***

A few days after the priest’s visit.

I was cooped up in my room, completely focused on decoding the cipher.

But unlike the initial momentum, progress in decoding was slow.

“Ugh, it’s harder than I thought.”

Relying on past memories meant there were mistakes or missing parts in the decoding.

In the end, I barely managed to decode the first few pages.

Although…..

[I want to kill him. The one who took everything from me.]

[I’ve lost everything of my family. They are terrible beasts.]

[Is there any reason for me to live? Why am I the only one who survived?]

[God, does not exist.]

It’s all gloomy and negative writing, but.

‘This must be from that time.’

The era when Jeffrey’s family was murdered and all their assets were taken by relatives.

But even so, this seems like a completely different person from the Jeffrey I knew.

Well…..

‘I’m not even sure if the Jeffrey I knew was real.’

However, the most unexpected point is that Jeffrey denied God.

It’s not just this page.

In the following pages too, Jeffrey repeatedly denied God.

It seemed he went beyond denial to hatred.

‘How does someone like that become a theology professor?’

Theology requires a deeper love for God than anyone else.

‘It seems he didn’t even know about Egrid at this point.’

If I continue decoding, will I be able to find out how he came to believe in Egrid and got drawn into that side?

“That’s it for today.”

After sitting and decoding for days on end, my eyeballs feel like they’re about to fall out.

I stretched out and looked towards the window.

I had been so engrossed that night had fallen without me noticing.

“After looking at ciphers for days, I feel stuffy. Should I go for a walk?”

By the time I muttered this, I had already made the decision.

I put on a cardigan to go for a light walk and headed outside.

‘Ah, it’s refreshing.’

The outside air certainly seems to clear my stuffy mood.

The purple sky was transitioning into darkness.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time taking a walk at night.’

Although I often went for walks, I had never done so at night.

‘It feels somewhat new.’

The Mercedes mansion, which I had become completely familiar with, felt a bit different.

‘I only intended to get some fresh air.’

But as I walked, I felt good and thought it might be nice to go a bit further.

After walking for a while, I suddenly started to feel chilly.

I seemed to have underestimated the early winter night and dressed too lightly.

‘Should I head back?’

While pondering at a crossroads, I suddenly spotted a sign that read <Glass Greenhouse>.

I realized this was the glass greenhouse Winston had mentioned.

It seems I had wandered here while walking aimlessly.

Hmm…..

“Should I go take a look, to scout for the outdoor class and warm up at the same time?”

Besides, I was curious about what Mercedes’ glass greenhouse would be like.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I started walking in the direction the sign pointed.

The greenhouse was quite a ways in, like the library.

The path wasn’t well-maintained, so I had to follow a trail overgrown with weeds.

But it had its own charm, and I slowly made my way while enjoying the star-filled sky through the trees.

How much time had passed?

Suddenly, the path ended, and a greenhouse surrounded by forest appeared.

“Wow…..”

The glass greenhouse was in the shape of a split crystal, but unlike its name, the interior wasn’t visible.

Instead, it reflected the night sky and forest like a mirror on every side, creating a fantastical sight.

I approached the glass greenhouse.

It was even more impressive up close.

‘Even Mercedes’ greenhouse is extraordinary.’

Inwardly marveling, I opened the door and went inside.

Immediately, I felt a wave of warmth, and the distinctive bitter yet fresh scent of plants enveloped my nose.

The interior was indeed spacious, with a round table and two chairs placed in the center.

Around it, various colorful plants were harmoniously arranged.

As soon as I saw it, I could tell.

‘Winston put a lot of effort into this.’

It seems he had prepared the table and chairs in advance for an outdoor class that would take place someday.

Admiring his preparedness and attention to detail, I looked around the rest of the place and now understood why it was called a glass greenhouse.

‘You can’t see inside from the outside, but from inside you can see outside.’

Is it a special crafting technique? Magic?

Either way, it was certainly fascinating.

I pulled out one of the chairs and plopped down.

The chair was so soft that I felt like I could sink right into it.

With the warm air surrounding me, my body instantly became languid.

‘Well, I have been losing some sleep these past few days.’

As I’ve been decoding Jeffrey’s diary, I’ve been having Jeffrey’s nightmares more frequently.

At those times, I wish I could use my ability on myself.

‘As someone said, it really does seem like an irresponsible ability…’

It’s funny that I’m criticizing my own ability.

‘I’m sleepy…’

As I was thinking about these things, sleep started to creep in.

For some reason, I had a feeling that I could sleep well here without having nightmares.

‘I’ll just sleep for a little bit.’

I lay my head down on the table.

And slowly closed my eyes. Hoping that this time, I wouldn’t have a nightmare.

***

“……Ugh……”

Cardien quietly looked down at Livia, who was groaning in pain while sleeping face down.

Cold sweat beaded like dew on her tightly closed eyes, then flowed down like tears.

“……Another nightmare.”

As Cardien said, Livia’s wish not to have a nightmare had been betrayed.

As Livia’s moans grew louder, Cardien, unable to bear it any longer, reached out his hand towards her.

At that moment, Livia took a sharp breath and jerked her head up.

Cardien froze with his hand outstretched.

Livia stared blankly at Cardien while catching her breath, then slowly parted her lips.

“……Your Grace?”

Her voice was hoarse from her distress.

Soon, awareness returned to her dazed eyes.

Livia asked with a bewildered expression.

“Why are you here, Your Grace?”

It was understandable to be confused.

It wasn’t even a room, but a greenhouse, and when she woke up from a short nap, he was sitting right in front of her.

Naturally withdrawing his hand, he spoke in an indifferent tone.

“I came in to rest for a moment while taking a walk, and you were here.”

“A walk?”

“Yes.”

“All the way here…?”

This place was quite far from the main house.

While it might be suitable for a daytime walk, it was an inappropriate place for a night walk.

But Cardien was confident.

“Yes. Isn’t it the same for you?”

“Well, that’s true……”

Livia nodded as if deciding to believe him, though her expression remained dubious.

Then silence fell.

Livia, seemingly uncomfortable with the silence, moved her lips slightly before looking elsewhere.

Cardien, observing Livia as she avoided his gaze, suddenly spoke.

“That ability.”

“Yes?”

Livia, who had been awkwardly staring into space, turned to look at him.

Cardien watched her as she tilted her head quizzically, then slowly murmured.

“Can’t you use it on me?”

“……Pardon?”

***

I couldn’t hide my dumbfounded expression.

Cardien is telling me to use him.

What on earth does he mean!

Sometimes he says things that are hard to understand, but this was the first time his words were so difficult to comprehend.

I carefully asked again.

“How exactly am I supposed to use Your Grace?”

“I mean your ability. That ability to change dreams. I’m asking if you can’t use that ability on me to change your nightmares.”

“Huh?”

Even though I heard the explanation, I still don’t understand.

Cardien’s expression briefly contorted as if he found it frustrating.

Wow, that’s unfair.

Even if you brought a renowned scholar instead of me, they’d be just as clueless!

“So.”

He suddenly leaned his upper body towards me.

I looked at his suddenly closer face with surprised eyes.

“I’ll dream your dream, and if you enter my dream like last time, wouldn’t that become your dream?”

“……”

Now I think I understand what he means.

So, he’s suggesting that he dreams the dream I want, and I enter his dream to share it with him.

But…

“……Is that possible?”

It seems possible in theory, but would it work in practice?

To begin with.

“Can Your Grace dream the dream I want? To dream, one needs to have the capacity to imagine it.”

Dreams aren’t just created out of thin air.

They need materials that can be imagined.

For instance, ‘become a rabbit’ or ‘become a cow’ are possible dreams because one can imagine rabbits and cows.

But you can’t dream about something you don’t know because you can’t imagine it.

Cardien seemed to understand this too, as he thought for a moment before speaking.

“Then.”

At last, his purple eyes fully captured me.

“You tell me.”