The plan to uncover her secrets with the power of alcohol failed before it even began.
Leticia had fallen asleep before they even reached the room. Dietrian swallowed a hollow sigh at the sight of her soundly sleeping.
“Ha.”
Yet, on one hand, he thought it was for the best. At least the sleeping her did not look sad.
He entered the dim room and carefully laid her on the bed to avoid waking her.
Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders smoothly. After arranging the pillow, he brought a wet towel and wiped her hands and face.
As he was about to cover her with a blanket, he felt something odd.
‘It’s clean, isn’t it?’
The bedsheet was very neatly arranged. It seemed as if it had never been used. Dietrian furrowed his brow.
‘Didn’t she say she fell asleep for a moment earlier?’
If she hadn’t fallen asleep, then why did she come out late earlier? She had said she washed her face to wake up. Indeed, the ends of her hair were a bit wet, as she had said.
‘If she hadn’t fallen asleep, could she have been… crying?’
He was stunned. He hoped, yet again, that his speculation was wrong.
If she had really been crying, he would hate himself for being excited to hold her hand without knowing that.
“…Were you crying after all?”
Dietrian smiled bitterly. He brushed her hair behind her ear as he spoke.
“Leticia, what are you hiding from me?”
“…….”
“What is it that you’re bearing alone? Why are you in so much pain?”
He ended up chuckling at his own question.
What was he asking someone who couldn’t even hear him?
That’s when it happened. Leticia’s long eyelashes fluttered. Then, she slowly lifted her eyelids.
Her green eyes looked at him as if they were telling a lie. Then, she mumbled dazedly.
“A dream…?”
Dietrian’s eyes widened slightly. Then, he chuckled and said.
“You always ask me if it’s a dream.”
When he had rescued her from a sandstorm before, and just after the welcome party they had, she had said the same.
“It’s a dream…”
He was about to say it wasn’t, that it was reality, but he hesitated.
He stared at her intently.
Her clear green eyes looked up at him hazily.
Dietrian gently interlocked their fingers, then pressed his lips softly onto the back of her white hand.
“…It’s a dream, yes.”
“A dream…?”
“Yes. It’s a dream.”
“Really…?”
“Truly. A very good dream. A dream you don’t want to wake up from.”
Then he carefully lay down beside her. She was still looking at him blankly.
Close enough for their breaths to touch. The scent of wine was thick in the air.
Just like on their wedding night.
“It’s a good dream, isn’t it?”
He smiled gently and pulled her shoulder closer to him. Leticia, blinking slowly, smiled faintly.
“It seems so…”
“Leticia, you can achieve anything in a dream, you know?”
“Is that so…?”
“It’s a dream. Everything you wish for is possible.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead for a moment.
“In the dream, nothing can hurt you.”
“Ah…?”
“So, tell me. What do you most wish for? What is it that hurts you when you wake up from the dream?”
The thing you desire. The hope you must give up. Tell me about it. Leticia blinked blankly and answered very slowly.
“What I desire…”
“Yes. Is there something you desperately want? What do you want? Something you don’t want to give up, but have to in reality. Tell me about that.”
“What I most desperately wish for is…”
Tears began to well up in her green eyes.
Dietrian tensed up instinctively.
He realized that the moment he had so eagerly awaited had arrived.
Leticia licked her lips.
“I want to live… I don’t want to die…”
Her eyes closed softly. Clear tears flowed down. His clothes got soaked with her tears.
Dietrian was frozen stiff.
‘What did Leticia just say?’
Even hearing it with his own ears, he couldn’t believe it.
‘She wants to live?’
She doesn’t want to die? Why would she say that?
‘The hope she says she has to give up, could it possibly be…’
Chills ran down his spine. Unable to breathe, frozen, he quickly cupped her cheek. Or rather, he started to but then clenched his fist. His fingertips trembled.
‘Keep calm, please! There’s nothing certain yet.’
He felt like he was going mad. He desperately wanted to wake her up right then and ask what she meant, but he managed to restrain himself.
While still cupping her tearful cheek, he spoke soothingly.
“Leticia, open your eyes for a moment, okay?”
“Huh…”
“You don’t have to cry. I told you, this is a dream. There’s nothing to be afraid of. So, tell me. Why do you want to live? Perhaps, you can’t live long? Do you have to give up on life? Is that it?”
Then Leticia opened her eyes. His heart sank at the sight of her eyes filled with sorrow.
“Leticia?”
Leticia didn’t answer. Dietrian was beside himself with impatience.
“Can you talk to me, please?”
He pressed his lips all over her face, a desperate gesture as if doing so could heal her wounds.
“Leticia. This is a dream, right? So, it’s okay to talk. What are you most afraid of? I’ll make it disappear. So.”
“A curse…”
Finally, she spoke.
“Because of my mother’s curse… in half a year…”
Dietrian stopped all movement. Leticia closed her eyes and whispered.
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