TTMLPTWW ~ Chapter 160

* * *

After that, the situation began to unfold rapidly.

Lieutenant General Lev couldn’t avoid severe punishment, and similarly, the high-ranking generals involved in the military corruption were dragged away by the military police, wailing.

“Count, didn’t you promise that we could just present all the evidence and testify!”

“Did I?”

“We trusted only in that and told you everything! You even took the mines and land from us!”

“I just thought they were simple gifts.”

The Count Queensguard smiled slyly and nodded.

Grand Princess Charlotte, who had been watching the scene with interest, nudged Masera and said in a serious voice.

[“More importantly, you disobeyed orders, so you’ll be the second to be locked in the Queen’s ‘Thinking Underground’. The first was the Queen’s son-in-law.”]

Originally, the plan was to wait for a power struggle over the succession to the throne and then eliminate them all at once.

However, for Masera, Cynthia’s life was the priority, so he had acted independently, disobeying the Queen’s orders.

[“Let’s go to the hospital first. You look like you’re on the verge of death.”]

At the Grand Princess’s words, Masera nodded.

In fact, the reason he had been so quiet was that the pain from his injuries had reached its limit.

* * *

The capital, Carlton Hospital.

Cynthia, who had said she would meet her family in a dream, had not woken up even after a day.

Fortunately, Cynthia’s life was not in danger.

The doctor said it was almost miraculous that the bullet had avoided any dangerous areas, and currently described her condition as “unexplained loss of consciousness.”

Masera, who was hospitalized in the same room as Cynthia, waited for her to wake up, watching her the whole time.

Despite his faith, he was anxious.

And Masera wasn’t the only one who was anxious.

“Father-in-law, this isn’t a three-person room.”

Count Queensguard was also sitting next to him, staring at Cynthia all day long.

“I paid for a VIP room, so it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re not even injured enough to be hospitalized. And just because you’re a VIP patient doesn’t mean you can use all the rooms.”

The two men, both watching Cynthia with the same anxiety, bickered and argued in real time.

“Why do you keep trying to be alone with her? It’s extremely suspicious.”

“Isn’t it natural, since I’m her husband?”

The Count, unable to find a rebuttal, sighed.

“It’s time for her injection, so the other patient please leave.”

In the end, the Count was kicked out by the nurse.

After the nurse checked Cynthia’s condition and left, Masera, finally alone with her, held Cynthia’s hand.

“Did you meet your loved ones?”

Masera, gazing silently at the unresponsive Cynthia, gave a faint smile.

“Please, have a happy time and come back.”

* * *

I was having a very happy time with my family.

After a cozy dinner together, my sister, who had been lazing around trying to find a satellite network connection on her basic cell phone, suddenly sat up.

“Oh, the next chapter came out after two weeks. I hope the author lives a long and healthy life.”

“What is it?”

After the war broke out, there were authors who uploaded their novels to personal blogs to give people hope.

Reading these was my sister’s only joy.

“It’s an 18+ novel, so you can’t read it.”

“But you’re eighteen, aren’t you?”

“I’ll be nineteen soon, okay? I’m claiming the early bird benefits.”

…But, didn’t my sister die when I was nineteen?

“Oh, my god. This is so good.”

As I was constantly plagued by an unknown sense of unease, my sister made a strange noise, her face a mixture of joy and pain.

Curious, I peeked at the phone screen from behind, and my eyes widened.

It contained very harsh, vulgar, and unhealthy content.

I drooped my shoulders and sighed.

“Seeing as I understand this, I guess I’m an adult.”

My sister, who was lying down reading the novel, nonchalantly asked, swinging her legs back and forth.

“Did you just realize that? You’ve already surpassed my age.”

“……Huh?”

What does that mean?

Then, I saw the title of the novel my sister was reading on the phone screen.

[A Flower Placed in a Broken Vase]

The title alone makes it seem like a tearjerker that you can’t watch without crying…

I should just go to sleep. I need to sleep early to have a more enjoyable tomorrow.

I closed my eyes, looking forward to tomorrow.

And when I opened my eyes again, it was still night.

“That’s strange?”

I was holding a ball, looking up at the sky filled with countless stars and red auroras.

“Throw it quickly!”

My sister, who was playing ball with me, urged.

Mom and Dad were sitting on rocking chairs, smiling and watching us.

While I was playing ball with my older brother and sister, I went to pick up a ball that was rolling away and encountered a boy.

He was a boy with platinum blonde hair, a pretty face, and eyes like the universe.

“Hello.”

The boy, who had picked up the ball, greeted me with a beautiful smile.

“Hello, but have we perhaps met somewhere before?”

At my question, the boy smiled with his eyes and nodded.

“We’ll be seeing each other for life, so I came to pick you up.”

Seeing each other for life? I tilted my head in confusion, when my older brother approached with a wistful smile.

“It’s time to go back now.”

“Go back where? My home is here?”

Then, the moment I saw the dog Dahlia, who had followed my brother, my vision suddenly blurred.

It was because I remembered that Dahlia had left for doggy heaven when my brother was young.

After ruminating on the unease I had felt, I realized the whole truth and covered my mouth.

‘…My family is already dead, and this is a dream.’

Could it be that my family came to spend a happy time with me for the last time?

Suppressing the overwhelming emotions, I asked my brother.

“Brother, did you meet Dahlia again? You cried so much when Dahlia went to doggy heaven. You said you missed her every day…”

“Yeah. She said she had been waiting for me to come until I arrived.”

My brother, who used to feel like a much bigger adult than me when I was young, now had a youthful face that was still on the border between a boy and a young man.

“Brother, are you not in pain now?”

Recalling the time when I received the notice of his death, I felt unbearable.

My brother hugged me tightly and replied.

“Yeah. I’m okay now.”

I grabbed the hand of my sister, who was lingering like a cat and hugging me as well.

My sister glanced at me, opening her eyes slightly.

“Um, you know. I think I was a little harsh on you when I was alive.”

My sister continued, making an awkward expression.

“The reason I got angry and said that you had to be able to live on your own… was because I meant that you would have precious people even after we were gone.”

After my brother even died, my sister, who had endured the harsh reality, raised me to be strong.

“Does crying get you food? Smile if you want to live. Adults don’t give anything to crying kids.”

My sister looked like she deeply regretted that.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be good to you. I didn’t even play with you like this, and I only got angry at you.”

I, who was now older than my sister, understood her.

That my sister at that time was only a young teenager.

“No, sister. You told me about a world I didn’t know and made me like it.”

Even though the world was completely ruined by the war, my sister diligently found and showed me writings, drawings, songs, and videos.

It must have been because she felt sorry for me, who had lived most of my life in war.

Those things had stopped in time long ago, but they told me that the beautiful times I had never experienced would come again someday.

My brother asked in a gentle voice.

“Do you remember what I said? That we would watch over you from heaven.”

“I remember.”

“And that trials are a preparation process for greater happiness?”

“…Of course. I thought of my family every time I had a hard time. I didn’t know how fortunate I was to have a name left that I could call out even if I was reborn.”

The reason I had safely overcome dangerous moments was probably because everyone was watching over me.

Meanwhile, the sky gradually brightened, and the red aurora, which was the world of the dead, became transparent.

My sister looked at the sky and slowly let go of my hand.

“Go now. If you stay any longer, you’ll never wake up.”

“Will you come to pick me up when I die later…? I get lonely easily.”

“What are you talking about? It’s not like, ‘When a person dies, the older sister who went first comes to greet them.'”

My sister, who had been grumbling, turned her head away.

It was my sister’s habit when she was sad.

This must be the last time I’m meeting them in a dream.

Sensing the farewell, I smiled brightly at the two of them.

“It’s okay to be reborn as a fairy in <The Adorable Sunshine Young Lady Wins Everything> now, sister.”

“No, I’m going to the <The Rich Villainess Eats Everything> series. A supporting fairy can’t even catch a second-male lead.”

Anyway, seeing that she’s going for a refreshing story, it seems like my sister also doesn’t like the practical experience of wretched stories.

My brother picked up the dog Dahlia, shook Dahlia’s front paws, and smiled.

“The world you live in is peaceful, so have fun and come slowly.”

My sister, who had passed me and stood next to my brother, smiled for the first time in a long time.

Before I knew it, Mom and Dad had also come closer.

“We hope that our existence will remain in your memory as the happiest and warmest memory, not sadness.”

My dad, who had stroked my head, approached the boy and made eye contact.

“Please take good care of our youngest Princess. You are family now.”

The boy nodded with a brave face and held my hand.

I ran up the hill full of flowers with the boy.

As we swam through the flowers, grass, and fragrant wind, the boy turned to me and asked.

“Aren’t you sad? About saying goodbye to your loved ones.”

“It’s okay. Eugene said that you can love even if you’re not together.”

I smiled brightly at the boy.

“I’m going to create them with you now. Moments that you can love even after they’ve passed.”

I let go of my lingering feelings for my family in my previous life, as if letting them flow away on the breeze.

And I didn’t look back.

“Let’s go back to our world, Masera.”

Soon, a brilliant light followed us and filled the world with white.

It was time to wake up from the dream.