For Our Cherished One

"Sis, do you think I'll ever be healthy?"

Evangeline tugged softly at my coat. Her small hands were getting paler and weaker by the day, even to the point of trembling at the smallest movement.

Despite living healthy up until she was 10, her health started breaking down right after. She was smaller than any of her peers, not that she had any left, but she was definitely fragile.

I pushed the depressing thoughts away and smiled brightly. "Of course you can be! As long as you drink medicine and properly enjoy it then-"

"Ewwww! You enjoy drinking that thing?!" Her face contorted to a funny degree and my smile became a genuine laugh.

"Hahaha! Of course I don't! But you should. I remember when I was a kid..." and I poured stories of how I was unhealthy as a child. It was a lie.

I had never become sick.

Our parents were never truly here and my body survived through thick and thin, as if rebelling to never let those 'parents' be needed to be seen.

"So you should too." I caressed her sunken cheek. "Eva is a good child. That's why I need you to be healthy..."

Damn it. I should stop.

I immediately pulled my hand away as soon as I felt it shaken up.

My 'I will never accept the concept of family' that I've built up in 10 years of solitude was easily shattered as soon as the 4-year old Evangeline was dropped off on my apartment along with living expenses to last for a lifetime.

We were castaways of those fake parents.

This cold-heart that didn't know it was actually lonely had never let go of Eva ever since.

But now, the world was trying to take her away.

"This big sister of yours loves Eva very much so let's both try hard, okay?"

"Yes, Sis. Eva loves sister too."

I won't let it take you away...

...Was what I said but...

"Sister?"

My eyes shot open and my body lurched forward. It felt like a heavy baggage was over me and my breathing was ragged.

Gentle hands started supporting me. When my blurry vision started focusing again, I looked over to who supported me. As I thought it was Hansel that was there.

"Oh dear! What happened to you? You were just spacing out in the middle of the road."

After snapping back to reality to what mother had said, I just laughed awkwardly.

"Ahahaha, did I? Sorry for the trouble. What happened while I was unconscious?"

"Good news! Hansel emitted aura to save you!" Our father jumped in joy.

Oho? Was that what happened?

I patted my brother on the shoulder unconsciously and smiled, "Good job, Hans!"

But Hansel was just standing there, staring at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I grinned at him. "Enough of me though! Did you really emit aura just to save me, brother?"

And fortunately after that, he turned back to his jolly self again.

The whole day consists of the whole family talking about how cool Hansel was, and it was late of me to realize that we were in a small clinic before getting kicked out about the noisy story time we did.

The following week turned into another family event and Hansel had to go back to the empire's capital for his apprenticeship.

"When I get back to the capital, I'll tell them all about how you were the reason why I got my aura out." Hansel announced proudly.

The townsfolk laughed and cheered.

Apparently so, unlike the original Evangeline, Hansel was popular no matter where he went.

He was kind, polite, approachable and friendly.

One thing bothered me about the original Evangeline's memories though.

The incomparable attitude of Eva from before the start and in the beginning of the story was obviously clear.

Of course I could surmise that maybe the real Eva wasn't like the protagonist kind of person as how the story was made out to be.

It was even more so confusing to me, the actual author of the children's novel 'Spring Blossoms in Winter'.

But I couldn't accurately say that things were different in actuality than what I had written in the novel.

Everything was the same, aside from things that I couldn't check out such as the villainess, the male lead, and even the witch empress.

The female lead's brother and parents, the town and its people, even the events that built up to become the foundation of the current to the next emperor.

But why was the female lead so different?

"Eva, I'm going now."

Tsk. I should think about this more deeply when I'm alone.

My foot led me to where Hansel was standing and gave him a light hug. Of course, the siscon wriggled like a worm in delight.

What a creep.

But maybe not unreasonable.

Eva was, according to my memories, originally not as filial as I thought. So maybe this was the honest brother's love being publicly displayed.

I couldn't help but bitterly smile at the excited Hansel.

"Take care of yourself brother. I helped mother make snacks for you so eat well on your journey."

With that, the loud Hansel climbed aboard the carriage and went on his way.

After being left behind within a crowd of people, I definitely felt the shameless staring of the people. Thank goodness there weren't glares but just confused and curious gazes.

Asking and murmuring why I was there or for what special reason I came out of the house.

Even though I wanted to yell 'I came out because I wanted to sweetly say goodbye to my brother', but I stopped myself.

I knew why they're thinking about it.

"I-I'll be going now..." I bowed to them awkwardly.

My sudden action made the atmosphere more awkward and confusing so I just ran back home in a hurry.

"Haa!" 

I jumped in bed, my mind whirling with all these thoughts.

Spring Blossoms in Winter had been a lighthearted children's story— or so I thought.

Evangeline's journey, the rise of the Holy Knight, and the fall of the Witch Empress were simple, fantastical elements I had crafted for young readers.

But now that I was living it, the stakes felt far more real.

First of all, I still don't remember much detail except for the main scenes. I just remembered doing everything in order to fulfill Eva's request.

Evangeline Rullet was a girl who resembled my Evangeline.

She prayed for happiness and freedom from her boring, redundant and exhausting life.

Compared to my Evangeline who actually had a disease and can't even get out of bed sometimes, this story's Evangeline was quirky, naturally spiteful of the world and wandered from places to places.

I made her someone who can easily go out and travel the world as she liked. Now that I'm in her position, it was weird to think about that her parents let her go off all on her own.

Maharlika, the main antagonist, was a witch who had fallen in love with the Crown Prince, Cressand Geshwind. After her home was destroyed in an arson attack, she unleashed her magic in a vengeful rampage, leading to the story's central conflict.

But standing in Evangeline's shoes, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. How was I supposed to play the role of the Holy Knight—the one destined to confront Maharlika? I could barely keep my own life together, let alone save the world.

And then there was Cressand Geshwind. He had fought Maharlika with Evangeline at his side, but wasn't he technically engaged to the witch? The whole thing reeked of drama I wasn't equipped to handle.

"To hell with all this," I muttered, burying my face in my pillow. "I'm no Holy Knight. I'm just Ellen Frias, a writer who didn't think this through."

But whether I liked it or not, this was my reality now.

And if I wanted to survive, I'd have to figure out a way to navigate the story I had created.