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“Haa, ha….”
An enormous flash of light filled the room and disappeared after; Alice sighed and opened her eyes. What she saw first was Kallus’ face. His pale face regained its color, as well as his blue lips turned red. He was no longer groaning in pain.
“I knew it… it would work….”
Alice suddenly felt her body become heavy. She couldn’t stand at all as if a great amount of her power was sucked out of her system.
I have to go back to my room. She thought with her hazy consciousness, but it was her limit. Stumbling dangerously, Alice eventually lost consciousness and fell flat on the bed.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
As he was wandering in an endless pain, Kaillus saw a tremendous flash of light in the darkness where there was no end in sight. The blinding light enveloped him. And at that moment, the pain tormenting him disappeared like it was a lie. The warmth he felt for the first time in his life – Kaillus didn’t want to let go of this miraculous warmth. He even thought that he wanted to live with this warmth for the rest of his life.
Just then, he felt a heavy weight around his waist. With his keen instincts of being on the battlefield, Kaillus opened his eyes. He tried to take out the knife hidden under his pillow. It was until he saw the pink hair scattered over his blanket.
Kaillus slowly blinked his eyes at the woman who was lying over his body. The woman who was lying on his waist wearing thin silk pajamas as one of the noble wives, was something he had never seen an assassin wear before. Her fine pink hair laid across his blanket.
Kaillus slowly reached out to the woman. He then lifted her shoulder slightly to the side. The hair covered the woman’s cheeks. He carefully laid her body in a straight position and swept away the hair covering her face. Then the slightly pale face of the woman was revealed.
She wasn’t a very beautiful woman, but she was quite cute with her dense facial features. Who on earth are you? Kaillus narrowed his eyebrows as he thought of a person.
“… Alice Podoori.”
Kaillus’ eyes widened when he realized that the woman who fell on his body was her. He had only heard Alice’s voice but never seen her face in person. He only knew from the butler that she had pink hair and golden eyes.
“… So, this is what you look like.”
He once imagined what she looked like after he heard her voice. But strangely, the picture in his head wasn’t that very good.
Kaillus slowly scanned Alice’s eyes, nose and mouth – as if he wanted to memorize her features.
He then suddenly realized – the fact that she shouldn’t be here at this time. He was in pain after taking the antidote and it was now well past one in the morning.
“… Why are you here?”
Kaillus furrowed his eyebrows as he pulled back his outstretched hand to her. Alice should be on her bed and not here. Why is she, who should be sleeping soundly in her bedroom, lying above his body?
He raised his eyebrow at this incomprehensible situation, but he was appalled when he thought of something, reminding him that she wasn’t moving. Is she breathing? With a stiff face, he hurriedly checked Alice’s pulse. His back was chilled with fear for a moment as she had been lying on top of him, but Alice was fortunately still breathing.
Then why…?
An important fact flashed through Kaillus’ head as he furrowed his brows. That his pain had completely gone away. And at that moment when his pain disappeared, he saw a bright light similar to when he regained his consciousness. Once was a coincidence, but it couldn’t be the case for the second time. The light that woke him up definitely relieved his pain. And then… there was Alice Podoori.
“… No way.”
Kaillus’ gaze looking at Alice faltered. Was it you who saved my life? He had a vague notion that she might be related to it. He just wasn’t sure. But now that he had the same experience as then, the Alice in front of him was like evidence. The pain that disappeared like a lie, the scar on his left arm that healed completely.
Alice Podoori – her power was clear. Alice had saved his life.
“… It must have been you.”
The fact that it was Alice who saved him strangely made his heart throb. The emotions he was feeling until now, and the feelings he couldn’t define – maybe he instinctively felt the favor because she saved him. His complicated mind became a little lighter when he thought that.
He took a deep breath and put his hand behind Alice’s neck and waist. After holding her from her uncomfortable position, he laid Alice carefully next to him. He also carefully put her flowing pink hair behind her ears. His touch was as ever delicate unlike a person who holds a sword.
Because Alice was his benefactor, he couldn’t treat her rough and was endlessly careful as if he was touching something small and precious. Having put her in a comfortable position, he stared at Alice, who was in deep sleep, with strange eyes.
“You saved me….”
Kaillus’ murmurs echoed throughout the room.
It was surprising that it was Alice who saved him, but her divine powers were more amazing. Kaillus immediately realized that Alice’s power that saved him was divine power. The light and warmth he saw and felt was a power different from magic. In addition, his body just doesn’t feel any pain but was light as if all his senses and strength had returned to her. It was enough for him to swing his sword on the battlefield right now. Neither with magic nor using medicine, it was impossible to revitalize a human within a short time.
Divine blessing – it was only possible for those who have an extraordinary divine power that is comparable to a high priest, or perhaps of a pope.
I can’t believe Alice has such a strong divine power. She always went beyond my expectations.
“… I can never kill you.”
He couldn’t just simply kill her, and he desperately needed Alice now. Her great ability – he needs her abilities. No, he was desperate for it. Because he never wanted to be stuck in the dark again. But was it just because of that?
A question popped in Kaillus’ mind for a moment. That question ringing inside his head, for some reason, made Kaillus feel sick. Maybe that was why it was difficult to watch Alice In this situation – because of an unknown feeling, not of someone who was looking at his benefactor.
He found a piece of paper as he turned his head away from Alice. The folded piece of paper was laying on the spot where she had fallen.
“What is this?”
He grabbed the paper and unfolded it. As soon as he saw the words written on the straightened paper, his eyebrows rose sharply.
[New Priest Application]
“New Priest Application….”
[I will leave this place.]
The words she had said ran through his mind.
“… So this was what you meant when you said you’re leaving.”
Since she had divine powers, she really intended to leave the House of the Duke. She will leave him – this paper confirmed that fact to him.
You… will leave me?
As soon as he thought of her leaving his side, it seemed like the endless darkness was enveloping him again. The warmth of the light that embraced his body had gone cold. The warmth he felt for the first time in his life – he desperately needed that warmth. But now that she’s leaving, he may be left alone again in the cold darkness.
He will never hear Alice’s strange greetings again that he somehow got used to. If he hadn’t known from the beginning before he could recognize the warmth she had given him. And at the moment he realized – that he could never go back to the time when he didn’t know her.
He crumpled the paper in his hand and put it inside the drawer next to the bed so that Alice wouldn’t be able to find it.
It seemed like the dangerous feelings growing inside him had gone beyond a goodwill towards his benefactor, and only one fact came to his mind – that he could never lose her. Kaillus needed her divine power.
“Yes, divine power… I need your divine power.”
So you can’t leave me – never. He looked at Alice and muttered in a low voice.
(T/N: Lie all you want; we all know where that leads to hahaha)
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
“Hmm, mm….”
My body feels heavy. Alice woke up with difficulty with her heavy body. Her tightly closed eyes felt painful, and her focus was slightly blurry after she blinked a few times. And as she immediately saw the sculptural face, Alice warmly smiled before she freaked out.
“Ack! What is this!”
Why is Kaillus beside me?! Alice jumped out with wide eyes as if it was about to pop out. And she couldn’t even fix her messy hair as she jerked her head away like a madman.
“Here is….”
Kaillus’ bedroom, and she was lying on Kaillus’ bed. This is crazy.
“What happened…?”
Alice brushed her frizzy hair and recalled what happened during the night. I came here to look for the priest application form… Kaillus was sick, so I went to call Helkin. But that didn’t work so I used my divine powers in the end.
“Right… I used my divine power.”
But I don’t remember what happened after that.
Her last memory was when she lost all her strength on her body and lose her consciousness.
Did I fall asleep here? I slept beside Kaillus? If it was someone else, she might think, ‘Hah, that’s ridiculous of me to do that,’ but Alice likely did that. She had pretty bad sleeping habits. She never sleeps in the proper position. Besides, there was no one here to put her on the bed unless it was her who moved. It was impossible for Kaillus to wake up and lay her down.
“Crazy, you’re crazy.”
Alice slapped her forehead. She shook her head and, “Oh, Kaillus….”
Worried that he was yet to feel alright, she turned her head to him. Kaillus’ sleeping face fortunately didn’t look bad. He was now stable because she used her divine power on him.
She put the back of her hand on Kaillus’ smooth forehead just in case, but he didn’t have a fever now.
“He’s alright. That’s a relief.”
Alice withdrew her hand with a relieved sigh. And Alice couldn’t help but to admit – I can’t turn away from, at least as long as I am around him. I’d be glad to do something like this for you. If later I heard about the news of your death, I would be comforted that I still did my best. Yes, that’s enough. Let’s just do our best until the day I leave.
Alice decided to stop drawing a line between her and Kaillus with a confused mind. She arranged Kaillus’ quilt, and then carefully got down from the bed.
“Good night, Kaillus.”
Don’t be sick in your dreams.
After saying her goodbyes, Alice quietly walked out of the bedroom. And as soon as the door closed, Kaillus opened his eyes. He touched his forehead where Alice’s soft touch lingered and slowly closed his eyes again.
(T/N: Aww, you are falling for her hehehe)