Chapter 7

Her sharp eyes hardened, making her look even more intimidating.

The countess looked at Karina with a helpless expression.

"Please tell Abelia that I'm sorry for causing her trouble. I'm tired, so I'll skip dinner and rest."

Hesitating at Karina's clear dismissal, the count and countess, along with Ferdon, eventually left the room as she wished.

As soon as the door closed, Karina's firm expression crumbled, and she buried her face in the pillow.

'I'm not a bad person...'

She had finally let out the words she had been holding back.

Just that, yet her heart pounded.

'...Is Abelia okay?'

Although she was worried about Abelia, vomiting and dehydration were symptoms Abelia had been experiencing frequently recently.

Having experienced it herself, she knew it wasn't a serious issue.

She tried to comfort herself, gripping the sheet so tightly that the blood drained from her knuckles.

She had never seen Count Leopold with such an expression before.

It was also the first time she had responded to him in such a manner.

Karina slammed her head into the pillow.

Despite this, she couldn't fall asleep easily and spent a long time lost in thought on the bed before suddenly sitting up.

In the end, she impatiently took out paper, pencils, and paints, arranging them in the spot where the moonlight shone brightest through the window, and sat down.

* * *

Karina, who had spread the canvas on the floor, held the pencil familiarly and drew lines on the white canvas.

The black lines traced her movements, creating a path.

Karina released her frustration solely onto the canvas.

She had learned to pour out the words she had long held inside onto the canvas.

The black lines quickly transformed into the window she was looking at.

The numerous stars in the night sky were scattered across the window in the painting, and the moon peeked out between them.

The cold night air that touched her nose, the unique scent of grass that could only be felt at night, and the faint clouds visible through the indigo sky were all captured on the canvas.

It was hard to believe that such a delicate and colorful scene was created with just a pencil.

Despite being only black lines, they were incredibly detailed.

Karina drew the picture desperately, her legs aching and sweat pouring down her face.

After a long time, she let out a long breath and put down the pencil.

The canvas depicted the scene outside the window, with someone sitting below it and looking up.

The only difference from reality was a small fairy sitting on the window frame.

A fairy with butterfly wings, eyes wide open, sat on the window frame, gazing affectionately at someone invisible below.

Karina squeezed a few colors onto the palette and lightly painted them.

The static black and white world was instantly infused with sparkling stars and the night sky.

The fairy, nestled between the cascading moonlight and the twinkling stars, was beautiful.

Karina, putting down the brush and palette, let out a tired sigh.

Her deep blue eyes gradually turned golden.

At the same time, the paper emitted a faint golden light, and the fairy in the painting blinked once.

After a while, the fairy smiled and slowly raised her hand.

Karina slowly bowed her head toward the small hand reaching out to her.

Warmth touched her cheek.

The indigo fairy emerged from the paper, eyes curved in a smile, and placed her other hand on Karina's opposite cheek.

"…Hello, fairy."

Karina greeted the fairy with a hazy smile, her eyes full of gold.

The fairy couldn't speak but smiled brightly without a sound.

The fairy, created solely for her and embodying her wishes, caressed Karina's cheeks repeatedly with a smiling face.

Karina clung to the fairy, holding her hand tightly, and received the caresses endlessly.

Even though she knew this ability was destroying her body, she couldn't stop drawing when she felt suffocated and like she was dying.

Drawing was her life. It was also her only outlet.

To Karina, drawing was like a drug. She knew it was destroying her body and that she should stop, but she couldn't, because she had nowhere else to vent her emotions.

She couldn't let it go, even if it was eating away at her life.

The fairy was no longer on the canvas. Only the night sky remained.

Karina sat on the floor, hugging the fairy for a long time.

Until the exhausted fairy was enveloped in a golden light and disappeared.

* * *

Thanks to Nocturne, who rushed over in the evening, Abelia quickly recovered.

Abelia and Ferdon, who heard the news later, came to apologize to Karina together.

Since it wasn't the children's fault, Karina accepted their apology readily.

Actually, if she were to be more honest, she didn't want to talk to them any more.

'Finally, it's tomorrow.'

For a week, she had meticulously prepared, and the day of the final battle was approaching.

Karina pulled out a shabby cloth bag hidden under her bed. It was filled with a change of clothes and necessary items.

This morning, she had visited the doctor, who, along with his nagging, gave her two fist-sized bottles.

"One bottle for one month. You must take one pill every 24 hours, understand? Don't walk for more than five hours a day and avoid taking them on an empty stomach. Dress warmly to keep your body temperature up."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you."

"By the way, what kind of art did you create that led to your artistic illness?"

"…It's drawing. I like to draw what I see. Although no one knows."

Karina placed the medicine in the deepest part of the bag.

She also received a note with a few precautions. The doctor's handwriting, written carefully to ensure she wouldn't forget, was quite messy.

Today was her last day at the Leopold Manor.

Tomorrow, for the first time, she would take a step to a place she wanted to go, based on her own decision, for herself alone.

Because of this, she decided to attend the evening banquet, which she had been postponing with various excuses.

She pushed the bag back under the bed and headed downstairs.

"Oh, Miss! Are you having dinner in the dining room today?"

"Yep."

"That's good."

The maid, smiling brightly, opened the dining room door with quick steps.

Inside, her family was just about to start their meal.

Infrik, who usually tried to attend dinner, was also there.

She sat in her designated seat next to Infrik.

"You're here today. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes."

As soon as Karina answered and sat down, the meal began.

Karina, who couldn't eat greasy food, stared at the easily digestible dishes in front of Abelia.

The only easy-to-eat food in front of her was a salad.

"By the way, in two days, it's your birthday, Karina."

"…Yes, that's right."

Karina blinked. She had almost forgotten her own birthday.

She rarely celebrated her birthday properly. Sometimes Abelia was sick, or there was Infrik's graduation or enlistment ceremony.

It was as if her birthday always coincided with something else. Even worse, Ferdon's arm was broken the day before her birthday once.

She had only celebrated her birthday properly a few times.

So, Karina had become indifferent to her birthday, trying not to expect or be disappointed.

"I was thinking we could all go on a picnic in two days. Infrik said he can take leave then. Can we delay your birthday party by a day or two?"

"…"

And today was no different.

Although she wouldn't be able to attend the birthday celebration, Karina didn't hate her birthday.

"…Do as you please."

"Come with us and have fun. Think of it as a picnic for your birthday. I'll prepare the party well."

"I don't think I can attend the picnic. I have something to do."

Karina, who had been picking at her food, put down her fork.

"Is it something so urgent that you can't attend a family event?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. Go and enjoy without me."

She got up from her seat.

"I've finished eating, so I'll go up now."

Infrik, seeing Karina turn to leave, also stood up.

"I'll also go to bed now."

"Alright, both of you rest well."

Count Leopold, though puzzled, nodded.

Since it was not uncommon for Karina to skip family events, he didn't press for a reason.

Feeling uneasy, Count Leopold furrowed his brow, but the two children had already left the dining room.

Karina immediately headed for the stairs.

"Karina."

Infrik, who had followed her out, stopped her with a low voice.