Chapter 32

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Chapter 32

As soon as Selena’s body fell, Aiden moved her stiff body.

‘Why save her? I don’t know.’

Was it because of a human being’s basic morality, or because it was an ill-fated relationship, or because of her change of heart in the last few months? Whatever it was, she shouldn’t have died like this.

Aiden reached out with all his might toward the body that fell rapidly down the window. But he couldn’t reach it.

All he could see was a pale face falling to the floor at high speed. It looked like it was slowly sinking into the water, probably because of the hair that was pulled upwards.

“Please, please, please… please… please…”

Aiden gritted his teeth and muttered.

“Would you like another cake?”

“It’s fine, it’s in return for saving me earlier.”

“It means I’m the only one who can be mad at my people.”

“Strawberry flavor.”

A strange murmur ran through his mind. A low, calm voice floated in his head, and he met those expressionless eyes… It was a moment where he had to concentrate, but the voices were getting louder. It felt like his head was going to explode.

‘Please… please…’

His own echoes reverberated thinly through the cracks of voices that were so complex that it was impossible to know what they were saying.

“Please…”

Something hot filled his throat and his eyes stung. He wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn’t. He was afraid that if he did, that pretty face would be buried in the ground…

Tears flowed from the sight of a woman who looked like the vast sky, who could not be reached at all beyond his outstretched fingertips.

“Please…!”

At the same time as his heartbroken murmur, light erupted from Aiden’s fingertips. A dazzling beam of light was directed towards Selena’s falling figure.

Her body, hit by the light, was pushed toward the forest as if being thrown out. The body that had fallen over the trees in the forest stopped, then lost speed and fell helplessly beneath the branches.

Aiden, who held his breath at the sight, let out a small sigh. The tears didn’t stop flowing. He slowly lowered his hand and jumped out of the window from where Selena had jumped.

The source of magic was desperation and concentration. And at this moment, there was only one thing Aiden could think about, that he had to go to Selena’s side. That great earnestness brought Aiden safely to her.

His legs, which touched the floor, shook and almost collapsed for a moment.

Oh, he saw Selena’s figure. The neat and beautiful appearance he had seen was that of a young, beautiful girl full of scars. Perhaps she had been scratched by a branch, as her clothes were tattered, and her hair was scattered all over as she fell to the ground. Her limbs were also scratched by branches, and there were a lot of wounds that might have been from the stone beak on the floor.

“…Mi… iss…?”

Aiden squeezed all the strength he had and raised his voice. However, even though he did his best to speak, there was no reply.

Aiden, who could not afford to speak again, took steps slowly instead of opening his mouth.

“It’s been a long time since I ate an orange…”

[tl/n: I remember I didn’t explain this joke when she said it at the engagement party. The pun is that the question in Korean begins and ends with words that sound the same. 오렌지=orange 오랜지= how long/a long time. It’s a silly joke lol]

He could hear the low voice speaking leisurely without hesitation, even while spitting out nonsense.

“Can you kill me without hurting me?”

Those empty eyes did not open.

“Did you save me?”

The soft palm that had covered his mouth was now wounded and unmoving.

“Ah… Miss… .”

Aiden’s voice echoed through the empty forest. He sat down next to Selena lying unbecomingly in a peaceful forest without a single wild animal. Something was dripping down her unopened eyes. He wished it were tears, but… it wasn’t.

A vivid red liquid was flowing from her head, through her eyes, and down her pink lips. Blood was oozing from her head, which was touching the ground, and the surrounding grass was gradually reddening.

Aiden burst into tears again at her expressionless face, even at a time like this.

If only it had been a grimacing face… If it had been a face with tears in her eyes, he wouldn’t be so sad… There was no expression on the white, small face that was dripping blood. Yes, there was no expression on her face.

Aiden put his hands together as if praying and fell to the ground.

‘What’s the use of magic…? In the end, I can’t even use it the way I want to at a crucial moment… What, revenge? That’s funny. I can’t do anything with my own strength.’

Would things have changed if he had jumped with her when she fell? Would he have saved her? At that moment, like a fool, he had only the thought of reaching out and holding her by his hand. He thought he could somehow lift Selena into the air just like he did on the stairs.

The sound of people swarming around Aiden, who was lying face down and sobbing, could be heard. The crowd of people, who had been hastening their steps, stopped walking and took a breath at the same time. No one could open their mouths, so they simply looked down at Aiden and Selena.

A man’s trembling voice echoed through the forest amid the silent scene.

“Selena!”

It was a loud voice that seemed to rip through the air. Whose cry could be so sad or so desperate? Everyone in this place thought so and closed their eyes tightly.

“Duke! Ca- Calm down!”

“Calm down?! Calm down?! Right now, cal- Sel… Selena… Selena!”

The duke staggered over to his daughter and collapsed beside her. Then he fumbled over his daughter’s face as he stuttered.

“Selena, Selena!! Wake up… please… please!”

The blood stream that ran across Selena’s face was also smeared on the duke’s hand. The more he rubbed Selena’s face to check whether she was alive or dead, the more red handprints appeared all over her face.

The duke rubbed his hands against his pants, not knowing what to do. He wiped his hands repeatedly while exhaling heavily and then took off his coat and wiped Selena’s face all over. However, the blood that had already soaked in was not easily wiped away. Tears fell from the duke’s eyes as he looked at the indelible traces.

Those who looked at the heartbroken father’s despair could not keep watching, so they lowered their heads and looked only at their feet.

The duke, who was madly wiping his daughter’s face, lowered his head toward his wet knees. Something had dyed his pants red.

[tl/n: omg I can’t-]

“Selena…”

The duke pushed his hand into the back of Selena’s head. Wet and tangled hair caught his fingers. The outstretched palm had turned red to such a degree that the original color could not be recognized.

“Doctor… Doctor!”

Breathless, the duke shouted out for a doctor. It was a voice that resounded through the forest.

“Yes! Duke!”

The duke’s exclusive doctor, who was drenched in sorrow along with the others, rushed out and approached him.

Aiden, who had raised his upper body blankly only when the duke arrived, saw the doctor approaching and moved away. The doctor glanced at Aiden before sitting down where he was, and began to look at Selena.

He looked around and pressed the back of her head with a large cloth moistened with medicine, then slowly opened his mouth.

“Fortunately, she’s barely breathing. But…”

The doctor swallowed his saliva slowly. It was not easy to open his mouth due to fear of the duke and regret as a doctor. He felt the grief of treating a dying patient, and the sorrow of having to face the family.

The doctor bit his lips and then opened his mouth again.

“Even if I stop the bleeding… I don’t know if she can make it through today.”

——

tl/n: please tell me I wasn’t the only cry baby here!

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