Chapter 10
“I always thought it was a vast forest, but it turns out it was just the annex garden.”
“Well, it’s fair to call that a forest.”
Tericia chuckled.
“You must have thought it was a real forest because you were so young.”
“Yes, I think that’s what it was. We didn’t get far before Sir Heinz found us and brought us back. I was fine, but I heard you fell quite ill afterward.”
Rashid didn’t mention that he had been banished to the annex because of that incident. Tericia didn’t seem to remember any of it.
“That happened too, huh…”
Her voice sounded like someone gently tracing a distant, nostalgic memory, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of Rashid’s lips. Tericia felt a rare warmth stir in her chest.
The two continued walking without another word. A soft, peaceful atmosphere flowed between them, warmed by the gentle air. Unlike before, there was something truly comfortable between them now.
Then suddenly, Rashid seemed to remember something and turned to her.
“Oh, Sister. There was something I wanted to ask—”
“……”
“Sister?”
“…Ah.”
Rashid called her name as she suddenly stopped in her tracks, but Tericia didn’t respond.
“This place is…”
Her complexion had gone pale.
Without realizing it, the two of them had wandered to the entrance of the white corridor—a place used for major events in the ducal household, like weddings and funerals.
“Sister.”
When Rashid looked back at Tericia, he was shocked by her expression. She stood frozen, staring into the corridor with a face drained of color. It was unlike her.
In her eyes, Rashid didn’t exist. She didn’t even feel the gentle breeze of the clear day.
What she saw was not the present moment.
It was the white corridor on a stormy night. Flags whipping in the wind, candles flickering along the long, endless passageway.
“Sister, you don’t look well.”
“I’m… fine…”
But she couldn’t finish her sentence.
She wasn’t fine at all.
Her chest tightened. She felt the blood draining from her head.
Thump. Thump.
Her heartbeat rang loudly in her ears.
“Sister?”
I have to run. I can’t be here. He’s coming.
“Sister!”
Rashid’s voice reached her, but Tericia couldn’t respond. She stepped back, staring into the corridor, her face twisted with terror.
“Sister, what’s wrong?!”
When Rashid grabbed her hand, he flinched. Her hand was ice-cold and trembling.
As soon as he held it, she gripped his hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“Ra…shid… no… not… here…”
She couldn’t breathe. She tried to move, but her legs wouldn’t budge.
Her entire body began to tremble.
Not here.
Blood. Blood flows from my chest… spilling down, spreading beneath my feet like a carpet.
“Sister!”
I hate this narrow, endless corridor. Because here…
“Tericia!”
I died.
The floor collapsed beneath her.
And Tericia lost consciousness.
＊＊＊
Night had fallen. Darkness swallowed the world whole.
Rashid sat quietly by her bedside, staring at Tericia, who remained completely still.
Her pale skin looked even more ghostly under the light, but at least there was more color than when she first collapsed. That was a relief.
“No… not here… I don’t want to be here.”
It had been unmistakable—she was gripped by the terror of death.
Everyone has some fear of dying. It’s only natural for a living being.
But the fear Tericia showed just before she lost consciousness wasn’t that simple. It was the fear of someone who had experienced it before—someone who had died a horrific death and knew exactly what it meant.
Why?
He couldn’t understand. Even if they had grown distant, he still heard bits and pieces of news about her. But not once had he heard that she had ever been injured badly enough to nearly die.
Could something have happened that he didn’t know about?
“What are you so afraid of, Sister?”
Rashid’s voice dropped low as he gently took her hand in his.
Small and delicate.
She was younger, shorter, and even her hands were smaller than his now.
When they were children, these tiny hands had once held him tightly. No one else had ever embraced him like that—warmly, tenderly.
And now, with these same small hands, with that slender body, she had done so much for him.
She found him a proper teacher. She allowed him back into the main residence. She even offered to forge an alliance so he could inherit the House of Hespelt in full.
She had even been slapped by Lady Boren because of it.
“The House of Hespelt belongs to you.”
“Yes. It’s mine, Sister.”
“You have to protect it with your own strength.”
“I’ll protect it… with my own strength.”
But the reason you’re trying so hard like this… is because I’m still too weak.
“It’s because of me…”
Because of you.
Rashid gently placed her hand against his forehead.
It was warm now. Not long ago, her hand had been icy cold, but warmth had returned.
He had once lost her, thinking he would never be able to call her his again.
“If you’ve come back… then I can’t let go again. I won’t lose you a second time.”
You, and the House of Hespelt—everything is mine to protect.
“Tericia…”
Rashid called her name in a quiet voice.
As if in response, her fingers twitched ever so slightly. That tiny movement made Rashid spring to his feet.
“Sister?”
“Ah…”
“You’re awake?”
“Rashid?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Her eyes, still out of focus, gradually found him—and life returned to her gaze. The breath she had been holding escaped her lips at last.
Rashid helped her sit up.
“Shall I get you some water?”
“…Please.”
He waited patiently as she drank, then placed the empty cup on the table.
“Was I asleep long?”
“No, it hasn’t even been a full day.”
“You must’ve been worried.”
“……”
“I’m alright now. Don’t worry.”
Seeing Rashid lower his gaze in silence, Tericia gave him a weak smile.
“Sister.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Slowly, Rashid raised his eyes to meet hers.
Black hair, golden eyes—the defining features of the House of Hespelt. He was the sole direct heir to bear them.
“Rashid?”
“I’ve decided to enroll in the Imperial Academy.”
Tericia stared at him in surprise. But Rashid’s steady gaze didn’t waver as it met hers.
Tericia. It’s you who gave me the push.
Only you.
“I’ll be leaving next week.”
You’re the one who makes me move forward.
The golden light in Rashid’s eyes shimmered in the lamplight.
＊＊＊
One week later, at dawn shrouded in thick fog, Rashid left the estate without a word, taking only Adler Reissfeld with him.
Tericia stood by the window, silently watching him go.
She didn’t know if it was coincidence or intention, but Rashid had departed from the very place visible from her window.
“You could’ve at least let me see you off.”
It would’ve been nice to say goodbye. If she had known she’d only be able to watch from the shadows, she would’ve boldly gone down to bid him farewell—even if Rashid didn’t want her to.
She had always known this day would come. And he had to go, of course. But now that she was actually watching him leave… her heart ached.
How many years will it be before I see you again if you leave like this? Five? Seven?
“I’m always the one left behind, just waiting for you.”
But it would be alright. This time, it would be okay. This time, he would return safely.
Because she would make sure of it.
“Come back healthy, Rashid.”
Tericia whispered, leaning her forehead against the window. Time already felt as if it would pass unbearably slowly.
＊＊＊
“It’s been a long time, my lady.”
Adler Reissfeld, returning to the ducal residence for the first time in four years, came to visit Tericia after reporting to the Duke—accompanied by Roben Heinz.
“It’s been a while, both of you. Have you been well?”
“We’ve been doing well, Lady Tericia. You’ve now fully come of age, haven’t you?”
“Yes, time truly flies. I suppose now I should…”
Tericia’s gaze shifted toward Adler.
“Should I be calling you Sir Adler now?”
At her remark, Adler let out a modest laugh.
Not long ago, a letter had arrived at the House of Hespelt.
It was from Rashid—his first message ever sent directly to the Duke during his time at the academy. He had asked for a knighthood to be granted to Adler before returning home.
This request had come right after Adler had decided to leave the academy to become Rashid’s official aide.
Yes. If he’s going to be your aide, he should at least hold a title.
The Duke had gladly granted his son’s request. And Adler’s current visit to the ducal estate was to receive that knighthood.
“Well… it just sort of happened. Somehow, a man who can barely wield a sword ended up becoming a knight.”
“Wielding a sword isn’t all there is to being a knight.”
Tericia replied with a gentle smile. Her smile was perfectly composed, as though drawn by hand. Adler found himself briefly captivated by it.
Since the last time he saw her, she had become the embodiment of the House of Hespelt’s dignity. The traces of youth and immaturity were completely gone.
As the three of them sat down, tea and refreshments were placed on the table. Tericia picked up the teapot and poured tea into the cups set before Adler and Roben Heinz, and finally filled her own.
“It’s been a long time since I last served tea for the two of you.”
“That’s true. I still remember how strong the first tea you served me was, Lady Tericia.”
Adler chuckled, recalling their first meeting. He had underestimated her, and paid for it—back then, both siblings had gotten the better of him.
“I don’t serve tea to just anyone, you know.”
Tericia smiled faintly, as if she, too, remembered that day.
Four seasons had passed, and then passed again.
It had been almost four years since Rashid left the estate.
Her time might have seemed quiet on the surface—but it hadn’t been easy. Her relationship with her mother had only continued to grow more distant.
“How is Rashid doing?”
Tericia finally asked the question that had been on her mind the most. In her previous life, she hadn’t longed for his presence like this—but in this life, his absence had left a noticeable void.
“He’s set for early graduation. He’ll return next month—right around the time of your debutante ball.”
“Is that so…”
“To finish a seven-year program in just four years—it’s a first in the history of the Imperial Academy.”
Roben Heinz answered with a hearty laugh from Adler’s side.
“Not just the academic subjects—his swordsmanship, strategy, military training… he excelled in everything. To be honest, watching him made me feel exhausted.”
Adler smiled too, pride showing clearly in his expression as a former mentor.
“He’ll be returning to the ducal house for good now.”
