“How should I interpret this?”

“Literally.”

“Are you saying you’d take my life?”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Ravenne, who had boldly asked for him, waved her hands in embarrassment. Somehow, he felt like laughing at the sight.

Of course, he wasn’t asking because he didn’t know. Even though Ilion knew what Ravenne meant, he found himself asking a mischievous question without realizing it.

“What would you do with me if you took me?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I heard everything from the Saintess.”

So that’s why she came looking for him with such a serious face?

It seemed Artia, who had said she was returning to her homeland, had gone to Ravenne instead of her country. It was a mistake not to have placed surveillance on her out of unnecessary courtesy.

“Then I suppose you know that I don’t have much time left.”

“Is that why you’re trying to throw away your life like this?”

“It’s not your concern.”

Ravenne let out a hollow laugh and glared at him. She seemed thoroughly angry. He had kept it a secret to avoid this very situation.

He tried to push her away coldly, hoping she would leave in anger, but she didn’t back down and took another step closer.

“If you’re going to be like that, I’ll have to take you even more.”

“What do you plan to do with something so worthless? Hold a funeral for me?”

Ilion asked, trying to appear nonchalant. He understood that she had come running out of concern for him, but it was a precarious life that could end any day now.

Whether he died on the battlefield or in a luxurious bed, it wasn’t something Ravenne should feel responsible for.

He hoped she would give up at this point, but contrary to his wishes, the warm green eyes showed no sign of giving up.

“You’re planning to throw it away carelessly anyway, right? If that’s the case, then instead…”

The distance closed by another step.

“Fall in love with me.”

“…What?”

What is she saying now…

“I said, let’s fall in love. Love, romance, you know, don’t you? We haven’t tried that yet.”

Ravenne repeated the same words in a clear voice, like she was driving in a wedge. Her gaze was fierce, as if she wouldn’t forgive him for pretending not to hear.

Ilion called her name calmly, trying to settle his flustered heart.

“Ravenne…”

While he was pleased by the feelings that confronted him head-on, there wasn’t even a future he could envision right now to accept them as they were.

It would only increase the number of people trembling in anxiety, not knowing when he might die, from one to two.

As he opened his mouth to reject her proposal, Ravenne, seeming to sense his intentions, grabbed his armor and made eye contact. As if she didn’t want to hear any excuses or rejections.

“Don’t say it’s not possible now. Didn’t you say you’d do anything?”

Her furrowed brow, moist eyes, cheeks trembling as if holding back tears, and tightly closed lips.

He forgot what he was about to say, lost in the silly thought that if one were to sculpt the word ‘lovable’, it might look like this.

Even though he knew he should push her away, his eyes were helplessly fixed on Ravenne, like he wasunder a spell.

“Why? Don’t you like me anymore?”

She asked anxiously after a long silence. Ilion, as if enchanted by her whining voice, lowered his head and gently kissed her.

As the brief kiss, which felt a bit lingering to be called light, ended, he saw her wide-open green eyes.

He knew it. He had never once won against Ravenne. It was always him who reluctantly agreed to even the most absurd requests.

In the end, his feeble resolve melted helplessly once again before her.

***

“Um, excuse me…”

A soldier cautiously approached Spinel and opened his mouth.

“What?”

At the sharp question that followed, he closed his mouth again. The soldier took a step back, shaking his head, his initial courage completely gone.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Not entirely lacking in perception, he left the place hurriedly, only telling Spinel to rest comfortably.

Thinking that was rather anticlimactic, Spinel turned her head.

At Ravenne’s request to prepare a place for just the two of them, she had come in somewhere to wait, but she still wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do.

“You seem worried.”

“……”

“You must care a lot about Miss Ravenne.”

Since when had they become close enough to engage in small talk? Spinel ignored Artia’s words and maintained his silence.

“I was surprised to learn that you’re a dragon, but I didn’t expect you to be so interested in humans.”

“I’m not interested in humans. I’m interested in Ravenne.”

He intended to keep silent until the end, but finally couldn’t resist correcting her words that grated on her nerves.

While Spinel’s efforts were admirable, unfortunately, Artia had already figured out her personality. She knew that if she said it like that, she definitely wouldn’t be able to ignore it and would correct her.

Artia swallowed her laughter inwardly and asked,

“Why?”

“Why, you ask. Well, because she’s an interesting human.”

“You don’t look very amused right now, though.”

How irritating. Spinel looked at Artia, who kept getting on her nerves.

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“You seemed to be troubled, so I just tried to start a conversation.”

If that’s not picking a fight, then what is it!

“If it weren’t for Ravenne, you’d already be dead.”

“I should thank Miss Ravenne then.”

How could she counter every single word without backing down? He felt like he wanted to shut that mouth right away.

“More importantly, I’m worried about Miss Ravenne.”

Artia, who had been smiling all along, said as she wiped the smile off her face.

“About what?”

“Her expression changed after she returned from the Imperial Palace.”

“How so?”

Spinel asked curiously.

Ravenne, who had gone to the Imperial Palace to find a way, said she had ultimately failed to gain anything. She had hoped the imperial mages might have some clever solution, but it failed.

But Artia didn’t believe Ravenne’s words. Because,

“That expression was one of someone who knows a solution.”

Ravenne’s behavior, which seemed dejected yet somehow felt off, was similar to when she dealt with Klaus.

Artia couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the sight that resembled that time so much.

Above all, the fact that she was hiding her thoughts even from them was the most concerning.

“So, please keep watching Miss Ravenne. To prevent anything from happening.”

“What do you mean by ‘anything’?”

“Well, for now, let’s…”

Artia paused for a moment and looked at Spinel.

“Assume the worst-case scenario.”

The worst-case scenario? Surely, she doesn’t mean Ravenne might die? Spinel stared at Artia, unable to voice the thought that suddenly occurred to her.

‘Ravenne dying.’

She never thought about it before. Even though she knew it was natural for her to die since she was human, she had never consciously or unconsciously considered that fact.

As long as she was by her side, she wouldn’t be in danger. But what Artia was worried about now probably wasn’t an external threat.

Once planted in his mind, the seed of thought took root relentlessly, shaking Spinel.

“Don’t talk such nonsense.”

She added a word with difficulty, trying to shake off the uneasy thoughts.

Ravenne dying, that couldn’t happen. Hadn’t she just been talking about planting tomatoes and apples together a few days ago?

“I don’t want that to happen either. So…”

Artia suddenly stopped speaking and listened to the sound that was coming. It was Ravenne’s voice, desperately calling for help.

“Something must have happened.”

The two quickly got up and headed towards Ilion’s tent.

As they arrived at the tent, the sound of crying from the entrance made their hearts sink.

Spinel hurriedly pulled back the canvas. There, Ravenne was holding the collapsed Ilion in her arms, sobbing bitterly with a face that didn’t know what to do.

***

There wasn’t even time to have a calm conversation with Ilion. He seemed to have pushed his already poor body to its limits, and before we could even talk about the joy of reunion, he lost consciousness.

Fortunately, with Spinel’s help, we were able to move Ilion to the mansion, but his condition only worsened.

“Miss Ravenne, why don’t you take a rest?”

Artia approached me as I sat endlessly by the bedside. Unable to rest herself, her complexion was equally poor.

“Was the progression always this fast?”

I asked, looking at the black spots covering his entire body.

The black spots that started to appear less than a full day after reuniting with Ilion were now dyeing his entire face black.

There was no answer, but she seemed to be thinking the same as me.

They say emotional turmoil strengthens curses… Even if what’s consuming Ilion’s body isn’t a curse, the reason for the accelerated breakdown of his body might be because of that.

“I must have caused him too much heartache. I caused a lot of trouble and hurt him a lot. That’s why this…”

I was the worst fiancée imaginable for Ilion, who cared about others’ opinions more than anything.

His nerves were already as delicate as a spider’s web, and I kept causing incidents that tore that web apart every day.

“Ravenne…”

Artia, who had been listening to me silently, called my name in a worried voice.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s just something I said because I have a lot on my mind.”

I shook my head and looked back at Ilion. Seeing that I had no intention of leaving, she gave up trying to persuade me and quietly closed the door as she left.

And, after confirming that Artia’s footsteps could no longer be heard, I took out a small knife that I had kept in my pocket.