Grace had gone too far.
Did she really have to keep twisting the knife like this?
My heart hurt so much.
I never should have fallen in love with her in the first place.
So all this time...
The smiles she'd shown me.
The times she'd blushed.
The way she'd called my name...
They had all been forced.
Deep down, she must have found someone like me disgusting.
I really was pathetic.
So how was I supposed to move on?
We still had a journey ahead of us, one that might not end for who knew how long.
Every single day, I'd have to see Grace—beautiful, adorable Grace.
Could I really get over her?
...No.
I probably couldn't.
Six years wasn't a short time.
Nor was it especially long.
During those years, I'd imagined countless times how I could grow closer to Grace.
How we'd get to know each other better.
How I'd ask her out on a date.
How I'd confess beneath a romantic night sky.
How we'd become engaged.
How we'd marry with everyone's blessings.
How we'd have children whose names I'd already chosen.
I'd even thought of names for our grandchildren.
And in the end, we'd spend our retirement together in Labintehay.
But none of that would ever happen now.
Dreams were only dreams.
In the end, I'd probably spend my life with nothing but money for company.
Just then, I heard the sound of a sword being drawn.
Was someone nearby arguing?
Had things escalated into a fight?
The sound was close...
Right behind me.
That was bad.
Even if Grace didn't love me, my heart still wanted to protect her.
"Grace...!"
I turned around to warn her—
Only to find her pointing her sword at me.
So she was the one who had drawn it.
The one in danger...
Was me.
But what had happened to Grace?
She was crying.
Yet the corners of her lips were curled into a smile.
It was a terrifying smile.
Her eyes were even more frightening.
They were fixed on me, yet somehow dull and lifeless, consumed by a maddening obsession.
"Mr. Jacob~"
Grace called my name in a cold, haunting voice that somehow carried an alluring sweetness.
The sound alone made me instinctively take a step backward.
She took two steps forward instead.
The tip of her sword came to rest against my throat.
Was Grace really going to kill me?
Her actions were completely beyond my understanding.
I couldn't comprehend why she was doing this.
But with my life hanging by a thread, I couldn't afford to think about reasons anymore.
The only thing that mattered was calming her down.
"G-Grace... calm down. Please don't do anything rash. Put the sword down first. We can talk this through... okay?"
Grace slowly pulled the sword away.
Did it work?
Then she said something I barely had the presence of mind to process.
"If we can't spend this life together... then I'll kill you and end my own life afterward. If we're not destined to be together in this life, then we'll be together in the next."
I was wrong.
The moment she finished speaking, she thrust her sword toward me.
Terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut.
My entire body trembled.
(Am I going to die...?)
I'd confessed to the woman I loved.
She rejected me.
She told me she hated me.
And now...
She was going to kill me.
I couldn't bear to face reality, so I kept my eyes tightly shut.
Then...
Something hit the ground.
But I never felt the sword pierce my body.
Had Grace only been trying to scare me?
Was this all meant to make me give up on loving her?
That was terrifying.
So this was the kind of person Grace really was.
Still...
I supposed she'd succeeded.
I didn't have the courage to die for love.
The feelings I'd held for her were beginning to crumble.
"Open your eyes."
A completely emotionless voice reached my ears.
I slowly opened my eyes.
It was Ethefelis.
She had returned from scouting.
The first thing I saw...
Was Grace lying unconscious on the ground.
Ethefelis stood over her, calmly holding a sheathed sword.
(So... Ethefelis saved me.)
Thank goodness...
The instant relief washed over me, my legs gave out beneath me.
I collapsed onto the ground.
There was no doubt anymore.
Grace had truly intended to kill me.
If Ethefelis hadn't returned when she did...
I would've died.
I looked up at Ethefelis.
As always, her expression remained perfectly blank.
When she noticed me looking at her, she said flatly,
"I only knocked her out."
I didn't care how Grace had been rendered unconscious.
Right now, all I felt was overwhelming gratitude toward Ethefelis.
"Ethefelis... thank you. Otherwise... I'd be dead."
"What happened? I came back, saw a sword... Sis Gra looked scary."
Ethefelis helped Grace into a sitting position against the wall.
As for her question...
I wrapped my arms around my knees and lowered my head, unable to make sense of anything.
"I don't know either. Grace suddenly drew her sword and tried to kill me. I only liked her... I confessed to her... and she rejected me. Is that really so wrong?... Ah, you already knew, didn't you? That's why you pulled Alice away earlier."
"I knew."
"How pathetic. My confession failed... and I almost got killed for it. Is loneliness really all that's left for me in this life?"
"I don't know."
"...You don't have to answer. I was just talking to myself."
Why had I said all that out loud?
I felt utterly exhausted.
My thoughts were a tangled mess.
I didn't want to think about anything anymore.
After that, I remained in that daze until Alice, Christina Fenelbia, and Mira returned.
Whatever they said...
However we ended up at the inn...
I couldn't remember any of it.