Chapter 7 (Part 2)

“Cordelia! No, please… Cordelia! Open your eyes, please.”  

A familiar voice called out to her.  

It was soaked in despair, a tone she had never heard from him before.  

It was the voice of the one she had desperately called for.  

With the last bit of strength she could muster, she opened her eyes slightly.  

In the crimson twilight, she saw a beautiful silhouette.  

It was him.  

Not Levin, but her husband, Nathaniel.  

‘Are you hurt? I’m so glad. I missed you.’  

She wanted to say those words.  

But she couldn’t even move her lips.  

It felt as though only her shell remained, barely holding on.  

It was as if her soul was about to leave her body.  

Her vision blurred again, and the world around her grew brighter.  

She was sure she was dying—her pupils must have been dilating.  

Then, suddenly, she felt lips pressing against hers.  

He was kissing her.  

And miraculously, the strength she thought she had lost forever began to return.  

She regained enough awareness to wonder, ‘What is happening?’ as vitality surged back into her body.  

Only after her strength had returned enough for her to think clearly did he pull away from her lips.  

Then, he held her tightly in his arms and let out a short sob.  

But it wasn’t sadness.  

It was relief—relief that he had gotten her back.  

“It’s okay now. Let’s go home. Let’s go back…”  

After that, the situation around her began to change rapidly.  

Perhaps he thought she had lost consciousness.  

But in truth, Cordelia had her eyes barely open, watching everything that was happening.  

Holding her tightly in his arms, Nathaniel shouted toward the surroundings, 

“Here! Come and deal with this!”  

It was a sharp tone she had never heard from him before.  

Then, shadows began to pour out from all over the forest, swarming the man who had just become a corpse.  

Soon, a black carriage came rushing through the forest.  

Its door creaked open, and something massive slithered out.  

At first, it moved sluggishly toward the corpse.  

But after a while, it turned and began to approach her and Nathaniel instead.  

“Don’t even think about sniffing here. This isn’t your place, so get lost!”  

With a harsh curse, Nathaniel held her even closer.  

The creature let out a bizarre groaning sound, “Guuuuh,” and then retreated.  

Afterward, Nathaniel placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply.  

In the distance, something began to approach.  

It was the familiar sound of hooves pounding against the ground.  

She recognized it instantly—it was their horse, Skoll.  

But there was someone riding it.  

Though she couldn’t make out the figure clearly, the voice was unmistakable—a beautiful, angelic woman’s voice.  

The woman dismounted, her tone filled with concern as she addressed Nathaniel.  

“Are you really taking her again this time? This is a clear violation of the rules.”  

“Don’t interfere.”  

“Lord Nathaniel…!”  

“Move.”  

It was a cold, curt tone she had never heard from him before.  

Gone was his usual gentle and kind voice.  

Were they on bad terms?  

Or was he angry at her for meddling?  

Cordelia wondered silently, trying to steady her breathing.  

In her current state, she was practically a corpse herself.  

She could do nothing but remain conscious.  

Then, once again, she felt her body being lifted.  

The scent of Skoll’s mane wafted toward her.  

It seemed Nathaniel had mounted the horse while holding her.  

Soon, her vision swayed, and she felt his arms tighten around her.  

“Let’s go, Skoll.”  

At his command, Skoll stomped its hooves.  

But then, just as they were about to move, the woman’s voice called out again, trying to stop them.  

“Lord Nathaniel!”  

This time, her voice came from in front of the horse.  

It seemed she had stepped in their way.  

“You’ll have to send that woman away eventually! If you keep acting like this, you’ll get caught in the flow too, Lord Nathaniel! You’ve worked so hard to reach your current position! Don’t you think it’s a waste? Why are you sacrificing so much for this…?”  

“If I’m gone, this place will be yours. Keep that in mind.”  

“What do you mean? I don’t want that at all! I…!”  

“And I’ve warned you before. Stop taking an interest in me.”  

“I’m just… concerned for your safety…”  

“Didn’t you understand? Let me make it clear again. I will never feel anything special for you. So stop trying to involve yourself in my matters. And don’t block my way like this.”  

“…”  

“Your interest is incredibly unpleasant. You’re not stupid, so you should understand what I mean.”  

His voice was cold.  

So cold that even Cordelia, just listening to it, felt her chest ache.  

If those words had been directed at her, she would surely have burst into tears, unable to hold them back.  

That was how clearly he was drawing a line.  

After a brief silence, the woman began questioning him again.  

Her tone was filled with curiosity and doubt.  

“I… simply cannot understand. How could a noble being like you cling to a soul like that? Every time, you recklessly share the life force given to you by Him, don’t you? But if you keep doing that, the repercussions will eventually reach you, Lord Nathaniel.”  

What was she talking about? Soul? Life force? Noble being? Repercussions?  

The unfamiliar words echoed in Cordelia’s ears.  

But even if she didn’t understand the meaning behind them, the intention of those words was clear.  

It was a warning.  

Could it be that Nathaniel was in danger because of me?  

A sense of unease began to creep into her heart.  

“Please, regain your reason. Just send her on her way and reclaim your position! Return to the version of you I once revered!”  

“…I can’t.”  

“Lord Nathaniel!”  

“I love this woman.”  

As he said this, he pulled her even closer into his embrace.  

He seemed to lower his head near her forehead, as she could feel his breath right next to her.  

“Love? What nonsense is that?!”  

“Position and status hold no value to me. This woman is my everything now.”  

“Lord Nathaniel!”  

“I’m starting to think that even my position was arranged by Him. So I could save her like this.”  

“How could you say such a thing?! You’re being foolish! Compared to us, that woman is nothing more than a mere speck of existence! Please, regain your composure! Why are you so intent on clipping your own wings?”  

“Shut your mouth. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”  

And with that, the conversation ended.  

Nathaniel immediately spurred Skoll into motion, galloping away.  

Behind them, the woman’s voice called out again, trying to stop him.  

But he didn’t pull on the reins.  

They rode swiftly, eventually arriving back at the house.  

Nathaniel carried her in his arms, ascending the garden steps in just three strides.  

Then, he opened the door.  

Soon, Cordelia felt her body relax.  

He had laid her down on the bed.  

The soft bedding embraced her back, which had been battered by the rough forest floor earlier.  

Suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her lips again.  

Nathaniel had kissed her softly.  

The kiss felt the same as before—like her energy was slowly being restored, as if by some mysterious force.  

Could this be what the woman earlier had called “life force”?  

What kind of being was Nathaniel for something like this to be possible?  

A whirlwind of questions filled her mind.  

Amidst her complicated emotions, Cordelia forced her eyelids to open.  

To be honest, she wanted to fall into a deep sleep right then and there.  

But she knew she had to stay awake.  

If she didn’t open her eyes now, Nathaniel might stay by her side for days, anxious and worried.  

She wanted to reassure him.  

However, at that moment, he was focused on the kiss, his eyes closed.  

So he didn’t notice her.  

In the end, she mustered the last bit of strength she had and managed to lift her arm.  

With one hand, she touched his cheek.  

Startled, he immediately opened his eyes wide.  

“Cordelia…?”  

Levin—or rather, Nathaniel—called her name as he pulled away from her lips, looking down at her.  

His beautiful face was deeply furrowed with emotion.  

As Cordelia looked at him, she was reminded of the first time she had opened her eyes in this place.  

Back then, too, he had worn this same expression—one of sorrow, relief, and an unbearable ache.  

“You came… to save me…”  

Tears welled up in his golden eyes.  

She wanted to tell him not to cry, but with the little strength she had left, all she could manage was to continue speaking.  

“I missed you…”  

She had to say this.  

Even while she had been on the brink of death, her neck strangled, this had been her one wish.  

To see him one more time.  

In that moment, she realized it once again.  

Ah, I truly love this man.  

Even in the final moments of my life, it was his face I thought of.  

It was foolish, but she felt like she had reaffirmed her feelings for him.  

Hearing her words, Nathaniel’s beautiful eyes shed tears that trickled down.  

The drops slid along her cheek before falling onto the bed.  

“Ah… Cordelia…”  

And with the sight of him crying as her last memory, her consciousness sank into a dark abyss.