Chapter 53
The night that felt like ten years finally came to an end, and a faint light began to seep across the land. The Duke and Duchess Yvonne wiped their weary faces and silently looked up at the sky.
They could see the beasts that had hovered over the duke’s mansion all night gradually retreating. The knights, who had been gripping their swords in tense standoffs all night, focused their gaze on a single point.
“Chirp!”
The bluebird that had somehow escaped from Stuart’s room had spent the entire night flying above the mansion without rest. Its small, cute cries might have sounded harmless to people, but to the beasts, they were threatening. The beasts dared not land on the mansion, exposing themselves as if ready to devour the bird.
Even the beasts seemed exhausted from the long standoff. The bluebird, seemingly tireless, continued chirping fiercely at their retreating backs.
“Truly amazing! I’ve never even heard of being able to create such a thing with sacred power!”
The Marquis Evoia, who had been out since early dawn, praised it tirelessly. Duke Yvonne responded with a simple nod, acknowledging the words.
But the minds of the Duke and Duchess were filled entirely with thoughts of Lily—thrown off the cliff in a pitiful state—and their foolish son who had jumped after her trying to catch her. There was no room for any other thoughts.
The Duchess gripped her sword tightly and sighed.
“As soon as the beasts are confirmed to have fully retreated, search for Stuart and Miss Hegelston.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Since Lily had defeated the king of the beasts, the creatures hadn’t caused much trouble, so Stuart would likely be safe. The real concern was Lily’s severe injuries. They hadn’t been treated properly, and there was constant worry that the wounds might have worsened or become infected.
Duke Yvonne impatiently unleashed a sword strike into the sky. The bright blue blade struck down one of the beasts midair. The fallen beast twitched a few times before its eyes rolled back and it died. Even at that distance, the precision impressed the observing nobles, who applauded.
Yet Duke Yvonne tightly shut his eyes, embarrassed by the praise directed at him.
Stuart silently watched as the sword in the sky brought down a beast. The remaining beasts were retreating from the mansion. He quickened his pace, wanting to cover more ground before the beasts could approach.
“Lily.”
He called her name, hoping she might have regained consciousness, but there was no answer. Lily had been shivering all along, as if running a fever.
Her condition had changed dramatically since that morning. Until last night, though her injuries were severe, she seemed relatively stable, and he had felt some relief. But after a short sleep, she awoke unconscious, her whole body burning like fire, only groaning through clenched teeth.
“I’ll get us… home quickly.”
Speaking to the unresponsive Lily, Stuart hurried along. The mansion had a resident physician, and after the events of yesterday, his father likely had summoned additional doctors. Once home, he could have Lily examined properly.
“The wounds… seem a little better than yesterday…”
The deep cuts remained, but the minor scratches had disappeared, and the shallow ones were beginning to heal.
They must be hurting as they heal. Stuart tried to stay as optimistic as possible. Losing Lily again… he knew he wouldn’t be able to maintain his sanity.
❀ ❀ ❀
Lily’s consciousness drifted in and out.
Earlier that morning, it felt as if someone had forcibly twisted her insides, spreading unnatural discomfort through her body. Pain as if her organs were being wrung was immediately followed by a coldness flowing through her veins. She couldn’t maintain consciousness.
The world around Lily shook violently. She tried desperately to maintain her center amid the chaos, fighting to not lose herself against the tidal waves of agony.
In the empty void, with only silence and darkness, Lily fought ceaselessly against herself.
As keeping her eyes open became unbearable, the darkness around her slowly began to lighten. A faint light seeped in from afar.
She ran toward it, sprinting along the endless path until her breath burned in her throat, finally reaching a door.
“Oh, Saint!”
When she opened the door, a brilliant light poured into her vision.
Lily realized she was lying on a bed. Her last memory was drifting to sleep under Stuart’s comforting hands in the cave, and her memory of the transition to this room was completely missing.
“Master! Duke! Duchess! The Saint has awakened!”
The room buzzed around her as she slowly regained clarity. Blinking several times, she propped herself up on her arms and looked around.
Lily was lying in her room on the first floor of the duke’s mansion. She had no memory of being brought here from the cave, so Stuart must have carried her.
She massaged her stiff body while checking on Stuart’s waist. As she moved her arms naturally, she noticed her own thigh under the blankets.
“Huh?”
Her thigh was completely unharmed, as if it had never been injured. The rough, scabbed skin she had complained about to Stuart was gone.
Pressing her fingers against it, Lily realized that her shoulder also moved freely, and the lingering pain had completely vanished.
“What happened?”
Wanting to check herself in the mirror, she realized it was placed far from the bed. Testing her legs from the bed, she confirmed she could move without any trouble.
Just as she stepped toward the mirror, the door suddenly burst open.
Stuart rushed in.
“Lily!”
His hair was still damp, as if he had dashed out while washing. Water droplets trickled down his chest, making Lily’s cheeks flush as she turned her head away.
“Don’t get up. Does anything hurt?”
Despite his rush, Stuart handled her with care, as if she were more fragile than glass, lightly touching her to inspect her body.
“I’m fine. Look, the wounds are healed.”
To reassure him, Lily slightly lifted her skirt to show her thigh. Not a single mark remained on her pale skin.
Stuart kneeled in front of her and pressed a gentle kiss to her thigh.
“You were worried?”
He had always reacted strongly whenever Lily was hurt. Knowing why he behaved that way, she felt a pang of sympathy for the concern he had for her.
Lily stroked Stuart’s hair slowly, the soft lips leaving a faint imprint on her thigh.
“Do you know how long you’ve been asleep?”
“Um… did I sleep a lot?”
After all her suffering, calling it ‘sleep’ made her smile wryly. Stuart chuckled and nodded.
“I hope it was a good, deep sleep. After all…”
“Stuart Lefray!”
A thunderous voice interrupted their quiet conversation.
“What outrageous behavior is this!”
The duke and duchess stood at the door, their gaze fixed on Lily’s thigh where Stuart had kissed her. Seeing the red mark, the duchess strode in and struck Stuart hard across the back.
“Out.”
“It’s not what you think—”
“You know exactly what I’m thinking. Get out, Stuart Sornin Lefray!”
Every time Lily had been hurt, Stuart had rushed to her side, even risking his life to catch her from falling off a cliff. His feelings were obvious without needing to be stated.
Over the past week while Lily had been unconscious, Stuart hadn’t eaten or slept properly, devoting himself entirely to caring for her.
The duke and duchess were impressed by his unwavering priority for Lily, but all they saw at that moment was their son’s youthful recklessness.
“I’ll stay by Lily’s side—”
“I think it’s better for you to leave, Stuart. Only after a full medical check confirming that Miss Lily is completely healed should you stay. For now…”
Even the duke shook his head. Feeling wrongly accused of impure thoughts while trying to care for the injured Lily, Stuart left the room silently.
In hindsight, his parents weren’t entirely wrong.
