"Aunt Tera, there's something important I need to tell you."
Seeing my expression, Chelsea grew tense, and Tera looked at me with curiosity.
"What is it, Zeref?"
Chelsea asked, noticing the hesitation and unease on my face.
"Hah… I really don't want to say this, Aunt Tera, but according to my calculations… you only have about a week left to live."
Chelsea jumped up from her seat in shock, her face turning pale from fear. Tera, though surprised, didn't react much — she must have already known. After all, it was her own body.
"What do you mean, Zeref?"
Chelsea, trembling, walked closer and grabbed my shoulders. I could see the fear and worry in her eyes.
"There's no need to overreact, Chelsea. I've known about this," Tera said calmly.
Upon hearing that, tears began welling up in Chelsea's eyes. Without saying another word, she ran out of the room. Seeing this, I turned to Tera, who gave me a small nod. Then, I ran after Chelsea.
I deliberately kept a little distance to see where she was going. Eventually, she stopped near a valley, curled up, and began crying.
I walked up to her and gently placed my hand on her shoulder. The moment I did, she threw her arms around me and sobbed uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to comfort her.
This went on for about ten minutes. She cried without stopping, and when she finally calmed down and lifted her head to look at me, her blue eyes were still wet with tears, her body trembling, and deep sorrow was etched into her expression.
"Z-Zeref… i-is my mother really going to leave me?"
She asked with a shaky voice, her femininity faintly slipping through.
"Your mother's life force has declined drastically — she's barely clinging to life. Unless you can find a god-tier item, there's nothing anyone can do to save her."
Upon hearing my words, tears began streaming down her cheeks once again.
"W-what can I do…? My mother is my whole world… I don't know what I'll do without her…"
I patted her back gently to soothe her.
"Who said your mother can't be saved?"
"Huh??"
She stared at me in shock. I smiled softly as I wiped her tears away.
"I told you before — you're my friend. And that means I'll do anything to help you. You're the first person I've ever called a friend, so don't worry. I will save your mother."
My words deeply moved her. She had always depended only on herself, but now, for the first time, she had someone she could rely on. She wasn't alone anymore.
+25,000 Affection
A moment later, she released me from her embrace, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Seeing that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh wow, you're blushing. You actually look like a girl now," I teased, making her even more embarrassed — though she didn't respond to my remark.
Right now, saving her mother was her top priority. As for the dense idiot in front of her, she'd deal with him later. (Chelsea)
"How are you going to help my mother?"
My expression turned serious at her question.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just go back to the inn and stay there. I'll be back in three days."
Before I could leave, she stopped me, her face filled with concern.
"What are you going to do? Where are you going?"
I placed a finger gently on her lips.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Just go back to the inn — you don't have to worry about anything."
Though reluctant, Chelsea could only nod.
"Please… stay safe."
I nodded in agreement and left, while Chelsea returned to the inn to wait for my return.
Three Days Later~~~
Chelsea was pacing anxiously around the inn. Over the past few days, her mother had grown paler and weaker, and her worries deepened with each passing hour — especially since Zeref had not returned.
Just then, a knock echoed from the door.
Overjoyed, Chelsea ran to open it — but the sight that greeted her made her scream in horror and sorrow.
Zeref stood there, his cloak soaked in blood. His face was pale, streaked with dried blood. He looked like someone standing at death's door.
Chelsea caught him in her arms as he nearly collapsed. Tears streamed down her face as she asked,
"What happened to you? Why are you like this?"
Without answering, Zeref pulled a small bottle from within his robe. He was clearly in pain and utterly exhausted.
"Give this to your mother. Once she drinks it… she'll be fine."
His hoarse voice made Chelsea freeze. As she stared at the blood-stained bottle he clutched tightly, even more tears flowed. She couldn't comprehend why he had gone this far — all for her.
"Why…?" (Chelsea)
Her voice was filled with anguish and guilt. She could see that Zeref had risked his life for this, and the bottle was most likely something extremely rare and valuable — yet he had given it to her without hesitation.
Hearing her question, Zeref only gave a weak smile and spoke,
"I made a promise to you, didn't I? And… I can't stand seeing you sad."
And with that, Zeref collapsed unconscious.
POV: Chelsea
Chelsea's life could never be called perfect or even easy. From a very young age, she had always known she was different.
As a child, she already possessed extraordinary intelligence and physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans. But the most unusual thing was that she could see the flow of mana.
It wasn't until later that she realized this was not normal. And for some reason, she could never draw mana into her own body — as if something was blocking it.
But thinking back, she had a loving mother who worked tirelessly to support her. She never knew her father; all her mother ever said was that he was a man of great power.
But Chelsea didn't care — in fact, she hated him for abandoning her and her mother to face this cruel world alone. Because of her sharp mind, she grew up more mature than most children her age.
She could subtly read people's intentions by observing their mana. This ability slowly planted a deep-rooted prejudice against men in her heart — she saw them as useless and untrustworthy.
The way they looked at her mother and her natural anger toward her father formed that image in her mind. She was only nine when her mother fell ill, forcing her to work to support them both.
Even though she lived at the lowest level of society, she still had her pride. She collected trash and did odd jobs for money — even dressing like a boy to avoid certain unwanted gazes.
She always worked alone, relying solely on herself for everything. In her mind, trusting others — especially men — was foolish.
This was due to her dragon bloodline, which gave her a deep sense of pride and the instinct to handle everything on her own. Dragons never relied on others, nor did they ever ask for help.
But once a dragon falls in love… they will do anything for that love.