Chapter 45 We Need To Talk
He even forgot to wet himself before jumping into the fire, and his dry clothes caught on fire.
“What! Are you crazy?”
But he didn’t even seem to notice that his clothes were on fire.
The man, his face contorted with anger, horror, and worry, strode straight toward her.
“Delphine. Where are you hurt, are you burned?”
He grabbed both of her arms and frantically examined her.
But Delphine fiercely pulled her arms out of his grasp and cried out.
“Put out the fire, you idiot!”
When Delphine tried to extinguish it with her own hand, he slapped the flame on his thigh with his large hand as if it was a nuisance.
But his gaze remained fixed on Delphine.
“Delphine. Are you hurt? How in the world could you take your eyes off me for just a moment and…!”
For a moment, he was about to scream in anger, but then he squeezed his eyes shut.
Then he slipped his hand under her calf and scooped her up in one swift motion.
Delphine jerked away and called out quickly.
“Wait. I can walk by myself! I’d rather have Countess Megan…”
He lifted Countess Megan’s limp form in his other arm as casually as if she were a sack of cloth.
Then he began to run at a brisk pace toward the other side of the hallway, where the fire hadn’t yet spread too far.
His speed was incredible for someone carrying two people.
Soon, the entrance to the theater was in sight.
“People! People are out! There must be someone still inside!”
Outside the building, a few people had gathered to watch the rising black smoke.
“Oh, what is going on, are you okay?”
“The topical fire brigade will be here soon, but how did it catch fire?”
More people crowded toward them, their faces a mixture of curiosity and concern.
“Get out of the way.”
Then Ioannes growled in a low voice.
The eerie momentum caused them to flinch and step back in unison.
He set Countess Megan down in the middle of the crowd without a care.
Delphine, seeing this, struggled to free herself from his arms once more.
“I’m fine! I’d rather have Countess Megan…”
“Shut up now. Damn it. The carriage is slow. Somebody get a horse!”
Someone nearby, pressed by her furious momentum, quickly held out the reins.
He scooped her up in one arm and leapt onto the horse.
Then, holding the reins with one hand, he began to drive the horse with dexterity and speed.
It was nighttime, but he sped through the city.
She wanted to say that it was dangerous, but she couldn’t for fear of biting her tongue.
Instead, she pressed herself a little tighter against his steel body.
Unlike her, Ioannes seemed to know how to speak without biting his tongue, or even atop a galloping horse.
She could hear his muttering overhead, mingled with the wind whistling in her ears.
“Why can’t I know in advance…? Damn it. You talk so slow.”
She wonders what he means.
‘How did he show up at that moment?’
How does he know she’s there?
Now it was clear to Delphine, too.
Whenever she was in danger, he always showed up.
‘But how could he…’
She wondered if Ioannes was using the mysterious black crystal, too.
The image of him leaping toward her through the flames was almost too much to bear.
“You’ve inhaled a lot of smoke.”
She wondered if he had even noticed her state of mind as she lay there in his arms.
Ioannes’s voice was low.
“You need medical attention.”
No, no.
Delphine thought desperately, trying to find the words to say.
She needs to talk to him.
That’s all she wants from him.
But it was the last thing she thought.
On top of that frantic horse, unbelievably, Delphine had fallen asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in her bed in the manor.
***
“Ah. I see you’re finally awake, My Lady.”
The old doctor sitting at her bedside was pleased to see her awake.
She was familiar with the doctor from her last fever.
“Where are we…, the manor? I was just on the horse.”
Delphine mumbled, confused by the situation.
“How long have I been out of it?”
“According to what your husband told me when he examined you, about half an hour.”
The manor is in the District 1.
‘No matter how fast a horse can run, it’s still an hour from the theater. How did you get there in half an hour?’
And how did she fall asleep on top of a horse going so fast…?
“The lady seems to have received a slight shock, but there’s nothing wrong with your body, so you shouldn’t worry too much.”
The old doctor looked at her and said cautiously.
“More than that, My Lady. Your husband’s burns are very serious.”
“Burns…”
Delphine remembered the fire on his thigh.
It was obvious he’d been badly scarred.
“It’s quite large and will require careful attention, and there will be some scarring.”
With that, the doctor pulled out a large vial of ointment from his medical bag.
“Please apply this to Lord Pride.”
“Why do you give it to me…?”
Instead of handing it to him directly?
Delphine asked awkwardly, and the old doctor shook his head in annoyance.
“Because the Marquis doesn’t care about his own wounds, and I don’t think… I think it would be good for you to take care of it.”
The ointment is to be applied twice daily, morning and evening.
Keep water away from the burns as much as possible.
After explaining in a calm tone, the old doctor handed her the ointment.
Delphine accepted the ointment with some trepidation.
Should she apply this directly to his wound?
Like she had done to the wound on his back as a child?
Just then, a small knock on the door swung open.
Ioannes, looking terribly worried, bustled toward her.
“You’re awake, My Lady, are you feeling alright?”
“Humph. Then this old man will take his leave.”
The old doctor stepped out of the room, leaving the couple alone.
Without giving the doctor a second glance, Ioannes insistently asked again.
“My Lady, are you all right? The doctor says there’s nothing wrong with you.”
“…”
Delphine didn’t answer, her eyes darting to the bandages on his thigh.
She remembered him calling out to her in the theater just moments ago.
How he’d thrown himself unhesitatingly into the roaring crimson flames.
Could he really be connected to these strange murders? Really?
Nicolai, who possessed the black crystal, could manipulate fire at will.
If Ioannes had the crystal, wouldn’t he be able to extinguish fire just as freely as the man?
… In fact, if he had only become a Marquis by other, more mundane and moral means.
To suspect an innocent man who kept defending himself, and then got hurt so badly…
‘No, don’t do this. Take heart, Delphine Pembroke.’
Delphine tore her eyes away from his wounds with difficulty and muttered softly.
“… I’m fine.”
The mysterious violinist was captured alive.
According to Lynn’s words, she would be able to get a lot of information out of him.
What the Black Crystal was, and who it was connected to in the Empire.
How it could wield such magical powers without a formula.
Until then…
‘You shouldn’t feel this way about him.’
“My Lady? But you look a little uncomfortable…”
“I’m fine.”
Delphine cut off his concern savagely.
“I’m really fine, so don’t worry about your…”
Worry more about your burns.
Delphine swallowed hard, barely able to contain herself.
“You look… tired.”
At that, Ioannes’s expression softened.
Partly because he’d seen for himself that she was fine, and partly because he was slightly hurt by her reaction.
The latter thought made Delphine’s heart ache even more than it had earlier.
Nevertheless, Delphine’s gaze remained fixed on the white futon until the end.
He was afraid that if she looked up, he would see the bandages on his leg.
Or, more accurately, he was afraid of how she would shake at the sight of it.
“Then rest, My Lady.”
There was the sound of a man’s voice, followed by the sound of footsteps, then the sound of a door closing.
But for a long time afterward, Delphine sat so helplessly, unable to raise her bowed head.
***
It was exactly a week after that when he heard from La Luz.
Getting out of the manor was much easier than the last time.
Lynn, who had sneaked into the manor, had used his magic to create a doll that looked exactly like her.
It was flawed by an overly expressionless face, but it didn’t seem to mind being left to read wordlessly in the study.
“Let’s go.”
Lynn held out the hand that held the phosium to her.
Why did it feel like something he would do to a close friend, even if it was just to recharge her batteries?
Perhaps it’s because she’s so alone and confused right now.
Delphine thought bitterly and took the hand of him.
At his touch, the faintly glowing phosphorus once again filled with a five-color glow.
At the same time, Lynn muttered something inaudible, and soon a bright light enveloped their bodies.
Delphine squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she felt an unfamiliar tug near her navel.
The strange sensation quickly faded.
Delphine slowly opened her closed eyes.
She was somewhere in District 3, with the gray barrier in the distance.
She had made it out of the manor. It was that simple.
As Delphine stared at the wall in the distance, she slowly opened her mouth.
“… That day, in your body.”
