Chapter : 158
At his sudden action, Erica’s gaze stuck to him like melted caramel.
“Th-that is…”
A hoarse sound slipped from her lips, as if someone were choking her by the throat. She tried to ask why he was doing this so abruptly, but the question never fully formed.
Sebastian rolled the silver ring in his palm and murmured in a voice so low it was almost ominous.
“This was yours to begin with.”
Erica followed his movements with anxious eyes.
She had always known that Sebastian carried the ring with him. Though she never showed it, she had secretly been happy about it. That was why his current behavior filled her with even greater unease.
Was he trying to return the ring to her?
She remembered what she had said six years ago, when she handed him that ring as he departed for war.
“Just as you protected me, Sebastian, this will protect you too.”
But what if he drew a line now—telling her he no longer needed that blessing, that he would handle his own affairs and those of House Akliff on his own, and that she should stop involving herself?
If it’s to stop me, he’s the kind of person who would do anything.
She knew she was being overly pessimistic and tried to rein in her thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. Once her mind began spiraling in a negative direction, it kept spreading without end.
Of course, Sebastian isn’t that extreme…
Even so, given the situation, she couldn’t be certain.
He was someone who always placed her safety above all else.
Though she felt sorry for Julia, Erica had never intended to take that silver thread ring back from Sebastian in the first place.
He had given her far too much over the years—not just materially, but emotionally as well.
So Erica had been grateful simply to have something she could give him in return.
That was why, from the moment the ring left her hand, she had truly believed it now belonged to Sebastian.
Even after they reunited, she had never once asked for it back.
She only wished that, as he had until now, he would continue to keep it safely with him.
Then why…?
Looking at the faint mark left on Sebastian’s left ring finger, Erica swallowed dryly.
Without realizing it, she had even stopped breathing, anxiously waiting for him to speak.
At the same time, she felt relieved that Julia wasn’t here.
If Julia had been present, she would have undoubtedly joined forces with Sebastian to somehow force Erica to change her decision.
Thinking of Julia—who would be outside the townhouse grounds with Joanna right now—Erica tried to calm her turbulent heart.
Joanna will take good care of Mother.
She recalled the maid’s wide-eyed, startled expression when she had suddenly appeared, and swallowed a bitter feeling.
Joanna must have been shocked by her abruptly changed appearance.
That alone would have been enough to leave her flustered…
“Y-young Madam! Y-your hair—? N-no, never mind that! You escaped safely! Thank goodness! Hic—I truly thought you were trapped inside… hic!”
“Joanna, this is my mother. I’ll explain everything later, so please take care of her!”
“P-pardon? Y-young Madam!”
“Erica!”
She had even left Julia in Joanna’s care…
There was no way the poor maid could have stayed calm.
Still, Joanna wasn’t someone who would take her words lightly, which was why—aside from Chopin Owl—she was the only person Erica felt she could trust.
Just as Erica let out a long breath to ease the weight in her heart, she suddenly felt a strong grip seize her hand.
Something hard was placed in her palm.
What is this?
She quickly lowered her gaze—and her eyes wavered helplessly.
It was the silver ring Sebastian had removed.
“…Sebastian.”
Then his voice fell like a verdict.
“Erica. No matter how I think about it, I can’t let you go inside with me. It’s too dangerous.”
Only after swallowing several times was Erica able to speak.
“But Priest Jorge can’t accompany you. In that case, it’s better if I go with you instead.”
“I’ll handle that myself. You stay here.”
He continued firmly.
“If you truly possess divine power, then it’s better for you to remain here and maintain the barrier with the other priests. In a way, that’s even more important.”
Without ever raising his voice, Sebastian reasoned with her.
“Think of it as dividing the work.”
“……”
“I’ll take the inside. You take the outside.”
Maintaining the barrier was indeed an extremely important task.
If it wavered even slightly like before, monsters would pour out and the capital would fall into chaos.
The royal guards would try to hold them back, but there would clearly be limits.
If the worst were to happen, then to save as many lives as possible, it was far better for someone with powerful divine energy—like Erica—to protect the barrier, just as Sebastian said.
“….”
Even though she understood all of this logically, Erica couldn’t answer right away.
She was too worried about Sebastian.
Meeting her gaze directly, he persuaded her again.
“For my sake, too… I want you to make that choice.”
Erica bit her lip.
She understood what he meant.
If she went inside the mansion with him, Sebastian would undoubtedly devote far too much attention to her.
Even if I can protect myself with divine power, Sebastian might not be able to put his mind at ease.
Just being in the same space might be enough to distract him.
Her clenched teeth tightened further.
I don’t want that.
If stepping forward to help him only ended up burdening him with worry…
Then it’s better if I give in.
Without delaying any longer, Erica nodded.
“…All right. I’ll do as you say.”
Only then did the tension leave Sebastian’s face, a gentle smile forming on his lips.
“Thank you.”
He spoke with sincerity.
Still unable to completely hide her worry, Erica reminded him once more.
“Then you have to come back safely.”
“Of course.”
After nodding slightly, Erica held out the ring Sebastian had returned to her.
She knew it was irrational, but right now she wanted to rely on even the smallest thing.
“Then please… take this ring back with you.”
But Sebastian shook his head.
“Just in case, you keep it.”
He gently closed Erica’s fingers around the silver ring, making a fist around it.
And as he did, he thought—
This feels right.
Just moments ago, he had felt the ring he was wearing vibrate again, as though it possessed a will of its own.
It wasn’t as though they could communicate clearly, but he had received a vague sense of what it wanted.
The ring wanted to return to its original owner.
Under normal circumstances, he would have doubted such a thing.
An inanimate object having a will of its own?
It was absurd.
But Sebastian did not suspect the ring of being connected to the monsters.
Since the Holy Demon War, he had washed his hands in holy water countless times while wearing the ring. Each time, he had personally confirmed that nothing happened—no reaction, no change.
And earlier, it dispelled the hallucination caused by that grotesque plant monster and burned it away.
So if the ring held power, Sebastian reasoned that it was closer to divine power than anything else.
If so, it would surely be helpful this time as well.
It might be better, in many ways, for Erica to have it rather than me.
Looking into her trembling golden eyes, he smiled softly, as though it were nothing.
“Instead, I’ll take something else.”
