RVMPT Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Diana quietly closed her eyes.

She couldn’t see a thing—it was pitch black—but the sounds of fighting poured into her ears.

Screams. Swords clashing. Many people rushing about.

Blows hitting her protective barrier. More screams… a tangle of harsh noises stabbed at her hearing.

Even so, Diana didn’t cover her ears. She knew Harold was strong and trusted he would be fine—but she didn’t want to shut out the sounds completely.

Then, as if a video had been paused, all noise cut off at once.

Diana lifted her eyelids. Her suddenly bright view filled with Harold, striding toward her.

He seemed to move in slow motion, like a scene from a movie.

The air that had been sharp as a blade no longer felt cold. Every sound faded except Harold’s presence.

Unable to wait, Diana stepped forward to meet him.

When they were close enough for their toes to touch, her heart pounded wildly.

Harold cupped her cheek with a gloved hand, his navy eyes scanning her up and down.

“You’re unhurt,” he said. “Completely fine.”

“I am. Evan probably told you—I’ve been doing very well. And today Sir Arthur was at my side helping me.”

And just when things were about to get dangerous, Harold appeared.

Diana’s gaze softened as she looked up at him.

The warmth in his large hand on her cheek and the sweetest voice in the world made it sink in even more that Harold was right before her.

She had thought she wouldn’t see him until later, so her chest swelled with joy.

“I missed you, Harold.”

The honest words slipped out, and Harold let out a brief laugh.

“I missed you too, Diana.”

“Hehe—”

Grinning, Diana suddenly widened her blue eyes.

“Your forehead—what happened?”

“It got nicked, just a little.”

It was exactly as he said: a faint scratch. So small you couldn’t see it from a distance—barely enough to bleed.

At this level, with just a touch, she could have…

She raised her hand on reflex—then jerked it back.

‘Right. My holy power hasn’t returned yet.’

If her ability were back, such a wound would be nothing.

Just holding him would heal it immediately.

There was less than an hour left before her power would return, but she still wrinkled her nose at not being able to treat him right away.

Worse, since she was disguised as a maid, she wasn’t even wearing gloves. She couldn’t heal him—and she couldn’t even touch him with bare skin.

So this is what it feels like to really lack power, she thought, curling her fingers and staring at his wound.

“You promised not to get a single hair hurt…”

She pouted, upset for no real reason. Harold’s mouth curved higher.

“Good,” he murmured.

Good? She was annoyed—why did he look so pleased, smiling with those sly fox-eyes?

“Why ‘good’?” she asked.

“Because my wife is worrying over me right in front of my eyes.”

“I’m not happy. You broke your promise.”

Tsk. Diana stuck out her lower lip.

Just as she caught her own hand trying to rise again and held it down with her other hand, Harold’s face suddenly drew close.

“—!” She flinched back, but Harold wrapped an arm around her back. Worried, she tugged up her sleeve to cover her face and muttered,

“Physical contact is banned right now.”

“Why?”

“Well… maybe you forgot by now…”

She’d mentioned it the first day she came to propose the deal and never brought it up again.

She silently shaped the word “ability” with her lips a few times. Harold finally lifted a brow.

“Ah.”

“You remember?”

“I do. You’re concerned about my trauma.”

“That’s right.”

Without her holy power, she couldn’t soothe Harold’s trauma about touching women.

So he really had forgotten… She exhaled in relief, imagining how awful it would have been to touch him and see him recoil.

From “Diana’s” memories, she recalled how some lady had tried to touch Harold despite knowing he had trauma with women.

Just imagining that terrifying expression and aura turning on her made her chest prickle.

“Don’t worry, Diana,” Harold said.

“Okay.”

She would be careful; and now, so would Harold.

She lowered the sleeve she’d lifted to hide her face.

Then—

Smack.

“—!”

Their lips touched.

I even warned him—why?!

Diana covered her mouth with her hand and tried to flutter backward like a startled hen, but his arm around her waist prevented escape.

She didn’t dare look at him; she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Diana, look at me.”

“…”

She really didn’t want to see any hint of disgust from him.

But she couldn’t keep her eyes closed forever. With effort, she lifted her lids.

“Huh…?”

He was smiling with his eyes. He looked perfectly fine—the opposite of what she’d feared.

“Ho-how…?”

Had her power already returned? No.

If it had, the scratch on his forehead would be gone—but it was still there.

Confusion spun her vision for a moment.

Harold took her hand, drew it toward him, and rubbed his cheek against her palm like a big cat.

Only then did her swirling blue eyes lock onto him. He pressed a light kiss to her palm and whispered,

“I told you—there’s nothing to worry about.”

“…Did you overcome your trauma?”

“Not exactly.”

His gaze slid aside. Following it, she saw Ella lying unconscious.

“Even touching that lady with a glove on made my insides twist with revulsion,” he said.

“Then why are you fine touching me…?”

Harold answered as if it were obvious.
“Because it’s you.”

“…”

“My body’s already trained by my wife. There’s no way I’d feel revulsion.”

If anything, he wanted to touch her—never be apart.

Harold watched Diana’s tomato-red face, then lightly bit the soft pad of her palm.

“Eep?!”

Startled by the sting, she tried to pull back, and he let her go.

Without holy power, the teeth marks that would normally vanish at once remained clearly on her tender skin.

“That’s a bit of a pity,” he clicked his tongue, rubbing the mark with his thumb.

Lust flickered in his navy eyes, and Diana gulped.

What exactly is he ‘pitying’ right now?!

Flushed from head to toe, she quickly changed the subject.

“Harold, shouldn’t you be heading to the Sun Palace?”

“My goal from the start was to come to you. And they’ll be fine without me.”

He’d only shown himself briefly to prove he was alive. Harold lifted her easily with one arm.

“We can’t stay here. Time to move.”

He glanced at Arthur, then started off first. Arthur fixed his cooled gaze on the floor for a moment, then followed the Duke toward the prince’s palace.

On the way, they ran into several of the Emperor’s and Jaina’s people, but each time, Harold neutralized them with ease.

“This is the Star Palace where His Highness resides,” Arthur said. “I’ll lead you outside.”

Harold walked after him, eyes scanning around, and asked,

“Sir Arthur, how many staff are still in the Star Palace?”

“Most evacuated when the chaos began, except five who were ordered to stay just in case. …Your Grace?”

He looked back, puzzled that Harold had stopped.

“Sir, protect Diana,” Harold ordered, setting her down. Sensing something was wrong, Diana asked anxiously,

“What is it, Harold?”

“There are a lot of presences—and I feel killing intent.”

Footsteps approached.

At the end of the growing tread stood Kaiden.