“Wouldn’t you die if your heart is stolen? Then the contract would end.”

It was natural that whether human or animal, one would die without a heart. Even in this world where medical development was delayed due to holy power, they understood that much.

When Adelia spoke, puzzled, Kai shook his head.

“Even without the heart that is the source of power, if white magic remains in the body, the white mage doesn’t die immediately through self-healing. Of course, they’ll die when the white magic runs out, but if someone takes it before the white mage dies after stealing their heart, the white magic transfers to that person. Then they don’t have to go through the trouble of searching for white magic.”

“That’s horrible……”

Adelia grimaced.

Taking someone’s heart to extort their power.

Though Kai didn’t explain the process in detail, those words alone were enough to imagine disgusting scenes.

“It’s not even that difficult then. They just need to take my heart.”

Though she always wore white magic around her body, with the appearance of a dark mage, it was hard to consider herself safe anymore.

After hearing the honest words, Adelia smiled with raised the corners of her mouth, seemingly enlightened. All strength left her body.

Adelia lay back weakly. The soft bed sank with a thump and her silver hair sprawled messily across it.

“Haha…… Damn it.”

When her last hope snapped, her vision spun.

The ceiling full of splendid paintings that seemed to contain every sparkling thing whirled around. Meanwhile, memories remaining in her mind overlapped.

The ceiling of an old wooden attic with only light from the window and an ivory-colored ceiling with mold occasionally visible under flickering fluorescent lights came and went before her eyes.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Adelia squeezed her eyes shut. Her head throbbed and nausea began to rise.

The dam of thoughts that had protected Adelia was crumbling. As it disappeared, the tightly closed floodgates opened. The dark thoughts she had desperately contained until now burst forth like a flood.

The thoughts swirling in her mind became the voices of familiar people echoing in her ears.

“You ruined it. The future has changed. There’s no more happiness.”

“If only you weren’t here, sister, I would have lived happily. Why did you do it?”

“We shouldn’t have let you into the imperial palace. You only brought misfortune.”

“What are you doing with my body? You ruined the world. You should have just died.”

“I should never have known you. You’re horrible. I’m glad we divorced.”

The voices of Bada before the transmigration, the lovely Ariana, the cold Emperor, the resentful Adelia, and the disappointed Lucian pierced through her ears into her heart.

The voices of those who had all been pleasant and warm cut wounds all over her body.

“Ugh…… Damn it……”

She curled up at the pain that felt like someone was rummaging through her head with both hands and her internal organs were twisting.

Though she knew it was all her imagination, Adelia trembled at the voices that wouldn’t disappear.

She unconsciously spread white magic throughout her body at the surging pain, but the pain didn’t subside.

Since it wasn’t pain that followed from a physical problem but a mental issue, white magic couldn’t resolve it.

She internally spewed countless curses she couldn’t dare speak aloud. Only small groans escaped her lips.

Though the pain gradually disappeared as time passed, her mind, eaten away by darkness, remained confused.

“Just living a long and thin…… no, short and thin life. I guess I made a big deal out of trying to make it happier, but maybe it was all for nothing…”

A cracked voice came from Adelia’s mouth. Her voice full of guilt and regret was heavy enough to drill through the floor into the ground.

She felt the weight of her struggles more deeply than ever, realizing she couldn’t regret more her desperate attempts to rewrite a future that seemed carved in stone.

She had wanted to live, and took white magic to live. There was only one way.

The future she had changed until now had been happy in its own way.

The empire had prospered more than in the original story, and she had given Ariana, who had lived confined to the imperial palace, a broader perspective.

‘But what about the future ahead?’

Could she guarantee happiness?

If they completely eliminated the King of Silentium, happiness would surely follow. But if not, what would remain in the world would be Adelia’s screams.

She hadn’t made the commitment to change the future without thinking about such risks. She just hadn’t expected the risk to be the world’s destruction.

‘But it’s already too late.’

As time passed, Adelia regained her reason.

No matter how much she regretted and blamed herself, she couldn’t change the past. Though she could change the future.

Knowing this, she still couldn’t prevent the pain that occasionally visited. She was used to being deeply hurt and regaining her reason again. It was something she had experienced countless times over the past three years.

“Master. Are you alright now?”

Kai spoke when Adelia’s breathing returned to normal. While Adelia was in pain, Kai had been wrapping his body around her.

It was to prevent her from falling off the bed as she writhed in pain.

When Kai first saw her suffering in pain, he had panicked too. But now he knew what he could do and helped her to the best of his ability.

“Ha…… Kai.”

“Your condition is too unstable. You should rest for a while.”

“No, I’m just suffocating under the weight of my choices.”

“As I’ve said many times Master, you tend to try to take responsibility for everything alone. That weight shouldn’t be shouldered alone but shared.”

“I’ll try.”

Adelia said while brushing back her hair that had become damp with sweat. The cold sweat still hadn’t dried on her forehead.

Her body was weak from using white magic during the confusion. She tidied herself while hiding her trembling fingertips among her hair.

“Ah, then you said white magic can be stolen by taking the heart. What about the holy sword?”

“I don’t know about that. What I protect is white magic, not the holy sword. The holy sword protects itself, so you’d have to ask that guy. Though it probably won’t answer.”

“I should give them a hint later.”

Having regained her reason, Adelia returned to her neat appearance as if she had never been disheveled.

She rose from her seat while fixing her messy hair and smoothing out her crumpled dress.

“About the dark mage. Does the holy sword know?”

“It probably doesn’t. Even I only learned about it by traveling the world myself. The holy sword can’t move around alone, so it couldn’t know.”

“Then don’t tell it.”

Adelia spoke firmly. At that, Kai raised his body with a growl.

“The holy sword’s master also has a duty to eliminate evil.”

“I’ll fulfill all that duty. It wasn’t originally his duty.”

“I’m against this. The holy sword’s price is the danger of the trial. Unlike white magic, it doesn’t take other prices, so the duty must be fulfilled.”

“If you’re going to be so stubborn, I have no choice.”

Adelia raised her hand toward Kai.

White magic rippled between her trembling fingers. Seeing the white magic moving lightly like a passing breeze, Kai jumped up.

“Master, surely not!”

“It’s an order, Kai. Do not reveal anything about the dark mage without my permission.”

Adelia smiled faintly while placing her index finger over her lips. Even in her smile meant to hide emotions, bitter and lonely feelings seeped through.

A golden collar appeared around Kai’s neck. A long leash extending from it was grasped in Adelia’s hand.

Though it disappeared quickly, Kai scratched at where the collar had been with his hind legs.

It was the first order given to the Guardian of Light as his master.

Kai shook his body sulkily.

“I’ve never met a human as disobedient as you, Master. To waste one of only three chances on such an order! Didn’t I tell you to use them carefully!”

“It was a very careful and important decision.”

Adelia shrugged nonchalantly despite Kai’s complaints.

The Guardian of Light’s master could make exactly three orders. Though the Guardian of Light originally followed their master’s words well, orders imbued with God’s power couldn’t be disobeyed even if unreasonable.

Adelia stroked the head of the sulking Kai.

“I hope at least you understand me. You know how I feel.”