"Keith…"
"Keith!"
Nicholas lightly slapped Keith's cheeks, his own eyes wide with panic. He was baffled by Keith's sudden collapse, and their situation was made worse by the fact that they had just trespassed into a lady's bedchamber.
Though he didn't recognize the woman lying in the bed, Nicholas's attention was immediately drawn to her; for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a faint movement.
Was that just my imagination?
Shaking the thought away, he continued patting Keith's cheek until Keith's eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Keith…? Are you alright?" Nicholas asked, finally stopping his hand.
Keith clutched his head and struggled to sit up. "What… happened?" he murmured.
"You suddenly collapsed! Are you sure you're okay?"
"Collapsed? My head hurts a little… and I feel strangely weak."
Nicholas frowned. He had never seen Keith look so disoriented before. Keith kept glancing around nervously, as though searching for something.
"Come on, get up. I'll help you." Nicholas slipped Keith's arm over his shoulder and supported him.
"Thanks, Nick."
Nicholas guided Keith out of the room, but before leaving he cast one last look inside.
I'm sure that lady was awake. I'll investigate this tomorrow.
---
A knock echoed against Epsilon's door. When he opened it, he found Nicholas standing there, supporting Keith.
"Your Highness…? What happened?" Epsilon stammered, startled. "I mean—why are you—?"
"Relax," Nicholas replied calmly. "Keith doesn't seem to be feeling well."
"I'm fine," Keith chimed in, flashing a peace sign with his fingers.
"Get some rest…" Nicholas sighed deeply.
Epsilon quickly took Keith from Nicholas, steadying him.
"I'll leave him to you then." Nicholas gave a wry smile. "Didn't expect you two to be sharing a room. Ehem… take good care of Keith."
Waving goodbye, Nicholas disappeared down the corridor.
Epsilon's fingers dug into Keith's waist as he helped him walk, the strain evident in his tightened grip. Keith's weight pressed against Epsilon's shoulder. A furrow creased Epsilon's brow.
'What in the world happened to this man now?'
With a grunt, he lowered Keith onto the bed, the mattress yielding softly beneath him. Keith's face, pale moments before, eased into relief.
"Where exactly did you go? You disappeared without a word, and then you return looking exhausted, sick and with His Grace Nicholas, of all people?" Epsilon asked, crossing his arms.
"I don't know myself. I just… felt like all my energy was being drained, then there was this painful current in my head. Like it was pulsing."
"That explanation makes no sense." Epsilon studied Keith carefully. For a brief moment, he thought he saw Keith's body trembling.
Moving toward the fireplace, Epsilon lit a flame, letting the warmth fill the room. Then he sat on the bed, watching Keith, who had covered his eyes with his arm.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Keith gave a faint nod, though it didn't ease Epsilon's concern.
He understood that every human has a core inside their body, the origin of their mana and the essence of their being. However, Keith was an exception. Even though he had a core, he couldn't channel mana. a rare human being indeed. That explains why he claims he has no mana.
Still, when Epsilon used magic sight, he could see Keith's internal circuits, and right now, they looked unstable.
"Keith, sit up for a moment," Epsilon instructed.
Keith shifted his arm and slowly obeyed, sitting upright. "What are you going to do?"
Without answering, Epsilon placed both hands on Keith's back. A faint glowing current flowed from his palms.
Keith's body began to feel lighter, though he didn't understand what Epsilon was doing.
When the glowing mana finally faded, Epsilon asked, "How do you feel?"
"Better. Actually, I feel… comfortable. What did you just do?"
"I stabilized your circuits with my mana. It's strange, though—you didn't feel any pain. When I used this on my juniors at the Magic Tower, they complained about the pain, even though afterwards their mana flow improved and their control grew sharper. They thanked me later, of course."
"But I don't have mana… I didn't think it would even work on me," Keith said, scratching the side of his eyebrow.
"Every human has some form of inner energy flow. It's what allows you to wield aura swords. I only fixed the issue with the instability."
"I see! I knew it. Thanks, Epsilon—you really are a genius."
Keith grinned, flashing his teeth, a smile that made Epsilon feel oddly flustered.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want you falling sick in this freezing climate," Epsilon muttered.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
Epsilon lay back on the bed, and Keith followed suit.
"Now sleep. Rest is also a way to recover," Epsilon advised.
"…So you've changed your mind and decided to sleep here after all?"
Epsilon blinked, realizing too late what it looked like. He quickly sat up, but Keith grabbed his hand in an instant.
"Stay here… by my side. Don't go."
Keith's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes blinking rapidly. In the firelight, his flushed cheeks were clearly visible.
'His hand is freezing…'
Epsilon lay back down, pulling the blanket over them both. He linked his hand with Keith's. "Are you cold?"
"Eh? Uh… yeah, you're right."
"Come closer."
"H-huh? What?"
Keith stared at Epsilon, who had already lifted his arm in invitation.
Slowly, Keith moved into the offered space, slipping into Epsilon's embrace. Epsilon's arm closed around him firmly.
W-what is this? I don't get why he suddenly—?
Keith's thoughts spiraled.
"I'll help warm you up. Sleep well," Epsilon whispered.
"Y-yeah…" Keith muttered, still bewildered. He never expected someone like Epsilon to lend him warmth like this.
I'm going to lose my mind!
Keith's heart pounded so loudly he feared Epsilon might hear it. However, Epsilon didn't react, displaying an unexpected calmness.
So… am I the only one embarrassed here?
Keith buried his face deeper into Epsilon's chest, finally wrapping his own arms around him.
That night, silence fell save for the frantic thudding of Keith's chest, a frantic drum against his ribs, and the fireplace's fiery dance, its crackling a chorus of burning wood.
---
The clock struck five in the morning, and I resolved to exercise. The storm had cleared, revealing a blanket of snow that covered the castle grounds. Though I felt refreshed, I was still tired from a lack of sleep. After all, how could I have slept well, having ended up sleeping in someone's arms?
Damn it… so embarrassing.
I didn't even know why I acted that way last night. What's worse, Epsilon had gone along with it, calmly, even kindly. He should've brushed me off, or insulted me like he usually did.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Josh, the head butler, shoveling away the piled-up snow.
Jogging toward him, I called out, "Good morning, Josh."
"Ah… good morning, young master Solstice."
"Just Keith is fine."
I smiled, quickly grabbing a shovel. "Here, let me help."
"There's no need, sir. You're a guest of this household—I couldn't possibly ask you to do this sort of thing."
"And you're the head butler! This isn't your task either."
He hesitated. "Lately we've been short on gardeners and cleaners, so I thought I'd lend a hand."
But I ignored his protests and shoveled beside him. "Think of it as training for me," I said with a grin.
"You're too kind, Sir Keith."
I nodded proudly. Of course. Winning the hearts of the household staff would make things smoother for me in the future, anyway.
After finishing, I sat on the steps leading back inside.Turns out this is actually pretty exhausting.
Josh soon appeared with a tray—tea and breakfast. "Please, enjoy, Sir Keith. Our head chef, Albert prepared this."
"It looks delicious. Thank you."
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps caught my attention. A woman in her nightgown and shawl emerged, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
Leyla.
"Keith? And also Josh—you're both already awake?"
"Leyla—Lady Helming, forgive me. Did I disturb your rest?"
"No… don't worry." She smiled faintly.
"Would you care for morning tea as well, my Lady?" Josh asked.
"Yes, that would be nice."
"Then I'll fetch some for you." With that, Josh went inside.
"…"
"…"
There was an awkward silence between us, yet it wasn't aggressive. She wanted to say something, I could tell, but hesitated.
"Did you sleep well?" she finally asked.
I looked up. She looked at me with her hands clasped behind her back. I knew this was her way of reopening communication.
Truth is, I wanted the same.
Inside though, I was panicking.
"Of course, my Lady. I slept well." I kept it short.
"I see… I'm glad. The nights are cold here—I hope you remembered to light the fireplace."
Her words made me blush, recalling what really kept me warm last night. I quickly averted my face.
"Y-yes, of c-course I did not f-forget."
Leyla sat down beside me, close enough that I could feel her warmth."I've missed you, Keith," she said softly, her expression tinged with sorrow.
I froze. The truth? I had missed her too. But I was the one who ruined everything. I had derailed the entire story by becoming Cynthia's knight instead of staying on script.
"I miss laughing with you. I miss when we were… still together," she murmured, nervously twining her fingers.
"I-I do too…"
The words escaped me. I turned, meeting her gaze head-on."Of course I do. But… I think those days are behind us."
Her face shifted, surprised.
"We made our decision together. Yet, we spent our childhood next to each other at the Nerwine estate. So, I need to say this—even if it's late."
"…"
"Congratulations on your marriage, Leyla."
Her lips curved into a gentle smile. I smiled too. This time, I felt no crushing weight on my chest.
At first, I had been bitter—tormented by memories of my past life as Jung Cha-ri, by the knowledge that this world was just a novel. That my fate was only to serve as a stepping stone for the protagonist and her destined love.
But now? Now I was grateful. At least I could recognize my own heart.
I had loved Leyla. If I hadn't remembered, I might've ended up like Keith in the novel—oblivious, passive, and forever too late.
Every step, I've been learning.
"Keith… thank you for everything. I love you. May I… hug you?"
I nodded. Opening my arms, I let her embrace me. And in that moment, I knew—we were walking toward different futures, but my affection for her would never vanish.
"Release him." The command, cold as a winter wind, sliced the air.
Turning, I saw Epsilon. He had his arms crossed, with eyes like chips of ice.
Eh?
He strode forward, the floorboards groaning under his weight.
"Do you realize what you're doing, Leyla von Helming?"
Behind him, Josh and Xerta materialized.
Startled, Leyla's grip loosened on me. Epsilon grabbed my wrist, his touch a shock, pulling me upright. He planted himself between us.
Wait—what's going on?
"It's not what it looks like, Xerta," Leyla rushed to explain. "I just… I only—"
Xerta laid a gentle hand on her head. "I understand."
Then he turned serious. "Actually, I came to tell you something important."
Leyla stood, meeting his gaze."My sister, Sera… she's finally woken from her long sleep."
What?
"Sera? Truly? Thank the heavens…" Leyla's eyes welled with relief.
No… it can't be.
In the novel, Sera only awoke when Leyla healed her with her holy power. That was supposed to be the trigger. But here… things were already out of order.
Why? Even the necromancer hadn't appeared yet. How could she suddenly awaken now?
Xerta and Leyla hurried inside. I wanted to follow, but Epsilon blocked me, glaring.
"You weren't in bed when I woke up, and now I find you here, with her… ah, forget it." He let go of my wrist and stormed off.
I watched his back shrink, the coarse fabric of his coat a dark blot against the fading light.
But my thoughts swirled, caught on Sera. A sharp intake of breath. Inside, Nicholas's shadow leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed. A soft sigh, then the rustle of sheets.
There she was, eyes open.
Sera von Helming—her silver hair gleaming, her presence unmistakable.
Xerta spoke to her, introducing Leyla as well. Nicholas studied her with an intrigued gaze.
I stayed at the doorway, not daring to move closer. But then Sera's eyes met mine.
For a moment, that same electric current shot through me, sharp and strange. I winced slightly. She smiled at me.
Again… this sensation?
Nicholas came up beside me, whispering, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes… I'm fine, Nick."
"Don't collapse again, alright?"
I exhaled and stepped out of the room, Nicholas following.
"Lucky we weren't caught sneaking into her chamber last night…" I muttered quietly.
"That woman… she's strange," Nicholas replied.
"What do you mean? She seemed normal enough to me."
"I'm certain she was awake the moment we entered last night."
I froze mid-step."…Really?"
"And when she woke this morning, the first thing she asked was what date it was. Then she questioned me about recent events, almost urgently. Honestly, something about her doesn't add up."
"…"
"Keith! Are you even listening?"
But I didn't respond. My thoughts churned uneasily.
No way... it's not like what I thought, isn't it?