Chapter 70
Unaware that he had dropped something, Skyle kept walking forward, and Sophia had no choice but to pick it up instead.
“Skyle.”
“Hm?”
“You dropped this.”
When she held out a pearl-studded hairpin and made him stop in his tracks, Skyle walked back toward her with a bright smile.
“Thanks. This is something I absolutely can’t lose.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a gift for the person I love most.”
As he took the hairpin and tucked it back into his coat, his hood slipped slightly, revealing a glimpse of his face.
Eyes the color of a dark violet night, and a face so beautiful it was beyond words.
He wore a gentle expression, yet his smile now was even more breathtaking than when he had laughed brightly before. At that, words slipped out of Sophia’s mouth before she could stop them.
“It would suit you well, too.”
“Me?”
“…Ah.”
She realized too late that she had misspoken, but he had already heard it.
Skyle burst into loud laughter and ruffled her hair.
“That’s something my wife would say.”
“….”
“Yeah, I guess… If I take this to her, she’ll probably say the same thing you just did.”
As he caressed the hairpin tucked in his coat, Skyle pulled the hood back down deeply. The lovely face that had been so clear just a moment ago was hidden again in darkness.
“Then, when that happens, I’ll just give her me wearing this hairpin as the gift.”
“You must really love her.”
“Of course. I’m only alive because of her.”
As if recalling a memory, he fell silent for a moment. Judging by the smile lingering on his lips, they must have been nothing but good memories.
With happiness written across his face, Skyle continued speaking.
“I’m going to build a castle for her. One that no one can touch, lacking nothing, absolutely perfect.”
That passionate resolve could have made the moon look like the sun.
“I’d do anything for her.”
Could I be honest here? This is so sappy it gives me goosebumps.
Even after that, Skyle kept talking nonstop about his lover—how cute it was that she hated carrots, how lovable it was that she liked apples….
He spoke without checking her reaction, and Sophia couldn’t find the right words to respond, so she just repeated, “Yeah, yeah,” over and over. Sensing her discomfort at last, someone called out to him.
“What are you doing? Didn’t you say you’d be back soon from a walk?”
“Oh, right. I didn’t realize I was talking so much.”
“Sigh… We need to leave now, so end your walk here.”
“Alright.”
The person wearing the same robe as Skyle spoke with a sharp, low voice, chastising him. He also had his hood pulled down deep, so his face wasn’t visible either.
A figure as dark as a shadow.
“See you.”
Skyle gave a small wave and then disappeared from view with the one who came to fetch him, swallowed by darkness like a shadow consuming him.
‘If he were truly an evil god, he’d have a pitch-black familiar following him!’
Why did one of those old comments—people saying he was an evil god—come to mind now?
Returning quietly to her room, Sophia found it easier to fall asleep than before, maybe because the walk had helped her move around a bit.
As her breathing grew steady, Rune, who seemed to have been asleep, carefully adjusted his bedding and stood up.
Then, making sure not to make a sound, he moved closer to the sleeping Sophia.
Was he staring at her sleeping face with a hint of sorrow? Someone approached Rune.
“…You’re awake.”
“Yeah. It’s too bright.”
Rune checked the surroundings, thinking a candle must have been lit since Peyton’s eyes were wide open and blinking. But there was none. The only light came from the faint moonlight streaming through the window.
“Just think of it as nonsense and let it go.”
Seeing Rune checking around because of him, Peyton shrugged and spoke like that.
“What were you doing by Leon’s side?”
“…I feel like I’ll be leaving soon.”
Peyton looked puzzled, but Rune smiled faintly and pressed his fingertips hard. His hands and feet kept feeling numb, and sometimes when he looked down, they seemed slightly transparent.
“I wanted to see a little more of her.”
He could feel it instinctively. That he didn’t have much time left here.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Peyton tried to change the subject to lighten it.
“You call Leon Sophia. Why do you call her that?”
“…Because she said I could.”
“Is that Leon’s real name? I knew someone who only let people they cared about use their real name.”
At the innocent question, Rune thought for a moment before nodding.
“Yes. Something like that.”
Because the person lying there now wasn’t Leon, but Sophia. From the very first moment, all Rune had seen was Sophia.
No matter how her outward appearance changed, the person he always saw remained the same.
“Let’s sleep now. Otherwise, we’ll wake her.”
Rune slowly got up and said that before returning to bed and closing his eyes.
When sunlight poured over his eyelids, Rune slowly opened his eyes to see Jay standing by the window, slightly open, breathing in the dawn air.
“You’re finally awake.”
Sophia stared blankly at the bed where Rune’s warmth was completely gone. She hadn’t expected him to disappear without a word.
Peyton, who had watched her silently for a while, felt that nothing he said would reach her and quietly left the room first.
In the stillness, Sophia recalled the words she had heard during her walk.
‘Tomorrow, the day after… and after that, don’t even think about stepping foot in that village.’
She had planned to discuss it with Rune. Why had that man said that to her? What should she do now?
Or rather, first of all, how was she supposed to leave this dream…
‘If you’re still curious about how to get out of here, I can tell you.’
The sudden sound of Leon’s voice made her tense.
“You knew I was curious and didn’t say a word until now, and now you say this?”
Instead of greeting his words with joy, Sophia responded sharply.
“Drop the lies. I’m not in the mood for that right now.”
At the cold words, clenched with a tight fist, Leon quickly apologized.
‘Sorry, sorry. I won’t say anything bad.’
Realizing she was lashing out unnecessarily, Sophia softened her tone a little.
“So… you really know how to get out?”
‘I do! I really do!’
Afraid she’d accuse him of lying again, Leon kept muttering that it was true. Sophia stayed silent, waiting as if to say, “Go on then.”
But what came wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
‘I’ll tell you, but first, you have to do me a favor.’
“….”
‘You know you’re the only one I can ask….’
His trembling voice was so desperate that Sophia gave a slight nod.
“What is it?”
The answer came, short and simple.
‘Don’t go to Rosdet Village.’
What in the world was going to happen there? Fortunately, this time he gave the reason first.
‘If you go back to the village, I’ll die.’
For Peyton, everything that happened here had already turned into a nightmare, and in his dreams, he had desperately called out Leon’s name.
Could it be that something bad happened in this land, that something terrible had befallen Leon? What she had only suspected now became real through his words.
‘You know this world is someone’s memory, right? Rune must have told you.’
“…This is your memory.”
‘Yeah.’
The reply was much heavier, darker than before.
“…But Hamel Devit isn’t here now. Then how could they extract memories from your dead body?”
‘Rang. That bastard planned everything from the start and collected my corpse. And years later, Hamel Devit extracted my memories.’
A harsh sigh escaped her lips. A deep, hot breath tinged with anger.
“Why bother turning those memories into a drug?”
‘You know why. Peyton ran away.’
“….”
‘He left the house where Rang was.’
Bad thoughts started to spiral endlessly. So that meant…
‘The drug is for Peyton.’
“….”
‘It’s a warning: if he ever leaves again, the same thing will happen as the memory you remember so clearly.’
“…You’re saying Rang caused your death?”
‘Yes.’
The words of Lorei came back—about how cruel Rang was, how much the mages despised him—blending with Leon’s voice.
Rang. What are you thinking, that you can only handle things like this?
How can you hurt others like this?
“…How do you even know all that? Those memories must be from after you died.”
‘What I just said isn’t my memory. It’s Hamel Devit’s.’
“Why do you have that mage’s memory?”
‘When he made the drug, he mixed his memories with mine.’
Whatever he was hoping for.
‘Peyton has relived these memories over and over, watching my death each time.’
“…You couldn’t stop it?”
‘Peyton and I are both bound to these memories. Our bodies move according to what originally happened, even if we hate it.’
Only then did Sophia understand the real reason Leon was asking her this favor.
‘You’re different. The body you move in here can reject that fate.’
It was truly a request only Sophia could fulfill.
‘So please. For me, for the Peyton here, change the ending of this memory.’
At his earnest plea, Sophia let out a small sigh.
“Tell me everything. In detail. What happened exactly.”
‘…Okay.’
“I need to know to avoid it.”
There was no way she could refuse such a request.
