The knight was still sobbing, seemingly unsure of his choice. But when Julian and I acted as if we were about to leave, he finally confessed his name.
“This is Brand Hilt.”
"Very well, Sir Hilt. What I'm going to ask you to do isn't that difficult. Just tell me the truth, except for a few things."
“Wh, what are you talking about?”
I extended my finger and pointed beyond the demon's corpse.
“I wasn’t the one who killed those knights.”
At my fingertips lay the mangled corpses of knights. They had clearly been killed by my arrows, but they were kicked and chewed by the excited demons, making them utterly inhuman.
The only ones who knew the truth were I, Prince Cain, and Knight Hilt.
"And while it's true I possessed a rare magic stone, I didn't intentionally provoke the demons. I rushed in to help Prince Cain, who was attacking the demons, and things went wrong. Do you understand?"
"...All right."
"Good."
I nodded and tapped Julian's arm with my finger.
“Go, Julian.”
Julian moved his horse without even looking back at Hilt. Only then did I lean comfortably against Julian's chest. The cold sweat on my forehead and neck told me the wound was serious.
As my breathing began to become increasingly labored, Julian gently but urgently squeezed my hand.
“Layla.”
"It's okay."
“...I lost too much blood.”
Droplets of blood were dripping from the horse's back as it galloped. The flow of blood from both legs became increasingly dull. My vision was also gradually blurring.
“Layla, wake up.”
Julian drove a little faster, but I felt him hold me tighter, worried that my body would sway.
Perhaps it was the excruciating pain. I even felt like this moment wasn't so bad. I rubbed my forehead against his chest and spoke.
“Julian, I was hurt by a demon even when I was young.”
"Yes."
Julian didn't seem to be listening to me. He seemed to only care about the fact that I was speaking. It felt like he was responding to me to keep me talking, to keep me occupied.
“It was okay back then, too. So don’t worry.”
As I said that, I felt myself fading away. I felt like I couldn't stay sane any longer. At that moment, Julian whispered through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t believe you.”
Those were such painful words. I closed my eyes with a bitter smile. Despite the pain, I wasn't afraid of falling from my horse. In fact, I felt like closing my eyes like that would be okay.
Julian is...
Julian protects me even if he doesn't trust me.
I was completely lost in my selfish thoughts.
“What are you doing here?”
I awoke with a thud at the sound of a woman's voice, a voice I'd never heard before. Standing before me was a beautiful, red-haired woman. She wore a purple evening dress, and even a cursory glance revealed a luxurious texture. Her somewhat tired expression was almost pathetic, a beauty that made me feel a bit sad.
Where have I seen that woman before... Ah!
It was that woman. The woman I often saw crying in my fantasies!
I sat up in surprise, but it didn't seem to be my will.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
And the words that came out of my mouth weren't my own will. I was startled and wanted to cover my mouth, but my body wouldn't move as I wanted it to. I quickly got off the bed I was lying on and busied myself with straightening my disheveled hair and clothes.
Is this a fantasy or a dream?
Either way, it was clear that it wasn't real.
“This is his bedroom. Why were you sleeping here?”
I was flustered and didn't know what to do.
“Blood, I’m tired, stop...”
“Do you think that makes sense? I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but you can’t possibly be him...”
Just as the woman was about to lash out at me, the door opened and someone stepped in. He was so tall that the door felt small. But what stood out most was his dark hair, like the night sky, and blood-red eyes.
The woman's face brightened noticeably. The sorrowful beauty smiled brightly, and she couldn't have been more beautiful.
“Your Highness, are you here?”
The sharp look she had shown just moments ago was nowhere to be found. Only a hint of affection for the man was visible.
What was even more difficult was the way my heart raced the moment I saw him. My face flushed, and I couldn't even look him in the eye. I could clearly see what kind of feelings I harbored for him.
That handsome man seemed to be infinitely loved by the two women present.
But the man seemed completely uninterested in such things. He simply glanced around with a tired expression and spoke nervously.
“Why are you here?”
“I have something to say...”
“I’ll hear from you later.”
Then the woman's face turned desperate. She approached the man and called out to him.
“But Isaac.”
Isaac? I couldn't help but be surprised once again. The name I saw in my vision was also 'Isaac Duchzan.' A man called 'Isaac' who was called 'Your Highness.' Was this a coincidence?
The situation didn't allow me to sort out my confused emotions. The woman clung to Isaac's arm.
“Listen to me...”
"Get out!"
But Isaac screamed loudly and swung his arms. The woman, thrown aside, ran out of the room in tears.
I approached Isaac and took off his outer garment. Isaac didn't refuse my touch.
“Your Highness, please don’t be so angry.”
Isaac groaned in pain, his hand on his forehead. Then he placed his hand on my shoulder and tapped it twice.
“Still, I think things will work out thanks to you.”
“It’s all for Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
“Thank you.”
Isaac sat down on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He looked extremely tired.
“I’m thinking of divorcing my wife soon.”
“Just think about Your Highness’s feelings.”
"I" spoke with a deeply worried voice. But I could feel it. The passionate happiness I was feeling at that moment.
In the glass display case visible over Isaac's shoulder, I saw myself reflected. For a maid, she was a remarkably beautiful blonde.
As I raised my head, my green eyes met hers through the display case. With a gentle, angelic expression, she carefully placed her hand on Isaac's shoulder.
“You didn’t love me knowing that I was a witch.”
I opened my eyes. I stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering if this was another dream or an illusion. Then, a familiar face rushed over.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, are you alright? Are you awake?”
It was Nife. Apparently, this time it was real. I smiled weakly and nodded. My legs still hurt, and my head was pounding from the strange dream, but compared to the accident I'd been in, this was fine.
“His Highness?”
At my question, Nife clenched her fists as if she had been waiting for it and shouted.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is very angry!”
My face darkened instantly at those words. I guess so.
'I didn't believe you.'
Now that he's said that, I'm sure I'm not normal. I bit my lower lip, clutching the blanket.
Then Nife said.
“His Highness the Grand Duke has questioned His Highness the Second Prince about this matter, and has said that if he does not tell the truth about what happened, the Grand Duke of Duchzan will not remain silent!”
"What?"
I jerked upright. Julian was involved in this? I thought he'd at best be protecting me. He was a responsible man, so he wouldn't abandon me, I thought, selfishly.
But Nife was saying something completely different.
"You have no idea how chaotic it is. Word of the demon's appearance has even halted the hunting competition. His Majesty the Emperor, saying he needs time to think, has taken His Highness the Second Prince into the barracks and is not coming out. His Highness the Grand Duke is still standing before him..."
“How long have I been asleep?”
This time Anna answered.
“About half a day. His Highness was very worried.”
“For so long...”
If that's the case, then Julian must have been standing in front of the Emperor's barracks for six hours. Unable to conceal my embarrassment, I ran a hand through my hair. Curly golden hair flashed before my eyes.
Then, the blonde maid I'd seen in my dream came to mind. And those green eyes that couldn't hide their love for Isaac.
There were plenty of people with blonde hair and green eyes. It wasn't anything particularly special. But it bothered me that the woman I'd become in my dream had those characteristics.
'But still, the faces are different... Let's forget about it.'
Rather, I had to hurry to the barracks where Julian was standing. That was my responsibility, not Julian's. As I lowered my legs under the bed, pain flashed before my eyes.
“Ugh!”
“Madam! You need to rest more!”
"That's right, Your Highness. You still need some rest. The Grand Duke said he would find out what happened. Yes?"
“No. I have to go.”
I gritted my teeth. But once I felt the pain, I got a feel for how hard I should move.
“Bring me a wheelchair.”
“Huh? I told you you need to rest!”
Nife stamped her feet, but Anna, as if she'd expected this, brought out the wheelchair she'd hidden in a corner. I smiled faintly at Anna. Anna sighed deeply and wrapped a long coat around me.
“You really have to go out, right?”
She finally asked, but seeing my determined gaze, she seemed to have no choice but to give up. Anna helped me into the wheelchair.
As I stepped outside the barracks, I saw a sky full of stars. It was a night filled with lies, a stark contrast to the beautiful sky.
“This is Brand Hilt.”
"Very well, Sir Hilt. What I'm going to ask you to do isn't that difficult. Just tell me the truth, except for a few things."
“Wh, what are you talking about?”
I extended my finger and pointed beyond the demon's corpse.
“I wasn’t the one who killed those knights.”
At my fingertips lay the mangled corpses of knights. They had clearly been killed by my arrows, but they were kicked and chewed by the excited demons, making them utterly inhuman.
The only ones who knew the truth were I, Prince Cain, and Knight Hilt.
"And while it's true I possessed a rare magic stone, I didn't intentionally provoke the demons. I rushed in to help Prince Cain, who was attacking the demons, and things went wrong. Do you understand?"
"...All right."
"Good."
I nodded and tapped Julian's arm with my finger.
“Go, Julian.”
Julian moved his horse without even looking back at Hilt. Only then did I lean comfortably against Julian's chest. The cold sweat on my forehead and neck told me the wound was serious.
As my breathing began to become increasingly labored, Julian gently but urgently squeezed my hand.
“Layla.”
"It's okay."
“...I lost too much blood.”
Droplets of blood were dripping from the horse's back as it galloped. The flow of blood from both legs became increasingly dull. My vision was also gradually blurring.
“Layla, wake up.”
Julian drove a little faster, but I felt him hold me tighter, worried that my body would sway.
Perhaps it was the excruciating pain. I even felt like this moment wasn't so bad. I rubbed my forehead against his chest and spoke.
“Julian, I was hurt by a demon even when I was young.”
"Yes."
Julian didn't seem to be listening to me. He seemed to only care about the fact that I was speaking. It felt like he was responding to me to keep me talking, to keep me occupied.
“It was okay back then, too. So don’t worry.”
As I said that, I felt myself fading away. I felt like I couldn't stay sane any longer. At that moment, Julian whispered through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t believe you.”
Those were such painful words. I closed my eyes with a bitter smile. Despite the pain, I wasn't afraid of falling from my horse. In fact, I felt like closing my eyes like that would be okay.
Julian is...
Julian protects me even if he doesn't trust me.
I was completely lost in my selfish thoughts.
***
“What are you doing here?”
I awoke with a thud at the sound of a woman's voice, a voice I'd never heard before. Standing before me was a beautiful, red-haired woman. She wore a purple evening dress, and even a cursory glance revealed a luxurious texture. Her somewhat tired expression was almost pathetic, a beauty that made me feel a bit sad.
Where have I seen that woman before... Ah!
It was that woman. The woman I often saw crying in my fantasies!
I sat up in surprise, but it didn't seem to be my will.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.”
And the words that came out of my mouth weren't my own will. I was startled and wanted to cover my mouth, but my body wouldn't move as I wanted it to. I quickly got off the bed I was lying on and busied myself with straightening my disheveled hair and clothes.
Is this a fantasy or a dream?
Either way, it was clear that it wasn't real.
“This is his bedroom. Why were you sleeping here?”
I was flustered and didn't know what to do.
“Blood, I’m tired, stop...”
“Do you think that makes sense? I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but you can’t possibly be him...”
Just as the woman was about to lash out at me, the door opened and someone stepped in. He was so tall that the door felt small. But what stood out most was his dark hair, like the night sky, and blood-red eyes.
The woman's face brightened noticeably. The sorrowful beauty smiled brightly, and she couldn't have been more beautiful.
“Your Highness, are you here?”
The sharp look she had shown just moments ago was nowhere to be found. Only a hint of affection for the man was visible.
What was even more difficult was the way my heart raced the moment I saw him. My face flushed, and I couldn't even look him in the eye. I could clearly see what kind of feelings I harbored for him.
That handsome man seemed to be infinitely loved by the two women present.
But the man seemed completely uninterested in such things. He simply glanced around with a tired expression and spoke nervously.
“Why are you here?”
“I have something to say...”
“I’ll hear from you later.”
Then the woman's face turned desperate. She approached the man and called out to him.
“But Isaac.”
Isaac? I couldn't help but be surprised once again. The name I saw in my vision was also 'Isaac Duchzan.' A man called 'Isaac' who was called 'Your Highness.' Was this a coincidence?
The situation didn't allow me to sort out my confused emotions. The woman clung to Isaac's arm.
“Listen to me...”
"Get out!"
But Isaac screamed loudly and swung his arms. The woman, thrown aside, ran out of the room in tears.
I approached Isaac and took off his outer garment. Isaac didn't refuse my touch.
“Your Highness, please don’t be so angry.”
Isaac groaned in pain, his hand on his forehead. Then he placed his hand on my shoulder and tapped it twice.
“Still, I think things will work out thanks to you.”
“It’s all for Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
“Thank you.”
Isaac sat down on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He looked extremely tired.
“I’m thinking of divorcing my wife soon.”
“Just think about Your Highness’s feelings.”
"I" spoke with a deeply worried voice. But I could feel it. The passionate happiness I was feeling at that moment.
In the glass display case visible over Isaac's shoulder, I saw myself reflected. For a maid, she was a remarkably beautiful blonde.
As I raised my head, my green eyes met hers through the display case. With a gentle, angelic expression, she carefully placed her hand on Isaac's shoulder.
“You didn’t love me knowing that I was a witch.”
***
I opened my eyes. I stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering if this was another dream or an illusion. Then, a familiar face rushed over.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, the Grand Duchess, are you alright? Are you awake?”
It was Nife. Apparently, this time it was real. I smiled weakly and nodded. My legs still hurt, and my head was pounding from the strange dream, but compared to the accident I'd been in, this was fine.
“His Highness?”
At my question, Nife clenched her fists as if she had been waiting for it and shouted.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is very angry!”
My face darkened instantly at those words. I guess so.
'I didn't believe you.'
Now that he's said that, I'm sure I'm not normal. I bit my lower lip, clutching the blanket.
Then Nife said.
“His Highness the Grand Duke has questioned His Highness the Second Prince about this matter, and has said that if he does not tell the truth about what happened, the Grand Duke of Duchzan will not remain silent!”
"What?"
I jerked upright. Julian was involved in this? I thought he'd at best be protecting me. He was a responsible man, so he wouldn't abandon me, I thought, selfishly.
But Nife was saying something completely different.
"You have no idea how chaotic it is. Word of the demon's appearance has even halted the hunting competition. His Majesty the Emperor, saying he needs time to think, has taken His Highness the Second Prince into the barracks and is not coming out. His Highness the Grand Duke is still standing before him..."
“How long have I been asleep?”
This time Anna answered.
“About half a day. His Highness was very worried.”
“For so long...”
If that's the case, then Julian must have been standing in front of the Emperor's barracks for six hours. Unable to conceal my embarrassment, I ran a hand through my hair. Curly golden hair flashed before my eyes.
Then, the blonde maid I'd seen in my dream came to mind. And those green eyes that couldn't hide their love for Isaac.
There were plenty of people with blonde hair and green eyes. It wasn't anything particularly special. But it bothered me that the woman I'd become in my dream had those characteristics.
'But still, the faces are different... Let's forget about it.'
Rather, I had to hurry to the barracks where Julian was standing. That was my responsibility, not Julian's. As I lowered my legs under the bed, pain flashed before my eyes.
“Ugh!”
“Madam! You need to rest more!”
"That's right, Your Highness. You still need some rest. The Grand Duke said he would find out what happened. Yes?"
“No. I have to go.”
I gritted my teeth. But once I felt the pain, I got a feel for how hard I should move.
“Bring me a wheelchair.”
“Huh? I told you you need to rest!”
Nife stamped her feet, but Anna, as if she'd expected this, brought out the wheelchair she'd hidden in a corner. I smiled faintly at Anna. Anna sighed deeply and wrapped a long coat around me.
“You really have to go out, right?”
She finally asked, but seeing my determined gaze, she seemed to have no choice but to give up. Anna helped me into the wheelchair.
As I stepped outside the barracks, I saw a sky full of stars. It was a night filled with lies, a stark contrast to the beautiful sky.
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