The Perfect Plan to Avoid Death Ending

What did I just hear?

“Lifetime contract…?”

I felt as if my brain had stopped in shock.

Herreith gently pushed my jaw closed when he saw me frozen with my mouth agape.

“You’ll get dust in there.”

The sly grin on his face made my head burn with heat.

“You swindler!”

“Only now figuring that out?”

The sweet demeanor he had melted away like sugar, leaving behind only shamelessness.

“With naivety like this, how do you expect to survive in a world brimming with malice?”

“Naïve…?”

Naïve? The person furthest from naïve was me.

“This won’t do. I guess I’ll have to protect you.”

“Protect me from what!”

Grinding my teeth, I glared at the ring.

‘So this is proof of the contract? Then throwing away this ring should be enough!’

I yanked the ring off my finger and threw it at Herreith. But it didn’t reach him.

The ring bounced back as if repelled by an invisible barrier, flying toward my face.

Smack!

“Argh!”

Clutching my forehead, I trembled from the impact as Herreith’s laughter rang from above me.

“It’s no use. The proof of the contract doesn’t disappear so easily. Even if you remove it, it’ll return to you. Don’t waste your energy.”

He slid the ring back onto my finger with an infuriating smirk.

“Let go of me! You evil…! Cough! Huff! Huff.”

As I got worked up, my racing heart cried out in pain.

Clutching my chest and gasping for breath, I felt Herreith’s hand soothing my back.

“You’re fine. Just breathe deeply.”

Following his instructions, I calmed my breathing and barely regained my composure. Forgetting my fear, I shot him a glare.

“Judging by that look, I guess you’re feeling better.”

Better? Not even close.

“You scammer! Crawl back to the underworld!”

“Oh dear, I can’t leave your side…”

Herreith trailed off, and at the same time, the ruby and the back of his hand glowed faintly.

“Damn it.”

Herreith cursed softly.

Boom! Bang! Crash!

With a deafening noise, he was sent plummeting downward.

I blinked at the dust rising in clouds.

What just happened? Did Herreith just fall through my bedroom floor…?

It was as if some invisible force had stomped him into the ground, smashing through the floor endlessly.

“…Sir Mage?”

Whoosh—

A cold draft rose from below, making my hair flutter.

Looking at the bottomless black pit, I shivered.

“Sir Mage! Are you alive?”

No answer.

“Hello? Herreith? Her-re-ith!”

Herreith—Herreith—

My voice echoed as if the pit were impossibly deep.

Clenching my fist nervously, I muttered, 

“I didn’t mean to eliminate him like this, but mission accomplished?”

Before I could finish, a flick to my forehead struck me.

“Argh!”

“Mission accomplished, my foot.”

I knew it. He’s not the type to die so easily.

“What just happened?”

Still rubbing my throbbing forehead, I asked, watching him brush dirt off his clothes. Herreith sighed.

“It’s because you used a command spell.”

“A command spell?”

It was a term I’d never heard before. I tilted my head in confusion.

Herreith, now free of dirt, flicked his finger toward the pit.

Whoosh—

Light gathered in the gaping hole in the floor, and before I could blink, the hole was completely sealed.

“The hole’s gone…”

Is this the power of a grand mage? I cautiously tapped the floor with my foot, my eyes sparkling. Herreith chuckled and continued.

“I told you. I can’t refuse your commands.”

He raised his hand, showing me the faintly glowing tattoo on the back of it.

“A command spell. As the name suggests, I must obey my master’s orders.”

“What happens if you refuse?”

“If I try, the restriction glows and enforces the command, like what just happened.”

Herreith’s gaze shifted to the ruby on my ring finger.

“Since the ruby glowed too, it looks like the contract is valid. We’re fully synchronized now.”

Even with his calm explanation, I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Wait. So… I said to crawl underground, and that’s why…?”

“Exactly. The strength of a command spell depends on how strongly and sincerely you wish for it.”

Sweeping back his disheveled hair, Herreith twisted his lips. His drowsy, unfocused eyes glimmered with an unusual light.

“Sienna, you must have really wanted me gone. I didn’t think I’d end up so deeply buried.” 

You were the one who tricked me first, so this is your fault. 

As if I expected him to be buried that deeply. 

“Fair enough. If you think about it, I got off lightly. At least you didn’t curse me to die.” 

“What would happen if I did?” 

No way. it’s a matter of life and death-surely that wouldn’t be forced too.. 

“I’d probably stab my own heart. Or slit my throat.”

This man is insane. No matter how much he hates being bound, signing such an absurd contract? 

“But my heart stopped 500 years ago, so I wouldn’t die. If you’re curious, you could try it.” 

“Excuse me…?” 

“The final restriction. I can’t die. Because of that, my body’s time is frozen. Naturally, my heart stopped too.” 

Herreith shrugged casually, as if being undead was no big deal. 

“Are you… immortal?” 

“That’s right.”

“Must be nice, not being able to die.” 

As someone with only a few months left to live, I envied his immortality. But Herreith didn’t seem to agree.

“Immortal? It sounds nice, sure. But do you know how horrifying it is to live for 500 years unable to die, in the same place?”

Herreith’s blue eyes flashed like lightning, carrying the look of someone half-mad.

“I barely escaped that cursed place. No way I’m going back so easily. Whether I like it or not, I’m staying by your side until you die.”

I understood his feelings, but he might’ve chosen the wrong person.

“Um.”

“What?” 

“I’m terminally ill.” 

A thick silence hung between us. After a long pause, Herreith finally spoke, unable to hide his shock. 

“Terminally ill? I escaped after 500 years. and the person I finally met is terminally ill?” 

“Yes. Ter. mi. nal. ly. Ill.” 

As I emphasized each syllable, the frown on Herreith’s face deepened.

“How much time do you have left?” 

“Five months.”

Herreith’s blue eyes wavered in shock. For the first time, his expression was one of utter despair. 

‘That look suits him surprisingly well.’

For once I felt like I’d won against him.

* * *

The revelation that I was terminally ill hit Herreith hard. He floundered in a pit of despair. 

“Terminally ill…. Only five months.. No wonder your body seemed strange. And that’s supposed to be a body..?”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s supposed to be a body’? That’s incredibly rude to me, someone who’s lived in this body for 20 years.”

“Living 20 years in that kind of body.” 

“What do you mean, that kind of body? I’ve been keeping it oiled and running, even if it creaks now and then. Do you want a bucket of cold water thrown on you?” 

Even if it creaks, I’ve been managing! 

“Sienna, you’ve been through a lot, huh.”

Herreith’s face softened with pity as he looked at me.

Wow, I bet I’m the only person in the world to get sympathy from Herreith.

Not that it made me happy. It just meant my body was so terrible that even this devilish man pitied me.

As if assessing my health, Herreith scanned me from head to toe before suddenly looking at the door. 

“It’s noisy.”

As he said, there was a commotion outside. Urgent footsteps approached quickly, and the door burst open.

A crowd of servants and maids flooded in.

“My lady! You’re here!” 

“What’s with all the noise?” 

I raised an eyebrow at their rude entrance without knocking. 

“My lady! Are you alright? Are you hurt?” 

“We were so worried when you disappeared!”

“And then we heard a loud crash, like the building was falling apart.”

Their sharp gazes turned toward Herreith.

“And who might he be?”

“Well he’s….”

Uh-oh. What do I say about Herreith suddenly showing up? 

“He’s a guest.”

It seemed like a safe excuse but Lina wasn’t buying it. 

“What kind of guest, exactly? And what reason does he have to be in your bedroom? Please explain.” 

Some of the servants began stepping back, probably planning to report this to the butler. 

“I’m Sienna’s magic mentor. From now on, I will be staying in the room next to hers, teaching her magic and overseeing her health. Got it?” 

As soon as Herreith snapped his fingers the servants’ eyes glazed over, their focus vanishing.

They stared at him blankly, like puppets on strings, before speaking in unison.

“Yes.” 

Chills ran down my spine. They looked like marionettes being controlled by invisible threads.

“If you don’t have business with Sienna, leave.”

“Yes.” 

The servants shuffled out, and only Lina remained. She approached me with a tray in hand.

“My lady, it’s time for your medicine.”

“Give it to me.”

At Herreith’s gesture, Lina handed him the tray of medicine and water, then exited without a glance back. 

Thud. The door closed. 

“What just happened…?” 

Turning to the culprit of all this chaos, I saw Herreith flexing his fist with a satisfied smile.

“Looks like I’m not out of practice.”

“What did you do?!” 

“Mind manipulation magic. In simple terms, brainwashing.”