As I knelt to meet the child’s eyes, Lea shyly twisted her body and gave a cute smile. Without realizing it, I smiled back and spoke gently.

“Hello, Lea. Can you close your eyes for a moment?”

The child nodded enthusiastically, closed her eyes, and held my hand tightly. I immediately released my magical power. I had wondered if sharing power with Leopold would affect my healing abilities, but it was just an unnecessary concern. I infused enough energy into each of the paralyzed nerves to restore them to their original state, completing the treatment without any issues.

“Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

The child opened her eyes slowly, appearing a bit surprised, then immediately ran to the chieftain and hugged her.

“I can see clearly now!”

The chieftain seemed shocked by the unexpected news.

“It means she can see clearly now. Her movements were probably sluggish, and her vision gradually blurred due to the paralysis. Speaking should be easier for her now too.”

“I see…!”

The chieftain carefully felt her daughter’s arms and legs, asking if anything felt uncomfortable or if moving was difficult. The child just giggled joyfully, and eventually, the chieftain shed tears.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen her this cheerful…”

Wiping her eyes, she picked up the child, showering her with kisses on her rosy cheeks, and then she too broke into a radiant smile. It was a heartwarming scene that made one forget the cold. Perhaps the truth about the incense could wait a little longer.

Hoping they could fully enjoy this moment of happiness, I quietly returned to Leopold’s side. He remained completely still. Although I knew it would take time for him to recover from such a dire state, I couldn’t help but worry.

“It would be best to move him.”

The shaman came over and sat opposite me. Just as I had examined the patient, she meticulously checked Leopold’s condition from head to toe. Though she lacked magical power, I was curious about her opinion. To be precise, I wanted someone to reassure me.

“Will Leopold be alright?”

“Of course. I can sense a vibrant life force.”

“How do you know that?”

“Call it an instinctual sense.”

Her answer was so abstract that I couldn’t think of a reply. As if reading my mind, she chuckled.

“I’ve seen that look many times. I’m the only one in our tribe with this ability. It’s a special skill passed down from my grandmother’s grandmother. I’ve thought about how to explain it, but it’s pointless. People wouldn’t understand anyway.”

“I see…”

“Still, I’ve proven my ability through the results of my spells, so trust me.”

Her voice was so kind and reassuring that I believed her without needing to be told. Besides, there wasn’t much more I could do, so I nodded slightly. Meanwhile, I heard the chieftain giving orders in the background.

“Guards, take them to the guest room. Assign someone to attend to them and post a guard outside.”

“Yes!”

With a quick response, several attendants brought a stretcher to move Leopold. Following them with words of gratitude, I suddenly stopped as a thought occurred to me.

“Oh, if you have pen and paper, could I borrow them? The knights are waiting outside the icy lands. We need to inform them.”

If we stayed here too long, the knights, unaware of the situation, might charge in once they were ready. It would be better to prevent any potential danger. The chieftain seemed to agree and asked,

“Do you intend to go yourself?”

“If possible, I’d like to ask Roscoe to do it. Leopold might be startled if I’m not by his side when he wakes up.”

“Very well.”

She readily accepted my request.

Everything went smoothly afterward. The guest room resembled Roscoe’s house, where I had first woken up, except it contained only a dining table and a low bed. The guards laid Leopold on the bed, lit a fire in the brazier in the middle of the room, and then left. Shortly after, a middle-aged woman appeared and handed me a pen and paper. She mentioned she would bring some food and quickly departed.

I sat at the table and began writing a letter. It explained that we were safe, the spell had been completed successfully, and that Leopold was recovering, so they should wait a little longer. At the end, I naturally signed it with my name, Hazel Lawrence.

I wondered if you understood what it meant for me to attach the surname Lawrence to my name. This promise to stay by your side no matter what happens means that once again, I was throwing myself at you, Leopold Lawrence. Did you realize that…?

“Hazel!”

At that moment, a familiar voice called out as the door swung open.

“Roscoe!”

“You were looking for me?”

Fortunately, the child was as bright as ever. Relieved, I checked on Roscoe.

“Yes, I have a favor to ask. But Roscoe, are you hurt? There was a scary incident last night.”

“I’m completely fine. The house got a bit damaged, though.”

“I’m sorry. Leopold…”

It seemed the explosion from last night had affected him. When I offered an apology, he responded in a flustered manner.

“But it’s okay! I heard they’ll fix it up into a much better house!”

“Huh? Who said that?”

“The chieftain!”

His face was filled with anticipation. Not wanting to dampen his spirits, I held back my response. Given Leopold’s wealth and the resources of the duke’s household, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult. More importantly, since it was his doing, it would be best for him to handle the aftermath properly.

“More importantly, Roscoe, you need to deliver this.”

“Is it a letter?”

“Yes, the Lawrence Knights should be outside the icy lands. Find Jayden, who rode with you, and give this to him. I’ve added a warning that anyone who treats you harshly will have their salary docked, so it shouldn’t be dangerous.”

“Got it!”

The child answered energetically and ran outside. Watching his reliable figure disappear, I returned to my seat.

Leopold was still completely motionless, except for breathing. I held his hand and let my magical power flow to check his condition. His heart, which had been beating erratically, seemed perfectly healthy, and there was no trace of pain anywhere in his body. Once again, it was a time of waiting.

I was just about to tuck his hand back under the blanket when I found I couldn’t move my hand. For a moment, I thought Leopold had woken up, but his eyes remained closed.

“Leopold…”

I murmured his name softly. It was touching that even unconsciously, he didn’t want to let go of me. I wanted to reassure him that I was safe and that he was okay now.

I cleared my throat slightly and called out to him again.

“Leopold Lawrence.”

I felt a bit nervous, as if I were confessing anew. But if my feelings could reach him, a little bit of trembling wouldn’t matter…

“We’ve come such a long way. I’ve gone over countless times where things went wrong, only to realize very late that it was all pointless. You made the best choices you could, and so did I…”

Knowing his past didn’t mean I could fully understand him. I had never experienced abuse, nor had I ever had magical powers manifest against my will, causing frightening events. Trying to understand was the best I could do.

“If I had known you would make such a choice after my death, I might have struggled harder to live. Because it was so sad. Seeing you return to the past every day. Imagining how hard and painful it must have been makes my heart break.”

Even though I spoke slowly, emotions rising within me made it hard to breathe. But once I started speaking, I couldn’t stop as words I wanted to say kept coming to mind.

“The fact that everything you did—avoiding me after marriage, paying the price for the return spell, and being completely different in this life—was all for me… makes me feel sorry. How hard must it have been for you to hide the truth?”

I took a slow, deep breath, trying not to cry. I sighed at myself for always becoming weak in front of him, but perhaps it was time to accept that there was no helping it.

“So much has happened that it’s too much to just bury everything in the past, but is it too much to hope we could leave it all behind? As if we were meeting each other for the first time. If you agree, I’m confident I can do it.”

So I could forget all my pain and give you my whole heart once again, as if you were my first love.

I turned my head slightly to prevent tears from falling on Leopold.

And at some point.

Warmth touched my cheek.

“…If that’s what you truly want.”

A gentle voice accompanied by a warm touch brushed my ear. Surprised, I turned back to him, and Leopold was looking at me with soft eyes.