‘What on earth have I done?’
A blue-haired woman, sitting heavily on the edge of her bed, clutched her head in anguish.
Celia Wignoron, the esteemed daughter of the Wignoron ducal family, renowned for their mastery of spear techniques, was reflecting on her actions, feeling as if her very blood was draining away.
“I can’t believe I did that to Ian… How could I…”
Through the miraculous effect of the Christmas Rose, which triggered Ian’s Memorial Link, she had recovered and even regained his lost memories.
This was a situation where relationships that would otherwise have remained irreparably broken could now be mended, allowing precious memories to be preserved.
Yet, this miraculous turn of events had become the worst-case scenario for Celia Wignoron.
“I only wanted to help…”
For the first time, the ever-composed and steadfast Ian had shown signs of breaking down, and the look on his face at that moment had been enough to tear her heart apart.
Thus, Celia had crafted a plan to give him her attribute, utilize the Soul Branding Stone to protect Ariel, and eventually, when Ian regained his memories and consciousness, she intended to approach him and restore their previous relationship.
‘Yes… that was the plan. Even if I created happy memories for Ariel, I should have at least left a chance to grow closer to Ian.’
But what were these memories swirling in her head now?
Celia was not only burdened by memories of a previous timeline but also the reckless and malicious deeds of her current self—this iteration—who had constantly put Ian in peril and treated him harshly.
These conflicting memories, merging with her past self’s experiences, were tearing her apart.
“This isn’t right…”
Her frustration led her to tug at her blue hair, a habit that betrayed her inner turmoil.
After all the cruel things she’d done, how could she ever face Ian again?
Sure, she had had a change of heart at the very end and sacrificed herself for him, but Celia knew that alone would never be enough to restore the close bond they once had.
‘Ian’s heart must be filled with scars that have been piling up since childhood…’
Starting with the time she abandoned him, who had been devoted enough to take the curse she inherited from her father.
Even after entering the Heroic Academy, she’d pushed him into danger for absurd reasons.
There’s a saying.
The memory of kindness fades in days, but the memory of cruelty lasts decades.
All the harm she’d caused him would remain vividly etched in his mind. Sacrificing herself in the end would not erase those scars.
“Where did it all go wrong? If I had known it would turn out like this…”
If only she hadn’t awakened. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to endure this torment.
While the current Celia might not understand, the Celia of a previous timeline knew Ian to be more than family. For her, realizing she had left such deep wounds in him was unbearable.
What should she do? Should she feign unconsciousness and pretend not to wake up?
She murmured to herself several times, though she spoke so quietly that no one standing outside the door could have overheard her.
‘Yes, maybe it’s best if I just stay still…’
It would be unbearably shameful if she were caught, but meeting Ian in her current state, unable to find the right words, seemed like an even harder ordeal to endure.
‘Phew. Right. I’ll just quietly lie back down.’
As she resolved to retreat into bed, suppressing her breath to avoid making a sound, a sudden knock interrupted her.
Knock, knock!
“Celia, I heard you’re awake. May I come in?”
“Ah.”
Clink!
The metallic click of the door opening was all it took for her to realize her assumption—that no one knew she was awake—had been completely wrong.
At the moment of her long-anticipated yet terrifying reunion with Ian Volkanov, Celia averted her gaze, lowering her head in embarrassment.
“H-hello, Ian.”
***
“…I’m sorry, Ian.”
The moment Celia faced Ian, she hung her head like a sinner awaiting judgment.
Her plan to feign unconsciousness until she came up with a solution was utterly ruined. Now, confronted with Ian, she had only one course of action left.
Even if she could not be forgiven, she had to apologize sincerely.
“I… I know you won’t believe me, but I didn’t mean to make things so hard for you. I used the Soul Branding Stone to put some distance between us temporarily, thinking I could restore our bond once everything was resolved.”
“Celia…”
“I know it’s hard to forgive me. You must want to kill me when you think about all I’ve done. But I’m truly sorry. There’s nothing else I can say.”
Her voice trembled as she struggled to articulate her feelings.
Ian, meanwhile, watched her with an impassive expression.
“I’m so sorry. If you don’t want to see me again, I’ll disappear from your sight and live quietly. I’m so sorry, Ian.”
Celia seemed to think Ian’s silence stemmed from his anger, making her shrink back even further.
‘That behavior… is it because of the merged memories from before and now?’
In truth, Ian wasn’t as upset as she imagined. He harbored no resentment toward Celia and, in fact, didn’t dislike her.
In a way, that was only natural.
‘Sure, Celia did torment me. In this timeline, she even deliberately put me in danger for a purpose. But it wasn’t a grievous crime.’
Had she abandoned him for Ariel?
That was because she had used the Soul Branding Stone for his sake. The artifact, which manipulated emotions, wasn’t something she could fully control.
Even if her actions had caused him pain, part of the fault lay with Ian himself.
‘She didn’t use it for her own comfort—she used it for me.’
Ian reflected that her actions had been carried out with a clear intent to help him, and for that reason, it was necessary to understand her intentions and move past any perceived wrongdoings.
The only lingering issue was that she had put him in danger during their training period.
‘But she wasn’t actually trying to kill me, was she? Why would I be mad about that?’
Ian wasn’t foolish enough to harbor anger over something that could be likened to a childish prank.
The implication was simple.
‘If anything, I’m grateful. She carried me back after I collapsed during the battle with Mammon, and during the fight with Satan, she even threw herself in harm’s way to protect me.’
Ian felt no anger toward Celia for her actions.
On the contrary, he felt thankful. The reason he had sought her out was to talk things through and resolve any lingering tension between them.
What he hadn’t expected was for her to be so utterly terrified.
In the current situation, there was only one course of action Ian could take.
“Are you really sorry, Celia?”
“Y-yes! I’m really sorry, Ian…”
“Then get dressed. You seem to be feeling better.”
“W-what? Dressed?”
“Yes, there’s somewhere we need to go. Get ready quickly. If you need help, I’ll call the maids for you.”
Ian’s calm, composed demeanor left Celia feeling faint traces of fear, but she nodded despite herself.
“N-no, it’s okay. I can manage on my own. I’ll get ready quickly.”
“I’ll wait outside.”
As Ian left the room quietly, Celia scrambled to gather her clothes, still confused and uneasy.
***
Where are we going?
Sitting in a rattling carriage, watching the scenery rush by, Celia bit her lower lip in unease.
Ian had abruptly appeared, told her to get dressed, and then brought her here.
For a moment, she had assumed he wanted her out of his sight and had packed all her belongings, thinking she was being banished.
Even her weapons had been part of her initial hurried packing, which had earned Ian a sigh and prompted him to have her repack with only clothes and essentials.
‘Why? Where are we going that requires this kind of preparation?’
At first, she thought they might be heading to a remote location to settle things quietly, but the bustling crowds visible through the window suggested otherwise.
They seemed to be heading toward a large city or a tourist spot.
He wouldn’t try to handle things in such a public place, would he?
So why here? What was his purpose?
Unable to understand, Celia remained on edge, checking their surroundings constantly. When the carriage finally stopped, she found herself gaping at the sight before her.
The sound of waves crashing and the feel of soft sand beneath her feet left her stunned.
“This is…”
Stretching endlessly before her was a vast, wild sea and a sandy beach.
Ian had brought her to none other than the coast.
At first glance, it looked like a simple beach trip, but to Celia, it felt entirely different.
“The Celon Beach… it’s connected to the Brookers Territory.”
Once a beautiful emerald sea that attracted throngs of tourists every summer, the beach was now deserted due to the zombie infestation in the Brookers Territory.
Yes. A place where no one dared to tread. A place where a body could disappear without a trace.
‘The infestation even kept maintenance crews away, forcing the empire to deploy cleanup units to reclaim the land.’
This was the kind of place where killing someone wouldn’t raise any suspicions.
Though she had briefly let her guard down seeing the crowds earlier, she now realized they had likely been meant to lull her into a false sense of security.
Feeling overwhelmed, Celia began to step back cautiously, her mind racing with dread.
Thud.
“Be careful. If you’re not mindful, you could easily trip on the sand.”
“I-Ian. This place…”
“Don’t you like it? Normally, the crowding would make it hard to relax, but thanks to the Brookers Territory incident, it’s now a place where no one comes.”
“Oh…”
Ian’s hand on her shoulder froze her in place, and she could do nothing but listen as he casually explained the location.
No one comes here. No need to be cautious. You can relax and do whatever you like.
His words echoed in her mind.
Swish.
‘He’s reaching for something!’
The sound of Ian pulling something from his pocket made her squeeze her eyes shut.
It must be a dagger. He planned to slit her throat and leave her here.
‘It’s tragic… but if it means I can atone to Ian, perhaps I deserve it.’
As she began to accept her fate and let go of her fear, something cold pressed against her neck.
“Ah! Cold…”
“Why are you so tense? It’s hot out—here, drink this.”
The chill of a drink pressed against her hand jolted her from her thoughts.
When she realized Ian had simply handed her a drink, she began to breathe deeply, trying to calm herself, while Ian tilted his head in mild confusion at her reaction.
