HTNSA 49

Chapter 49

Eila let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“So let’s not get our hopes up that door will magically open.”

She reminded herself not to cling to the naive hope that someone would hear her silent prayers and come to her rescue.

But just as she repeated that thought to herself—

Boom!

Dust rained down from the ceiling. The sealed shed door rattled violently as if about to collapse.

Eila blinked slowly.

Moments ago, she’d convinced herself hoping was foolish. But as the sharp clang of metal sounded again and again, the hope she’d buried began to stir.

‘Could it be… Could someone really be coming…?’

Crash!

At last, with a thunderous noise, the door burst open.

A beam of light pierced the darkness, illuminating the dusty room.

Framed in the doorway stood a boy and a girl.

Eila stared, dazed, and murmured their names.

“Felix… Pioni.”

“Eila, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Felix dropped to one knee and began checking her condition.

Once he was sure she was unharmed, a wave of relief washed over his face.

Pioni rushed forward too.

“Goodness, Eila! What happened? You look half-starved!”

Eila managed a small smile.

‘I wasn’t trapped long enough to look that bad, was I?’

But her chest clenched unexpectedly.

“I’m okay. Just… really hungry. Been stuck in here for hours.”

“That’s a big deal!” Felix said.

Pioni nodded seriously.

“Totally! Hunger’s a major emergency. We need to get food in you, fast.”

The two of them helped her up.

Felix took off his coat and gently wrapped it around her trembling shoulders.

Eila finally came to her senses enough to ask, “How did you find me?”

“You left a trail,” Felix replied.

“You found it?”

“Didn’t you leave it for me to find?”

“Well, yeah… I just didn’t think you’d actually….”

Felix put on a mock-offended pout.

“Did you not believe in me at all?”

Eila chuckled. It was obviously a joke.

Felix continued casually, “You trusted me enough to leave a trail. So I trusted you’d be waiting for me.”

Hearing that made Eila’s nose sting with emotion.

She’d always seen Felix as someone to protect.

Even now, she remembered the tragic fate he met in the original story.

And being ten years younger in her previous life, he sometimes felt more like a younger sibling.

But in this moment, everything was different.

He’d trusted her, searched tirelessly, noticed the smallest details. Right now, he wasn’t someone she had to protect—he was a true ally.

Then Felix gestured to Pioni.

“More than anything, Pioni-senpai helped a lot. Not sure what she did exactly, but—”

Pioni folded her arms.

“You narrowed down the search area. I just sensed a powerful magical disturbance nearby.”

She lowered her voice.

“This is a secret, but… royal bloodlines are born with strong mana detection skills.”

Eila’s eyes widened.

No wonder they’d found her so fast. Rosia must’ve placed some kind of magical concealment here, but it hadn’t worked.

“Really… Thank you, both of you. Truly.”

She bowed her head with heartfelt gratitude.

A gentle warmth settled between them.

Even in hardship, having people to rely on gave her strength.

But that calm didn’t last long.

As soon as they stepped outside, the wind hit her. Eila’s legs buckled.

“Eila!”

Felix and Pioni reached for her at once.

Pioni grabbed her arm and steadied her.

“You okay? Are you hurt?”

“No, I think it’s just the tension wearing off….”

Her body felt sluggish, probably from spending hours on a cold floor.

Reluctantly, she glanced at Felix.

“Felix, could you… help me walk? My legs are kind of useless right now.”

Before she even finished the sentence, Felix turned around and crouched down.

“Hop on. I’ve got you.”

Eila hesitated.

She’d asked for help, but the way he accepted so easily made her feel awkward.

‘Am I just using him again…?’

But there wasn’t time to dwell.

She needed to finish her magic potion—urgently.

She shut her eyes tight and climbed onto his back.

His back was broad and surprisingly firm.

‘So hard…’

It wasn’t exactly comfortable. His muscles felt like armor.

Still, being on his back brought an overwhelming sense of relief.

She wanted to stay there forever—but there was no time to relax.

Clinging to his shoulders, she said firmly:

“Take me back to the dorm. I have to finish the mana-sensitivity cure.”

Back in the dormitory, Eila got straight to work.

She’d sent Felix and Pioni away—tomorrow was the exam.

‘I won’t be sleeping tonight.’

Resting wasn’t an option.

Completing the potion took top priority.

Even if she rushed, it would be cutting it close.

The potion required at least a day of maturing before it became effective.

‘But there’s no choice. I have to do this.’

Thankfully, the first day of exams was just written tests.

There was still time.

Eila got to work.

‘Still… I can’t believe how hard Felix and Pioni worked to find me.’

Her heart swelled.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

There were people willing to go to great lengths—for her.

Felix had even said Pioni tried to contact the palace.

All to find a girl who was now just a commoner.

This exam wasn’t just about her future anymore.

‘I want to make them proud.’

Her hands flew into motion.

The once-blue potion began shifting into a brilliant silver.

Her movements were swift and sure.

Every time her fingers moved, the potion glowed faintly.

She added a special herb from a crystal vial.

The silver hue shifted again—this time to a gentle cherry blossom pink.