CHAPTER 85………………………………………………….
Derek, watching Sierra’s retreating figure, only managed to shake off the strange feeling once the door had closed.
He slowly stood and moved in the familiar direction.
The beautiful hall of the Estevan Mansion.
There, Elaina was dancing alone.
The chandelier’s dazzling light touched her delicate fingertips, shattering in her ecstatic expression.
He paused for a moment, waiting for the dance to end, but the way her voluminous dress spread seemed as if it would go on forever.
Finally, Derek broke the silence of the ballroom.
“Elaina.”
“Hmm.”
A voice, neither a hum nor a reply, flowed from her.
“I sent Sierra and that man to the Mage Tower.”
“Reaaally?”
“That powerful magic circle was apparently mixed with the force of sorcery.”
Elaina murmured slowly without even turning to look at him.
“I see. Hmm… well done.”
After her meaningless praise, Derek turned away.
In a corner untouched by the chandelier’s light, Adrian and Emily sat perched.
Derek stared blankly at them.
Yes.
They were in the same position as he was.
So there was no need to think too deeply.
Elaina’s goal was theirs, and therefore his own.
Yet… why did his chest feel so tight?
As Derek stepped toward the outside, his eyes gradually sank into thought.
Sierra’s eyes, now finally free of tears, were tinged red.
She held Ashur’s large hand tightly, afraid of letting go.
Derek seemed to be letting them go willingly, but the number of guards trailing behind had doubled.
The eyes that followed even the slightest movement were irritating.
Sierra and Ashur walked slowly together down the corridor and descended the stairs.
Just before leaving the mansion, they came face to face with Elaina, whose expression showed surprise at the door.
“Oh my, Sierra?”
Sierra’s gaze, pausing, was caught by Elaina’s elegant fingers.
Tilting her head at the hostile look seemed almost artificial.
The more Sierra observed her, the more suspicious she became.
At first, she thought Elaina’s excessively bright behavior was a way to overcome the grim circumstances.
But her composure around the prince and her cold demeanor at the banquet made her seem like a completely different person.
Elaina had only pretended to be a delicate woman—she was actually ruthless.
Her golden eyes, devoid of laughter, stared piercingly at the hands the two had joined.
Just meeting that gaze made Sierra remember her helplessness in the ballroom, straightening her back.
Yet, to her relief, Elaina casually waved her hand.
“You’re heading to the Mage Tower, right? Take care.”
Sierra’s tension was conveyed even to Ashur through the hand she held.
‘That woman is definitely…’
She had been the one who visited Sierra in the dungeon, even going underground to hand her a suspicious orb.
At the time, Sierra hadn’t thought much of it, but judging by the reactions around her now, the woman seemed to hold quite a high position.
Everything was unfamiliar, so Ashur had no choice but to be on edge about his surroundings.
The transparent orb was still in her pocket.
A closer look revealed whatever one wished to see within it.
A magical tool like that was rare. Why had Elaina given it to her?
She felt she needed to speak to her at least once more, but in her current situation, it was not easy.
Eventually, she passed Elaina, who gave her a subtle glance, and stepped outside.
Only Sierra and Ashur boarded the prepared carriage.
It seemed to be equipped with magical tools for monitoring.
An unpleasant scent of mana pricked their noses.
Ashur frowned at the smell of dead mana.
“Phew…”
Sierra exhaled deeply and leaned against him as if collapsing.
Ashur gently placed his hand on her bruised eyes.
“Does it hurt?”
“For something this minor, what are you saying? You… you…”
Recalling Ashur collapsing from pain earlier, tears welled up again.
“Ashur, what about you? Does it not hurt now?”
“Don’t cry. I’m fine. Weren’t you tired?”
Why did his gentle words make her cry even more?
Sierra finally buried her face in his chest.
“Of course I’m fine… sniff….”
Ashur held her close, fully enveloping her.
Even interrupted by sobs, Sierra voiced her worry.
“Really… I felt like I was going crazy. I… I was so worried about you…”
“Me too.”
Ashur ran his hand down her neck near her pulse as if confirming her presence.
Sierra looked up at him with moist eyes.
Raising her hand lightly to her chest, she felt the hot, rapid beat.
Ashur slowly pressed her tears to his lips.
Their breaths became fully intertwined.
For a while, they floated in quietness as if the world had stopped.
Within it, they felt only the warmth of each other.
But unfortunately, the time they could remain in one place was short.
“Wo-wo.”
The carriage stopped at its destination.
The two slowly adjusted their posture.
Ashur exited first, extending his hand to Sierra.
“Be careful.”
“Thank you.”
As she reached for his hand, whispers nearby pierced their ears.
“Oh my, isn’t that… a barbarian?”
“Yeah, that’s right. The one the Duke of Estevan brought as a prisoner recently, right?”
Curious passersby near the Mage Tower stared.
But Ashur’s shoulders were straight, his gaze fixed solely on her.
Though he must have been more sensitive than she was, he seemed utterly unbothered.
‘Yes, we don’t need to care about strangers’ glances.’
With Ashur’s warm gaze, Sierra smiled brightly.
She entered the Mage Tower with natural steps.
“This is the Mage Tower. It’s not as old as the Sacred Tree of the Sanctuary, but it has existed since the founding of the Altareon Kingdom, so it’s quite ancient.”
“Seems so.”
Upon entering, they noticed the unfamiliar smell.
The creaking wooden floor and slightly cracked white bricks hinted at the passage of time.
What stood out were small magical tools embedded at regular intervals in the walls, and unknown magic circles engraved densely on the ceiling and floor.
Perhaps similar to what Sierra had created to protect Eshkal Village.
Unlike the Sanctuary forest or the mansion they were trapped in, a delicate flow of mana could be felt here.
“I grew up here from childhood. I can say it’s almost like my hometown. I even succeeded in enhancing magical circle research here.”
Watching her chatter proudly, Ashur smiled broadly for the first time in a while.
Sierra must have been diligently running around everywhere.
Proving it, she guided the way with familiarity.
“This was my lab! Big, right? Because my research was so successful, they designated this place. …Though I’ve since handed it over.”
The lab was indeed quite large, reflecting the excellence of her research.
As they looked around, Ashur lightly stroked her soft hair.
“You were an amazing magician, Sierra.”
“Hmph. Didn’t I tell you?”
Sierra smiled happily, proud of herself.
The two mages following them made subtle expressions, watching the affectionate pair.
Perhaps to them, a noblewoman casually indulging in intimacy with a barbarian seemed strange.
Sierra ignored them and walked further inside.
The mages stopped following and comfortably settled on the parlor sofa as before.
‘Huh. As mages, their surveillance is surprisingly lax.’
She was actually glad for the lackluster monitoring.
To accomplish their purpose here, they would need to evade their eyes.
For now, she decided to treat them as if they weren’t there.
“Alec, Theo! We’re here!”
At her voice, a rustling sound came urgently from inside.
