“Who is she?”

I considered interpreting it further, but for now, I closed the diary again.

It was already late, and I had spent several hours interpreting just this one line.

It would be much more efficient to organize the information about Jeffrey in a table and then interpret it based on memory rather than reading through the diary line by line.

Putting the diary deep in the drawer, I returned to bed.

But still…

“It really was a cipher.”

At that time, I heard the words as a half-joking response.

Looking back, Jeffrey must have truly considered me a friend to reveal his secret cipher to me.

Even when he kidnapped me, he said it was an action for my sake.

“It was a misguided belief, though.”

Thinking of him, I felt a slight pang in my chest as memories of that time resurfaced.

I guess I’ll have another nightmare tonight.

With that thought, I closed my eyes.

* * *

Dawn.

Livia’s door creaked open.

Then a shadow slipped stealthily through the door.

The shadow went straight to the bed where Livia slept soundly.

His feet stopped in front of her.

Contrary to him, buried in the shadows, serene moonlight descended on the sleeping Livia.

“Ah…”

A painful groan slipped out of her slightly parted lips.

“Ugh…”

Her dark hair was disheveled, plastered to her forehead with cold sweat.

Her face, usually graced with a gentle smile, was now twisted in anguish.

Cardien stood silently, looking down at her figure as she writhed in pain, clutching at the bedcovers.

His lips slowly part.

“Again…..”

His deeply submerged voice faintly diffuses in the darkness.

“Another nightmare, it seems.”

Livia has no idea, but even after she regained consciousness, Cardien would visit her room every dawn to check on her.

And every time, Livi9a would suffer from nightmares without fail.

Cardien clenched and unclenched his fist.

Before long, his hand was reaching towards Livia’s forehead.

Just like when Livia uses her ability.

But obviously, he doesn’t possess the same power as her.

No matter how much he reached out and covered her forehead with his large hand, her contorted expression didn’t change.

Cardien was once again at a loss.

‘You so freely alter others’ dreams…’

Since she entered the mansion, he had barely suffered any nightmares.

Other than once in a while, his dreams were overall calm and uneventful.

Except for those ridiculous animal dreams.

“She’s suffering from nightmares.”

Livia’s ability seems to exist solely for the sake of others.

Isn’t it irresponsible to change other people’s dreams so freely and yet not touch your own?

“…….Tutor.”

Cardien’s voice grew even lower.

His violet eyes, observing Livia in the darkness, shake anxiously.

He lowered the meaningless hand that was covering her forehead.

Instead, he gently brushed the hair stuck to her forehead with the tips of his fingers.

“Tutor probably doesn’t know.”

Cadien’s throat bobbed once.

He said it, despite the difficulty.

“These days, I’m having nightmares again.”

Cardien had been tormented by nightmares recently.

As soon as he closed his eyes, it felt as though the nightmares were waiting to engulf him.

But the nightmare is…….

“The tutor is dead.”

The day Livia and Cardien locked eyes and blood was shed.

That day repeats over and over.

Livia looks at Cardien as if blaming him, then dies in a pool of blood.

Cardien stands powerless, just watching the scene unfold.

When he wakes up, he can’t tell if he’s dreaming or real, so he comes back to the room to check on her.

Livia also suffers from nightmares.

But upon hearing the shallow breath and seeing the trembling long eyelashes from time to time, he is finally reassured.

She is still alive.

If Livia knew this, she would be startled.

But the funny thing is, so is Cadien.

Never in his life has he been this concerned about someone’s life or death.

Even though it’s just a home tutor.

Since when was that?

At first, he didn’t even pay attention to her.

When it was revealed that Anna Lever had Akaban?

When she promised to make him happy?

Or when he noticed she was missing and chased only to find a mess?

What’s certain is that from some point on, his gaze followed Livia.

When he sees her smiling face, he feels strangely relieved, so.

“I won’t let you die.”

Because she is a home tutor belonging to his house.

One can only die with his permission.

It’s ridiculous, but Cardien thought so.

And to keep her alive,…….

‘Heirloom.’

The heirloom of Mercedes.

Already on its trail, his anxiety deepened.

He needed to find the former family head as soon as possible, even a day sooner.

If what Livia said was true, only he could save her.

Cardien looked back at Livia.

Is the nightmare over?

Livia’s heavy breathing seemed to have eased a bit.

“I don’t know what these strange feelings for you are.”

One thing is certain.

That he desperately needs Livia Pellington.

With that, Cardien slips out of the room as quietly as he came in.

Unbeknownst to Livia, Cardien’s day is over.

* * *

I woke up to the morning sun and stretched.

“Ugh.”

As my stiff body relaxed, I groaned involuntarily.

‘I was tormented by nightmares again.’

But fortunately, this nightmare seemed to have ended quite quickly.

‘I’m getting used to the nightmares, it seems.’

Of course, it’s not pleasant at all.

Anyway, I have a schedule today.

‘It’s about time I went to look for him.’

Just then, Chelsea came with breakfast.

 I was told not to eat greasy foods suddenly, so the menu was largely composed of simple dishes.

Anything was better than porridge, so I emptied the bowl.

Chelsea cleared the plate with a satisfied expression.

‘Now it seems she pays more and more attention to what I eat.’

My feelings were a bit mixed, but since it was for my sake, I decided to let it be.

Afterward, I took the diary and left the building.

My feet naturally led me to the western annex.

As I walked to the library, I hardened my expression.

* * *

I was called by a familiar voice as soon as I entered the library after completing the entrance check.

“Miss Livia!”

Upon turning my head, Lemon was quickly approaching.

He was as beautiful as a fairy today as well, but I looked at him gloomily.

“Are you sure it’s okay to run around like this? You shouldn’t be overexerting yourself just yet.”

“Thank you for your concern, Master Lemon of the Information Guild.”

“Haha, that’s natural between us.”

He talks so casually as he laughs.

“Would you believe that I was quite worried? You almost died without leaving any clues.”

“So,” I said to him with a wry smile.

“You suggested sending me to Rounded Hill Kingdom, in case I suddenly died?”

“Haha……”

It seemed like he felt a little guilty, his response was to only laugh quietly, which was amusing.

However, when I continued to glare at him, he became tense.

“Are… you angry?”

He asked, looking worried.

“Am I angry?”

I let out a wry chuckle, then turned a cold face.

“I don’t believe that Master of the Information Guild wouldn’t know that the symptoms in the Rounded Hill Kingdom were caused by a decrease in divine power immunity, not a magic disease.”

After all, when he revealed his identity to me, he said that he did not know how to cure the magical disease.

At this, he spoke with an undeservedly aggrieved expression.

“I had no choice. As the duke barged in all of a sudden, demanding a cure and threatening to kick me out on the spot, what was I supposed to do?”

“…His Grace?”

This was a story I had never heard before.

Lemon nodded vigorously as I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

“And I didn’t realize that the Rounded Hill Kingdom’s symptoms were a symptom of a lowered divine immunity. I just assumed it was something other than the magic disease. I was going to calm the duke down for now and reveal it later.”

“…….”

“You know who would be most troubled by Miss Livia’s disappearance.”