Noah had sensed this truth for years.
“And so you choose death?”
“Oh, Noah,” she chided gently. “I told you, it won’t be a real death.”
As a child, she had assumed her drowsiness after using magic was merely due to her weak body. However, at thirteen years old, she still could not wield a tenth of what Adelheid had at the same age.
Perhaps I finally understand the reason I was born in such a frail body.
Her thoughts drifted to the goddess statue she had seen in Sharavia.
Noah had remarked how it reminded him of her, and upon seeing it for herself, Claudia had understood why.
That statue had been modeled after someone she once knew.
She and Noah had long been searching for the force distributing cursed magical artifacts to royal families, whispering corruption into their ears. That statue was likely connected.
She had her suspicions, but she feared that if she told Noah now, he would act alone, heedless of the danger to himself.
I’ll tell him if I can awaken once more.
Claudia continued stroking his hair.
“It will only be a long sleep, that’s all,” she reassured him. “I won’t breathe, and my heart won’t beat, but my body will not decay. While I sleep, my magic will continue flowing, repairing this vessel. If I awaken, I should be whole again.”
It was a form of preservation magic, suspending her body in a long stasis, and strengthening her fragile vessel before it broke completely.
In other words, it was a long sleep to heal this imperfect body that she had come to love. She needed to do this before her soul destroyed it.
If I don’t do this, I won’t last in the battle against Sieghart and the others.
She had always known how delicate this body was, but her time in Sharavia had made it painfully clear. She couldn’t turn away from the truth now, so she’d summoned her resolve and told Noah of her plan.
He had questioned her decision over and over, and only after exhausting all protests had he finally given a reluctant nod.
She was relieved. He was truly a loyal, adorable servant. Yet even after accepting it, he couldn’t help but try to stop her.
He rarely initiated touch, yet here he was, clutching her hand and pressing his cheek into her palm.
How sweet.
Her lips curled into a gentle smile as she gazed at him.
She had told him how dangerous this magic was, how there was a chance she might never wake up.
And yet, he still believes in me. He follows my will without hesitation. My dear Noah...
She reached out and pulled him into a firm embrace.
“Your Highness.”
“If it had been the old me, I wouldn’t have told you a thing. I would have made this choice without saying a word.”
Just as she had done in her past life when she had left her disciples behind so she could go and die alone. Just as she had done when she first met Noah and had been willing to sacrifice herself for his future.
She would have hidden it all from him and simply gone to sleep.
“But I want you to know. I want you to understand everything, including the choices I make and the risks they will bring.”
Noah listened quietly.
I still have a few secrets left, though. But you’ll forgive me for that, won’t you?
He probably wouldn’t, but he could scold her about it later. She rather liked it when Noah, with a soul so much younger than hers and serving as her attendant, scolded her now and then.
“You’re not being fair,” he said.
His voice was sulky, yet his arms wrapped around her in return. He held her as if she were fragile, yet his grip was steady—no longer a boy’s embrace, but a man’s.
“If you say that to me, I have no choice but to act as though I accept it,” he finished.
“I know. You are my good boy, after all,” she murmured with a gentle laugh, resting her forehead against his chest. “Hey, Noah? No matter what happens, do not change. Remain true to yourself.”
Each of the disciples she’d left behind in her past life had changed in some way after Adelheid’s death, but Claudia believed in Noah’s soul.
“Remain ever my dear Noah—kind, honest, and stronger than anyone I have ever known.”
“Your Highness...”
“You must swear it to me—for I love you.” She pulled back, looking into his deep, obsidian eyes.
“I swear.”
His gaze was steady, but she could tell he was quietly enduring his pain.
His hand brushed against hers at first, before he intertwined his fingers with hers. His grip tightened.
“No matter what happens, I will always be your loyal servant.”
“And I vow to you that when I close my eyes to sleep, it shall be as your princess.”
She cast a spell wordlessly, and a sphere of light shimmering like a rainbow appeared in front of them. It was a variation of the same spell Adelheid had once used to trade her life for the world’s salvation—a spell that tore life apart and turned it into overwhelming power.
Claudia let herself fall onto the bed with a soft plop. She looked up at him, love in her eyes.
“Noah, come here, just once more.”
Whenever she called him to the bed, Noah’s countenance always grew sullen. However, today he said nothing. He simply knelt beside her.
“What a good boy you are.”
“Princess, what are you...?”
“Come a little closer.”
He leaned forward, but before he could react, she pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around his neck. Then, closing her eyes, she pressed a kiss to his lips.