LADAD Chapter 16

Because she didn't close her eyes, two pairs of eyes met completely. Amelia was shocked enough that her touching lips trembled, yet she didn't avoid Ivan's eyes.

"......"

After some time passed, Amelia lowered the heels she had been holding up. Naturally, Amelia's gaze lowered.

"I."

She didn't have the confidence to meet his gaze directly. She was afraid of the rejection or avoidance that might show in Ivan's eyes.

"I think I like you."

Moreover, she knew that somewhere in the heart that was now clinging to Ivan, there was also just a little bit of base desire hidden. Even knowing it wasn't right to use people, she wanted to escape this place even if it meant using Ivan.

"...What about you?"

So there was no way she could wait for his answer without a care. Amelia waited for his answer while staring somewhere around Ivan's shoulder and collarbone area.

But Ivan was silent for a while. Amelia couldn't bear the gaze pouring down on her from above and raised her head.

"What about you?"

And she asked more clearly. Without hiding her inner feelings of hoping quite earnestly for the answer she expected. With the heart that hoped he would lie even if this expectation was burdensome.

"Is my answer important?"

Ivan's green eyes were more beautiful than she had expected, like jewels. But Ivan's words weren't the kind Amelia had hoped for. She felt disappointed for a moment. Forgetting the fact that she herself had low intentions of wanting to use Ivan's heart. She just felt like the ground beneath her feet was caving in. The expectation that she might be able to leave this place by connecting hearts with him seemed to scatter into thin air.

"Anyway, you'll be tied to this place for life, and someone like me will just be forgotten as a passing existence."

"......"

"You can't become anything of mine."

But Ivan's cold voice awakened Amelia's senses.

"You can't become my lover or my wife. I know that and you know that too."

"Ivan."

"So what are you trying to do by shaking me with just momentarily wavering feelings..."

Ivan acted as if he was trying to push Amelia away. But Amelia felt her heart beating abnormally and frantically, as if she had been running.

'You like me. Don't you?'

Because she was getting closer to her own conviction. Amelia felt the fast blood flow and excitement coursing through her veins.

"No."

Amelia cut off Ivan's words.

"Ivan. I can become your lover and your wife."

And she whispered in his ear.

"If only I can get out of here."

It was a voice that seemed both desperate and seductive. Ivan flinched at the sound that penetrated his ear. Amelia noticed from that movement that he was shaken.

"Take me out of here, Ivan."

Amelia clung to Ivan. If before she had held onto him with just gazes or voice, this time she physically grabbed and clung to him.

"I, I want to follow you."

Ivan looked down at Amelia with somewhat confused eyes. His face showed he couldn't understand what Amelia was saying right now, or if what he heard was correct, what intention she had in saying such things.

"I'm actually nothing."

"What do you mean by that?"

Ivan asked with a furrowed brow.

"You've already noticed. You know I'm not special."

"......"

"Except for not aging or dying, I've never done anything special."

Ivan doesn't believe in gods. Then he wouldn't believe in Amelia's existence as someone posing as a god's representative either. He would think the things Amelia had been doing were also unrelated to spiritual matters. That was natural.

"I'm trapped here, Ivan."

Ivan stared at Amelia intently. Somehow it seemed like he didn't believe her words, so Amelia's heart became urgent. Separate from believing that Ivan liked her.

"Just like my mother and grandmother were."

Ivan's smooth eyebrows stirred. They tilted at a rather steep angle. It was an expression trying to gauge her true intentions. To persuade Ivan, she had to be honest. Thinking so, Amelia raised her hand with a resolute expression.

"What are you doing now..."

And she pulled down the shoulder part of the dress she was wearing. When Ivan, surprised by the unexpected action, tried to stop Amelia's movement with a shocked face, his hand stopped in mid-air.

"......"

Perhaps because she didn't enjoy going out often, the exposed skin looked pale enough to appear white under the moonlight. But what really captivated Ivan wasn't that white and soft skin.

"Do you see it?"

Amelia asked, pointing to a scar located below her shoulder, right where it would be covered by the dress.

Evidence of hardship and pain that could never occur on a precious body.

"When I was ten, this is a scar from being bitten by a dog while trying to escape from here."

The scar, crescent-shaped when viewed from the front, was quite large. Even Ivan could guess the degree of that pain. Since skin stretches as one grows, the scar would have been smaller than it is now, but for that small body, it would have been a large enough wound to leave a scar until now.

"You know what it means that I have a mother, and a grandmother."

"......"

"And that I got this kind of wound trying to escape."

Amelia spoke with a trembling voice. And she pulled Ivan's hand and made him place it against her scar. Through Ivan's fingertips, he could faintly feel the texture of the scar, different from the original skin.

"I'm not a representative of god."

"...You're not an immortal being either."

At Ivan's added words, Amelia nodded with a face that looked half ready to cry.

"I know you might feel burdened."

Amelia and Ivan were acquaintances whose meetings could be counted on one hand. Laying bare everything down to the bottom to a man she had feelings for was wretched and shameful. It was close to human despair.

Nevertheless, Amelia had reasons why she had to confess the truth to him and ask for help.

"There are only two weeks left."

Only about two weeks remained until the night of adulthood. And that time was increasing the strength with which it strangled Amelia's neck as it wore away.

"I have to create a replacement to replace me soon. Here they call that my duty."

"Surely not."

Ivan moved his lips without being able to voice his guess. Any human would have done the same.

"Fulfilling that duty is supposed to be the honor of my lifetime. But Ivan, I..."

"......"

"I don't want to live and die like that."

'So please save me.'

She was about to say that when Ivan let out a low sigh. Amelia's shoulders trembled, expecting rejection.

"If you follow me, you'll have to give up everything you're enjoying now."

Ivan grabbed Amelia's trembling arm as if telling her to calm down. And he gently stroked over the scar with his thumb. Perhaps because she was pale from fear and excitement, his body temperature felt particularly low and cool. When she recognized this with her head, the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up and goosebumps arose. But her heart became calm.

"Do you still want to follow me?"

Ivan asked.

"Still."

It wasn't something to think about. Amelia answered without hesitation. Ivan smiled slightly.

"Come with me, then. I'll think of a way to get you out."

And he readily gave Amelia the answer she wanted. Amelia hugged his neck tightly with a brightened face.

"Thank you. Thank you, Ivan. I really..."

As she expressed her gratitude while sobbing, Ivan's hand, which had been stiff with surprise, gently stroked Amelia's spine. It was a comforting touch she had never felt in this place before.

Amelia felt a sense of security for the first time in her life in the man's solid embrace. She felt like she could live peacefully like this forever in this man's arms.

"...!"

Until someone burst open the door of the separate prayer room.

"Holy Lady."

Under the pale moonlight streaming in, the intruder's face was revealed at an angle. It was Aaron with knights in tow.

"......"

Aaron didn't say anything. He just glanced at the man wearing the robe's hood for a moment, then turned to Amelia with a betrayed look on his coldly hardened face.

It was ridiculous. Betrayal. What was there between them besides coercion and oppression?

"Immediately seize that fool and lock him up."

As Aaron's order fell, the holy knights moved quickly. They quickly approached and grabbed Ivan's shoulders and arms with strong force. Even if Ivan was capable, it wasn't something he could shake off at once.

"Let him go!"

It was useless for Amelia to flail about with her weak arms, trying not to lose Ivan. Amelia barely managed to grab the tips of his fingers, but there was nothing she could do about the physical distance. Even the fingertips that had barely been touching gradually moved away and completely separated.

"No, don't."

She reached out desperately again, but Ivan's hand didn't reach her again.

Like Amelia Escliffe's situation of never being able to grasp anything in her hands throughout her life, only a hand stupidly extended into empty air remained, unable to grab hold of anything.

A few hours later, a great fire broke out in the building where the prison that held criminals was located. It was such a strong fire that even with all the temple officials rushing to help, it couldn't be easily extinguished.