[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 45

However, the Jueri were physically weak, so the gods commanded the Crawfords to protect them. 

Since then, the Jueri and the Crawford families have coexisted. 

"When you become the head of the family, you must visit Ambria at least once." 

This is to renew the pact with the Jueri and receive an opal for your future child. 

"My father went there as soon as he became the head, for my sake since I was about to be born." 

"But how?" 

Edwin pulled out a necklace beneath his clothes and showed it to me. 

Inside a small round glass vial were pieces of a black stone. 

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary stone, but I knew it was a black opal. 

Ever since I awakened my gemstone powers, I could identify any gem just by looking at it. 

"This is the opal my father passed down to me." 

"Why is it broken like this?" 

I stared at the shattered opal in shock. 

"Human hands can’t break gems infused with Jueri’s power." "But why...?" 

"When I witnessed my father’s death..." 

Edwin couldn’t finish his sentence and closed his eyes tightly. I could sense the madness beginning to surge within him, so I quickly grabbed his hand, clutching the necklace tightly. As I channelled the energy of the opal into him, I felt the raging madness begin to calm. 

When Edwin slowly opened his eyes, he squeezed my hand tightly. 

"How did you know?" 

"Ever since I awakened, I’ve become highly sensitive to your energy." 

"It seems I can’t hide anything from you anymore." 

Edwin laughed softly as he gently caressed the back of my hand. 

The previous Duke had died when Edwin was only seven years old, and the Duchess had passed away earlier from illness. I couldn’t imagine how it must have felt for him to lose both parents at such a young age. 

I remembered how hard it had been for me to say goodbye to my mother. Even though I had prepared myself during her long illness, when the moment finally came, the sadness was overwhelming. 

I cautiously patted Edwin's back, moved by a desire to comfort him. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling my touch, before opening them again and explaining. 

"After my father’s death, the madness within me went out of control, and the necklace shattered into pieces." 

Fortunately, the opal continued to hold its power even after it broke, and he had been able to gather the fragments and endure until now. 

"Then why did you go berserk like that yesterday?"

"Because it was the night of the Blood Moon." 

What does the Blood Moon have to do with his madness? Edwin must have noticed my confusion as he added an explanation. 

"I don’t know why, but on that night, the madness gets stronger than usual." 

"But you said the opal still has power even though it's broken. So why?" 

"This opal was originally supposed to be used permanently. But after it shattered, the power started depleting, and there wasn’t much left." 

From what Edwin explained, the opal given by the Jueri was meant to last a lifetime. So why hadn't it been able to prevent Edwin's rampage? No matter how intense his emotions were after his father’s death, it didn’t make sense that he couldn’t handle it. 

Suddenly, the guardian tree I saw in Ambria came to mind. Could it be because the Jueri were exterminated, causing the guardian tree to lose its power? 

"I thought I could hold on for a little longer... But recently, the power has been depleting faster, and I was getting anxious." 

Edwin rolled the glass bottle in his hand with a crooked smile.  

In the original story, Edwin was alive until the Crown Prince killed him, so the opal must have been preventing his death until then. So why had things changed? 

"If it weren't for my bride, I would have died." 

Edwin smiled brightly and planted a light kiss on my forehead. 

"Thank you." 

I blinked in surprise. I never expected to hear him say thank you. 

"Are you surprised? Why?" 

How could I not be surprised? Here was someone who killed anyone who displeased him, saying thank you. They say people change when they're close to death, and last night must have been a big shock for Edwin. Thinking this, I felt a bit sorry for him. 

"You won’t have to suffer like that anymore. I’m here now." 

I said it to reassure him, but Edwin suddenly became serious. I tensed up, wondering what was wrong, but he gently pulled me into his arms. 

"Yeah." 

His low voice whispered in my ear without hinting at his usual playfulness. 

I suddenly wondered what expression he was making. But Edwin pressed my head down, preventing me from seeing his face. 

A moment later, when he pulled away, Edwin smiled as brightly as usual. 

‘Did I imagine it?’ 

His voice sounded like it was trembling with emotion. But now, looking at him, he didn't seem emotional, so I decided to brush it off. 

"First, let’s replace this. The opal you gave me yesterday is completely depleted and can't be used anymore." 

"I have plenty of opals. I thought I might need them if I ever met a Jueri, so I prepared in advance." 

Edwin ordered Seth to bring an opal, and after a short while, Seth returned with a rather large one. When I received the opal, I activated it and passed it to Edwin.