Chapter 36
“Ribe, are you feeling any better?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Mother looked at me with a deeply worried expression. I deliberately coughed a couple of times and touched my face.
“Oh dear, Ribe. You still don’t seem well.”
As Mother spoke, Father chimed in with a word of advice.
“You should take your medicine after dinner and get a good rest.”
“Yes, I will.”
“I heard you didn’t attend the tea party hosted by the Schrein Viscount family today. Everyone was worried because you didn’t come.”
I nodded awkwardly, but a lump started forming in my throat.
I subtly glanced at Oliver, my older brother, but he was chewing meat with an indifferent expression.
So Adrian didn’t say anything.
That was a relief.
“My dear Ribe, I hope you’ll feel better by tomorrow. I’m so worried.”
Tomorrow was the start of the festival.
Though Saint Obenly’s Awakening Day was on April 12th, it was such a significant day on the Ernberg Peninsula that the celebration extended one day before and after—making it a grand festival held over the 11th, 12th, and 13th.
I always died on the last day of the festival. So if things went as they always did, the 13th would be my death day.
No matter what I tried, I could never escape it. But what about this time?
With that thought, everything I ate lost its flavor.
Would it take longer for me to vanish if I gained even 100g more? Thoughts like that filled my mind.
“Ribe, dear?”
As I looked up to the subtle voice calling me, Mother gave me a soft smile.
“You’ve heard the rumors going around, haven’t you?”
“Rumors?”
“Yes, the ones about you marrying His Grace the Grand Duke.”
As soon as Mother finished, Father cleared his throat in protest.
“We agreed to let Ribe decide on her own.”
“But we’re her parents. We need to know, don’t we? And if it really does lead to marriage, there are so many things I’ll need to prepare. You wouldn’t understand.”
Ugh. So that’s why they’d been so quiet until now.
It had finally begun.
“I’m just a bit curious about how you feel.”
“His Grace the Grand Duke has never proposed to me, Mother. You heard him yourself, didn’t you?”
When I said that, Father looked at Mother with surprise.
“Is that true?”
“Well, I mean…”
Mother’s face turned awkward as she started explaining.
“I just happened to overhear while checking if the refreshments were sufficient. At that moment, the Grand Duke clearly said—”
With a hand pressed to her chest, she continued passionately.
“Sir Palamedes offered to compose a song for you, and His Grace was visibly displeased. I heard him say, ‘If I want to protect my Ribe, I must act quickly.’ What else could he mean by ‘act quickly’? Obviously, marriage! He was clearly talking about marriage!”
“Of course, I understand how His Grace feels, but what our Ribe thinks is just as important.”
“Ribe, what do you think?”
Everyone at the table, even the servants, turned their attention to me.
They said my feelings mattered, but I could still vividly remember what Father had said before:
Of course, the fact that the man interested in you is the Grand Duke of Cygnus does excite me a little. Just the thought of having a duchess in our family keeps me up at night, and your mother—so fragile and nervous—would be thrilled. Not to mention how bright your brother Oliver’s future would become. The attention and influence we’d gain as the Grand Duke’s family are everything I’ve dreamed of. But still, what matters most is your heart, Ribe.
What on earth could I say in this moment?
Maybe the best choice would be to marry Jerlach and disappear forever on the 13th, just as everyone wanted.
I slowly set down my fork.
“I’ll head up first.”
“Ribe?”
“I don’t think I’m feeling well. I’ll go to bed early tonight.”
“Alright, go ahead. Eclla, prepare Ribe’s medicine.”
“Yes, Madam.”
I went upstairs with Eclla. I wasn’t actually sick at all, but since I kept telling myself I was, my forehead really did feel hot.
“Miss, you really don’t look well.”
“I’ll be fine after I take some medicine and sleep.”
Was it the worry about the upcoming festival?
I trudged into my room and lay on the bed without changing.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“Huff… huff…”
That night, I had a horrible nightmare.
I jerked awake like I’d been flung from the bed. Outside, it was still dark.
In the dream, I was walking through a beautiful, vast field.
I didn’t know where it was or where I was headed, but it didn’t matter. I was enjoying the feel of soft grass brushing against my toes.
“What’s that?”
Far away, I saw a black dot. I squinted, unsure if it was a person or a tree, but I couldn’t make it out.
“Let’s go check.”
There was nothing else around—just grass and the horizon. I had no reason not to head toward the object in the distance.
Suddenly, that small dot grew rapidly in size.
“…Huh?”
As I hesitated, it turned into a gaping hole.
“What… what is that?”
A sense of dread overtook me. I started backing away, but the massive hole rushed toward me. In the blink of an eye, I was swallowed in complete darkness.
I couldn’t breathe in the suffocating void. As I swallowed dryly, a giant hand shot up from the floor and grabbed my leg.
“Aaah!”
I screamed and tried to escape, but the hand only gripped tighter.
From my ankle to my calf, and then my thigh—it climbed up and began choking me.
That’s when I woke up.
“Huff… huff.”
It was the most vivid and terrifying nightmare I’d ever had.
My heart was racing like I’d just run a marathon. I barely reached out and grabbed a glass of water.
After swallowing a lukewarm sip, I was finally relieved to realize it was just a dream.
“Phew…”
But I felt groggy, like I’d taken a sleeping pill. When I touched my forehead with my right hand, it was still hot.
“That was scary…”
It was a warning—no doubt about it.
A warning that my end was near.
I pulled the blanket all the way up to my chin.
I couldn’t fall asleep again, and the night dragged on slowly.
The next morning, I greeted Eclla with a pale, haggard face.
“Oh my, Miss.”
“Eclla, I don’t think I can get up.”
Yes, the nightmare was terrifying, and the memory still made my knees tremble—but not enough to keep me bedridden.
Still, I wouldn’t go to the festival.
I’ll avoid Jerlach until the 13th. I’ll pretend to be sick, make any excuse I have to. I’ll do whatever it takes to stay away from him.
It was no longer possible to become engaged to Naidan, so I couldn’t return fully to my original role—but I could at least avoid being by Jerlach’s side.
That’s the best I can do.
“What a pity. Are you very sick?”
I slowly nodded.
“Oh no… today’s the start of the festival. Everyone’s been looking forward to it.”
Eclla looked more disappointed than I felt.
“I’m okay skipping breakfast. I’ll just sleep more.”
“You should eat a little something.”
Eclla looked at me with a worried face.
“I brought your favorite cured ham, fresh apples, warm bread, and milk.”
I really had no appetite.
“Well… maybe just a little.”
“Yes, Miss. You need to eat something to regain your strength. Besides, today is just the eve of the festival. The important day is tomorrow, so don’t feel too down.”
Eclla added kindly and helped me sit up.
“Thank you.”
Wait… I can’t just keep avoiding everything.
“Eclla, Muten must be quiet today, right? Everyone will be at the castle.”
“Yes, of course. It’s the day everyone’s been waiting for.”
“Then… do you think Mr. Clem will go too?”
I asked casually, and Eclla shook her head.
“Probably not. No one’s ever seen Mr. Clem leave his bookstore.”
“Not even on Saint Obenly’s Day?”
“Not even then. The only thing that matters to him is that bookstore.”
In that case…
‘I’ll go to Clem’s bookstore during the peak of the festival. I’ll finish reading the back of the book.’
Since this world resembled the novel so closely, I had to check the ending.
Let’s find out what happens to me and if there’s a solution hidden in there.
Just as Eclla was about to leave the room, a maid knocked on the door and entered.
“Miss.”
“What is it?”
“His Grace the Grand Duke has arrived.”
