It felt like I wasn’t in my best condition for a whole day, and by the time I checked the date, three to four days had passed. Once I found that out, I felt like the ground beneath my feet was moving. I wondered what was happening.
Fortunately, nothing happened, but what I felt began to turn into anxiety.
Four days passed, and he was still unconscious.
Dad was still not opening his eyes. No, I didn’t even know if he was asleep.
Did he go into a vegetative state?
I thought I found stableness in my mind, but I felt myself drifting into fear once again.
“Is there a possibility that this would go on forever?”
“Yes, there is.”
The doctor didn’t hesitate. My body stumbled at the shock of receiving his answer.
“Princess!”
Libby grabbed me in a hurry.
My hands were shaking. I couldn’t stand in place because strength was spilling out of my body. I thought that I was calm, that I could take in any news, but the truth was that anything related to my dad just sent me out of my rails.
“We should be grateful that the situation didn’t worsen, but if the condition persisted, he might never regain his consciousness.”
“Then, what can we do?”
“At least by this week or this month, he needs to be back…”
I knew what he would say after that.
I shook my head and looked away from the doctor, who had a sad expression. Tears filled my eyes, seeing Caitel lying down.
Was there nothing else I could do apart from wait?
I started hating myself for my incompetence. I never realized that idleness would devastate a person so badly. I wished I could do something. What could I do? Anything?
If it didn’t happen by this week, it was unlikely for Caitel to regain his consciousness by the end of the month. I remembered hearing such a story in my past life. The longer it took to regain consciousness, the more likely for the brain to stop working,
Brain death. I had heard of such a devastating human phenomenon, but it was my first time seeing someone so close to it. I had trouble breathing while witnessing Caitel’s pain.
“Princess…”
A voice full of concern, but no voice could calm me.
I was going through the toughest period of my life, and if I could endure it, everything would return to normal; although I tried to hypnotize myself with such words, I was still a mess. The only thing I could do was sigh and lament my mistakes.
It was painful how I never realized how important he was to me until he was down on the bed, unable to move, the most precious person in my life.
I wanted to take his place…
Those were the only thoughts in my head.
“Save him.”
I had already lost my composure and reason for life, but no one responded. I looked around. The room had people in it.
Everyone was looking at another person and me.
No, he wasn’t human in the first place.
A visitor I could see clear as day, I begged Dranste again.
“Dranste, save him, please!”
I knew that no miracle would befall us. I just wanted to do something. Even if it was pathetic, I didn’t mind getting down on my knees for my dad.
Suddenly, I spoke after taking a huge breath. Typically, I avoided doing such a thing, but I didn’t care at the time. It didn’t matter if people even thought of me as a crazy bitch.
Dranste turned his gaze towards me.
Everyone could see him.
In that moment.
“Who?”
Was he asking such a thing even after knowing who I was referring to?
When someone who wasn’t in the room suddenly appeared, murmurs erupted.
The shocked maids screamed, but it didn’t matter. I was the one who begged Dranste to make himself visible.
“You can save him. So please.”
“He’s breathing well.”
“But he isn’t opening his eyes.”
My luck was running out.
When I closed my eyes, tears would form again and fall to the ground.
“He can’t see me.”
It wasn’t strange if he stopped breathing at any moment.
His breathing was stable, but no one knew if he would get his consciousness back or die in sleep. Even the doctor asked me to prepare for it.
Being Caitel’s only daughter and family, everyone was trying to prepare me.
Just the thought of being alone after dad’s death made me nervous.
Like a deep winter with no sun, silence lingered in the room. Coldness spread around us. I just sat and sobbed. Was it really the only way? Did I have to let go of my dad with my own two hands? I didn’t even know how long I had been crying.
“There is a way.”
A word broke the deep silence in the room.
I immediately turned my head.
Only the faintly glowing bluish eyes met mine.
“A way to wake up Caitel.”
“Tell me about it.”
I asked right away.
Everyone looked at Dranste; he sighed.
What the hell could it be?
He should have said it right away if he knew!
However, I was the one who needed it, and I had to hold myself.
Dranste answered with a serious face as I waited for his next words.
“It is a difficult one. I am not sure if it’s possible.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“If it fails, you would also die.”
I could die too?
“Would you still do it?”
At that moment, everything stopped. He spoke in a low voice, and I realized my shock. That was why raising a child was useless. My dad would have saved me like it was the most natural thing for him to do, but here I was, hesitating for my life. I felt like the worst kind of child anyone could have. No, I was already a horrible child.
“What is it?”
After a while, I asked.
Dranste leaned against the window. The setting sun colored the sky red.
“You go into Caitel’s dream, find his consciousness, and bring him out.”
Was that even possible? No, rather than that.
“… then he’ll live?”
“Probably.”
I stopped thinking about the possibility. I wanted to bet everything on a little chance. I was desperate; I had no other option.
Dranste walked over from the window. I always knew it; he wasn’t human. He was clearly a physical entity, but he always made me feel like I was in some unrealistic dream.
It was the same, then. Dranste reached out to me. The way he touched Caitel’s forehead seemed friendly since he was in a deep sleep.
“This is a fight with time. If you don’t open your eyes today or tomorrow, you will never wake up. Of course, it is your decision, Ria.”
“I will do it.”
“…”
I would not hesitate anymore.
For a moment, Dranste was shocked at my quick words; he had a hard time accepting what I said.
The voices from behind me felt the same way.
“Princess!”
“Miss Ria!”
I knew how heavy this decision would impact everyone, dozens of them screamed my name, but it didn’t matter. I looked only at Dranste.
Dranste just looked at me. In that brief void, I realized that I had more to lose than gain.
“It’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
“If you fail, both of you die together.”
It didn’t matter. I sincerely thought so. If I died, that wouldn’t be such a horrible thing either.
I had already died once, and I knew how terrifying it was, but it didn’t matter anymore. I wasn’t the same person I was in the past.
I had decided.
Well, it’s nice because I wouldn’t die from a stabbing.
“Princess, you can’t!”
“If the princess dies, we…”
“Princess, no. You shouldn’t do this!”
Everyone tried to convince me. I couldn’t understand why they were trying to do that.
“My dad is in danger too.”
What I was doing wasn’t just dangerous; it was reckless too.
“Even if he was my dad, he was reckless. Why else would he save me on his own? That was why it turned out like this.”
I didn’t resent him. Why would I blame my dad? Instead, I resented myself. I was the one who brought ruin to my family.
“Right. I will do it.”
I clenched my fist. I was fed up with the helplessness that accumulated in my mind for years. No matter what I said, my instinct would always force me to flee.
I wanted to do everything I could for my dad.
“Miss Ria…”
Serira, who had been quiet for some time, spoke. I couldn’t refuse her, but I didn’t want to give up on the only chance I had to save my dad.
A strange voice caught my attention amid all the voices of refusals.
“Go ahead. I agree with it.”
Assisi?
I thought he went to the battlefield.
I gulped. Assisi, dressed in proper armor, stood at the door.
It was an unfamiliar appearance to me, but at the same time, he was still the same Assisi I knew.
“If you promise to return safely, I will send you off happily.”
“Assisi…”
His voice was as soft as ever, but his words held heaviness to them. No one could say anything further. Another voice came after a moment of silence.
“I agree too.”
Fardel smiled while stepping into the room and held my shoulder.
“We can’t just let your father go away like that, right, princess?”
True, but…
I wanted to ask why they were allowing it, but on the other hand, I was shocked. I thought everyone would stop me.
Since I could say anything, Assisi and Ferdel watched me quietly.
Dranste, too, was silent for a while.
The four of us stood there facing each other.
“Dad said I was his daughter.”
My decision…
Dranste nodded.
“Good. I’ll help.”
“Really?”
“I don’t like to see Caitel die like this. It isn’t much fun.”
Despite his smug smile while offering to help me, I was delighted that he accepted my request.
That too easily?
I thought I had to blackmail him, but he was easy to persuade.
Was it a trap?
I knew that if I began to doubt, then I would lose everything. It wasn’t like I was intelligent enough to understand such things. Dranste smiled.
That man, what made him feel so good?
Dranste placed his index finger on my forehead. I didn’t like him touching me.
“Return safely.”
As I pouted, Dranste smiled.
“I don’t want you dead.”
‘… nasty one.’
I closed my eyes. I didn’t like how he showed kindness towards me; I couldn’t help but feel thankful for Dranste.
“We are running short on time. Shall we start?”
“Now?”
I was shocked, but Dranste laughed.
“Normally, it would be impossible. You should thank your mother. With the curse that tied you two, it is worth a shot.”
Yet another bullshit I wouldn’t understand.
I wanted to ask something, but Dranste moved faster. Once his finger touched my forehead again, I felt pain as if someone had struck my head from behind.
A strong force pulled me down by my ankles as if sucking me into place.
The next thing I remembered was entering a dark void.
