“I’m cold…”

Just moments ago, Lou had been stubbornly rejecting Gined, but now she burrowed into his arms. 

Gined, taken aback, held and comforted her like a baby. It was the first time he had ever tried to console someone this way. 

Lou buried her face in his shoulder and kept trembling. 

Her small face, drenched in sweat, looked pitiful. 

Seeing her quivering eyelashes, Gined felt an unfamiliar and strange impulse.

“You’re okay now. There’s no problem.”

Muttering words meant for no one in particular, he hugged her tighter. 

But they couldn’t stay like this forever. 

Despite her improved condition, she still needed treatment. 

Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from Lou and quickly headed to the temple.

“Sir?”

The temple priests were all shocked when Gined, covered in blood, arrived carrying an unconscious woman. Only then did Gined realize how disheveled both he and Lou looked.

“Sir Roengreen? What on earth happened?”

The elderly high priest asked in a trembling voice.

“Lady Dronay was bitten by a vampire. I administered first aid, but she still needs further treatment.”

“Oh, heavens… What a calamity in the holy capital of the Empire?”

The priests hurriedly took Lou from him. While Lou received treatment, Gined waited anxiously. Fortunately, it didn’t take long. About an hour later, the healing priest called him.

“You did well with the first aid. The lady will regain consciousness soon.”

Gined bowed his head and quietly entered the treatment room. 

Lou was asleep, her face still pale. 

He gently touched her forehead, feeling her warm temperature. Realizing that he had touched her without hesitation, he quickly withdrew his hand in surprise. 

At his touch, Lou’s eyes fluttered open faintly. Her gaze was hazy, not fully conscious.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“Just everything. I really didn’t mean to…”

Lou reached out and grabbed the hem of Gined’s clothes. Though her grip was weak, he felt as if he couldn’t move at all.

“Don’t leave… Stay here.”

Lou quickly fell back asleep. Her slightly parted lips let out soft breaths. Once again, he found himself unable to take his eyes off her lips. 

Like he was enchanted, Gined bent down. But just before their breaths could fully mingle, he stopped. 

He was beginning to vaguely realize that the feelings he had when dealing with Lou were different from those he had with others. 

But there was still much he didn’t understand. 

Why did he feel bad when she was with another man? Why did he keep delaying the Pope’s orders, which he had never disobeyed before? 

He felt that if their lips touched, he would understand everything clearly. 

On the other hand, he was afraid that he would never be able to turn back. 

After hesitating for a long time, Gined finally suppressed his impulse and straightened up. He gently shook off Lou’s hand.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill your request. I pray that you will always be loved and happy, just as you are now.”

The deeply sleeping Lou didn’t hear his words. 

Gined hoped his heart would also follow suit. 

He wished that his feelings would remain a secret folly known only to him, never to reach Lou.

***

I woke up with an intense thirst.

“Wa… water…”

Someone brought a glass of lukewarm water to my lips. Seren was looking down at me with concern.

“Are you alright, miss?”

“Yeah.”

Quenching my thirst gave me a little time to look around.

The place where I woke up was not my bedroom. The clean but modest room had a faint smell of herbs.

“Where is this……?”

“This is the temple. Sir Roengreen informed us that you were here.”

The memories of last night returned belatedly.

I suddenly sat up.

I had been bitten by that damn old vampire. Fortunately, it seemed I neither died nor turned into a vampire.

What happened in the end?

My memory was completely cut off after Gined found me bitten by Michalis.

Trying to recall it forcibly made my head throb more.

“You were ill all night. But if you rest for a few more days, you’ll be fine. Sir Roengreen took care of you all night.”

Unconsciously, I touched my neck with my fingers. It was smooth without any scabs. As Seren said, it was clear that Gined had given me appropriate treatment.

‘I should greet him quickly…….’

“Where is Sir Roengreen?”

“He left for the Holy Kingdom at dawn. He asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to say goodbye in person because he had a long way to go.”

“He left?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Yes. Why?”

“Was there no other message? Not even a note?”

“There wasn’t. But he was worried about you until the end. Where else in the world is there such a person?”

Seren kept praising Gined, but I felt as if the world was collapsing.

‘What have I been doing all this time?’

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even hear Seren’s nagging.

Gined had left. And with it, the last spark of my hope was extinguished.

‘I thought things were going well.’

What on earth was the problem?

Returning to the mansion with my body and mind in tatters, Michalis seemed quite flustered.

Thinking about last night, it wouldn’t have been enough to punch that smooth face, but I didn’t even have the energy to get angry right now.

“I’m sorry, Lou. I really wanted to help you……. I didn’t expect this outcome.”

“It’s okay. You did your best. Gined just didn’t like me that much.”

“That’s why holy knights are no good. Ha, can you believe that? Janet was right. If they’re not homosexual, they must have reproductive issues. There are better guys out there. No need to be discouraged.”

He criticized Gined more to comfort me.

But now, all those words were meaningless.

“I’m fine, so could you please leave?”

I covered my ears and laid my head on the desk.

What’s the use of having many great guys? If they’re not the main characters, they can’t save the world.

It was time to admit it. I had no charm. The more I tried, the more the main characters drifted away.

So I decided to do nothing from now on.

Giving up made me feel more at ease.

“Life is joyful, hmm hmm hmm~.”

The next day, I woke up early in the morning, humming a tune as I opened the window. The cool air rushed into my lungs.

“Ah, refreshing.”

As dawn broke, the world glowed faintly.

I propped my chin on the window sill and looked down at the city’s bustling morning.

At that moment, Seren came into the bedroom to wake me up.

“Oh, you’re already up?”

“You’re here? Good morning.”

When I greeted her kindly and turned around, Seren hesitated.

“Why have you been waking up so early these days? You weren’t like this before.”

“The morning is too brilliant to keep my eyes closed. Look. Isn’t it really beautiful?”

“Uh, miss? I’m sorry, but did you eat something wrong?”

“You’re actually wondering if I’ve gone mad, right? You’re as cheeky as ever. But I’ll let it slide because you’re adorable.”

I meant it. Her thick red hair, green eyes like a summer forest, and freckles scattered across her face, there wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t lovable.

“Ew, why are you like this? Did something happen between you and Sir Roengreen? Don’t tell me…… you confessed to him and got rejected? Please say that’s not true.”

I answered with a smile.

That alone made Seren realize everything and she couldn’t hide her shock.

“Oh my, are you sane? He’s a priest!”

Strictly speaking, I didn’t confess, but it was no different from being rejected, so I didn’t feel the need to correct her.

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past.”

Yes. It was all in the past. Today, tomorrow, it would eventually become a past that would disappear.

Thinking that the world would end soon made everything around me feel precious and beautiful.

So how could I not love it?

***

“I love you. Love each other, everyone. Only love can save us.”

This was my greeting these days.

I attended social gatherings, which I had neglected while following the main characters, and expressed my feelings generously.

“I love you, Ivron. Give my regards to your cute Rob.”

Ivron’s eyes wavered in bewilderment.

“Yes? Ah, yes……. Thank you……. Well, I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be going.”

Ivron quickly disappeared with an awkward smile.

In fact, most people reacted awkwardly like her to my confessions.

But I wasn’t embarrassed. Because if not today, I didn’t know when I could say it again.

And my love wasn’t limited to just humans.

“I love you, Janet. I love you, Michalis.”

Janet looked astonished, and Michalis clutched his stomach in laughter and winked one eye.

“You seem a bit crazy, but I love you too, Lou.”

“You don’t have to love me back. Just accept my love.”

Sharing unreciprocated love made me realize something. The act of loving someone doesn’t require conditions.

Now, I was transforming from a philanthropist who loved only handsome men to a true philanthropist.