Chapter 15 - I Need You To Save Me

Chapter 15 – I Need You To Save Me

Indeed it was a late realization – meaningless and in vain.

‘…My robe, where did my robe go!?’

Everything was plainly reflected on the window. In other words, Ashia had completely revealed herself in front of Kalligo from the moment he attacked her until now.

‘Oh!!! You idiot!!’

Ashia grabbed her head and screamed silently.

Kalligo, who had fallen asleep, barely woke up the next day, whether or not he knew about her agony.

Through the gaps from the small window, the sunlight poured mercilessly on Kalligo’s face, who subsequently raised his arm to cover his eyes, groaning.

Realizing that he wasn’t in his bedroom, he quickly got up. “Ugh.” His sudden movement made him dizzy, so he pressed on his head with his palms as he looked around the place.

Having never slept in someone else’s room or bed except when he was on the battlefield, this was an unexpected novelty.

An unfamiliar place but a familiar scent.

This place with a warm and cozy atmosphere reminded him of someone. Kalligo lay on his back, leaning his head against the headboard of the bed.

‘I had a seizure…’

Kalligo retraced what happened the other day.

They’d kept moving busily since arriving in the capital at dawn, then his carriage had been parked across Ashia’s store with a river in between.

I’d rather get a divorce. I want to open a small flower shop and live quietly.

Renna once said that, and he had promised to give her the freedom she wanted when the time came.

However, even though that time hadn’t arrived yet, she was already freely living her new life. She got the shop she wanted although it wasn’t a flower shop.

The fact that he wasn’t the one who granted her freedom, and that he had no place in her time, was somewhat bittersweet.

‘Haven’t you recovered enough to open the store?’

He arrived in front of her shop early in the morning to watch her open the door; he just checked to see if the store was open and planned to go back.

The store opened not long after. He thought she opened earlier than usual, but the person who came out was a burly man instead of Ashia.

‘Who is it?’

With furrowed eyebrows, Kalligo jumped down from the carriage and walked towards Ashia’s shop.

Meanwhile, Ashia appeared inside the store. He didn’t know what kind of conversation they were having, but the place quickly turned into a friendly atmosphere.

‘I didn’t hear that you were married or had a husband.’

With impatient footsteps, Kalligo strode over, grabbing the doorknob of her shop—

“Cough!”

Seizures were one of the side effects he experienced. After that, it seemed like he was dragged and moved somewhere, and that was her bedroom.

Then Kalligo, who was sifting through his memories, heard a muffled voice.

“This is my room, and that’s my bed.”

He turned his head to the direction of the voice. Standing near the entrance was Ashia with a basket beside her.

Of course, she was fully equipped with her large, thick robe.

“…”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

Asha placed the basket full of bread and fruits on the table. “Would you like to have some bread or fruit after waking up? Unfortunately, I don’t have food of the same quality as what’s served in the grand duke’s residence.”

She pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing a piece of bread and tearing off a corner to chew on.

Kalligo stared at her, then also got out of bed cautiously. “I will eat.”

“…”

He sat down opposite Ashia, but he didn’t eat and just continued staring at her.

“…You won’t eat?”

“I am curious about something.”

He thought that the time had come.

“…Please speak.” Ashia put down the bread. She had put on her trusty robe just in case, but she couldn’t shake the anxiety that he would see her face.

‘You saw my face, right? I wanted to ask you why you were pretending you didn’t…’

She just hoped that he didn’t remember anything he saw and heard during his seizure.

Kalligo’s face shone even brighter, unlike hers, as she couldn’t sleep at all last night due to all kinds of worries.

His messy hair, his ripped and tattered shirt, his red eyes that seemed droopy from sleep.

Even though his appearance was a little unkempt, it was very sensual. Ashia withdrew her gaze and clicked her tongue inwardly.

‘That’s right, he came here so let’s hear what he has to say.’

As Ashia calmed her pounding heart, she waited for his words. He blinked three or four times. “What did you do to me?”

‘Yes?’

She tilted her head at his unexpected question. “Yes?”

“I have never slept this peacefully, nor woke up feeling this refreshed. Ah… what else do I say?”

Ashia took another piece of bread and put it into her mouth as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Did you give me the medicine? The potion you were going to make me?”

“No, I’m still unable to find the ingredients for it.”

“Then?”

“…I just put Your Highness’ aura to sleep as it was going out of control.”

Judging from what they had talked about thus far and the content of their conversation, his tone and expression, he didn’t look like a person who has seen Ashia’s face.

‘Is it because he was unconscious of his actions that he can’t remember?’

It was a rather good thing. She would be rather thankful if he really couldn’t recall anything.

Ashia cleared her throat as she started to talk about auras. “There were times when the aura overpowered their masters.” She then poured milk and handed it to Kalligo. “Auroras are cunning evil spirits. I can sense it when they attack their master viciously.”

“So, are you saying that you took advantage of that opportunity to put someone else’s aura to sleep? With your magic?”

“Yes, you got it right.” Ashia also poured milk for herself and took a sip, feeling parched.

Kalligo looked at her. “You answered simply. It’s not that I don’t know anything about auras, but you also know that you can’t just control other people’s magical powers and auras so easily.”

Ashia crossed her arms at. “Um, I didn’t control it. I suppressed it, to be precise, and I didn’t do it so easily.”

“…”

“Fortunately, the main attribute of my magical power is the water attribute. It can easily extinguish fire.”

“You are talking about the relationship between attributes.”

“Yes, that’s right. If Your Highness wasn’t of the fire attribute, it would’ve been difficult even if it was me.”

“Hmm…” Kalligo nodded with a look of understanding as he picked up a loaf of bread and brought it to his mouth. “Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah, fortunately…”

“It feels like an unexpected path has been opened.”

“…Yes?”

A path was opened? Ashia tilted her head.

Kalligo opened his mouth again after tapping his fingers on the table. “Then.”

“Yes.”

He wiped the bread crumbs off his lips, curving into a graceful smile. “I won’t beat around the bush.”

“What?”

‘What are you trying to say?’

Ashia tilted her head.

Kalligo continued to speak with his low voice. “You can call me shameless. I’d be happy even if you hit me.”

“Huh?”

What’s with the sudden swearing and hitting… Besides, I will only hurt my hands if I hit that rock-solid body.

Her mouth opened wide in disbelief. A little anxiety crept inside her as she looked at the man staring at her. It was as if she had predicted what he was inevitably going to say.

While she was busy holding her breath and swallowing dry saliva, his firm voice continued.

“I need you to save me, Miss Ashia Bliss.”

“…”

Renna was the oldest daughter of Count Cornelli.

All women who were born into the Cornelli family died at a young age.

They would suddenly lose consciousness while eating, fall down on the stars, or suddenly vomit blood. There were many cases where they couldn’t sleep because they were suffering from nightmares, and they were constantly hurt by either big or small accidents.

–Are you saying that a doctor can’t figure out what kind of disease that is?

–That’s because no matter how hard we looked, we never found any abnormalities….

–Incompetent!

The doctor said the cause of their disease was unknown, and as for the cause of their bad luck, it was also difficult to find a clear answer.

However, there was one story that had been passed down for a long time.

It was said that the family of Cornelli had stolen the mirror of the Goddess ‘Arden’ then lost it.

At first, people who had been scoffing at the family began to gossip behind the scenes, saying that it was a story everyone shouldn’t laugh at, as the daughters of the family became short-lived.

–….Are you saying that even Lady Renna started to show symptoms the same as her deceased mother?

–That’s right… It’s a curse. If this isn’t a curse then what could it be?

Renna was no different, being born from the Cornelli family. She was just as helpless as her vitality got weaker each passing day.

Renna Cornelli was becoming a beautiful and dignified corpse, one step closer to the threshold of death.

Nevertheless, there were endless proposals for the incomparably beautiful Renna.

Rather than searching for a way to save her, her father, Viscount Talian Cornelli, was busy figuring out which family would benefit them the most if she was sold.

Then one day, a man came to visit Viscount Cornelli.

He came carrying dozens of gold bars carried by dozens of carriages that even if you put together the gifts from all of Renna’s other marriage proposals, it couldn’t compare.

That man was Duke Kalligo Edmund.

Of course, Renna’s father sold her away to him after a brief conversation.

Moreover…

– You cannot leave the Duke’s residence without my permission.

Those words he had said after coming to the Duke’s residence were not that much different from a command. She could even ask for more knowing her plight as being sold for gold.

She was dying anyway, the only difference was that her location changed from her maiden house to the Duke’s residence.

–Do you not want to live anymore?

–There is no meaning in living.

–…Probably, in the future, there will be such a meaning.

–…

–When the time comes, I will give you your freedom, so please hold on until then.

–…

Renna had looked up at him silently to his unfamiliar words, making eye contact.

I’m saying I’ll save you.

Renna regained her vitality day by day, as Kalligo said, and he kept her alive as promised, while also giving her the will to continue living.

Of course, she lost her life for not keeping his promise to set her free when the time came, but he undeniably saved her – the Kalligo that time who said he would save her, and that Kalligo who brought her back to health.

I need you to save me, Miss Ashia Bliss.

Now he was telling her to save his life.