IRER 26

Chapter 26 – Aura of Death

Aidan carried the collapsed Brody over to the roadside and sat her against a tree trunk.

Even while trembling, Brody clung to Aidan’s arm.

Thankfully, not much time had passed yet.

“Brody, just hang in there a little. I’ll get the arrow out soon…”

Aidan gently pulled Brody into him, letting her lean against his chest.

But Brody pushed him away, cutting him off mid-sentence.

“No, Your Highness. You first.”

Her hands kept slipping, but she clenched them again, trying to sit upright.

Had it been one minute since the poison entered her system? She wasn’t sure—her mind was hazy—but she was certain it hadn’t been more than five minutes.

“I’m fine. You go first…”

Aidan looked at Brody anxiously, his feverish eyes filled with worry.

“Your Highness, that poison…”

Brody paused to catch her breath between words.

“If five minutes pass… we’ll have to amputate the arm. After that… huff… we can’t guarantee survival.”

She frowned deeply.

This poison—Brody had originally prepared it to assassinate Aidan.

Surely… he wouldn’t actually die because of it?

The thought made her uneasy.

“I’ll never let that happen.”

Though pale and visibly unwell, her eyes were resolute.

Aidan felt an unexplainable warmth at her expression, and his eyes turned red with emotion.

Brody tried to tear cloth to bind Aidan’s arm, but her strength failed her.

Seeing this, Aidan reached to tear it himself, but Brody stopped him, saying any movement would spread the poison faster.

After a brief hesitation, Brody summoned a plant onto Aidan’s arm. A strong, green vine sprouted and wrapped around his thick, muscular forearm.

Though displeased that she kept using her powers, Aidan knew they had no other choice.

Would Brody survive if he died now?

Every second felt like an hour. Thick beads of sweat rolled down Aidan’s forehead.

Brody conjured a few more plants from the ground, carefully picking the correct amounts of leaves, stems, and petals to prepare the antidote.

Her vision blurred and she bit her lip to stay conscious.

“When I wanted to pass out earlier, I couldn’t—and now it’s trying to take me.”

Cursing her own body, Brody finished making the remedy.

“Please take this.”

Aidan had been watching her profile with a mix of awe and sorrow as she quietly prepared the medicine. He gently took what she offered.

“Chew it thoroughly…”

He had intended to swallow it quickly, eager to help her next, but seeing her serious face, he chewed rapidly and thoroughly before swallowing.

Soon after, the purplish lines along his veins began to fade.

Only after confirming a few more signs did Brody finally sigh in relief and release the plant binding his arm.

Now it was Brody’s turn.

As soon as Aidan was safe, a wave of pain surged through her.

Her body slumped forward.

“Brody.”

Aidan quickly caught her. He propped her against the tree trunk and swiftly began first aid.

He carefully tore open the back of her clothing to reveal her shoulder blade and the wound where the arrow had struck. Fortunately, it had missed any vital areas and wasn’t life-threatening on its own.

But overusing her powers and the clash of opposing energies within her had taken a toll. Her body temperature had dropped dangerously low.

Emergency treatment and raising her temperature were the top priorities.

“Brody, Brody, please. Just hold on. Just a little longer…”

Aidan cradled her face and gently stroked her cheeks. He rolled cloth and placed it in her mouth.

Then, lifting her onto his lap, he sterilized a dagger in fire, let it cool slightly, and carefully brought it to the wound.

“Ugh.”

Brody flinched, but lacking the strength to cry out, she soon fell limp again.

All Aidan could feel were her shallow, heated breaths against his shoulder.

It burned like fire on his skin.

Gritting his teeth, he applied a hemostatic agent and wrapped the wound in linen.

Suddenly, Brody’s body jerked violently as if electrocuted. Her entire frame shuddered uncontrollably.

She was going into shock.

“Brody—damn it! Brody!”

Aidan lifted her again, but her body sagged like a soaked rag.

With blue lips and barely parted mouth, Brody whispered weakly:

“So cold… Your Highness, I’m so…”

If only I could take the pain for her. His heart felt like it had been stabbed with ice.

He held her close, pressing his lips to her forehead and cheeks.

Her head was burning, yet her body was cold.

“I won’t let you die. Never. Never.”

Muttering the words like a vow, Aidan stripped off all his upper clothes and layered them onto her. Though loose from the size difference, the layers helped retain warmth.

He bundled her up in all he could find, wrapped her in cloth, and boiled water.

Pouring the hot water into a leather pouch, he placed it under her arms and on her stomach. Then he held warm water in his mouth and slowly transferred it to hers.

The heat seeped into her split, raw lips.

Though she winced from the pain, Brody quietly accepted the water, not resisting.

Through her fluttering vision, she thought she glimpsed Aidan’s face several times.

“The Icewall Archduke… is crying?”

Thinking it might be a dream, Brody slipped into unconsciousness.

❖ ❖ ❖

The dream clung like tar—thick and suffocating.

Is this a dream? It must be… right?

But where did the dream begin? And where did it end?

Her old life as Doyeon, the people Brody had met, Jax and River, the princess and the female prisoners… one by one, they all tormented her.

She woke up drenched in sweat—only for the dream to continue.

If I had to transmigrate, couldn’t it have been into a rich noblewoman? What is this?

She didn’t want much—just a quiet, peaceful life.

The worst dream was one where she killed Aidan.

She had poisoned him. And her fingernails had dug into his arm, streaks of blood trailing through.

Even as he lay dying from her poison, Aidan kept telling her it was okay, trying to soothe her.

Brody’s body was frozen—she couldn’t scream, couldn’t reach out.

Only tears streamed down her face.

Then—though time didn’t flow linearly in dreams—another scene began.

Aidan held her gently in soft blankets.

His large arms—twice the size of hers—and broad chest, like armor, embraced her securely.

Feeling like she was cradling a warm water bottle, Brody instinctively burrowed into his chest.

Her trembling jaw slowly calmed, pressed against his arm.

It was warm and safe.

Like a child, he stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and gently patted her back.

Her nose stung, and she pressed her forehead into his neck.

His tearful face came to mind again.

Even when he cries, he’s beautiful, she thought. But somehow, she hated seeing him cry.

Rubbing his strong shoulder, she whispered softly:

“I’m okay. I’m fine.”

And gradually, the nightmare eased.

Plants bloomed all around her, birds chirped, and deer grazed nearby.

Lying in the sunlit field, she opened her eyes to the sky.

“I love you.”

The confession didn’t come through her ears—it flowed from heart to heart. Her chest grew warm.

White fluff drifted down from the sky. Dandelion seeds? No—they weren’t floating, they were landing.

Snow…? But this didn’t fit the warm spring day.

Spring…? No, it changed. The season had turned to winter.

A blue glacier—one that looked like it would never melt—rose up around her.

She reached out. Expecting cold, she was surprised—the snowflake was warm.

As she marveled at it—

“Gasp.”

A sharp pain struck her.

Or maybe… the pain brought her back to consciousness.

The sequence was unclear.

Her eyes fluttered, searching for reality.

She saw a slightly old, tidy wooden ceiling.

The light filtering through the window said it was late afternoon.

Where am I?

Realizing she was lying down, she tried to get up—and failed.

Why can’t I move? Am I still being controlled?

She tried to twitch her fingers, only to feel something heavy wrapped around her left hand.

Looking down, she saw her hand completely enveloped in a much larger one.

Its owner had their head bowed, black hair falling forward.

“Your Highness…?”

Her memories slowly returned, letting her grasp the situation.

As she stirred, Aidan’s head suddenly lifted.

“Brody?!”

“Ah…”

Startled by his sudden movement, she flinched—and pain immediately followed.

“Brody, are you awake?! Brody!”

He sprang up, cupping her face with his large hand.

Seeing her blinking eyes, Aidan trembled, then buried his face in the crook of her neck.

When he lifted his head, his eyes were red.

“Was it… really that bad?” she asked awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood with a weak smile.

“…Yes. You’ve… been unconscious for a full week.”

His voice was hoarse, as if strained from exhaustion.

“A week…”

There was no IV drip in this world. No way to feed her during sleep.

She really could have died.

The brush with death sent a chill down her spine.

To change the subject, she asked:

“My body… still won’t move. Is the magic not undone yet?”

She peeked up at him from beneath her blanket.

“No, it’s not that. You’re just too weak.”

“I see. Ngh…”

As she tried to shift her position, Aidan swiftly supported her.

Sliding his arm beneath her neck and pulling her waist, he gently propped her up.

Brody leaned against him, brows furrowing from the spreading pain.

Looking worried, Aidan stroked her cheek softly.