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(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 4/4 🎉)

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“……”

I don’t know what’s going on, but one thing is clear.

This person right now.

‘Is extremely angry…..’

Sure enough, Cardien spoke in a frigid voice.

“You clearly promised me that you wouldn’t do anything dangerous.”

Flinch.

I instinctively trembled at those words.

H-how did he know?

Cardien shouldn’t know what happened in the dream, right?

As if reading my thoughts, Cardien sneered coldly and snapped.

“Tutor, your breathing stopped in the middle.”

“M-my breathing?”

When I asked in surprise, Cardien stared at me coldly.

That gaze was clearly an affirmation.

Even so, to think my breathing stopped…

I have some idea.

‘It must have been when I fell into the sea…’

But I never imagined I would actually stop breathing as if I had really fallen into water.

“……”

A chill ran down my spine.

If I hadn’t woken up then, I would have…

‘…That light back then.’

It must have been the woman in that light who saved me?

‘Her face… looked familiar.’

Unlike the usual vague form, this time her face was quite clearly visible.

Surprisingly, that face seemed quite familiar.

‘I don’t remember where I’ve seen it, but…’

Anyway.

‘That’s not what’s important right now.’

I broke into a cold sweat as I looked at Cardien, who was clearly showing his “I am angry” state.

“B-but I woke up safely, didn’t I?”

“Woke up safely?”

“……”

S-scary…

It was difficult to open my mouth, fearing that one wrong word would cause him to explode.

An uneasy silence settled.

What saved me from this situation was an unexpected person.

“…L-Livia?”

At the sudden voice, I quickly turned my head.

The Countess was looking at me, having opened her eyes at some point.

“…Countess? Are you conscious?”

When I urgently addressed her, she stared at me blankly before giving a small nod.

“Thank goodness…”

Only then did the tension release, leaving me drained.

I immediately relayed the news to Count Aspul.

“M-my wife…!!”

Count Aspul, who rushed in urgently, prostrated himself before the Countess.

The Countess, who turned her head with difficulty, smiled faintly.

“Darling…”

“Ah…”

The moment he heard her voice, tears fell from the Count’s eyes.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness. Oh God… No, no.”

The Count, who rose unsteadily, approached me as I leaned against the wall.

“…That’s far enough.”

But he couldn’t come any closer.

It was because Cardien blocked the way with his arm.

Count Aspul looked at Cardien once, then immediately collapsed to his knees in submission.

Then he pressed his head to the ground.

Thud!

A violent sound echoed as if he had been struck with a blunt object.

Despite his forehead splitting and blood spattering, the Count didn’t stop his actions.

Rather…

“Thank you. Thank you…”

He only repeated words of gratitude while banging his head even harder.

Yet there was not the slightest sign of pain on his face.

The Countess waking up must have been that miraculous for him.

“……”

I didn’t particularly feel pity for the Count.

Looking down at him, I said.

“You remember, don’t you? The condition I mentioned. That you would grant whatever I wished.”

“Yes, of course.”

The Count bowed his head deeply.

I swallowed nervously and voiced what I had been thinking.

“First, release the people who were unjustly imprisoned and formally apologize to each one. Just like you’re doing now.”

The Count flinched, apparently not expecting me to say this, and raised his head.

His eyes wavered for a moment, but then he bowed his head deeply and replied.

“Yes, of course.”

“That’s not all. Provide maximum compensation to those who lost their lives and those who were unjustly imprisoned, and help them leave Aspul safely.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Finally…”

I turned briefly to look at the Countess.

She was quietly watching us.

She didn’t seem shocked by the sight of her husband kneeling and bowing his head.

It seemed she had already vaguely realized that her husband had committed crimes.

I turned my gaze back to the Count and said.

“Tell me everything about what happened, what Sigmon was doing here, without omitting anything.”

“…Yes.”

The Count nodded obediently.

Even though his wife’s illness hadn’t been cured, but merely opened her eyes, he acted as if he would give everything.

I wanted to question him more, but for now…

“…Go talk with your wife.”

They would need time alone.

After glancing at the Countess, I left the room with Cardien.

“Lady Livia.”

“Lady Livia.”

Lemon and Eden, who had arrived at some point, were waiting in front of the door.

“Like leeches.”

Deliberately ignoring Cardien’s low muttering beside me, I spoke to the two with a bright face.

“It’s been resolved well.”

At that, Lemon and Eden’s expressions brightened.

“Then now…”

I was about to say let’s take care of the remaining matters when suddenly my vision spun.

‘Huh?’

Something’s wrong.

Stagger…

My legs lost strength and my body began to tilt.

“Tutor-!!”

Cardien, who was standing beside me, quickly caught me.

I looked up at Cardien with blurry eyes.

His eyes widened with shock.

Only then did I realize that the most chronic and biggest problem had not yet been solved.

‘…D*mn Magic Disease.’

I had successfully awakened the Countess, but my illness remained unchanged.

‘This is really my limit now…’

How long had it been since I took my medicine?

I couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.

I could only helplessly watch as the distant darkness swallowed me.

But…

‘I wish you wouldn’t make that expression.’

I raised my hand with difficulty to Cardien’s face, which bore an expression of complete devastation. He seemed to carry all the world’s despair in his features.

‘It’s okay…’

With all my strength, I caressed Cardien’s cheek.

And forcing a smile, I said.

“…Don’t make that expression…”

That was the end.

***

Thud.

Cardien stared blankly at Livia’s hand, which had fallen helplessly.

“…Lady Livia?”

“What on earth is…”

Lemon and Eden approached in confusion at the sudden situation.

But they could no longer approach Livia.

“…Don’t touch her.”

Cardien warned in a deep voice like a growl.

At this, Eden frowned and protested.

“This is no time to…!”

But Eden couldn’t continue speaking.

It was because Cardien, who was tightly embracing the unconscious Livia, was glaring at them.

His purple eyes, gleaming in the darkness, held a clear intention to kill anyone who dared to approach even a single step.

“Madman.”

While Eden hesitated, Lemon muttered coldly.

Cardien shot Lemon a look with the eyes of a beast that had lost its reason.

But Lemon’s gaze in return was by no means weak.

He glared at Cardien with frozen lemon-colored eyes and sneered.

“I knew you were lucky enough to claim the title of Duke after rolling around in the streets, but I didn’t know you were stupid too.”

“…You must be dying to die.”

“What can you do right now?”

“……”

“Will keeping her locked in your arms cure Livia’s illness, hm?”

“……”

Cardien made no reply to Lemon’s sarcasm.

He couldn’t refute it.

At this moment, an unbearable sense of helplessness overwhelmed Cardien.

Cardien felt Livia gradually growing cold in his arms.

If only she were burning with fever instead. Livia, growing increasingly cold, presented a terror like no other in the world.

But…

“Hand her over.”

Lemon began to approach without hesitation.

Passing by Eden and coming right up to Cardien, Lemon pressured him with cold, frozen lemon-colored eyes, enunciating each syllable.

“Because you can do nothing, I said, hand her over.”

But even so, Cardien couldn’t give Livia to anyone.

As the tense confrontation continued, someone came running from the end of the corridor.

“Wh-where is the patient?”

The owner of the urgent voice was a physician whom Eden had hastily summoned.

“……”

“……”

“Both of you…”

Contempt flashed unmistakably in Eden’s eyes as he gazed at Cardien and Lemon while catching his breath.