Christine closed the door behind her and slowly walked toward Maxim's bed.

She didn't say a word. Christine wore a somber expression as she sat down in the chair beside Maxim's bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Do you want the honest answer?" Maxim replied.

Christine nodded quietly. Maxim lifted one corner of his mouth in a wry smile and chuckled softly, rubbing the scar on his abdomen.

"It hurts like hell. Feels like someone’s been burning me with a hot iron. It was stabbing pain just a moment ago, but now it's a little better."

"Of course it is," Christine sighed deeply, then glared at Maxim.

"Why did you push yourself so hard?"

"Because I had no choice. If you were in my position, you would have used it too," Maxim said teasingly, as if trying to lighten the mood. Christine continued to glare at him, clearly not amused.

"Don't talk like you're fine. You were on the verge of death when we pulled you out."

Maxim chuckled again. He then unbuttoned his hospital gown, revealing his upper body. More scars had appeared since the last time he checked. Among them, the long scar that had always been there stood out, more pronounced than ever.

"I figured as much," Maxim said with a bitter smile, tracing the scar with his fingers. Just like before, black cracks radiated from the scar, pulsating like veins. Maxim noticed that all the cracks seemed to be converging on one spot, and he frowned.

The cracks were not targeting his heart. Somehow, Maxim felt sure of that, though Christine seemed unaware of this fact.

Christine's expression hardened. She wore a heavy, serious look.

"You can see it, can't you?" she asked.

"See what?" Maxim replied.

"The curse," Christine said. "What I’ve been trying so hard to stop has started progressing again, very slowly."

Christine reached out and placed her fingers on Maxim's sternum, where the scar began. The playful attitude she usually showed when asking to see his wounds was gone. Her lips were pressed tightly together as she channeled mana into him. Maxim didn’t resist the healing light that Christine was sending into him, letting it soothe the throbbing area around the scar.

Christine continued speaking as she infused her magic.

"While you were asleep, I spent all night tending to your scar. As expected, after using the Aura, the curse began to eat away at your body more quickly."

Christine withdrew her hand. Maxim looked into her eyes, silently urging her to continue.

"I couldn't see it at the time... but after we transported you, it was clear you were in a really dangerous condition. The internal injuries were severe."

Christine’s voice wavered slightly. Maxim, unsure of how to respond, just listened quietly.

"It stopped. I managed to halt the curse’s progress and thought I could heal the internal damage afterward, but then..."

Christine’s voice trembled more as she spoke. Maxim had a vague idea of what she was going to say.

"The curse... it won't stop."

There was a hint of fear in Christine's voice. Her hands trembled as she gripped the bedsheet tightly.

"It won’t stop. No matter what I do, no matter how many times I try every method I've ever used, pouring all my mana into it and refining it over and over, the curse, which should have stopped, is still progressing, little by little."

"...I see," Maxim said, his smile bitter as he pulled his gown back over his chest. Christine looked at his face, seeing only calm acceptance, as if he had expected this outcome. This expression made Christine feel a surge of frustration and emotion well up inside her. Maxim noticed the tears welling in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

"I'm not... I'm not crying," Christine replied, her voice thick with emotion. Tears rolled down her cheeks, betraying her words. She let out a small, involuntary sob, trying to hold back her tears, but her hand rose to her face, unable to stop them.

"No matter how hard I tried... I couldn’t stop it. I’m sorry. It’s because I’m not strong enough. I...”

Maxim gently patted Christine’s head. He felt her soft hair, which now seemed slightly rough from exhaustion.

"You said you weren’t crying," he murmured.

"Yeah... yeah," Christine replied, trying to control her sobs.

Maxim kept stroking her hair until her trembling subsided. Once Christine had calmed down, Maxim asked her gently.

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No. Only me. You didn’t want anyone else to know," Christine answered.

"Thank you, Christine," Maxim said, sincere gratitude in his voice.

Christine looked at him with a gaze full of frustration, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

"How much time do I have left?" Maxim asked quietly.

"Do you really want me to say that out loud?" Christine replied, her voice catching as she fought back more tears. Maxim’s expression remained unchanged, and Christine regretted her outburst, lowering her head.

"…It’s alright," Maxim reassured her.

Christine spoke with difficulty.

"...It won’t progress rapidly, not if you don’t push yourself. If you avoid exerting yourself, it might just shorten your lifespan a little. But if you keep fighting as a knight, if you keep using mana, the curse will progress faster."

Maxim nodded slowly.

"That’s serious," he remarked.

"Yes. Which is why I’m telling you this," Christine replied, her voice sharpening.

"If you use the Aura even one more time, the curse will definitely consume your body."

Christine’s voice was filled with urgency.

"Maybe it’s time to stop," she suggested.

Maxim blinked in surprise.

"Quit being a knight, go back to your hometown, and live a peaceful life. Forget about your ex-girlfriend, forget about the Aura—just leave it all behind."

Christine spoke with heartfelt concern, almost pleading.

"If you keep being a knight, the truth you’ve been hiding will come out. Maybe some people have already started to notice."

Maxim looked down at his hands, his expression troubled. The situation had changed dramatically. After the count's declaration of a reprieve, he could have quit the Order long ago. But he hadn't. His choices had compounded, leading to the current predicament.

Are you just going to keep running away from your decisions?

Maxim turned to face Christine.

"I’ll think about it once we get back to the capital."

Christine let out a sigh of relief, reassured that Maxim’s response wasn’t a flat refusal. A brief silence followed, then Christine clapped her hands softly as if she’d just remembered something.

"Oh, by the way, I think you and the Commander might get a leave of absence when we return to the capital. Probably for about a week."

Maxim furrowed his brow.

"They’re giving us a week off, even though we’re returning early without completing the mission?"

"It’s better than taking sick leave, isn’t it? They’re giving it to us for free. I think it’s because of the significant achievement you made," Christine replied with a smirk.

Maxim scratched the back of his head, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"I guess being stranded below the cliff had its perks."

"Don’t even think about doing anything else—just rest at home. We might have to return to the wilderness right after the debriefing in the capital," Christine warned, her lips pouting slightly.

"Honestly, it might be best if you just stay in the capital and don’t come back here at all," she added.

Maxim chuckled at her words.

"What will you do without me? You’ll be all alone with no friends."

"I have plenty of friends, thank you very much," Christine retorted, frowning.

"Don’t you have even fewer friends than I do? The only people you’re close to are Sir Paola and Sir Roberto," she teased.

Maxim winced as if hit by a sore spot, his expression turning sheepish.

"Well, putting that aside..." he began, trying to change the subject.

"You’re really good at dodging topics, senior," Christine said, rolling her eyes.

Maxim was about to bring up something else when—

"By the way, how is Theodora... I mean, the Commander?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Christine glanced at Maxim, seeking his permission, before opening the door. Maxim immediately recognized the person standing outside.

"The Margrave...?"

"You’ve been through a lot, Maxim Appart," the Margrave said, stepping into the room.

Christine frowned as she watched the Margrave walk into the room, but the Margrave ignored her, crossing her arms as she approached Maxim's bed.

"You made it back alive with good judgment in a dire situation. I’m glad you’re safe."

"…Thank you," Maxim replied.

The Margrave sighed, rubbing her temple.

"Well, putting everything else aside, I wanted to apologize."

Maxim waved off her apology.

"Why would you apologize?"

"I misjudged you badly. I was so frustrated that I intentionally assigned you to a harsh location."

Maxim let out a hearty laugh. He hadn’t expected someone of her rank to come and apologize in person.

"Is it really okay for someone in your position to apologize to a mere knight?"

The Margrave’s lips curled into a faint smile at Maxim’s words.

"I apologize when it’s necessary. I’m not someone who refuses to bow my head when I should. I may be petty, but I don’t hold grudges."

Hearing her speak so candidly, Maxim found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to respond to her self-deprecating humor.

"How’s your condition?" she asked.

"It’s alright. Just a bit sore," Maxim replied.

"That’s good to hear. The journey back to the capital will be long, so make sure to rest up."

The Margrave cleared her throat, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"Thanks to you... well, more like thanks to you and Theodora falling off that cliff, we were able to obtain crucial evidence regarding the strange occurrences."

"Evidence? Do you mean good evidence?" Maxim asked.

The Margrave shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no. The presence of that Death Worm is the strongest evidence we have that points to Behemoth’s influence."

Maxim’s expression darkened.

"Why…?"

"To put it simply, there’s no reason for a powerful Death Worm, one capable of burrowing through rock, to dig into a cliff. It could have just claimed the underground as its territory, emerging whenever it wanted to hunt the monsters above."

Maxim nodded, understanding the Margrave’s explanation.

"But the fact that it specifically dug into the cliff, weakened the ground to expand the desolate zone... And..."

The Margrave’s gaze sharpened as she looked down at Maxim.

"It persistently targeted humans."

Maxim recalled the moment vividly. That Death Worm had indeed attacked him and Theodora with a vengeance, as if it held a personal grudge.

"…None of this would have been possible without the command of a higher-ranking creature capable of controlling the monsters."

"And that higher-ranking creature is…"

"The Behemoth," the Margrave confirmed.

"…This is serious," Maxim said, his face grim.

"It’s more than serious. It’s a situation that could determine the fate of the kingdom."

The Margrave shrugged, her tone surprisingly calm despite the gravity of her words.

"We still have time. Maybe not a year, but at least the Behemoth won’t invade within the next month."

She turned her gaze out the window.

"The capital will have time to muster its forces... and if we can just take down the Behemoth, the situation in the desolate zone might improve."

The Margrave uncrossed her arms, signaling the end of their conversation.

"Any other questions? Anything you want to ask?"

Maxim glanced at Christine, who frowned as if to ask why he was looking at her. Maxim turned back to the Margrave.

"How is Theodora... I mean, the Commander?"

The Margrave raised an eyebrow.

"She’s in better shape than you, at least. Her right leg was pretty badly injured, and she had quite a few fractures and cuts, but the Deputy Commander and the medic worked hard to help her recover."

Maxim glanced at Christine, intending to thank her, but Christine avoided his gaze deliberately.

"She’s able to get out of bed and walk with crutches now. She’s recovering remarkably fast, just as you’d expect from a knight."

The Margrave paused, seemingly hesitant to continue.

"So, she asked me... if she could come visit you. I told her she could just go see you, but she insisted on asking your permission first."

Maxim was momentarily at a loss for words.

"How should I respond? Should I tell her she’s welcome to visit?"

Maxim shook his head.

"No."

His voice was firm.

"I’m sorry to ask this, but..."

Despite how much Theodora might have learned about the truth, now was not the time to face her. In fact, it was precisely because of the truth that they couldn’t meet right now.

"Please tell her I can’t see her."

"Well, take care and get some rest," the Margrave said, leaving those words behind as she exited the room.

It was evening. Outside the window, the sun was setting, painting the sky red and casting a glow that suited the landscape of the desolate zone.

In the corridor bathed in twilight, the Margrave approached someone sitting on a bench.

"Did you hear that?"

The person sitting there was Theodora. She stared blankly at the floor, her eyes hollow, as if she hadn’t slept in days. Her right leg was heavily bandaged, and a pair of crutches lay discarded beside her.

Theodora nodded weakly in response to the Margrave’s question.

"Why do you look so defeated? I told you, it’s not your fault."

"...I’m sorry," Theodora replied in a voice that was barely audible, completely subdued. The Margrave clicked her tongue and sighed, looking down at Theodora.

"Take care of yourself, alright? You’re the Commander, so don’t let your subordinates see you looking so down... Now, go back to your room."

The Margrave approached as if she intended to help Theodora back to her room, but Theodora shook her head, refusing the offer.

"I’ll go back soon. I’m fine, really... You go ahead," Theodora insisted.

The Margrave sighed, clearly frustrated. She lingered for a moment, staring at Theodora, then turned and left the corridor. Theodora listened to the sound of the Margrave’s footsteps fading away.

She had no idea what was happening.

She couldn’t understand why Maxim had suddenly collapsed, coughing up blood, or what the ominous words he had said to her earlier truly meant. Theodora trembled, feeling as if she had done something terribly wrong.

She curled up, trembling, hugging her left leg just as she had done when trapped in the cave with Maxim.

Time passed. Theodora remained seated, oblivious to the fact that night had fallen.

Suddenly, the door to Maxim’s hospital room opened. Christine emerged from the room, and Theodora instinctively turned her head, meeting Christine’s gaze.

"...Commander?"

Christine was startled to see Theodora there and called out to her.

"...Deputy Commander."

Theodora's voice was faint, but there was a desperate edge to it.

"What's happening to Maxim... right now?"