ITPBDN 15

Chapter 15

“Eloise!”

Kylian shouted, trying to draw their attention back to him.

‘Please, move! Why are you so weak?!’

Eloise, her face twisted in pain, coughed up blood.

“The drug must have completely taken effect.”

“Then let’s begin.”

The man grabbed Eloise by the neck and lifted her up.

“Eloise…?”

Kylian stared at her limp body dangling in midair. Her clothes were soaked in blood, her body lifeless. He knew what that sight meant.

Death.

A dreadful premonition seized him, and Kylian screamed.

“No!”

He shouted as though breaking the chains of trauma that bound him, raising his dagger and charging forward.

“You’re such a nuisance!”

Emily flicked her hand, and Kylian’s body was hurled into the wall.

“Kylian…!”

Despair and helplessness enveloped Eloise. She tried to summon the powerful magic within her, but nothing changed.

‘No, not like this… not so meaninglessly…’

Emily lifted Eloise’s body higher.

The man smiled in excitement, a disgusting grin twisting his face.

As the pain deepened, Eloise’s vision blurred and dimmed.

“Aaah!”

Suddenly, screams tore through the air—Emily’s and the man’s. The ground itself seemed to shake. In the distance, the Archduke approached, sword dripping with blood—just like the first time Eloise had seen him.

‘Thank goodness…’

It was the same sight as before, yet this time, Eloise felt a sense of relief.

“No way!”

The man quickly conjured a wall of energy with a burst of power.

“I can’t let you die so easily.”

The Archduke’s voice rang with cold finality—a warning before the strike. His blade swung, and a sharp clang! rang out as something shattered.

“It broke so easily?!”

The man’s voice cracked with shock.

“Gah!”

The Archduke’s sword cut through them in one swift motion. Their bodies fell, blood spraying through the air.

“Eloise. Kylian.”

He gathered them both into his arms. Eloise’s blood-soaked body felt the warmth of his embrace. That warmth seeped through her, pulling her into the depths of sleep.

A hazy fog—old memories, faint as dust. A world of cars and tall buildings. Me, in a middle school uniform. It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t reality.

Ah, this must be a dream.

Far ahead, my former self was running with a bright smile. Back then, I had always lived in fear and violence. But the girl running now looked light, as if she had shed all her burdens.

“Haa… almost there.”

Breathing hard, I looked around. Cherry blossoms and dandelions were shedding petals all around. The branches were nearly bare, the dandelions turning to fluff.

Ah, late spring already.

Back then, fear ruled my days, so my eyes had always been fixed on the black asphalt beneath my feet. But now, free from fear, I could finally see a world full of light.

Pink petals rained down from above. Dandelion seeds danced through the streets like tiny fairies.

Petals brushed my skin and tickled my heart. A gentle spring breeze carried the scent of new beginnings.

I kicked off the uneven sidewalk, running once more toward someplace more beautiful than this blossom-filled street.

The dandelion seeds swirled with me. My legs felt as light as air, as though I’d become one of them. My breath was ragged, my legs trembled, but strangely—it didn’t hurt at all.

“Mom!”

With a voice clear as the blue sky, I called out for her, expecting to see her smiling face welcoming me. Soon, the heavy iron gate creaked open.

“Ah… you’re here?”

Her voice was as distant as that thick gate. Yes, she sounded that far away.

This isn’t how it was supposed to be…

This wasn’t the reunion I imagined.

“Mom?”

Her face looked startled. She was holding a baby in her arms. Behind her stood a man I didn’t recognize.

“Ah, so you’re that child.”

I knew Mom had remarried. I knew she’d built a new family, had a child with her new husband. I knew all of that.

But knowing it and seeing it were two completely different things. Only now did I understand what it truly meant.

“I just stopped by for a moment—to say hello.”

Was my voice even steady? I wasn’t sure.

“It’s okay, baby. Don’t cry.”

Startled by the unfamiliar situation, the baby began to wail. I nodded in greeting, but Mom was too busy soothing the child to notice. I stood there, watching her gently pat the baby’s back.

“I’ll get the formula!”

The man, flustered by the baby’s crying, rushed into the kitchen. Mom looked tired but peaceful, a soft smile on her face.

Ah… there’s no place for me anymore.

Only then did it truly hit me—the arms I longed for through all that hell… they no longer had room for me.

“Come in! Sorry, the house is a mess. The baby’s been fussy.”

Mom gestured for me to come inside. The man returned, holding a bottle of milk, and took the baby from her. She smiled at him.

“No, it’s fine. You look busy. I’ll come back later.”

For some reason, I couldn’t bear to look any longer. I hurriedly turned to leave.

“…Where should I go?”

I just walked aimlessly forward. Why? My legs, which had felt so light before, were now unbearably heavy.

The sun was blazing overhead—it must’ve been afternoon. Tears welled up and spilled down my face. People were staring, but I had nowhere to hide.

“My legs hurt.”

I didn’t know how long I walked. My legs ached, sweat dripped down, and the harsh sunlight beat down on me mercilessly. Exhausted, my mind began to drift back to the place I’d run away from.

“I’m sorry…”

The words I had said most often in my life slipped out again.

“Please… don’t hurt me, Dad.”

I kept walking, without direction.

“Please…”

My voice faded, unsure who it was meant for.

“It’s too hard now…”

I remembered the TV psychiatrist telling people to “hold on to hope.”
I remembered smiling in my mother’s arms.

And I left all those moments behind as I closed my eyes.

How long had it been since then?

“…!”

I heard someone shouting. It felt like the world was reaching out to me again.

“…Eloise, wake up!”

Kylian’s voice called out to me—and I opened my eyes wide.

“Kylian?”

The air was heavy, thick with silence. A suffocating stillness filled the room where Eloise lay, motionless, as if dead.

“My lord, please—go rest for a bit.”

It had been a week since Eloise collapsed. Riena, unable to watch any longer, urged Kylian to take a break.

“I’m fine. You should go. You’ve got a meeting, right? The knights have been looking for you.”

But Kylian didn’t even glance at her. His eyes were fixed only on Eloise.

“…I’ll come right back after the meeting.”

“Alright.”

Silence fell again. The room was so still it made him uneasy. He reached out and held Eloise’s hand. Feeling the faint warmth there, he let out a small sigh of relief, his gaze tracing over her as if to measure the passage of time.

“It’s already been a week…”

The entire mansion had been thrown into chaos by the kidnapping of Kylian and Eloise. Thankfully, Riena’s quick report allowed the search to begin immediately.
Because of that, the young masters of the estate returned with only minor injuries.

Or so everyone thought.

“When will you wake up…”

Unlike Kylian, who had regained consciousness after half a day, Eloise hadn’t woken up at all. Even the Lestren family’s physician found nothing wrong.

In the end, the Archduke summoned experts from across the territory. They tried every method to heal her, but nothing worked.

“I should’ve protected you.”