“I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been here all along.”

She spoke confidently while lying down quietly.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Hayden still did not lift his suspicious gaze and answered firmly.

“And look at this?”

Lulu lifted the blanket slightly.

“A rib bone has attached. You can see it’s attached!”

“Yes, yes. You did well. You lifted the curse of the Western sage, very well.”

He covered Lulu, who had proudly lifted the blanket, again with an expression that said, ‘I have a lot to say, but I won’t.’ Lulu, who was pleased with the work she had done alone, didn’t even look at him. Originally, she wasn’t that kind of person, but now, having done a lot of work alone and rejoicing alone, she did.

“Right? I didn’t expect it to happen! But the bone even attached!”

At twenty, after losing everything, she said her heart became heavy, and her body moved more because it was tough.

Even after that, morning training was never neglected in Lulu’s daily life, and when she couldn’t do it, she felt sore enough to die.

Various unpleasant thoughts emerged when lying still. So, Lulu fought constantly even while lying down. Even though the muscles were all gone, she kept fighting.

Hayden watched Lulu, who was smiling happily with sweat on her forehead, and bowed his body. A warm body temperature could be felt above the red lips.

The lover’s kiss, which soon swallowed up her breath as well, became deeper. Was he scolding her for begging shamelessly? No, that wasn’t it. When they kissed, they couldn’t help it.

Searching each other’s bodies absentmindedly, they kept hugging each other tightly without any gaps. Everything that was complicated and mixed in their minds turned white and, in an instant, they shared the same breath and body temperature and ascended.

“Ah…”

The subdued moan contained not pleasure but pain. Hayden, pushing forcefully, covered her head.

“Does it hurt?”

Unfallen lips asked discreetly. Like dry land absorbing rain, the curse that bound Lulu was still absorbing Hayden’s power. And now, a dirty person who betrayed the generous master was feeling affection.
He surrendered everything and ran his fingers through her hair. Gripping tightly onto the pain, instead of tormenting the woman, he infused her with the power, urging her to absorb it, releasing a pale white light.

“Just shut up and watch. Anyway, strength is a more important topic than Lou.”

For Hayden, strength and power were means to make Lou comfortable, and to become a man who suited her more than anyone else, not a goal. However, for Carlos, it was always an endless goal.

Lou, with a pale and thin face, easily captivated him and stole his reason.

Hayden desperately held back his desires. Ignoring the raging heat, he deliberately slowed down, but Lou’s lower lip trembled. Hayden squinted his eyes and stared at the furrowed space between Lou’s eyebrows.

The power didn’t drain away.

“Will you keep peeking?”

He was only tormenting Lou by peeking. He seemed like a pathetic and disgusting guy. Hayden, coldly sneering, completely tore away the pain he had held. Only then did Lou’s face relax. He gently touched and soothed her skin, kissing every inch as if consoling her.

“Lou.”

At the calling of her name, she responded with a murmured “Mm,” indicating that she was okay.

“Okay.”

If she was okay, that was enough. Hayden reached out and wiped away the sweat on Lou’s forehead. For a while, he planned to stay stuck in the central palace, taking care of her illness.

And the guy who had never bowed his body and carefully looked at love was going to show up sooner or later, unable to resist his nature.

“Don’t overdo it.”

“I’m happy my bones are attached.”

Lou smiled, pleased with what she had achieved. Hayden couldn’t stop her and looked down at her with an expression that couldn’t hold her back.

“When will you tell me?”

“What? Oh, right.”

There was something she hadn’t said. Lou said, “Aha,” and said what she had to say, not forgetting it every day.

“I love you.”

Hayden stared at her blankly and bowed his head deeply.

“That’s not what I’m asking… Ah, really.”

It was embarrassing. In an instant, his neck and ears turned red. Lou laughed softly and hugged and caressed him.

“I love you too. I love you, but can you tell me what you’re thinking now? Did you forget that we’re engaged?”

Her scent, which came close, completely enveloped Lou. She deliberately raised her dazzling face to avoid him and rolled her eyes.

“Well, since you already noticed…”

“Oh, so you won’t tell me? Since you left the ring behind, we’re just in a relationship where we understand each other?”

Lou made the same expression she made when Hayden came into the bedroom. She stared at him with tension in her eyes, giving him strength.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do. Let’s start over from the beginning. What power do I have? You even left the ring behind.”

Now it seemed to be the stage of saying what had piled up.

“Just, I took some of your power that was going to Carlos, and I tried it because it was too wasteful.”

She said the fact that Hayden already knew in a sulky manner.

“Usually, that’s where Rustica Genesis starts.”

He didn’t know she would do even part of the Western sage’s curse.

Hayden remembered the brief testimony sent by Ophelia. He was excited. Lou lay still, providing energy and hope for a few more months of happiness to Ophelia.

And even Hayden couldn’t help but smile.

“Do you have the ring?”

He took out the engagement ring that Lou had left behind from his pocket without saying anything. He had kept it in his pocket ever since he found it.

“Put it back on.”

Lou pulled out her left hand and reached out.

“Sure.”
Unable to endure, thinking, “I’ve gone crazy,” Hayden didn’t add any more words and put the ring back on her finger. Holding the hand that hadn’t held a sword for a while, it felt quite soft.

“Aren’t you getting angrier? Whatever you say, it’s okay. I’m ready to listen to everything.”

Even if she tightly held him with a hand that lacked the strength of the Star, it was impossible for him to do anything.

“I’m not getting angry. When you say you’ll do it, you should grab it quickly.”

Watching Hayden, who, despite being an emperor, didn’t assert his pride and only clung, begged, and hung on, Lou reached for the hand with the ring. He quietly offered his face to that hand.

“I won’t leave again. I won’t even think about it.”

No words could reassure him as much as those.

“I hope I get better soon. Since a bone has attached today, I should recover quickly.”

“Sure.”

“I wish I had a little more time, though…”

Feeling the power rushing out of Hayden frighteningly, Lou murmured with a bitter tone.

The parasite currently sucking up that power is by no means an opponent to be taken lightly. The barrier created by Carlos is literally another world. If the one who created such a thing meets a tremendous power, it might be irreversible.

Lou was afraid of all of that, but she decided to hold onto Hayden tightly.

“I’ll get better soon, and I’ll definitely protect you.”

“It’s an honor.”

Hayden smiled, closing his eyes.

And that night, Lou had another emerald-colored dream.