The sound of the wind grew stronger outside, while the fire in the hearth was on the verge of dying out.
"Answer me, red–eyed one. Who are you really?"
she repeated her question with seriousness.
"Will you be able to handle the consequences of your arrogance if you learn my identity?"
Adrian asked, his tone sharp as a blade.
Lucia hesitated for a moment and whispered to herself:
Who could he be? But I'm a high–ranking noble… I don't think anything he says can affect me.
She folded her arms and smiled arrogantly.
"Don't worry, I can handle it…"
Adrian let out a cold, mocking laugh before lifting his face and looking at her with superiority.
"Adrian Jonathan. That is my real name."
Lucia laughed mockingly and said:
"Hahaha, yes, yes… Adrian… you're not a noble—"
Her expression suddenly changed, and she stared at him in fear.
"Wait… did you say Adrian Jonathan? Haaaah!"
She bowed quickly and began apologizing:
"Forgive me, Your Highness, I didn't mean any disrespect, I sincerely apologize."
Lily spoke with worry and confusion:
"Ray… are you truly the prince?"
Bill clutched Lily's hand in fear:
"Lily… is the prince going to kill us?"
Leo understood the situation and bowed as well:
"We also must apologize for our reckless behavior earlier."
Adrian exhaled softly and said:
"It's alright, Leo. I was the one who gave you a false identity."
He turned toward Lily and Bill and gave a faint smile:
"Lily, Bill… I'm still Ray, okay?"
Then he finally faced Lucia again, staring at her with a killing coldness:
"Lucia Bristan, I will remember that name well."
Lucia whispered to herself in utter despair:
"Haha… I'm finished…"
Suddenly, Bill collapsed to the ground, breathing rapidly.
Everyone turned toward him in shock, and Lily screamed in fear as she held his face, which had fallen beside her:
"Bill! Bill! What happened to you?!"
Adrian rushed over and placed his hand on Bill's forehead, and the moment he did, his eyes widened with worry:
"He has a fever… his temperature is extremely high!"
He spoke urgently to Leo:
"Leo! Bring some water and a cloth immediately… Lily, bring—Lily!"
Lily collapsed as well, struggling to breathe, and Leo ran toward her in panic.
Adrian froze for a moment, thinking to himself:
What if this plague… has infected them?
He looked toward the dining table and said seriously:
"Does that mean the food…?"
He continued, directing his words to Lucia:
"Lucia, help me move the two children to the bed."
Lucia replied:
"Alright."
Leo brought the water, and Adrian began trying to lower Lily's and Bill's fever…
Leo was overwhelmed with worry and sorrow.
Adrian pulled the blanket over the two children and spoke:
"Leo… the food you brought might… might be contaminated."
Leo froze in shock:
"What?"
Adrian turned to him and continued:
"Didn't that man say earlier that the plague spreads through food?"
Leo shouted in frustration:
"It's far too early to determine what kind of illness this is! Maybe Lily and Bill just caught a cold, so—"
Adrian cut him off sharply:
"I hope so too… but their pulse is already normal."
Leo laughed in disbelief:
"Haha… maybe it is just a cold, that's why their pulse is normal…"
Lucia asked firmly:
"Leo, did you eat from the food as well?"
Leo replied:
"No, I only ate the bread. I didn't touch the soup because you interrupted us earlier."
Lucia looked at the two children and said:
"I see… that explains why you're still fine."
Leo cried out in panic:
"But!! His Highness ate the food, and he hasn't shown any symptoms yet!"
Lucia looked at Adrian in surprise, questioning:
"Your Highness… did you really eat the food?"
Adrian looked into her eyes calmly for a few seconds before lowering his head and thinking to himself:
Leo is right… but I've died once before. Could that be the reason I'm unaffected? Or maybe…
Then he spoke softly, trying to give a reasonable explanation:
"In any case… I only ate a single bite. Maybe that's why the symptoms aren't appearing on me yet."
Both of them fell silent, considering his explanation…
while Adrian continued wondering about the real reason he wasn't infected.
They kept trying to reduce the children's fever the entire time, but it only grew hotter and hotter… and after 24 hours, strange lines began branching across their bodies.
Leo fell to his knees; his fears had come true—
they had been infected by the plague.
Lily slowly opened her eyes, barely, and looked at Leo, who was crying in pain.
"Brother… Leo… don't cry… you have to be happy for us… because we will meet our parents in the other world."
She coughed blood between her words, struggling to breathe.
Leo cried out in despair:
"Lily! Please… stop talking… please! It must be hurting you!"
Lily gave a weak, exhausted laugh and looked at Adrian:
"Ray… I mean, Your Highness… I'm happy that we met…"
Adrian's eyelid trembled with sorrow, and he clenched his fist tightly.
"Lily… I'm happy I met you all as well… even though it was a short time, I felt warmth and happiness with you."
She smiled, then her expression twisted in pain, and she began coughing violently as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Raaay… why are we… from Section Zero… treated as commoners? Why aren't humans all equal? Just because we can't use magic, must we suffer like this… isn't it unfair? Your Highness… can't you change this empire?"
Bill slowly opened his eyes, barely able to speak:
"The prince… can do that, sister… don't worry…"
Lily turned her face toward Bill and said painfully:
"Bill… I'm sorry… I couldn't buy you a toy yet… I promised I'd get you one for your birthday but…"
Bill whispered sadly, crying:
"Don't cry, Lily… I don't want toys… I just want to live…"
She murmured chokingly as she coughed blood:
"You won't die, Bill. You will just become like the glowing fireflies, and fly into the sky to become a star."
She extended her trembling hand weakly and held Bill's hand.
"I will go with you too… you won't be alone… so don't be afraid, alright?"
Bill sobbed amid his crying, coughing blood violently, and said:
"Lily… I wished I could grow up and become strong… and buy Lily lots of gifts… and I also dreamed that I would start working so my brother Leo wouldn't have to steal food for us anymore."
Lily smiled gently and weakly:
"And I also… dreamed that I would grow up… cook food and sew clothes for Bill… and Leo…"
Bill asked in a very weak voice:
"Lily… Leo… the prince… and the noble lady… has the night already fallen?"
Leo spoke with a weak, pained smile:
"What are you saying, Bill? We're still—"
But Adrian gestured with his hand for Leo to be silent, then said calmly:
"Bill… the night has indeed fallen, and it seems the candles here have run out… so we can't light any. But don't worry… we are right here beside you."
Lily smiled and said in a faint voice:
"That's right, Bill… it seems I forgot to bring the candles again… sorry…"
Adrian looked at Lily, realizing she already understood what was happening.
Bill's and Lily's eyes began turning white.
Bill whispered after a moment of silence:
"Lily… I want to… sleep…"
Lily whispered weakly:
"Alright, Bill… I'll wake you up when morning comes."
Bill closed his eyes… surrendering to an endless, eternal sleep.
Lily spoke her final words in a faint, fragile voice:
"Leo… live a good life… and don't think of what happened as your fault… Ray, I know you can't change the empire on your own, so don't take our words too seriously… this is simply our fate… it's not your fault we ended up like this… Lady Lucia… I know nothing about you yet, but please take care of His Highness…"
She fell silent for a moment before adding:
"In my next life… I'll wish to live with Leo and Bill again… because I'm not regretful of this life… thank you for always giving me happiness… Leo and Bill."
Lily closed her eyes… the smile on her face never fading.
The room filled with Leo's screams… and Lucia's tears… while Adrian remained staring into the void in silence.
The children's bodies glowed and began to scatter into the air… until they vanished into nothingness.
Forever.