Chapter 120

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a place reeking of alcohol. Blinking in confusion, she suddenly remembered that she had collapsed.

‘So, this must be a hospital.’

It was clear that Felix must have urgently brought her here.

‘But where is Felix?’

The man who should have been by her side, taking care of her, was nowhere to be seen. She tried to get up to look for him, but dizziness struck her again, forcing her to collapse back onto the bed.

A groan escaped her lips. Perhaps hearing this sound, the curtain swayed, and someone entered.

She thought it was Felix, but surprisingly, it was her brother William. His eyes widened in shock when he saw her, and he quickly checked her condition.

“Elly, are you alright?”

“Mm-hmm. But where’s Felix?”

She felt guilty for asking about Felix in front of her brother, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Waking up to find Felix absent—it wasn’t as though she was seriously ill, but she had fainted, and he wasn’t by her side. He had gone somewhere else.

She decided she would give Felix a piece of her mind when he showed up.

But William said something unexpected.

“Don’t be upset. Felix is waiting outside.”

“Outside? Why is he outside?”

“When Felix brought you here after you collapsed, the hospital staff grew suspicious since he wasn’t family. So…”

“Oh…”

She understood what he meant. Hospitals that dealt with nobles were strict about verifying identities, likely to prevent potential crimes.

Felix must have claimed to be her guardian, but technically, he wasn’t yet. It seemed he had no choice but to call William in a hurry.

“So that’s why you came.”

“Yes. Even though I assured them it was fine, they wouldn’t allow him to stay by your side until you woke up.”

She quickly spoke up.

“Then, could you call Felix in?”

“You…”

Seeing the subtle change in her brother’s expression, she realized her mistake. He must have dropped everything to rush here, yet she was only asking for Felix in front of him.

Feeling both grateful and apologetic, she held her brother’s hand.

“Thank you for coming.”

“No, it’s my fault for not bringing you to the hospital sooner.”

“I’m really fine.”

Only after hearing her reassurance did her brother leave to fetch Felix. Shortly after, Felix rushed in.

“Elly.”

He grabbed her hand and scanned her from head to toe. She playfully swung his hand and smiled.

“I’m fine. Didn’t the doctor say so?”

“They did, but…”

Felix pressed his forehead against the back of her hand and let out a deep sigh. She could sense his worry in his silence.

‘He must have been really worried.’

She gently ruffled his hair with her other hand. When Felix raised his head again, his gaze was heavy with emotion.

“Elly.”

Even his voice, calling her name, was lower than usual. She couldn’t imagine what he was about to say that carried such weight.

Swallowing nervously, she replied, 

“Yes…?”

“William told you, didn’t he? Because I’m not your guardian, I couldn’t stay by your side when you collapsed.”

“Yes, he told me.”

“While I was outside, I thought about a lot of things. It makes me angry, but you’re still Elena Bellote. Your guardian isn’t me but Sir Bellote, and I’m not even your family.”

He gently kissed her empty ring finger.

“Let’s get married.”

Unlike the proposal he made months ago, this time it felt different. Something heavy and profound filled her heart.

“I’ll protect you. No matter what happens from now on.”

“Felix…”

She had already prepared herself to marry him since the moment she accepted his first proposal. Whether it was tomorrow or any other day, she was ready.

How could she refuse someone who longed for her so deeply?

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“I mean, as soon as possible.”

“Yes, so I said alright.”

Only then did Felix’s stiff expression soften into a smile. It wasn’t his usual crooked grin, nor was it a bright one.

It was a pleasant smile, with both corners of his lips lifted. Seeing that smile, she leaned in and kissed him.

***

That very day, Felix took a leave of absence. She was shocked that a newcomer would already take time off, but he was adamant.

He said he wanted to stay by her side and watch over her for a while.

She thought about it from his perspective. 

If I had almost lost Felix…

So, she said nothing more. At Felix’s urging, she also took a leave of absence, and together they headed to the Bellote Estate.

Throughout the journey from Bellote Station to the mansion, Felix’s face remained tense. She wanted to laugh at how nervous he was, but she was just as anxious, so she couldn’t.

“Oh my, Miss!”

As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, the nanny embraced her. The nanny must have already heard about her near-death experience, as she broke into sobs while holding her.

Trying to appear composed, she patted the nanny’s back.

“Nanny, it’s alright. I’m fine.”

“But just thinking about how scared you must have been makes my heart tremble. How terrifying and hopeless it must have been to face it alone.”

I wasn’t alone. Little One was by my side.

But she didn’t mention Little One. It was such an unbelievable story that no one would believe it anyway.

Perhaps interpreting her silence differently, the nanny cried even harder. She hurried to comfort her.

“It’s alright, Nanny. Felix handled everything well.”

“It’s a relief the young master was there.”

Even after crying for a long while, the nanny finally led her and Felix into the mansion.

“Oh dear, I’ve been so thoughtless. You both must be tired from the long journey, and I kept you standing here. Please, come inside.”

“Nanny, where’s Father?”

“He’s waiting for you after receiving the message.”

Feeling tense, she held Felix’s hand and headed to her father’s office.

Although he had already approved of their relationship, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t oppose their marriage.

“I’m here.”

She waited for a response. Suddenly, the door burst open, and not only her father but also William and Illya spilled out like a flood.

Illya’s presence was expected, but for her father and William to come rushing out? It was unusual behavior for their typically calm personalities.

She widened her eyes in surprise.

“What’s going on with you two?”

Illya ran to her and hugged her tightly. He didn’t say a word, but his body trembled.

She realized that her brother must have only recently learned of her ordeal.

After holding her in silence for a moment, Illya ground his teeth.

“That bastard Deros…”

William stopped him from behind.

“Watch your language, Illya. Elly can hear you.”

“Hah… I should have been there.”

She patted her brother’s back.

“It’s fine. I’m safe now, aren’t I?”

“How did you escape? Even with Felix there…”

“I have something to say about that.”

She took her brother’s hand and sat him down. Felix, at her signal, also sat beside her.

Looking at the men surrounding her, she smiled faintly. But unlike her composed expression, her hand holding Illya’s was slightly cold—a sign of her nervousness.

And she had every reason to be. She was about to tell them a story that sounded utterly unbelievable.

“What I’m about to say may seem impossible to believe, but it’s all true.”

She began recounting the events involving Little One.

Starting from Saint Esna’s Festival two years ago, when Little One first appeared, to the story of how Felix got caught up in a rebellion and died in the past, and how, thanks to Ginger and Little One, they managed to change the future.

Her father and brothers sat in silence for a while after hearing her story. It was understandable—it was hard to believe. But since it was her telling the story, they couldn’t dismiss it as nonsense.

She handed her father the diary Little One had left behind.

“This is the proof. According to the records, Grosvenor also traveled through time using letters from a former lover.”

Her father silently flipped through the diary. Her brothers leaned in close to read along.

Finally, after finishing the diary, her father and brothers remained quiet.

Illya was the first to speak.

“So, time-travel magic is possible? Really?”

His comment, slightly missing the point, made her forget her tension and laugh.

“Brother, that’s not the point right now.”

“How is it not important? This is a groundbreaking discovery!”

She shook her head.

“I plan to keep this a secret.”

“Why?”

“There’s too much potential for misuse.”

There would undoubtedly be people like Felix who would use it for good. But there would also be those like Professor Deros who would exploit it.

“Besides, no one would believe it. Even though Grosvenor mentioned it in his autobiography, everyone dismissed it as the ramblings of a senile old man.”

“That’s true.”

Her brother clicked his tongue in disappointment. At that moment, he looked like a scholar deeply invested in his research.

“Well, it is hard to believe.”

After a long silence, her father finally spoke. Returning the diary to her, he turned to Felix.

“But I assume you didn’t come here just to tell me this.”

Her father’s expression hardened for a different reason. William’s face also grew serious.

Illya, who had been lamenting the secrecy of time-travel magic, finally noticed the shift in atmosphere and spoke up.

“What? What’s going on… Don’t tell me, Felix, you…”

“Yes. I’d like to formally ask for your permission to marry her.”