He even seemed to forget that he should wet his body with water before jumping into the fire, as his dry clothes were also on fire.

“What! Are you crazy?”

However, he didn’t seem to notice that his own clothes were on fire.

With his face hardened by anger, shock, and worry, the man immediately approached her.

“Delphine. Where are you hurt? Did you get burned?”

He grabbed both her arms and frantically examined her body.

But Delphine pulled her arms out of his grip and shouted loudly.

“Put out the fire first! You fool!”

When Delphine tried to put it out with her own hands, he finally patted out the fire on his thigh with his large hand as if it were a nuisance.

However, his gaze was still fixed only on Delphine.

“Delphine. Are you hurt? How could you, as soon as I take my eyes off you for a moment…!”

For a moment, he closed his eyes tightly, about to shout in a fit of passion.

Then he put his hand under her calf and lifted her up with one arm.

Delphine struggled and quickly exclaimed.

“Wait. I can walk on my own! More importantly, Mrs. Megan…”

Only then did he carelessly lift Mrs. Megan, who was limp in his other arm, as if carrying a sack.

And then he started running at a fast pace towards the opposite side of the corridor where the fire had not yet spread greatly.

It was an incredible speed that was hard to believe considering he was carrying two people.

Soon, the entrance to the theater came into view.

“It’s people! People have come out! Looks like there was still someone inside!”

Outside the building, several people had gathered to watch the rising black smoke.

“Oh my, what on earth happened? Are you alright?”

“The fire brigade will be here soon! But how did the fire start?”

People flocked towards them with faces mixed with curiosity and concern.

“Get out of the way.”

Then Ioan growled in a low voice.

At that terrifying aura, people flinched and retreated all at once.

He carelessly put Mrs. Megan down among the people.

Seeing this, Delphine struggled once more to break free from his arms.

“I’m fine, I tell you! More importantly, Mrs. Megan…”

“Be quiet now. Damn it. The carriage is too slow. Someone bring a horse!”

Overwhelmed by that fierce aura, someone nearby quickly held out a horse’s reins.

He jumped onto the horse while holding her with one arm.

Then, with one hand holding the reins, he began to ride the horse quickly with remarkable skill.

Even though it was night, to ride at such speed in the city.

She wanted to say it was dangerous, but she couldn’t open her mouth for fear of biting her tongue.

Instead, she pressed her body a little closer to his steel-like body.

Unlike her, Ioan seemed to know how to speak without biting his tongue even on a running horse.

His mumbling mixed with the buzzing wind sound was heard above her head.

“Why can’t I know in advance…? Damn it. Even the horse is too slow.”

What could that possibly mean?

‘How did he appear at that moment?’

How did he know I was there?

Now Delphine could clearly understand as well.

He always appears whenever she is in danger.

‘But how exactly…’

Does Ioan also use that inexplicable black crystal?

And his figure jumping towards her through the flames.

Recalling that scene, her mind and heart became unbearably complicated.

“You inhaled a lot of smoke.”

Was he able to notice her state even though she was just silently nestled in his arms?

Ioan murmured softly.

“You need treatment.”

No, no.

Delphine desperately thought the words she couldn’t utter.

I need to talk with you.

That’s all I want from you.

But that was her last thought.

Incredibly, on that madly galloping horse, Delphine fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a bed in the mansion.

“Ah. The lady has finally opened her eyes.”

The elderly doctor sitting by the bedside brightened up upon seeing her awake.

He was familiar to her, as she had seen him when she had a fever last time.

“This is… the mansion? I was just on a horse.”

Delphine muttered with a confused face, unable to grasp the situation.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“According to what your husband told me during the examination, it was about half a shi-jin.”

The mansion is in District 1.

‘Even riding a horse as fast as possible, it would take at least one shi-jin from the theater. How did we get here in half a shi-jin?’

Moreover, that she fell asleep on a horse running so madly…?

“My lady seems to have received a mild shock, but there’s no major problem with your body, so you needn’t worry too much.”

The elderly doctor, observing her, carefully continued.

“Um. More than that, my lady. Your husband’s burns are very serious.”

“Burns…”

Delphine recalled the fire that had been on his thigh.

It was obvious that he must have suffered severe injuries.

“The affected area is quite large, so it needs attention. There will likely be some scarring as well.”

Having said that, the doctor took out a large ointment jar from his medical bag.

“Have Lord Pryde apply this.”

“Why… to me?”

Why not give it to him directly?

When Delphine asked awkwardly, the elderly doctor shook his head as if appalled and replied.

“The Duke doesn’t seem to care about his own injuries at all… It would be good if you could take care of it, my lady.”

Apply the ointment twice a day, morning and evening.

Try to keep water away from the burn area as much as possible.

The elderly doctor explained in a calm tone, then handed over the ointment.

Delphine received the ointment with somewhat mixed feelings.

Does this mean she has to apply it directly to his wounds?

‘Like I did to the wounds on his back when we were young?’

At that moment, with a small knock, the door burst open.

Ioan, with a very worried expression, strode towards her in one breath.

“You’re awake, my lady. Are you alright?”

“Ahem. Then this old man will take his leave.”

The elderly doctor tactfully withdrew, leaving only the couple in the chamber.

Without even glancing at the doctor, Ioan persistently asked again.

“My lady. You’re alright, aren’t you? According to the doctor, there’s no problem at all.”

“…”

Delphine silently stared at the bandage wrapped around his thigh.

She recalled his figure desperately calling for her at the theater just moments ago.

And his figure throwing himself into the blazing red flames without hesitation.

Could such a man really be involved in those suspicious murder cases? Really?

Nicolai, who possessed the black crystal, could manipulate fire at will.

If Ioan also had that crystal, wouldn’t he have extinguished the fire freely like that man?

…In fact, if he had simply become a duke through some more ordinary and moral method.

If she was suspecting him, an innocent man who kept protecting her and even got so severely injured in the process…

‘No, don’t do this. Steel your heart, Delphine Pembrook.’

Delphine painfully turned her eyes away from his wound and muttered softly.

“…I’m fine.”

They had captured that suspicious violinist.

According to Lin, they could get various information from him.

What exactly the black crystal was, and who in the empire it was related to.

How it could exert such magical power without a magic formula.

Until then…

‘I shouldn’t feel this way about him.’

“My lady? But your expression seems somewhat uncomfortable…”

“I said I’m fine.”

Delphine curtly cut off his concern.

“I’m really fine, so don’t worry about me and your…”

Take care of your burn.

Delphine barely swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to utter and firmly closed her mouth.

“…You seem tired.”

Ioan’s expression then became quite calm.

It seemed partly because he had directly confirmed that she was alright, and partly because he might have been slightly hurt by her response.

Thinking of the latter case made Delphine’s chest, which had been aching since earlier, hurt even more.

Nevertheless, Delphine didn’t raise her gaze fixed on the white bedcover until the end.

She was afraid of meeting his bandaged leg if she raised her eyes.

More precisely, she was afraid of her own wavering at the sight of that wound.

“Then rest, my lady.”

A soft voice, the sound of footsteps moving away, and then the sound of the door closing were heard in succession.

But even after that, for a long time, Delphine sat there weakly, unable to raise her lowered head.

The radio call from La Rouge came exactly a week after that.

Sneaking out of the mansion was much easier than last time.

This was because Lin, who had secretly infiltrated the mansion, created a doll that looked exactly like her with mysterious magic.

Although it was a flaw that its expression was too blank, it seemed unlikely to be discovered if they just had it silently read books in the study.

“Shall we go?”

Lin held out her hand holding the possum to her.

Although it was just for charging, why did it feel like an action towards an intimate friend?

That’s probably because she was in such a lonely and confused situation right now.

Delphine thought bitterly as she grasped that hand.

As her hand touched, the possum, whose light had been fading dimly, was once again filled with five-colored light.

At the same time, as Lin muttered something softly, soon a bright light enveloped their bodies.

Delphine closed her eyes tightly for a moment at the strange feeling of her navel being pulled somewhere.

The odd sensation disappeared quickly.

Delphine slowly opened her closed eyes.

She was suddenly somewhere in District 3, where the gray barrier walls could be seen in the distance.

They had succeeded in leaving the mansion. So simply.

Delphine, who had been gazing at the distant barrier walls, slowly opened her mouth.

“…That day, what was on your body.”