“Mother, Mother!”

Larisa’s face turned deathly pale. After carefully reaching out to check Guinevere’s body temperature, Larisa unknowingly collapsed to the floor.

‘It’s warm. She’s still alive.’

On the morning her mother passed away, Larisa was in her mother’s embrace. Larisa remained nestled in that embrace, which was gradually growing cold, until Guinevere arrived. She believed her mother would wake up soon.

That chilling sensation kept enveloping Larisa.

“Mother!”

Larisa cried, shaking Guinevere. When Guinevere wouldn’t wake up no matter what, Larisa struggled to stand on her trembling legs. Then she dashed outside.

“Teacher! Teacher Siod!”

The only person she could think of was her teacher. When Larisa knocked on the door crying, Siod opened it.

“What’s the matter? Oh my.”

“Mother has collapsed!”

Siod embraced Larisa and quickly teleported.

*

It was already late into the night when Guinevere regained consciousness.

“Ugh…”

Her head felt like it was about to split open. Guinevere was rubbing her throbbing head when she noticed Larisa sleeping and stopped abruptly.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“You were exhausted from mana depletion.”

Unable to fight off sleep any longer, Larisa had fallen asleep on the bed without even seeing Guinevere wake up.

“Larisa came running to me in tears, thinking something terrible had happened. I was startled too.”

“…”

“Did you overexert yourself because of this?”

Guinevere was startled. What was spinning like a ball above Siod’s hand was a rubbing of the time regression magic that Guinevere had miniaturized.

“Give it back.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of meddling with your research.”

Yet Siod examined the rubbing closely.

“It’s quite crude.”

“Your son made it.”

“He’s only my son at times like this.”

Even so, Siod chuckled. Seeing that he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood, Guinevere felt slightly relieved.

She had been concerned about how he, a dragon, might react if he found out she was separately researching time regression magic.

“You should stop this.”

“Why?”

“It’s based on alchemy. To cast this spell, you’d need a dragon’s heart.”

Guinevere had suspected as much.

“If I use all of my mana, it might be possible.”

“Why are you trying to complete a spell that can’t be used even when finished? I told you. I came here to prevent time regression. To make sure no one can turn back time ever again.”

“…”

“Are you anxious? Do you think there will come a time when you need to use this spell? Even if you have to fight me?”

Siod put down the sphere on the bedside table and approached Guinevere.

“Every human lives only one life, Guinevere. That’s why it’s intense and beautiful.”

His long fingers cupped her face. When their faces were close enough for their eyelashes to almost touch, Siod whispered.

“Won’t you try trusting me once?”

And just before their lips met.

“Teacher?”

“Aaah!”

The scream came from Guinevere. Siod was awkwardly pushed back. He fell on his backside under the bed and remained dazed, experiencing a moment of clarity. You could say he was in the midst of realizing the futility of life.

“What are you two doing?”

Guinevere hurriedly made an excuse.

“Something got in my eye… he was checking it for me.”

“Your eye?”

“Yes.”

“… gasp!”

Larisa covered her mouth with both hands in surprise. Guinevere wondered why she was acting like that, but then something trickled down below her nose.

“Mother, your nose is bleeding!”

‘Oh damn…’

Guinevere glanced at Siod. Usually, he would have spouted nonsense like ‘I guess I’m sexy enough to make you nosebleed,’ but surprisingly, he quietly handed her a handkerchief.

“Take it.”

Guinevere obediently covered her nose. As the handkerchief became soaked, Larisa stamped her feet anxiously.

“Oh no, you must be in a lot of pain!”

“It’s alright. It’s nothing.”

Though she answered in a nasal voice, Larisa was now even shedding tears.

“But there’s so much blood…”

“Larisa, calm down. It’s just a nosebleed.”

“That’s right. Vera must have been a bit tired.”

“But, but…”

Siod picked up Larisa, who had now started crying outright. He paced around the room, patting her back, and said,

“Were you very surprised? But it’s just a nosebleed, so you don’t need to worry too much. Come on, stop crying, stop.”

“I’m really fine. Look, it’s already stopped.”

In truth, it hadn’t stopped, so she had magically cauterized the inside of her nose. Guinevere endured the pain and made an effort to control her expression.

“See? I’m perfectly fine.”

Creating a water bead to clean her face and hands, Guinevere looked quite normal. Larisa finally spoke, still sniffling.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes. Come here.”

Larisa obediently stretched out her arms. Nestled in Guinevere’s embrace, feeling her warm body temperature, she finally felt relieved.

“I thought you were going to die, Mother.”

“That’s not possible. I’m going to live longer than you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If you laugh while crying, hair will grow on your bottom.”

Larisa grabbed her buttocks. Guinevere burst out laughing at the sight. To think such a joke would work. William would have…

‘Actually, hair grows on the anus during secondary sexual characteristics. Mother, don’t you even know that?’

…said something like that.

“Please live a long time, Mother.”

“I’ve already lived a long time. I’d like to live just long enough.”

“Even so. Even so, please live a long time. Longer than me.”

Larisa, now separated from Guinevere’s embrace, spoke tearfully. It had been barely a few months since Larisa had lost her mother.

‘It’s still a time when death is frightening.’

Guinevere thought for a moment and then said,

“Larisa. Don’t worry. I can’t die even if I want to.”

“What?”

“As long as all my mana doesn’t disappear, I’ll continue to live in this young form.”

“…”

“So I’ll never leave your side.”

Larisa stared blankly for a while before finally realizing Guinevere’s comfort and smiled with relief.

“Still… I hope you don’t collapse again.”

“That…”

For Guinevere, mana was like breathing. Just as one can regain consciousness by breathing unconsciously even after deliberately holding their breath and fainting, even if mana is temporarily depleted, it naturally replenishes unconsciously and she wakes up.

In fact, the amount of mana recovered naturally while Guinevere was unconscious was even greater than drinking a mana potion.

“Please don’t overexert yourself anymore, okay?”

To say such a thing to her. Is it because she’s still a child and innocent?

“Lala is asking you.”

Siod said gruffly. Now that she looked, he had a similar expression to Lala. Had he been worried?

“Alright.”

She had been so preoccupied with how he, a dragon, might react when he discovered the rubbing that she hadn’t realized he was worried. It felt strange.

After taking Larisa back to her room and returning to her study, Guinevere smiled bitterly.

Seeing Larisa worried that Guinevere might die reminded her of Marina.

‘Actually, if you want, I could make it so you don’t die. If I cast a spell to make time flow very slowly in your body, you could stay alive even if the pain persists.’

Although it would be painful, from a mother’s perspective with children, she might want to live like that to watch her child grow up. However, Marina declined Guinevere’s offer with a smile.

‘Are you asking me to become a hostage?’

With her upright posture and refined intonation, Marina no longer looked like a mere village woman. Looking as though she would be dignified even in the heart of the royal court, she had said:

‘If you extend my life with your magic, Lady Rodante, our Lala won’t be able to defy your words. She’ll live the life you want without knowing what she wants or what kind of life she desires.’

What could one say to that? Guinevere couldn’t give any answer.

‘Thank you, Lady Rodante. Thanks to you, I can die for our daughter. It’s not a miserable, meaningless death, but a meaningful one… Do you understand what I’m saying?’

‘I understand.’

‘Please swear. With all your magic. That you’ll protect our Lala… That you’ll let her live a long and happy life. Then I’ll allow you to take Lala.’

Guinevere answered as if entranced.

‘I swear on all my magic.’

Marina chose to die on her own. Instead of extending her life even a little with magic, she entrusted her death to God’s will and prayed only for Lala’s happiness. Someday, she would have to tell Larisa this truth.

‘When she learns the truth, will she resent me?’

Would she blame her, asking why she didn’t save her mother when there was a way? It seemed she had grown fond of her. Just imagining her resentful face was already making her feel bitter.

Once she decided to protect them, her whole heart was already directed towards those children.

‘That’s probably why I could make such an oath.’

A magician’s oath sworn on all their magic is equivalent to betting one’s life. Because when magic disappears, a magician dies.

‘But how did Marina know about a magician’s oath?’

It was a sudden question, but Guinevere soon dismissed it as unimportant. If Siod investigates, he’ll probably find out something soon.