As the Duke left the room, he saw his aide waiting in the hallway.

“Have you informed Marquis Diaz?”

“Yes, the Marquis’s heir said he will come in person.” ¹

“Don’t let anyone upstairs, and let me know right away when Akkad comes out.”

“Understood.”

The aide nodded and presented a hastily written report. Five knights killed and one seriously injured. The rest would be bedridden for several months.

The hand that gripped his sword tightened with simmering anger.

Compensation would be given for the sacrifices made for his family, but how could a human’s life be converted to an amount? As someone who directly lead knights himself, he couldn’t help but feel miserable every time something like this happened.

Moreover, the one who had been seriously wounded was a child whom he personally taught and could be considered his disciple.

The daughter of his close friend, the Marquis Diaz, was a weak child who could barely walk while other children her age were running around. It was even more heartbreaking, because when he’d heard that the Marquis was looking for someone with both the skills and integrity to protect the child, he’d been the one to personally recommend Allen.

 The Duke turned to the aide who had followed him.

“What’s his condition?”

“The situation is not very good.”

“Ask the priest who was summoned to the mansion to see him.”

The aide hesitated.

It was a situation where only nobles were treated because those who claimed to serve the gods were increasingly arrogant about donations. Even then, they looked at each other and asked how much they could afford.

“He’s not a noble, they won’t see him.”

“Rotten bastards. Does my family donate so little that I can’t even ask for that?”

“That’s not it … but you know it well, don’t you?”

“Give them a scare. ² They’ll have to restore him to the point where he can hold the sword again.”

The aide told the butler waiting outside to call the priest.

Duke Enoch sighed as he looked at Allen, breathing heavily with bandages all over his body.

Without this man, there was no telling what would have happened to his wife or Lavi. Of course, Akkad finished them off, but aside from everything else, that alone was worth calling a priest.

“I’ll be in the bedroom. Report to me when he wakes up.”

“What about the thing you asked to be investigated?”

“Somehow, we’ll have to clean it up.”

He’d been warned several times, but he couldn’t let go of his greed.  He also had no intention of leaving the guild that accepted the commission alone. Seeing an entire guild disappear would set an example. There was nothing better than that to show that requests should be accepted selectively.

“What about Serkin?” ³

“We’re tracking him. Do you want him taken alive?”

“It doesn’t matter if you treat him roughly. Just bring him back still breathing.”

Duke Enoch inclined his head. He wanted nothing more than to deal with it right away, but there was no telling how things would turn out with the Marquis de Diaz.

“Then … what about the Countess and Cade?”

The Duke paused and looked at his aide. Had he taken his son away in advance in case things went wrong?

 “Isn’t Cade at the mansion?”

“I found out that he hasn’t been seen since last night.”

“Catch them without exception.”

“I understand.”

The Duke recovered  himself and turned around, recalling his wife who had fallen asleep as if she’d fainted.

A faint voice reached the Duke as he was about to return to his bedroom.

“Your…Grace….”

“Have you come to your senses?”

“The young Miss is….”

“She’s safe.”

After hearing those words, the corners of Allen’s mouth lifted and his eyes closed again.

The Duke urgently approached, checked Allen’s breathing and shouted,  “Bring the priest at once! If he refuses, drag him and bring him in anyway.”

If he’d left the room a little earlier, wouldn’t it have meant big trouble? The Duke breathed a sigh of relief and waited for the priest.

* * *

Akkad knelt in front of the bed.

When he reached out and pulled back a bit of the blanket covering Lavi, he saw a bandage wrapped around her injured shoulder.

“… Lavi. I beg you.” ⁴

Hold on just a little longer, please.

Akkad held Lavi’s hand and used all of his might to control the energy, letting it flow in slowly and gently.

Silver-gray eyes continuously swept over Lavi’s face, searching for even a hint of color in her pale face. As soon as he found it, he planned to pour out all of his energy.

The hands holding hers trembled at the thought that if even a little too much energy was transferred in her current state, something could go wrong with Lavi.

Sweat beaded on the tip of his chin as he tried to regulate the unbridled energy, something he was still inexperienced with.

He didn’t know how long it had been when at last, the trembling of golden eyelashes caught his eye.

Without hesitation, Akkad unwrapped the bandage from Lavi’s shoulder. The sight of her too-thin shoulders made his brow furrow, but seeing the wound made his throat tighten and his vision blur with tears.

Akkad rose and kissed Lavi’s shoulder. His ability was most effective if he breathed energy directly onto the wound. The energy that Akkad pushed gradually increased in volume.

He felt anxious because her ragged breathing, which felt like it would be cut off at any moment, had not yet recovered.

Please, wake up. 

Only then would she be able to fully accept his energy.

“Lavi, Lavi.”

Akkad kissed Lavi, calling her name again and again. The lips that had brushed around the wound moved to Lavi’s face.

Even at that moment, he found he couldn’t kiss her, so he pressed his lips firmly to Lavi’s forehead. ⁵

* * *

Lavi was dreaming of walking for a long time in the dark without a single ray of light.

She walked and walked, feeling as if the ground would collapse underneath her as soon as she stopped. Her whole body felt hot, like it was burning. She wondered if this was better than dying from a cold, but she still thought it wasn’t right.

Her nonchalance gradually crumbled, a feeling of injustice washing over her.

 ‘I wanted to live with my rabbit-like husband for a long time, but what is this!!’ 

In the moment she’d closed her eyes, she’d thought she would humbly accept the death that was looming before her, but she wanted to live.

It wasn’t time to die yet, was it? How angry she was to be reincarnated in such a body.

Just then, she felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips and the breath she had been holding was released all at once. Her whole body shuddered at the sensation of air entering her lungs. 

Only then did she hear a voice calling her name.

“Lavi-“

As her consciousness returned, the voice calling her name again and again continued to ring in her ears. If she wanted to live, she had to seize it.

Lavi instinctively clutched at her lifeline. ⁶

Slowly, her eyelids lifted and pink hair came into view. Lavi reached out her hand, unable to tell whether it was a dream or reality. 

A little more. More. This wasn’t enough.

Lavi cupped her hands around Akkad’s cheeks and pressed her lips to his. 

At the touch of soft, full lips against hers, a surge of energy swept through her.

“Ha… Lavi.”

Who was the owner of that tearful voice? She couldn’t figure out why they were crying out in such a sad voice.

Somehow, Lavi pulled herself up, loosed the hand that was held Akkad’s cheek, and took a breath.

Akkad urgently grabbed Lavi’s hand, thinking that she shouldn’t lose his energy just yet.

“Lavi, not yet …!”

Lavi squeezed Akkad’s cheek again and lowered her head. Akkad’s body trembled, unconsciously trying to retreat, but Lavi’s hand caught him. 

Lavi’s lips whimpered, then met Akkad’s again and again.

“La, Lavi.”

“Whoo-“

Lavi pulled away slightly and looked at Akkad.

Reddened eyes, tears forming at the corners. Just a moment ago, his face was full of worry, but now he looked like he was about to die of embarrassment.

In a dazed state, Lavi just moved her hands wherever she felt like it. She reached out and brushed Akkad’s red eyes. She tilted her head, frowned slightly, and leaned closer to Akkad.

“Did you cry?”

Kissing the corners of Akkad’s eyes, Lavi stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Akkad’s neck, pulling him into a hug. It seemed she intended to hug him, but the difference in their sizes meant that Lavi was being held by Akkad.

Akkad couldn’t move and couldn’t even face Lavi, who buried her face on his shoulder.

Not long after, he heard the sound of soft, regular breathing.

Akkad opened his mouth, blinking in a daze.

“Lavi …?”

There was no answer.

Realizing that Lavi had fallen asleep, Akkad pulled Lavi off of him and laid her down on the bed. The wound on her shoulder had already disappeared without a trace, and her pale complexion had gained some color, both cheeks flushed red.

He pulled the sleeve back up that had been lowered to remove the bandage, and tucked the covers over her.

Akkad slumped down in front of the bed and looked at Lavi’s hands poking out from the blankets.

Her wrists looked even thinner today. 

Akkad gingerly grabbed Lavi’s wrist. It felt like it would break if he held it with even a little bit of force.

“Lavi.”

Akkad, who called out her name softly, bit his lip to keep from crying. Releasing his grip on her wrist, he took Lavi’s hand and let his energy slowly flow. Just a little bit, so she wouldn’t wake up.

He felt strength in their joined hands.

Her hands, which had been cold and chilled, stayed warm, and only then did he feel like he could breathe again.

Akkad blinked a couple of times and tried to get up, but couldn’t. Relief that Lavi was safe and the release of tension made his body lose strength.

Akkad buried his head against the hand healing Lavi. 

How shocked he’d been to see Lavi, lying on the ground and bleeding, when he’d arrived at the location of the carriage attack. 

He’d thought it was too late.

He was very resentful of the situation where he couldn’t immediately check on Lavi because his mother was still fighting. He quickly disposed of the remaining masked men and scooped Lavi into his arms…Watching her arms fall limply, her body temperature getting colder, and colder, he’d felt his heart plummet to the floor.

Those were feelings he never wanted to experience again.

In the midst of his self-deprecating thoughts, Lavi’s unique scent tickled the tip of his nose from their joined hands.

His body relaxed, his eyelids growing heavy.

He could feel her steady heartbeat in the hand he held, but he was afraid that if he closed his eyes, her hand would become cold again. So he tried to hold out, thinking that he didn’t want to fall asleep.

Lavi stirred, turned in his direction, and he clasped her hand tightly. 

His eyes kept closing, unable to overcome the warmth coming from a tightly held hand.

* * *

Werner, who came to the Duke’s residence after belatedly hearing the news, emerged from the carriage with a white face.

As Werner ran past the butler and into the main house, it was Duke Enoch who greeted him.

“Lavi … where is Lavi? Is she okay?”

“She’s safe. The priest visited and she’ll wake up with no injuries.”

He hadn’t heard from Akkad, so he had personally confirmed that she was safe. Of course, to explain why the wound had disappeared completely, he had to pretend that a priest was involved. It was impossible to tell Akkad to leave behind scars.

Werner sank to the floor at the news that Lavi was safe. He swept his face with a hand and clenched his teeth.

“Is the Duchess safe as well?”

Even as he asked the question, he was busy replaying Lavi’s words in his head. He’d learned enough about the misdeeds committed by the Earl of Courtney, his corruption, and illegal activities to build a tower. But as Lavi said, there was no circumstantial evidence that he was aiming for the duke. There was no contact with the vassals.

Self-mocking thoughts flooded his mind, asking if something like this could have been avoided if he’d only looked into it more seriously.

“They’re safe. Let’s talk about the rest after seeing Lavi first.”

“Yes….”

See Olivia’s face first, everything else later.

Werner struggled to get up and made his way to where Lavi was. After hearing that Lavi was asleep, Werner was careful as he opened the door.

As the Duke’s words that she was safe and unharmed had assured, Lavi looked no different from how she had when he saw her the night before. On the contrary, he even had the illusion that her complexion had improved.

Werner frowned and turned his head slightly.

Akkad was asleep on the floor next to the bed.

No matter how worried he might be, he shouldn’t be sleeping in the same room.

Werner thought about dragging Akkad out of there right away, but stopped when he saw their hands clasped tightly together.

Lavi would be so shaken up, it wouldn’t hurt for Akkad to be there when she opened her eyes.

Werner consoled himself, saying it was just this once. 

After checking Lavi’s complexion a couple more times, Werner left the room. Then he came out into the hallway and asked the waiting Duke Enoch, gritting his teeth.

“Is this the work of the Earl of Courtney?”

The Duke nodded.

“Disgraceful.”

No matter how many times he’d been warned that it wasn’t a line to be crossed, he’d ended up doing it.

If Akkad didn’t have silver-gray eyes, he wouldn’t have been chosen as successor. If the Duke’s nephew’s eye color had been silver-gray, he would have given him the position of successor.

Only those who inherited the family ability could sit in the position of heir. It was only because of that reason that he himself had been put in the position of head of the family. He never coveted it, and since he was the only one with the qualification, he just silently took over the position.

He knew that the Earl of Courtney coveted the position of heir, but couldn’t handle it properly because the Countess had helped when his wife, pregnant with Akkad at the time, was in danger.

That was the root of the problem.

“I understand why you didn’t do anything back then. But it’s a bit difficult now. Even if it’s the Duke’s younger brother, I can’t let this go.”

Werner had already taken over all authority as head of the family from his parents because of their desire to quickly hand over the position of head of the Marquis family and travel. The only reason he wasn’t yet Marquis was because of his parents’ condition that they would officially hand over the title of Marquis only after he got married.

“We’re tracking him. As soon as I secure the offender, I’ll hand him over.” 

“Thank you.”

Despite the resentful tone, the Duke nodded without any sign of displeasure.

Having been assured that the Duchess was safe, Werner quickly asked, “What happened to the knights?”

“There were no deaths among the Diaz knights.”

Werner lowered his head slightly at those words. Unsaid was that among the knights of Duke Enoch’s family, there were deaths.” 

“Sir Allen is….”

“He’s a bit injured, but he’ll be fine. There shouldn’t be any problem holding a sword.”

Werner breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t imagine how upset Lavi would be if something had happened to Allen.

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T/N: T.T this paaart. This could have been super sappy and cheesy but it felt really dreamy and sweet IMO. That said, SOB POV questions rear their head once more. Almost positive that the interlude about Lavi walking is in first person (eg: someone calling my name) but…all the more reason to hope for official translations someday, I suppose.

Also, consistent release schedule? What’s that? This is just how this is gonna go. Sometimes I’ll be dark for who knows how long, sometimes I’ll post back to back WHO KNOWS, I DON’T.

1. Hi, friends. Lemme rant about English for a second. So, a TON of these ro-fan novels take place in ‘ambiguous aristocratic era’ and have titles like Marquis/earl/duke etc. And, in Korean, there’s a super clear distinction between ‘Title’ and ‘Future Holder of Title’ (so for English/-en comparison, King is a title, Prince is a title for child of King, and Crown Prince is a title specifically for the prince who will be the future king – except -en lacks equivalents for duke/marquis/earl heir designates)  – that is,  소 (small, lesser)  is used as a prefix. So, 후작 = Marquis, Lavi’s dad. 소후작 = small/lesser/future Marquis aka Werner. Hilariously, 소 can also mean ‘cow’ and is phonetically pronounced ‘So’ so you get things like ‘Marquis So’ or ‘Marquis Cow’ in MTL, because English does not have an easy way of making this distinction with a simple prefix. It’s actually not a huge pain in this particular series but lemme tell you how much I hit my head against a wall when it came to ‘Don’t trust the heroine’ where it 소백작님 appeared 139 times in the first volume… ↩︎
2. “겁 좀 줘 버려. 그리고 다시 검을 쥘 수 있을 정도로 회복시켜야 할 거다.” Not sure, but I think it’s something like ‘threaten to cut off donations if they won’t do it’ except in a lot fewer words. ↩︎
3.  제르킨은? Given context, I  assume this is the given name of the Duke’s brother. ↩︎
4.  부탁할게 could be ‘Please’ or ‘Do me a favor’ ↩︎
5.  이 순간에도 차마 입술에는 입을 맞출 자신이 없어서, 올리비아의 이마에 입술을 꾹 내리눌렀다. Could be ‘couldn’t bear to kiss her’ ‘wasn’t confident enough to kiss her’ or something else.  ↩︎
6. Can also mean hold (as in, one’s hand) which is apt I feel like. ↩︎

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