With eyes still closed and a tear-stained face, the disheveled purple hair was incredibly beautiful.
‘It seems like it’s time to cut the hair…’
I stopped the thought I was having. What am I thinking? Today is the last day with Magnus anyway.
Whether I stay here until night or not, tomorrow I won’t be in the capital.
“Open your eyes, Mag.”
“Yes.”
Magnus silently responded and lifted his eyelids.
Continuing to give orders like this is making it slower for Magnus to break free from the brainwashing.
So my thought that we should separate is clearly not wrong.
“I’ll go out for a moment and come back, so rest.”
“Yes.”
As Magnus answered, he slowly lowered his gaze. When his gaze touched the rug, I closed the door and left the room. Carl was waiting at a distance.
“How is it?”
“I think his recovery ability is remarkable. I asked the gatekeepers outside, and they said there were no seizures except for once… If this continues, it might be okay to stop giving him medicine altogether after observing a bit more.”
“Altogether?”
“It’s extreme, but with that level of mental strength, I think he can endure it.”
“…Really? Can we stop it right now?”
“There will be withdrawal symptoms for a while, but it shouldn’t be life-threatening. It seems whoever used Ray on him used it very well. Judging by his clear mind.”
Carl explained calmly while observing my reaction.
It had been mentioned several times in the novel that Illyana Glaine was intelligent, but I didn’t know it was to this extent. I slowly nodded and looked at Carl.
“Well, that’s fortunate. You can go back for today, and please take care of him weekly. And there might come a day when the employee who always comes to pick you up hands you the final payment.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You don’t need to know. Just remember it. When that day comes, our contract will be over, and you won’t need to visit this place. Of course, you must keep the confidentiality agreement.”
Carl looked puzzled but agreed. He seemed curious but didn’t ask further.
That’s what I like most about him. Carl bowed his head in greeting and turned around.
“Phew…”
The only one left is Magnus.
I never thought he would ask to stay together even in such a situation.
When I asked why he liked me, he couldn’t answer, so the brainwashing is clearly there. But how much brainwashing did they do to make him like this?
‘It’s not like anything will happen if I avoid it.’
It’s only for today. Even if I want to see him, I won’t be able to. Magnus won’t recognize who I am anyway.
I opened the door and went back into the cabin. Magnus was looking at me with his eyes open, in the same position as before. More precisely, he had been staring at the door.
“Did you wait?”
“Yes.”
“Keep your promise.”
“Yes, thank you, Miss Lyna.”
Magnus naturally started to kneel but hesitated and awkwardly straightened his body that he had begun to bend.
It was a big change in such a short time.
‘It does have an effect.’
I hope he gradually learns about himself like this. And someday, I hope he walks out of the cabin on his own and stands tall in a higher position than anyone else.
This feeling hasn’t changed much from when I was reading the novel to now.
“What do you want to do, Mag?”
“Pardon?”
“You asked to stay until night because there’s something you want to do, right? We can’t just sit face to face until night.”
“I’m… fine with that…”
How can we just sit face to face until night? I was about to blurt out the words that had risen to my throat but managed to hold them back.
Right now, Magnus is in the state of an innocent child who knows nothing.
“I… I’m happy just looking at your face, Miss Lyna.”
It was a small voice, like a shy child clumsily confessing their first love.
Although his voice was drained of energy and his head was bowed, his words were clear.
“……”
This is why I can’t stand blindly devoted people.
Every single word he said just left me speechless.
If it were his true feelings, I might have been pleased, but the fact that it was sincere yet not sincere was more troubling.
“Shall we sleep then?”
“What?”
“If you take a nap, I’ll watch over you.”
Magnus’s eyes widened at my sudden words. Of course, it was understandable. I thought it was abrupt too.
Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything appropriate to do.
“I just want to look at you, Miss Lyna.”
Magnus said.
I thought Magnus would say something because I said that.
But Magnus, as if avoiding reality, doesn’t bring up any questions about it, his face still bearing tear stains.
‘It would be uncomfortable for me too if that topic came up.’
Still, it’s disconcerting when he pretends like nothing happened to this extent.
“I told you I don’t like you.”
Magnus’s body shook violently. He slowly raised his head with trembling eyelids.
However, Magnus, stubbornly keeping his mouth shut, captures me in those golden eyes.
“Hug me.”
Magnus stretches out both hands.
“That’s why I…”
“Please hug me.”
Magnus said, as if urging. I didn’t expect him to just ask to be hugged.
If I didn’t have the mask on, my troubled expression would surely be clearly visible.
“Please, Miss Lyna.”
Magnus said desperately, as if he was about to kneel down right away. His arms, stretched out towards me desperately, were trembling. My body moved on its own.
As I very slowly walked towards him, he stood up with a suddenly brightened face.
I didn’t even extend my arms, but Magnus pulled me into his embrace. I could feel his heartbeat from his large frame.
My hands also moved on their own, trying to hug him back. But at that moment, a faint sweet scent that brushed past me made me come to my senses.
I put strength into my arms that were naturally rising towards Magnus’s back and lowered them.
“If I were a human and not a beast, and if Miss Lyna were a beast, could I have avoided being abandoned? I’m confident I wouldn’t abandon Miss Lyna… and beasts don’t abandon their masters.”
My eyes widened involuntarily at the quietly heard voice.
“What…?”
“I apologize if I overstepped.”
Magnus said slowly, releasing his arms that were hugging me.
It felt like I had been hit on the back of my head with a thick log.
It was something I never expected to hear from Magnus’s mouth.
‘Well, he did become a cruel character later on.’
He might have had such thoughts. Still, it’s shocking. Who would have imagined he’d say such things.
Magnus looks down at me. He slowly lowers his head. I swallowed as his face got closer.
Ridiculously, Magnus stopped with his head tilted at an angle, close enough for our breaths to mingle.
Our breaths intertwined, repeatedly seeping into each other’s mouths.
It wasn’t a kiss, but it felt strangely like we were kissing.
Magnus brought his face a little closer. Of course, he slightly missed my face and buried his face in my neck.
” Miss Lyna, you seem different somehow since that day.”
Magnus whispered in a small voice, his face buried. There was a hint of curiosity in his voice, but it sounded as if he was certain.
And that was precisely the voice that struck at my core.
“…Different how?”
I asked, swallowing. I hoped the tension wouldn’t show on my face. As I blinked, Magnus lowered his head.
” Miss Lyna doesn’t look at me anymore. And you no longer call me a lovable beast. Above all, your eyes…”
“My eyes?”
“They’re a bit different.”
I closed my mouth at Magnus’s meaningful words.
Since the content is different, I can’t help but be a different person, but that fact shouldn’t have been discovered.
Especially not by Magnus.
“I haven’t changed at all.”
“You have changed.”
Magnus said as if confirming. He started talking back consistently. At first, he couldn’t even make proper eye contact.
Of course, even now he can’t look at me directly.
That was the extent of our conversation. Magnus really did nothing, just sitting me down beside him.
The only thing he did was hug me once when he asked for it. He doesn’t seem to believe me even when I say I haven’t changed.
Magnus would flinch occasionally, wanting to reach out to me, but when I didn’t say anything, he ended up just sitting still without doing anything.
“I should be going now.”
I’m not sure what we accomplished just sitting here blankly. As I stood up, Magnus also got up.
“Still…”
“Hmm?”
“Even if you’ve grown tired of me, you’ll still come like this, won’t you?”
Magnus asked in a trembling voice.
I finally seemed to understand what had been lingering in his mouth, opening and closing repeatedly since earlier.
I thought I should give some kind of answer, but faced with his straightforward gaze, no words came easily.
No, it was difficult to utter even a single word of denial. I slowly caressed the half-mask on my face and let out a soft sigh.
“I’m not sure.”
If I wanted to hurt him, I could just say no. Of course, I really can’t come for at least two years now.
And I don’t think Magnus will wait for me, or rather Illyana Glaine, here for two years.
“I don’t know.”
I answered and reached out to place my hand on Magnus’s hair. The soft hair slipping through my fingers naturally made me feel good.
Every time this happens, a fullness that’s clearly Illyana Glaine’s emotion wells up from within.
“Take care and stay healthy, Mag.”
Leave a Reply