【 Chapter 10 】
“You carry a lot of strange things.”
“My sisters and Ramande are such worry dolls….”
But thanks to that, I was able to treat Esadien.
“Come here.”
I quickly poured the potion onto a handkerchief and carefully applied it to Esadien’s wound.
“Ugh.”
“Does it hurt a lot? I’m sorry…..”
It was much more painful for me to see someone who was hurt because of me than I thought.
As the wound healed and the potion dried up, Esadien’s shoulder twitched noticeably.
“I wish you could do it quickly.”
“Ah, yes!”
It seems like it was more painful than just letting it dry on its own. At that moment, when I was about to burst into tears, I could faintly hear a muffled sound coming from beyond the wall.
“I think the knights have arrived!”
After quickly pressing the pager again, I treated Esadien even faster than before.
“Will you roll up your ankles, too?”
“I’ll do it myself.”
“It’s not the time to be shy. You’re not a delicate lady.”
“……”
Without further resistance, Esadien lowered his body and rolled up his pants. Suddenly, I noticed the tips of his ears turning red.
‘Ah, he must be really embarrassed.’
I felt sorry but also found him cute, so I laughed. My heart was pounding and ticklish, but I didn’t think much of it since I sometimes felt that way when I looked at Esadien. I should have stopped there, but I didn’t.
“Minuelle?”
Not only the tip of her ears was turning red, but the corners of Esadien’s eyes also seemed to be slightly raised, as if he was curious about something and was looking at me.
‘Ah…’
What was that?
Thump.
My heart skipped a beat.
“Minuelle.”
“Uh, ah, yes, yes.”
I awkwardly moved like a broken toy and treated all of Esadien’s ankles, wrists, and even the palm cut by the dagger.
‘What’s this? Why does he look even more handsome?’
What’s wrong with me? I barely adapted to the beauty that could destroy the earth, but now it was shining as it could break through the atmosphere and even the sun.
“Come here.”
With the potion bottle in hand, Esadien unconsciously searched for a handkerchief, bringing his hand up to his chest and clicking his tongue.
“It can’t be helped.”
Esadien took some of the remaining potions and put them on my wrist.
“I’m fine…. Ouch.”
“You don’t look good at all.”
My wrist was also bruised from being tied up and blood had formed. The pain suddenly surged so much that it was surprising that I had not been aware of this injury before, but it disappeared under the effect of the potion. Then, Esadien’s hand brushed my cheek.
“Here too.”
“Eh….”
Originally, washing off the dusty wound should come first, but divine power was truly omnipotent. Disinfection and treatment in one go!
I asked while trying to distract myself and endure the stinging pain once again.
“Is that enough?”
“There is one more place.”
Esadien held up a finger that was stained with potion.
“W-where?!”
“Shh.”
I pressed my lips tightly.
‘It got cut while biting the pendant earlier.’
It felt like Esadien’s fingers were stretching time as he applied the potion, those few seconds felt like an hour. My heart pounded loudly in my ears like a hammer. Unable to bear it any longer, I tightly shut my eyes, and at that moment, the door that had been camouflaged like a wall suddenly opened with a loud creak.
“…..!”
“Come over here, Minuelle.”
Esadien pointed his sword at the intruders who had just barged in and motioned for me to stand behind him. The pendant, which had been a short dagger before, had transformed into a long sword in his hand.
‘Are these guys the ones who locked us?’
Three people entered, all dressed in long black cloaks with hoods pulled deeply over their faces.
“Nice atmosphere, isn’t it?”
Moreover, one of them had even worn a plain mask. It was the same person who had just made a sarcastic comment.
“You were dating, weren’t you? While we are struggling outside.”
The criminal got angry at the victim. I ignored the comment.
‘If anyone hears us, they might think we’re the kidnappers, not the victims!’
But unlike me, who stomped in anger, Esadien coldly ignored the nonsense.
“Reveal your identity.”
“Don’t you recognize me?”
“Who hired you?”
“It’s our policy not to disclose information about our clients.”
It was the same dialogue as the assassin who appeared in the Imperial Garden.
‘Are they from the same group?’
The sneering voice of the man in the mask was directed towards me, as if he knew that I was trying to remember anything I could.
“There, little girl with pink hair, don’t roll your eyes. You and that bastard won’t be able to escape from here anyway.”
“…”
“Running away and screaming with your fiancé at this time of day. How romantic. Be grateful.”
It’s a talent to make people feel bad with just a few words.
Naturally, the words that came out of my mouth were not kind either.
“Don’t be mistaken. Is death really the end?”
“What?”
“Can you hide your identities by killing us? Don’t get me wrong. Because the tip of Karinen’s sword has already been pointed.”
“…..”
I gave it my best shot and spoke firmly, but there was no reaction from the other person.
‘Did it not work?’
So other forces were drawn in.
“….The same goes for someone who touched Flendna’s.”
However, it was almost better not to use this move. As soon as I finished speaking, the guy in front of me burst out laughing and started teasing me.
“Hey, you hitter girl. Are you so scared that you have to hide behind your boyfriend and talk shit? Your legs must be shaking!”
‘Wow.’
It’s not that I didn’t want to step forward. It’s just that Esadiene’s grip was too strong for me to break free!
“Karinen’s sword must also have eyes to aim at.”
The masked man’s feet hit the floor.
“There’s gunpowder under here.”
It was like talking about a corpse under a cherry tree.
“It means that both the lady and the knights of the lady’s family will disappear from this place.”
“What?”
My entire body went cold with horror.
It would have been better if only I had died. Even if it was a bit unfair, I could have accepted it as something inevitable.
But Esadien died because of me? What about the knights who just responded to the call?
My fingertips trembled. It was then that Esadien opened his mouth.
“Don’t listen to such a thing.”
“But…..”
“Minuelle, you just have to stay still.”
Before I knew it, the disturbance outside was getting closer.
“It is confirmed that there is an entrance over here!”
‘Our knights!’
It’s working now!
I clasped my hands tightly with relief. But Esadien wasn’t just waiting for the door to open.
Thud!
Outside, the sound of the knights hitting the door was used as a signal for Esadien to draw his sword. However, the masked man was not an easy opponent, and he immediately counterattacked. The sharp sound of metal clashing continued without pause.
‘I hope you don’t get hurt again…..’
I only had one bottle of potion, and I had already used it all up.
As I watched helplessly, I noticed the movements of the people who had been standing like shadows behind the masked man throughout the whole time.
Both of them had pursed lips, but one of them took out a scroll from their pocket while the other was making a strange shape with their hand.
‘Scroll…. Is it a magic scroll?’
“By any chance.”
Did you even expect Esadien to attack?
‘While the masked man is blocking Esadien, the two of you set the fire?’
Fire. As I recalled the pungent smoke smell deeply ingrained in my memory, my legs trembled. Esadien had told me to ignore the threat of him setting fire, but…
‘He’s right. What can I do? I can’t even walk properly.’
Even a small corner of my rationality in my head whispered to me.
‘Just wait until Esadien takes care of it.’
I know. I couldn’t have passed through that intense clash of swords, where sparks fly so fiercely.
But… despite that, I couldn’t give up. It was just too hot, scary, and painful.
Fear weighed me down heavily, but paradoxically, I wanted others not to endure that agony.
The people outside the door had strived to become knights all their lives, unlike me, who had lived a comfortable life as a beloved lady. And Esadien.
“That’s obvious, isn’t it? You don’t want the person you care about to be hurt.”
I flinched and closed my eyes tightly, then opened them again. The masked man’s sword aimed for Esadien’s shoulder. Behind him, flames were rising above the twisted hand of the spellcaster. I leaped away, watching the growing flames.
‘Flendena, or anyone else, give me strength.’
It was clear that adrenaline was pumping through my body in huge amounts. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Even the trajectory of the sword and the growing fireball, which had become the size of a watermelon, headed toward Esadien’s back.
“What kind of reckless thing are you doing to someone who’s not even dressed….!”
I grew a cotton ball to disrupt the masked man’s view and barely blocked the way in front of the fireball. I couldn’t believe it myself.
‘It works?’
I could feel Esadien turning to me in amazement.
“Minu….!”
At the same time, time returned to its original speed and the fireball engulfed me without any changes.
‘I’m really going to burn to death this time.’
A funnily great pain engulfed me as I grabbed the glowing handle.
“…..”
…..it was natural to be overwhelmed by it.
‘What?’
It’s not hot…?
The pain should have been excruciating, but even after a while of staying still, I opened my eyes and there was no sign of any harm. I looked down at my body, but there wasn’t a single charred mark.
Burp―
There was even a burp somewhere.
“Is it a dream?”
I muttered, rubbing my chest absentmindedly, and then turned my gaze to the stunned assassins.
“Or is their magic abnormal?”
“…Minuelle.”
Esadein’s voice was shaking. I continued to babble nonsense in a dazed state.
“Did you hear that? Am I the only one who heard it? Who burped?”
‘Uh-huh?’
My vision blurred. Even though everything was in front of me, I couldn’t believe it. Why was I suddenly vomiting blood?
“Minuelle!”
I was hit by a late wave of the smell of blood, and even as I dropped to my trembling knees, I was utterly bewildered. There had been no warning signs such as fever or stomach churning, it was literally ‘sudden’.
“Ugh, cough.”
As Esadien turned to me, who was still vomiting blood, he fiercely swung his sword at the masked man.
“What kind of curse did you cast?”
“Do you have no eyes? That girl absorbed the fire!”
The masked man gestured to the person holding the scroll without stopping his sword swings. However, Esadien didn’t allow him to use magic again.
Slash!
The sound of the sword piercing through the scroll and the sound of blood dripping was heard shortly. Another layer of fishy smell spread over the room that was already filled with blood.
💧
Thank you for reading!
