After the day Vernisia visited the orphanage for the first time, she and Zevien went there every day. This made kids even more cheerful and happy as their big sister Vernisia dotted on them a lot.

Sometimes, Dan and Erica also visited the orphanage with Zevien and Vernisia to have dinner with the kids and mother Helena. Mother Helena was usually busy, so she wouldn’t get that many chances for such occasions.

Today, Dan and Erica were here for the third time as everyone planned a dinner with the kids.

…

“Say, Verny, are you going to accept Zevien’s confession? Because it’s obvious that he will do it sooner or later,” Erica said as she and Vernisia on a bench under a tree in the orphanage’s garden.

Zevien was coming there to call them, but he instantly stopped after hearing what Erica said and stood still. His face stiffened, and his breath lowered to non-existence.

“I…sigh,” Vernisia sighed as her face dropped, “I hope he doesn’t confess to me because my answer will likely be a no.”

“Eh, why?” Erica was startled, “do you think we are blind? You also like him! I meant to ask whether you two would be together now or after graduation?”

“I can’t,” Vernisia sadly smiled and continued speaking as she slightly stammered, “I can’t tell you the reason, sorry. But it is…not possible f-for now.”

After hearing her words, Zevien silently turned around and left with silent steps. He went out of the orphanage and dashed outside, ‘why?’

‘Why? Why can’t we be together? Oh god. I am glad I didn’t confess earlier, or I wouldn’t even remain friends with her. Damn…but why?’ Zevien thought as he felt depressed.

‘Sigh, maybe I am lacking something?…fuck.’

Zevien dashed outside on the footpath, but he calmed down after a minute and remembered something, ‘for now…Yes! She said that we can’t be together for now. This means that I have a chance in the future!’

‘Yep, this should be the case!’ Zevien thought as he became positive again. He clenched his fist tightly and grinned, ‘I am already doing my best, and I will also reveal to Vernisia about my unawakened connection with the fairy spirit magic labyrinth. If we can create the spell I have in mind, we can become huge!’

After overthinking for a minute, Zevien snapped out of his thought bubble and returned to the orphanage.

Everyone had dinner together and enjoyed it a lot.

After today, Zevien was not eager to confess his feelings to Vernisia and stayed like a friend. But since he was in love with her, he obviously couldn’t help but care for her more and occasionally show her his loving side.

…

At the end of the second year in the academy, Vernisia returned to her home today as she was excited to hear the results.

“N-no cure found,” Amon spoke as he stammered, his heart heavy as if someone had placed a boulder on it. He saw his daughter’s face falling as Vernisia lifelessly sat on the couch.

*Sniff…*

Tears appeared in Susan’s eyes as she hugged her daughter, “sorry, Verny. But don’t worry, we are already onto the next doctor. She is a 1st class magician and one of the best alchemists on the Gaia continent! She is from the Seranix country, and the government has already cleared everything for us to go there.”

“Since you have a five-day vacation, we can go there immediately!” Amon said somberly, “there will be a cure for you out there. I am sure of it!”

Vernisia’s parents worked in the government of Lopax country, but they were probably the poorest government officials as most of their money went to find a cure for Vernisia’s disease. They have even funded research to know more about this disease and find a cure for it but to no avail.

Vernisia’s disease was unusual as there was a fault in her magic eidos body right after she manifested it. After checking it, all experts said that she would not live past the age of twenty-two to twenty-four.

The fault was since her birth and appeared in her magic eidos body. Her magic eidos body was fundamentally flawed with a very low lifespan; if the magic eidos body dies, the physical body also dies.

So far, they couldn’t find the root or origin of this disease. Vernisia was the first-ever case carrying something like this.

‘Zevien…, it seems that w-we…can’t be together,’ Vernisia thought as tears spilled from her eyes. After staying with him for two years, she also fell for him, but she had no choice but to suppress this feeling of love.

Amon and Susan also couldn’t help but tear up when they saw Vernisia crying silently.

“Don’t worry, honey. We will find the cure,” Susan hugged Vernisia while sobbing, “we will book the flight tonight.”

…

Third-year of the academy also passed, and everyone graduated. Dan and Erica were waiting for batting breath for Zevien and Vernisia to get together, but those two dumb birds still didn’t confess to each other.

Zevien knew that he would have to wait for more time before confessing. Heck, his aim had changed from confession to directly proposing to her to marry him after three years and pursue a higher magic path with her in the Lankrena region, which was the most magically advanced place on this Gaia continent. It was under no country and was operated by the Magic Guild.

After the graduation ceremony, Zevien told Vernisia about his plan to research fairy spirit magic and create a magic spell to summon fairies after researching the magic formations and magic intent whenever Zevien accidentally summons a fairy in spiritual form. In history, many people recorded had an unawakened connection with the fairy spirit magic labyrinth but none with an awakened connection.

“But how will we find a research facility and funds?” Vernisia asked with doubt.

“Hehe, don’t worry,” Zevien grinned happily, “Touma-sir arranged it for us.”

“Touma-sir? How come he can arrange something like that?” Vernisia was surprised.

Zevien looked around and leaned towards her ears before whispering, “don’t tell anyone, but Touma-sir is actually a hidden big shot and a government scientist. He has multiple labs across the country and two in this city.”

“So he is giving us one? Wow,” Vernisia was amazed before she smiled, “alright, I also got a job, but…I am not interested in it. I will spend more time with you in the lab and at my home.”

“Another good news!” Zevien laughed, “I also managed to get the job as a sub teacher in this academy.”

“T-th-That’s great!” Vernisia hugged Zevien into a tight squeeze, “haha, I knew you could do it. Now you are settled!”

‘Zevien…,’ Vernisia hugged Zevien tightly for a second before quickly separating with a smile, “alright, we will catch up today evening. Right now, I have to go for an important thing at home.”

“See you later,” Zevien nodded as he was jumping in joy inside because of Vernisia’s hug. He was practically on cloud nine as he felt so good.

‘That felt heavenly! Ahh…wish I could get one more,’ Zevien wished to soak in her presence and embrace her forever, but he had to wait, ‘three more years….I will have to work hard! Vernisia, I will propose to you after three years!’

‘I also have to bring gifts for the kids and mother Helena in the orphanage,’ Zevien thought after he reluctantly stopped overthinking his future with Vernisia.

“Hey, Dan! If you are done, then let’s go! We got to buy some gifts for those little imps!”

On the other hand, Vernisia quickly sat inside the car and curled up with tears in her eyes. The more she loved Zevien and longed for him, the more hurt she felt…knowing that she would not be able to live with him for life and would die soon.

“Zevien…” Vernisia mumbled as her tears spilled continuously, “I want to live! I want to live longer and stay with you.”

…

Susan sobbed as she caressed her daughter’s head, “I’m sorry, honey. I am sorry….”

“We will continue to fund research for this,” Amon said with red eyes, “there should be a cure for her disease! If not, we will make one!”

Vernisia wiped her tears as she sadly smiled, “mom, dad, you know…I…love someone. We became friends on the first day of the academy. He is an orphan, but he is very hardworking and good. He doesn’t back down from challenges even if they seem out of his reach. He is also funny and cheerful, always putting me in a good mood whenever I am down.”

“I-I really love him, you know. I want to live with him, hug him, kiss him, but…” Vernisia continued as she sobbed with tears from her eyes, “but how can I say that to him? I…I will not even… li-live that long.”

“I can see he has feelings for me too, and we graduated today. But he got a bright future ahead of him, and I…I don’t want to ruin it.”

Vernisia’s heart already broke before she could even say it. She had no choice but to kill her feelings, but….the time she spent with Zevien was the best time of her life. She so dearly wished to spend more time with him.

She wished every day to live longer so that she could spend her life with Zevien in the future and also care for her parents just as they cared for her.

Susan hugged Vernisia as she heavily sobbed at her daughter’s heartbroken state, “Sorry, honey….”

Susan couldn’t say anything other than sorry because Vernisia’s disease was by birth, and she felt that it was her fault that Vernisia was born with this problem in her magic eidos body.

Even Amon’s red eyes dropped tears as he couldn’t give his daughter a normal future like other girls, ‘I will not give up! My daughter, I will not give up until I find the cure for you!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep