Chapter 76

Click, clack! Rattle!

The sealed box shook violently on its own. I tensed, unsure of what might burst out of it, but deep down I couldn’t help but hope. Maybe, just maybe, a letter would be inside.

But when the box finally opened, all that came out was a short staff, no longer than my forearm.

I handed it to Keith.

“This was Grandmother’s. It must be something valuable, right? They even called it an heirloom.”

“You’re giving it to me? It’s an heirloom.”

“It’s theirs, not mine. It’s useless to me.”

If Keith could put it to good use, that was better. He was an exceptional mage.

And this was the very staff Grace had been desperate to possess—the one that had led to Keith’s father’s death. I wanted him to hold it when he finally took revenge.

“If Grace finds out you have that, she’ll lose her mind.”

I could vividly imagine her beautiful face twisting in rage. Laila was right. Just picturing it felt satisfying.

After obtaining ‘Ramsa’ and the Seymour heirloom, we decided to rest for a day in a village.

Days of constant camping had left me exhausted, and we had to pass through several towns and villages anyway to reach the northern bank of the Mariv River from the Kelligria Plains.

I finally got to bathe in warm water again and eat freshly cooked meals. During the camping, I’d been surviving on powdery, bland soup, dried jerky, and hard bread. Eating despite having no appetite had been the hardest part. Sleeping in a soft bed again was pure bliss.

But perhaps I had relaxed too much, because the next morning I was burning with a high fever. It was simply from overexertion.

“No matter how much your stamina improved, there’s no escaping exhaustion. Honestly, it’s surprising you didn’t collapse sooner,”

Enoch said, sounding like he was scolding Laila. Keith joined in.

“Not everyone’s like you, Laila.”

“I’ll admit she endured well,”

Laila replied calmly, accepting their criticisms.

I tried to speak up to defend her, but all that came out was a weak groan. Laila, sitting on the edge of my bed, noticed and met my gaze.

“I’m sorry… We need to leave quickly…”

“Don’t worry. I expected you’d collapse.”

Her cool palm rested against my forehead. Thin fingers, rough skin… yet her touch was oddly gentle. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and nuzzled against her hand. She froze for a moment, then brushed back my sweat-soaked hair.

“I’ll go to the Mariv River alone.”

“What? At least take me with you.”

“Unless we teleport straight there, you’d only slow me down.”

“That’s harsh…”

“It’s the truth. I’m the fastest. I don’t even need a horse. With Ted’s help, I can go there and back in a few days.”

We all knew how incredible Laila was. Enoch added,

“Take the earring. Contact us at least once a day, no matter what.”

“You’re expecting me to call you too?”

“If you want to.”

“I’ll be moving nonstop, day and night. I can’t say what I’ll be doing when. But I’ll check in once a day. Only call if it’s absolutely necessary.”

I hated the idea of sending Laila off alone. If she would just wait half a day, I was sure I’d recover quickly. I grabbed her sleeve and looked up at her. I’d only just begun to feel like I was pulling my own weight, maybe half a person’s worth. Being sick now felt like I was dragging everyone down.

Laila gently pried my hand off her sleeve.

“You’re doing well, Florence.”

“…Laila…”

“You’re pulling more than your weight. Use this time to recover fully. Got it?”

“…Okay…”

Her voice drifted in and out of my fevered haze. My vision blurred and my body felt weightless, as if submerged in water.

“…The emotional shock, too…”

“What about the Seymour Marquis?”

“He’s quiet. At least on the surface. He’s probably boiling with rage after losing the heirloom. Maybe he’s already told Linus about our last known whereabouts. With the bounty on us…”

“…To kill Grace… at that time…”

“Why the hell is that guy so quiet?”

“He’s waiting for something. Probably for her.”

“God, eternal love, huh…”

When she had briefly returned, that woman had said something to Linus, had left him something. He was waiting for it. With that kind of obsessive love, he probably believed he could wait a thousand, even ten thousand years for the sake of the one he loved—even if he didn’t know what exactly he was waiting for.

Even in my fever, I sneered at such a desperate kind of love.

“…Mari… please be well…”

“The letters… it’s getting irritating…”

“She’s not far from here.”

Mari.

The voices faded. Maybe they wanted me to fall asleep. But I wished I could hear more of their voices.

I didn’t know how much time had passed.

I felt like I had slept forever, but my head was clear now. My body felt sticky from sweat, but my vision was sharp and my breathing was easy.

It hadn’t just been fatigue. Swallowing that filthy water full of who knows what had made me worse.

I slowly sat up.

When I had fallen asleep, I had been at an inn near the Kelligria Plains. My room had been on the second floor, with a cozy bed thanks to the extra money Enoch had paid. But the place I woke up in wasn’t that room. This was the first floor of a house, more like a private home than an inn.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

The door creaked open. I stared blankly.

“…Am I still dreaming…?”

“What are you saying? Let me check you. Do you still have a fever?”

It was Mari.

She hurried toward me and set the tray she was carrying on the bedside table. She placed her warm palm against my forehead—her only hand.

“Thank goodness. Your fever’s gone.”

“Mari…”

“How’s your appetite? I brought you some soup. Can you eat? Honestly, Keith just barged in so suddenly I couldn’t prepare properly. Was the bed comfortable? Oh, right, should I help you wash up? Or would you prefer a bath…?”

“Mari.”

I kept saying her name like I didn’t know any other words.

I held her left hand. She still had the wooden prosthetic arm—they were still working on the finished version. I held the short, warm wood and lowered my head.

What if Jang Hyunji took over my body again? What if she hurt Mari? I shouldn’t even know where Mari was. Why was I here? Why had Keith and Enoch brought me here? Could I look at her? Should I? Should I keep my distance before it was too late?

As if reading my thoughts, Mari said,

“I threw a huge fit. I said I wouldn’t get the prosthetic fitted unless I got to see you at least once.”

“…You shouldn’t have…”

“But I wanted to see you. You never replied to my letters. Neither Keith nor Enoch ever visited. I didn’t know if you were okay, if you were eating well. No one told me anything. People can die anytime—how could they just expect me to wait? That’s not fair. You could die tomorrow, I could die tomorrow.”

“You won’t die.”

“…It doesn’t mean much if I’m the only one okay…”

“…”

“Florence, didn’t you want to see me?”

“…Of course I did…”

“What?”

“Of course I wanted to see you…”

We looked at each other and smiled. Mari smiled brightly.

I immediately noticed how much she had grown since I last saw her. Like Keith had said, she had been eating well—she looked healthier. Her hair was clean and shiny, her eyes sparkled. She had been living without worry. I was so relieved.

Trusting Enoch to take care of Mari had been the right choice.

Even so, I was afraid to touch her. I didn’t know when I might lose control. Unlike Laila, Enoch, or Keith, Mari couldn’t fight Jang Hyunji.

Mari said,

“They said as long as you’re stable and healthy, your soul won’t get pushed out. That man—one of Laila’s subordinates—told me not to worry.”

I opened my arms, and Mari shyly hugged me. I held her tightly.

“I missed you, Mari.”

I really did. I truly missed you.

Her warm body pressed against my heart. Mari laughed softly.

“Me too.”