The rose that the sorcerer bound to the princess had wilted completely. Only a dead plant remained.

No glow. No tears.

Nagi stood up and ran through the castle in desperation.

This couldn't be true.

She had failed as a caretaker.

She had failed An.

The rose on her face had wilted. Paired with the blood stains all over her face and body she looked like a character out of a horror novel.

Nagi carefully raised her hand to the rose. It just needed one touch for several petals to fall.

The pain however, had disappeared.

The rose was dead.

After what felt like hours of agony Nagi found herself on the ground in a pool of blood. Her entire dress tainted. She slowly steadied herself into a sitting position.

When she turned to look at her reflection in the window she was at a loss for words.

🌻// more like life ending.......

The princess was in danger.

Getting injured.

Most likely on death's door.

And just like the sorcerer said that day....

There is nothing Nagi could do but watch her demise.

The longer she sat there the more painful the rose became and for the first time in her afterlife she saw it lose petals.

Her agonizing screams echoed through the castle walls. Heard by noone.

She dropped to her knees as blood streamed down her face and she tried to figure out what was going on.

And then it dawned on her.

The curse Kamishiro Rui put on her and the princess.

Suddenly the rose on Nagi's face started pulsating. Pain shooting through the spirit.

She didn't even know she could feel like this post mortum. The way the rose was piercing through her felt like a grim reminder of the day she lost, not just her eye, but also her life.

Nagi stood still.

She knew her words were like a stab in the back to the princess.

She watched the princess walk away and just whispered.

"Please don't die."

She covered her face with both of her hands.

The curse the exiled mage had spoken years ago dawned on her again.

"I don't want the words of that sorcerer to come true... but whatever you do... I... I can't stop you... All I can do is pray that you will be safe"

usually hold the princess's hand and gently stroke it to comfort her, but she refrained.

"This war will have to push that want aside."

Nagi stood up and swiftly turned around cause what she was about to say would cause blood to drip again.

"Please don't be reckless..."

Nagi recalled the total count of soldiers Rosa has lost. The number she's been counting all this time.

"Thousands of lives have been lost and thousands of lives more are on the line. As much as I want to support your desire to protect your loved one..."

This would be the point where Nagi would

Nagi hesitated. She very much understood where the princess was coming from. However, based on what she heard, those feelings were influencing military decisions.

"You are not a fool. Feelings are what makes one human after all"

She gulped.

"However, we are in the middle of a war..."

Nagi looked down at her hands, tainted red from her tears.

Like always the blood stains were slowly fading away as she calmed down.

"However, I didnt anticipate you being able to see me."

"Well I didn't see it but..."

She turned carefully to face the princess again.

"I heard some of it when I walked past... and shortly after I heard you storming out of the room and decided to investigate."

"I have reawakened as a spirit not long after my death and have been observing rosa ever since"

The spirit turned to the window and looked outside.

"However, i cannot leave this castle. I am bound to the place I died in."

Nagi carefully lifted up her head again, wiping the tears away, and carefully nodded.

Seeing the princess fear her this much hurt.

This wasn't like the dream the gravekeeper let her enter.

"Yes..."

She gulped. What she was about to say might scare the princess even more.

Nagi dropped down to her knees, covering her face in an attempt to appear less scary to her highness.

"I-I... I deeply apologize... Scaring you is the last thing I want, your highness..."

What twisted turn of fate was this?

Not to mention, the rose covering the ghost's eye might remind the princess of the day Nagi had died right in front of her.

"I-I..."

More bloody tears fell down Nagi's face. A sign of intense emotions.

To the princess however? Most likely a horrifying sight.

She knew the princess better than anyone.

"Your highness, p-please stay calm...!"

Nagi was panicking as well. How? Just how could this be? Earlier today she was still invisible to everyone, including the princess.

Why now when An is already going through enough, does this have to happen?