[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 43

A direct descendant of Crawford could never experience this kind of tranquillity. This was because, along with their innate abilities, they were also born with madness. From the moment they were born, they understood what it felt like for their blood to boil and their veins to burn, so they could never know such calm and peace. They could endure it only thanks to the opal received from Jueri. But even that never brought the kind of peace I felt today. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed that Jueri had directly transferred their power to me. That had never happened before. 

‘What would have happened if I hadn’t met my bride?’  

The conclusion was so apparent that it made me laugh in disbelief.  

Without the opal from Jueri, a direct descendant of Crawford would suffer from the moment they were born. No matter how muscular a body they were born with, the pain caused by the madness was unbearable for a young child. As the child grows, the madness also intensifies. Eventually, if they cannot overcome the madness, they will go on a killing spree and die with their entire body’s veins bursting. Even having the opal doesn’t mean they are safe. Even if the madness is lessened, the physical pain and the urge to kill never completely disappear. If the madness ever surpasses the power of the opal, it would lead to death. That’s why direct descendants of Crawford undergo training from a very young age to endure and control the madness. That training itself is gruelling.  

‘If I hadn’t been born with strong physical abilities, I wouldn’t have survived.’ 

Edwin shook his head, trying to shake off his thoughts. Today, he just wanted to enjoy this calm. 

***

The moment I woke up, I sat up abruptly. 

‘Where’s Edwin? Surely, he didn’t die, right?’ 

I had seen him stabilising. 

I anxiously looked around, only to be pulled back down by a strong force. I looked up to see Edwin, still half-asleep, smiling gently. 

“Did you sleep well?” 

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

Worried, I immediately grabbed his face and examined him from all angles. Fortunately, there was no blood, and the body that had seemed like it would burst was now fine. He even looked refreshed, as if he had slept well. 

Only then did I relax and let go of the tension in my shoulders. 

“Were you worried?” 

Edwin smiled softly, placing his hand over mine. Realising what I was doing, I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on tightly, not letting me move. 

“Of course, I was worried. After seeing you like that yesterday.” 

I muttered, looking away shyly. 

“Oh, this feels so thrilling. What a great way to start the morning.” 

Edwin suddenly hugged me, and I shivered with excitement, forcing me to stiffen up and hold my breath. 

“So this is what it feels like to have someone worry about you.” 

Edwin revelled in the feeling for a moment before finally lifting his head, allowing me to exhale in relief. 

“Then I should...” 

I stared at him blankly, wondering what he was talking about, when my foot was suddenly lifted. 

“What happened to your foot?” 

What? What’s wrong with my foot? 

I looked down and saw that my foot was wrapped in a bandage. 

“Huh? What happened?” 

“Seriously, you didn’t even know you were hurt? How can you be so oblivious despite being so fragile?” 

“I got hurt?” 

Only then did I start to feel the pain in the sole of my foot? 

“What was so urgent yesterday that you ran around without shoes? You’ve hurt your foot.” 

I wasn’t wearing shoes? Did I really? 

I vaguely remembered being in my nightgown but couldn’t recall much else. 

“You don’t even know what you’ve been doing. Honestly, you’re such a handful, like a little rabbit.” 

A rabbit? Why was he suddenly calling me a rabbit? 

I was already feeling out of sorts, and Edwin’s words only confused me. 

“I told you not to get hurt. I said I’d hang you out the window if you got hurt, didn’t I?” 

Ah... I did collapse again last night, didn’t I? And I hurt my foot, too. 

I glanced over at the window. 

Part of me wondered if he was serious about hanging me out the window. With Edwin, it seemed entirely possible. 

Seeing the worried look on my face, Edwin clicked his tongue. 

I looked up to see him frowning disapprovingly. 

“If you were so scared, you shouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place. You’re already so pale, and now you’re even paler, like a white rabbit.” 

Edwin grumbled but gently stroked my back. 

“It’s not like I wanted to get hurt. It happened because I was trying to save you.” 

Suddenly, I felt wronged. This was all because of Edwin, so why was I the one being scolded? 

When I mumbled my complaint, a deep sigh escaped from Edwin. 

“Alright, alright. It’s my fault, so I’ll let it go this time. Don’t worry.” 

Is that true? I looked up at him, and Edwin lightly tapped my nose. 

“If I were to hang you out the window, I would have done it last night. Why would I clean your foot and apply medicine?”