As if noticing my arrival, the snow-white blanket suddenly rose, and a head with light-colored hair drowsily emerged from the bed.

Transparent light brown eyelashes, so clear one could see through them, hung down long and wet with tears, and even the cracks in the dry scarlet lips appeared extremely alluring.

The shirt with three buttons undone was damp with sweat, but the pale, delicate chest revealed between was like a sculpture imbued with an artist’s soul.

“Cough, cough. Have you come?”

He struggled to sit up, covering his mouth as he coughed repeatedly.

I wanted to tell him he didn’t need to get up, but I held back, fearing it might hurt his pride.

“Yes…….”

I couldn’t hide the pitiful expression that appeared on my face at the sight of him. Seeing my face, my sickly fiancé smiled faintly.

I carefully broached the subject to say what I had prepared.

“I heard from the doctor that your condition has been improving lately…….”

Looking at his current state, the doctor’s claim about his recovery seemed completely false, but then again, the doctor had no reason to lie.

“That’s…….”

“Jace, let’s break off our engagement.”

I forced myself to speak the words that wouldn’t come out easily. I felt that if I didn’t say it now, I never would.

If his illness was improving, then my insignificant healing power was no longer needed.

From the beginning, this was a completely nonsensical marriage.

The daughter of a declining count’s family and the sole heir to an ancient ducal house.

If he hadn’t had a serious chronic illness and if I didn’t have naturally occurring healing powers, this engagement would never have been possible in the first place.

So, if he was truly getting better, it was right to stop here before I became a true burden.

I didn’t have the courage to see Jace looking at me with disgusted eyes once I became useless.

“What are you…… Cough!”

Jace couldn’t finish his sentence as he coughed violently again.

Unable to restrain myself, I rushed to his bedside as had become my habit. My only use as his fiancée was to infuse him with healing power through physical contact.

“Jace!”

As his shoulders heaved once more, a large amount of blood burst forth onto the white blanket.

“Kyaak!”

I screamed at the sight of the bright red blood.

With blood staining the corners of his mouth, Jace weakly raised his head and smiled at me.

“Rosie, what should I do? I…… think I still need you.”

At that small, powerless voice, a corner of my heart felt deeply bruised.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Unable to stop the tears from flowing, I reached out to Jace.

“Here, quickly take my hand. I’ll heal you.”

“Then, you won’t break off our engagement?”

Jace hesitantly extended his pale hand toward me and asked in a worried tone.

“I won’t……! Absolutely not. Not until your body gets better, absolutely!”

I shook my head vigorously, assuring him.

Only then did Jace seem somewhat relieved, a gentle smile appearing on his pale face.

I grasped the frail, thin hand he extended. There wasn’t a hint of color in his cold hand.

“It’s a promise.”

He emphasized each syllable strongly. I could sense a desperate longing for life in his demeanor.

Feeling sorry for Jace, I nodded endlessly to reassure him.

Though my healing power was minimal and barely effective, I concentrated as much as I could on the bony hand holding mine, hoping to heal him even a little.

❀❀❀

Jace Riverton, staring at the spot where their hands had briefly overlapped, had to force himself not to laugh. His gaunt, pale face wore a proper smile like a courtesy to his visitor as he looked out the window.

His skeletal body, seemingly fragile enough to break, leaned forward smoothly and flexibly.

Below the window where he leaned, papers with names and addresses of those who had disappeared were piled high.

Some papers crumpled under his shoe as he changed position, but he didn’t care at all.

The hand that wiped blood from his mouth now held a cigar that had just begun to burn. Jace’s bloodless cheeks were hollowed with gray shadows.

“It’s a promise.”

The low, clear tone with a hint of laughter couldn’t be recognized as coming from the same person as before.