She wanted to think it was a dream. But, everything was a nightmare-like reality. And she herself, had tried to throw away everything and surrender herself to that nightmare.
Henrietta covered her face with her hands. Right now, she had no right to cling to Wales' corpse. Much less did she have the face to look at the Louise in front of her, who had loved her since they were young.
“Just what have I done?”
“Have you woken up?”
Louise asked Henrietta in a sad and cold voice. There was no sign of anger. There were some things that needed to be thought about, but it was the usual Louise.
Henrietta nodded.
“What should I say to apologize to you? What should I say in order to ask for forgiveness from the people hurt by me? Please tell me, Louise.”
“More importantly, princess-sama's powers are needed.”
Louise pointed to the collapsed Saito.
“What horrible injuries.”
“He had been swallowed by that tornado. Please heal him with your 'water'.”
Henrietta nodded and chanted a rune. By the power of the royal family's wand that stored the power of “water”, Saito's wounds started to close up. Saito's eyes widened when he realized that the one healing his wounds was Henrietta.
“I do not have any words of apology. Are there any other people injured?”
There were several surviving nobles of the griffin squad. Henrietta healed their wounds one at a time.
And then... without caring about whether one was an ally or enemy, the corpses were carried into the shade of a tree. Even if the corpses were going to be buried later, they could not just leave them as they were.
Louise and the others... Even Kirche, even Tabitha, did not condemn Henrietta. Henrietta had been seeing a nightmare. A sweet, tempting dream. If they had to hate someone, it would be the person who gave Wales fake life and took advantage of Henrietta's heart like this. It cannot be said that Henrietta was sinless herself, but it was also truth that there was an existence that profited from that sin.
Henrietta was trying to move Wales at the end.
At that time...
Henrietta saw something she couldn't believe at all.
Perhaps, Henrietta's sorrowful love had reached somewhere.
Maybe, someone softly, to heal her sin, softly tipped the scales of life.
When Henrietta touched Wales' cheek, his eyelids weakly opened.
“...Henrietta? Is it you?”
It was a weak and fading voice, but it was Wales' voice without a doubt. Henrietta's shoulders shook. If miracles existed in Halkeginia, times like this were definitely that.
That is because no one can explain the reason why the light of life that should have disappeared was given a mere glow. It is possible that when Louise's “Dispel Magic” blew away the fake life, Wales' barely remaining breath of life lit the fire.
It was possible that the feelings Henrietta felt for Wales called upon a whim from the gods. No one knows why. Just that, Wales opened his eyes. That was the truth.
“Wales-sama...”
Henrietta called her lover's name. She understood. The Wales this time was the true Wales. Not a puppet that moved with fake life, but the true him.
Tears flowed from Henrietta's eyes.
“What a thing. Just how long have I waited for this moment...”
The group rushed over with surprised faces.
The eyes of the group widened when they saw that Wales had opened his eyes.
At that moment, Henrietta saw that a red stain was spreading over Wales' white shirt. The wound caused by Wardes's thrust that was closed by the fake life had opened.
Panicking, Henrietta chanted a spell to close up the wound.
However... Cruelly so, Henrietta's magic did not work on that wound. Without the wound closing up, the stain of blood only grew bigger.
“Wales-sama, don't... No, why...”
“It's no use... Henrietta. This wound will no longer close. Bodies that have died once will no longer revive. I have probably only come back a bit, just a bit. Perhaps, this is the whim of the water spirit.”
“Wales-sama, no, no... Do you plan to leave me alone again?”
“Henrietta. I have one last wish.”
“Don't say something like 'last'.”
“I want to go to that Ragdorian Lake, where I met you for the first time. There is something I want you to promise there.”
Tabitha pulled along her wind dragon. Saito and Kirche set Wales on its back. Following that, Henrietta, who was riding on the wind dragon, placed Wales' head on her knees and supported his body to keep it from falling.
Carrying the group, the wind dragon soared up.
Aiming for Ragdorian Lake, the wind dragon flew straight towards it.
At Ragdorian Lake, Wales leaned his body on Henrietta as they walked on the shore. The sky was beginning to whiten. Morning was close.
“How nostalgic.”
“Yes.”
“When we first met, I thought you looked like a fairy. See, you were bathing around here.”
Wales pointed to one spot. He probably could already no longer see. That spot was completely different from the one in Henrietta's memories.
However, Henrietta nodded. Desperately restraining herself from crying,
“Oh, you're as skilled as ever.”
“At that time, this was what I thought. If we just threw everything away like this. Anywhere is fine. The location doesn't matter. It's enough to just have a small house with a garden. Aah, a flower bed is necessary. A flower bed for you to grow flowers in.”
It was like power drained from Wales' legs every step he took.
“Hey, I always wanted to ask you. At that time, why did you not say those kind words? Why did you not tell me that you love me? I have always waited for those words.”
Wales smiled.
“I could not speak those words, knowing it would make you unhappy.”
“What are you saying? It was my joy to be loved by you.”
Wales fell silent. Henrietta felt the life disappearing from her beloved Wales' body little by little. For him to have lasted so long could be called a miracle.
However, she couldn't cry. In the time remaining, she wanted to exchange words with him as much as possible. Even so, her voice was trembling.
Mustering his energy, Wales stated.
“Swear, Henrietta.”
“I will swear about anything. What should I swear about? Please tell me.”
“To forget me. Swear that you will forget me and find another man to love. I want to hear those words. At this Ragdorian Lake. In front of the water spirit, I want to hear you pledge that.”
“Do not say the impossible. I cannot swear such a thing. There is no way I could swear a lie.”
Henrietta froze in her track. Her shoulders were trembling.
“Please, Henrietta. Otherwise, my soul will probably wander for eternity. Do you want me to be unhappy?”
Henrietta shook her head.
“No. I definitely don't want to.”
“There is no time. There, there is no time anymore. I am already... That's why, please...”
“Then, then swear. Swear that you love me. By now, you should be able to swear that, right? If you swear to that, then I will swear as well.”
“I will.”
Henrietta, with a sad expression, spoke the words of oath.
“...I swear. To forget about Wales-sama. And also, to find someone else to love.”
Wales said in a satisfied manner, “Thank you.”
“Next, is your turn. Please.”
“I will. Bring me to the waterside.”
Henrietta brought Wales to the waterside. The morning sun poked through the spaces between the tree, and with a beauty unthinkable in this world, the Ragdorian Lake glittered.