Chapter 44

Ariana’s voice lingered in my ear.

At first, I thought it was a hallucination, but it wasn’t. The slender arm that wrapped around my chest and pulled me into her embrace felt all too familiar.

Ariana’s eyes, filled with confusion and questions, also held a subtle sense of relief and clear guilt. Her gaze didn’t stay on me for long, quickly shifting elsewhere. Instead, the arm holding me tightened.

I didn’t fully understand, but one thing was clear.

Ariana had come to save me, just in time. For the first time.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll apologize for everything when we get back.”

“An apology isn’t enough. I need to hear the whole story. I don’t want to make any more wrong choices without knowing what’s ahead…”

“…You’re right. At this point, there’s no use making excuses. It’s my lack of ability. I’ll tell you everything.”

I threw out the words half-heartedly, but to my surprise, I got a positive response. My eyes widened without me realizing it.

“Really? You promise…?”

“…Don’t worry. I won’t lie anymore. I promise.”

“Wow, ah… huh… Okay, it’s a promise.”

As soon as I felt the certainty that we were having a proper conversation, a sense of relief, completely out of place with the situation, bloomed in my heart.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t forgive. There was still one last chance left. After what seemed like an eternity of misfortune, luck had finally come my way for the first time. Even though nothing had been resolved yet, that fact alone was enough to shake off the resignation that had been swallowing me up just moments ago.

I slumped into her arms. Honestly, this felt like resignation in another sense. There was nothing I could do in this situation anyway.

Let’s trust Ariana. For the first time, her power, which had bound and tormented me, was being directed toward someone else.

A small laugh escaped me. It felt oddly reassuring.

The professor sighed as he watched us. He pressed his temples as if he had a headache and spoke.

“Using magical transplantation to reverse-locate coordinates, followed by a higher-level transfer… I won’t ask what you two were doing holed up in a room. It’s probably too embarrassing.”

Ariana’s arm tightened a bit more.

Well, she would feel guilty, wouldn’t she?

“So, what are you thinking? Ah, are you planning to completely separate Miss Adelian from me this time? You’re openly rebelling now.”

“Yes. Exactly as you said, so please, just step aside, won’t you?”

“Not a chance.”

“That’s troublesome. I don’t like fighting.”

“What a coincidence. Neither do I.”

The two mages stared at each other with dry smiles.

Ariana seemed prepared for a fight, but the professor didn’t seem ready to stop talking yet. He slowly gathered his magical energy, preparing for battle, but kept speaking.

“Honestly, I don’t get it. Why are you so fixated on her? If it had been like this from the start, maybe I’d understand. But suddenly changing your attitude and charging at your opponent like a wild boar—it’s hard to adjust to. The Ariana I knew wasn’t like that.”

“There’s no special reason. I just like her.”

“Do you really think that’s a convincing explanation? If the feelings you held were romantic, you would have shown it from the beginning. Why the hypocrisy now?”

It was a very direct statement, but Ariana wasn’t shaken. In fact, she nodded as if in agreement.

“It’s because I’m a hypocrite. Don’t worry. I have no intention of making excuses or seeking forgiveness.”

At least, that’s how it must have seemed to the professor. As I had seen before, the mask she wore over her tender flesh was thick and solid.

I wish I could have taken it lightly too, but unfortunately, the slight tremble in her arm told me she hadn’t fully resolved this issue. It was probably a topic she had been agonizing over. Coincidentally, I was in the same boat.

The desire to leave her had faded, but I still wasn’t sure if I could forgive her, let alone love her back.

Would it have been different if she were a princess?

Of course, it would have been. I would have thrown a fit and refused before even thinking about it.

She became me, and I became her. I could refuse if I wanted to, but honestly, I didn’t feel like it. After all that had happened.

We were tangled, stained, and now falling together off a cliff.

I must have truly fallen victim to Stockholm syndrome. Or maybe it’s just a crush.

That might be more accurate. It’s a fitting expression for someone like me, after all.

“Ha, right. Saving her. Defeating the villain, rescuing the fragile princess, and then what?”

“What else? I’ll do my best to delay death and make the rest of her life as happy as possible.”

“If you’re planning to keep her by your side and treat her like a doll, you should give up now. She won’t live long anyway—maybe three years at most. You know what it means to have your blood drained every day, don’t you?”

*Cough, cough.*

I coughed out loudly, startled.

I knew my body had gotten worse and that I wouldn’t live long. But I didn’t expect to receive such a calm and hollow death sentence like this.

If things suddenly go this way, my resolve to die on graduation day might just fade. Are they trying to take even my choice of death away from me?

…No.

In this case, it’s more accurate to say I never had that choice to begin with. Thinking that a corpse came to the academy and became a doll was just a delusion.

I was mistaken.

Haha.

“I have no such intentions. I’ll do as the Princess wishes. If she wants me to disappear, I’ll disappear. If she wants me to die, I’ll die. I don’t deserve to be happy by her side.”

Ariana’s hand gently stroked my back.

She didn’t seem surprised. She probably already knew. It felt warm, but also a little sad.

“…What about your family? How sad would the poor Wharton Count and your sister be if they saw this situation? Their beloved kin pushing them toward the guillotine.”

“They’ll be sad. Resentful, hateful, cursing—it’s not hard to imagine.”

“Sounds like you don’t care what happens.”

Ariana smiled faintly and hugged me tightly.

“That’s how it is. I’m an inadequate person. I can’t hold onto anything bigger than the size of my hand. It’s already too late, but I gave up on everything except one thing long ago. Now, all I can do is give my all to complete that one remaining thing.”

Maybe because my heart was aching, I didn’t feel like resisting.

Honestly, even if I were fine, it might’ve been the same.

“…To think you’d abandon your family. I’ll need to reconsider how to use hostages.”

The professor frowned and let out a deep sigh. It seems he’s tried all possible methods of persuasion but to no avail.

Now, there’s only one way left.

A white hexagonal pattern with geometric designs began to slowly encroach on the room from beneath his feet. A world centered around him was forming in what was once my space.

I felt a physiological disgust.

Creepy.

“One last question. Quit now. If you stop here and go back, I’ll show you mercy.”

“Sorry. It’s too late to turn back. I’m not naive enough to believe your offer of mercy.”

The arms wrapped around me loosened. I felt a little regret, but I didn’t hold on, knowing what she was about to do.

She took two steps forward, and an overwhelming amount of magical energy radiated from her. Even I, who knew almost nothing about magic, could sense her battle-ready stance.

She’s serious.

That’s a relief.

But can she win? Can she survive?

Her opponent is the professor. A transcendent being who even broke through the concept-blocking barrier of the forbidden realm.

Even if it’s Ariana, can she really win in a head-on confrontation like this? Did she force herself into this direct fight just to save me, something she hadn’t planned?

My mind, already on the verge of exploding, was tangled with relief, anxiety, and worry. I had vowed to trust her, yet here I was, overthinking despite being powerless to do anything.

Wait, there’s one thing I can do.

Pray.

Anyone can pray, right?

With a self-deprecating expression, I slowly clasped my hands together.

Yeah, I should at least pray. At least then, if things end badly, I’ll have an excuse to give myself.

“You’ve become a moth. At this point, I can only feel pity.”

“I agree that I’m as stubborn as a bug. No, even worse—bugs at least don’t pretend to be righteous.”

“Glad you know.”

“That’s the last thing I want to hear from you.”

A faint smile crossed both their faces, followed by a brief silence. As if it were a signal, both began chanting spells simultaneously.

I tried to ignore the loud clash of something colliding and began earnestly reciting my prayer. The god I believed in was, and always would be, the only one.

I pray to the one who sent me here.

I no longer wish to see the death of others with my own eyes.

Please.