Save Me

47. Hungry Gaze.

 

“The monsters are evolving.”

Jillian said nothing to Elizabeth’s report.

If it weren’t for the faint frown between his eyebrows, she might have thought he was a well-made stone statue.

He raised his hand and rested his forehead as if he had a headache, and didn’t move an inch.

“The cleanup was completed last night, so the exact number is not yet known, but we estimate that it is less than half of last year’s wave.”

“The number is half, but it took the same amount of time?”

In the end, it meant that it took twice as long.

None of the captains of each castle was an amateur, and they were all in their twenties and thirties, at the peak of their skills.

What that meant was clear.

“The monsters got stronger?”

There was no other explanation.

“Their attack power has always been overwhelming, so we don’t know. But it seems that their regeneration speed has become faster than before.”

“Their regeneration speed has become faster…..”

“If there are no consecutive attacks occurring at the same time, they will definitely regenerate.”

“I didn’t know”

Elizabeth laughed bitterly at Jillian’s words.

She guessed so.

He was their only frontline fighter, how would he even know?

All of his attacks were effective.

In particular, wounds inflicted by his Aura did not regenerate.

It was because the power to turn things into ‘nothing’ was imbued in it.

So it was only natural that the Duke of Baloch didn’t know how fast they could regenerate.

Elizabeth, who felt the difference clearly, trembled with a slight sense of emptiness.

“Was there get any casualties while cleaning up?”

“No, it’s just that the cleanup time was long. If this guess is correct, then we may need to consider the utility of the Great Demon Dragon weapon.”

They usually used spears and catapults.

The catapults that crushed monsters were effective, but they required using huge rocks that was difficult to move.

And the fact that a rock used once would shatter when it collides with a monster and cannot be used twice was also fatal.

The situation was a little better for large spears, but they were completely useless for thick-skinned Ryu.

Now that their regeneration speed had become faster, the large spear might not be of any use in the future.

“…….”

It was frustrating just to think about it.

Elizabeth really thought that they might end up relying solely on Duke Baloch.

She sighed involuntarily in a deep sense of helplessness.

“Are you scared?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I feel frustrated with my helplessness.”

“Your confidence in being able to compare yourself to a monster is top-notch.”

Although she was serious, Jillian burst into laughter as if he had heard something funny.

His long, deep eyes folded softly, and a charming smile appeared on his face that usually had no expression.

It was an unfamiliar sight to Elizabeth, who had only seen him swing his sword mercilessly with his eyes downcast.

“Don’t worry. Soon, you will no longer have to suffer from monsters.”

“What do you mean? We will have to work harder from now on.”

Jillian didn’t answer those words.

“Let’s stop here for now and meet again in the evening. I’ve already received a letter saying that everyone is meeting this evening to come up with a plan to deal with the ‘changed’ water, as sirs call it.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“We are just about to renovate the castle, so we can discuss that as well.”

Jillian gestured for her to leave after he finished speaking.

His silver hair, which was rustling, was as bright as a light-filled eyecup, so Elizabeth had to hurriedly look down.

Its shine was so strong, as if it was piercing her eyes.

She saluted hurriedly and went out.

While closing the door, Elizabeth unexpectedly bumped into someone.

“Ouch!”

“Oh no!”

She thought her shoulder was hit, but something fell over, so Elizabeth immediately reached out and grabbed it.

A thin, soft arm was caught in her hand.

Then a soft voice echoed.

“Thank you.”

Elizabeth frowned at the words of the beauty who had caught her attention.

It was the duchess.

The princess of Termina she had only heard of.

Bianca Termina.

Although she had never seen the princess and did not know her, Elizabeth could recognize her right away.

It seemed that the rumor that she was the most beautiful in the empire was not an exaggeration.

Elizabeth had never thought that she would see a beauty at the same level as Jillian Baloch again.

Her small face, which could fit in one hand, had tightly packed features.

Her high nose, her moderately plump cheeks.

Her slender jawline, and her red, plump lips….

There was nothing that was not beautiful.

However, what caught Elizabeth’s gaze were her large, transparent blue eyes.

It was the most common color in the Northern Territory, so she had never thought of it as being particularly special.

However, the princess’s eyes were different.

Wouldn’t a deep, large lake with a clean bottom feel like this?

Elizabeth, who was staring at them as if in a trance, woke up after hearing the soft voice.

“Thank you.”

Oh my.

Only then did Elizabeth realize that she was still holding onto the princess.

The thought of acting like an idiot made her neck turn bright red.

Whoosh, she could feel the rising heat.

“Thanks to you, I didn’t fall.”

“No. I should have been more careful.”

“I didn’t know there was a guest.”

Her gentle tone and lovely voice had the power to make the listener pay close attention.

It was unpleasant in many ways.

“Excuse me.”

Elizabeth released the hand she had been holding and nodded.

She thought she held it was only for a moment, but her wrist, visible through the sleeve, was stained red.

“…….”

“I’m fine, Sir.”

As if she knew where Elizabeth’s gaze landed, she assured her with kind words.

It wasn’t flirting words or a fake smile.

It was just an honest thank you and a clearly sociable smile, but it made the receiver feel good.

It was hard for Elizabeth to be in this position.

She just thought she couldn’t stay any longer.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”

Someone ran next to her as she quickly turned around and walked away.

“Julie, I told you not to run.”

“But the lady is waiting.”

She heard someone talking behind her, but Elizabeth didn’t look back.

It was funny, but after meeting the princess, Elizabeth completely understood why her visit had been rejected the night before.

Indeed, a beauty like that would have dazzled even Jillian Baloch.

“Ha..”

Elizabeth suddenly stopped walking and let out a heavy sigh.

After understanding the duke’s feelings, what came after was fierce anger.

Would such a pretty duchess be able to live in Baloch territory?

“If not Elizabeth, who else could become a duchess?”

It was a sentence she heard while drinking the other day.

As a ‘knight’ from a prestigious family from the northern territory, people were talking about her as the next ‘duchess’ who had graduated from the academy with excellent grades and returned as a proud knight of Baloch.

It was something she had heard over and over again since she had emerged as a knight.

It wasn’t something she had expected, but she didn’t hate it either.

Elizabeth was proud of Baloch territory where she was born and raised.

She loved and cherished this place more than anyone else and longed to protect it with her own hands.

Maybe she could do so more efficiently if she became a public official’s wife?

That’s how it started. However, it became a strong desire when the previous duke died and the young duke, ‘Jillian Baloch’, was fully revealed to the world.

She thought he would resemble Silas Baloch and be handsome, but Jillian Baloch was even more than that.

Elizabeth fell in love with him at first sight and wished to be his wife.

However, after Jillian Baloch inherited the dukedom, he went straight to the capital and brought a bride. Leaving behind Elizabeth, who was supposed to be the duchess.

He didn’t choose Elizabeth Swann, whom all the people of the territory unanimously said would naturally become the duchess.

But the princess who was born by killing the empress.

Living up to her reputation as the most beautiful woman in the empire, she was so lovely and pretty that it made her mind turn green at first sight.

It was understandable for Jillian Baloch to be moved by someone like that. It was also understandable that the man who had never shown a proper expression accepted the offer of marriage from the emperor who had killed the previous duke.

But that was why she was angry.

He had been bewitched by a weak woman who did not fit this northern territory and who had only a pretty face.

Elizabeth’s eyes grew fierce.

The hand that had been wrapped around the princess’s wrist was suddenly shut tightly with a firm sound.

 

***

 

“Let’s have a cup of tea.”

Bianca, who had entered the office, grabbed Jillian without thinking.

After seeing Jillian’s face, which had been so pale, Bianca realized that he had been treating himself very harshly.

Come to think about it, his sleeping and eating were Bianca’s own responsibility.

But since she had been seriously ill from the moment she arrived at the castle, they had never even thought about ‘sleeping together’, and before she knew it, they were actually strangers, not a couple.

After that, she got a proposal from him, so it became strange to share a bedroom with him, so they started living apart.

Whether she closed her eyes or opened them, Jillian was always doing something.

Sometimes he was in a meeting, sometimes he was on a campaign, and sometimes he was hunting.

She never heard of him sleeping or even eating.

Looking back, she remembered eating with him once, but she was the one who ate and drank, and Bianca couldn’t remember Jillian eating.

If he didn’t eat or sleep properly, how could his body endure it?

Bianca had been abused for a long time, and she instinctively learned that she had to take care of her body.

Even though she was mistreated, Bianca never thought of dying.

There were days when she felt wronged and sad, but even on those days, Bianca never thought of dying.

Even on the day she went to meet Jillian, she was afraid that she would die.

Bianca desperately wanted to live every moment.

But, did Jillian have no obsession with life?

Now that she thought about it, he was really reckless.

Was he so indifferent because he had abilities far beyond humans, or did he think that such trivial things could not harm him?

She didn’t know anything, but one thing was clear.

Bianca wanted to live.

Now happily.

With him.

So he had to take a break.

And if he didn’t do it himself, Bianca

planned to take care of him personally.

Now she had finally realized that she was loved, that she wanted to love…

She didn’t want to let it go.

Bianca grabbed the man’s hands with both of hers, shaking them violently.

“…….”

The man who had been watching this quietly twisted his hand slightly and tangled their fingers.

His long, straight fingers emerged through the gap between hers.

And then he held it tightly.

Without allowing it to move an inch.

“As you wish.”

Her heart fluttered for no reason at the trivial words.

His face, smiling brightly, was truly dazzling.

It was a really wonderful sight, but at that moment, he looked so hungry that Bianca flinched without realizing it.

The golden eyes shone like an animal longing for food.