Episode 16
“This won’t do.”
A regretful voice seemed to mingle with a heavy sigh.
Something soft carefully wiped my wet lips, my damp neck where water had trickled down, and my clothes.
Water, water, give me water….
Thinking it was a dream, I whined without a thought. If I couldn’t drink it, I wanted to hold it in my mouth, at least.
It was then. Something carefully entered through my parted lips.
Only when the cold, hard, rounded bottom pressed lightly against my tongue did I realize what it was.
It was a small teaspoon full of water.
The joy I felt when the meager water in the teaspoon flowed over my tongue and moistened my parched throat.
Like rain falling upon land cracked by a severe drought and dampening the earth once more, my throat too began to regain its function after receiving water again and again.
Once I was able to swallow, the teaspoon vanished and a cup touched my lips.
“Please drink slowly, My Lady.”
Along with that gentle voice, an incomparably greater amount of water entered my mouth.
Gulp, gulp.
I mindlessly drank the water he offered.
By the first cup, the second, the third, the searing heat that felt as though it would burn my entire body away seemed to die down somewhat.
Was it because my thirst was quenched as I desired, or because the embrace holding me was warm and cozy?
I couldn’t tell which it was. Only that my tightly tensed body relaxed, and drowsiness washed over me.
As I struggled to keep my eyes from closing, a large, cold hand covered them.
His low voice tickled my ear.
“This is all a dream, My Lady. So please, sleep more.”
In that moment, it mattered not whether it was a dream or reality.
The coolness that soothed my burning eyes, the gentleness laced in his voice—those were simply enough.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in bed.
My whole body was drenched in sweat, my eyes and throat were parched, but perhaps because the fever had gone down, I was no longer in agony.
As I blankly blinked at the thought, I survived, a faint memory brushed through my mind.
“Open your mouth, My Lady.”
“…This won’t do.”
“Please drink slowly.”
His voice, which I could not forget no matter how I tried. I sat up in a hurry.
Had Rakein truly come? Had he nursed me?
I frantically scanned the room, wondering if any trace of him might remain. But there was nothing inside, and the window was shut tight.
For a moment, I went blank.
It was all a dream? Even though the memories remained this vividly?
Only after slowly scanning the room once more could I accept that it had been a dream.
Well, it was absurd from the start that he would be in my room. But why did I feel so utterly drained?
“Haah….”
I let out a sigh and got down from the bed.
I staggered slightly from dizziness, but I had no trouble making it to the bathroom.
After washing my hair and body, soaked through with sweat, I returned to my senses somewhat.
I took clothes from the wardrobe, put them on, sat on the edge of the bed, closed my eyes, and focused.
Whatever the process, I seemed to have absorbed the Guardian Stone. Otherwise, I had no way to explain the foreign energy I felt inside my body.
But why did that power feel as though it was floating?
It had been absorbed, yet something was blocking it, preventing it from sinking deep inside—instead, it merely circled near the surface.
“What is this?”
I opened my eyes and tried to understand my current situation. But there was no way I could.
From the beginning, I had only ever heard bits and pieces about the Guardian Stone.
My half-sister Biarte might know well, but as I was now, I remained ignorant of the Guardian Stone.
Unable to fully absorb its power, impatience flooded in as if it had been waiting. All manner of stray thoughts began to swirl in my head.
Was it because I had absorbed it before turning nineteen?
Or was there something wrong with me that prevented me from absorbing the Guardian Stone’s power?
Could it be, as my half-sister said, because I was of half-blood?
I had even resorted to extreme thoughts in my frustration, but feeling pathetic, I let out a sigh.
“As if that could be it.”
It was absurd. What did half-blood have to do with anything?
By that logic, my half-sister Biarte also had the Countess’s blood mixed in—was she not also half-blood?
There had to be another reason.
“What do I do now…?”
I fell into worry.
So long as I could not properly wield the Guardian Stone’s power, I could not claim to be the heir of the house, nor could I protect myself.
On the contrary, if they learned I had absorbed the Guardian Stone, they would try to kill me by any means necessary to take it back.
Since they could not kill me directly, they would find a way to make me die.
“I can’t leave it at that.”
I gritted my teeth. I had no intention of being killed by their hands in this second life either.
Somehow, I had to survive, find a way to fully absorb the Guardian Stone’s power, and take revenge on them.
First, I started by clearing my mind, still drenched in bewilderment, and calming my agitated heart. Then I sank into thought about what I should do going forward.
It did not take long to reach a conclusion. There were still very few paths I could choose.
I could not continue hiding like this. To make the foreign power floating inside my body my own, I had to go out and find a way.
“So it’s that method, after all.”
It was absurd that I had to walk the same path as before even after turning back time, but for now, there was no better way.
To do that, there were things I needed to prepare. I closed my eyes and began to focus.
For what I wished to achieve two days from now.
***
The moment Herna absorbed the Guardian Stone, the thing hiding in her heart stealthily raised its head.
[The time I have been waiting for has finally come.]
He trembled at the powerful force flowing toward the heart.
The power he had longed for so desperately—the power that could grant him freedom—was right before his eyes.
[How long I have waited for this moment.]
The efforts he had made until now to seize this power had been immense.
He had driven prey here, created an opportunity by using a human who had fallen in love, and settled within that opportunity.
Moreover, had he not even revived one who was on the verge of death? To prevent any possible danger, he had returned another alongside her.
He had lost most of his power because of that, but it did not matter. If only he could absorb her power, everything would happen according to his will.
[Come to me quickly. And become my power.]
Feeling the energy envelop the heart, he waited anxiously.
The instant that power entered the heart, he intended to use it as nourishment to recover his original strength and make this opportunity his own.
But what he wished for did not come to pass.
The power enveloping the heart merely circled outside, unable to flow in. As if something was blocking it.
[What! What happened?]
Confused, he soon realized the situation and burned with rage.
[Was it that witch’s doing after all? To prevent me from taking this body?]
Only after losing most of his power did he learn that there was another force hiding in the heart besides himself.
It had likely entered together when he seeped in.
The power that had been lying in wait pushed him deep into the heart the moment the Guardian Stone’s power entered, even erecting a barrier so he could not escape.
In the past, he might have fought back, but having lost most of his power, he was trapped and forced to cower inside the heart.
Even so, he had thought it would be fine.
If only the power he desired would enter, he could destroy that trivial force in an instant. But he had not expected that even the power he longed for would be blocked.
[Blocking me until the very end. Last Witch! But do you think I will give up? I shall wait. Until the moment your child severs your power and absorbs that strength. When that time comes, all shall happen as I desire.]
He muttered darkly.
He had waited decades; how could he not endure a few more years?
As long as this body desired that power, the day he wished for would come eventually.
Even now, the deep, dark emotions—hatred and rage—flowing from this body would become nourishment to grow his power.
[If I grow my strength a little more, I might be able to speak. Tsk, I should have taken it all instead of leaving any behind.]
If he had taken away all the other emotions he despised, she might have grown suspicious of his existence, so he had spared one. But now that his power had weakened, he regretted even that and clicked his tongue.
Well, it should be fine. It was merely an emotion toward a single human.
Thinking so simply, he curled up again. Waiting for that time that would someday come.
***
Perhaps because I was tense, I could not sleep well.
In the end, after dozing off, I woke at dawn and stood by the window, looking down at the maids and servants scurrying about below.
The quiet count’s estate was growing busy.
It was only natural. Today was the memorial service for my father, Count Croizen.
It was the memorial service for the House of Croizen, one of the four great houses that possessed the Guardian Stone. Since it was a day when prominent nobles would visit, I could fully understand why the Countess and my half-sister were on edge.
I drew the curtains to cover the window and headed for the mirror in the room.
Staring into the mirror and concentrating, I saw a faint red light slowly envelop and flow around my body.
To think this was all that came from two days of hard effort.
A sigh escaped me, but I pulled myself together. This was better than nothing.
Above all, it was an essential ability for what I intended to do today.
The plan for what to do was already fully laid out in my mind. All I needed was a convincing act and execution.
I let out a sigh and released my concentration, and the red energy surrounding my body vanished in an instant.
“I wish time would pass quickly….”
The memorial service began at eleven in the morning. It was just past seven now, so nearly four hours remained.
It was the same morning as always, so why did today feel so different?
Time passed so slowly that I wondered how I had ever endured such long hours before.
At least I had the romance novel I had bought yesterday to thank for that.
They said it was the most popular novel recently; it was somewhat worth reading, if one read without thinking.
After reading to the last page and closing the book, I checked the clock.
10:30. It was the perfect time to go down after preparing.
Among the dresses I owned, I chose the one with the darkest color.
I knew well that black clothing was required for a memorial service, but I had none because they had never once called me to my father’s memorial service before the Guardian Stone manifested, so I had never had cause to wear black.
I put on the dress and neatly brushed my hair. By rights, I should have pinned my hair up and draped a black veil, but I had neither accessories nor a veil, so I skipped it.
When all preparations were complete and eleven o’clock came, I quietly slipped out of the room.
I knew that the memorial service was being held in Erbians Hall, the largest hall of the count’s estate.
It was not difficult to slip inside alone without being noticed by the staff. I was a shadow, accustomed to moving without catching their eyes.
Erbians Hall was filled with snow-white flowers, unlike usual. Even from afar, a faint floral scent drifted over.
They were flowers called Stelen, which held the meaning of a star, and were mainly used to honor the dead.
Perhaps because the ceremony had already begun, no one was visible at the hall entrance.
Carefully surveying my surroundings, I quietly slipped into the spot I had checked in advance.