“A strength like ten thousand years of steel, is it mithril?”

Even when exerting force on her wrists, the chains didn’t budge at all.

If she had regained her previous inner power, she wouldn’t have been caught by those men,

And she wouldn’t be tied up like this either.

With her mood sharpening, Esika raised the corner of her eyebrow and circulated the qi in her body.

Fortunately, there was no damage to her dantian, and her inner power moved in its previous speed and direction.

Just as she thought that if only her bound wrists could be loosened, she might be able to escape.

Footsteps were heard. Narrow and light footsteps, those of a woman.

“……”

Those gradually approaching footsteps stopped in front of Esika.

The moment she stopped in front, a unique scent drifted to the tip of Esika’s nose.

It seemed like there was such a scent among flowers…

“To the one and only, most holy one, I offer my prayers.”

Esika perked up her ears.

The woman in front of her began to mutter.

In an excited voice as if afflicted with a divine illness, she recited something.

“There are horned, filthy things that tore out of the devil’s belly… On the eighth day… I beseech you…”

The familiar words heard intermittently sounded like verses from scripture, but the content was utterly incomprehensible to a sober mind.

“…That you save me with an apocalypse for only one disciple, to fulfill only your will…”

If it’s Tameron, it’s the only god of the state religion, but was there such content in the scriptures?

Even when she had been to the temple a few times in Brigitte, the content coming from the woman’s mouth was somewhat different.

“…I offer true atonement to you with the blood of a witch.”

After finishing her strange prayer, she took something out from her bosom.

The rustling sound and the metallic sound of a blade touching the wind could be discerned even with eyes covered.

Just as she was about to stab Esika with it held in both hands.

“There’s an intruder!”

Men’s voices were heard from behind.

“They’ve quickly breached the perimeter and are coming here. You must escape.”

The woman who heard those words seemed to grit her teeth.

“A blood-red devil interferes with me. Devils’ minions helping each other.”

It was a voice as if she had anticipated the intruder’s identity.

“But I can’t leave this witch alive.”

And with both hands gripping the dagger’s handle, she plunged it into Esika’s chest.

“All according to Tameron’s will!”

“Ugh!”

Seeing Esika’s body jerk, the woman quickly moved her feet to another passage along with the men.

She wanted to confirm the death but had no time due to the sudden unwelcome guests.

The cloth near Esika’s chest was getting soaked with blood spreading in a circle.

The consciousness she had barely regained was fading again.

Just before losing consciousness, someone removed the cloth covering her eyes.

“……”

Though her vision was blurry and she couldn’t see well, that familiar presence brought a faint smile to Esika’s lips.

Esika lost consciousness again.

**

Her head felt hot and her breath was rising.

With a fever, Esika opened her eyes. In front of her lying down, she saw his face.

Black hair and golden eyes. Resban Deon Lucein… the Crown Prince.

The place they were in looked like a shabby inn.

And she was lying on a bed.

“Your Highness……”

“…Don’t speak, your injuries are severe.”

Resban’s low voice pierced her ears.

He wiped the sweat formed on Esika’s forehead with a handkerchief.

Esika looked at Resban with wavering eyes.

She could feel bandages tied around her aching chest where a heavy pain was felt.

There were many things she wanted to ask him.

Why she was here, and how he was here…

Whether he had saved her.

Although thinking about this situation, there was no need to ask about the facts, she wanted to hear his voice.

Why, why did she feel this way.

“…I.”

Perhaps due to her injuries, feeling like a child wanting to depend on someone, Esika was about to say more but closed her mouth.

It was she who had coldly rejected him.

Unnecessary talk is out of the question.

Resban’s voice was heard.

“…Fortunately, it missed your heart.”

His eyebrows were frozen coldly.

Esika had twisted her body slightly before the woman stabbed her heart.

Just enough to make it pierce the side of her heart.

It was an area where major blood vessels pass, so there would have been a lot of bleeding, but it seems she was rescued quickly enough to save her life.

“The imperial doctor will come tomorrow morning.”

The room was dark, and it seemed to still be dawn.

“…I’m cold.”

Esika opened her dry lips to speak.

Her upper garment had been removed, and bandages were tightly wrapped around her chest.

Resban must have performed hemostasis and emergency treatment.

Although covered with a blanket, perhaps due to losing a lot of blood, her toes felt cold.

Was this the meaning of the saying that even the greatest warrior is nothing but a doll made of skin and blood when it’s time to die?

“……”

Resban took off his uniform jacket.

Although Esika’s body was covered with a blanket, it was unlikely that the furnishings of such a remote inn would be good.

His clothes, which many imperial tailors had put their heart and soul into making, covered the thin blanket over Esika’s chest again.

As he removed his uniform top, his firm upper body clad only in a white shirt was revealed.

After gazing at Resban, Esika slowly closed her eyes.

It was to circulate qi through her dantian little by little to prevent blood loss and accelerate the body’s recovery.

Of course, the imperial doctor’s treatment would be necessary, and this was just a temporary measure to hold on.

“……”

Resban looked at Esika’s face with deep eyes.

The space between her fine brows was lightly furrowed as if in pain.

Her cheeks were pale and her lips were dry.

Something stirred in Resban’s chest.

The murderous intent that he always restrained with cold reason and only unleashed in war, or fragments of thoughts he had held about her for a very long time.

A terrible anger towards those who had created this situation.

“…!”

Esika, who had been circulating qi in her dantian, suddenly opened her eyes in surprise.

It was because Resban was holding her hand.

In the darkness, his clear golden eyes were visible.

Resban gazed at her and brought Esika’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of her hand.

Esika’s eyes wavered.

A moment later, Resban’s lips moved.

“Whatever you do, if it’s what you’ve chosen, I was willing to accept it.”

“……”

“But watching is different from having something taken away. I cannot tolerate the latter.”

The aching area near her chest tingled.

As if being poked, poked with needles.

“An eagle cannot be happy in a cage. I accepted it because it was the happiness you chose, but if I were him, I wouldn’t keep you in there.”

Resban’s voice continued.

In her life as a spirit, the eyes of the lone eagle always spoke to her.

But his lips did not utter words. Why didn’t she realize, that this too was his consideration, or perhaps… love that couldn’t be conveyed.

“Esika.”

That voice was mixed with a deep killing intent and was dense enough to send chills down one’s spine.

“Just as Klaus was shattered to pieces, anything that touches you will not remain intact.”

At Resban’s words, Esika’s eyes shook greatly.

Her aching chest throbbed.

She had decided not to trust men.

She had died repeating that she would not love anyone even if reborn.

But it seems that not all men in the world are untrustworthy.

Perhaps there might be one man worth trusting.

Thump−

“……”

Esika reached out to Resban and wrapped her arm around the back of his neck.

Resban’s eyebrows twitched as he met her wavering gaze.

Esika pulled Resban’s face closer, applying strength to her arm.

At a distance close enough for their breaths to mingle, they were looking at each other.

“……”

Resban’s eyes surged intensely.

It was behavior unlike her, who had always been wary and kept her distance from him.

The dry lips that came close suddenly aroused an untimely impulse.

If she hadn’t been hurt, he would have devoured her without a second thought.

Esika gazed at him, who was looking at her with sharp eyes.

A man who had suppressed his feelings and watched over her from afar for her happiness.

She had pretended not to know his feelings.

“The sky, the world, everything was burning like the sunset.”

She thought she had been overlapping someone else with him.

But that thought might have been a misfit from the beginning.

Just as she had been a spirit, but is now Esika.

Perhaps this is not for revenge, but fate’s grace to undo a mistake.

“…Esi……”

Resban opened his mouth in a husky voice.

But the moment a faint smile passed over her lips, her hand lost strength with a thud and her eyes slowly closed.

Resban’s eyebrows moved subtly.

He put his hand behind Esika’s neck and slightly lifted her head.

She seemed to have fainted completely, her eyelashes casting small shadows under her eyes.

Having lost so much blood, it’s understandable to faint not long after waking up.

“……”

Resban brought his lips close to hers, almost but not quite touching.

He could feel her faint breath. Even this is fragrant and sweet like a blooming flower.