“Episode 10”
“Still, it’s good to be back. Well done. Well done. Here, the piece is embedded, isn’t it? Does it still hurt?”
Aris’s eyes widened. “Can you see the shard on my neck? It’s shining… a small piece!”
It had only been visible to Aris’s eyes until now.
“Ah, my given gift is well preserved.”
“What… what is this shard? And how…?”
“Well done. Excellent. Pity. Ah… yes. It’s a bloodstone. That’s what they call it. A dragon gave it to me. It has mystical powers, transcending human understanding…”
“No, grandmother. That’s not it. Do you know about what I’ve experienced?”
Aris pressed anxiously.
“Do you see this shining piece?”
Still, Sophia remained silent for a while. She continued to stroke Aris’s neck where the shard had been embedded, but said nothing.
“This bloodstone… it’s calling you. To someone with a similar fate.”
“Calling me? Where to? Grandmother, do you know about my future?”
“I see only you’re different in this world.”
Sophia’s gaze began to fade.
“Follow the black beast.”
“What? What does that mean…?”
“This time, be sure to find the meaning of living, dear.”
Sophia strained to speak, looking at Aris.
“Don’t be hurt, find a reason this time that doesn’t involve tearing apart those harsh wounds.”
After these difficult words, Sophia closed her eyes again. Though her breathing remained steady, she didn’t wake up even when called. Aris called for a physician, but they said there was nothing they could do, as it was a common symptom.
“Meaning…?”
Indeed, did Sophia’s words have any meaning? While others said Sophia’s mind was muddled due to her age, there were too many things bothering Aris to just brush it aside.
“My wound was touched where she pointed. Perhaps the shard is something Sophia can see in this world and in the realm beyond.”
“But dragons and black beasts…”
Aris shook her head weakly. Such stories felt too distant.
“What could be a way to avoid the Queen Consort selection?”
A sense of despair enveloped Aris, like a huge wall had been erected in front of her.
—
Ricard frowned, and the scars on his cheek moved along with his expression, emitting a chilly aura.
“She’s not here?”
“No platinum-haired young lady in her twenties around here.”
Dmitri reported with a dark expression.
“I saw and touched her myself. How can she not be here? Her manner of speaking was clearly that of a noblewoman.”
“We’ve searched everywhere. Even consulted government officials, but there’s no trace of any lady of such high status…”
“I saw her too.”
Ricard insisted, unusually fixated. To him, it was a fragile hope. If he didn’t confirm this coincidence, he felt he would regret it for the rest of his life.
“Check again. There’s no way!”
Thump! Ricard’s fist hit the table forcefully. Then, unexpectedly, a thud was heard from an unlikely place as the door opened.
“What’s all this commotion? Why are you bullying our cute Dmitri?”
Dmitri broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of Loxanne. He was more afraid of her than Ricard, for some reason.
“No, madam, nothing.”
“I don’t care.”
When Ricard hesitated and frowned, Loxanne also sensed something amiss and stifled a laugh.
“At the tea party. I mentioned it.”
“Which tea party… Wait, that lady. Who is she?”
“She’s not just a lady.”
Ricard’s eyebrows furrowed.
“She’s the princess of the Leon Kingdom. The renowned beauty of the continent.”
Finally, the two men realized why they couldn’t find the platinum-haired lady. She wasn’t just a lady, but a princess. It was a truly simple misunderstanding.
“Where is she now?”
“She’s staying at the Parrel ducal residence, but unfortunately, she’s leaving soon. May I have the obsidian then?”
“Yes.”
Ricard nodded immediately.
“But I’ll deliver it myself.”
“Why is the story unfolding like this?”
“Because I was looking for that lady, not the princess.”
This time, Loxanne’s eyebrows furrowed.
“It’s not certain, but coincidentally, his Highness had contact with the lady… and nothing happened.”
Dmitri explained in between.
“Contact? What did you do to the princess?”
“It’s not that, but his Highness helped her at the masquerade ball, and later found out she lost her glove.”
Upon hearing this, even Loxanne stiffened.
“Surely, it must have been a mistake.”
“It wasn’t a mistake.”
“But she seemed perfectly fine. I met her just a while ago.”
Then Ricard’s dark eyes gleamed.
“The possibility has increased.”
Even if the reaction to the venom was delayed, by now she would have fallen ill. But since she had conversed with Loxanne, his suspicions were nearly solidified.
“I’ll head to the Parrel ducal estate right away.”
“It’s too late for this time of day. We’re not in the North anymore.”
But by the time Loxanne finished speaking, Ricard was already out of sight.
“…I can’t live like this.”
Loxanne shrugged helplessly.
Aris was trying to make sense of her grandmother’s words but found herself at a loss. Once again, she felt restless at the thought of returning to the palace soon.
“My chest feels tight.”
With a sigh, Aris, still wrapped in a blanket, stepped onto the balcony. Though the night breeze was refreshing, her worries remained. Her face, filled with sorrow, was bathed in moonlight. And it wasn’t just the moon that was watching her.
“Why do you have such a sorrowful expression?”
A low voice echoed from the large tree by the window.
Was it the sound of the wind? Aris doubted her ears, but when she looked around, she saw a hooded man on the tree.
“How did you get onto the tree?”
“I’m not a suspicious person. Of course, I have no intention of harming the princess. Under the cover of darkness, I easily climbed the tree, bypassing the security of the Parrel ducal estate.”
The man’s words were absurd.
“I won’t bring sadness to that beautiful face.”
At first, he just wanted to check if she was unharmed. Indeed, Aris was unscathed even after encountering Ricard. But that was just her body; her eyes, filled with sorrow, were the true concern. It was unintentional that Ricard initiated a conversation.
“And I’ll make you happier than anyone else.”
His true feelings kept slipping out uncontrollably. Under the faint moonlight, it was difficult to hide his emotions when he saw Aris’s sad eyes.
“Who are you to do such a thing?”
Due to Ricard’s confident demeanor, Aris only realized a moment later that she needed to be cautious. Seeing Aris glaring at him with suspicion, Ricard also belatedly realized his mistake.
“Hiding in the tree without revealing your identity…”
“I am Ricard, Duke of Albertus.”
Ricard quickly added, sensing the need to clarify.
“I did not come here with ill intentions.”
Under the hood, his black eyes shone brightly.
“However, I apologize for my rudeness in my haste.”
Aris raised an eyebrow at his words. If he had malicious intent, it would have been the perfect opportunity to harm her, yet he seemed to have no intention of doing so.
“Do you expect me to believe the words of someone who intruded without permission?”
Aris stared him down.
Oh, so sweet! He is impatient indeed!❤️🔥