***

Boom.

Suddenly, I lowered my gaze at the sensation wrapping around my ankle.

[Livia….. I trusted you……]

It was Jeffrey’s bloodied hand gripping my ankle.

I tried to shake his hand off and struggled, but Jeffrey wouldn’t let go, crawling towards me, increasingly covered in blood.

[Livia…. how could you do this to me? How…!!]

Jeffrey cried with tears of blood.

Just as his remaining hand was about to reach my throat…

-……Pellington!

“Ugh!”

I opened my eyes wide and looked up, breathing heavily.

The moonlit ceiling.

’It was a dream…’

 As I realized it was a dream, I let out a long breath.

I’ve been having the same nightmare for several days now.

The dream where Jeffrey, soaked in blood, blames me and tries to strangle me.

’It’ll probably continue for a while.’

When I first saw my father’s body, I had nightmares every day for a while.

It seems like it’ll be similar this time too.

’But anyway…’

I recalled a faint voice I had heard in my dream.

’That was definitely…’

’Cardien’s voice…’

I muttered in a low voice.

“…… is really calling me by my name now.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in the darkness.

Startled, I looked in that direction, and gradually, the figure that had been hidden in the darkness began to emerge.

From the moment I spotted him, I couldn’t conceal my trembling.

“Your Grace…?”

“At times Cardien, and now Your Grace?”

He walked slowly out of the darkness.

It wasn’t a hallucination. It was really Cardien.

‘Why is Cardien here?’

Instinctively, I tried to find the clock, but it was too dark to see.

However, just by looking at the high moon, I could tell it was very late, probably the early hours of dawn.

“Why are you here, my lord?”

I asked with a puzzled expression, and he remained silent for a moment, then spoke.

“You’ve been moaning in your sleep.”

“…Pardon?”

“You were moaning in your sleep. You were sweating coldly.”

“Oh, that’s… I had a nightmare. It’s not that I’m unwell.”

I hastily emphasized that I wasn’t ill.

As he stared at me intently, his lips twitched slightly.

“I’ve thought about this before, but it’s quite irresponsible of a dream manipulator not to be able to handle their own dreams.”

“What?”

What was he talking about?

“Controlling others’ dreams while neglecting your own. It’s irresponsible.”

He muttered coldly and then took a seat next to me.

In the clear moonlight, I couldn’t help but notice Cardien’s pale face.

‘Why do you look so pale?’

Last time, his sudden dismissal, combined with not getting a good look at his face, left me unaware of Cardien’s current state. But now, seeing him, it was evident that he was not well.

His complexion was pale, with dark circles under his eyes, hollow cheeks, and dry, cracked lips. Anyone looking might mistake him for a terminally ill patient rather than me!

“Um… Your Highness, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your condition…”

It would be more fitting to say he looks like a ghost.

“You seem very tired…?”

As I observed him, it seemed more appropriate to express concern about his well-being.

To which Cardien chuckled and replied.

“Is it your turn to worry about me now?”

Well, yes, but your condition doesn’t look great either.

By the way…….

“…You’re still calling me ‘Tutor.'”

I looked at him, unintentionally feeling a sense of defiance.

“I’m not a tutor anymore.”

Cardien silently stared at me, then gently parted his lips.

“…Then what should I call you, Lady?”

Oh, chills ran down my spine.

The word ‘Lady’ coming from Cardien felt so out of place that it sent shivers down my spine.

Despite his nonchalant demeanor, I couldn’t help but retort.

“Livia.”

“….”

“Livia Pellington. You’ve called me that once before.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“….I don’t remember.”

I couldn’t help but exhale in disbelief at his nonchalant response.

“I remember. I…”

I was about to mention how he came running when I collapsed, calling my name, but I bit my lip. It wasn’t a fond memory worth bringing up just to win an argument.

Instead, I tried to lighten the mood with a carefully chosen remark.

“Your Grace, are you very upset…?”

I cautiously inquired, trying to gauge his reaction.

“…….”

Cardien remained silent, offering no response.

Feeling this was my last chance, I hurriedly continued.

“Of course, you must have been shocked. But it’s a non-contagious disease, and it only flares up occasionally, with long intervals between episodes. Also…”

“…….”

Cardien gazed at me in silence.

Anticipating that he might leave the room at any moment, I took a deep breath and continued.

“And we had a deal. Even if you sleep well now, you never know when a nightmare might strike, and Vincent would be unsettled by a sudden change in his private tutor.”

What else?

What else was there?

Reasons why he shouldn’t fire me.

I was desperate to change Cardien’s mind, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t come up with anything more to say.

I looked at him in despair as he continued to stare coldly at me.

Eventually, he parted his lips slowly.

“……Rounded Hill Kingdom.”

“……?”

I shot him a puzzled look at the off-topic comment.

If it’s the Rounded Hill Kingdom.

’It’s a holy kingdom.’

While Lagranacia also worshiped the goddess Thelia, the Rounded Hill Kingdom had a different meaning.

‘A country made by the gods.’

Located in the middle of the sea, it was a place enveloped in divine power, protected by the gods.

Not worshiping Thelia but having their own deity.

However, being a maritime kingdom and notoriously secluded, it was known for having no one coming in or out.

“I met with the Master of the Information Guild.”

A jolt ran through me.

If it was the Master of the Information Guild, it was undoubtedly Lemon he was referring to.

I looked at Cardien with uncertain eyes, but he wasn’t looking at me. He continued, gazing down.

“They say there’s no cure for Magic Disease, it’s an incurable illness.”

“Oh, yes…”

“But rumors are circulating that someone with similar symptoms in the Rounded Hill Kingdom has succeeded in treatment.”

“Succeeded in treatment?”

I widened my eyes and looked at him.

He nodded.

“It’s not certain if it’s Magic Disease.”

Eventually, his purple eyes turned gloomy as he looked at me.

“Isn’t it better to try anything than just to die?”

“Oh, wait a moment.”

Wait a minute. Let me get this straight, so…….

“Are you saying…… that you fired me so that you could send me to the Rounded Hill Kingdom for treatment?”

“…….”

Cardien remained silent.

There wasn’t a more perfect response than that.

“……Phew.”

I let out a sigh.

The memories of last night, spent in tears, flashed through my mind.

’Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise.’

If being dismissed was for my own good.

’Frankly, it’s unexpected.’

I hadn’t realized Cardien would go to such lengths for me.

I had thought he wouldn’t care whether I lived or died.

’Was I thinking of Cardien too inhumanely?’

However, firing me without any discussion and attempting to send me off to the maritime kingdom without my consent is not humane behavior.

I shook my head furiously and said nervously.

“I, I can’t go there, Your Grace.”

Cardien’s gaze turned momentarily fierce.

He rebuked me with a chilling voice.

“Are you just going to give up without even trying?”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.”

I quickly interjected, raising my hand.

“I know about the case in the Rounded Hill Kingdom.”

Even if it could be the cradle of divine theology.

Since my mentor, Jeffrey, specialized in theology, I was fairly knowledgeable about the place.

’It might seem like a similar disease to mine.’

“People with weakened divine immunity living in that kingdom sometimes exhibit symptoms similar to Magic Disease.”

So, it’s like a form of divine immunity allergy.