Summer Must Die - Chapter 46

Fei slowly opened her mouth.

“You’ll regret it. You will surely be betrayed by the god.”

It was advice if it was advice, and a warning if it was a warning. Fei couldn’t understand Mary who was trying to walk the thorny path she had already gone through.

Mary replied with a calm face.

“I’ve already been betrayed.”

“What do you mean betrayed?”

“The lady is always thinking about going back without us. So what? I’m prepared to regret it. The future I’ll regret is mine too.”

“…Fine. Let’s see how well you do. Even so, the black-haired one trusts me more. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Don’t you think it’s because I’ve tolerated you until now?”

“…What?”

Fei’s eyes twitched. Mary’s appearance was as dignified as her own glorious past self.

“When cornered, one bites anything. I’m cornered, and I intend to bite you.”

“……”

“Go back today.”

Mary turned abruptly and disappeared into the mansion. Fei gazed at the lit Lindsey Count mansion for a long time with a thoughtful face.

Fei also did her best. She loved this world and loved god. As god’s agent, she spared no effort to maintain and prosper this world for god.

And god abandoned the world.

‘Please! God, don’t abandon us, please……’

God suddenly disappeared one day. She still didn’t understand why god abandoned this world. It was that sudden.

Why on earth.

Fei, who lost her divine power, was dragged down by the crowd saying she was cursed. Not only Fei but also the believers became targets of venting.

So Fei fled into the black forest with a few surviving believers.

And people called them witches.

“God is selfish…… Unable to understand insignificant beings like us.”

Would the black-haired one be any different? She was horrified saying this world was fictional and mere letters in a book. The black-haired one who said she would return to her original world even if it meant using and hurting puppets and enduring betrayal.

“What nonsense.”

Fei sneered and disappeared into the darkness.

This world is slowly crumbling. There’s no way to stop it.

“……Ah.”

Summer, who opened her eyes to the dazzling feeling, let out a soft sound. The sunlight seeping through the curtains wasn’t bad.

“Russell… brought me back.”

It felt like a dream. She wanted to run right away and check if that office was still there.

There was no such space at all in the Lindsey Count mansion. It was only full of rooms with a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

“Three days.”

Another day passed like this. Three days until returning. It was a short period if short, and long if long. Summer’s face sank darkly.

Since seeing Selena, Summer had been anxious and impatient.

According to Fei, Selena was like that because she had stayed in this world for too long and assimilated. But Summer also felt herself gradually connecting to this world.

“Stop, stop thinking about it.”

Summer got up from bed, trying to ignore the worry and anxiety that was welling up.

Having hesitated until now and come this far, she should no longer hesitate. Summer chanted this to herself as she pulled the bell cord.

“Miss! Are you awake?”

“Yes. Please prepare some bath water.”

“Leave it to me!”

Daisy popped in brightly greeting, as Mary seemed to be doing other work. Seeing the energetic Daisy made Summer smile slightly too.

Daisy, who had filled the bathtub with heated water, casually spoke.

“Oh, by the way, Mary is welcoming a guest.”

“A guest?”

Do minor characters get visitors too?

“Yes. The young lady of the Dudley family has come and is talking with the master now.”

“Julian?”

It was unexpected. She thought Julian would send word and come to see Summer first even if she visited. What could she have to say to Count Lindsey?

Summer hurried her preparations. Just as she finished washing and changing into an indoor dress, Mary came looking for Summer.

“Miss. The guest wishes to see you. Shall we go to the reception room? Or would you like to invite her to this room?”

“Tell Julian to come to this room.”

“Understood.”

Summer, who had finished preparing, asked Daisy to bring a simple tea set and sat down in a chair. She wondered why Julian had come. She was curious.

“That’s good.”

It’s good for saying goodbye too. Especially for Julian, she had somewhat tender feelings.

She hoped Julian would be happy and live well. Perhaps it was because she saw her own past in Julian’s past.

After waiting a little, Daisy set down the tea set, curtsied, and left. At the same time, there was a knock and a clear voice was heard.

“Summer, it’s me. Julian.”

“Come in.”

Julian, who carefully opened the door slightly and entered, smiled brightly. The door closed, and only the two of them were left in the room.

“Julian. Let’s talk while drinking first.”

Summer first offered tea to Julian. From Summer’s perspective, Julian was trying hard to act bright and playful while hiding something.

Is she anxious? Well. Even Summer lost her mind to fear when she first witnessed the bizarreness of this world.

“Phew, you’re probably the only person who talks to me so comfortably.”

Julian let out a laugh as if some tension had been relieved by Summer’s consideration, and picked up the teacup.

Both Julian and Summer poured lumps of sugar into their teacups.

“I’m honored. But Julian, what brings you here? Without even sending me word in advance.”

“Well, I had something to discuss with Count Lindsey.”

“What kind of…?”

What business could the female lead have with Count Lindsey? Moreover, Julian’s demeanor had been strange since the hunting competition.

She seemed like a screw had come loose a bit, but also looked intelligent. Though Summer knew these two descriptions couldn’t go together, that was really how Julian’s current state appeared to her.

“The Lindsey family and the Dudley family have agreed to proceed with a joint trade business.”

“A trade… business?”

Summer quickly searched her memories, but of course there was nothing like that in the original work.

Julian put down her teacup with a faint smile, as if she could hear the sound of Summer’s brain working.

“It’s just my guess, but somehow I can’t shake the feeling that Summer will leave my side.”

“……”

Summer froze stiffly like a broken doll. How? How did Julian know?

Julian calmly looked at Summer and added:

“I can’t let that happen. Even if you end up marrying the Duke, I want Summer to stay here.”

What is this all about? Summer was confused. From just now, Julian’s words were jumbled and buzzing in her ears.

How did she know about leaving, and what does she mean by not letting it happen? By what means does she intend to stop it?

And why is talk of marriage coming up now?

“What do you mean? I’m sorry, but I’m not dating anyone.”

“Weren’t you and Ian on good terms?”

This time, Julian asked with round eyes as if surprised. Summer frowned with an incredulous feeling.

“Not at all. I’m serious about this. Ian and I just have a relationship of sympathy and reliance.”

“Then I’ve lifted one burden from my heart. Actually, when Ian returns this time, I’m planning to propose.”

“W-wait. Julian. Wait a minute. Propose? Propose?”

“Yes.”

Julian answered a bit shyly. Summer now completely dropped her jaw and lost her senses.

Ah. Is this how parents feel when they suddenly hear their child say they’re seeing someone?

“It’s not Ian clinging, but you, Julian? Why on earth?”

My precious female protagonist proposing to Ian? It’s fast. Too fast. The original work hasn’t even fully progressed yet.

Moreover, in the original work, Ian, after learning the truth, actively courts Julian first.

Summer felt like it would be better to just faint. What is all this about?

“Yes. Because I’ve… come to harbor feelings for Ian.”

“That’s good news, but isn’t it too fast? You haven’t known Ian for long yet. I don’t know what it feels like to fall in love, but Julian, you’re being too hasty now.”

“I’ve known Ian… for a long time.”

“So, I’m talking about forming a human relationship,”

“I knew.”

“Knew what?”

Summer’s heart pounded with anxiety.

How close had Julian come to the truth? Is this okay? Julian is the protagonist of the original work.

Is it okay for her to come this close to the secret of the world? Is it okay to break the flow of the world?

If something changes in the world due to Julian’s change. Summer wrapped her throbbing head as she swallowed dry saliva.

Could there possibly be a problem in returning to the original world? Such thoughts poured out.

Like spilled water, the thoughts that poured out couldn’t be picked up.

“That day when Summer came to my room, I was having a dream.”

“…What.”

“It was a childhood dream. I thought it was a nightmare, but a face I wanted to see appeared.”

“……”

Ah. Was that why the world stopped Julian’s consciousness that day? To twist the direction of the story so that Julian could know the truth first?

But questions still remained. Why would the world deliberately twist the perfectly fine original work and use the method of dreams to let Julian know about Ian’s existence?

“The boy who first made me feel the need to live when I was young was Ian.”

The original work has completely fallen apart. Isn’t this a big problem?

“I, I’m not going to hide my abilities anymore. Summer knew too, right? That I have holy power.”

“Julian. It’s dangerous. The temple will surely try to take you away.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to live hiding this ability that can save many people, consumed by fear anymore.”

After Julian’s holy power was discovered, the temple resorted to persuasion, political threats, and even personal threats to secure Julian.

The temple is ready to do anything to regain its former glory.

Although the Pope showed goodwill to Summer by even revealing his name, Summer still couldn’t trust the Pope.

He was a person who would use holy power to change his appearance to become the perfect Pope. If such a person discovered a saint.

Should she beg him to leave Julian alone since she told him about Selena? But Summer is hiding the fact that Selena is dead from the Pope.

Rather, Summer could be in danger. Since the Pope also possesses holy power, no one knew how this holy power would work.

If he harbors resentment and uses holy power on Summer. If she’s not careful, there could be a problem in returning to the original world.

Summer self-deprecatingly laughed at herself for thinking selfishly even at this moment.

“…It’s a beautiful heart, but Julian. The world doesn’t give trials that can be endured with will alone like in novels or plays.”

“I know. That I could die. That the temple is targeting me too.”

“Then why……”

Julian’s lovely pink eyes fully captured Summer. As if not to miss a single moment.

“I decided after seeing Summer. I wanted to do something that would change my fate for someone else once, like Summer.”

“What did I… do for someone?”

“I know. That you always hoped I wouldn’t experience bad things.”

“That’s.”

“Don’t worry. And the temple isn’t such a bad place.”

But it is. The Pope seemed like a strange person. Summer wanted to stop Julian.

But fearing that if she intervened in her affairs again, the path back to the original world might be blocked forever, she just nodded silently.

“I support your choice, Julian.”

All she could do was pray that she wouldn’t have too big regrets.