Forget Vivian

“Yes?”

“Why is the imperial knight here? Where do you belong?”

At the question of the knight wearing the guard’s badge, Daniel waved his hands with a desperate look on his face.

“I-I am not suspicious!”

“Most suspicious people say that.”

“Really! I was looking for someone. If you take me, you will definitely regret it.”

“All the suspicious people said so. Let’s go now.”

Daniel was taken away with a puzzled face.

‘Is this my fate?’

Destiny to leave Vivian as it is.

Daniel took a deep breath and stuttered.

However, today’s he confirmed that Vivian is living happily.

If I walk around the market again tomorrow, won’t I be able to see Vivian?

‘It’s obvious that she lives nearby….’

Then I have to decide tomorrow.

Report or not.

I’ll make sure she’s smiling tomorrow too.

Then let’s decide

Daniel scratched the back of his neck, thinking softly.

  ***

Ready for the first business tomorrow.

At the restaurant, Estella and Arianne quarreled over each other’s bills, but it’s been a smooth shopping trip since then.

It was because Estella and Arianne were so mad at each other that they didn’t say a word.

‘Ugh, really.’

Eve took a deep breath as she put the deliciously finished pizza in front of her.

It was clear that both of them were tight-knit as they hadn’t even put their heads out in the kitchen yet.

The pizza with rosemary, which is good for fatigue and goes well with chicken, even smelled great.

Eve took off the oven glove she was wearing, laid it down on the table, and knocked on Arianne’s door.

“Arianne, let’s have dinner.”

Then she knocked on Estella’s door next to him.

“Estella, let’s have dinner. yes?”

But no answer came from either room.

Eve tilted her head and opened Arianne’s door.

“Ah….”

Eve shut her mouth tightly.

In Arianne’s bed, Estella and Arianne were sleeping together.

With her arms hugging Estella, who was wheezing because she was tired.

‘It always ends up like this.’

I don’t know why you fight like an enemy.

Eve pressed the switch on the wall to turn off the light, returned to the kitchen, and covered the pizza on the table with a cloth.

Then she sat down slowly at the table.

Slow enough to even see the trembling of her fingers.

Now is the alone time given to Eve.

Eve buried her face distorted in pain in the palm of her hand.

“…Haa.”

A low sigh escaped, scratching her lungs.

The tingling pain seeped through her fingertips.

Even if she takes painkillers, that’s only endured for a moment.

Arianne is stubborn, but will soon agree with Eve that Estella’s biological father must be found.

Eve is noticeably worse.

‘… Do you remember when the disease started?’

‘I think it’s been about three years.’

‘You must have been in a lot of pain…’

‘It was fine. It was bearable.’

Watching Estella grow, she didn’t even know she was sick.

After one day, the next day would come.

Hans in Vibraze island said that this unknown disease was consuming Eve’s life.

And Eve could hear the proper name from Gillian.

‘It’s called Plumeria. It got its name from a flower that means blessing.’

‘This disease… Blessings?’

‘It is a disease that often occurs in people who have excessive magical powers that the body cannot tolerate. It is both a blessing and a curse.’

‘Can I get better?’

‘… We can relieve the pain, but there is nothing else we can do about it. Sorry.’

Again, a heavy boulder landed on Eve’s chest.

No more tears come out

Eve let out a deep sigh as she pondered the conversation she had with Gillian.

With trembling hands, she poured the water and swallowed it along with the pill.

I held my breath, waiting for the pain to subside.

It’s okay, Eve. Not yet.

“It’s okay…”

The small voice of Eve, who was condescending to herself, gradually faded away.

Like herself.

  ***

Each time Samuel remembered that Vivian was not there, the spacious castle felt wider.

Especially on a spring day like today.

He had been married to Vivian for 3 years and it’s already been 7 years.

Isn’t it embarrassing to go anywhere and say that they are a married couple?

Samuel chuckled.

Vivian was the one who would become his empress.

Why the hell did she leave, why didn’t she think of him at all? I thought about it hundreds of times.

Samuel looked for tens of thousands of reasons, but no one could give him the answer.

Perhaps the most likely reason was that he opposed Vivian’s having a child.

Samuel put his arm over the hollow.

Even though he was casually lying on the bed and drinking, Vivian was still clear.

‘Child….’

Child of Vivian and Samuel. Have I never dreamed of it?

Whether it is a son or a daughter, if it is a child Vivian gives birth to.

Just imagining it makes my heart pound and sometimes tears.

Samuel was only five years old when he was kicked out of the alley.

If it weren’t for him, he could have survived without the ability of a flame magician.

Samuel complained.

Never. He’s already turned into wild dog food and is buried in the garbage heap.

Samuel thought that if Vivian gave birth to a child, he could do anything.

Whatever Vivian wants or whatever the child wants.

But Samuel was not given such an opportunity.

Tears streamed down the back of his arms.

The sound of grasshoppers in the spring night was sparsely heard.

‘Samuel, listen to that. Doesn’t it sound like someone say hello, hello?’

Vivian’s voice, which was chattering like a bird, overlapped.

‘I liked the sound of grass bugs singing. There you are, Samuel. When I hear that sound, I think of Samuel. Even on the night we first met, grass bugs cried like that. But it’s wonderful to hear. I know Samuel was my first friend. So I guess I’m too excited. From that time on, that sound sounded like hello.’

A stream of clear tears overflowed Samuel’s eyelids and ran down his temple.

Now Samuel’s ears hear that sound as hello.

‘Hello, Samuel…’

Vivian’s last greetings overlapped.

The daily life of spring is all Vivian, so he can’t breathe.

His heart tightened with the rumble of breathing.

The empty wine bottle fell from the bed, rolled over the thick carpet, tapped Samuel’s bare feet, and stopped.

‘Aren’t you drinking too much?’

How old was Vivian, when she was the happiest person?

Ah, Vivian was only 17 years old.

Before he became a crown prince.

At that time, Vivian used a more friendly and gentle tone of voice.

Until she entered the castle with Samuel and started to use calm respectful words forcibly.

In fact, I think I drank quite a bit of alcohol that I did not like very much while following Duke Endless and meeting people.

Duke Endless had strictly controlled Vivian’s outings.

So, after Samuel left, Vivian was waiting for him with her feet crossed and her chin crossed as she sat on the stairs leading to the second floor after all her work was done.

‘Samuel! Why are you here now? You came early today. cake? You said you were going to buy what I ate before. What is this! it’s all broken How much more alcohol have you been drinking!’

I liked the babbling of nagging while supporting him who was drunk and unable to walk properly.

So I drank.

On the day Samuel bought a cake, even if he lay still in bed, she would always sit at the table next to him and eat the cake.

‘This is really delicious. You should buy it next time.’

“Yes…”

‘This is bad. I don’t like cakes that are too sweet.’

“Okay…”

‘Oh, this is good. This is really good! I want to go and eat myself… Samuel, can you take me out too? My mother and father are persuaded by Samuel. Because they don’t listen to me.’

“I’ll do that… I’ll do anything…”

Samuel’s voice faded.

The arm that was covering Samuel’s eyes slid off.

His dry, wet face was pale.

Vivian’s voice was no longer heard.

How could he not appear in his dream even once for 7 years?

Damn you

Samuel fell into a bitter and painful sleep.

It was Samuel’s daily routine that continued every night.

  ***

A white bird flew down in front of Eve.

The white bird that had been wandering around Eve, who was sleeping on the table, blinked its black eyes.

“Kuruk?”

The bird tilted its head and walked briskly.

A bird approached Eve and patted Eve’s sleeping head with small white wings.

The bird stayed for a while and then left.

It slipped through the slightly open window and flew into the sky.

The place where the bird flew through the night sky and arrived was Samuel’s balcony.

The bird passed effortlessly through the glass door, with blue curtains.

The bird circling over Samuel opened its beak and let out a long breath, as if sighing.

As if he didn’t like the room filled with the strong smell of alcohol, the bird that had sat on the bed over flew down and gently landed next to Samuel’s head.

Then he stared at Samuel’s face for a while.

Without the slightest tremor.

Then, he pressed his little head against Samuel’s cheek, spread his wings and flew again.

The white feathers dropped on purpose by the bird fell from the sky above Samuel and gently soaked in.

Without a trace.

The next moment, the bird also left.

Like it never came.