BCOM 10

Chapter 10

Agnès was turning the pages of her book when the faint sound of the paper made her suddenly lift her head.

The shadow cast by the blazing sunlight passed by, and outside, the sky was dyed with a breathtaking wash of pink clouds.

“Ah…”

Then, at some point, the large shadow that had been covering the pond of sunlight disappeared without a trace. Even the chair where he had been sitting had returned to its original place.

“It’s like… a dream.”

Agnès murmured quietly. The man, who had seemed close enough that their eyes might meet if she simply lifted her head, had vanished completely without her realizing it.

Why had she thought he would stay there? After all, she had left him standing outside, not even sparing him a glance.

“You acted like you hated it so much… then what is this? Which part is real?”

At their first meeting—though of course, for him, it hadn’t really been the first—he had shown up with that stiff, uncomfortable expression. Yet now, he had turned into a man who stood guard outside, shielding her from wind and sunlight, as if determined to protect his woman. No wonder she was confused.

“Ah, he must have left quickly while I was too absorbed in my book.”

She hadn’t meant to ignore him, but the story had been so engrossing that she had completely forgotten his presence outside. Since he hadn’t done anything but silently cast his shadow, she hadn’t even realized when he’d gone.

“Well, why would he keep looking at me when I wasn’t even sparing him a glance? He’s a busy man.”

With that thought, the unease that had lingered finally melted away. As she nodded, feeling relieved, a faint commotion echoed in the distance, like rippling sound waves.

“Father’s back!”

It seemed the Marquis of Rejern had returned earlier than expected. Struggling off the wide bed, Agnès hurried downstairs, moving quickly but lightly so her steps wouldn’t sound too noisy.

“You’re home!”

The Marquis, heading straight toward the dining room after returning to the mansion, paused to see his daughter dashing down the stairs as if she had known the exact moment of his arrival.

“Slow down, slow down—you’ll trip like that.”

Smiling warmly, he watched his daughter run to him, as if ready to leap into his arms. Beneath his tousled silver hair, his golden-amber eyes gleamed—so very much like Agnès’s own.

Startled for a moment by her bright, lively voice, he soon chuckled, extending his arms to gently steady her. Only then did Agnès stop.

“You look well.”

“Today I read such an interesting book! I didn’t even notice the hours passing, I was just completely lost in it.”

Though she had rushed down so energetically, in front of her father she smiled a little shyly and spoke softly.

“And you, Father? Aren’t you tired?”

The servants looked on fondly as the father and daughter, chatting warmly, entered the dining room together.

They had always shared a tender bond, but lately, their laughter had begun to spread more naturally through the house.

Even though it had been years, the shadow left behind by the late Marchioness had never quite lifted.

“I suppose, now that her departure is near, she’s cherishing what little time is left.”

The head maid offered that explanation to the unspoken question in everyone’s hearts, and most of them nodded.

“Ah, the young lady smiles so brightly, trying to spend this time well… yet why must His Lordship give so much of himself to the imperial palace?”

“But it’s strange, isn’t it? How can she smile so happily like that?”

Among the affectionate voices, one stood out. Everyone turned to look at a young maid.

“It’s true. Until recently, the young lady was always so sensitive—every little sound bothered her, and she often seemed upset.”

The Agnès they served had never been a bad person. But she had always been restless, on edge, often looking weary or weighed down.

“That’s why people kept saying she was frail.”

“Well, her body isn’t particularly strong, that much is true.”

Their voices carried a mix of concern and wonder as they continued.

“But lately… she seems so much better. I’m so glad.”

This time, it was little Tarin’s voice, trembling slightly with emotion, that joined in.

The others turned to the small, young maid. Thanks to her simple, cheerful nature, she had always been good at serving the sensitive young lady—and she got along wonderfully with the brighter Agnès of late.

“Tarin, you’ve always worried about her most.”

“Really, she’s not your sister, you know.”

Teasing gently, the maids patted the child’s head as she seemed on the verge of tears.

And so, hearing Agnès’s bright voice as she laughed with her father, the servants who had been chatting quietly soon dispersed to their tasks.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes.

Before I could even grasp what was happening, starlight poured into my gaze.

Where… where is this?

I blinked rapidly. What spread before me was darkness—darkness strewn with glittering stars.

I tried to leap up, but my body was heavy as lead. As if something pressed me down, I jerked to a halt.

What is this? My body… it’s so heavy.

Even my voice didn’t come out. My lips moved out of habit, but the words stayed trapped in my mind, never making a sound.

Instead, other sounds seeped into my ears.

At first, it was just a whisper. Had it not been for the serene starlit sky, the faint rustling of a distant forest in the wind, the soft tickle of grass against my feet, that sound might have frightened me terribly.

I raised a hand to cover my ears, but the whispers seemed to soak through my skin, entering my body itself.

No—it felt like the sound was seeping into me entirely.

With effort, I pushed myself up from the grass where I lay.

I had surely fallen asleep in my room. So what was this place? The sight before me made no sense.

Look, she’s awake.

Doesn’t seem like she’s hearing us properly, though.

As I sat up, the vague murmurs grew into distinct words.

No way… are there ghosts even in this romance-fantasy world?

A chill shot through me, freezing me in place. The voices multiplied, whispering from all around.

They say she’s changed. That’s why it happened.

Huh? Why change? Isn’t she not supposed to?

It’s better they can’t hear us. Last time, the kid couldn’t handle it and burst apart.

But she was fine before—why would she burst?

That’s why she came back, so it wouldn’t happen again.

Even without the whispers in my ears, goosebumps prickled across my body.

I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it seemed these… beings… could sense that even Agnès’s soul had changed.

Most of the voices sounded small and playful, almost childlike—but I could tell instantly they weren’t children.

This had to be a dream. Never in my life had I dreamed something so beautiful and yet so terrifying.

Oh? Oh? She shouldn’t force herself awake like that!

I twisted and thrashed, desperate to wake up, but the voices kept pouring into me.

Huh…?

Then, not only sound but something else began seeping into me—something strange.

It didn’t just seep in; it filled me, transforming into raw energy that coursed through my body.

And it didn’t stop. From the tips of my fingers and toes, the energy surged endlessly, rising higher and higher.

My instincts screamed that it was dangerous. I tried to ask the voices, but the words that had been so clear suddenly turned into shrill cries, sharp as screams.

No! Stop it!

No matter how I shook my arms or stamped my feet, the energy only continued to seep in, stacking within me.

I’ll explode!

Was this what the voices had meant earlier about bursting? Was I about to be torn apart by this uncontrollable power?

Had the dreamlike days I’d lived in this body ended already, after only a few short days?

Teowin!

The name came to me suddenly.

That moment—when a massive shadow of a man had frozen every muscle and organ in me, and I had been on the verge of suffocating—it was his name that had let me breathe again.

There was no time to wonder why. I simply felt that in this crisis, it wasn’t the Rejern family’s retainers nor my father César who could save me—it was him.

The things seeping into me began to glow. They sank into the ground and lit it up.

Like the terrace window that created a pond of sunlight in my room every afternoon, the glow formed a shadow of sunlight.

…!

But one of the two glowing pools remained dark. Looking closer, I saw—it was the shadow of the man standing before the terrace window.

Teowin…!

That shadow became my lifeline. I needed to call him. But no sound came from my throat, and the flow of energy would not stop.

When the power had filled me completely, my breath caught in my chest. Then, even the shrieking voices fell silent.

A brilliant light exploded before me. I couldn’t even shut my eyes before it swallowed my entire body.

The black night sky glittered with stars, the grassy meadow beneath it swayed in the wind.

The breeze swept across the field, slipped into the leafy forest beyond, and then… everything stilled.

No sharp cries. No whispers. Not even the gentle murmuring of voices. After the passing of that wind, even the flow of air itself ceased.

Only boundless emptiness remained.