Chapter 16 (Part 6)

After finishing her sparring session, Grace took a bath and returned to her room.  

Suddenly, she realized that despite having been home for quite some time, her body hadn’t returned to normal. She pulled out her communication device.  

After tapping on its surface a few times, Leonardo’s voice came through immediately.  

[Gracie.]  

Hearing the warmth in his voice, Grace let out a small laugh.  

As she laughed, Leonardo grumbled.  

[I’m practically dying here, missing you, and you seem completely unaffected.]  

Grace replied in a voice tinged with amusement.  

“Is there no one around you? Why are you saying such sweet things?”  

[Caleb is here, but it’s fine.]  

At Leonardo’s response, Grace fell silent without meaning to.  

She couldn’t help but wonder what Caleb Martin would say to her after hearing such words.  

Breaking her silence, Leonardo spoke nonchalantly.  

[I’m the one who started this relationship, but I don’t understand why I’m the one acting so desperate.]

His tone implied, “What’s wrong with me?” as he casually added,

[Did the Marchioness have anything to say?]

While Grace was worried about Caleb glaring at her, Leonardo’s casual attitude made her feel that perhaps it wasn’t a big deal.  

After hesitating for a moment, she sighed and answered,  

“She told me to be careful.”  

Grace couldn’t bring herself to mention that Amelia had warned her not to leave any “marks,” especially with Caleb possibly listening in.  

However, Leonardo, who understood her perfectly, replied in an embarrassed tone.  

[So the Marchionessnoticed, huh.]  

“You can’t hide anything from Mom.”  

When Grace spoke softly, Leonardo fell silent.  

If Amelia had noticed the mark he’d left, it meant she also knew about the change in their relationship. But the fact that she only told Grace to be careful—what could that mean?  

Leonardo, uncertain whether to interpret it as approval of their relationship, asked again.  

[Did she say anything else?]  

“No, nothing else. By the way, Leonardo…”  

Conscious of Caleb nearby, Grace called his name, to which Leonardo responded as if feeling slighted,

[How long has it been since you promised to call me by my nickname, and you’ve already changed your mind?]  

Embarrassed, Grace replied in a small voice,  

“Well, Sir Martin might hear… so, um, it’s just…”  

As Grace stammered, Leonardo replied in a tone so shameless it was almost impressive,  

[What does it matter if he hears? It’s not my fault Sir Martin is still single.]  

From behind, a faint protest of “Commander!” could be heard.  

Realizing Caleb was indeed listening to their conversation, Grace thought that perhaps being bold might be the better approach.  

With that thought, she blurted out,  

“Sir Martin hasn’t been in a relationship even once, has he?”  

[No, he hasn’t.]  

A protesting shout came from behind, but Grace pretended not to hear and responded,

“Well, that’s a bit unfortunate.”  

When Grace replied cheekily, Leonardo let out a low chuckle and got to the main point.  

[Did something happen?]  

“Oh, it’s nothing major. It’s just that my body hasn’t returned to normal yet, and I thought it was strange.”  

After a moment of rustling, as if checking the time, Leonardo replied reassuringly,  

[According to Hymen, it’s a temporary phenomenon caused by the sorcery circle drawn in the shelter.]  

“Ah, so it won’t happen tomorrow, either.”  

Leonardo’s silence confirmed her statement.  

The thought of going back to living in a swapped body tomorrow made her feel a little down. But Grace, knowing there was nothing she could do, added,  

“I just need to follow the schedule, right?”  

[Ah, speaking of which, there’s something I need to tell you. Hymen and Hara have found a solution. You’ll need to come with me to the Sorcerer’s Tower soon.]  

Hearing this, Grace unconsciously leapt to her feet.  

The news that a solution had been found meant that this bizarre phenomenon would soon be resolved, and their relationship would face a new chapter.  

“Is that really true?”  

[Yes. It’s late today, so rest at home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.]  

Nodding, Grace tightly held the communication device.  

“Yes, I’ll come early in the morning.”  

[The door to the lab will open automatically for you, so come whenever you’d like.]  

Grace replied enthusiastically,  

“Alright!”  

With that, she ended the call, hugging the device as she flopped onto her bed.  

The communication device, still warm from its magic circuits, felt to her like Leonardo himself.  

‘Who knew I’d feel so fuzzy inside? Is this why people fall in love?’  

It felt like holding soft cotton candy in her mouth endlessly.  

Sweet, yet tinged with a bittersweet longing, as if it might vanish at any moment. It was such an unfamiliar feeling, one she had never experienced before, that Grace found it both fascinating and precious.  

‘I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.’  

Thinking that, Grace, perhaps exhausted from her first proper sparring session in a while, unknowingly drifted off to sleep.  

And when Grace opened her eyes, she found herself in a dream where the Golden Day Primroses were in full bloom.  

Feeling a strange sense of nostalgia, she gently touched the flowers swaying in the breeze and murmured,  

“This dream… It’s been a while.”  

She didn’t understand why she kept having this kind of dream, but by now, Grace no longer thought it mattered.  

If not for this dream, which was akin to a curse that sometimes felt unbearably cruel, she wouldn’t have had the chance to clear up misunderstandings with Leonardo or experience such sweet emotions.  

Thinking this, Grace crouched among the flowers.  

‘Could there have been a reason for all of this?’  

Perhaps, beyond the physical intimacy, the spirit of these flowers had something they truly wanted to convey.  

But whatever it was, one thing was certain—it had never been properly communicated to humans.  

“Did it want to teach us what love is?”  

If that were the case, shouldn’t it have chosen a different method?  

The way it was now, it felt more like a dream crafted solely for indulgence. Instead of teaching love, it seemed people would only revel in pleasure until they were utterly drained.  

As Grace pondered this, Leonardo appeared before her.  

“Huh, Leo!”  

In her previous dreams, it had been the Leonardo she knew, so she called out to him cheerfully. But this time, there was an inexplicable chill in the air.  

His gaze held none of the warmth she was accustomed to. Instead, it was cold, like a transparent glass bead.  

‘No, this isn’t the Leo I know.’  

Unconsciously, Grace hesitated, lowering the hand she had instinctively raised.  

Was it possible that this wasn’t Leonardo, but rather the spirit of the flower wearing his form? 

The thought made her scoot back slightly, dragging her hips away.  

‘Please, don’t come any closer.’  

Unaware of her unease, Leonardo smiled faintly and waved his hand. Then, he pointed in the opposite direction.  

His completely unexpected gesture piqued Grace’s curiosity.  

“What is it?”  

As she asked what could possibly be over there and turned her head, she felt as though she had been struck hard on the back of her head.  

With that sensation, she woke from the dream.  

By the time she opened her eyes, it was already a bright morning.  

“…Huh?”  

It felt like she had been chased out of her own dream. And the fact that such a brief dream had lasted through the long night felt strange.  

Recalling Leonardo’s expression from her dream, Grace murmured,  

“…Could it have been a direct hit?”  

For just a moment, he had worn an expression as though he’d heard something unexpected. Then, he had immediately ejected her from the dream.  

Almost as if it were the last time.  

‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’  

Grace shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. Then, she stretched her arms wide.  

Today, she would go to the Sorcerer’s Tower and learn the solution. Once that was done, this unstable life would finally end. That alone was reason enough to be happy.  

Thinking this, Grace enjoyed the breakfast Becky brought her with great delight.  

And then.  

“―Ah!”  

The moment she stepped outside, intending to walk to work for the first time in a while, and turned the corner of the wall, a sharp pain shot through her chest.  

Grace instinctively clutched her chest and collapsed forward. From afar, she vaguely saw someone noticing her and running toward her, shouting in alarm.  

‘Ah, damn it.’  

She didn’t know what was happening, but it seemed like a colossal disaster.  

The person running toward her was not who she had hoped for. In fact, it was someone who shouldn’t have been there at all.  

‘Liam, why are you here?’  

She tried to force her eyes open as they blurred and grew heavy, but her consciousness soon slipped away.  

The last thing she saw was Liam’s face, which looked oddly pleased.