If it was going to turn out like this anyway, Ivan shouldn't have been involved.
Amelia smiled faintly as she thought about that. Ever since Ivan died in the fire, she had thought about that every moment. That was why she couldn't cry properly. It was funny that she was crying in memory of someone she had killed. To Ivan, it would be like crocodile tears.
“...”
She should have just accepted that this was her fate from the beginning. If she had, she would have just suffered and died in pain.
Amelia bit her lower lip hard, then relaxed it. She got up and approached the man kneeling on the floor. He didn’t even flinch when Amelia touched the cloth covering his face. He was just as engrossed in learned helplessness as Amelia.
“They are both in a pitiful situation.”
Just as she was about to remove the cloth covering her head, the knight's hand, still not leaving his seat, grabbed Amelia's wrist.
"Why?"
Amelia's voice was filled with doubt. The knight, whose face was covered by a helmet, completely removed Amelia's hand from the cloth and lifted the helmet on his head. Amelia, who did not understand the knight's sudden action, just blinked blankly.
“...”
The knight's face slowly revealed itself, starting from his sharp jaw. The dim light touched his face, leaving shadows on each curve, like the bridge of his high nose.
“...Ivan?”
And at last, when the helmet was completely removed, his golden hair, as brilliant as the sun, sparkled in the light. Even under the dim light of a few candles, it looked that way.
“Ivan?”
Am I going crazy and seeing things?
Amelia called his name with a trembling voice and took a step forward. She reached out to Ivan's face from a distance where their bodies could be pressed together.
"That's right."
The moment her hand touched his warm face, Ivan opened his lips and answered.
“You were alive, you were alive….”
Amelia's hands began to tremble before she could finish her sentence. Ivan quietly held the hand that was trembling endlessly on his face. As he held her hand tightly, a wave of relief came over her.
He didn't die. He was alive.
Except for the day when Louis accused her of killing Ivan, she couldn't cry freely. She deliberately suppressed her emotions and suppressed her feelings.
Don't cry, you're not worthy.
“I thought he was dead...”
But you're still alive and well. I didn't kill you.
The moment she realized that fact, a tidal wave of pain and joy came crashing down on her. Her face contorted helplessly, and tears flowed out.
“I'm not dead. I'm here.”
Ivan pressed his forehead against Amelia's and whispered softly, as if trying to share his body heat with her and help her find comfort, while still holding her trembling body in his arms and comforting her.
“Thank goodness. I’m really thankful...”
Amelia cried and laughed as she touched Ivan's face with both hands. Even though her vision was blurred by the tears that kept coming down, and she couldn't see his face clearly, she felt incredibly relieved to see his presence right before her eyes.
“Hey, why are you here?”
But the relief was fleeting. Amelia's face turned pale in an instant.
“If they find out you’re here, you’ll really die.”
If Ivan's existence were discovered, Aaron would not leave Ivan alone. Even if Ivan had already entered eternal rest, he was the one who would dig up the corpse from the grave and play with it.
“Run away quickly.”
Amelia's body was shaking like an aspen tree as she assumed the worst.
“If you die, you can’t die. Yes?”
“I told you to go together.”
“I can’t go. I, I can’t go.”
Amelia grabbed Ivan's arms and shook her head.
“If I run away, everyone will chase me.”
“...”
“Aaron will find me no matter what, and he will kill you.”
No one could kill Amelia. The Priestess was the only one who could support this place. Aaron had controlled the number of people who knew the secret, so there was no one to replace her.
But Ivan was different. He was just a commoner. Even if he had quietly disappeared and died, no one would have moved with him, even if his family had cried and searched for him. That's how he died and disappeared.
“I can’t stand to see you die because of me.”
Amelia cried and shook her head. She didn't want to hear the news of Ivan's death again. She didn't want to feel like her body and mind were falling into the abyss again.
“Then are you going to sleep with that guy?”
Suddenly, a cold voice pierced her ears. Amelia, who was unable to think properly due to being overwhelmed by terrible fear and intense excitement, stopped dead in her tracks.
“...”
Amelia slowly raised her head. Her vision was still blurry, so she couldn't see Ivan's expression clearly.
“For your sake, I asked if you would spend the night with that man, Amelia Escliffe.”
Ivan reached out and wiped Amelia's eyes with his thumb without hesitation. After a couple of times, her vision cleared up. Only then did she see Ivan staring at her with an expressionless face and the man with the sack over his head, flinching.
"That..."
Amelia hesitated to answer. Until she thought Ivan was dead, she thought it didn't matter who it was, and she didn't care what happened to her. But after she found out he was alive, it was different.
Suddenly, the man's shoulders visibly shook, as if he sensed Ivan's cold gaze returning to him.
"I am..."
In fact, if there was a man whom she would allow to be, it would have been Ivan. Every time she thought of Ivan's death, every time she thought of her belated feelings, she had that wish.
“I heard that you died.”
“...”
“I can’t do it twice.”
But she didn't want to experience the guilt and loss of killing someone again. Amelia lowered her head. Her forehead touched Ivan's firm chest.
“What do you want to do?”
Ivan suddenly asked in an irritated voice. Amelia's answer was not satisfactory to him, who had risked his life here just to keep his promise to take her out.
“I won’t ask you to run away with me like last time. Just pretend that wish never happened.”
Ivan let out a short laugh, as if he found it ridiculous.
"Just."
“...”
“Just give me this night.”
But the very next moment, Amelia asked him for another wish. A faint surprise flashed through Ivan's jewel-like eyes.
“Just for this night, I won’t be held in someone else’s arms.”
At least for the first time. That was Amelia's only wish at the moment. She couldn't put Ivan in danger of death, but she couldn't give up on him completely.
“Is that all you want?”
"Yes."
Ivan asked. Amelia smiled, lifting the corners of her lips, hoping that her face would look natural now.
“...”
A stubborn face with a forced smile. Ivan stared blankly at Amelia's face and let out a low sigh.
"Good."
And he answered. It was an answer that surprised Amelia with its coolness.
“But, having an audience isn’t my style.”
Ivan took the cloth from the head of the man who was still kneeling beside him, and when he was still unable to open his eyes from the sudden light, he placed the helmet he had been holding over his head.
“Take off the clothes you are wearing.”
And he spoke in a threatening voice that did not sound kind at all. The black-haired man trembled and untied the string that held his shirt open at the chest, and took off his clothes. Then Ivan also took off his armor and the clothes he was wearing underneath.
“...!”
Amelia, surprised, quickly turned her back on him. Ivan laughed out loud as if he found that funny. It was Amelia who had asked him out for the night, so it was funny that she was surprised by something like taking off his shirt.
“Just go outside.”
“Ah, if it’s outside, where...”
“If you have a head, don’t you know it’s not in here?”
Ivan replied indifferently. It was quite different from his attitude when answering Amelia.
“Go out the west gate.”
Ivan gave a cold order. As if he were giving an order from a ruler, his expression was so arrogant that Amelia flinched. The man dressed as Ivan nodded several times and hurriedly left the bedroom.
“...”
The door closed, leaving Ivan and Amelia alone. Amelia didn't know what to do with herself as Ivan stared at her intently, and she just twitched her clenched fist.
"Wait for a sec."
"Why?"
Amelia, who had been avoiding Ivan's gaze by lowering her head, suddenly raised her head.
“If that man goes out dressed as a knight, how will you go out later?”
And she grabbed Ivan and asked him.
"Well."
“We have to catch him now.”
As Ivan answered dryly, Amelia hurried her steps, as if she were going to catch the black-haired man disguised as a knight at any moment.
“What if we get caught in the middle of the hallway?”
What would you say to a knight who was leaving after finishing his work? Ivan's question hit the nail on the head.
"But..."
Amelia looked up at Ivan again with tears in her eyes and muttered.
“Forget everything else.”
Ivan's large hand gently cupped Amelia's right jaw.
“This night is all we have left.”
And then slowly lowered his head.
Amelia smiled faintly as she thought about that. Ever since Ivan died in the fire, she had thought about that every moment. That was why she couldn't cry properly. It was funny that she was crying in memory of someone she had killed. To Ivan, it would be like crocodile tears.
“...”
She should have just accepted that this was her fate from the beginning. If she had, she would have just suffered and died in pain.
Amelia bit her lower lip hard, then relaxed it. She got up and approached the man kneeling on the floor. He didn’t even flinch when Amelia touched the cloth covering his face. He was just as engrossed in learned helplessness as Amelia.
“They are both in a pitiful situation.”
Just as she was about to remove the cloth covering her head, the knight's hand, still not leaving his seat, grabbed Amelia's wrist.
"Why?"
Amelia's voice was filled with doubt. The knight, whose face was covered by a helmet, completely removed Amelia's hand from the cloth and lifted the helmet on his head. Amelia, who did not understand the knight's sudden action, just blinked blankly.
“...”
The knight's face slowly revealed itself, starting from his sharp jaw. The dim light touched his face, leaving shadows on each curve, like the bridge of his high nose.
“...Ivan?”
And at last, when the helmet was completely removed, his golden hair, as brilliant as the sun, sparkled in the light. Even under the dim light of a few candles, it looked that way.
“Ivan?”
Am I going crazy and seeing things?
Amelia called his name with a trembling voice and took a step forward. She reached out to Ivan's face from a distance where their bodies could be pressed together.
"That's right."
The moment her hand touched his warm face, Ivan opened his lips and answered.
“You were alive, you were alive….”
Amelia's hands began to tremble before she could finish her sentence. Ivan quietly held the hand that was trembling endlessly on his face. As he held her hand tightly, a wave of relief came over her.
He didn't die. He was alive.
Except for the day when Louis accused her of killing Ivan, she couldn't cry freely. She deliberately suppressed her emotions and suppressed her feelings.
Don't cry, you're not worthy.
“I thought he was dead...”
But you're still alive and well. I didn't kill you.
The moment she realized that fact, a tidal wave of pain and joy came crashing down on her. Her face contorted helplessly, and tears flowed out.
“I'm not dead. I'm here.”
Ivan pressed his forehead against Amelia's and whispered softly, as if trying to share his body heat with her and help her find comfort, while still holding her trembling body in his arms and comforting her.
“Thank goodness. I’m really thankful...”
Amelia cried and laughed as she touched Ivan's face with both hands. Even though her vision was blurred by the tears that kept coming down, and she couldn't see his face clearly, she felt incredibly relieved to see his presence right before her eyes.
“Hey, why are you here?”
But the relief was fleeting. Amelia's face turned pale in an instant.
“If they find out you’re here, you’ll really die.”
If Ivan's existence were discovered, Aaron would not leave Ivan alone. Even if Ivan had already entered eternal rest, he was the one who would dig up the corpse from the grave and play with it.
“Run away quickly.”
Amelia's body was shaking like an aspen tree as she assumed the worst.
“If you die, you can’t die. Yes?”
“I told you to go together.”
“I can’t go. I, I can’t go.”
Amelia grabbed Ivan's arms and shook her head.
“If I run away, everyone will chase me.”
“...”
“Aaron will find me no matter what, and he will kill you.”
No one could kill Amelia. The Priestess was the only one who could support this place. Aaron had controlled the number of people who knew the secret, so there was no one to replace her.
But Ivan was different. He was just a commoner. Even if he had quietly disappeared and died, no one would have moved with him, even if his family had cried and searched for him. That's how he died and disappeared.
“I can’t stand to see you die because of me.”
Amelia cried and shook her head. She didn't want to hear the news of Ivan's death again. She didn't want to feel like her body and mind were falling into the abyss again.
“Then are you going to sleep with that guy?”
Suddenly, a cold voice pierced her ears. Amelia, who was unable to think properly due to being overwhelmed by terrible fear and intense excitement, stopped dead in her tracks.
“...”
Amelia slowly raised her head. Her vision was still blurry, so she couldn't see Ivan's expression clearly.
“For your sake, I asked if you would spend the night with that man, Amelia Escliffe.”
Ivan reached out and wiped Amelia's eyes with his thumb without hesitation. After a couple of times, her vision cleared up. Only then did she see Ivan staring at her with an expressionless face and the man with the sack over his head, flinching.
"That..."
Amelia hesitated to answer. Until she thought Ivan was dead, she thought it didn't matter who it was, and she didn't care what happened to her. But after she found out he was alive, it was different.
Suddenly, the man's shoulders visibly shook, as if he sensed Ivan's cold gaze returning to him.
"I am..."
In fact, if there was a man whom she would allow to be, it would have been Ivan. Every time she thought of Ivan's death, every time she thought of her belated feelings, she had that wish.
“I heard that you died.”
“...”
“I can’t do it twice.”
But she didn't want to experience the guilt and loss of killing someone again. Amelia lowered her head. Her forehead touched Ivan's firm chest.
“What do you want to do?”
Ivan suddenly asked in an irritated voice. Amelia's answer was not satisfactory to him, who had risked his life here just to keep his promise to take her out.
“I won’t ask you to run away with me like last time. Just pretend that wish never happened.”
Ivan let out a short laugh, as if he found it ridiculous.
"Just."
“...”
“Just give me this night.”
But the very next moment, Amelia asked him for another wish. A faint surprise flashed through Ivan's jewel-like eyes.
“Just for this night, I won’t be held in someone else’s arms.”
At least for the first time. That was Amelia's only wish at the moment. She couldn't put Ivan in danger of death, but she couldn't give up on him completely.
“Is that all you want?”
"Yes."
Ivan asked. Amelia smiled, lifting the corners of her lips, hoping that her face would look natural now.
“...”
A stubborn face with a forced smile. Ivan stared blankly at Amelia's face and let out a low sigh.
"Good."
And he answered. It was an answer that surprised Amelia with its coolness.
“But, having an audience isn’t my style.”
Ivan took the cloth from the head of the man who was still kneeling beside him, and when he was still unable to open his eyes from the sudden light, he placed the helmet he had been holding over his head.
“Take off the clothes you are wearing.”
And he spoke in a threatening voice that did not sound kind at all. The black-haired man trembled and untied the string that held his shirt open at the chest, and took off his clothes. Then Ivan also took off his armor and the clothes he was wearing underneath.
“...!”
Amelia, surprised, quickly turned her back on him. Ivan laughed out loud as if he found that funny. It was Amelia who had asked him out for the night, so it was funny that she was surprised by something like taking off his shirt.
“Just go outside.”
“Ah, if it’s outside, where...”
“If you have a head, don’t you know it’s not in here?”
Ivan replied indifferently. It was quite different from his attitude when answering Amelia.
“Go out the west gate.”
Ivan gave a cold order. As if he were giving an order from a ruler, his expression was so arrogant that Amelia flinched. The man dressed as Ivan nodded several times and hurriedly left the bedroom.
“...”
The door closed, leaving Ivan and Amelia alone. Amelia didn't know what to do with herself as Ivan stared at her intently, and she just twitched her clenched fist.
"Wait for a sec."
"Why?"
Amelia, who had been avoiding Ivan's gaze by lowering her head, suddenly raised her head.
“If that man goes out dressed as a knight, how will you go out later?”
And she grabbed Ivan and asked him.
"Well."
“We have to catch him now.”
As Ivan answered dryly, Amelia hurried her steps, as if she were going to catch the black-haired man disguised as a knight at any moment.
“What if we get caught in the middle of the hallway?”
What would you say to a knight who was leaving after finishing his work? Ivan's question hit the nail on the head.
"But..."
Amelia looked up at Ivan again with tears in her eyes and muttered.
“Forget everything else.”
Ivan's large hand gently cupped Amelia's right jaw.
“This night is all we have left.”
And then slowly lowered his head.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment