Chapter 140: Outburst – 3

Valon let out a long sigh as he gazed at Vivian’s room.

At first, he only wanted to help a friend.

Despite being a noble, Kailo had truly considered him a friend, taught him the sword, and fought back-to-back with him on the battlefield.

For Valon, Kailo was a once-in-a-lifetime friend—he had no choice but to help.

The status difference between nobility and commoners meant nothing in the face of their deep friendship.

He knew well how irrational his decision had been.

However, he didn’t want to close his eyes on the day of his death, haunted by the thought that he had betrayed Kailo.

That was why he had done it.

He informed the princess and the prince of Kailo’s situation and ultimately betrayed Vivian.

Because, in the end, a friend was more important than a lord.

Vivian Rondor never recovered from that farewell.

After Kailo left, she shut herself away in her room.

The maids whispered that she was merely alive, not truly living.

The once-great war hero… now just a broken figure.

The maids had to forcefully wash and clean her like a doll.

Lady Linne even had to push food into her mouth just to keep her alive.

“…Was Kailo really that important to her?”

Martin murmured beside him, seemingly sharing Valon’s thoughts.

Seeing Vivian in such a state, Valon couldn’t erase his guilt.

She was like this because of his choice.

A person was breaking.

The woman he had admired so deeply was crumbling before his eyes.

“…Did I make a mistake?”

In the end, Valon could not suppress his guilt and muttered the words as if confessing.

Martin and Wallace, standing beside him, could not bring themselves to console him.

They all must have been thinking the same thing.

“…At this rate, she’ll really die.”

After a long silence, Wallace spoke.

“…But there’s nothing we can do.”

Valon replied in the same defeated tone.

— Creak.

At that moment, the door to Vivian’s room, which had always remained shut, slowly opened.

Both the trio and the maids flinched at the unexpected movement, instinctively readying themselves.

“…Hah.”

Valon involuntarily held his breath at the sight before him.

Vivian looked far worse than he had imagined—so much so that he couldn’t even find words.

Dark shadows loomed over her lifeless eyes.

Her cheeks were hollow and pale.

Her hair was dull and tangled.

Her beauty had not faded, but she looked so lifeless that it was hard to tell if she was still a person or merely a walking corpse.

“D-Do you need anything…?”

The head maid cautiously stepped forward and asked.

Vivian did not respond.

Instead, she simply began walking.

She wore nothing but light clothing and was barefoot.

The maids, startled, hurried to bring shoes and a thick coat, but they could only drape the coat over her shoulders—no one dared to stop her steps.

The trio followed behind her.

Even when she stepped into the snowy courtyard, Vivian did not put on her shoes.

Soft, fresh snow crunched under her bare feet as she continued walking.

Her first stop was the river that ran through Rondor Castle.

The water had frozen over, stripping away its former beauty.

Yet Vivian stood there for a long time.

No one dared approach her.

She seemed lost in memories, frozen in place as if reliving something.

“…Haha.”

Vivian suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

As if she had just remembered a happy moment.

But as that laughter faded, she clenched her hands tightly and brought them up to her face, her expression twisting in anguish.

Valon had never seen a woman look so utterly broken.

It was so painful to witness that he had to avert his eyes.

Vivian continued wandering through the castle.

Her steps perfectly mirrored Kailo’s usual paths.

From the river, she walked to the stables.

From the stables, to the training grounds.

From the training grounds, to the armory.

From the armory, to his quarters.

The soldiers of the 4th Knight Unit were mesmerized by her, unable to tear their eyes away.

Their faces were filled with concern and confusion.

Vivian finally entered Kailo’s room and stood still for a long time.

As if she still couldn’t believe he was gone.

She slowly walked toward his bed and sat down.

Then, without a word, she ran her fingers over the worn-out sheets.

Even the knights watching from the doorway could feel the depth of her longing.

The lingering hesitation in that gesture made it clear to everyone how much Kailo had meant.

Afterward, Vivian rose from her seat and returned to her room as if nothing had happened.

Valon followed behind her until the door was firmly shut.

“…Haa.”

Only when she disappeared from sight did Valon finally take a breath.

“…Shit, what do I do?”

***

What was it that I had been trying to achieve?

At the weary boundary between dreams and reality, Vivian pondered.

What had I wanted to accomplish so desperately that I fought my way through life?

There was nothing to gain.

Like a fish caught in a net, struggling only brought pain.

-Vivian, you must survive.

Was it because of my mother’s words, telling me to survive?

-Try to hinder me all you want. Make my life as difficult as you can. I’ll overcome it all and prove to you that you were the weak one.

Was it because I refused to lose to Kailo’s taunts?

“You must lead the family, Lady Vivian.”

Was it because of Lady Linne’s words, telling me to restore the family’s glory?

What had she been striving for, even in the moments she wanted to give up, even when the world seemed to turn against her?

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

At that moment, a soft birdsong filled the air.

The birds had vanished with the cold weather, but Vivian found nothing strange about their return.

Instead, she welcomed their song as if it belonged, a natural part of her world, and smiled.

She stepped toward the window and stood there.

The warm sunlight poured in, offering a gentle sense of comfort.

As she gazed upon the vibrantly blooming flowers, she felt a peace she hadn’t known in a long time.

“You’re awake?”

A man’s voice sounded beside her.

Without even turning to face him, Vivian spread her arms and embraced him.

That familiar scent.

Kailo was by her side.

The sharp thorns she had always kept raised had long since been put away; now, all that remained was the burning passion between them.

Kailo would never know what a blessing it had been for him to walk so boldly into her world.

He was the one and only presence that had made enduring this cruel world possible.

A rush of emotion swelled in her chest, too overwhelming to put into words.

Even if a lifetime passed, he would never truly understand the depth of her feelings.

This single bloom of love that had grown from hatred was strong enough to withstand any hardship.

Kailo gently brushed his fingers through her hair.

The gesture was so pleasant that Vivian nuzzled into his chest like a cat.

Anything that might seem foolish to others, she could do freely in front of Kailo.

Even if her actions were childish, as long as Kailo found them endearing, she didn’t mind at all.

At last, Vivian lifted her gaze to him.

“…Kailo.”

The person she loved most.

They had spent a lifetime side by side, and she should have grown used to it by now.

Yet…

●…Every time she looked at him up close, her heart raced.

Kailo gently pressed his lips to hers.

A shiver ran down her spine as happiness coursed through her body.

“Time to start the day.”

Kailo said as he pulled away.

Vivian wished she could stay in his embrace a little longer…

But she understood—so long as he remained by her side, she would always feel this joy.

“…You look beautiful today, Vivian.”

Kailo remarked as she got dressed.

That simple comment made an unbidden smile slip from her lips.

No matter how much others tried to amuse her, her expression remained unchanged—

Yet one word from Kailo, and her lips curved so effortlessly.

“Our daughter’s waiting. Let’s go see her.”

…Daughter?

Ah, that’s right.

They had a daughter.

Kailo had originally wished for a son, but unfortunately, a daughter was born instead.

Vivian had been disappointed, thinking she hadn’t met his expectations.

But now, seeing Kailo act as if he would give his very heart to their child, she found herself feeling almost jealous.

No matter what, all of this was built on a foundation of immense happiness.

At the mention of their daughter, Vivian smiled—

And in an instant, the scene shifted, placing them inside a small room.

“Ma… mama…”

A sweet, affectionate voice rang out.

For a moment, Vivian’s breath caught.

It was a delicate, beautiful sound that squeezed her heart.

Standing before a small crib, Kailo fussed excitedly over the little life inside.

“She called you ‘Mama’…! Vivian! She just called you ‘Mama’!!”

Flustered by his reaction, Vivian found herself rushing toward the crib as well.

Kailo’s same black hair.

The red eyes just like hers.

The baby she had always seen—why did the child look so breathtaking today?

Overwhelmed with happiness and emotion, tears welled up in her eyes again.

“…I could talk for a lifetime and she still end up crying. Cecil, what is your father supposed to do?”

Cecil.

Yes, that was her name.

“Mama… Mama! Kyaaah…!”

The moment Cecil saw Vivian, she beamed brightly.

“…You only smile at her. Not even once at me.”

Vivian lifted the small child, whose tiny arms flailed toward her.

A fragment of herself and the man she loved most in the world.

“You’re… so beautiful.”

Through her tears, she held Cecil dearly, unable to contain her joy.

Kailo, who had been teasing her, watched her cradle their child with utmost care and spoke gently.

“Would you stop crying already? You’d think something sad happened.”

Vivian shook her head.

She was happy.

More than anything.

Kailo softly pulled her into his arms as she wept.

The three of them shared a warm embrace.

“…Are you going to cry every time?”

Vivian closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of her child and Kailo.

At last, she understood.

Why she had fought so desperately to survive.

It wasn’t because she clung to life.

It wasn’t because she refused to lose to Kailo.

It wasn’t for the sake of her family’s legacy or for the people of Loctana.

…She had longed for a family.

The ache of losing her loved ones at such a young age had never left her heart.

A bond that no one could sever.

A connection that wouldn’t change, no matter the interference.

People who would always stay by her side, filling the void she had carried for so long.

With them, she would never be alone again.

She would no longer have to force food into her mouth by herself.

She would no longer have to endure cold nights alone.

She would no longer resent the family that had disappeared.

In a world that once seemed to hate her, these two had become her sanctuary.

The warmth was so overwhelming that her tears wouldn’t stop.

This time, it wasn’t out of sadness or fear.

She was crying because she was so deliriously happy.

For the first time, she had found the stability she had been searching for all her life.

“…This is it.”

She whispered.

She had lived her entire life for this moment.

“This… this is all I ever needed.”

Vivian lifted her gaze to Kailo.

His gentle eyes, his warm touch—everything about him enveloped her completely.

The world he had gifted her…

How precious it was.

My man.

My husband.

My savior.

My everything.

…My world.

Because of you, I was able to keep living.

“Kailo, I love—”

Suddenly, the world went dark, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

Her arms were still outstretched, reaching forward in vain.

Tears continued to stream from her eyes.

“…Huh…?”

Blinking weakly, she looked around.

A dull, lifeless world.

A coldness that seeped into her very bones.

“…Ah…”

A hollow chuckle escaped her lips.

It didn’t take long for her to realize.

It had been a dream.

That happiness was never meant for her.

“…Ha…ha…”

She lowered her gaze to her empty arms.

The arms that had once held Kailo.

Now, neither he nor their family remained.

This world—this cruel reality—was one she had to face alone.

“…Ah… Ahhh…”

Her hollow laughter turned into sobs.

That dream, which could have been her future, was already slipping away from her memory.

“Aaaaaaaah!!!”

Vivian screamed.

She had spent all day wandering the halls of Rondor Castle.

This place where he no longer existed, where he had left behind nothing but silence.

She had wandered aimlessly, lost in denial.

But now, she finally understood.

He was never coming back.

Kailo was gone.

He had abandoned her in this wretched world, leaving her behind like discarded trash.