The tremendous truth didn’t immediately register in my mind.

‘What does this mean?’

The words Evelyn spoke, heart, experiment, were connected to what Hadel had said before about our hearts being the same.

I asked slowly.

“……Are you saying that Hadel’s heart is really my heart?”

Instead of a clear answer, Evelyn gave me a vague smile.

“There’s no one to transplant it to, so eventually, even to animals… One of them seems to have opened its eyes.”

“Unbelievable. It’s insane. How could they do such a thing.”

In the end, it meant affirmatively. While murmuring for a moment, I recalled the fact that Aspen was alive.

“Then, is Aspen also…?”

Did Aspen live so far by transplanting a heart? Evelyn didn’t answer this time either.

She politely lowered her head.

“Please return safely.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the way back, even as I mounted the horse, only Evelyn’s words lingered in my mind.

‘I really don’t understand.’

Even if theoretically such experiments were possible, could they actually succeed?

The fact that Aspen, who had caused a mana explosion in the first place, was alive until now didn’t make sense.

‘If Aspen is behind this, everything falls into place.’

In the end, that was the conclusion. Aspen is alive. And experiments of various kinds are underway to save me.

‘To control even the royal family.’

It was clear that it couldn’t proceed without the help of the king.

‘But how?’

The conclusion seemed too unreal. I sat blankly for a while.

My body lightly shook. Lost in deep thoughts, I almost slipped in my words. If Hadel hadn’t held me, I would have fallen.

“Oops.”

Even in my confusion, Hadel showed no signs of shaking.

“Be careful, Marian.”

“Thank you.”

There must be many things he’s curious about too.

Through his palm touching mine, warm mana flowed in. Normally, that warmth would have reassured me, but today, even that felt disturbing.

‘Hadel’s mana wasn’t absorbed into me. My mana is trying to return to me now.’

Now, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

‘Hadel always being in pain is natural. It’s not the right heart for him in the first place. No wonder. Although it wasn’t a mana explosion state, I thought it was strange that mana continued to be overproduced…’

If my anxious expression continued, Hadel pulled the reins.

“Are you okay? Want to rest before we go?”

I nodded.

“That might be a good idea.”

“Rest for a while before we go.”

Everyone stopped talking without saying anything. Familiarly, they spread out and prepared to rest for a while.

While one person rested, another plunged his eyes into the pot, and another person lit the fire. They were trying to make tea by boiling snow in the pot.
Just standing in place and staring blankly at that sight, Hadel reached out his hand to me.

“Shall we walk together?”

“Yeah.”

My head was complicated. I wanted to walk rather than staying still.

‘There are things I need to say to Hadel.’

I looked sideways at Hadel, who was walking beside me. His strong-looking eyes were straight ahead. Despite undoubtedly hearing Evelyn’s story with me.

Unable to hold back any longer, I called out to him first.

“Hadel.”

When he stopped walking, he turned to look at me, taking one more step than me out of inertia. I clenched my fists tightly.

“Why haven’t you asked anything?”

After saying that, I felt a drowsy sensation inside my throat. I realized my feelings a little dully.

‘He was anxious.’

Hadel, who knows everything, might resent me.

It seems I gave more of my heart to Hadel than I thought.

‘What if Hadel says he doesn’t want to see me again?’

The feeling of the other person holding the reins of the relationship was like holding my heart tightly.

I cautiously looked up at Hadel. I was curious about what expression he would have. And looking at Hadel’s gentle eyes as he looked at me, I became stiff in a different sense this time.

“I’ll wait until you tell me.”

“…How do I know when I’ll tell you?”

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t hear it.”

How could he say such a thing so nonchalantly while still suffering a loss. Frustrated, I glanced at Hadel. Hadel smiled gently in response.

“As long as you’re by my side, that’s all I need.”

“… Fool.”

Hadel laughed as if he felt good even at my rebuke. It was a smile that made me laugh as I faced him.

I slowly opened my mouth. Thanks to Hadel’s reaction, my lips opened a little more easily.

“I’m actually not a sparrow.”

In fact, even now, I couldn’t confidently assert that I was human. What I was talking about now was my soul.

A hundred years ago, Princess Marian, who led the fight against the conflict between humans and different species.

That was me.

Hadel, who heard my confession, nodded slowly.

“It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

His big hand covered my face. I could feel strong warmth from his firm palm. It felt similar to Hadel’s red eyes looking at me.

“I told you. I don’t need a child. I just want to live quietly with you. Whether you’re just an ordinary sparrow or a cursed human, it doesn’t matter.”

A mischievous smile appeared on his neat lips.