STVWDTD Chapter 13

Wake Up, Diana

"My lady!"

Violet-dark hair scattered through the air like ink in water. Panicked hands shot out. His large hands caught her back, solid and firm.

His gaze dropped naturally to her collapsed face and throat.

Blood from her streaming nose. Blood from the long gash on her neck. Her nightgown dress soaked red, completely drenched.

The thick scent of blood hit him. Metallic taste flooded his mouth.

"My lady..."

His breath caught. The thought that this woman might die—his entire body went cold, temperature plummeting like a stone dropped in winter water.

The woman in his arms was so fragile. Like she'd disappear if he squeezed too hard with one hand.

"Sis!"

The child's scream—almost a shriek—snapped him back.

"Kid. Heal her. Now."

"I c-can't! Not now. We have to get out of the forest first."

Rodrick's face crumpled, ruthless. He laid Diana down and called for his second-in-command.

"Daren!"

"Yes, Commander."

Noel hovered, useless and anxious, then pressed his sleeve against the blood still streaming from her nose.

"Medical supplies. Get the supplies."

The vice-commander was a wreck from Rodrick's attack. His armor shattered, wounds carved deep into his body. But he was alive.

If not for Diana, everyone here would be dead.

He felt profound relief, profound gratitude, and hauled out the supply packs with his broken body.

"I'll do it."

"I'll do it."

This was the first time Rodrick had ever been this emotional. Daren stared at his lord, unfamiliar.

Stop the bleeding. Wind the bandages. Rodrick did everything himself. The bleeding stopped, but she lay there with her eyes closed. Like the dead.

After climbing down from the tree, after Noel wriggled out of his arms and ran forward, Felice just stared.

Eeeeee— Ringing in his ears.

Thump. Felice collapsed, hand reaching for his bag.

The stones that had been blazing with light were colorless now. Crumbled.

Felice quickly, cleverly, connected the dots between the current situation and what had happened. His hands shook. He clenched them tight.

'I almost killed my brother.'

He'd only wanted to break the curse. Research it. But because of his mistake, he'd almost lost everything. His body shook, uncontrollable.

Who panicked the most when Diana collapsed?

Despite looking the most composed on the outside, Rodrick's condition was anything but normal.

"Commander."

"Get the kid. Follow me immediately."

"Sir?"

"I'm leaving first."

Rodrick wrapped Diana in his cloak and blanket, rolled her up tight, and lifted her carefully into his arms.

"I'm going too!"

"You're in the way."

"Me too! I wanna go with Sis!"

"Brother, I'll handle things here and bring him."

Felice grabbed Noel's small hand tight. Felice's expression was dark, but no one noticed.

"Fine."

Watching Diana carried away, Felice made a silent apology he couldn't voice. Bit down hard on his teeth so he wouldn't cry.

"Thank you. For saving my brother. Thank you."

This debt—no matter what happened—he would repay it.

While Felice drowned in sentiment, Noel stared at the blood Diana had spilled, eyes furious.

"Won't let it go. If anything happens to Sis, I won't let it go."

Knights rose one by one, tending their wounded bodies. Noel muttered, but no one heard that ominous sound.

"We apologize, Commander."

"Planning to cover your incompetence with apologies?"

The voice sliced out like a blade. The priests trembled but kept their mouths moving dutifully.

"We've healed the wound on her throat and the damage to her internal organs, but as for why she won't wake, we also don't quite—"

Rodrick swept his hair back roughly, obstructing his vision.

He didn't know how he'd gotten through the Black Forest. What mental state had carried him.

He'd met up with the attendants waiting outside the forest and reached the village closest to the woods.

The priests he'd called first were worthless. Incompetent humans who couldn't even recognize a curse.

"Get out."

He threw the heavy pouch of gold coins without looking. His gaze was pinned to Diana.

"If there's anything more we can assist with—"

The priest who'd spotted the money started babbling nonsense. An attendant nearby, trying not to offend his master's mood, coaxed them out.

"Come now, if you've finished your work, please leave. The Schwartz family will be making a large donation to the temple soon. So please, go."

Tak— The attendant practically shoved the priest out and closed the door.

The attendant glanced sideways at his master's condition. Normally, he was emotionless enough that you couldn't tell what he was thinking. But now, he looked deeply unstable.

Would he lose his temper? In the precarious silence, Rodrick spoke.

"The carriage?"

"Bringing one from the North would take too long, so we're sourcing one from nearby. It'll arrive soon."

"Leave."

At that short command, the attendant bowed his head—then curiosity got the better of him and he opened his mouth without thinking.

"Who is that young lady?"

Ah, shit. He'd spoken without thinking again. His grandfather's curse echoed in his head: You'll die young because of that curiosity.

Contrary to his expectation of lightning striking, Rodrick's voice was calm.

"Diana Beatus."

Diana. Beatus? Huk. The attendant swallowed hard. The Beatus family was one of the top three most powerful families in the central political sphere.

"Y-you didn't kidnap her, did you?!"

"..."

"I mean, you went to find Young Master Felice, and now you're back covered in blood with a central noblewoman in tow—it's suspicious! And the lady's condition looks critical. Did your madness flare up again?!"

"One more word."

"Sir?"

"One more word and you'll spend the rest of your life with your mouth torn open."

"Hup. I-I apologize."

"Leave."

The attendant, face drained of color, bowed repeatedly and fled the room.

The shabby inn room wasn't soundproofed well. Various noises from the bustling activity leaked through the gaps around the door.

Only the air surrounding Rodrick and Diana seemed stagnant, flowing slowly.

A maid had washed her clean. She lay in fresh clothes, pale and pristine.

He removed his black leather gloves. Extended his fingers. Pressed them to the tip of her nose.

Her sleeping breath—soft, gentle—was so faint it wouldn't be strange if it stopped at any moment.

That thin thread of breath made him anxious. He didn't understand why this fragile breathing made his own breath catch.

Rodrick stared at her quietly sleeping face for a long time.

"Diana Beatus."

Even at his low voice, her eyelids didn't twitch.

"Diana."

He remembered how she'd pouted when he wouldn't call her by name.

Diana. Diana Beatus. He rolled her name around in his mouth.

Diana. Just calling her name—it felt like he'd gotten closer to her in one step.

'Before we part, can't you just hold me tight?'

'Let's say I fell for you at first sight.'

'Do you know how hard I worked to get out of there?! If you die, it's all for nothing! I need you!'

Her voice had glittered with the desire to live. She always gave her all.

This small, fragile woman had been fearless in fighting to claim her life.

Rodrick gently took her hand. Bloodless coolness filled his palm. He missed her warmth.

"Why..."

He didn't know. The unidentifiable emotion churned in his empty chest—unpleasant, unfamiliar.

He couldn't define it.

He just wanted this woman to live. That's what Rodrick thought.

"Wake up. You said you wanted to live."

I'll make it happen. So wake up.

He didn't notice his own voice had softened.

Diana's presence grew inside his chest, bit by bit, settling into place. But no one knew. How far that influence would reach.

She was aware this was a dream. There was no pain, no one in sight.

Floating in black space, she grabbed a book that drifted alongside her.

Reading through the pages, what caught her eye was the story of a villainess.

Villainess—the dictionary definition: a woman with a vicious and cruel nature.

But typically, the villainess in stories was stupidly obsessed with a man, blamed the woman for the man's infidelity.

Thought everything was the heroine's fault and sought revenge.

But why? Didn't she think the man did anything wrong?

The bastard who cheated before ending the relationship was the most at fault, wasn't he?

And yet she still wanted him? What did she see in that man? What was so special about him?

Please. Please, have some perspective.

Sister!

Sucked into the book like a whirlpool—text transformed into images, into reality, and the scene before her eyes changed.

Blazing crimson flames. The imperial palace, burning with overwhelming majesty.

Against the backdrop of the half-destroyed main palace, the Crown Prince and the villainess stood facing each other.

"If I can't have you..."

The brilliantly shining villainess smiled like a rose dripping with poison, gorgeous and deadly.

"Then you'll have to come with me, Your Highness."

Her hand, covered in the Emperor's blood, reached for the Crown Prince's throat. But the Crown Prince's hand was faster.

Before the poison on her sharp nails could touch his neck, a long sword pierced the villainess's heart.

The villainess in the novel—thoroughly rejected in the Crown Prince and Saintess's love game. Vanessa Beatus, eldest daughter of the Beatus family. That's how she died.

Everything stopped. Everything collapsed.

Her heart pierced by the one she loved.

After assassinating the Emperor.

The woman who'd been nothing but the Crown Prince's dog collapsed.

She and everything else—

Swallowed by darkness.

The villainess's world crumbled.

Heartbroken by that sight, Diana embraced the villainess who'd become her own blood, and sobbed in the dream.

Was she having a nightmare?

Beneath her trembling eyelids, tears overflowed and fell.

As they streamed endlessly down, Rodrick wiped her cheeks with his ungloved hand.

The attendants who knew Rodrick well were too shocked by that devoted sight to speak.

Five days had already passed since they'd arrived in the North.

It had been quite some time since Diana failed to wake.

"Um, I need to change the water basin—"

At the wide-open door, Felice stood and smiled sweetly at the maid, holding up one finger. Be quiet and leave.

Occasionally, people came by out of curiosity about Diana's face. This young maid seemed to be one of them.

How dare they. So many people weren't properly following their master's orders these days.

Felice closed the door. His expression hardened instantly.

Felice, who always greeted people with a smile, had started changing after his runaway and return.