I'm Still Alive
Chapter 4

I couldn’t remember what happened after that.
All I knew was that when I woke up, I found myself lying in an unfamiliar room.

It was decorated very elegantly—
I thought I might be in some kind of castle.
Could it be Liliana’s mansion?

I sat up and looked around.
It did seem like a girl’s room.
I peeked through the slightly opened door of a nearby wardrobe and saw lots of dresses inside.

Suddenly, a knock on the door shattered the quiet.

“Hey... Lus.” – Ariel’s voice came from outside.

I recognized her voice immediately.
I was about to answer but hesitated.
I wasn’t sure why I didn’t respond right away.

I climbed out of bed and ran to the door.
I opened it and saw Ariel walking away, her back to me.

She must’ve heard the door open—
She turned and saw me standing there.

She rushed over and pulled me into her arms.
“You’re finally awake...” – her voice filled with relief.

I couldn’t even react—
But when I saw a few tears welling up in her eyes, I didn’t want to say anything else.

“Good... morning, Miss Ariel.” – I said softly.

I glanced out the nearby windows—
Looking down below.

It really did look like a castle...
Or at the very least, a massive estate.

“You’ve been asleep for an entire day...” – Ariel still held me tightly.

I was stunned—
I didn’t expect to have slept that long.

“Could you tell me what happened?
Also, um... maybe let go of me a little?” – I asked.

Ariel gently released me, then led me back into the room and closed the door.
She sat down and told me everything that happened.

According to her,
I had been poisoned and lost consciousness—
I was saved by a few priests from the church who used detoxification magic.
That’s how I survived.

She also told me how dangerous the poison was.
Had I not been treated in time, I would’ve died.

While we talked,
I learned that Ariel had stayed in this very room for the entire day to watch over me.
But in the end, she had to go to the Capitol for an official statement.

I was deeply moved by Ariel’s actions.
I reached out and held her hand.

“Thank you so much,” – I said, looking into her eyes, forcing a bright smile.

She looked surprised—
Then turned her face away, blushing.

“N-No... it’s not like that...” – Ariel mumbled shyly.
“If you hadn’t saved me, I might not even be here right now.”

She awkwardly refused my gratitude.
But I continued holding her hand—my palm fit perfectly into hers.
My eyes stayed fixed on her face.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that...?” – Ariel blushed even more.

I didn’t respond.

“D-Don’t stare at me like that...
Okay fine... thank you...”

I gave her a satisfied smile and slowly let go of her hand.

Ariel’s face was bright red,
She was breathing quickly.

“Don’t tease me like that...” – she whispered.

“Huh? What did you say?” – I asked.

“N-Nothing.” – Ariel turned her back.

The truth was—
I heard her loud and clear.

But my teacher seemed to be the shy type,
And teasing her was kind of fun—
So I pretended not to notice.

“Anyway, after sleeping for so long, you must be starving, right?” – she asked, returning to normal.

Now that she mentioned it—
My stomach felt completely empty.

“Yeah, I guess I am a bit hungry...” – I replied.

“Alright, let me cook something for you then.”

I followed Ariel down a long, luxurious hallway.

“By the way, where are we exactly, Miss Ariel?”
“This is the Heartman estate,”
“This is Liliana’s home.”

I’d seen massive castles and mansions in movies and stories—
But this was my first time seeing one in real life.
I was in awe of its size.

“I didn’t think it’d be this big...” – I said, astonished.

“Mhm. Do you know Heartman Polch?”
“Yes, I do.”
“He’s a very kind man.”

Ariel then started rambling about how kind and generous Heartman Polch was—
The master of the mansion.

After descending three flights of stairs and walking through countless hallways,
We finally reached the dining room.
Deeper inside was the kitchen.

I sighed from the long walk—
My legs were aching.

Ariel noticed and patted my head, chuckling.

“Usually the maids are here, but the lord gave them a day off today,” – she said.

She put on an apron and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

I swear—
That scene was one of the most mesmerizing moments of my life—
And I was lucky enough to witness it up close.

Ariel held a pin between her lips,
Then gently stroked her long, smooth silver hair,
Gathering it up and pinning it in place.

At that moment,
She didn’t look like just a girl—
She looked like a graceful, mature woman.

Her face, already beautiful,
Combined with her silver hair, made her all the more radiant.

“Perfect...” – I whispered.

Startled, Ariel turned around and saw me staring.
Her face immediately flushed as she marched over to confront me.

“What were you looking at?!” – she barked.
“And what did you just say?”

“I-I didn’t say anything! I wasn’t looking at anything either!” – I protested.

She seemed like she wanted to say more—
But she gave up, turned around, and started cooking.

I silently watched as she busied herself with the food.

A while later, she brought out a few simple dishes.

I ate while chatting with Ariel.
She always wore a bright smile—
Like she was truly happy.

But I didn’t dare say that out loud.

Just like that,
Our relationship gradually improved.
I became more confident when talking to her.
And she, too, became more open with me.

Though from the beginning,
Even when we first met,
She had always given me a calming, reassuring presence.

Right then,
A doorbell rang.

The air suddenly went quiet.

“Who could that be?” – I wondered.

“No idea.
The lord and everyone else are off today—nobody should be home.” – Ariel said, puzzled.

Still, it was better to stay alert.
I put down the fork I was holding.

Ariel seemed to understand.
She grabbed my arm—her expression turned serious.

We stayed silent for a long while.
The air became eerily still.

I could even hear Ariel’s tense breathing.

I glanced around constantly—
Trying to stay as aware of the surroundings as possible.

And then—

A loud explosion rang out—
Followed by a thick cloud of smoke.