I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

Julia's shoulders trembled as she felt the heat in her mouth and his touch that was even hotter than that.

 Her body was pushed back and touched the railing, and his hands wrapped around her waist supported her center of gravity.  The obscene sound of her saliva flowing back and forth, the reflex heating up of her body, was still unfamiliar.

 Julia closed her eyes tightly and held onto the hem of his dress.

 The kiss, which started hastily and continued for a long time, filled her head, which had only been blurry. Then her lips dropped slightly with the touch of his  tongue passing over her lower lip.

“Ha…."

 Julia exhaled through the gap.

 Julia's face, which had been empty and pale, had regained her full color from the hot contact from a while ago.  Caressing her blushing red ear, Fernan whispered in a warm voice.

 “I don’t think hugging and kissing you all day is enough.”

 “… ”

 “Do you really want me to do whatever I want?"

 As Julia closed her wet lips and lowered her swaying gaze, he pressed his lips against hers again as if he was urging her to answer.

 At the sensation of her head turning white, Julia finally pushed him away with all her might.  Fernan, who had slipped away from her, looked down at her from a span of his distance.

 “…  Alright, let’s go.”

 “Let’s go to the sea.”

 Julia looked at him with a feeble resentment with her still hot face.

Fernan, who finally drew an answer from her, finally straightened up.

 As if satisfied with her answer, Fernan gently stroked her wet lips.

 And, unable to hold back, he pressed his lips to Julia's cheek, who continued to look at him with resentment.

 In the evening when the sun was setting, Julia obediently went out to the beach with him.

 The sky was a mixture of scarlet and pink, giving off a mysterious color.  Julia quietly captured the beautiful scene in her eyes.

 When she ran away from Fernan, she thought she would never be able to see this sea again.

 Maybe that's why the endless sea that stretched out before her felt even newer at this moment.

 Julia looked up at the man walking by her side while holding her hand completely.

 Then she lowered her gaze and stared at his feet, which were keeping pace with her slow pace.

 Deliberately emptying her complicated mind that was rising up and down, she looked at the sea again.

 The undulating waves left a soot-like mark on the sand.

 This man was holding her hand just like the waves.

 Every time he passed, something remained. Whether it be pain or sorrow, anger or pleasure.

 Even now that she had forgotten all of her love for him, she could not always get away from him.

 If so, should she be willing to accept the marks he makes?

 ‘No, I…’

It wouldn’t last long. To the extent that these concerns were meaningless.

 Julia could feel it. She had been ignoring it for so long, but she knew that her body was already irreversibly damaged.

 ‘I wanted to live happily for a long time….'

 Knowing it would never come true, she continued to hold her hopes.

 Because if she had hope, like a miracle, everything would get better.

 But the reality was not like that, so in the end, she must have lived in a dream.

‘If today is the last, what should I do right now?’  Julia looked at the distant horizon and then turned her gaze to Fernan.

 "Your Highness…..”

 She opened her mouth as if trying to tell him something, and suddenly stopped her steps.

 It was because of the sudden blur of vision in front of her eyes.

 Fernan, who had stopped with her, looked back at her, and Julia looked far away, clutching her chest.

 As if something from her strong energy was beating the pain all over her body, she sat down.

 Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump.

 She felt like her heart would burst.  At the same time, a seething energy rose up to the nape of her neck.

The sensation of heat filling up one after another from the stomach…………

 “Julia!”

 Fernan held Julia, who was trembling greatly. Julia, who had collapsed in his firm arms, grabbed his arm tightly.

 But the power kept draining from her hands and feet.

 “Julia, why…”

 Fernan’s urgent sound did not pass through her ears.

 At this moment, it seemed that the functions that made up her body were slowly paralyzing.

 Julia buried her head in his arms, cried and vomited blood.

 Looking at his white shirt dyed red, Julia completely closed her eyes.

 ***

 Julia, who was carried to the mansion by Fernan, was laid neatly on her bed.

  Her complexion had completely disappeared, and not even the slightest movement.

 Lockman, who had been observing her condition for a long time, barely uttered the words, which he couldn't get out.

 “I can't feel her pulse. She has stopped breathing….”

Julia, who suddenly vomited blood and collapsed, had no foreshadowing symptoms.

 Her body was weak and she was suffering from a disease that made her stamina fluctuate, but it was never enough that she died suddenly.

 “Her heart is weakly beating, but she probably won’t last long….”

 “What nonsense is that?”

 Fernan muttered as if he couldn't grasp the situation.

 His clothes and hands were all stained with red blood.

 “Obviously a little while ago….”

 Not too long ago, Julia was holding his hand and looking at the sea.

 The warmth of her that had reached him still remained in his hand. The aftermath of the kiss that they shared deeply before going to the sea was still vivid and hot….

 Looking at Fernan, Lockman muttered with a face covered in guilt.

 "I’m sorry.  Everything is my fault…  It seems that the Grand Duchess’ heart disease has deteriorated rapidly, but I haven't noticed any signs…………”

 Lockman has been regularly checking Julia’s condition. Of course, he couldn't say that her illness wasn't serious, but at least it wasn't so serious that it took her life.

 He obviously thought so.  But, why is this happening…

 Lockman tried hard to speak as he exhaled.

 “Your Highness, I know I’m being rude. But, please prepare your heart…”

 Lockman couldn't help but bite his tongue.

‘Her heart will stop soon, so prepare your heart’, but he couldn't say anything like that.

 Because it seemed like Fernan, who was standing and looking down at Julia, would die first.

 Fernan, who had a strange expressionless face, did not say anything for a long time.

 Then he eventually leaned over and felt Julia's breath.

 When he realized that he could no longer hear even faint breaths, his eyes were black as if struck by lightning.

 Fernan hastily brought his ear to her heart.  Thump, thump, he could feel her heart beating slowly.

 The sound barely grasped his shrewd reason.

 “……  Save her."

 He murmured, looking back at Lockman.

 “Somehow, bring her breathing back….”

 “Your Highness, all I can do for now is…”

 Fernan grabbed Lockman's collar. Contrary to his still expressionless face, his bloody hands were trembling frantically.

 "Don't be incompetent, tell me what to do."

 “….Your Highness."

"How Julia can breathe, please, tell me."

 With his collar still being grabbed by Fernan, Lockman answered in the most calm voice possible.

 “The functions of her whole body except the heart have already stopped.  In this case, it’s considered as a moribund state. She won't last long.…  ”

 After finishing his words, Lockman bowed his head.  Fernan just released the power from his hand helplessly.

 "No."

 He looked at Julia again.  Then, as he knelt down on the floor, desperately holding her hand.

 Fernan still had a hard time understanding the situation. He couldn't believe her hand, which he held earlier, now laying cold.

 He reached out and hugged her body, unable to even breathe as he was strangled. Feeling her heart beating again in the bodies that were touched, he lowered his head to her.  He repeatedly blew breaths into Julia’s mouth on and off several times. The blood that could not be wiped off from her mouth stained his lips red.

 “Your Highness….”

 Lockman muttered sadly, unable to stop him.  Then he finally closed his eyes and turned his head.

 “…ha."

 After giving breaths for a while, Fernan felt the spirit gradually becoming numb.

 Julia's face, which was getting paler and paler, was captured in his dappled vision.

 He reached out and gently wiped the bloodstains from her lips.

 “…  No, she won’t die. I won’t leave her like that.”

 Fernan murmured blankly like a madman.

 Moribund state. Death.  Those words could never correspond to Julia. Never.

 Blood vessels raised up on his neck. Standing up, he grabbed Julia and carefully lifted her up.

  “Your Highness, where are you going…  !"

 Leaving Lockman's cry behind, Fernan left the bedroom without hesitation.

 He went down the stairs quickly and gave the order to the servant who was standing restlessly.

 “Prepare a carriage and go to the Temple of Ilion right now.”