Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Celine blinked her eyes.

“Is there any place that Leonhard can’t go to?”

“What do you think of me?”

Even though his voice sounded a little dumbfounded, Leonhard had a faint smile as if his mood wasn’t terrible.

“This text refers to a volcano.”

“…A volcano?”

Celine’s voice rose. In the game, the next stage of the lake was a lava field filled with lava every moment.

“Yes. It seems a bit quiet these days… Still, I heard that there was always lava flowing.”

Leonhard gazed at her face, which was getting brighter and brighter.

“Did it come out of your dream?”

“Yes.”

Celine nodded her head broadly.

“It was a land filled with lava. I didn’t even think of a volcano…”

“It’s lava, so of course, it must flow from the volcano.”

At his words, she bit her lip.

That lava flowed from volcanoes was common knowledge for Leonhard as well as Celine. However, she only remembered the lava fields in the game all the time, and she couldn’t relate to the actual volcanoes.

She knew why.

‘I thought the stage was a game…’

Two months had passed since she woke up in the cursed mansion, and the line between a game and reality was gradually blurring. It was because even Leonhard was different from the game right now. Still, Celine believed that the stage was like the game.

Only then would she be able to finish the game and return to her original life when she saw the true ending.

But, Leonhard’s words reminded her of something she had never thought of.

‘…It’s all real. The mansion, the mine, the lake.’

Celine recalled the stages she cleared one by one, not in the game but in the real world. As soon as she cleared one, just like the stages in the game, rather than jumping out of the context of the next stage.

Everyone had a place in the world where Leonhard lived…

In other words, even if she saw the true ending, she may have to live here for the rest of her life as ‘Celine Hunt who saw the true ending.’

An anxiety overcame her.

As long as there was a glimmer of hope that she could return to her original life, she wouldn’t give up watching the true ending. Nevertheless, what she thought was 100% now had a 50% chance… who wouldn’t despair…?

Her confused mind did not subside until the moment she departed for the North when the Baron expressed his gratitude.

* * *

“Celine!”

As soon as she got off the carriage, Natasha ran straight to her and hugged her tight.

“Looks like you’re okay. I’m really glad.”

“It’s all thanks to Leonhard.”

Natasha shook her head softly.

“Don’t tell me, my eyes will be completely turned upside down… Oh, I heard that something bad happened to Barony Elmer, too!”

Celine was going to say it worked out fine though Natasha held her hand in a non-stop chatter.

“First, get checked up with Dr. Branche first. By the way, soothe your escort maid well. This time she was really about to die. I was so worried, I put Miriam with her.”

Her heart sank at Natasha’s words.

Danny would think it was her fault that Celine was kidnapped.

“Where is she now?”

Celine opened the door to Danny’s room with a heavy heart.

“Who—Lute!”

While Miriam jumped up and greeted her, on the other hand, Danny only gazed up at her with blank eyes. Seeing Danny, who hadn’t slept or eaten for several days, made her heart ache.

“Miriam, Danny. Sorry for worrying you.”

“What do you have to apologize for, Lute?”

Even though Miriam tried to answer right away, Danny took a step forward. Her stubborn lips moved, and a hard answer flowed out.

“It’s all because of me…”

Celine shook her head.

“It was the warlock who kidnapped me. Had Danny been there, you would not have been able to point it out.”

“Still…!”

Her angry voice echoed through the room.

“…Lute must have suffered less for one day.”

Celine wanted to say she didn’t care if she had been kidnapped for three or two days, but she stopped. Now, all of Danny’s thinking was directed towards blaming only herself. At times like this, it would be better not to argue.

“Danny, the past is the past. I hope that you will continue to protect me from now on. Does Danny not want that?”

“That can’t be…!”

Celine cut off her words adamantly.

“So then, get some sleep. Eat properly as well. Please, escort me in good health.”

Suddenly, Danny’s shoulders, who had only looked stiff, shook.

“Lute…”

“If you want to blame yourself, you can blame it as much as you want.”

Celine pitied herself, too, as she joked. In fact, this may be closer to the truth.

“However, if you don’t, it’s not going to help anyone. I hope Danny can help me.”

Instead of answering, Danny looked at her with tears in her eyes. Celine then turned her head before opening her mouth again.

“Miriam, I’m sorry, though could you bring me some food? I am very hungry.”

Moments later, Miriam returned with a tray full of her favorite food. Celine gazed at Danny as she ate vigorously, savoring the cream that spread through her mouth.

‘Do I have to clear the stage?’

She thought it might be better for her to live a safe life, where she could no longer die under Danny’s protection. It may not have been necessary in the first place for her to follow the true ending, threatening her life as well as Leonhard’s life.

After she urged Danny to get some rest, Miriam followed her as she stepped out the door.

“I will escort you. Where would you like to go?”

“Uh…”

Celine hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I want to meet Leonhard.”

All the way to Bernoulli Castle, she kept her mouth shut in the carriage. It was because she was afraid that all the truth would come out.

And so, they left Natasha’s Tower and headed for Leonhard’s Tower. His tower, with an old-fashioned yet bleak atmosphere, had not changed at all since they left. As they were sauntering slowly, organizing the thoughts in my head, she heard a familiar voice.

“Celine…?”

The startled Leonhard was looking at her.

“I thought you were resting… What’s going on?”

She swallowed a gulp.

“I have something to tell you.”

“What?”

Celine closed her eyes tightly and opened them.

Her mouth didn’t open properly, but she had to speak. So far, she had been able to borrow his power to follow the true ending route. But now, she had lost even her power to move on to the true ending route.

“…What do you think if I can’t break the curse for the rest of my life?”

“It doesn’t matter. Didn’t I tell you? I promise to be by your side for the rest of my life.”

His voice overflowed with certainty.

Celine glanced up at him. Leonhard, whom she had seen thus far, was not someone to tell lies.

Now that there was no guarantee that she would be able to return to her original life just because she saw the true ending, wouldn’t it be better for her to live safely than to continue to endanger herself and his life…?

‘…Wait a minute.’

For a moment, her body stiffened.

‘Leonhard can’t keep that promise.’

It was because she clearly saw his future. The image of a murderer running to slaughter people with bloody eyes—

—Just five years later, that would be Leonhard’s appearance.

‘It’s not five years.’

Since she was kidnapped during a banquet to celebrate the last day of the year, and about a week had passed since then… The remaining time was only four years.

‘Yes, above all else, for Leonhard… I have to see the true ending.’

Her mouth opened slowly.

“…Promise me.”

“Am I that untrustworthy?”

Leonhard’s puzzled question came back.

“For the rest of my life, promise me that you will be by my side as the Leonhard you are now.”

“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

He looked surprised and sullen at the same time as he finished his words, “Because I am not immortal.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Celine was a little angry.

‘How can he not understand something so obvious?’

“I like the current Leonhard. Because…”

She couldn’t continue. Because as soon as it came out of her mouth, she realized how what she had just said would sound to Leonhard.

Her face lit up with fire.

“Ah, so, that’s…”

Celine gibbered.

Whatever she said, it sounded like a confession, and when she thought of another expression, she had to make it clear that this place was in a game. Eventually, after muttering a few words that Leonhard would not understand, she shut her mouth.

There was silence for a while.

She started counting the patterns on the floor. Her head, which had stopped from the considerable embarrassment, did not know how to turn. Fortunately, Leonhard didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m glad you’re feeling fine. Is it okay if I leave tomorrow?”

Celine looked up at him with wide-open eyes in surprise.

“Where?”

“To the volcano.”

Leonhard replied as if it was a given.

“Leonhardt said you couldn’t go…”

“You must have seen a solution in your dream.”

At that, her eyes twinkled.

Leonhard was right. She knew how to navigate the lava fields.

“I will prepare.”

“And, there is one thing you should know.”

Leonhard’s eyes met hers.

“We will not return to the castle until the curse is lifted.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

Celine asked blankly.

She was terrified that she wouldn’t see the true ending within the time of four years. But now, Leonhard was talking as if it was something that could be finished in a few days.

“What if it takes five or ten years?”

“Then, we will be back in ten years.”

“But, Leonhard also has to carry out his duties. It’s impossible to just hang on to me.”

“I used to receive assignments while on missions anyways. I just need to keep telling them where I am.”

“The Grand Duke…”

“I told him already.”

Leonhard shrugged his shoulders.

“My father always respects my opinion. He doesn’t really care about what I do, as long as I’m just doing my job.”

“….”

Celine stared blankly at him. So far, even though Leonhard has surprised her several times, he had never said something as unbelievable as he does now.

“Well, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why…”

She hesitated slightly.

“…I don’t know why Leonhard is doing this for me.”

Instead of answering, Leonhard bent his knees slightly and brought himself to her eye level. Celine turned her head away, unable to bear the stares that seemed to be scrutinizing deep into her. At the same time, his lips opened.

“Because you are the first person to do this to me, Celine Hunt.”

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