Episode 7
“Are you awake?”
Through her heavy eyelids, Arne saw Cedric sitting on a chair.
He set down the book about mana runaway he had been holding and gently brushed aside the hair stuck to her sweat-damp cheek.
“Stay lying down. It looks like aftereffects from mana runaway. I should have paid closer attention.”
Cedric’s brow creased deeply. The white bed sheets, stained red with blood, looked as if someone had nearly died there. He had definitely brought in fresh bedding.
“Why are the sheets and blankets like this?”
“…You don’t remember?”
With a low groan, the crease between Cedric’s brows deepened further. Last night, Arne had clung to him, begging him to save her, then collapsed unconscious.
And it hadn’t ended there. Several more seizure-like blackouts followed. She had coughed up so much blood that the white sheets and blankets were soaked red again.
And that wasn’t all. She had also…
Good thing I was here. Otherwise,
Cedric bit his lip. He had seen too much. Too much to just ignore.
When Arne lifted her hand to look at the sheets more closely, she felt Cedric grab her hand.
“You kept holding my hand?”
“…Do you really remember nothing at all?”
“Well… did I do something rude?”
“No. The physician will arrive shortly.”
Before Cedric could finish, a large, sturdy old woman burst through the door.
“I was told it was an emergency, so I thought the young master’s sister had another seizure—but who is this young lady here, covered in blood and half-dead?”
“Granny, calm down.”
The old woman slammed her heavy herb bag onto the floor with a loud thud.
“Do I look calm? I don’t even need to examine her—she’s clearly on death’s door!”
She showed zero restraint despite speaking to the Duke of Renigrad’s grandson.
“What is this?”
She rushed to Arne, then narrowed her eyes as she spotted the handprints on Arne’s neck. Her gaze turned sharp as it shifted to Cedric.
“Don’t tell me you did something this cruel to such a small, fragile, precious girl? I must have raised you wrong!”
The old woman glanced around, clearly looking for something to grab. Cedric hurriedly moved the book away. Arne quickly grabbed the woman’s sleeve.
“Oh dear, you’ve got a soft heart, young lady. Tell me—what did that brat do to you? I’ll give him a proper beating!”
“There was a small misunderstanding. But right now, he’s helping me.”
The old woman stared into Arne’s reddened eyes, then let out a short sigh. One glance was enough—this was classic mana runaway aftermath. Her expression softened with pity.
“I’m Teresa. Just call me Granny. I followed the young master from the north to the capital, so my speech is a bit rough—but I’m not scared.”
Her tone was completely different from how she spoke to Cedric.
“May I check your mana core, young lady?”
“…Yes.”
As Teresa examined Arne’s mana core, her gaze sharpened.
“This crack wasn’t caused by mana runaway alone. Someone directly damaged it—”
Her eyes slowly moved back to Cedric. In one swift motion, she grabbed the book and smacked him across the back.
“Get over here! Cedric, how could you break a mana core in a girl who looks like she’d collapse if you touched her wrong?!”
Unable to watch any longer, Arne grabbed Teresa’s sleeve.
“That was also a misunderstanding!”
“There is NO misunderstanding that excuses breaking a mana core! One more crack and it would’ve shattered completely—she would’ve died! And for her, the mana core is her life!”
“It’s not that bad. If we leave it alone, it’ll heal naturally. I’m fine.”
“You shouldn’t say you’re fine—you should say you’re in pain! I’m even burning inside just looking at this. Do you know the hardest patient for a healer? The one who’s hurting but can’t say they’re hurting. That’s how illnesses get worse!”
Arne awkwardly let go of her sleeve.
She had worsened her condition in that exact way—right up to receiving a terminal diagnosis. She had no excuse.
Teresa, still fuming, picked up the book again. Arne panicked and spoke quickly.
“It hurts, Granny.”
Teresa’s eyes wavered. With a short sigh, she put the book down.
“The young master survived today because of this girl.”
Cedric, who had silently taken every hit until now, finally spoke.
“Breaking her mana core was clearly my fault, Granny. That’s why I want to take responsibility and ask you to treat Lady Ronia until she recovers.”
“Again with this. Just my sickly young lady is already more than enough, and I’m very expensive, you know.”
“I’ll cover all the costs. There’s no one I trust more than you.”
“There you go again, softening me up.”
As Teresa and Cedric bickered, Arne’s ears perked up at the words ‘the young master’s sick sister.’
‘Arin disease… that’s nearly incurable at this point.’
The cure wasn’t discovered until after Cedric’s death.
It had been invented by Benjamin, an orphan from the Freya Orphanage who suffered from Arin disease. She still remembered how his name filled the newspapers.
How could I forget? He was my closest friend at the orphanage. Benjamin… is he still there?’
Coming back to herself, Arne looked at Cedric.
When she married him, he had no sisters. That meant she would die before then.
‘So… about one year left. Maybe less.’
Knowing someone else was living the same kind of limited life made Arne bite her lip.
Noticing her stiff expression, Cedric placed a hand on her forehead.
“No fever. Don’t worry. I guarantee Granny’s skill—you won’t be in pain for long.”
“If you say it like that, I can’t refuse to treat her!”
“You were going to anyway.”
“Of course! How could I abandon such a small, fragile, sick girl!”
‘Painful, yes—but small and fragile, maybe not.’
Seeing Teresa’s large northern build, Arne decided not to say that out loud.
Because she had been underfed since childhood, Arne was thin—beyond thin, almost skeletal.
“My goodness, nothing but bones. Severe malnutrition. You need to eat properly.”
“I’ll have dinner prepared immediately,” Cedric said.
“Of course. Let’s see.”
While examining Arne’s mana core, Teresa looked straight at her.
“Why did you do this to yourself, child?”
Her deeply lined face twisted with worry.
“You knew you might die—why did you push yourself this hard? You’re in a double-core state. That only forms right before death.”
“What does that mean?”
“Normally, different mana types don’t mix. But when someone is on the verge of death, their body absorbs even another’s mana just to survive. I see the young master’s spirit mana in your core—he healed you when you were dying, forming a double core.”
Teresa’s warm but scolding gaze settled on Arne. Her thick, wrinkled hand wrapped around Arne’s thin one. Arne felt her throat tighten.
“A mage’s mana core is a vessel. With damage this severe, even if your own mana, it would leak out and you’d die. You’re alive only because Cedric’s spirit mana is barely keeping you breathing. Why did you do this?”
This wasn’t really a question. It was sorrow for a child forced into such choices.
“The crack is severe, so recovery will be slow. Mana core injuries can only heal with time. Until then, you’ll have to survive by receiving spirit mana from the young master.”
Teresa’s gaze dropped to their intertwined hands.
“So that’s why you were holding hands. Physical contact is the easiest way to transfer mana.”
Arne’s face suddenly burned. Did that mean they had to keep holding hands like this? Feeling awkward, she lifted her head.
Cedric’s lips parted, but when their eyes met, he closed them again. Last night flashed through his mind—something she didn’t even remember.
Teresa glanced at Cedric, rubbing his heated neck, then calmly finished preparing the herbs.
“Call in that mage rascal too and bring back more mana. It won’t be enough, but it’ll help. Turning it into a refined potion will take time.”
She gathered herbs to restore Arne’s strength. Celindepirin—rare in the north, common in the capital.
Watching, Arne murmured.
“Celindepirin helps relieve Arin disease. It can let her live at least several more years.”
At that moment, Cedric’s and Teresa’s gazes snapped to her.
They had tried every possible treatment for their sister’s incurable disease.
If there was even a chance.
Cedric tightened his grip on Arne’s hand.
“What… did you just say?”
