The blue light in Shu's eyes didn't fade for a while. Kyle didn't even take a step out of the bedroom. It was only natural that no one else was allowed to enter. Like a person whose very life depended on Shu's safety, he focused solely on her. Even though he had relieved her of some of the rampant magical power, Shu could not easily regain consciousness. To make matters worse, a fever began to boil within her.
"…Shu."
Kyle carefully rubbed his lover's cheek with the back of his hand. Shu's shallow, ragged breathing made her look both precarious and distressed at the same time. It was very different from her usual righteous attitude, where she always claimed to be fine, and it made his stomach ache with worry.
'I'd rather I get sick instead.'
If he could, he would gladly take her pain, no matter how agonizing. Every time he saw her in pain, every time he realized anew that he had to watch helplessly because he couldn't alleviate her suffering, Kyle became uncontrollably resentful of everything in the world.
It was around the time when the night was at its deepest. Kyle, who was leaning against Shu's bedside and closing his eyes slightly, suddenly felt uneasy.
"…."
When he opened his eyes and looked around, the surroundings were quiet. However, something was different from usual. It felt as if someone was watching the two of them. Kyle thought so.
And, at that moment—
[□□□□□]
A message appeared before him. However, something was wrong. It was clearly a message from 'The Battle of Love,' but it didn't seem to be sent by Shu. He couldn't even read the letters properly.
Kyle's entire body stiffened. His red eyes shone sharply, as if he had encountered an unexpected danger. At that time, another message arrived.
[Interference □□□ □□□ □□ □□□□] [□□□ Gap□ □□□□ □□ □□]
His eyes became a little dizzy. Kyle stared into the air. He thought he knew who was talking to him now. This was close to an instinctive feeling.
'The System.'
The one who brought Shu here, the one who helps her return to life safely. This entity was at the center of all these phenomena. Kyle replied calmly, as if writing a message to Shu.
[Is there anything you want to tell me?]
Only Shu had been able to communicate with the system that Kyle had observed so far. However, if he remembered the message the system had sent to Kyle, it must mean that it had used some kind of shortcut or that an unexpected situation had occurred.
[I have a question I want to ask: I hope Shu's condition improves. Is there any way to help?]
As if thinking for a moment, the blue message window flickered. Eventually, a series of messages appeared that were a little broken and whose contents were not fully recognizable. Kyle strained his eyes to find what he wanted in the disappearing text, as if the system was asking him to understand its meaning.
To summarize the system's words, it was as follows: It was a good choice to relieve the upset power. If it had been 100 percent, it would have been perfect, but the power that goes against providence would destroy Shu's body. Shu's body must return to its original world. Preparations were complete.
"All the miracles I need have been filled, so I can go back at any time…"
It was a story he had heard and knew. 'Bae Bae-hyun' came to this world to reverse her predestined death, and if she fulfilled the necessary miracles, she could return to the place where she was born and raised. To do so, she needed to do something that didn't happen in the novel Heart of Winter that Shu read. With her actions in the Mage Tower, Shu had performed enough miracles.
The system blinked a little apologetically. Kyle thought it was like talking to someone who had foresight. A series of words that followed conveyed its intentions to Kyle, albeit incompletely. The boundary between reality and fantasy was blocking the two, making full communication difficult.
[□□□ □□ to save □ shoes and □□□ □ □□ □□ reality.]
But Kyle knew what the system meant. At the same time, he also wanted to know. If he wanted to save Shu, it meant he had to help her settle into the world she originally lived in.
Kyle couldn't hide his sad feelings. As the breakup, which he had vaguely considered, became a clear possibility, the reality felt heartless. Why did what he loved leave him so easily, so vainly, so quickly? He never wanted it to be that grand. Even though they weren't grandiose and great.
[Persuasion] [Needed]
As the message scattered, Shu opened her eyes with a painful sound.
When I opened my eyes, the scenery I saw was as expected.
"Shu."
Kyle looked at me with a look that seemed on the verge of tears. He strained his eyes as if he wanted to appear as calm as possible, but perhaps that's why he looked even more pathetic. How long had I been unconscious?
'You must have been very worried. I think I even vomited blood.'
In my heart, I wanted to jump up, look around, and say, 'How is it? Are you fine? Because you're strong!' I wanted to reassure him with words like, 'I'm strong!', but my body, which had lost all its strength, wouldn't obey me.
I stirred slightly, and Kyle took my shoulder and kissed my forehead.
"A day has passed. You had a high fever."
"That's right. But now I…"
"You don't have to force yourself to pretend to be okay. I felt like you couldn't stand it, so I relieved some of your power."
At Kyle's words, I checked the anomaly interference rate.
[Current Abnormal Interference Rate: 90%]
It was 10% short. It would have been a lie if I didn't feel a pang of regret.
"It's important when you fight the wizards later…"
As I stared into the air with a sullen expression, Kyle brushed my hair and whispered in a soothing tone. "It's important. But it's not important enough to abandon your safety."
"Hmm."
"It would be better if you had nothing to do with it. This place will soon become a battlefield."
Kyle's voice was low. He suppressed his emotions and said, "…Isn't it time to go back? Shu."
As soon as his words echoed, the system window appeared.
[Current Miracle Points: 100%] [You can 'bring it in' to reality.]
After falling into an unfamiliar world and going through all kinds of hardships, I had finally gathered all the miracles. I was finally free. I could return to my original world, be free from the threat of death, and enjoy the rewards for years of hard work.
However, even though it was the moment I had been waiting for… I wasn't happy.
"Your Highness."
He avoided my eyes. With his gaze fixed on the window, Kyle clenched his fists.
"I want you to be happy. I hope you are safe. I want you to live the life you want, where you want."
"…."
"Even if you and I become separated."
The words spoken with force were blunt. At first glance, it sounded like he was burying his feelings and keeping his distance. However, this was not the case. Now I knew him well. Now he was deliberately holding back his sadness. Because he wanted me to think only of myself and make choices for my own sake. Because he didn't want them to hold me back in the name of love.
Only, for me.
"I…"
I reached out and gently wrapped my arms around Kyle's clenched fists. The white knuckles of his hands were trembling as if he was exerting so much strength.
"I was happy to be by His Highness's side."
"…."
"Your Highness has always protected me."
"…."
"Even though my body was cold, my heart was not cold at all. I was finally free from that long loneliness, and I was able to breathe."
"…Shu."
His red eyes looked at me with difficulty. His eyelids were reddish, as if sadness had spread.
"You don't have to decide now. Right? Let's resolve the affairs of the north first, and then talk seriously. There is still something I can do to help."
"This is…"
"I know. This is Your Highness's world. This is the reality where His Highness was born and raised. But it's also the world I love, and it's also a place I want to protect."
Kyle bit his lip and said, "This is yours, it's a novel, Shu."
"What do you think? For me, this place is more vivid than any other reality."
I gently caressed Kyle's hand. Then he took my hand and pulled it to his face. The warmth in his hand spread. Kyle stroked my cheek for a long time, as if touching something extremely precious in the world.
"Please be honest, Your Highness. Not for me."
After a long silence, he replied, "…Don't go."
A desperate light appeared on Kyle's sad, regretful, and worried face.
"I need you, Shu. It's not for the safety of our territory… Just for me. You are the only one like you, and I know that no one can fill the place you left."
"…."
"Choose me, choose this world. I promise to never make you lonely, to love you endlessly for the rest of my life… Is that too cowardly?"
I looked up at Kyle. But this was an important choice. It was a question that could not be answered right now.
Kyle nodded in silence, as if he understood even that. He even smiled slightly, as if it was enough for him just to have spoken his true feelings.
"…Here…" I said in a slightly cracked voice, "It would have been nice if it were my reality."
Kyle hugged me carefully. With his upper body tightly pressed, he rested his chin on my shoulders and gently swept my back. I liked the warmth, so I leaned comfortably on him.
So at that time, I didn't know that there was a system window that was only visible to Kyle's eyes.
[When hope and desire gather, it becomes a miracle.] [I was created by the desire for some illusion to exist…] [Miracle.] [The power to achieve anything.] [Miracles are needed not only for the body, but also for the soul.] [Reality into fantasy, fantasy into reality.] [Are you confident that you will be his world?]
"…."
[If you want.]