Ferdin gazed down at Erin. She lay with her eyes closed, unresponsive. Her expression was peaceful, like someone in deep sleep.

“Lady Erin?”

Ferdin’s eyes began to darken with despair as Erin’s body suddenly went limp. He could see black spots covering more than half of her face. Had the curse progressed beyond help? 

Feeling a sense of crisis, Ferdin hastily grabbed Erin’s arm, but there was no response from her. It seemed unbelievable that she had been answering his words just moments ago.

With trembling hands, Ferdin touched her cheek. The cold sensation emanating from Erin’s body froze his heart. She no longer moved. No warmth could be felt.

Just like someone who had died…

Anger welled up in Ferdin’s chest, anger at his own powerlessness and at the goddess who hadn’t kept her promise.

He couldn’t let Erin go like this. She had lived without knowing happiness until now. He had wanted to be with her and show her what happiness truly meant.

“Lady Erin, please answer me.”

Ferdin clutched her hand and repeated the same words, but no answer came. His desperate pleas were painful even for Alexis standing nearby.

“The curse seems to have spread throughout her body,” Alexis said with a sorrowful voice.

“…”

“She’s still alive, but it’s only a matter of time before all her bodily functions cease. She’s managed to hold on this long because she’s a Sword Master. Perhaps…”

Alexis shook his head, leaving his sentence unfinished. He had no way to help Erin. The words he couldn’t bring himself to say lingered in his mouth:

‘Perhaps letting her go would be better for Lady Erin now.’

But he dared not speak such words to Ferdin. Amid the silence that filled the tower, Ferdin suddenly shouted.

“Are you breaking your promise?”

His voice carried sharp anger directed at no one in particular. Then, a familiar voice answered his question.

“She says she hasn’t broken her promise yet.”

Isis approached Erin, passing by Alexis, who looked at him in surprise. He had penetrated the barrier Alexis had created.

‘How is this possible?’

To break through his barrier required at least the skill of a Sword Master, or some other special ability. Erin’s condition was already beyond what holy power could heal.

Knowing this, Alexis had been considerate enough not to allow Isis and the other priests inside the barrier, wanting to let her spend her final moments in peace.

Yet somehow, Isis had broken through his barrier. Alexis looked at Isis strangely. Suddenly, Isis began talking to himself.

“Please, I understand. Getting angry won’t help. Prince Ferdin can’t hear you.”

“…”

“If the goddess hadn’t made Lady Erin suffer in the first place, we wouldn’t need to have this conversation.”

* * *

Isis touched his head. He had been able to pass through Alexis’s barrier thanks to the goddess’s power. In his mind, the goddess was constantly chattering, mainly complaining about how ungrateful Ferdin was for getting angry when she had gone through so much trouble.

[That impious boy! You don’t know what he was thinking.]

Isis was curious about what Ferdin had been thinking, but he didn’t ask the goddess. He couldn’t risk having any impious thoughts that might interfere with Erin’s healing. He needed to maintain the most devout mindset possible.

Still, he could somewhat understand Ferdin’s feelings. Erin’s condition was truly devastating. 

[That was the best I could do.]

‘I know.’

Thinking about how much pain Erin must have endured from the curse to reach this state made his heart feel like it was being torn apart. He understood the goddess’s choice.

Peace built on someone’s sacrifice certainly existed. After all, without Erin’s sacrifice, terrible things would have happened.

‘I too was saved by her.’

Isis looked at Erin with a bitter expression. The goddess had shown him the fate he would have met if not for Erin. That’s why he needed to repay his debt to her.

Isis sat down next to Ferdin, who didn’t even notice his arrival, his eyes fixed only on Erin. Ferdin’s empty eyes… There was something ominously gloomy about him.

Isis finally understood why the goddess had urged him to hurry. Separate from Erin’s dangerous condition, Ferdin’s state wasn’t normal either.

[Start quickly, before he completely loses his mind. He might even say he’s coming to kill me.]

The goddess muttered irritably.

[Not long ago, there was another Sword Master who said he would come to cut me down.]

Indeed, not asking the goddess about Ferdin’s thoughts had been a wise decision. With that in mind, Isis carefully took hold of Erin’s arm.

Soon, powerful holy energy began to emanate from his body. Feeling all the strength being drained from his body, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. The goddess’s divine power had descended upon him. Blood began to flow from Isis’s ears, but he didn’t stop.

Erin’s limbs, which had turned black, began to recover. Her fading breath started to regain strength. Color returned to her pale complexion. It was like watching someone dead coming back to life.

“My goodness…”

Alexis, watching the scene, let out a gasp of amazement. And Isis saw that as the curse began to disappear from Erin’s body, light also returned to Ferdin’s eyes.

But there was something he failed to notice. At the moment he used holy power to heal Erin, a faint crack began to form on the necklace around her neck.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window. Erin opened her eyes, feeling something tickling her cheek. She blinked at the familiar ceiling above her.

‘Is this… the Liserth mansion?’

Before long, Erin realized something strange.

‘I can see?’

The ceiling was clearly visible. She touched her eyes. Then, startled by her freely moving hand, she froze.

Her body had been paralyzed by the Emperor’s curse, unable to move. But now her entire body moved freely. Her sight, smell, and touch were all normal.

Erin gathered the blanket and buried her face in it. She could feel the softness of the bed and the gentle touch of the blanket.

She hadn’t died. She was alive. Her heart was beating. A fragrant flower scent lingered in her nose.

Erin tilted her head curiously.

‘There aren’t many flowers at the Liserth mansion, are there?’

She got up from the bed. She needed to find out what had happened. Now that she thought about it, something felt off about this being the Liserth mansion.

“My lady?”

Erin turned her head toward the voice calling her. There stood Sarah, the maid who had accompanied her when she first went to the academy. She had survived when the Marquis cleared out the servants who had gone over to Corelia’s side.

Erin was surprised to see Sarah after so long. Sarah was looking at her with tears filling her eyes.

“My lady! I thought you might never wake up—no, why are you up already? You shouldn’t be moving!”

Sarah approached Erin and helped her sit back down on the bed.

“Thank goodness, I’m so relieved. You were unconscious for so long that I was worried. The physician and the priest kept saying you were fine, but you showed no signs of waking up…”

“…”

“Do you know how shocked I was? First I hear that you, who couldn’t even hold a sword, are a Sword Master. Then they tell me you got hurt trying to bear a curse all by yourself…”

Sarah sniffled as she spoke.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“A week. While you were asleep, there was absolute chaos.”

“Chaos?”

“Yes, His Majesty’s actions were revealed. They say he used black magic to kill many citizens. Then Prince Ferdin became Emperor… ah, he hasn’t had his coronation ceremony yet.”

Sarah’s explanation lacked coherence. The sudden series of events seemed to have left her confused as well. Finally giving up on explaining, Sarah asked Erin:

“Do you know where you are?”

“Isn’t this the Marquis’s mansion?”

“No, this is the Imperial Palace.”

Sarah squeezed Erin’s hand tightly.

“Prince Ferdin—I mean, His Majesty—had a room made in the palace identical to your room at home so you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. He brought me along too.”

“…”

“He’s been so attentive… If it weren’t for his meeting today, he would have seen you wake up. The Tower Master took His Majesty away just a little while ago.”

Sarah’s face brightened.

“I’m so glad you’ve found someone good. He seems to truly cherish you.”

At Sarah’s words, Erin rose from the bed again. Sarah followed her in confusion, but Erin shook her head.

Erin went to the window and opened it. As soon as she did, a rich floral scent wafted in. She let out a small gasp of wonder.

“Ah…”

A single flower petal landed on her cheek. The lake she had seen in her vision was there.

At that moment, Erin realized—it was spring. Winter had passed… and spring had come.