* * *
When Asnel opened his eyes again, he realized what had happened.
“Ed never gave up on me, even in the most dangerous moments, and yet I…”
His chest tightened as he recalled the voice that had echoed in his confused mind—it had been Ed’s all along.
If saving Ed required his own life, Asnel felt he’d gladly tear out his heart and give it to him.
Pressing a kiss to Ed’s forehead, Asnel cursed the dragon’s blood that coursed through him.
“I should never have brought him to the North in the first place.”
From the moment he harbored feelings for Ed, Asnel had feared this outcome.
That fear had driven him to push Ed away, avoiding him under the pretense of keeping him safe.
But… greed had overtaken him.
Because he had wanted to see Ed’s smiling face just a little longer, he had hesitated, repeating to himself, “Just a little more.” And in the end, he had caused Ed to be hurt.
“If I’d kept my distance, like I do with the other northerners… Or at least kept him safe in the fortress during dangerous times, like I did with Ronen…”
No. He had been wrong from the start.
He should never have met Ed in the first place.
Consumed by self-loathing, Asnel desperately cast every spell he could to save Ed.
In doing so, he realized two things.
First, the magical side effects that had once plagued him were now gone.
Second, his current magic could not heal Ed’s wounds.
Still, Asnel didn’t stop.
Magic circles appeared around Ed, who lay on Asnel’s cloak, as light poured relentlessly from Asnel’s body, illuminating the once-dark cave.
“……”
Even after pouring out his power for a long time, Ed’s wounds refused to heal—not even the small cuts on his forehead showed any sign of mending.
Asnel clenched his teeth.
“It’s the dragon’s poison in the wounds. It’s blocking the healing process.”
Seeing Ed’s breathing grow fainter, Asnel bit down hard.
“Ed.”
He was on the brink of despair, powerless to save Ed even with the imperial bloodline’s strength—a power revered and feared by all.
Then, his mother’s words resurfaced in his mind.
“Asnel, people envy the dragon’s blood that flows through the imperial family, but it’s not an unconditional blessing. Sometimes, power beyond one’s control becomes a curse that harms those around you. That’s why we royal blood learn magic and swordsmanship from such a young age—to master our abilities.”
As a child, Asnel hadn’t understood her words.
“I only train in magic and swordsmanship to protect my younger sibling. I’m not afraid of dragon’s blood.”
But after countless battles to defend the North, he understood.
What he had once thought were simple side effects of magic were, in truth, the cost his mother had spoken of.
Though rest could suppress the outward symptoms, Asnel knew the cost of the dragon’s power was accumulating within him, layer by layer.
Suddenly, a glowing script appeared before Asnel’s eyes.
The sensation brought a brief wave of dizziness, and he recalled a story his mother had told him long ago—one he had failed to remember until now, as though it had been veiled in mist.
“Even so, Asnel, don’t worry too much. Our family carries not only the burden of the dragon’s blood but also its blessing. Once, just once in a lifetime, we can grant the one we love most the dragon’s blessing.”
The cave, which had felt cold moments ago, now seemed warm. The anxiety weighing on Asnel vanished.
Recalling his mother’s words, Asnel reached for the dagger lying on the ground.
“If Ed were here, he’d panic and try to stop me.”
Lifting the blade, Asnel slashed a long wound across his palm.
But instead of blood, radiant light spilled from the cut.
“So, wake up and scold me. I want to see you again, Ed.”
“And sometimes, this blessing grants the deepest wish of the one who receives it.”
‘Huh?’
Blinking, the world before him alternated between light and darkness, until finally, it was completely shrouded in black.
At that moment, Ed felt warmth spreading in his stomach.
‘This is strange.’
Moments ago, his entire body had been freezing and racked with pain… but now, all that discomfort had mysteriously vanished.
Then, something warm brushed against his lips, and that comforting heat radiated rapidly throughout his body.
‘…Ah.’
Though his eyelids felt unbearably heavy, making it difficult to open his eyes, Ed couldn’t suppress the faint smile that tugged at his lips as he felt someone carefully lifting him into their arms.
‘It’s His Grace.’
The tender hand that swept across his forehead and the gentle touch that brushed at the corners of his eyes left no room for doubt.
‘Thank goodness… His Grace has woken up.’
The unmistakable presence of the Grand Duke filled him with relief, causing his heart to flutter.
‘Thank goodness, truly…’
Even as his consciousness flickered on the verge of fading, Ed clung to the moment, unwilling to let it go.
Powerlessly, he nuzzled his forehead against the firm yet warm chest of the Grand Duke.
Each time he did, the Grand Duke responded with slow, reassuring pats on his back.
‘Thank you for being alive… and for staying by my side.’
With every gentle pat, Ed felt the hard, unyielding walls that had fortified his heart begin to crumble.
Since then, Ed drifted in and out of consciousness several times.
Whenever he woke, his barely open eyes would glimpse blurry surroundings—the inside of a carriage at times, and the Northern castle at others.
And yet, regardless of the place or time, he always found himself cradled in the Grand Duke’s arms.
Ed would faintly smile at the warmth and the steady heat of that embrace before slipping back into slumber.
Crackling.
Eventually, the time came when Ed, feeling much lighter, managed to lift his eyelids.
The sound of burning logs reached his ears, and the familiar ceiling of his room in the Northern castle came into view.
‘…My room.’
As he stared blankly at the ceiling above his bed, a hand gently brushed against his forehead, drawing his gaze.
There, sitting with a chair pulled close to the bed, was the Grand Duke.
“Your Grace…”
His voice was hoarse and low, almost unrecognizable as his own, but Ed mustered as bright a tone as he could.
“Hello, Ed. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, Your Grace. And… are you all right?”
The Grand Duke said nothing, silently gazing down at Ed before giving a small nod.
He then poured warm tea into a cup and offered it to him.
“You’ve already been back at the castle for two days, but you hadn’t woken up. I was worried.”
Sliding a hand behind Ed’s neck, the Grand Duke gently propped him up and brought the cup to his lips.
As the warm tea soothed his parched throat, Ed wondered if this was all still a dream.
‘Could it be… that everything from the moment I went to rescue His Grace until now was just a dream?’
Unaware of Ed’s swirling thoughts, the Grand Duke remained entirely focused on tending to him.
Once Ed finished the tea, the Grand Duke laid him back down and tucked a soft blanket snugly over him.
Ed watched every move he made, following him with his eyes until his eyelids began to droop again. Determined, he shook his head lightly to stay awake.
‘If this is a dream, I hope it lasts a little longer.’
At that moment, the Grand Duke leaned down and pressed a small kiss to his forehead, whispering softly.
“If you’re tired, just rest without a care in the world, Ed.”
‘So it is a dream… but that’s okay.’
Soothed by the tenderness in his voice, Ed slipped back into sleep.
When he next opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar space: a study he had never seen before.
‘…Where is this? Did I actually die back then?’
Even as he considered the possibility of his own death, Ed remained surprisingly calm.
‘It’s not as unsettling as I thought. Maybe it’s because everything before this felt so surreal.’
Ed began examining the bookshelves around him, trying to deduce where he was.
The study was warm and inviting, with books lining three walls from floor to ceiling.
As he scanned the titles, one in particular caught his eye.
The Childhood of Asnel Linden
Drawn to the title, Ed instinctively stepped forward, pulling the book from the shelf.
‘It feels wrong to just take a book from a study without permission… but how could I not look at something with that title?’
After a brief inner struggle, Ed let out a deep sigh and reluctantly returned the book to its place.
“You can read it if you want, child.”
Startled by the voice that came from directly behind him, Ed spun around to find its source.
Standing there was a woman dressed in the ceremonial uniform of the Northern Grand Duchy.
She was a head taller than Ed, with the same black hair and ruby-red eyes as the Grand Duke.
“Are you feeling better? You came dangerously close to a tragedy because of my eldest son.”
Her voice carried a note of regret, and Ed’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Eldest son? Could she mean…?!’
“Oh, my manners. I should introduce myself first,” the woman said, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“I am Mela Linden, the previous Duchess of the North and the mother of Asnel and Ronen.”
Ed wasn’t sure if this was another figment of his imagination or reality, but one thing was clear: the woman before him was the same one he had seen in the portrait hanging in the Grand Duke’s study.
* * *
Спасибо
wake up ed :((