Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 82

After Ridel came to Bellachen, I became even busier.

The pressure to hurry and leave Ehit’s side grew stronger after that day.

It’s not that I fully believe everything will happen exactly like the original story. If anything, it’s because I think things can be changed that I’ve been living so frantically.

‘But still…….’

The sense of crisis I felt after seeing the female lead with my own eyes was impossible to ignore.

Ridel, whom I saw in person, was impressive enough to truly deserve the title of protagonist.

More than that, she was even more charming than I had imagined.

She had a strong-minded charisma, but also a clear, cute side, the kind of person anyone would like.

Including Ehit.

And that was enough to make me feel like I was only holding on temporarily, standing in a place where someone else would eventually come.

“Cloyden got engaged to Aileta, but they’re delaying the marriage, right?”

“That makes sense. It’s a losing deal, after all.”

I was already used to hearing things like that as I walked down the street.

Even in ordinary noble families, several years between engagement and marriage was common. Still, I knew exactly why only my engagement with Ehit drew this kind of gossip.

And now Ridel had appeared in this situation. Of course my sense of danger only grew.

And the reason it grew so strong……

Wasn’t only because of Ridel.

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

A rare holiday in the Empire.

“Ehit?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m just going where I’m going.”

As I walked down the street, Ehit matched his steps to mine.

He said he wasn’t following me, but still—how could our directions match this perfectly?

And it wasn’t just today. It had been like this constantly lately.

Ehit had started suddenly showing up again, and following me around.

‘This situation… it’s happened before.’

Back when Ehit followed and watched me!

At that time, he said he found me suspicious because I went to Regen, where the incident happened, so he followed me.

‘If he’s doing that again…….’

Then something suspicious must have happened again.

‘What on earth is it?’

The scariest thing is not knowing.

Did something happen that I don’t know about? I felt uneasy.

Had something happened that made him suspicious of me again?

‘No…….’

As those thoughts piled up, my heart grew restless, and without realizing it, my teeth started chattering.

“Dapflen! Are you all right?”

“Huh?”

“Your teeth were chattering just now!”

“I–I’m fine.”

Not even being able to guess his intent when he showed concern made my teeth shake even more.

I asked Ehit, whose expression had become strangely serious.

“Ehit, but right now—are we really just going our own ways? Aren’t we walking together?”

“No. I’m just going wherever I want to go.”

“Where is that?”

“That’s undecided for now.”

“……?”

Anyway, we walked for twenty minutes after leaving the estate, climbed a hill,

Then rode the tram for another ten minutes.

Even after all that time passed, Ehit was still standing beside me, staring straight at me.

“…….”

He is following me!

‘Is he really keeping an eye on me?’

Inside the crowded tram, I glanced at him and our eyes met.

I quickly turned my gaze out the window.

‘Still, his eyes don’t look that sharp.’

Was that just the minimum courtesy toward his fiancée?

‘Then at least tell me why you’re following me.’

My feelings were tangled.

Without realizing it, I glanced at Ehit and bit my lip. His gaze, which had been directed somewhere far away, returned to me.

Just then, the tram stopped at a station. The passenger in the seat in front of Ehit stood up.

Without a word, Ehit pulled me gently into that seat. I waved my hand to say it was fine, but his expression said he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The real reason my thoughts were so tangled was actually that.

Honestly—truly honestly…….

I didn’t hate being with Ehit like this.

Sharing the autumn air blowing through the tram window with him, having Ehit as the person walking beside me with no destination.

I didn’t dislike it.

I was anxious, but I didn’t wish he would go away.

‘If Ehit knew what I was thinking, he’d probably laugh.’

After all, I didn’t even know why he was following me.

The tram running along the seaside stopped again. I got off at a random stop and climbed a hill.

Today, I planned to just keep going and see how far he would follow me.

I passed a fairly steep slope and entered a small bookstore on the hillside. Ehit came along with me even there.

By now, I barely expected him to stop following me just because the place was inconvenient.

Still, the fact that he followed me all the way here today made even less sense.

Because……

‘It’s a holiday.’

One of the Empire’s few national holidays, and Ehit was off as well.

A day to take off his naval uniform, set aside all duties, and rest comfortably.

And yet he followed me even today?

Even if this was surveillance, it felt far from ordinary.

‘Could it be that Ehit actually wanted to read books too?’

That thought lasted about three seconds.

Because Ehit wasn’t looking at books—he was staring only at me.

“Why are you staring like that?”

To be honest, the reason this made me uneasy wasn’t just because I didn’t know his purpose.

Like he said, maybe he really was just going wherever his feet took him, or maybe, since we’d agreed to be friends, he was curious about how I spent my day off.

But when I met that gaze, when I heard his voice speaking to me, my heart started to feel strange.

I felt like I didn’t want to think about reality or the future at all.

That kind of feeling was extremely dangerous for me.

This feeling, which seemed to grow the more time I spent with Ehit, felt like it would only keep growing unless I deliberately suppressed it.

I lifted my gaze to the top shelf.

“Do you want to read that book?”

“Ah, yes.”

It was too high for me to reach.

Ehit stretched his arm toward the book and looked up.

While Ehit briefly looked away, I quickly slipped off like I was escaping and hid in the corner of the bookstore.

‘Phew.’

I settled between the shelves, as if hiding, and let out a breath.

The shelf was filled with books like The 3,300 Names That Shone in the Empire. The gap was narrow, making it hard for Ehit to enter.

I should clear my head here.

Don’t get careless. Focus only on what I need to do…….

‘Ugh, but why is it so cold here?’

I might catch a cold before I even sort out my thoughts.

I reached toward the open window. Because it was open, the sea breeze was pouring in.

“Cough.”

Dust piled on the window frame puffed up with the strong wind. I tried pulling the handle, but it was too stiff to close properly.

‘This won’t work.’

I gave up, wrapped my arms around myself, and rubbed them to warm up.

‘It’s already getting cold.’

The distant sea was already preparing for early winter, and the wind brushing my nose was sharp.

‘When spring comes, what will happen to me?’

Would I still be in Bellachen?

Or would I be somewhere else?

‘It might be better to leave this place altogether.’

In distant regions, there were many former imperial healers looking for assistants. I could learn more healing techniques under people like that.

But when I imagined that kind of life, Ehit……

Just when I tried to think about the future, my thoughts somehow returned to Ehit again.

I really haven’t gotten myself together!

I tapped the back of my hand a few times, trying to snap out of it.

‘……But it’s really cold.’

My body shivered.

Whoosh—a cold wind blew again.

“Are you going to stay there like that, freezing, Dapflen?”

At that moment, Ehit approached the inner shelves and held out his hand to me.

His blue eyes were fixed on me. Seeing them, I stopped tapping my hand.

With the width of the shelf between us, Ehit and I met each other’s gaze.

It was a distance that could be maintained if we wanted to.

The gap between the shelves was too narrow for him to come closer.

So Ehit wouldn’t be able to approach me.

But unfortunately, it was very easy for me to step out.

I looked at his outstretched hand for a moment. He lightly waved it toward me.

“…….”

Just a moment ago, my head had been full of tangled thoughts.

Seeing his hand reaching toward me, seeing his eyes fixed straight on me even though he looked slightly annoyed—I thought it would make things worse.

“Dapflen.”

But strangely enough, when he called me like that, my hand was already reaching out to his.

As if my answer had been decided long ago, regardless of my thoughts.

‘I really haven’t come to my senses… that must be it.’

I could have stayed there, saying I liked this place.

It was a hand I couldn’t hold with the same feelings anyway, a hand I would eventually have to let go of. So maybe it would be better not to remember the sensation of holding it at all.

And yet, I was willingly reaching out, like jumping straight into ashes.

“Dapflen.”

Calling my name again, Ehit clasped my hand and gently pulled me.

My body fell softly into his arms.

From much closer than before, Ehit’s eyes met mine.