Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy-Chapter 69: Interwoven Fates

It was November in the Northern Lands.

Logan Winterfell gazed down upon his domain, where the land had frozen as he made preparations for the winter.

He stood before a window, with a wine glass in his hand.

Due to his responsibilities as the Overlord of this icy realm, and his duties as the Family Head, he hadn’t had a moment to enjoy his wine in a very long time.

It had been 80 days since he partook.

80 days since he decided to preserve his family’s tradition.

80 days since his careless oversight brought about the worst outcome.

Moreover,

It also meant that the search had been fruitless for 80 days.

[Please. Do not look for me. I've lost someone dear to me twice already. I don't want anyone else getting hurt over me.]

After leaving this note behind, Lumia, like Deron, fled the Grand Duchy.

The moment Gelwood had hurriedly brought him that note, he saw his daughter galloping away on horseback through his window.

Yet, the Grand Duke issued no command to pursue her.

He knew that caging Lumia would be akin to issuing her a death sentence.

While it might have been due to the curse or not, it was something beyond her control, and Logan had no intentions of reproaching her for it.

Since the moment he had restrained her desire to study in the Academy, Lumia withered away.

That girl would always wither if she could not fulfill her goals.

Once she set her mind on something, she would obsess over it, sacrificing her sleep if needed.

Perhaps such behavior was born from having to learn how to hide her identity since her childhood due to a curse cast by the chieftain of a monster tribe.

A compulsive obsessive behavior created from having a life bound in the shadows.

Thus, Logan had no intention of blaming her.

The pain of having to hide her name and face, swallowing her loneliness while others laughed and shunned her, was something unimaginable.

Looking back now, perhaps that curse had long been at work, pushing his daughter into a corner.

That’s why he had not held her back.

Forcibly restraining her would have only led to her withering away in that captivity.

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Just like before.

Moreover, if Lumia found out that not even her heartfelt plea could stop him, she would only hide deeper.

Into a chasm so deep that she could never escape, never be found again.

Thus, Logan had no choice but to discreetly follow her trail.

Lumia had lived her entire life in hiding.

His daughter learned at a young age how to disappear, naturally mastering the art of seclusion, which now made tracking her a troublesome ordeal.

Knock, Knock-.

“Enter.”

As the door opened, Gelwood bowed his head upon entering the Grand Duke’s study.

Still gazing out of the window under the tranquil moonlight, Logan asked.

“Progress?”

“We found the horse that Lady Lumia rode out on.”

“...She wasn’t with it, I gather?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

There was another reason he continued his quiet pursuit.

Logan wished to correct the ‘Loss of someone dear’ that she mentioned in her note.

If that loss was the decisive reason for her departure, he needed to let her know it was unnecessary.

“And the rat?”

“He was spotted in the Elthorn Village, but jumped off a waterfall. Since no body was found, he seems to still be alive.”

“I want that rat captured alive, at all costs Gelwood. I’ll tear his head open myself.”

“By your will.”

Despite being given a chance, Deron still betrayed their expectations.

It would have been justifiable to execute him on the spot rather than capture him, but without any ‘witness’, such a thing would have been a hasty decision.

Besides the testimony of the guards who rushed to the scene, there was no clear evidence of the crime committed on that night.

So, Logan opened his mouth.

“How’s the maid?”

“She is getting stable now. Sir Demir believes she might awaken within a few days.”

“...Is that so?”

[Maid]

She was the person who had directly experienced the tragedy that had occurred on that night, whose heartbeat had almost stopped.

Regrettably, by the time she was found, Lumia had already left.

If that maid wakes up, she might provide ample evidence of Deron’s crimes, reducing the guilt placed on his daughter’s shoulders.

Therefore, Logan Winterfell was ensuring her survival, providing not only the best medical supplies in the kingdom but also ordering his personal physician to look after her.

“Sigh....”

The Lord of Winter sighed as he took another sip of his wine.

**

Lumia laid there, unable to believe that she was awake, staring blankly for a long while.

She had sunken into a deep coma, so the sight of the clear sky was something incomprehensible to her mind.

The warmth enveloping her skin felt surreal, leaving her dazed.

The sound of the crackling campfire was unbelievable, causing her to remain lost in thought.

And,

The person before her seemed unreal as she kept staring at him.

Before closing her eyes, she thought that she had seen the figure of Death’s envoy, but upon waking up, it was the face of Elden Raphelion.

The jet-black hair as slick as death and the bloodthirsty crimson eyes belonged to Elden Raphelion.

“Hey, you’re finally awake.”

It was confusing.

His sudden appearance before her eyes.

That Elden was the first thing she saw upon waking.

He looked relieved to see her.

Everything felt like a dream, like a hallucination.

So, Lumia stared at him for a long while, unable to believe the owner of that glossy black hair and crimson eyes was real.

Her mind was filled with the haziness that followed a deep slumber.

She tried to move her body, but her limbs didn’t obey her.

Yet, there was a strangely refreshing feeling.

“Here, let me help you.”

Noticing her slight twitch, Elden helped her, supporting Lumia as she leaned against a wall.

“Drink this. It will help restore your strength.”

He then passed her a metal bowl, but as her body lacked the strength to even move, she just stared at it.

So, Elden came a little closer and pressed the bowl to her lips.

“Please try to swallow, even though it’s hard.”

As Elden tipped the bowl, Lumia began to slowly drink its contents, like a baby bird taking its nourishment.

She felt the warm substance flow down her throat, filling her empty stomach.

It was a warmth she couldn’t remember feeling before.

And with that warmth, she began to believe that maybe, just maybe, this moment wasn’t an illusion.

However, it was still hard to determine if this was a dream or reality.

“Phew-. We almost lost you for a bit, you know? We administered the first aid, but I believe you need a specialist for a proper diagnosis.”

“......”

With time, her senses began to sharpen, making Lumia notice the blowing wind and the sun, confirming that this was in fact reality.

But it was so hard to believe such a thing, as Lumia continued to stare at Elden’s face.

After all, how could this happen?

In her dying moments, in such a forsaken land, what were the odds of encountering someone who had left the Grand Duchy six months ago?

Especially ‘this’ someone.

Whether it was fate or misfortune.

The chances, so slim that they’re incalculable, a probability worthy of being called a miracle.

That is if this reunion was not a fantasy or hallucination.

“If you have something to say, you can write it here.”

Elden handed her the items to write with.

Her whole body was so heavy that even moving her fingers was difficult, but she held the pen.

Then, her sluggish fingers began to trace her words.

[Elden...Is that you?]

She questioned the name of the man with black hair and red eyes who seemed relieved at her recovery.

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“......”

Even after hearing his response, it was hard to believe.

The current situation was so absurd in both timing and circumstances.

So, Lumia wrote her next question.

[How...?]

“I was planning on camping here for the night on my way to the Marquisate of Eris, and by chance, I heard you crying on the top floor. So I brought you here to the camp and took care of you.”

“......”

That was it.

Was it truly a coincidence?

Did she really receive aid from an unthinkable source?

If so, then why?

When she wanted to live, he wouldn’t even glance her way, but when she wanted to die, why offer help?

When she tried to live, he made life unbearable, but when she tried to die, he suddenly appeared to prevent it.

By now, she held no grievances, nor did she have a desire to deny his changed self, nor any intention to dwell in the past, so there was only one thing left to say.

[Don’t help me.]

Lumia believed herself to be in no position to receive help.

After all, who would wish to help her? Someone, whose existence only caused pain to others?

Following the death of her first maid Ronica, she had now lost Marien as well.

All of those who stood by her side ended miserably.

Lumia Winterfell regretted not realizing sooner that a cursed being like herself wasn’t deserving of help.

“Why are you asking me not to help?”

[I don’t want to hurt anyone else.]

“Are you saying that simply receiving help could cause harm to the other party?”

To Elden’s inquiry, Lumia weakly nodded and wrote,

[If Deron is still alive, he will come to kill me.]

She informed him of the danger that could befall those around her.

Lumia had hoped that, when her reckoning arrived, she would be alone, so she wrote her answer on the paper, trying to give Elden an inkling.

Of the events that transpired in the past six months.

And the heinous acts committed by Deron Caelid.

Though Elden would have wanted to help her, as the leader of his party, he couldn’t answer without the consent of his companions, so he hesitated.

The campsite briefly buzzed with activity as each member of his group returned from their previous tasks.

“Oh! Your Grace! You’re awake now! That’s such a relief...!”

Ariel clapped her hands with a bright smile, rejoicing with Lumia’s revival.

“Sob! I thought today felt unusually splendid, it must have been because the Duchess was about to awaken.”

Elden’s old butler also shared Ariel’s joy with tears.

“......”

While Elden’s Knight simply looked at her and nodded, before adding more firewood to the campfire.

The same people she saw at the Parade, six months ago, were still together, rejoicing and feeling relieved by what they considered the fortunate healing of someone who believed she deserved to die.

While Lumia, weakened and startled, unable to run or respond, faced this chaotic ensemble with a wide eye.

Gurgle.

But the moment that Ariel began to prepare a soup made from Kobold’s flesh and the vegetables gathered today, a loud sound echoed from Lumia’s stomach.

An utterly embarrassing noise emitted from her traitorous stomach.