I urgently chased after the man.

But…..

Thud.

“Ugh?”

When I got too close, I couldn’t go any further, blocked by some invisible barrier.

I stood there in confusion, looking at the gathering crowd.

A man who appeared to be a guardian was embracing the girl and crying.

The girl lay limp and motionless.

‘What’s happening?’

The man’s face was hidden by the crowd.

Why is it that…..

‘I feel like crying?’

To feel like crying at the sight of strangers. No matter how sensitive I am, this is unusual.

This dream is definitely strange.

‘It’s never blocked my path before.’

After watching the guardian embracing the girl, I turned away.

Anyway, Cardien is the main character of this dream.

I should go back to him.

‘By the way, when will this dream end?’

Usually, dreams would end around this point, but no matter how long I wait, there’s no sign of it ending.

‘Is that why Cardien hasn’t woken up?’

Thinking this, I arrived at the house where Cardien was and froze.

‘He’s gone?’

Cardien wasn’t inside.

‘Where could he have gone in that condition?’

Did he go looking for the girl?

I didn’t ponder for long.

Finding Cardien was the priority now.

I ran through the slums in all directions.

“Cardien!!”

Even though I called his name, there was no answer.

Of course.

He couldn’t hear my voice.

‘Where on earth did he go!’

As I was biting my nails anxiously, that’s when it happened.

Suddenly, a small figure moved beyond the alley.

‘Cardien?’

I immediately followed the figure into the alley.

Step, step.

Passing through the desolate alley, I found myself in an abandoned village.

I glimpsed Cardien slumped on the ground in a heap.

“Car…!”

Just as I was about to take a step toward him, calling his name.

I suddenly noticed another presence besides Cardien.

From the darkness, a pale white hand shot out toward Cardien.

“I’ll help you. We promised, remember.”

It was a clean, delicate voice.

A promise?

‘Is it that girl?’

But it wasn’t.

I couldn’t see the figure, but I knew instinctively.

That child is not the one who stayed by Cardien’s side last night.

Yet the voice imitated that child, flowing with a gentle tone.

“Take my hand. I’ll save you.”

The voice spread softly, oozing seduction.

‘……No.’

I knew instinctively.

He shouldn’t take that hand.

But…..

“Promise…… yes, we did……”

Cardien’s head turns upward.

Eventually, he reached out and grabbed the white, dry hand.

Laughter echoes from beyond the darkness.

“No…!”

Even knowing there was nothing I could do, I urgently stepped forward.

At that moment.

Tap!

“Tutor?”

Someone seemed to grab my shoulder, and my body was suddenly turned around.

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

Soon, a familiar face came into view.

“……Cardien?”

“How is the tutor here……”

Then, narrowing his eyes, Cardien added.

“Is it that ability? So this is indeed a dream.”

“……How is Your Grace here?”

Then Cardien smiled and said.

“That’s my line. Have you forgotten who this dream belongs to?”

“……Ah.”

Only then did I realize that the being before me was indeed Cardien.

I looked back.

Young Cardien was nowhere to be seen.

I looked at Cardien again.

Instead of the young Cardien who had eaten rats, vomited blood, and was in a mess, the neat adult Cardien was looking at me.

It’s the real Cardien.

“Ah……”

At that moment, tears welled up.

“Sob……”

When I suddenly started crying, Cardien looked at me with surprised, bewildered eyes.

“T-Tutor?”

Seeing Cardien stutter, unlike his usual self, made me tear up even more.

“What happened while I was gone? Stop crying and tell me.”

Hearing his worried voice made my frustration rise.

Is this the time for you to worry about others?

“It’s!”

“……?”

“It’s Your Grace who had problems……!”

“……”

Not wanting to sob unnecessarily, I bit my lower lip hard.

Cardien, who had been quietly looking at me, raised his hand and wiped my eyes with his fingertips.

The moment his hand touched me, I flinched and stiffened my shoulders.

“I don’t understand why the tutor is crying.”

“……”

I wanted to explain my emotions right away, but honestly, I found it difficult to explain why I suddenly burst into tears.

Just, the moment I saw Cardien, something hot welled up in my chest.

“Still……”

Cardien, who had been staring at me, smiled and said.

“It’s nice to see the tutor here.”

……Wait.

“……Who are you?”

I slowly moved away from him.

He looked at me with incredulous eyes.

Those eyes definitely belong to Cardien, but.

“The Your Grace I know, doesn’t say things like that. Who are you!”

“……This is ridiculous. I should have just let you cry.”

“This is definitely Your Grace.”

Strange.

As I tilted my head in confusion, he laughed dryly and said.

“How much time has passed outside?”

“Outside time?”

I opened my eyes wide for a moment and then, understanding the meaning of his words, nodded.

“Ten days.”

“Only ten days, huh.”

“What do you mean ‘only’……”

That’s already a very long time.

Cardien’s reaction was flatter than I expected.

He said lightly.

“A month has passed here.”

“……What?”

What did I just hear?

Seeing that I couldn’t understand at all, Cardien kindly added an explanation.

“No, I suppose it’s meaningless to count the passage of time. To be precise, the sun has risen and set thirty times.”

“……That……”

What I experienced today, Cardien had repeated thirty times here.

‘Is that…… possible?’

Well, with the living proof right in front of me, I suppose it is.

“So, of course, I’m glad to see the tutor. Wouldn’t anyone be?”

“Why…… doesn’t the dream end?”

“Who knows.”

He shrugged.

His calm demeanor was utterly baffling to me.

Not knowing how much longer we’ll be trapped in this dream, how can he not be worried!

“I think I know what the tutor is thinking.”

“……”

This mind-reading trick.

I can’t even think in peace.

As I pressed my lips together with a “hmph,” Cardien smiled and said.

“With the tutor here, I think I could stay in this place for another year.”

“……Stop joking, Your Grace.”

I’m being serious here, you know?

“I’m not joking.”

Yes, I’m sure you’re not.

Ignoring Cardien’s words, I looked around and fell into thought.

‘Let me think.’

There must be a way to escape.

‘What was the common thread in the dreams I’ve had so far?’

In the first dream, it ended with young Cardien telling me not to cry, and in the second dream, it ended with me declaring that I would make Cardien happy.

And the third dream that Cardien dreamed for me…..

‘It ended suddenly.’

Is there some rule to these dreams?

‘Could the reason lie with Cardien?’

I glanced at him.

Couldn’t I just ask him directly?

Young Cardien from the first dream isn’t here, but the owner of the second and third dreams is right in front of me.

Hmm…..

Alright. Let’s ask him.

“Um, Your Grace. Did you perhaps feel anything when the dream ended?”

Cardien gave me a look that clearly said “What are you talking about?”

At his leisurely attitude, I suppressed a rising sigh.

I’m the only one who’s anxious, just me!

‘He really is thinking of being trapped here with me for another year, isn’t he?’

I can’t understand what he’s thinking at all.

I suddenly felt indignant.

He often reads my thoughts like mind-reading, but I can’t read his thoughts at all.

‘It’s unfair.’

Grumbling inwardly, I continued.

“The owner of all the dreams we’ve had so far has been Your Grace. This dream, too.”

“That’s right.”

“So, I was wondering if the end of this dream might have something to do with Your Grace.”

“Hmm.”

He nodded as if it made sense.

“Did you perhaps feel anything common when the dreams were about to end? Like a change, or a tingling feeling, or an emotion?”

Then Cardien looked at me quietly.

“……There is one thing that comes to mind.”

“Really? What is it?”

But for some reason, instead of answering, Cardien just stared at me.