Ilion, who had suffered severely since dawn, was barely able to get out of bed.

Seeing Sebastian looking at him worriedly, it seemed he had already overslept.

The intervals between his attacks were getting shorter.

The traces of the curse had consumed his entire body, reaching up to his collarbone. At this rate, it would soon be difficult to hide with clothes.

Ilion thought about this impassively while buttoning up his shirt. Even if death was gradually consuming him, he couldn’t just lie down.

“Wouldn’t it be better to postpone today’s business trip?”

Sebastian asked worriedly.

“I’ve already postponed it enough. It’s something that can’t be delayed any further.”

“But…”

Ilion ignored Sebastian’s concern. He worried too much, and worry alone didn’t solve problems.

Similarly, just because he might die someday didn’t mean he could neglect his current duties.

After all, he had been raised to support this family. So he would fulfill that role until his death.

He hoped Sebastian’s concerns were unfounded, but unfortunately, this time his worries proved correct.

Ilion’s condition wasn’t good from the evening on. And the ominous premonition finally became reality.

No matter how many times he experienced it, the pain of the attacks never became familiar. The terrible sensation of his whole body being thrown into burning pain was cruelly new each time.

Sometimes, to the point of wishing to die like this.

Barely lifting his eyelids at the soft, whisper-like voice, a familiar face appeared in his blurry vision.

It was funny. The eyes that had once followed Ravenne to keep watch on her were now habitually following her.

Tears kept flowing from those round green eyes.

Seeing those tears, he sometimes found himself hoping that perhaps all his suspicions until now had been unfounded.

She confused him like this every day.

Whether to trust her or not. His heart went up and down dozens of times a day, decisions flipping back and forth.

In the end, he couldn’t do anything.

Except just watching…

Perhaps he wasn’t looking for reasons to trust her, but rather searching for reasons because he wanted to trust her.

That might be why he was unusually lenient with her mistakes, why he took the long way around instead of the easy path.

He simply wanted to trust.

***

The morning after being sick was still difficult. Ilion barely managed to come to his senses and open his eyes.

As he focused his blurry vision, the first thing he saw was a round face.

Quietly looking at the face messed up with tear stains, he recalled the events of the previous night.

“Was it… not a dream?”

It was unclear where the dream ended and reality began. He had naturally thought it was a dream.

He often had such dreams when the pain was severe.

The memory of writhing in pain was always horrific.

But what was even more terrifying than that pain was the fear that there was no one to stay by his side.

His grandmother who hated even touching her grandson’s body, his grandfather who tried to control his every action, and the nanny who found caring for him repulsive.

When he writhed in pain, those six eyes always looked down at him coldly. The small hand reaching out pitifully always grasped only air.

Then, when he fell asleep exhausted, often in his dreams, an unknown person would appear and hold his hand.

He couldn’t remember the face or voice well, but those snow-white fingers never let go of his hand.

When did that change to Ravenne? It seemed recent, but… He frowned as he tried to trace his thoughts.

‘Could it be that even then it wasn’t… a dream?’

He recalled the memory of a day when the boundary between dream and reality was blurred due to painkillers and sleeping pills. He had thought it was surely a dream.

As Ilion was getting up, he looked at Ravenne holding his hand.

She was shivering on a pile of straw, without even a coat.

The question of ‘why?’ was answered when he saw his coat sliding off his body. Around his neck was the necklace he had given her yesterday.

To think of spending the night in this prison where the outside chill seeped in, with just a thin layer of clothing… Was it brave or reckless?

“Haah…”

Ilion thought as he looked at Ravenne tightly holding his hand.

If she had wanted to exploit his weakness, she would have done so already.

She could have demanded something using his weakness as leverage, or tried to uncover his secrets.

Moreover, last night he had been completely defenseless, and there was no one to protect him.

But Ravenne didn’t do that.

If the truth is only revealed after suspecting, suspecting again, and finally removing all those suspicions, then perhaps he had no choice but to believe it.

As his suspicions towards her melted away, a small expectation emerged from within.

The expectation that perhaps Ravenne would understand him.

But soon he realized how foolish that thought was.

Even those closest to him, who are called family, despised him. She would be no different. No one would hold his hand knowing this.

Ilion smiled self-mockingly.

It was a useless thought.

He knew, didn’t he? That what always comforted him wasn’t expectation, but resignation.

***

I caught a cold.

“Sniff.”

It was inevitable.

I had spent that cold night without a coat or artifact.

Having never slept on straw before, I didn’t know, but straw was better at retaining heat than I thought.

That is, ‘better than I thought.’

Thanks to that, I avoided the misfortune of freezing to death, so isn’t that good enough?

“Your Grace, my throat hurts. My head hurts too. Cough, cough.”

At my words, Ilion silently handed me some warm water.

Actually, I don’t remember much about the next morning.

I had lost consciousness shivering from the cold, and when I opened my eyes, I was lying in bed at the Grand Porto Hotel I had so wanted, being examined by a doctor.

And on top of that, Ilion was even taking care of me… Surely this isn’t a dream, right?

“Your Grace.”

“What?”

“How did we get out of prison?”

“…I… persuaded the guard well.”

It feels like something was omitted in between?

Somehow, it seemed more plausible that he threatened rather than persuaded, but I decided to keep my doubts to myself.

“Before…”

Ilion slowly began. Ah, I was wondering why there was no scolding.

Since I had done many things wrong, I cleared my mind and waited for Ilion’s words.

“Has something similar to yesterday happened before?”

“…Pardon?”

Something similar? Ah, is he talking about when I collapsed on the day I invited Sergio home?

“When the doctor came, you mean?”

“Did you… hear something from Sebastian?”

“Nothing much, just that you weren’t feeling well?”

Hearing my answer, Ilion seemed somewhat tense. Although I don’t think the word ‘tense’ suits this big man…

His fidgeting fingers and gaze that couldn’t meet mine were somehow unlike his usual self.

Ilion sighed and then spoke as if he had made up his mind.

“I have something to tell you.”

Then he suddenly started unbuttoning his shirt… Huh? Wait a minute! Isn’t this too sudden?

“Y-Your Grace! Wait, I’m not mentally prepared yet!”

Flustered, I covered my eyes with both hands and rolled my eyes between my fingers, when Ilion spoke.

“I was cursed by a witch when I was young. This is the trace of that curse.”

“……”

Ilion, who had unbuttoned his shirt down to his solar plexus, spread the shirt to show the black spots.

The traces of the curse had thoroughly occupied Ilion’s body, and the condition was more serious than I had expected.

“Although the curse is sealed, I sometimes have attacks like yesterday.”

“How did you end up cursed?”

“Well. I don’t remember clearly. According to my grandfather, I killed a witch when I was young.”

Seated in a chair, Ilion was still looking down, not meeting my eyes.

“What I remember is snow-white hair and blood on fingers. Probably, the blood on my hands was from killing her…”

This was the first time I had heard this. He hadn’t told the Saintess about the witch.

“Ah…”

“You’re not as surprised as I expected. Well, I suppose it is hard to believe.”

In fact, since I knew most of it already, there wasn’t much to be surprised about. It was the first time I had heard about the witch’s appearance, but that wasn’t shocking information either.

But I didn’t understand why he was telling me this.

He’s not the type to easily confide such things to others. Is he feeling responsible for what happened last night?

“O-Of course I’m surprised. It’s just, I don’t know how to comfort you. My goodness, you must have had such a hard time, Your Grace.”

I tried my best acting while sniffling, unable to control my runny nose.

“Oh, my. A curse, sniff, it’s not easy to accept… sniff.”

Sniff. Sniff. Ah, really…

“I’m sorry to say this in the middle of such a conversation, but could you give me a tissue? My nose… sniff. Won’t stop running.”

Here I was, sniffling with a runny nose while he was explaining about the curse in the most serious voice.

But a runny nose is a physiological phenomenon, and it’s not something I can control! And why am I suffering from a cold anyway?

When my runny nose intruded on the somber atmosphere created by the serious talk, Ilion finally looked at my face.

His expression suggested he had a lot to say, but for now, he silently pulled out a tissue from beside him and handed it to me.

I took the tissue and blew my nose as if I was going to pull out even the deepest mucus, then neatly folded the tissue.

“Your Grace, could you hold out your hand?”

“Why?”

He asked back as if he didn’t trust me. Yet he obediently held out his hand. As expected, being sick was the best shield.

Making a mental note to pretend to be sick whenever things got unfavorable in the future, I firmly placed the used tissue in his hand. Kindly folding his fingers over it with both hands.

“Please throw it in the trash.”

His brow furrowed deeply. And I smiled brightly in front of him.

Even if he felt responsible to explain yesterday’s events to me, we weren’t close enough to share each other’s secrets.

I didn’t want to become that close to Ilion either.

So I didn’t want to hear more of his secrets, nor did I want to continue the heavy atmosphere.

And at times like this, I always cowardly diverted his attention to a topic off the main point.

Today was no exception. Ilion would immediately push my hand away saying it was dirty, and leave the room with disgust.

As expected, Ilion glared at me for a while.

And suddenly… he burst into laughter.