Ian took Summer back to the mansion before it got too late at night.

“Summer. Please understand that I’m trying to save you.”

“…I understand now.”

On a night thick with darkness, only scattered lights dimly illuminated the surroundings.

Summer quietly gazed at Ian’s face standing in the darkness.

No words came to mind. She felt her crude words could not console him.

Surely Summer would betray Ian. Because she had to return. She would leave another scar on him.

“…Your Grace.”

“I’ll somehow give you a reason to want to live. So live, Summer.”

Ian, with trembling fingertips as if handling glass, picked up a fallen leaf from Summer’s hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Summer fumblingly touched the leaf tucked behind her ear, then left it in place.

“Go inside, Your Grace.”

Ian got in the carriage and left first. Summer waited for a long time until Ian’s carriage was out of sight.

As soon as he disappeared from view, Summer ran into the mansion to find the coachman.

“I’m sorry! I urgently need to go somewhere. Could I trouble you?”

“Of course, miss.”

The coachman quickly made preparations and pulled up the carriage in front of the main gate. Summer hastily opened the door herself, climbed into the carriage, and called out:

“The Grand Cathedral, please take me to the Grand Cathedral!”

Summer, who had hurriedly sought out the Grand Cathedral, stepped out with long strides even before the carriage came to a complete stop in front of it.

“You don’t have to wait!”

Summer called out as she quickly turned around. The coachman shook his head with a kindly face.

“I have nothing else to do anyway, so I’ll wait. Take your time inside, miss.”

“Then I’ll be back quickly!”

Summer gave a light bow and quickly entered the Grand Cathedral. The fact that someone was waiting for her wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Once inside the Grand Cathedral, Summer took a quiet deep breath.

It was too vast. It would be impossible to find where the Pope was with just a couple of visits.

She cautiously approached a passing priest to ask. The priest wore a painted-on gentle smile.

“I’d like to see His Holiness.”

“His Holiness is not someone who can be easily seen.”

He spoke cold words with a kind face. Summer, undeterred, held up her index finger.

“Just once. Please tell him Summer Lindsey is looking for him, just once.”

“I’ll try to relay the message once.”

A moment later, the priest came running back breathlessly and bowed politely before Summer.

“I, I’m sorry for not recognizing you. I’ll escort you inside right away.”

Thinking the priest was being excessively deferential, Summer followed behind him.

After walking quite a distance, a familiar scene came into view.

“Summer. I’ve been waiting.”

“It’s been a while, Your Holiness.”

At the end of the corridor, the Pope in white priestly robes still had that pure light purple hair.

Conscious of the priest, Summer greeted him with a formal bow.

Once the escorting priest had left, the Pope finally unbuttoned a couple buttons of his priestly robe buttoned up to his neck and languidly gazed at Summer.

“It seems you have a favor to ask.”

“That’s right.”

“Summer’s requests are always welcome.”

The Pope extended his hand with a benevolent smile. As if telling her to take it. But Summer only stared blankly at his hand.

A smooth hand without a single scar. It was a hand that showed how much he had struggled to become perfect.

“Your Holiness, can you let me enter that prayer room again now?”

“Of course that’s possible.”

“Then,”

Summer’s eyes lit up as she raised her head. But the moment she saw the Pope’s eyes, she had a feeling this might be a bit difficult.

“But it would be a little difficult on an empty stomach.”

“Em-empty stomach? Your Holiness, surely you’re not thinking of bargaining with me?”

Bad premonitions always come true. The Pope brazenly proposed a deal. After acting like he would grant any request earlier.

“Yes. Bargaining, that’s what I intend to do.”

“What do you want from me? Is there something you need, Your Holiness?”

“Of course.”

The Pope glanced around briefly, then extended one arm to shield Summer as he opened the door to his room.

Following the Pope’s guiding hand, Summer entered the room and heard the sound of the door closing behind her.

And not long after, the murmuring voices of passing priests could be heard outside the door.

“You seem to dislike being misunderstood.”

“Oh, Your Holiness’ hair…”

“I’ve returned it to normal. I can’t always maintain it, you see.”

Damian ran his fingers through his black hair somewhat irritably, pushing it back.

“Your Holiness. It’s urgent.”

“What is.”

“The world is trying to prevent my death.”

In contrast to Summer’s grave expression, Damian’s face was indifferent.

“…Well, I suppose so. That’s why I’m proposing a deal.”

“You… knew?”

“If I allow you into the prayer room today, answer what you intended to see.”

“…”

Summer fell silent. Damian smirked as if he’d expected that.

“Since when were you so altruistic, Summer.”

“How on earth,”

“You must be quite pressed for time now. Is it alright to be this leisurely?”

“How much do you know, Your Holiness? Why are you being so cryptic and not giving me any answers?”

“Answers are something you must find for yourself. So I’ll make a proposal. Whatever scene you see this time, you must tell me about it. How about it?”

“I will.”

Summer agreed more readily than expected, causing Damian’s eyes to widen slightly before he burst into laughter.

“Ah, Summer. Don’t make me grow fond of you.”

“You still haven’t? How disappointing. Hurry up and guide me.”

Summer responded indifferently to Damian’s reaction as she grasped the doorknob.

“Just a moment.”

Damian’s black hair gradually lightened until it turned light purple. His blood-red eyes also changed to purple.

Having returned to the Pope’s appearance, Damian guided Summer to the prayer room. The prayer room was still the same.

Slightly chilly, and empty.

Summer headed straight for the fountain containing holy water.

“If I’m too late again this time, please pull me out.”

“I will. Well then.”

“Wai-!”

This time too, the Pope gave Summer a sudden push and smiled brightly.

Summer reached out to the Pope as her body suddenly staggered, but she sank beneath the cold holy water.

Again. Just as she thought she was sinking into darkness, her vision suddenly cleared.

The Pope stood quietly in front of the fountain, waiting for Summer to surface.

One minute, two minutes. As it passed five minutes, the Pope’s arms, which were folded, fidgeted restlessly.

“…She’s late again.”

Just as the Pope decided to reach in and pull out Summer who had sunk beneath the fountain, it happened.

“Puhh! *cough* *gag*!”

“Summer.”

The Pope quickly embraced the staggering Summer and brushed aside the blonde hair sticking to her cheeks.

“Did you see?”

“…”

The Pope asked, suppressing his agitated emotions and trying to remain calm. But Summer only continued coughing and shaking off the water obscuring her vision.

Finally, the Pope grasped Summer’s shoulders firmly and urgently poured out questions.

“How is she now? Did she return safely?”

“*cough* *cough*…”

“Was it actually Selena you saw in the first place? You came to find me to see Selena, didn’t you?”

The Pope was right. Originally, Summer had come to the Grand Cathedral intending to see Selena.

She couldn’t be certain whether she could only see her own original world, or if she could see other possessed individuals as well, but she couldn’t bear not rushing here.

Ian, talking about Selena, had suddenly shrunk to the young Ian who had to let her go in an instant.

Summer faced his wounds for the first time.

This is why she didn’t want to know about his wounds. Because sympathy inevitably follows, and sympathy moves people.

The moment she heard his voice muttering about where she had wanted to return to so badly, Summer decided she had to come here.

And as Summer had expected, she saw Selena. Returned to her original world.

“Summer, please… say something.”

“I saw again this time.”

“What did you see? Was it Selena? Or was it some unfamiliar person? Summer, say something, anything.”

“W-well…”

“Did she return safely? That’s all I need to confirm.”

Summer swallowed dryly. Her voice wouldn’t come out properly, as if her throat was constricted.

“She, she returned safely. The person called Selena, she returned to the world she originally lived in.”

“Ha… That’s enough. That’s, sufficient.”

“…”

Summer blankly took in the sight of the Pope patting her shoulders and smiling broadly.

“Thank you, Summer. I’ve been searching all this time for another outsider who could see her.”

“…”

“It was true that if you stop breathing in this world, you can return to your original world. Selena was right.”

“…”

“Thank goodness, really, thank goodness. How much, how much I…”

The Pope shed clear tears while smiling brightly.

Perhaps because his emotions of joy and relief burst forth, he slid down and sat on the floor while holding Summer.

His breath touched Summer’s thigh. It was a sigh of relief.

“Summer. Do you still want to return now?”

“…I.”

“If you want to return, I’ll help you. If this end is not death, I’ll help you with anything, Summer.”

“…”

“…Summer?”

“Ah, I hadn’t thought there could be other outsiders besides me… I guess I was a bit taken aback.”

“Oh my, that’s understandable. Come over here quickly.”

The Pope hurriedly took off his outer priestly robe and wrapped it around Summer’s shoulders. It was already soaked through so it was meaningless, but still.

“It’s alright. Once my clothes dry, I’ll return right away.”

Summer handed back the outer robe the Pope had wrapped around her.

“Would you like to rest a bit in my room?”

Summer quietly gazed at the Pope who seemed to want to help her somehow.

Seeing him act so emotionally when he had only been cryptic before, it seems this person called Selena must have been very precious to him.

Why was she so precious to both Ian and Damian that she ended up leaving scars when she departed?

“Am I… different from her?”

Summer’s murmur scattered.

She didn’t know.

Summer quietly closed her eyes. Droplets clinging to her long eyelashes fell.

Right now, her mind was filled only with the thought of wanting to rest.

She was very, very tired.