Time Healer Ceres

“...Who? Who did what?”

Apparently, that was something even Duke Schweiss and Duchess Elkein hadn’t known. Their expressions slowly stiffened as shock settled over them.

“Th-That’s...!”

A sudden chill swept over Agne. Her whole body began °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° to shake uncontrollably.

“P-Please... spare me...!”

As the two heads drew closer, the killing intent radiating from them crushed the air from Agne’s lungs.

Her consciousness gradually grew hazy. Before long, tears of terror streamed down her face.

***

“Ceres, aaah.”

“.....”

“Do you want something else?”

“...Antonian.”

“Hm?”

“Your face is red.”

“...Urgh...”

With an embarrassed groan, Antonian tossed the spoon from his hand and repeatedly scrubbed both palms over his face. Even the tips of his ears were bright red. He looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

“Big Brother.”

Just then, Julia called out to him from beside Ceres, her arms folded. She tried to glare at him as fiercely as she could.

Antonian flinched, then hurriedly picked the spoon back up.

“Ceres, aaah.”

“......”

...What is wrong with you? Can’t you at least keep your embarrassment to yourself?

Ceres sighed as the spoon was once again held out in front of her.

She had regained consciousness exactly ten days after collapsing. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Antonian and Julia, both with swollen and reddened eyes. They must have spent the past week worrying themselves sick.

“Come on. Say aaah.”

“I can eat by myself.”

“No, Ceres.”

Julia shook her head without unfolding her arms.

“Antonian made a promise. He said he’d do anything if you woke up safely.”

“Hey! That wasn’t a promise I made with you. It was a pra—”

“...A pra?”

A pra?

What was he trying to say?

As Ceres looked at him curiously, Antonian’s face flushed an even deeper red. He immediately turned his head away as if there were no chance he’d finish that sentence.

“A prayer is a promise too. You’re the one who cried every day while praying for Ceres to wake up. And now you won’t even feed her? She doesn’t even have the strength to hold a spoon.”

“Hey!”

Antonian cried out as Julia casually revealed the humiliating story that had become his biggest embarrassment.

“I was the one who kept telling him not to cry.”

Julia beamed as she skipped over, her smile practically asking, I did a good job, didn’t I? Ceres smiled and gently patted her on the head.

“But he just cried even harder. Antonian is such a crybaby.”

“I didn’t cry!”

“You did! You were bawling your eyes out, saying, ‘Please, just save my sister...’”

“Okay, okay! That’s enough!”

As if another word would kill him from embarrassment, Antonian clapped both hands over his ears and shook his head furiously.

“My little brother is quite devoted.”

“Aaaah!”

When Ceres joined in with one last tease, Antonian let out a cry of despair. His face somehow managed to grow even redder.

“Come on. I’ll eat that myself.”

Chuckling softly, Ceres reached for the plate in Antonian’s hands. With a deep sigh, he stepped closer and handed it to her.

She ruffled his hair, silently apologizing for making him worry.

“......”

When the simple touch brought tears to his eyes, Ceres couldn’t help smiling again.

Julia was right. He really was a crybaby.

After taking a spoonful of the warm soup, her gaze drifted toward the corner of the room. Kainel stood there with his lips pressed into a thin line, watching her without a word.

“Why don’t you two go get some rest?”

“Why? I’ll take the tray out after you’re done eating.”

“I have a lot to talk about with him.”

At Ceres’s words, Antonian and Julia both turned to Kainel. Remembering how he hadn’t left for even a second since she’d collapsed, they quietly slipped out of the room.

“Have you eaten?”

“......”

Kainel didn’t answer. He only looked at her before slowly walking over.

“You skipped your meals again, didn’t you?”

As he drew closer, Ceres kept talking, hoping to ease the unsettling look in his eyes.

“I told you to make sure you ea—”

“Grace.”

“......”

The name stopped her cold. With a quiet sigh, Ceres lifted her eyes to meet his unwavering silver gaze.

Well... it’s not like I planned to keep hiding it forever.

She had already made up her mind the last time she’d brought up her former disciple, Enoch. She needed to tell him the truth.

She knew he had already realized she was Grace. There was no point pretending otherwise any longer.

That’s why I used my ability.

The power to turn back time that belonged to Grace. She had used it openly right in front of Kainel.

Even so, hearing him say her name out loud felt strangely different. It was nostalgic.

But after three hundred years... it felt just a little unfamiliar too.

“Should I say... it’s nice to see you again?”

A faint smile touched Ceres’s lips.

“...Haaa.”

A long breath escaped Kainel. He had already known the truth, but hearing Ceres acknowledge it herself for the first time still left him at a loss for words.

“...What happened?”

It was a long while before Kainel finally spoke again. Ever since he’d realized she was Grace, one question had never left his mind.

What happened to her? And how did she come to stand before him like this?

“Open the bottom drawer of that desk.”

At Ceres’s instruction, Kainel obeyed without hesitation. Inside the bottom drawer, he found a single dried flower resting beside a folded letter.

When he turned back with the letter in hand, Ceres gave him a small nod, urging him to read it.

Kainel unfolded the paper and slowly read through its contents. It was a letter Artia had left behind in the place known as the Second Magic Tower.

“......”

After reading it in silence, he carefully folded the letter again.

“...That idiot.”

The curse slipped from his lips, followed by a hollow laugh.

So everything that led Grace back to him was all Artia’s doing. And through it all, Artia had kept the truth hidden from him.

“I know. If anything, I should be the one who’s more upset.”

“...What?”

A memory surfaced from long ago.

Artia had come all the way to the Grand Duchy and kicked him for wasting away after Grace was gone. Only now did Kainel finally understand the bittersweet smile Artia had worn that day.

“You really stayed the same until the very end.”

You damned fool... Always getting on my nerves and impossible to deal with.

...But... In the end, you still made it impossible for me to hate you.

“So you’ve finally realized how thoughtful your big brother is? I kept telling you my mental age was way beyond yours. You should’ve treated me with a little more respect. It’s not too late to start now.”

If Artia were here now, he’d probably be laughing his head off while spouting the same nonsense.

Kainel clicked his tongue as he looked down at the folded letter.

How annoying, infuriating, and...

...I miss you.

His hand tightened around the letter. The realization only made him more irritated with himself. He couldn’t believe he actually missed that punk.

“Kai.”

As though she’d already seen through everything he was feeling, she called to him softly. When she tried to rise from the bed and staggered, Kainel hurried to catch her.

“You shouldn’t be getting up ye—”

Before he could finish, Ceres slipped her arms around his neck. He froze.

She could feel every bit of tension lock his body in place, and even the frantic beat of his heart against her. Without saying a word, she gently patted his back.

“I’m sorry.”

She’d thought about it over and over. When they finally met again, what should be the first thing she said to him?

No matter how much she thought about it, only one answer ever came to mind.

“I’m sorry... for leaving you alone.”

For making you endure all those years by yourself.

“I’m sorry.”

For selfishly choosing to save your life... only to leave you behind.

“I’m so sorry.”

No matter how many times she said it, it would never be enough.

I’m sorry...

Just imagining the centuries he had spent all alone made her chest ache.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!