Chapter 28

Ian went out, and the maid came in with cold water and a towel.

“Please lie down, Lady.”

“All right. Can you give me a wet towel? I feel uncomfortable with my sweat.”

The maid dipped the towel in cold water, squeezed it out, and held it to me. When I spread the towel and covered my face, the fever went down, and I felt better. I roughly wiped my face, neck, and arms with the towel, handed it back to the maid, and ordered her to leave.

“You don’t have to come anymore.”

The maid hesitated as if Ian had ordered her and only left after I beckoned her. Still, my breath feels hot.

Sometime later.

I thought I had closed my eyes for a moment, but someone was holding my hand. When I woke up with difficulty, I was lying down, and the doctor examined me.

“I’m okay.”

In the morning, my cracking voice came out, and now a hoarse voice came from me. This damn body. I have a lot of work to do, but I can’t do it now.

“You’re very tired. You need to rest a little.”

“…”

I didn’t have the energy to speak, so I just listened to what the doctor had to say.

After the examination, the doctor went out with Ian. As my eyes closed again, Ian came in again with medicines I didn’t want to take. The strong scent of herbal wafted through. I glanced at the tray he had brought and saw that there was also candy next to it. It’s not poison…

“I won’t eat it.”

“Lady has to eat it.”

“I’m all better.”

“But you still have to eat it.”

“Ah… come on.”

As I argued and looked at him crookedly, somehow, the corners of Ian’s lips were raised.

“Why are you laughing when I’m getting sick?”

Then he quickly covered his expression.

“Nothing. Go ahead and eat. The doctor said that Lady needs a break for a while.”

He even put the tray on my leg. If I don’t eat it, he won’t even lift it up.

“Ah, so annoying…”

I took medicine with an arrogant look. Ian took the tray after I finished taking all the medicine and roughly shoved the candy into my mouth.

“How is mother?”

“I heard she arrived in Bei safely.”

“Since Sir Shubart isn’t here, please take care of mother too. She has a lot of enemies. And…”

I fell down on my back and hugged the pillow, thinking about it again. My head still throbbed, and I felt dizzy.

“…did you report everything yesterday?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Just keep it for now. I have to think about it.”

Whether the medicine effect was fast or my body was exhausted, my mind began to falter.

“Is Lady going to meet them again?”

“Who? The prince?”

Ian did not answer. It means yes.

“I don’t know. If there’s something I need to meet them, I will meet them…”

My consciousness was gradually fading.

* * *

Ian looked at his master, who had fallen asleep while in the middle of talking. Carbella, who was sleeping like the dead, squinted her eyes. Her flowing hair was bothering her. Ian raised his hand and hesitated for a while. With careful touch, he slipped her hair back behind her ear.

“…”

Only when she falls asleep like this does she look like she is having a break. It’s the first time he has been staring at her like this.

Ian is always escorting her, but he always feels so far away from being by her side. Even if he followed her like a shadow, he felt he could only watch her from afar.

Before he met her again, he thought it would be nice to just see her again. Although she had completely forgotten him, Ian thought he was fine with it. He was thirsty for that.

Ian carefully swept the tips of her messy hair, which scattered under the pillow. That’s all he can be greedy for. While he was looking at her with emotion, the maid came in. To avoid waking her up, Ian got up from his seat and came out with the maid.

“We have a call from Bei.”

The maid delivered the letter to Ian. The seal of the letter was engraved with a hawk pattern. Ian took the letter out and looked at her bedroom door again. Then he hurried down to the first floor.

“I’m going out for a while. Increase the guard on the second floor.”

One of his men escorting below bowed down.

* * *

It seems that I have fallen asleep because of the medicine. When I woke up, no one was in the room except me. It seems that Ian was downstairs or went to work.

The fever had gone down, but I still felt dizzy. I stood up from my seat, sweeping away my messy hair, and strangely, it was unusually quiet outside. It didn’t feel right. I walked closer to the door silently and shut my mouth. Then, the door burst open.

Valery almost ran over the hall.

“I think she’s in trouble.”

Late at night, there were reports of Blake Ariandel. It was a coincidence that he had a job outside for a while, so he went out to the capital’s outskirts and got a fairy flower on his way back.

Blake immediately came to his mind when he heard about the fairly flower that glowed itself in the moonlight. He immediately ordered a person to send the fairy flower to her as a gift before it withered, and there was a report that they saw an unusual scene there.

Upon returning from the capital, Valery, who had been working in his office until then, left without hesitation. When he realized she was in danger, his mind was already filled with her.

He couldn’t figure out why he was being so blindly toward her. He already became like that from the moment he saw her eyes. The feeling of being dragged helplessly to a place where the end is unknown is deeper than the fluttering, pounding emotions.

That’s what keeps him stuck. But he doesn’t hate it either. All he can think of now is to find her somehow. To see her safe face. It was just that.

“Valery.”

It was his brother, Delkian, who faced him in the hallway.

“Brother.”

“Where are you going in such a hurry tonight?”

Seeing that Delkian was wearing comfortable plain clothes, he seemed to be returning from going out.

“I have a place to go.”

When there was no one around, they skipped honorifics. Valery’s breathing was faster than usual. One of Delkian’s eyebrows rose curiously.

“At this time?”

“… I’ll tell you when I get back.”

As Valery passed Delkian, he hurried his steps even more. Delkian stared briefly at Valery, who hurriedly disappeared, and tilted his head at the unusual behavior.

“What’s wrong with him?”

* * *

A crackling sound was heard. It was less than five minutes after Shubart arrived in Bei.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to find the lady… Argh!”

Pow!

Before he could finish his sentence, the man fell far away from Shubart’s fist. The man, who couldn’t get up immediately and staggered, barely managed to get up and lowered his head.

Upon returning to Bei, the news he heard sounded like a bolt from the blue. Bella was kidnapped. They had enemies from all sides, so they couldn’t even tell who did it.

Before he came to Bei, Ian said he was looking for the information first. Shubart was on the verge of losing his reasoning.

“Search thoroughly.”

“Yes!”

With a ferocious voice, the subordinate hurried out of the room.

Only a few people can overpower all the guards in the mansion. Shubart’s chin popped up as soon as he turned around, thinking he should strike the most suspicious place.

The sound of the footsteps was not as elegant as usual. Cold footsteps headed towards one place. Her hair, which wasn’t tied, fell heavily under the back of a soft velvet dress and swayed.

Shubart stopped moving. The sound of footsteps stopped in front of him.

“Lucellai.”

Slap!

Shubart’s cheek turned relentlessly.

“Get yourself together.”

The haughty voice was as cold as ice. Soon a red line was drawn across Shubart’s cheek, and blood spilled out. It burst up to his lips. It’s because of the ring that Lucellai was wearing. Shubart casually swept the blood from his mouth with his palm.

“I will ensure Bella will be safe by tomorrow morning.”

It was not long after midnight. About two hours after Carbella disappeared. The red eyes fell slightly under the eyelids, then lit up with a clear light again.

“You’ll have to.”

Shubart felt it. If he doesn’t keep his promise, he won’t be able to see her red eyes again. He passed Lucellai and left the room. Another subordinate followed him.

“We’re going to Iskar.”

Shubart’s face hardened like ice as he quickly moved forward. Iskar’s chief had previously attempted to harm Lucellai but was stopped by him. It wasn’t that surprising. Then the man who was the chief of Iskar was brutally killed by Shubart. That person interrupted Shubart’s work several times to avenge the chief’s death. It was always a possible story.

Shubart’s eyes darkened.