Jeremiah, who had lost consciousness, lay as if dead in a pitch-black consciousness.
'How pathetic.'
The words echoed in his head. Jeremiah turned his eyes and looked at the being next to him. The black dragon was looking down at him with a look of displeasure. Nevertheless, Jeremiah's eyes were as blank as if they were empty.
"It looks like you've regained your memories because your gaze is the same as when you first came to see me."
"...to some extent."
Jeremiah replied, closing his eyes as if in annoyance.
'If it's a memory, it was already then...'
***
Half a day back in time. When Karina went out with Mikhail, Pavel came to see Jeremiah separately.
"I came to ask about the contract with the dragon."
But Jeremiah couldn't answer that question properly. At that time, he had never seen the dragon again except when he first touched the pendant. So he had no way of knowing what kind of contract he had made with the dragon.
"I also heard the story about the contract from outside."
He asked cautiously, confessing that he had also overheard their conversation.
"Do you think I made a contract to turn back time?"
"That's right."
Jeremiah thought it was a good opportunity.
"I'm not sure, but there is a way to find out what kind of contract you made with the dragon."
"Hmm? What is that?"
Pavel responded with active interest.
"Please help me enter consciousness and see the memories."
Jeremiah recalled the memories he had glimpsed here and there after entering Karina's consciousness with Pavel's help. Among them were Karina's memories, but there were also his own memories that he didn't know about. Looking at those memories, he guessed that there would be memories of dragons. And the fact that he could learn more about past events in the process of confirming memories also encouraged him. He felt the need to know what happened to her in the end.
How on earth did she die?
He clenched his fists until they turned white.
"Hmm, I guess that's not entirely wrong."
Pavel agreed, saying that it wasn't bad. There was no other way anyway. The possibility of confirming the memories related to the Dragon Contract was low, but he decided to give it a try. With Pavel's help, he glimpsed numerous memories in his consciousness. And in them, he was able to confirm Karina's last moments.
***
'You're the one who made me like this!'
A voice full of resentment pierced his eardrums.
'You haven't changed at all. You don't care about my heart or my sincerity!'
Her voice sounded so desperate that it almost sounded like she was crying. She was angry, but she was actually crying. Why didn't his past self know that?
'Have you ever been sincere to me?'
'Just once. Just a little sympathy.'
The sight of Karina looking at him as she asked him was painfully engraved in his eyes. It felt like his heart was being torn
'Have you ever been sincere to me?'
He answered her earnest question.
'Why should I do that?'
At that moment, her body, which had been trembling slightly as if something had suddenly snapped, stopped without a single movement.
'Don't get me wrong. I never gave you my heart for even a single moment.'
Jeremiah felt his blood run cold as he looked into her eyes, which were as if they had been drained of life. He watched with horror as Karina took out a small vial from her sleeve. He thought he knew what it was. He also knew what she was trying to do.
"No!"
Jeremiah was terrified and tried to stop her, but his hands could not reach her.
"Karina! Please! It was all my fault! It was my fault, so please don't do this."
He cried out and pleaded desperately, but Karina opened the bottle without hesitation and drank its contents.
'Ah...'
His body trembled. Through his vision, clouded by the welling tears, he saw her body crumbling.
"No!!!"
He screamed and screamed. A flame so hot that it was hard to bear raged inside him as if he had been swallowed by a flame that burned everything. He shuddered at the thought that in the past, she had suffered alone, suffered terrible pain, and died alone. It felt like his insides were burning black while he was still alive.
'Gasp, gasp.'
He was barely able to catch his breath. He wanted to run away right now. He covered his face with trembling hands.
'That guy is not qualified.'
It was just as he had heard before. He was not qualified to capture Karina. Before time went back. He was suffocated by the fact that it was he, and no one else, who had driven her to her death in the past. In the end, he hated and loathed himself for not being able to protect her and causing her to die.
'Why are you giving me a chance on a topic like that?'
He was shaking with self-disillusionment.
How could I dare to desire her?
Every time he saw her, he couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for her. Even if he stayed by her side, he was afraid that being with him would be too difficult for her. He was afraid that every time he saw her, he would recall the past and repeat the pain. He was afraid that his existence would be nothing but a terrible pain to her. Jeremiah felt like he was going crazy. That must be why she kept pushing him away. The fact that his side must have been hell for her was so bleak and devastating.
He had ruined everything. If only he had trusted her in the past. If only he had listened to her even once. If only he had.
'She wouldn't have chosen death.'
It was all his fault. Heavy self-reproach and reprimand weighed down on his entire body. Even though he knew all of this, he could not force himself to keep her by his side. That was his selfish greed.
Tears flowed endlessly from Jeremiah's eyes. After Pavel left. As he wandered through his memories, he woke up in tears and Lucia came to him.
"Your Highness, do you have an answer yet?"
"..."
"You must accept my offer. It is the will of God, and it is the only way to protect Your Highness's precious people and the North."
Lucia's words pierced him like an arrow, already shocked and saddened by memories of the past.
"Are you going to continue to be so stubborn even though the Grand Duchess is dying?"
"I am..."
Jeremiah licked his lips with a worn-out face.
"Your Highness, you know it yourself. You are falling apart. You won't be able to hold out much longer if you keep doing this."
Lucia pressed him thoroughly, listing the facts.
"Her Highness the Grand Duchess cannot be happy when she is next to Your Highness the Grand Duke. How can she truly be happy when she is forced to be with someone she does not love?"
"...!!"
Jeremiah couldn't say anything. His face turned pale. The words about Karina's happiness had been a fatal blow, completely breaking his will.
"You should divorce. That is the only way to truly serve the Grand Duchess."
It felt like his heart was being torn apart and blood was flowing out of his eyes. But at some point, he also had to admit it. For her. To save her.
'I have to let her go.'
Immediately after that, an incident occurred that seemed to solidify his resolve.
"This is a big deal!"
David ran into the room and shouted.
"The Grand Duchess has been kidnapped!"
"...!"
The fear that he might be wrong was consuming him. Karina had been kidnapped by those who were after him. Whoever was behind it? The fact that Karina was in danger because of him was unbearably painful and painful. He absolutely did not want her to be in danger. She needed to be safer and more peaceful than anyone else and enjoy only happiness and joy. He desperately wanted to stop feeling pain and sadness.
"It's a trap. It's dangerous to go alone!"
Jeremiah glared at Lucia, who was blocking him.
"I'm still her husband."
Yes. Even if he had to let her go in the end, it couldn't end like this. He had to save her.
'I hope you are safe.'
He ran to where Karina was in one stride. And when he found her in the cabin, he felt a sense of relief when he saw her, seemingly unharmed. He felt like he was going to burst into tears at the sight of her again.
"Why did you come here?"
Her questioning voice made his heart pound and his throat tighten. He barely suppressed his trembling heart. He didn't want her to be hurt or in trouble because of him. After choosing his words for a moment, he pretended to be colder than usual and answered.
"If the Grand Duchess dies in a place like this, how will the people of the world view the Grand Duke's family?"
Just in case when he sent her away so that she wouldn't look back at him with her. tender heart. So that she wouldn't shamelessly cling to him and tell him not to rely on her pity. He pushed forward through the assassins' attacks, looking only at Karina. He was injured in the process, but these wounds were nothing compared to the emotional pain he felt now. The hostage taker who had kidnapped her held a knife to her neck. At that moment. The image of her dying, covered in blood, almost killed by escapees in the North, was superimposed on him, and a bright red rage rose up in him.
"Put that knife away."
How dare he create this situation again. He couldn't forgive him. Jeremiah vowed that he would kill the man. The thought of catching him and finding out who was behind it had long since disappeared from his mind.
"What are you doing instead of avoiding it!"
The scarred man threatened her as if he was going to stab her at any moment as she screamed and resisted. Jeremiah couldn't stand it any longer.
"Get away from her now!"
His eyes were blazing with murder and anger. He was determined to save her, even if his body was torn to pieces. Things got easier thanks to Karina, who had the perfect timing to lure the man into taking advantage of his weakness. Jeremiah didn't miss the opportunity and stabbed his sword into the hostage taker's body.
"I told you to stay away from her."
How dare a man who wouldn't even dare to threaten and intimidate her.
'Then you have to pay the price accordingly.'
Jeremiah felt the urge to kill this man most painfully and horribly in the world. He had no intention of showing mercy to this arrogant and insolent man who tried to kill Karina. However, Karina was watching from the side. He did not want to show her such cruel and brutal behavior. Jeremiah, gritting his teeth and thinking alone, eventually twisted his sword and cut off the man's life.
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