Seeing Arne’s mana core rapidly turning transparent and depleting meant she was using a significant amount of energy.

He didn’t know what contract it was, but the fact that Arne, the grand mage, could never use magic again was shocking.

‘It’s like a swordmaster who devoted his life to swordsmanship losing his arm.’

Cedric tightly held Arne’s hand.

Rein, looking back and forth between Arne and Cedric, moved his lips.

“By the way, if you can never use magic…”

“Does governing time mean you can use time-related magic?”

Arne asked a little more quickly with a faint breath. So could that devil turn back time?

“It’s highly likely. But with that kind of contractor, it would have to be a Spirit King or a Tower Master, unless it’s a god or a devil. You’re not saying the Tower Master is the contractor, are you?”

“……”

It wasn’t good to reveal who the contractor was yet. But an unexpected word slipped out of Rein’s mouth upon seeing Cedric.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a legend in Renigrad about sealing the time devil in the holy mirror?”

“Legend?”

“Yes. Because of that, it’s said that Renigrad’s bloodline and their spouses suffer from a curse of dying young due to the sealed devil’s wrath. It’s funny, isn’t it? As if there could be devils on earth.”

“……”

This time, Cedric remained silent. But Rein continued without noticing anything.

“There are other rumors that it grants wishes or turns back time. There was also a rumor that the successor of Renigrad, wrapped in red mana, remembered and said he was a regressor.”

“What did you just say? Wrapped in red mana?”

Vivian showed the same aspect the last time I saw her.

As red mana wrapped around Vivian, she suddenly blurted out unusual words.

“Mom, I left my doll behind. In the room of mirrors.”

“Because I went there secretly. Now you can go too. Please bring back the doll.”

Arne felt as if her breath was taken away as she mulled over Vivian’s words.

If Vivian, like herself, was a regressor who had traveled back in time, then her memories must have returned to when she was enveloped by the red mana.

That means she said those words knowing that the Grand Ducal house would burn, Millie would die, and perhaps even she herself might die.

She went, knowing everything. But why?

Arne went to the room of mirrors and made a wish…

“Make sure to come back.”

Arne trembled. Cedric’s gaze turned to Arne.

“Lad…”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Arne left the training ground without giving anyone a chance to stop her.

She couldn’t bear it; her breath was short, and her heart ached.

Despite the pain in her swollen ankle every time she stepped on the ground, she couldn’t think of anything.

If Vivian was a regressor, she must have known that she would die.

Arne had bought time for her to go to the room of mirrors.

Believing firmly that Arne would definitely come back.

‘Vivian.’

Tears wouldn’t stop. Vivian was like a gift to Arne.

Vivian gave her love, unknown to Arne, who was an orphan, simply because she was her parent.

With her tiny hands, she gave Arne flowers and said she loved her.

She didn’t want to forget Arne, so she filled a sketchbook with drawings of her.

She chose death to save and protect her.

A child is not meant to protect their parents. They should grow up protected and loved by their parents.

But a child who couldn’t be protected takes on the role of a parent themselves.

Arne knew this all too well. That’s why her heart felt like it was tearing apart.

“I’m sorry, Vivian.”

As Arne ran with her blurred vision, she bumped into someone.

“Lady Ronia?”

Without seeing who it was, Arne ran off. When her legs gave out and she could no longer run, she collapsed.

“I should have let go of Duke Ronia earlier. Because I couldn’t let go foolishly, Vivian, Vivian…”

She did it instead.

‘I should have protected you. I should have.’

She should have realized it when Duke Ronia didn’t respond to her letters asking for a mage to protect the Grand Duchy of Renigrad.

She was afraid that the truth might be that her father had abandoned her.

Afraid that the first family she had would disappear. Yet, she wanted to believe they were family.

‘Vivian.’

Arne curled up and buried her head. Her whole body trembled. She wasn’t sure if it was because of crying or lack of mana.

‘I miss you.’

Arne sobbed, curled up. The suppressed sobs in her throat wouldn’t stop.

She heard someone calling her name, but even that sound seemed distant.

A familiar hand touched Arne, who was heavily gasping for breath.

“Lady.”

Cedric embraced the fallen Arne. As he supported her neck, her limp body collapsed onto Cedric like soaked cotton.

Her face, already pale, turned as white as her bleached hair.

Her nearly transparent mana core flickered white with Cedric’s warmth.

Cedric’s fingers tensed as the life that seemed about to extinguish perilously lingered on.

He patted her back until Arne’s suppressed sobs subsided.

“Were you very scared?”

Even after speaking, Cedric bit his lip.

Isn’t it obvious? Becoming a grand mage before reaching adulthood is difficult with talent alone.

It’s something one achieves after dedicating their life to. And if everything one lived for disappeared all at once…

Cedric embraced Arne, who was barely breathing, like a young animal that was intermittently clinging to life.

“I should have found you sooner. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you when you were struggling.”

Arne twitched. Cedric might have said it because of her significantly reduced mana, but perhaps it was the words she wanted to hear most in her past life.

“I don’t know who Vivian is.”

Arne’s face contorted at his following words. With a silent scream, Cedric struggled to speak.

“Will you let me help you?”

Arne couldn’t continue speaking. After slowly extending her hand, Arne tightly embraced Cedric’s neck.

Cedric’s hand, floating in the air, slowly embraced Arne tightly. Without any space between them.

* * *

How long had they been like this? Arne slowly turned to look at Cedric, who was still patting her back.

He was truly an enigma. If he could be this sweet, why couldn’t he marry?

Was it his inherently gentle nature that had turned cold due to the hurt he felt from Lady Leverun?

Why had he been so cold and indifferent in their past life, without sending a single letter?

No matter how much she pondered, it remained a mystery. In Arne’s memory, he always looked angry.

‘When you’re so sweet like this, it makes me greedy. I thought having a child was enough. But when you’re this affectionate.’

But Arne knew her place well.

The reason Arne, who was born an orphan, could still remain in the Ronia Duchy was because she knew her place.

It was also rare for this man, who extended such tender hands, to actually let someone into his heart.

Maybe it was really because Arne was a patient that he was so affectionate to her.

Or perhaps it was merely a sense of responsibility for breaking Arne’s mana core.

‘Really, that might be it. The man I met on the battlefield was called the cruel war demon of the northern ice mountains.’

His obsession with demon extermination was close to madness. Once a demon caught his eye, it could only escape his pursuit in death.

‘I really don’t know much about you.’

Feeling Arne’s gaze, Cedric slowly turned his head.

Their gazes intertwined. Arne sometimes had such eyes. Eyes so beautifully captivating, they could enchant people.

His gaze lingered from her mesmerizing red eyes to her lips, tinged with a hint of red.

‘Last night at the banquet, it seemed like this too.’

Like bees unable to ignore honey, he exuded an overly rich, sweet, and  enchanting scent.

Cedric rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, stopping them in mid-air once, then clenched his fist.

But he crumbled at the following sweet voice.

“Cedric, hug me.”

Cedric’s pupils shook slightly.

Arne’s arms slowly pulled him by the nape of his neck.

Her whisper, carrying a faint breath, continued softly.

“Cedric?”

“……”

Arne, tilting her head with those clear eyes, looked up at Cedric curiously.

‘What is he thinking?’

Cedric let out a low sigh and chuckled softly.

“My lady, you shouldn’t speak so carelessly.”

Arne blinked. Her eyes rolling in thought clearly showed she was pondering what ‘such words’ meant.

Seeing Arne’s blinking eyes, Cedric clenched his fist in the air uncomfortably.

“For example, asking for a hug.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I really should only ask in emergencies, but I…”

Arne’s eyes dimmed as if the flame in them had been extinguished. Yes, this was probably it. What was allowed for her was nothing more than the conscience or sympathy anyone would show toward someone on the brink of life and death.

“I was presumptuous.”

Arne drooped her head powerlessly, like a rabbit with drooping ears. Her long eyelashes trembled.

She slowly pulled away from Cedric. Cedric somehow didn’t like that.

Cedric bit his lip, looking troubled.

“It’s not that… never mind.”

With a low sigh, Cedric embraced Arne tightly again.

‘After saying I’d help with my own mouth. To think I misunderstood you and threw a needless tantrum.’

Arne looked at Cedric without knowing why.

Seeing those clear eyes, Cedric felt somewhat unjustly accused. He could only smile.

“My lady.”

Blinking her rabbit-like clear eyes and tilting her head made Cedric feel as if he had done something terribly wrong.

“This is why you’re still considered young.”

Arne’s pupils swelled with dissatisfaction at Cedric’s following words.

Her pursed lips seemed like a form of protest but didn’t amount to much.

Somehow, seeing such a face made him want to tease her more.

“You seem to forget, I am indeed an adult. And in half a year, I’ll be having my debutante ball. I’m an adult fully prepared to receive formal courtship recognized by the empire and Lord Cedric!”

“Yes, yes.”

Listening to the words formed by her moving, pursed lips, Cedric smiled lazily.

Arne felt even more heated by Cedric’s seemingly dismissive attitude.

“Ha, why!”

With indignation, Arne spoke with a voice full of anger.

“Hug me.”

“Alright.”