Chapter 168
Irene waited.
It was in the *Iron Cage* where only the sea and wind breathed.
She waited endlessly for someone to find her.
The years spent in suspense felt like an eternity.
The surrounding scenery was peaceful.
A mild breeze, moderately cool waves, sunlight of beautiful hues...
The vivid blue, dyed bright, resembled a summer day.
Yet, the reason the girl suffered was that she knew it was all a mere deception.
The *Fox* could not escape the sea.
*How much time has passed...?*
A field of water was spread out in blue.
Irene simply sat there, slowly sinking.
She had to make every effort to regain her fracturing consciousness.
Whenever dark thoughts arose from her terrible loneliness, the *Fox* would murmur to herself, soothing the emptiness.
To shake off the melancholy, she would hum tunes, and sometimes, with her eyelids closed, she would fantasize about the outside world.
But it was merely a patching up of rags.
The girl wore down day by day.
*It's agonizing.*
Tears flowed.
Her surging emotions scratched at her cheeks with each passing moment.
The *Fox* groaned at the hot streaks of tears.
Even as she fought against the miserable nausea and the passing moments, Irene's situation remained unchanged.
In fact, it worsened to the absolute worst.
*There's no one.*
A somewhat gloomy silence.
The thinly spread surface of the water.
Whenever she looked down at the scene reflected in the water's surface, she would realize her solitude.
The girl would splash the water, unable to bear admitting it.
So that the rippling waves would erase all mirrors.
*
The *Fox* curled up.
The silence of the sea wind increasingly pushed her to the brink.
Even in such a situation, Irene merely replayed memories of a certain boy.
She was clinging to the moments that remained at her fingertips.
-Miss Irene.
Irene had to endure.
Because there was someone who would find her soon.
But for the girl, it was an agonizingly long time.
*His voice... I can't remember it.*
When one forgets someone.
They say the voice is the first thing to be erased.
As the days passed, the boy's resonance grew fainter.
Even though she remembered every word—the promises he whispered, the dawn, their relationship... His gentle voice, however, was scattering like paint dissolving in the sea.
Because of this, the *Fox* had to tear at her hair and plead.
To the cruel, receding days.
*No... I don't want to forget, please.*
A deepening *Rift*.
The girl lived day by day, swept away by that sense of disparity.
She desperately wished for someone to find her.
Had it been about four years then?
Irene realized she was clinging to her limits.
It's said that most people, when confined to an isolated space, cannot endure a month alone.
The *Fox*, with her unique transcendent mental strength, had endured for forty times that period.
Yet, even she had no way to overcome the non-linear sense of loss.
She merely gazed at the horizon and murmured.
Even knowing it was futile, it was understood.
*Yuda.*
*Where could you be?*
*Are you searching for me somewhere?*
*Why the delay?*
*Do you miss me as much as I miss you?*
*Or have you passed by, having completely forgotten me?*
*......Perhaps, you abandoned me?*
*Creeping—*
Dark thoughts gnawed at her heart.
Irene covered her ears.
Nevertheless, faint whispers constantly circled her ears.
As if mocking a foolish animal.
-You've been betrayed.
-Indeed... after being burned by humans, to trust them again.
-It was the same when you were young. You were deceived by that *Businessman*, and lost your *Clan* and your *Master*, didn't you?
-That boy who promised you eternity is no different from any other human.
-You know, don't you? Humans are like that.
*Shut up.*
*Don't babble carelessly.*
-He might have already forgotten.
-Your existence, to that boy, might mean nothing.
The girl tried not to listen.
Her constantly wavering *Inner World*.
That person was not the kind to easily abandon someone.
Even knowing that, the *Fox* ended up crying every time.
Saying she missed him, wanting to see him, or... asking him not to abandon her.
Her sea constantly churned.
“······.”
How much more time had passed?
Now, even the sense of counting days had dulled, and so many days had passed that it was hard to guess.
The years that had collapsed with the sea wind merely flowed down as tears.
Irene just wanted to let everything go.
For the stark blue scenery was enough to break the girl.
Then, one day, as she swam through that unending conclusion.
*Clink—.*
Suddenly, an unfamiliar sound reached her ears.
It was the sound of something striking the *Iron Cage*.
“······?”
The girl unconsciously opened her eyes.
A *World of Nothingness* where no marine life, birds, or shipwrecks could be found.
Amidst such a landscape, an unusual sound echoed.
As if someone were knocking on the bars.
The *Fox* turned her head.
*No way*, she thought, shifting her gaze with a listless murmur.
Her *Black Eyes* fell upon the bars.
And then.
“Miss Irene.”
They met.
The *Slit-Eyed One* was standing outside the bars as if by a miracle, looking down at her.
He shimmered in her vision, exactly as she remembered him.
The snake with a faint smile.
However, Irene had no time to comprehend that smile.
Her attention was focused on only one thing.
“I'm sorry for making you wait so long.”
His voice.
A voice she thought she had almost bleached away, forgotten.
A voice she thought she would never hear again.
The longed-for resonance echoed in the *Fox*'s ears.
Was that momentary whisper the catalyst?
That incredibly sweet moment soon triggered a chain reaction of the girl's memories.
It was like fireworks exploding in the early morning sky.
-Won't you let me tame you?
-I merely need a friend.
Her inexperienced days.
From their first meeting, when she was wary of him.
-I hope today's events don't become a *Nightmare*.
-If I can make you even a little less unhappy, I will gladly lend you my strength.
-Because one must always take responsibility for what one has tamed.
It was a time when everything was bleak.
That was the moment he saved her with a glimmer of light.
-Many things will change from now on.
-We are a unique existence to each other.
-I will never abandon you.
The dawn when she was promised to the boy.
A summer day when she was finally tamed.
And then.
-Your cooking skills have improved a lot.
-Now, I could truly entrust the *Kitchen* to *Miss Irene* instead of myself.
-Though the problem is you're quite spoiled for a *Maid*.
-Well... that's a charm in itself.
It was the *Dormitory* where it was just the two of them.
Even the daily life was sweet because they were together.
The stories, accumulated one by one, overflowed.
Irene couldn't withstand those waves and finally burst into tears.
The shimmering droplets of water soon streamed down her cheeks.
“Ugh, ugh...”
*Drip, drip—.*
The falling drops created delicate ripples on the water's surface.
Her hot tears mingled with the seawater, soon forming a world where they faced each other.
The blue sea was proof of the sorrow she had lived through.
Only then did the *Fox* realize.
*Creak—.*
The snake carefully opened the *Iron Cage* door, which wasn't even locked.
He stood on the sea without wavering.
As if walking on water.
*Splash—!*
The girl immediately sprang to her feet.
Water splashed at her feet in an instant.
Without a moment's hesitation, Irene simply threw herself into the boy's arms.
The separation, which had lasted nearly six years, finally came to an end.
The *Fox*, her voice hoarse from crying, spoke.
“Why... why are you so late... you *idiot*...”
“I have no excuse.”
The boy patted her back.
Though Irene was the one expressing the reproach, she was also the one denying it.
The girl shook her head as if to say that wasn't what she meant.
Burying her face in his chest, she desperately rubbed her cheek against him.
His familiar, gentle scent and body warmth.
Deep tear stains marked his red shirt.
The *Fox* murmured with a voice choked with tears.
“Thank you... thank you for finding me.”
The *Fox* who was not abandoned.
The boy said nothing, simply holding her slender body.
Their intertwining warmth, tinged with mildness, transcended the *Iron Cage*.
It felt as if old, worn-out sorrow was crumbling away.
The snake whispered into the *Fox*'s ear.
“You've suffered so much.”
“······.”
“Let's go home. To our home.”
They crossed the sea.
***
The vast blue sea.
The snake and the *Fox*, together in a small boat, were retracing the consciousness they had traversed.
The girl sat in the back, tightly embracing his sturdy back.
His clearly radiating body warmth offered comfort.
Irene buried her face in his clothes.
*A cool scent...*
Was she addicted?
Perhaps because of the sense of security his scent provided, the *Fox* couldn't stop breathing him in.
Her naturally pressed chest was pressing against the boy's back.
The soft, yielding sensation of his flesh was distinct.
Even knowing this, the girl did not stop her intimate contact.
Instead, she burrowed deeper into the space, embedding herself against him.
She wanted to feel his presence even more.
Miss Irene.
I'm sorry for making you wait so long.
The voice that had gently melted into her ears.
As soon as she heard it, her heart was at ease.
The sense of loss melted away, her shoulders relaxed, her eyes welled up, and tears flowed spontaneously.
Why was it that his voice alone brought such reassurance?
*I am.*
The *Fox* realized.
She could no longer pretend not to know.
The constantly surging emotions were crashing like waves, threatening to spill over at any moment.
She decided to finally accept it.
*I, you.*
She had, at some point, fallen in love with him.
Even though she had decided to build walls against others her entire life, he was the only one she had come to adore.
Because he, unlike anyone else, would come find her no matter where she hid.
He wouldn't leave her alone in this *Nightmare*.
Perhaps it took quite a long time for her to accept it.
-You've suffered so much.
-Let's go home. To our home.
*I had already fallen in love with you.*
So deeply that she couldn't escape it.
Struggling while entangled in a spiderweb would only make the sticky threads of emotion more complicated.
A terrifying ecstasy and exhilaration blurred her vision.
Yet, the pounding of her heart was still alive.
As if it might be conveyed to the boy just like this.
*You wicked person.*
She had fallen for a bad boy.
Even as her heart pounded as if to burst, the girl did not release her embrace of his back.
It was too late to escape from these feelings.
She had no intention of retreating.
The girl merely prayed.
*Please.*
*May the season of you never end in my world.*
It was leaving a faint murmur behind.
The *Fox* quietly leaned her body against him.
***
The *Fox* who had been trapped in the *Inner World*.
A week had already passed since she was brought out of the *Iron Cage*.
We were able to return to reality without any particular issues.
-Y-Young Master! *Ms. Irene*...!
The one who greeted us as soon as we opened our eyes was none other than the girl with *pink hair*.
*Regia* embraced us with a grand cry.
Especially towards the *Fox*, she repeatedly apologized.
Guilt that Irene had sacrificed herself because of her, and worry about my entering the *Inner World*.
Perhaps tormented by such thoughts, the *Puppeteer* had a noticeably haggard complexion.
Even though in reality, only a few hours had passed.
-I'm sorry... I, I was inadequate...
-I thought you two, *hiccup*... were going to be hurt, and I was so scared...
-Thank you, *ugh*, th-thank you for returning safely.
As if to prove she was a crybaby.
We chuckled, but in the end, we both patted *Regia*.
Our *Protagonist* still had a tender and soft heart.
Though that pure aspect was her charm point.
-You two are healthy.
-At this rate, there won't be any psychological after-effects, so you can rest assured.
-As expected of *Student Yuda*, I suppose... to succeed even at this.
-It's rewarding to have trusted that recklessness.
Selena's thorough examination followed.
Fortunately, our condition seemed fine.
We were especially worried about Irene, as she had spent quite some time in her *Inner World*.
But she was able to be discharged without any particular issues.
Now, we could finally go home.
“······.”
Afterward, the cleanup regarding the *Academy* continued.
An incident where the enemy directly breached the defenses and ultimately attacked the *Academy*.
Naturally, the *Faculty* was on high alert, and all available personnel gathered to investigate the incident.
Additionally, a temporary lockdown order was issued for the *Academy*.
The scale of the matter had grown.
“Hmm.”
I examined the data on the corpses.
The corpses of the enemies, whom the *Fox* had cut down earlier, were scattered across the scene.
According to the analysis, their identities were as follows.
“The *Heretic Cult*... and the *Businessman*'s dogs, I presume?”
The villains who caused chaos even in the original story are significant.
It seemed they were finally starting their game.
Of course, they weren't the only ones who had a hand in this attack.
There were also those who watched the situation from behind.
“How insidious.”
More precisely.
The faction that created vulnerabilities in the *Academy* and provided information to the *Heretic Cult* exists.
And those who gloomily observed the situation.
I sharpened my cold, harsh judgment.
A warning I had once heard brushed past my ears.
-Our *Family* has begun to take notice of you.
-Please, protect my *Lady*.
The *Beniti Ducal House*.
I easily identified the mastermind behind the incident.
A chilling smile played on my lips.
“It seems... it's about time to bring about their *Family*'s ruin as well.”
How long had it been since I was this enraged?
They invaded my *Sanctuary* and touched my people, so they must be prepared to pay the price.
I toyed with the dagger woven from *Shadow*, as if aiming it at something.
The *Heretic Cult*, the *Businessman*, *Beniti*.
“Sir *Kyle*... it seems the time has come to act.”
“Leave it to me, *Captain*.”
The red-haired man standing beside me replied.
His usual playfulness was gone, and only murderous intent surged in his red eyes.
The sword once called a star had now become the executioner's blade of the guillotine.
I murmured.
“I'm looking forward to it.”
The point just before the final act.
It was the prelude to a revenge that would soon begin.