Chapter 335 -: 334 Healer.

Rosalina and Leon remained by the lakeside for quite some time, exchanging everything that had happened since they had last seen one another. The more they spoke, the more Rosalina realized that Leon and the green-haired girl—whose name she learned was Sylviana—were in an even worse situation than she had expected. They had no shelter, no safe place to rest, and ever since arriving in the Nightmare Forest, they had spent every waking moment running for their lives. Unfortunately for them, they had appeared far closer to the forest’s central region, where powerful magical beasts roamed freely. Had Sylviana not possessed an extraordinary talent for healing, Leon doubted either of them would have survived the journey this far. Even then, they had only managed to reach this comparatively peaceful area the previous day, and neither of them had any idea where to settle next. After hearing their story, Rosalina no longer hesitated. "If you don’t have anywhere to stay... then come with me." Leon blinked. "You found somewhere safe?" Rosalina nodded. "I did." Without waiting for another response, she turned and began walking back through the forest. After exchanging a brief glance, Leon and Sylviana quickly followed behind her. Along the journey, Rosalina explained everything that had happened since they last met, from Julius’s sudden proposal to the battle that had ultimately forced them into the Nightmare Forest. She spoke about Event Horizon, about borrowing power from the future, about the wounds that had yet to return, and finally about the absurd chain of events that had somehow brought them to this forgotten corner of the world. Leon listened in complete silence. By the time she finished, his face had become so wonderfully conflicted that Rosalina couldn’t stop herself from laughing. His brows were tightly knitted together, his lips parted as if he wanted to question every sentence she had just spoken, yet no words came out. The expression hovering between disbelief, confusion and reluctant acceptance was so unlike the composed Leon she remembered that she had to cover her mouth to suppress another laugh. "...You’re serious?" "I am." "...You expect me to believe Julius proposed to you almost immediately after entering the academy, then you two pulled off something horrendous there, spent some time at the Hayes estate, came all the way here, fought people far stronger than yourselves, and somehow ended up inside the Nightmare Forest because of a spell that borrowed mana from the future?" Rosalina simply smiled. "When you say it like that... it does sound ridiculous." "It sounds completely insane." "...Yet it’s the truth." Leon stared at her for several long moments before letting out a defeated sigh. "...Knowing Julius....I hate that this somehow makes sense." Walking quietly behind them, Sylviana hadn’t spoken a single word since introducing herself. The revelations Rosalina had shared were still echoing through her mind, leaving her unable to properly process everything she had heard. Almost instinctively, she remained close to Leon, lightly clutching the edge of his sleeve as though drawing reassurance from his presence while cautiously observing the woman walking before them. Leon, however, was still struggling to accept something entirely different. He suddenly looked toward Rosalina again. "Wait..." His eyes widened, "You two..." He pointed between her and the direction they were walking. "You two are actually together?" Rosalina looked at him in confusion. "...Of course." "I can’t believe the rumours were actually true." Rosalina couldn’t help laughing again. "Well... what can I say?" She stepped closer before giving Leon a friendly slap across the back, causing him to stumble half a step. "You were somewhat of a middleman, after all." Leon frowned. "...Me?" "I only started paying attention to him because you introduced us properly. After that... well, you already know about those bullies and everything else." She sighed softly, a nostalgic smile appearing on her face. "Back then, that idiot barely reacted to anything. He was cold, distant and completely impassive. Every conversation felt like speaking to a wall. The only emotion he ever seemed willing to show was his hatred toward the Velentina family." Her smile grew a little more amused. "...Though, to be fair, I hated them just as much. The difference was that he didn’t know it." She shook her head helplessly. "But everything changed after he entered the academy." Rosalina’s cheeks faintly reddened as the memory resurfaced. "Out of absolutely nowhere, the fool proposed to me. I was so flustered I couldn’t even think properly." "Then... after that..." A warm smile naturally spread across her lips. "He started doing things that I would’ve never believed Julius was capable of." Leon listened quietly, genuinely surprised by the tenderness in her voice. "Do you know what he once told me?" She laughed softly. "He said it was only natural." Leon tilted his head. "’What’ was only natural?" "...Being good to me." Rosalina lowered her gaze. "Because..." A faint blush climbed to her ears. "...he was my husband." She covered part of her face with one hand, looking genuinely embarrassed despite remembering it fondly. "I still can’t believe those words came out of Julius’s mouth. Sometimes I honestly wondered whether he wasn’t Julius at all, but someone completely different." For the briefest moment, her smile became complicated. But she kept the rest of those thoughts buried deep within herself. Now that she knew Julius had returned from the future, those changes finally made sense. Who she had fallen in love with...had always been Julius. The one who had simply carried memories no one else could understand. Their conversation continued until the dense forest gradually opened into a familiar clearing. Standing proudly at its center was the enormous ancient tree Rosalina had chosen as their shelter. Around its massive trunk, carefully carved wooden walls blended naturally into the bark, concealing almost the entire base while making the structure appear like nothing more than another part of the forest. Leon slowed his footsteps, openly impressed. "...You built all of this?" Rosalina smiled. "Yhea." She lightly pushed herself off the ground, effortlessly flying toward the entrance hidden several metres above the forest floor. Reaching the trunk, her black eyes turned crimson and shimmered. The seemingly solid bark immediately distorted. Like ripples spreading across still water, the illusion dissolved before a large hollow entrance slowly revealed itself. Leon and Sylviana both froze. "...An illusion?" Rosalina simply nodded before calmly stepping inside. "Come." The two exchanged another glance before following her into the hidden home. The moment they entered, both of them instinctively looked around in amazement. Although the interior remained simple, every section had been carefully planned. Separate rooms had been carved into the living wood itself, each serving a different purpose. There was a storage area neatly stocked with food, a kitchen prepared for cooking, a resting space, and several passages connecting everything together. It didn’t resemble a temporary shelter, instead it felt like a home. After allowing them a few moments to take everything in, Rosalina looked back at Leon. "You haven’t seen Julius in years." She hesitated briefly. "Though he’s unconscious... would you like to see him?" Leon fell silent. Rosalina had already explained everything that had happened and why Julius would remain unconscious for the next month. Even so... Actually seeing him in that condition felt different. The image of the proud, composed Julius he remembered refused to overlap with someone lying helpless in bed. After several quiet seconds... He nodded. "I would." Rosalina smiled gently before leading them deeper into the tree toward the bedroom she had carved for Julius. She had even fashioned a simple wooden door to provide him with a little privacy. Reaching it, she rested a hand against the frame before speaking in a much quieter voice. "Before you go in...I should tell you one more thing. The injuries he suffered haven’t truly disappeared. They’ll continue returning over and over again for the next month." Her expression grew solemn. "So...When you see him...don’t be alarmed." Silence settled over the corridor. Sylviana lowered her head, her fingers tightening together as she gathered every bit of courage she could muster. Ever since entering the shelter, she had remained almost completely silent, overwhelmed by everything that had happened, but hearing those final words finally pushed her to speak. "Ah..." Her soft voice trembled. "Lady Rosalina..." Rosalina turned toward her. The moment those cold black eyes settled upon her, Sylviana felt an instinctive chill run down her spine. It wasn’t hostility. It was simply the overwhelming pressure naturally carried by someone far stronger than herself. She swallowed nervously before forcing herself to continue. "If..." "If you don’t mind..." "I..." She took a shaky breath. "...might be able to give him some respite." Rosalina’s brows immediately furrowed. "What do you mean?" Seeing Sylviana beginning to tremble under Rosalina’s gaze, Leon stepped forward before answering on her behalf. "She means she can heal him." Rosalina looked at him. "Sylviana is a healer with an exceptionally rare natural affinity for healing magic. It’s the only reason we managed to escape the central region of the Nightmare Forest alive. Every time we were injured, she treated us before the wounds could slow us down. Without her..." He smiled bitterly. "...I would’ve died countless times before ever reaching this place."