“Earlier, I thought about why you were angry because I didn’t understand.”

“…What?”

I stopped trying to break free from his embrace.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t think Blanche was pathetic for not being able to transform.”

I suspected he was making this up to avoid the situation of being caught by me.

“You’re lying. You thought it was pathetic that she couldn’t manifest as a wolf at that age…!”

Jade exhaled softly as he embraced me.

“Wolves need to spit out the jewel to survive. But since Blanche couldn’t transform, the jewel must still be inside her heart.”

“Jewel…?”

What was this about a jewel, and what did it have to do with not being able to transform…

At that moment, my head felt like it was splitting.

『Erna pointed to Jade’s rose quartz brooch that emitted a rosy glow.

“That brooch must be precious. You always wear it.”

“It’s the jewel I spit out when I first manifested as a wolf. It’s part of my heart, so it’s dangerous to be without it for too long.”

“Part of your heart? I don’t understand what you mean by spitting out a jewel.”

Erna thought Jade wouldn’t joke with such a serious face.

“All wolves are born with a jewel in their heart. If they don’t spit it out, death is foreseen, and even if they do spit it out, losing it endangers their life, so it’s nothing but trouble.”

Jade muttered that he wished he could just throw the brooch away.』

The content of the original work crept up slowly.

“Larien, are you alright?”

I reflected on the conversation between Erna and Jade in the original story I just recalled.

“You die if you don’t spit out the jewel…?”

“Yes. If she wasn’t my daughter, this wouldn’t have happened.”

It wasn’t that he was disappointed Blanche couldn’t transform.

It was all my misunderstanding.

However, it was too early to feel relieved.

Death would come for Blanche because of this.

“Originally, if you can’t transform, you can’t spit out the jewel. You can only spit it out when you first take on the wolf form.”

I turned around and met Jade’s gaze.

“Then, um, what should we do?”

“If she goes to the snow mountains for training, the chances of transformation increase, so she might be able to spit out the jewel.”

My legs weakened at Jade’s uncertain answer.

“It just increases the chances, it’s not guaranteed she’ll transform even if she goes to the snow mountains.”

“…That’s right.”

“The snow mountains are not an option…”

But I also couldn’t bear to watch her die from not being able to spit out the jewel.

The thought of Blanche dying made it hard to breathe properly.

My heart felt constricted and numb.

“It, it’s all because of me.”

Blanche’s inability to transform was all my fault.

Because she was born mixed between me and Jade of different species…

Because I foolishly relaxed thinking nothing would happen…

“Breathe, Larien.”

“…”

“It’s not your fault, so breathe, please!”

I came to my senses from my fading consciousness at Jade’s voice and slowly exhaled.

“Yes, like that. Well done.”

Tears welled up in my eyes at his gentle voice.

“Jade. I can’t live without Blanche. If my baby dies like that, I can’t go on. Please, save her…”

Jade gently wiped my eyes.

“I’ll look into it first. And Blanche still has time. The jewel will be small since she’s young.”

“So it’s not an immediately dangerous situation…?”

“She should be fine for at least 3 years.”

I decided not to think about the terrible thing that hadn’t happened yet.

So as not to waste time just crying.

“…Jade.”

Jade lifted me up and sat me on the railing, pressing his forehead against mine.

“Promise me, Larien. No matter what happens, I’ll find a way to save Blanche somehow.”

Feeling Jade’s warmth, I repeated to myself how fortunate I was to be with him.

‘If I were alone, I would have collapsed immediately.’

Even when I misunderstood Sharlin’s child as Jade’s bloodline, I made assumptions without listening to his explanation.

‘I told Blanche not to make assumptions before hearing from the other person…’

Yet I was repeating that very behavior.

‘I should have asked instead of just talking, not knowing he might have said it out of concern for Blanche.’

I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Lari, en.”

I felt a trembling from Jade. His clumsy hand stroking my back was reassuring.

[This is the timeline separator]

Day broke.

Jade and I went to the library of the Rowe viscounty.

We were searching through records in the section dedicated to books about jewels.

Among them, we carefully read a book titled “On the Jewels of Wolves,” authored by Rowe’s ancestor.

[ The jewel in part of the heart is related to the only companion a wolf will encounter in life.

Because they spit out a jewel the same color as their companion’s eyes, the predetermined fate cannot be changed.

Failure to spit out the jewel endangers life, but conversely, being separated from the spit-out jewel for too long also risks life.

Therefore, the jewel is the companion’s… ]

‘It’s torn.’

It seemed intentionally torn to prevent someone from reading it.

‘What could have been written there…’

Anyway, it was full of content just explaining what the jewel was, so it wasn’t helpful and I set it aside.

‘He’s searching hard.’

I glanced at Jade taking out books from above, then fixed my gaze on his brooch.

‘They spit out a jewel the same color as their companion’s eyes…’

In the original work, the jewel Jade wore was rose quartz, the same color as Erna’s rose-colored eyes.

‘Why is it sapphire now?’

…Could it be because I possessed Larien?

‘Then that means Jade’s companion is…’

I shook my head before useless thoughts could flood my mind.

“Larien? What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing. I don’t think it’s here. I’ll look further back.”

Feeling oddly embarrassed to face him, I circled around to the bookshelf behind.

‘Yenitid’s Illness Diary…?’

A purple leather book titled “Yenitid’s Illness Diary” caught my eye.

The fact that it was in this section meant it was related to jewels.

I stood on tiptoe to try to reach the book.

It was quite high up and out of reach. I brought over a nearby ladder.

Creak.

The slightly twisted ladder made a sound as I placed my foot on it. I carefully climbed up and took out the book.

[ August 11th.

The council of elders suggested sending Yenitid, who couldn’t transform and thus couldn’t spit out the jewel, to the snow mountains.

Those fools who can only say to send a child who’s just turned 8 to the snow mountains.

Always incompetent. I’m sure the council members will all be stupid in future generations too.

That stupid bloodline won’t go anywhere.

Yenitid, your father will protect you.

So that nothing can block your path.

That mere jewel, even if you don’t spit it out, you’re my one and only beloved daughter. ]

For the first time, I found a record of someone in the same situation as Blanche.

Filled with joy, I turned to the next page without even thinking of getting down from the ladder.

[ September 10th.

Yenitid suddenly collapsed. She woke up after two days. Why is she like this. ] [ September 16th

She’s getting lighter and lighter. I’m worried if she has no appetite because of the hot weather.

I wonder why she can’t even swallow her usual favorite snacks and can barely eat thin soup.

I have the ability to get her anything she wants to eat…

It’s hard to watch my daughter wasting away. ]

But that joyful heat quickly cooled.

[ October 22nd.

Yenitid’s heartbeat is irregular.

Her pulse is slow, and even her breathing doesn’t seem right.

Unlike last month when she could swallow thin soup, nowadays she has trouble eating even that.

I hugged Yenitid who had trouble eating and offered her food to coax her, then got angry saying she’d be punished if she didn’t eat.

Watching my daughter force herself to eat while watching my reaction tore my heart.

I wish I knew what was making her sick.

There might be a way to cure it, but I don’t know why Yenitid is suffering.

Today too, Yenitid fell asleep exhausted from crying. ]

More devastating content followed.

[ December 9th.

Yenitid died.

The unspit jewel had grown in size, making it difficult for her to breathe.

She couldn’t swallow food because of the pain, but not knowing that, I forced her to eat.

It’s been raining for days now, so the ground is uneven and I haven’t buried Yenitid.

Even when the rain stops and the ground dries, I don’t think I’ll be able to let this child go.

Even at the moment of her departure, she said not to worry.

That she was happy to be born as my daughter.

In my memory, I only remember scolding her, what could she have liked about such a frightening father…

If I had sent Yenitid to the snow mountains, and if she had transformed, spit out the jewel, she wouldn’t have died?

I’m sorry to Yenitid who died writhing in pain until the end. ]

‘She died…?’

Reading the anguish Yenitid’s father felt was painful and numbing.

On the last page were a few lines written without a date.

[ I envy whoever finds and reads this. If I too could have exchanged my life to save Yenitid, I would have gladly done so…

I write this hoping there will never be another child like Yenitid.

Swallowing another’s jewel causes a rejection reaction and conflict.

This stimulation also progresses the transformation, and when one becomes a wolf, they spit out the jewel. ]

‘Swallowing another’s jewel will do it…?’

I was elated to have found a way to save Blanche.

“Jade, it’s written here in the illness diary…!”

Eager to tell Jade too, I hurriedly came down and the ladder tilted backward.