Chapter 33

 

Vivian couldn't react at all to Kylo's words.

 

She didn't want to believe him.

 

Kylo had always approached her with cold words that scratched at her pride.

 

His image—mocking her for being weak, saying he enjoyed seeing her suffer—remained vivid in Vivian's mind.

 

Kylo spoke calmly as if reading the confusion on her face.

 

"If you don't want to believe me, then don't."

 

But in truth, Kylo's thoughts and what Vivian actually thought were completely opposite.

 

A realization was slowly seeping into a corner of Vivian's heart.

 

She just didn't want to believe it, but now the meaning of his actions so far began to look different.

 

He appeared at every moment she wanted to die, provoking her and strangely instilling making her calm.

 

The moment he saved her by forcing his fingers down her throat when she had ingested poison.

 

Eating her food beforehand, showing up during lessons to watch over her all day, even what happened today...

 

All the actions he continued to do while hovering around her pointed in one single direction.

 

She hadn't noticed the meaning because she was overwhelmed by emotions.

 

No, perhaps she had pretended not to know and ignored it.

 

Whatever it was, that heavy truth was too overwhelming to accept all at once.

 

When everyone wished for her death, only the eldest son of the enemy family—the one she should hate the most—was trying to protect her.

 

Even the moments when he seemed to torment her—thinking that it was ultimately for her—brought a surge of complicated emotions.

 

Even so, she couldn't ask questions like "Why?"

 

Because Kylo Allen said he didn't know either.

 

Vivian could vaguely understand that Kylo was as confused as she was feeling now.

 

Seeing the changes in her expression, Kylo seemed to realize that she was starting to believe him.

 

His curt demeanor of "If you don't want to believe me, then don't" disappeared, and instead, he scratched his head awkwardly.

 

Perhaps he was uncomfortable with his true feelings being revealed so easily.

 

"Is that enough?" Kylo added, trailing off. "If your curiosity is satisfied, go find the others. They'll mistakenly be happy thinking you're dead."

 

"…"

 

At his words, Vivian staggered as she stood up.

 

She needed time to calmly accept all this for now. To properly understand the sincerity he had revealed, it seemed better to put some distance between them.

 

Returning to reality, she realized that Kylo's body was severely injured.

 

An urgency to quickly bring Scholar Crellin filled a corner of Vivian's mind.

 

Her ankle hurt, so she had to hop on one foot, but unlike when she was in the castle, now she could take her time walking.

 

As Vivian was about to leave, Kylo grabbed her once more.

 

"Vivian."

 

They were never close enough to call each other by their first names.

 

But now, having revealed his feelings, Kylo didn't seem to care about such formalities.

 

When she turned back, he spoke with a serious gaze.

 

"About that promise from before… I meant it, to some extent."

 

"…Promise?"

 

"When I asked if you'd stop crying if I saved you."

 

Kylo's words were unexpected, but the usual playfulness was nowhere to be found on his face.

 

"Here I am like this… If you're always crying alone, it drains all my energy."

 

"…"

 

Vivian looked again at Kylo's condition as he said that.

 

Perhaps because she had stepped back a bit, the severity became apparent at a glance.

 

A broken leg. Shoulders and back stained crimson.

 

The sacrifices he made to protect her were now more clearly visible.

 

"…"

 

Seeing it that way, Vivian also felt humiliated.

 

Until just recently, she couldn't handle her situation and cried first, but Kylo Allen, who protected her at every moment, had his body damaged so much.

 

‘How long are you going to keep crying like that?’

 

It felt like she could even hear the words Kylo had said to her in the past.

 

Since then, it seemed he didn't want to see her crying in front of him.

 

"So hold back your tears. Got it?"

 

Somewhere between annoyance and a plea, Kylo asked.

 

Vivian knew she had to accept his words, but in the end, she turned away without answering.

 

As expected, she still needed time.

 

****

 

Three days passed since then.

 

The place where the fire broke out in the castle was the west wing.

 

I am now in the east wing.

 

Today again, Scholar Crellin entered my hospital room, carefully unwrapping the bandages as he examined my burns.

 

The pain was getting worse with each passing day—more than the first day, and even more the next.

 

He applied herbs carefully with practiced hands as he spoke.

 

"To survive with such burns from the fire… you are truly fortunate."

 

I furrowed my brows slightly in pain as I replied.

 

"Rather than luck… we Northerners are tough, you know. Unlike Southerners."

 

At those words, Scholar Crellin nodded and smiled.

 

Then he spoke candidly.

 

"It's hard to deny that now. At just fifteen, you've shown more courage than anyone."

 

"Is it a lack of courage? Or does everyone just want Vivian to disappear?"

 

Scholar Crellin paused his movements for a moment, then spoke weakly, as if whispering his true feelings.

 

"…We don't want Lady Vivian to disappear, but we do desire a powerful lord. The future depends on it."

 

I didn't know if this was a clue that he was a traitor, or if he was just expressing regret.

 

So I replied.

 

"Then you all can help make her into a powerful lord."

 

"…"

 

Scholar Crellin only gave a bitter smile and didn't answer.

 

After applying all the herbs, he carefully rewrapped the bandages.

 

"It will hurt for a few more days. The burns are particularly severe. We'll need to apply the herbs a few more times and add additional bandages. And probably... there will be a large scar—a gruesome one from your left shoulder to your upper back."

 

"Whether a scar remains or not..."

 

I said that, but inwardly it was disappointing news. It wasn't just that I disliked having a scar; thinking about how my mother would be saddened when I returned home made it even worse.

 

Scholar Crellin then looked at my leg and said,

 

"You're taking it easy, right? As I mentioned, you mustn't strain yourself for a few months."

 

My left leg bone was broken. Fortunately, the fracture had been set to some extent, and I was told that if I took care, there would be no lasting aftereffects.

 

I nodded, but honestly, this was the most troublesome injury.

 

Especially thinking that I wouldn't be able to protect Vivian for a while.

 

"How is Vivian?"

 

When the treatment was over, I asked Scholar Crellin.

 

That ungrateful girl hadn't come to see me for three days since that day. I hadn't seen even a glimpse of her.

 

I wondered if she was eating properly.

 

"As you know, a lot of confusing things have happened, so she's busy. Shall I tell her that you're looking for her?"

 

"...No need."

 

Even so, I didn't want to be the one to seek her out first.

 

A feeling of pride held me back in a corner of my heart.

 

—Knock, knock.

 

"I'm coming in."

 

It was Vivian.

 

With those brief words, she entered the room as if she had heard me.

 

"…"

 

Seeing her face after a long time, it felt like my breath stopped for a moment, as always.

 

Scholar Crellin politely greeted Vivian.

 

After returning the greeting, Vivian asked him,

 

"Does he need more care?"

 

"No, today's treatment is finished here."

 

"Then could you please leave? I have something to discuss with Kylo Allen."

 

Scholar Crellin bowed politely and left the room.

 

As his footsteps grew distant and the door closed, a quiet silence filled the room.

 

That cold silence filled the space, making the distance between us feel even greater.

 

I didn't particularly want to break the silence, but the awkwardness bothered me, so I spoke first.

 

"Feels like a familiar situation."

 

But she didn't even respond to me, making me feel even more awkward.

 

Vivian hesitated for a moment, then pulled up a chair next to my bed and sat down.

 

Her gaze moved from my injured leg to my shoulder.

 

Her eyes held emotions that words couldn't fully express, and only after a long period did she slowly begin to speak.

 

"…I've been thinking a lot."

 

I quietly waited for her words. Her determined expression drew my attention.

 

"About your actions... saying you were protecting me."

 

I blinked briefly and replied,

 

"So?"

 

Vivian took a deep breath as if steeling herself for what she was about to say.

 

Then, her voice lowered.

 

"I... won't try to understand your actions. No matter how much I think about it, I don't know why you're doing this to me."

 

"…I never expected you to understand."

 

She nodded and replied in an even more resolute voice.

 

"And for that reason, I won't be grateful for your actions. Everything happened because of the Allen family. If you intend to keep protecting me from now on, I won't stop you. But don't expect gratitude. If you don't like that... you don't have to protect me."

 

I never expected gratitude. As I said, I just wanted her to stay alive.

 

Nevertheless, out of habit, I couldn't help but sneer.

 

"…If I don't, you might die soon."

 

"I know."

 

Her firm response washed over me with unexpected emotions.

 

In her stubborn gaze, I saw Vivian's determination to shake off her previous weakness.

 

"I know... but being protected by you over and over... is the greatest humiliation for me."

 

Her voice was still strong, but complex emotions flowed beneath it.

 

Vivian slightly clenched her hands.

 

"I don't want to be protected by the son of the man who killed my father and brother."

 

Frowning, she lowered her head and whispered her innermost thoughts.

 

"…The more I think about it... I hate myself for becoming grateful to you."

 

Perhaps feeling strange or frustrated, Vivian kept pressing down on her chest.

 

But her words, filled with such hostility, didn't sound unpleasant to me.

 

Rather, I felt an unprecedented strong will... I found myself drawn to her words.

 

"…I will become stronger."

 

Her voice rang powerfully as if cutting through the air.

 

Her words sounded less like a simple resolution and more like a promise to herself.

 

Her determination felt like an unspoken cry infused with emotions that had been locked away for a long time.

 

"I'll become strong enough not to need your help. With my own hands... I'll seize control of my family, and I'll rebuild this Rondor that collapsed because of you."

 

A slight chill ran up my arms.

 

What on earth had she been thinking these past three days?

 

Her tightly clenched hands showed she was still the same coward as before, but this resolve also signified her transformation.

 

She, who always cried, seemed to be finding her own footing.

 

"You said, didn't you?" she asked, looking straight at me.

 

"What?"

 

"That promise—you said you asked sincerely."

 

I nodded.

 

Vivian spoke.

 

"I swear. Never again..."

 

Her voice trembled momentarily, but strong determination soon covered it.

 

"...You will never see me cry again."

 

A faint smile spread across my lips.

 

Vivian surely knew it wasn't a sneer.

 

I asked her.

 

"And if you do cry?"

 

"…"

 

Vivian briefly contemplated before answering.

 

"I'll let you go home."

 

That one sentence told me how sincere she was.

 

"But that won't happen, Kylo Allen."

 

Leaving those words, Vivian stood up.

 

There would still be moments ahead when I needed to protect her. Just deciding to be strong didn't mean she would become strong overnight.

 

But just the fact that she had begun to take steps made me feel a warm emotion.

 

As she walked toward the door, I watched her back. Then I called out to her as she was leaving.

 

"Vivian."

 

She stopped and slightly turned her head.

 

"It's Kylo."

 

Vivian looked at me briefly and softly asked,

 

"...What?"

 

"Not 'Kylo Allen.'"

 

"…"

 

At that moment, it seemed that the stiff Vivian smiled briefly. It might have been my imagination.

 

She stood still after hearing my words and quietly replied.

 

"...See you at dinner."

 

****

 

Leaving the burnt-down west wing, Vivian's new room was on the second floor of the east wing.

 

A room situated in a place with a wide field of view, so assassins couldn't approach recklessly.

 

It was close to an exit that allowed for a quick escape from the castle, and the dining hall was nearby as well.

 

It was the easiest place to call soldiers, the most convenient to summon retainers, and even the maids' quarters were close by.

 

This was the best room in the castle.

 

A historic room of the Rondor family, where her parents once happily spent time.

 

The master bedroom of the Rondor family.

 

"…"

 

Because it was a room that brought back so many memories, she hadn't been able to come near it.

 

She had left it alone, fearing that occupying a room filled with memories of her parents would bury all those memories.

 

But now, it was time to let go of that lingering attachment.

 

To avoid collapsing under further humiliation and fear, she had to move forward.

 

She thought she had been progressing, but that was just an illusion.

 

It was Kylo Allen who had been supporting her.

 

The night was deep.

 

Vivian stood by the window, holding everything in her heart, gazing outside.

 

Unlike her previous room, which only had a view of the river, from this master bedroom she could look down upon the territory of Roctana.

 

She couldn't see the entire domain, but it was enough to continue pondering about her people.

 

And by the window, a flag of Rondor fluttered in the wind.

 

It was a sign Vivian had hung earlier that day.

 

Standing like that, Vivian closed her eyes for a moment.

 

Before long, the scent of tobacco subtly tickled Vivian's nose.

 

"…Hoo..."

 

Someone blew smoke toward her face.

 

As she slowly opened her eyes, Elena was sitting on the open window sill as if it were the most natural thing.

 

"Have you been well, Vivian?"

 

Immersed in a strange feeling, Vivian looked up at her and asked,

 

"What should I call you?"

 

"Elena is fine, or 'Master' if you prefer."

 

Elena smiled as if it were natural that she would become her teacher.

 

But Vivian couldn't refute such confidence.

 

Swallowing, Vivian asked,

 

"Tell me again, what can I do if I become a witch?"

 

Elena's eyes sparkled as she smiled.

 

"Anything. But each time, you must offer an appropriate sacrifice. For small spells, a frog will suffice."

 

"Can I find out who is targeting me?"

 

"Possible. But that's also something after you become a full-fledged witch. Didn't I tell you? To become a full-fledged witch, you must reach adulthood and offer what is most precious to you at that time."

 

"Until then?"

 

"Until then, you must prepare to become a full-fledged witch. As an apprentice witch, you can only perform simple spells. For example... you can detect poisoned food, or eavesdrop on a desired place for a short time."

 

"…"

 

Hearing about the many limitations, Vivian couldn't hide her disappointment.

 

Seeing it on her face, Elena gently placed her hands on Vivian's shoulders and spoke softly.

 

"Just endure for five or six years, Vivian."

 

"…"

 

"Then you will become an adult and can use many spells. You can place the world beneath you. You can... rebuild the Rondor family."

 

Faces of her family flashed through Vivian's mind.

 

She turned her head and recalled the memories and longing contained in every corner of the master bedroom.

 

Entering after a long time, she felt their absence even more keenly.

 

And soon after, she recalled Kylo Allen's injured figure. With that, Vivian gritted her teeth and looked up at the witch.

 

"I'll do it."

 

A slow smile spread across Elena's lips.

 

"My disciple, from now on, call me 'Master.'"

 

"Yes, Master."

 

"I trust you are prepared. Offering something precious... involves pain. And if, when the time comes, you cannot offer it, the consequences will be immense."

 

Even though Elena spoke as if she were concerned, Vivian paid no mind.

 

Having already steeled herself, she intended to move forward.

 

Someone had told her that even if you're afraid, you must act to avoid being disregarded by adults.

 

So Vivian looked straight into Elena's eyes and said,

 

"I don't want to cry anymore."

 

In that one sentence, her determination was contained.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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