Chapter 68

"Good morning, Sadi. It's a nice day today."

As I visited the Earl Arkwright's mansion once again, I called out to Sadi, who was lying on the bed.

-- It has been two years since that day when she used the magical artifact.

Sadi, who had returned to her original body, still hasn't woken up and continues to sleep.

The wound on her chest was deep, and although she managed to survive, it's unclear when she will wake up.

It could be right now, or it might be years from now, or she might never wake up.

I, who couldn't save Sadi that day, can only pray for her to wake up, feeling utterly powerless.

But thanks to her, the magical artifact was completely destroyed in that moment, and everyone has returned to their original bodies.

"I bought the flowers you liked."

I had become accustomed to changing the flowers in the vase beside the bed. As the head of the knights and the next earl, I try to visit Sadi every day, fitting it into my busy schedule.

Holding Sadi's hand as usual and sitting in the chair, I was talking to her when a knock sounded in the room.

Eliza entered the room.

"Hello, Lord Rufus."

"Ah."

Eliza, tucking her golden hair behind her ear, smiled softly and sat down in the chair next to me.

She often visits Sadi, and it's not unusual for us to meet like this.

"Norman was supposed to come with me, but his work is taking longer than expected."

"I see."

Since that day, everyone except Sadi has returned to their original bodies and lives, living peacefully.

However, it took time for the baron and baroness, who had been deceived by Mabel and Findlay, to learn and accept all the facts, and to recover.

It was inevitable, but they had not noticed that their child had been replaced twice and had imprisoned the innocent Sadi with chains.

It was only natural for the kind baron and baroness to blame themselves.

Still, Eliza has been spending her days peacefully, gradually making up for the lost time.

"Mabel was originally a maid responsible for cleaning our house. I was young back then and only remembered the faces of the servants around me, so I didn't notice."

As a maid, she had been able to observe Eliza closely, which allowed her to perfectly mimic Eliza Haines.

After that, Mabel was bullied by the other maids, and the baroness, feeling sorry for her, introduced her to a job at the archbishop's mansion.

There, she committed theft and was sent to a forced labor facility. She met Tabatha and others there, and they planned to infiltrate the archbishop's mansion, which marked the beginning of everything.

"Mother apparently cared for Mabel a lot, and Mabel was attached to her. She cried, saying she never thought Mabel would repay her kindness in such a way."

Eliza spoke with a sad expression.

-- Mabel is currently incarcerated in the Naprof Prison, known for its harshest conditions in the country.

The death penalty is certain, but due to the unprecedented nature of the case, it is being handled carefully. It is said that the prison life, which is more painful than death, has made her beg to be killed.

The ten years she spent as the beloved Eliza Haines are worlds apart from this.

The man who had switched places with Norman died shortly after returning to his original body due to poisoning. The man who had switched places with Neil was already killed by Mabel to keep him quiet.

Tabatha, who was detained in the underground dungeon, is also facing a severe punishment, but unlike Mabel, she has not committed murder, so there is a possibility she will avoid the death penalty under our country's laws.

"Neil will be back soon."

"Yes. He said he will return from the neighboring country next week and wants to see Sadi as soon as possible."

Neil Bassel, the eldest son of the border baron's family, has fully returned to his original life and is studying abroad to prepare to take over the family.

In his case, the person he had switched with was a quiet individual, and the last time I saw him, he had smiled wryly, saying, "I didn't suffer much."

Norman, who had barely returned to his original body thanks to Sadi's sacrifice, is now living happily with his brothers.

-- After the archbishop confessed all the sins of the popes as the representative of the temple, the existence of the magical artifact that could swap human bodies and the people involved in the incidents were revealed to the public.

The archbishop, who had pleaded for his life, may have realized that continuing that life was more painful than death, and volunteered to confess his and the popes' sins and reveal the details of the case.

This major incident, which caused numerous deaths and disrupted the lives of many people, and revealed that the revered pope was just a murderer, spread beyond the country and caused a stir, leading the king to work hard to bring it under control.

As a result, Sadi, who had been reviled as a notorious villain due to Tabatha's actions, is now seen as a woman who was caught up in a tragic event and is sympathized by everyone.

My father also sympathized with her and her parents' situation and worked to restore the honor of the Arkwright family.

"Everyone has returned to normal, but only Sadi hasn't woken up..."

Lowering her eyes, Eliza gently stroked Sadi's head.

"But I believe that one day, Sadi will suddenly wake up and say good morning."

"..."

Eliza smiled wistfully and left the earl's mansion, promising to come again.

I wanted to stay with Sadi as long as possible, so I decided to spend as much time as I could here before heading to work.

Taking her pale hand, I intertwined my fingers with hers.

Although she doesn't respond, the warmth of her body has saved me countless times.

"Please, wake up... I beg you..."

I clung to Sadi's hand, which showed no signs of waking up, feeling frustrated and deeply disheartened by my own powerlessness.

"...I'm really sorry I couldn't protect you."

Most of all, I haven't even been able to tell her that I love her.