Chapter 58
[Huff! Master!]
[Master, are you okay?!]
Modway and Nesgal fluttered around me in alarm.
I couldn’t respond to them, my heart racing, as I anxiously scanned my surroundings.
And, fortunately…
“Ah! Look over there! Dark clouds! Dark clouds are gathering!”
“Oh my! Is it really going to rain?”
“Ah! A miracle! The heavens haven’t abandoned us!”
“It’s thanks to Prince Moren!”
Through the large window of the apothecary, an enormous mass of dark clouds was rolling in.
Whoosh—
Soon, a torrential downpour began.
The people who had been busily making medicine all rushed to the windows, staring in awe.
‘Looks like we weren’t discovered, thanks to this.’
I calmly turned away from the crowd and removed the cloth that had covered my mouth.
A handful of red blood was smeared there.
My throat stung, and a metallic, fishy taste filled my mouth.
It was my first time experiencing something like this, but I immediately understood the situation.
‘Marine must have exerted more power than expected.’
Of course—Moren alone couldn’t have summoned that much dark cloud.
I tossed the blood-stained cloth into the trash, and Nesgal quickly burned it to ash.
[That Marine! Hurting the Master like that deserves a serious scolding!]
[Are you still in pain?! Waaah, don’t be hurt, Master!]
‘I’m fine, kids.’
In fact, I wanted to praise Marine.
Thanks to Marine decisively supporting Moren, the situation was resolved cleanly.
‘Using a little of my blood to put out the fire is more than worth it.’
As I thought calmly, Modway and Nesgal had snuggled up close to me.
Then, quietly, they rubbed their faces against my cheeks.
I gladly accepted the spirits’ small gestures and shouted to those watching the rain.
“Alright! Stop dawdling and start filling the empty medicine bottles! There will be many burn victims!”
“Yes, Princess!”
The people left the windows and moved in coordinated motion.
How many medicines were made in the original spots?
[Master~!]
From afar, Marine quickly flew over and immediately shared the scene she had witnessed.
After quickly surveying the recent events, I smiled faintly.
There had never been a time when my little sibling felt so reliable.
Unlike in the original story, this fire was extinguished in just one night.
Although numerous injuries and significant property damage were expected, not a single casualty occurred.
Those who witnessed the terrifying blaze were actually relieved that things ended at this point.
Moreover…
“Princess Neroli Mivan Lornod, who is currently visiting the castle, has donated burn medicine!”
“Line up to receive it!”
“There’s plenty, so no need to rush!”
“Can only injured people receive it?”
At that question, the soldier distributing the medicine shook his head.
“Thanks to the Princess’s consideration, all citizens of the territory will receive medicine. So please take it with peace of mind.”
At the soldiers’ calls, the citizens of the duchy lined up without distinction.
Everyone received the medicine, smiling widely.
“Proper burn medicine is usually too expensive for commoners like us, but giving it for free…”
“I heard it was the visiting Prince who caused the rain to put out the fire!”
“That’s right! My husband saw the entire scene, and he said it was a spectacle worthy of legends!”
“Oh my! Truly the descendant of dragons, the Lornod family!”
“The Prince and Princess saved us! What were their names again?”
“Princess Neroli! Prince Moren!”
“Yes, that’s right! They are the true Lornods!”
At that last comment, I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
‘The true Lornods.’
How surprised they’d be if they knew not a single drop of Lornod blood flowed through me.
As I suddenly burst into laughter, the Duke and my aunt across from me looked at me in confusion.
“Neroli?”
“Ah, sorry. I just felt proud and gratified remembering what Moren did.”
“Sis, you’re embarrassing me.”
Moren, sitting beside me, blushed.
I chuckled softly and stepped back from Marine, who had shared the castle’s view.
‘Thanks for sharing, Marine.’
[No problem~. Wherever we go, it’s only praise for Master and Master’s sibling~.]
Of course, that’s what should happen. That’s why we went through all this.
I smiled faintly, looking at the two in front of me.
They once again offered deep thanks to us, the siblings.
“Thank you, Neroli. Moren. You saved us.”
“As the lords of this land, we represent the citizens and visitors. This fire could have engulfed the entire duchy… thank you for saving us.”
“No, Aunt. Duke. It was only our duty.”
“Ah… Moren…”
At Moren’s words, my aunt couldn’t help but wipe away tears.
“When did you grow up so… I’ve heard that when a Lornod learns magic, their potential is tremendous, and now I see it’s true. Thank you, truly.”
I could feel Moren unsure how to respond to my aunt’s heartfelt words.
I gave him a slight glance.
It was time to receive the reward for our help since we had been sincerely thanked.
Moren read my gaze and closed his mouth, understanding that now was not his moment to act.
I wiped my bright smile slightly and spoke in a calmer tone.
“I think you two have now seen enough to understand.”
“Understand?”
“Moren’s abilities.”
At my words, the two flinched.
Having lived as nobility for a long time, they immediately sensed my meaning.
Seizing the moment, I continued smoothly.
“The capital has been quite chaotic lately. It’s due to the recent ‘Prince’s Competition.’”
“Princess, we truly thank you for this… but we—”
“Duke, hear me out.”
When I skillfully cut off his words, Duke Telum looked flustered.
Taking control of the conversation, I spoke firmly.
“Certainly, the fire was quickly extinguished, and the damage can be handled by the Duke. But our Emperor is not one to let such matters slide.”
“……”
“He will place full responsibility for the fire on the House of Telum. He may not threaten the entire duchy as in the worst-case scenario… but he will demand a heavy price to be satisfied.”
“Yes, Neroli. This fire ended without casualties. Why would the Emperor do that?”
“Because it was Moren, not the Duke, who put out the fire.”
“!”
“!”
“The Emperor sees Moren not as a prince, but as a possession under my hand. So he will consider the act as my achievement.”
It wasn’t an absurd claim.
The Duke couple, well aware of the Emperor’s greedy nature, exchanged uneasy glances.
I gave them an even greater sense of confusion.
“It’s foolish to serve a heaven that has already abandoned itself.”
The two who had exchanged glances now looked at me simultaneously.
I smiled faintly at them.
“The heavens that ignored you thus far weren’t exactly the best choice either.”
“……”
“But if a new heaven favors you, wouldn’t the future change completely?”
In the original story, House Telum was wiped out after this fire.
Although a great noble family, it wasn’t significant to Gobard and Agasa, so their end was barely recorded.
‘And I can easily sway them.’
The two stiffened at my words.
Then my aunt spoke first.
“I… am fed up with the Imperial Palace.”
Her voice carried deep emotion.
“The Emperor… even though Laurum was the crown prince, he killed all his siblings. Only because of the slightest possibility that they could threaten his future.”
It was resentment and fear.
Her crimson eyes, trembling with fear, turned to me.
“Lornods die easily, yet also survive easily. Do you know what that means?”
Of course, I did.
The physical strength inherited from dragon blood renders most poisons and illnesses useless.
Yet even this Lornod body cannot defend against the blade aimed at itself.
‘If one truly chooses death, they become like ordinary humans, as if by magic.’
I found it paradoxical once again.
What is dragon blood, if it grants the Lornod the final choice?
Moren and I silently nodded in understanding, and my aunt murmured further.
“Countless betrayals and schemes followed. Laurum exploited his siblings’ weaknesses, forcing them to take their own lives. He destroyed everything they cherished as if their lives depended on it…”
Ah, the blood, the screams… the helplessness of those days.
She seemed to recall it vividly, lightly clutching her head.
The Duke tried to comfort her anxiously, but she focused only on me.
“Luckily, my mania only caused insomnia. Thanks to that, I survived by taking a unique poison that prevented me from having children. That’s what the Imperial Palace is like.”
She lifted her eyes and stared directly at me.
“I barely escaped, and now you intend to drag me back into that hell?”
