<Episode 32>
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Huuuung…!”
Abelard hugged Eveline tightly and began to cry uncontrollably. Even as he channeled his divine power to her, he couldn’t stop his tears.
Eveline felt a bit embarrassed by his childlike crying and clinging.
“Brother.”
“Hicc… Uhhh…! You, you… Ugh…!”
“It’s better if you don’t talk. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
Seeing that he was crying out of worry for her, Eveline no longer felt like pushing him away.
She patted his back, and gradually, his sobs began to subside.
“Hic, ugh…”
As she comforted Abelard, Eveline met Elkais’s eyes. He also looked a bit worn out. She silently gazed at him.
Elkais sighed softly before speaking.
“We need to go now. The sun will set soon.”
“Brother.”
“Ugh, yes…”
Abelard sniffled and then let her go at her call.
“Get on my back.”
“I can walk on my own.”
“No, Eve. It’s better if you get on his back.”
With Abelard’s support, Eveline couldn’t refuse when Elkais turned around, ready for her to climb on.
Resigned, she sighed and wrapped her arms around Elkais’s neck, letting him carry her.
He started moving quickly with her on his back.
Rumble!
“It’s alright, Eveline.”
Elkais reassured her, thinking she was afraid of the thunder.
Thunder rumbled, indicating that rain was imminent.
“Where is Grand Duke Cropus?”
“The Grand Duke Cropus is at the cabin.”
“Eve, are you alright?”
Eveline no longer found Abelard’s constant questions about her well-being annoying. Instead, she realized he was asking out of anxiety and wanted to reassure him with a firm and calming voice.
“Brother, I’m really fine now. I’m all healed, and although there’s blood on my clothes, I’m truly okay. I can walk without being carried.”
“Okay.”
He replied, but his voice trembled, indicating he was still on the verge of tears.
“Eve, I was so scared.”
“I can tell.”
“I was really, really scared.”
“I’m fine now.”
Abelard walked while looking into her eyes.
“Watch where you’re going!”
“Oh.”
Realizing he almost walked into a tree, he took a deep breath and started looking ahead again.
“Hehe.”
He laughed through his tears, feeling reassured by Eveline’s concern. His vulnerable state brought her a sense of relief.
“Your Grace Elkais.”
“Just Elkais, no honorifics.”
“Elkais.”
“Alright.”
Elkais started walking again at a brisk pace.
The sky looked ominous. The dark clouds were so thick that lightning could be seen flashing in the distance.
“It looks like it’s going to pour,”
“It seems so.”
He spoke calmly, but in reality, his heart was pounding so hard that it was difficult to think straight.
He believed that the emotions he felt for Eveline were just camaraderie.
Sometimes he harbored foolish thoughts because of the Omega pheromones she emitted.
But he convinced himself that feelings caused by pheromones were not genuine, and that his current shock was due to the pheromones.
Seeing her injured had definitely made his heart sink.
The image of her lying there, covered in blood, seemed to be etched into his eyelids.
Her clothes were torn in multiple places, and the smell of blood was thick. Even now, the scent of blood clinging to her clothes mixed with the pheromones made it hard for him to stay focused.
Despite this, he felt strangely uneasy because she insisted she was fine.
“So, how did you fall?”
Eveline didn’t know how to answer that question.
She considered telling them that Grand Duke Rubellite Croppers had pushed her, but she swallowed her words.
Rubellite said he wanted to have both of them.
In reality, Eveline didn’t need either of them.
Besides, could she really have become an Omega? If that were true, their actions would make sense.
But she had lived a long time as a Beta, enduring a lot of disdain.
And now suddenly, she was an Omega, one of the few Royal grades in the empire.
It was hard to believe. And the person who told her this was the same Grand Duke Cropus who had pushed her off the cliff.
It was hard to trust his words.
“By accident.”
She realized she didn’t have her gun and didn’t tell the truth.
“Did you see a gun where I fell?”
“Yeah, you mean that silver one?”
“Yes.”
“It wasn’t there.”
It seemed she had lost it during the fall.
Eveline felt uneasy without the gun. Without a weapon to protect herself, she felt like a knight disarmed in the enemy’s midst.
The gun would come back to her eventually.
“Take good care of yourself while I can’t help you.”
The red notes that had appeared during that time.
It seemed that the red-haired man was helping her.
But what were these rules he mentioned?
Eveline was too exhausted to think clearly. Her body was undoubtedly healed, but she felt a bit worn out from the mental strain.
So she would have to wait until the red-haired man could help her again.
She had received help every time she got a red note, so she should be careful until she gets another one.
“I’ll come by tomorrow.”
“Let’s go together tomorrow.”
“I’m coming too.”
“…Alright.”
Eveline sighed softly and relaxed on Elkais’s back.
She had already relaxed quite a bit because of Abelard, and now her body felt limp.
“Elkais, brother.”
“Hmm?”
“What is it?”
“Thank you for coming to save me.”
With those words, the three of them fell silent and hurried towards the cabin.
None of them knew what else to say.
* * *
“Ah, you’re back?”
Swoosh.
It was just in time. As soon as the three of them arrived at the cabin, it started to rain.
“Grand Duke Cropus.”
Eveline got off Elkais’s back and glared at him. Grand Duke Rubellite Croppers smirked at her.
“Didn’t I tell you to be careful?”
At that moment, a foul smell like rotting fish began to emanate from him, as if he were using pheromones.
“Ugh…! Can you stop that?”
Abelard yelled, covering his nose. He seemed genuinely nauseated by the pheromones emanating from him.
“What can I do if I can’t control it?”
Eveline glanced at Elkais. His cheeks were flushed, possibly affected by the pheromones.
Eveline sighed and held back her words.
It seemed better to leave while all three were off guard, even though she was still bitter about being injured after falling from the cliff.
<Remember, only one person can leave that island alive.>
Until she fully understood the meaning of those words, it was better to keep her distance from them.
Eveline thought this as she sat in the corner.
“This is all we have for dinner today.”
Avoiding Eveline’s gaze, Rubellite placed a coconut on the floor, taken from the burnt-marked table.
“How about we roast the flesh?”
“…Sure.”
Elkais glanced at Eveline. He hoped she would eat something and regain her strength, so he agreed.
Elkais was still worried about her condition. The rain had prevented her from washing, making it worse. There were still patches of blood stuck to her body.
The drinking water was too scarce to use for washing, and it was impossible to go outside in the rain.
“Elkais.”
“Yes.”
“Is there a bathroom here by any chance?”
“I think there was one in the attic upstairs, but it was almost destroyed by lightning.”
Elkais remembered fixing the roof and said so.
The ceiling had been patched with tightly woven banana leaves. While it wouldn’t leak, it would need regular replacement.
“I see.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m just… a bit tired.”
“Then sleep in my arms, Eve. Here.”
Abelard, sitting next to her, spread his arms wide, trying to hug her. Eveline reflexively pushed him away.
“Brother, you’re making me more tired.”
“Hehe.”
He laughed, relieved that her attitude had returned to normal, and met her eyes.
Eveline avoided his gaze and saw Elkais heading to the fireplace with a furry coconut.
“I need to light a fire first.”
As the rain fell and the temperature dropped, it started to get colder.
Although Eveline’s body had healed, she felt her temperature drop quickly, likely due to the significant blood loss.
“Eve.”
“Yes.”
“I’m scared of you getting hurt. Don’t get hurt.”
He pulled a blood-clotted strand of hair from her face and sat close to her.
“You should be the one to be careful, brother.”
“Are you worried about me? That makes me so happy.”
Abelard, smiling brightly, tried to lean on her shoulder but hesitated, worried she might still be in pain. Eveline got up and moved next to Elkais.
“It’s unfortunate we only have one knife.”
Elkais said as he skillfully prepared to cut the coconut with a combat knife.
“You should use the sword, Eveline.”
“Alright.”
Realizing Elkais knew how to use swordsmanship, she took the knife he handed her.
She was about to cut the coconut, placing a bowl underneath as he had intended, when…
“But how is the Lady still alive?”
Rubellite sneered.
