* * *
Even after the energy wave stabilized, I couldn’t leave the room for a long time.
Naturally, there was no one forcefully keeping me in the room.
It was just that Hesia would look at me with worried eyes every time I tried to step off the bed.
He wouldn’t leave my side, claiming that he didn’t know who had targeted me, so I couldn’t push him away.
And so, I spent nearly a whole week with Hesia in what felt like house arrest—no, rather, just quietly passing the time.
Today, Hesia, who had been hovering by my side as he had for the past few days, turned his head at a knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
“It is I.”
“Hugo? Why did you come, Ah, did you find the person I asked for?”
“Yes.”
Hesia, who had been muttering with a bored expression without opening the door, widened his eyes and asked.
The answer from outside the door confirmed it.
As soon as the reply came, Hesia quickly got off the bed with a bright face and flung the door open.
Despite the delayed welcome, Hugo bowed in greeting without a single complaint.
“No, never mind the formalities. Just tell me about it. So, who is that dog-like bastard, no. Not here, let’s go to the next room. Vivi, I’ll be gone for just a moment.”
“Okay.”
Hesia glanced at me and spoke in a low voice.
It was all clearly audible despite his lowered voice, but I pretended not to hear anything and gently waved my hand.
After smiling shyly at me for a moment, Hesia soon led Hugo away and disappeared somewhere.
I watched his back, which vanished like the wind, as I lay diagonally on the bed.
“…Hmm, I suppose it’s because of that incident?”
The incident where I ate something strange at the birthday banquet and my energy wave got tangled.
The person he “asked for” probably meant the culprit of that incident.
I rubbed my smooth chin and then reached for the bed.
I popped a grape that Hesia had personally washed and brought to me into my mouth.
Chewing, I tried to guess who the brazen culprit could be.
“I can’t think of a suitable person. No, it feels like there are too many…”
I thought nothing unusual was happening, but Hesia being next to me was unusual.
I wrinkled my nose and glared at the plate of grapes.
The plate was engraved with a magnificent pattern, as if to tell just how noble the owner of this room was.
“Since Sia is a Prince, is this kind of incident happening now a bit late?”
‘Or maybe they realized Hesia’s feelings weren’t just temporary.’
I rolled a grape with my fingertip, considering various possibilities.
After a long while, organizing my thoughts, I picked up the grape and put it in my mouth.
“Not just temporary… they completely missed the mark.”
Even if Hesia’s feelings weren’t temporary, my stay in this Duchy was temporary.
When the next year came, I wouldn’t be here.
I would be in hell for the sin of deceiving Hesia’s heart, or in heaven thanks to Hesia’s prayer.
What was certain was that wherever it was, it wouldn’t be this world.
Whoever it was, they wouldn’t be able to force an eternity I didn’t want upon me.
If God saw me thinking this way, he might have cast me into hell for blasphemy.
“Would that be alright, too?”
It actually seemed like a not-so-bad idea.
Thinking that, I chuckled softly, finding myself funny for having such thoughts.
When I lowered the arm that was supporting my head, my half-raised body slumped down.
Leaning deeply against the pillow behind me, I slowly blinked.
Clearing my head, which was complicated with various thoughts, I turned my head toward the window.
The day was exceptionally nice.
I habitually hummed a lullaby, wiggling the fingers that were lying limp on the blanket.
It had become ingrained in me from often singing it to soothe Hesia, who wouldn’t leave my side.
When I had sung the song about three times, Hesia’s voice was heard from outside the door.
The door was flung open at the same moment I turned my head.
“Vivi!”
‘Ah, it seems the matter was resolved well.’
I guessed the situation from his bright face, then slowly sat up.
While I perched on the edge of the bed, Hesia, who had closed the door and trotted over to me, sat down on the floor, not the bed.
Then, he started chattering while playing with my cold feet.
“Want to go outside? The weather is nice today, so let’s go horseback riding after a long time.”
“Horseback riding?”
“Yeah! Do you dislike it? If you dislike it, we can just stay in the room!”
Hesia chirped that anything was fine and curved the corners of his eyes roundly.
I quietly looked down at his face, which was more than just happy—it looked relieved compared to when he left the room—and chuckled softly.
Instead of asking if something good had happened and making Hesia awkward, I nodded to Hesia’s suggestion with a face that showed I knew nothing.
“Horseback riding sounds nice. I was just thinking how nice the weather is today.”
“Right? Ah, should we even pack a lunch? Hmm, it’s a bit early for a full meal, so let’s take some fruit! What should we take? Ah, should I just ask them to pack everything?”
His white face was flushed red with excitement.
I smiled, looking at him chattering non-stop with even his forehead red like a child.
I lowered my hand and gently swept back the light pink hair covering Hesia’s forehead, offering moderate agreement.
“Yes. Let’s ask the chef to pack all the seasonal fruits they have. And we’ll spread out a mat on the grass and eat it together.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s take a walk too!”
“Sure, sure. …Let’s do everything Sia wants to do.”
The image of Hesia weeping bitterly like a child who had lost the world after hearing that my one year was all his suddenly came to mind.
Because of that, my voice was reflexively a little gentler as I continued speaking.
As if my answer pleased him, Hesia looked up at me with an even brighter face.
“Vivi.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing. Let’s talk about it later. Right now, I’m too happy… I want to savor this feeling more.”
Hesia, who shook his head as if it were nothing, whispered to himself.
At his face, which looked happy but at the same time infinitely exhausted, I unconsciously stroked his young face.
His fluffy face, covered with fine downy hair, was warm with fever.
Thinking he felt like freshly baked bread, I lightly pinched his soft cheek.
As if he wasn’t unfairly pinched, Hesia just smiled foolishly, offering his face.
His gentle and docile reaction, completely devoid of hostility, made me laugh dryly.
“How do you intend to survive this harsh world when you’re this docile?”
I cupped Hesia’s face with both hands and spoke with a very serious face.
As soon as my playful words ended, Hesia burst into laughter.
After laughing for a long time, his shoulders Siaking, Hesia rubbed his small face against my hand and muttered.
“What? No, no. I’m a very wicked and cruel person. I’m only docile in front of Vivi. Because I like Vivi… that’s why.”
“Why are you wicked and cruel?”
“Then, am I kind?”
“Of course, you’re kind.”
“No, I’m not. I’m not kind.”
“Why?”
“Because… how can I be a kind person when I pray every day that Vivi will stay by my side forever.”
Hesia, wearing a self-mocking smile, spoke softly as if sharing a secret.
“I’m greedy. I don’t want one year, I want Vivi’s entire life.”
Hesia, who wore the expression of someone coveting something he shouldn’t have, narrowed his eyes.
I couldn’t figure out what to say.
As I kept only parting my lips, unable to speak, Hesia buried his face in my palm and closed his eyes.
“It’s okay, Vivi. God punishes the one who commits the sin, not the priest who hears the confession. All the wrongs are mine. You are innocent. I’m the bad one.”
I couldn’t feel happy, even at his voice which sounded like he was consoling me.
This was because I knew the reason Hesia was committing a sin was me.
Hesia’s sin was my sin, my excessive desire.
I was the one who saved the young, fragile child, and I was the one who left him alone in this world. The sinner in this relationship was me.
And just as I was about to tell Hesia that he hadn’t done anything wrong, Hesia lightly pressed his lips to my palm and jumped to his feet.
“Shall we go out soon?”
“…Let’s do that.”
“Alright, just a moment. I’ll go tell Hugo to prepare the fruit.”
Hesia hurried out of the room before I could say anything.
I heard Hugo and Hesia conversing in the hallway.
“I’ll be riding horses with Vivi around the castle, so please prepare.”
“It’s a bit early for a meal, what should I prepare to eat?”
“Fruit. Please prepare seasonal fruits. You don’t need to help with the change of clothes.”
“Yes. I will prepare immediately.”
The door opened as soon as Hugo’s answer ended.
I turned my head to look at the face coming through the opened door, then lowered my eyes.
Assuming I was lost in thought, Hesia didn’t call me and went into the dressing room to retrieve clothes.
Hesia, who changed first, naturally helped me change clothes.
I could change clothes by myself now, but instead of saying so, I quietly accepted Hesia’s touch.
The preparation was finished when he neatly gathered my long hair and tied it with a ribbon.
Hesia seemed disappointed that the preparation ended so quickly, and he played with my hair for a long time before taking his hands away.
I watched him through the window.
* * *
