Chapter 12 – Part 1

Eliana brushed aside the hair that was blocking her view. She had wandered far from where she had been sitting, lost in thoughts of Calix.

She had walked around the lake, where the water had deepened. She stepped onto a wooden platform supported by posts, which made her feel like she was floating in the middle of the water.

That’s when she spotted an old, dilapidated boat. A woman in ragged clothes was rowing towards her. Even though this wasn’t a place for ships to dock, the woman tied her boat nearby and began trying to climb up toward where Eliana stood. Her clumsy movements made it seem like a struggle.

“I don’t think this is a place to dock your boat. It’d be easier to go to the other side of the lake,” Eliana advised, feeling pity for her.

“Oh, yes, my lady. I know that, but there’s a problem.”

“A problem?“

“I don’t have time to row to the other side. My child is hungry and crying at home. I need to get back quickly.“

“Ah, I see. You don’t have much time.”

Eliana hesitated momentarily and said, “Here, take my hand and climb up.”

She offered her help.

“My lady’s hand?“

“Yes.“

“But my hands are dirty from rowing.“

“It’s fine. Just take it.”

Eliana bent down.

“Are you sure?“

“Of course. Just be careful.”

She extended her arm further to make it easier for the woman to grab hold.

“Thank you.”

The woman grasped Eliana’s hand. Her hand was so thin that Eliana could feel the bones, and her skin was cold. Eliana helped her up onto the wooden platform.

“Thank you so much. I don’t know which noble family you belong to, but you’re truly kind. I’ll be sure to repay this favor.”

The woman nodded gratefully and pulled on the rope tied to the boat, trying to secure it. Seeing her struggle, Eliana moved to help.

“Your hands will get dirty, my lady. Please don’t bother,“ the woman protested. Though she was speaking to Eliana, her gaze shifted behind her. Just as Eliana began to sense something was off—

Thud!

A sharp, dull pain shot through her head.

“……!”

Someone had struck Eliana. The pain radiated from the back of her head, spreading down her spine.

The pain was excruciating. Eliana tried to turn around.

‘Who attacked me?’

But before she could look, the assailant violently shoved her into the lake.

Splash!

Eliana plunged into the water.

Plunge!

A second splash followed as someone else fell in.

“Help! Help me!”

Eliana wasn’t the only one in the water. As she fell, her foot had gotten tangled in the rope, and the woman holding the rope had been dragged into the water with her.

“Help! Please, help… me…”

The woman began thrashing wildly.

Eliana struggled desperately, but there was nothing solid beneath her feet. The lake was more bottomless and murkier than she had expected. Still, she fought to stay afloat.

‘I feel dizzy; my head hurts so much.’

Her vision blurred, and her strength was quickly fading. If she couldn’t manage to stay afloat, she would sink without even being able to cry for help.

‘I’m scared.’

Fear gripped her. She remembered the moment of her death in her previous life.

‘Am I going to face death a second time, just like this?’

There was still so much she hadn’t done.

‘Calix. I acted like I needed more time, but I never gave you an answer.’

Calix was probably still sitting in that chair, waiting for her to return, unaware she was sinking into the lake.

‘What if he never finds out? What if I never see him again? I can’t let that happen.’

Eliana tried to kick harder, but her body was already sinking.

She could see the woman struggling as well. Despite her earlier words about her hungry child, she was now pulling Eliana down as if she were a lifeline, trying to use her to stay afloat. Eliana could hear the woman’s cries echoing in her mind, making her heart ache.

Even though Eliana herself was sinking, she tried to help the woman. In a panic, the woman pulled on Eliana as if trying to climb over her to stay above water.

‘I know what happens when two drowning people cling to each other.’

Still, Eliana reached out to her.

“Grab… grab the post.”

Eliana gasped, trying to guide the woman. Too panicked to understand, the woman kept using Eliana as leverage to get out of the water. Her face had turned pale, and she seemed to have lost all sense of reason.

Eliana grabbed her wrist and tried to guide her to the post. Finally, the woman seemed to understand and stopped thrashing, clinging to the post instead.

Now, it was Eliana’s turn. But she had no strength left to hold on to anything.

‘No… I still have things left to do…’

It was no longer possible to keep her face above the water. Murky water flooded into her mouth, and she swallowed it.

‘So this is how I die.’

The familiar sounds of the world vanished all at once, and Eliana sank deeper into the water.

* * *

“Why isn’t she coming back?”

Calix was waiting for Eliana to return. Children giggled as they ran around the fountain, endlessly fascinated by it.

“Time’s moving too slowly.”

When he was with Eliana, time flew by, but now that she was out of sight, it crawled. He had meant to give her plenty of time, but he couldn’t. The scenery without her felt dull and gray. The fountain, the lively festival atmosphere—it all meant nothing.

Calix stood up and started walking in the direction Eliana had gone. His pace was faster than hers, so he figured he would soon see her from behind.

But no matter how far he walked, Eliana was nowhere to be seen. After some time, he noticed a crowd gathered in one spot.

Both commoners and nobles were murmuring anxiously, clearly concerned about something serious.

“This is bad.“

“What do you mean? They’ll probably just recover a body.”

A sense of dread washed over him. Having been in dangerous situations before, he could sense how grave this was just by the tone of their voices.

“The young lady of the Leiberte family has fallen into the water!”

The following words struck him like a blow. Calix felt as if time had stopped. The voice unmistakably referred to Eliana. He rushed into the crowd.

“What did you say?“

“Huh?“

“What did you just say!“

“I-I mean, the young lady of the Leiberte family, the former fiancée of the Crown Prince, fell into the lake…”

Calix turned to look at the lake. A floating envelope caught his eye. It was the one that had held the bracelet he had just bought for her. The very one Eliana had been holding. Without thinking, he dove straight into the water.

“Your Grace!“

“Oh my!”

Voices called out to stop him, but Calix didn’t care. He would have thrown himself in even if it meant never resurfacing.

He couldn’t see clearly. The water was deeper and murkier than he had expected. Desperately, Calix searched through the water, hoping he wasn’t too late. In the cloudy water, he finally saw the hem of a red dress.

‘Eliana.’

He swam toward her, pulled her into his arms, and lifted her out of the water. Her face, drained of all color, was so pale it almost appeared lifeless. Calix’s breath caught in his throat. He laid her down on the wooden platform.

“Get a doctor! Hurry!”

His anguished voice echoed into the air.

* * *

While trying to help someone, Eliana had been pushed into the water by another. She needed to swim out, but her body wouldn’t respond.

‘I’m going to die here.’

A second death. Even then, she tried to help the woman beside her.

‘Did she make it out of the water?’

Eliana had helped the woman first, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to survive herself.

‘I never thought survival meant pushing someone else into the water.’

Death had come suddenly, in a way she hadn’t expected, making it all the more terrifying. Even though it was her second time facing it.

‘Calix…’

She wanted to go to Calix. She still had unresolved feelings.

‘You’re probably still sitting there, waiting for me. I can’t leave you waiting forever. But once again, I’ve become such a fool.’

Despite her desperation, her body continued to sink.

Eliana blinked slowly. Although it didn’t feel like she was underwater anymore, her vision was still hazy. It wasn’t total darkness, but she couldn’t make out anything clearly.

“Eliana.”

Someone called her name. The voice was filled with desperation and sorrow. She wanted to respond, but she couldn’t.

‘I can hear them calling me.’

Her name was followed by countless indistinguishable noises that filled her ears. Her strength ebbed away once more, and she lost consciousness.

In the silence, Eliana opened her eyes. This time, there were no sounds at all.

‘It’s so quiet. I wish there were some noise.’

She forced her heavy eyelids open. She could see something. A familiar ceiling came into view. It was the ceiling of the house she had purchased.

Yes, she was sure of it.

‘This is my home.’