The sound of the wind grew stronger outside, while the fire in the fireplace was on the verge of going out.
"Answer me, red-eyed one. Who are you really?" she repeated her question seriously.
"Will you be able to bear the consequences of your arrogance toward me if you learn my identity?" Adrian asked in a tone as sharp as a sword.
Lucia hesitated for a moment and whispered to herself, "Who is he? But I'm a high-ranking noblewoman… I don't think he'll be able to affect me in any way."
She crossed her arms and smiled arrogantly. "Don't worry, I can handle it…"
Adrian smiled coldly with disdain before lifting his face and looking at her condescendingly.
"Adrian Jonathan. That is my real name."
Lucia laughed mockingly and said, "Hahaha, yes, yes… Adrian… You're nothing but—"
Her expression suddenly changed, and she stared at him in fear. "Wait… You said Adrian Jonathan? Haaah!"
She quickly bowed and began apologizing. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't mean any disrespect. I sincerely apologize."
Lily spoke with concern and bewilderment. "Ray… are you really a prince?"
Bill grabbed Lily's hand in fear. "Lily… will the prince kill us?"
Leo realized the situation and bowed as well. "We should also apologize for our reckless behavior earlier."
Adrian sighed lightly and spoke. "It's all right, Leo. I was the one who gave you a false identity."
He turned toward Lily and Bill and smiled faintly. "Lily, Bill… I'm still Ray, all right?"
Then he finally turned back to Lucia and stared at her with deadly coldness. "Lucia Bristan, I'll remember that name well."
Lucia whispered to herself in despair, "Haha… I'm done for…"
Suddenly, Bill fell to the floor, breathing rapidly. Everyone turned toward him in shock, and Lily cried out in fear as she shook Bill's face, which had fallen beside her.
"Bill! Bill! What's wrong with you?"
Adrian hurried over and placed his palm on Bill's forehead. The moment he did, his eyes widened with concern.
"He has a fever… His temperature is extremely high!"
He spoke, directing his words toward Leo. "Leo! Bring some water and a piece of cloth immediately… Lily, go get—Lily!"
Lily fell as well, struggling to breathe, and Leo rushed toward her in alarm.
Adrian froze for a moment and wondered to himself, "What if this epidemic has infected them?"
He looked at the dining table and said seriously, "Does this mean the food…?"
He continued, directing his words toward Lucia. "Lucia, help me carry the children to the bed."
Lucia replied, "All right."
Leo went and fetched the water, and Adrian began trying to lower Lily and Bill's temperatures… Leo was overwhelmed with worry and sorrow.
Adrian tucked the blanket around the two children and spoke. "Leo… the food you brought might have been… might have been contaminated."
Leo froze in shock. "What?"
Adrian turned toward him and continued, "Didn't that man say earlier that the epidemic spreads through food?"
Leo shouted in frustration, "It's far too early to determine what kind of illness this is! Maybe Lily and Bill have nothing more than a common cold, so—"
Adrian interrupted him sharply. "I hope so too… but their pulses are already normal."
Leo laughed in disbelief. "Haha… maybe it's just a common cold, which is why their pulses are normal…"
Lucia asked firmly, "Leo, did you eat the food too?"
Leo answered, "No, I only ate the bread. I didn't eat any of the soup because you interrupted us."
Lucia looked at the two children and said, "I see… That explains why you've remained fine so far."
Leo cried out anxiously, "But!! His Highness ate the food, and he hasn't suffered anything so far!"
Lucia was surprised and looked at Adrian questioningly. "Your Highness… did you really eat the food?"
Adrian looked into her eyes calmly for a few seconds before lowering his head and thinking to himself, "Leo is right… but I died once before. Could that be why I haven't been infected? Or perhaps…"
Then he spoke calmly, trying to explain the matter. "In any case… I only took one bite. Perhaps that's why the symptoms haven't appeared in me yet."
The two fell silent, understanding his words… while Adrian continued pondering the real reason behind his immunity.
They kept trying to lower the children's temperatures, but they continued rising higher and higher…
After 24 hours had passed, strange lines began branching out across their bodies.
Leo collapsed onto his knees. His fears had come true, and it had become clear that they had indeed been infected by the epidemic.
Lily slowly opened her eyes and looked at Leo, who was crying in anguish.
"Brother… Leo… don't cry… You should be happy for us… because we'll meet our parents in the other world."
She coughed up blood between her words, struggling to catch her breath.
Leo cried out desperately, "Lily! Please… stop talking… please! It must hurt you terribly!"
Lily laughed with great difficulty and looked at Adrian. "Ray… I mean, Your Highness… I'm happy that we met…"
Adrian's eye twitched with sorrow, and he clenched his fist tightly. He spoke in a heavy, steady voice.
"Lily… I'm happy that I met you all too… Even though it was only for a short time, I felt happiness and warmth with you."
She smiled, but her expression soon twisted with pain, and she began coughing violently as tears streamed down her face.
"Ray… why are we… from Section Zero… commoners? Why weren't all humans equal? Just because we can't use magic, we have to suffer like this… Isn't that unjust? Your Highness… can't you change this empire?"
Bill slowly opened his eyes and spoke wearily. "The prince… can do it, sister… don't worry…"
Lily turned her face toward Bill and spoke in pain. "Bill… I'm sorry… I couldn't buy you a toy yet… I promised I'd buy you one for your birthday, but…"
Bill whispered through his sorrow and tears. "Don't cry, Lily… I don't want toys… I just want to live…"
She murmured in a choked voice as she coughed up blood. "You won't die, Bill. You'll just become like the glowing fireflies and fly up into the sky to become a star."
She weakly stretched out her trembling hand and took Bill's hand.
"I'll go with you too. You won't be alone… so don't be afraid, all right?"
Bill gasped amid his sobbing and said, coughing up blood violently, "Lily… I always wished I could grow up and become strong… and buy lots of gifts for Lily… I also dreamed that I would get a job and that our brother Leo wouldn't have to steal food for us anymore."
Lily smiled gently and weakly. "Me too… I dreamed that I would grow up… cook food and sew clothes for Bill… and Leo…"
Bill asked in an extremely weak voice, "Lily… Leo… the prince… and the noble young lady… has night already fallen?"
Leo spoke with a weak, pained smile. "What are you saying, Bill? We're still—"
But Adrian gestured with his hand for Leo to be quiet, then said calmly, "Bill… night has already fallen, and it seems we've run out of candles here… so we can't light anything. But don't worry… we're right here beside you."
Lily smiled and spoke in a faint voice. "That's right, Bill… it seems I forgot to bring the candles again… I'm sorry."
Adrian looked at Lily and realized that she already knew what was happening.
A short while later, Bill and Lily's eyes began turning white.
Bill whispered after a few moments of silence, "Lily… I want to… to sleep…"
Lily answered weakly, "All right, Bill… I'll wake you when morning comes."
Bill closed his eyes… and surrendered to an eternal sleep with no end.
Lily spoke her final words in a faint, weak voice. "Leo… live a good life… and don't think of what happened as your fault… Ray, I know you can't change the empire on your own, so don't take our words to heart… It's simply our fate… It's not your fault that we're like this… Miss Lucia… I don't know anything about you yet, but please take care of His Highness…"
She fell silent for a moment before adding, "In my next life… I'll wish to live with Leo and Bill again… because I don't regret this life… Thank you for always giving me happiness… Leo and Bill."
Lily closed her eyes… and the smile on her face never disappeared.
The room filled with Leo's screams and Lucia's sobbing, while Adrian remained silently staring into space.
The children's bodies began to glow and scatter into the air… until they vanished into the void.
Forever.