quite something to see you again in the forest after seeing you at the palace. I feel pained to see that your situation seems to have become quite difficult.”
I wasn’t the only one surprised by this unexpected scene. Luan frowned as if trying to discern whether Devan was joking or not.
“How can I believe you’re not Kadilen’s dog?”
“If I were his servant, I would have killed you as soon as we arrived. It wouldn’t be difficult.”
The cord binding Devan’s hands smoothly unwound and fell to the ground. That was the moment I realized why he had been so composed. Looking at Luan and me in surprise, Devan smiled kindly.
“Yet here I am, behaving so obediently, aren’t I?”
He raised both hands, palms visible, and waved them gently. Luan gave a small, incredulous laugh. It was a bit ambiguous but not a negative reaction. Feeling somewhat reassured for now, I raised my voice to him.
“You’re the one who needs to prove yourself, Luan. How can I trust you?”
After examining Devan as if measuring something, he heard my words and put his hand in his pocket. Soon, what Luan held in his hand was a small glass bottle containing a blue liquid.
“Will this be enough?”
He shook the bottle. It was fortunate that things seemed to be going more smoothly than expected. But as I reached out to take the medicine, Luan stepped back slightly and shook his head.
“Let’s make one thing clear.”
“What needs to be clear is that potion.”
Luan showed the bottle again by shaking it, and I closed my mouth. He looked at me with satisfaction as I quieted down and asked again.
“You’ve been spending more time with Kadilen, haven’t you?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“That’s right. But if you happen to do anything strange…”
Before I had time to prepare, he dropped the bottle to the ground. The glass bottle shattered pathetically as it hit the hard rock, spilling the blue liquid. The liquid, which spread and soaked into the earth, immediately turned black. I looked at Luan in dismay.
“This is what will happen. Do you understand?”
“…”
“You’ll both rot side by side, having forever shattered the way to save an innocent child. Even as you and that child reach death, you’ll remember that moment forever. The moment my life flew away.”
