Chapter 170 — Reassurance and Resolve
Crash—!
With the sound of glass shattering, arrows flew in through the window and struck the dragon’s body one after another.
“Ugh…!”
The dragon looked down at the arrow embedded in his chest and coughed up blood.
Bang!
At the same time, the door was kicked open violently, light pouring into the cabin.
“Damn it!”
The dragon turned toward me.
In his bloodshot eyes was a desperate urgency, as if he couldn’t afford to miss this chance.
The arm pierced by arrows twisted unnaturally as it was forced upward.
Just as the dragon raised his arm and tried to stab down with the dagger again, a broad back suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my view.
It was Loic.
Clang!
With a sharp metallic sound, the dagger was knocked away and bounced harmlessly aside.
“How dare a mere contractor block my path!”
The dragon roared in fury.
“That contract ends today,”
Loic replied in a low voice.
His back muscles, swollen as if he had run nonstop, rose and fell roughly.
“What nonsense. A contract only ends when I say so. A mere human vessel—cough!”
The dragon couldn’t finish his sentence and violently spat something out.
“To think a mighty dragon would borrow a fragile human body,”
Loic sneered.
“You must be terrified of getting hurt. What, afraid one of your scales might fall off?”
“Shut up!”
The dragon screamed with a metallic shriek.
“Do you not know who the true owner of that power you boast about is? You’re nothing but a container!”
But his struggling voice was growing weaker.
“Just wait. You will pay for your arrogance.”
“Captain! His body is disappearing!”
Though hidden behind Loic’s back, the dragon’s body was flickering with light and rapidly fading.
Loic shouted urgently,
“Mage!”
From the doorway, Enolius stretched out his hand, releasing light as if trying to grab the dragon, but the dragon vanished in an instant.
At the same time, the stiffness left my body, and I staggered to the side.
“Annette!”
Large, solid hands caught my waist before I could fall.
A familiar, cool scent washed over me.
Loic let my weakened body lean against him.
“Loic…”
Only then did I see the knights filling the cabin.
Sighs of relief and worry escaped from all around.
I survived.
Loic’s hair was soaked with sweat, as if he had run an incredible distance.
His pale face carefully searched over me.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
The hand brushing my cheek was shaking uncontrollably.
At that touch, all the fear I had been holding back surged up.
“I was scared.”
“It’s alright now.”
Loic’s eyes trembled violently.
“…I thought I was going to die.”
When I clenched his shirt tightly with my trembling hands, he patted my back soothingly.
At that moment, emotions overflowed, and tears streamed down my face.
“I was so scared that you wouldn’t find me, Loic…!”
“I’m sorry, Annette.”
Loic’s face twisted painfully.
His firm arms wrapped tightly around me.
“I’m sorry. This is my fault.”
His low, solid voice echoed near my ear, and finally, relief broke through me completely.
“I’m sorry, Annette. I’m sorry.”
I’m sorry.
In Loic’s arms as he knelt, I cried loudly like a child for a long time.
* * *
We decided to stay at the villa for one more day.
It was for my stability.
Even after arriving at the villa, I didn’t leave the bedroom.
The fear and terror from meeting the dragon refused to fade.
The overwhelming lethargy made even getting out of bed feel impossible.
I had no appetite.
Only because Loic begged me desperately did I manage to swallow a few spoonfuls of soup.
I couldn’t sleep either.
If Loic hadn’t stayed by my side all night, gently patting me, I probably wouldn’t have slept at all.
‘If I’d been kidnapped by bandits, it wouldn’t have been this terrifying.’
The thought that I could be dragged away somewhere at any moment, against my will, was horrifying.
And illusion magic…
The idea that I could disappear without anyone noticing filled me with sadness beyond fear.
Everything I had built here suddenly felt meaningless.
Crushed by helplessness, I didn’t want to move even a single step outside the blanket.
While I was buried under the covers, there was a knock, and Cecilia entered the room.
“Your Highness, it’s time to eat.”
“I’m fine. I don’t want to.”
“You barely ate yesterday. You need to eat at least a little. I brought soup and soft bread.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“It’s clam soup that Bernie made. Your favorite.”
I had heard that on Loic’s orders, the castle’s head chef, steward, and even the maids had all come to the villa overnight.
He must have thought a familiar environment would help calm me.
“The Grand Duke personally told the kitchen staff that you must eat today.”
Loic and the knights seemed very busy.
They were probably chasing traces of the dragon or the shaman.
“Just one bite, please. Your appetite might come back.”
If I sent the plate away untouched, Bernie would be heartbroken.
In the end, I leaned back against the headboard.
Cecilia placed the tray on my lap and watched me with a worried expression.
My mouth felt dry, and after only a few bites, I put the spoon down.
“Won’t you eat a little more?”
I shook my head, and eventually Retta came to clear the soup.
“If you lie down right away, you might feel sick, so please sit for a bit.”
As Cecilia leaned over to place another pillow behind my back, a drop of water fell onto my face.
I flinched and looked up.
“…Cecilia? Are you crying?”
Large tears were falling from her brown eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
She hurriedly wiped her tears.
Seeing my maid cry like this for the first time startled me.
“Why are you crying? Did something happen?”
Cecilia spoke with a slightly choked voice.
“I’m just relieved that you’re safe… and I’m also sorry I didn’t notice sooner…”
Only then did I realize that I wasn’t the only one shaken.
Cecilia had been in the same carriage as Meisel.
The shock must have been immense when Meisel’s identity was revealed.
“Sit here.”
I pulled her hand and guided her to the stool.
“This isn’t your fault. The knights didn’t notice either.”
Thinking about it, it must have been a sudden disaster for them too.
“But the Grand Duke noticed right away.”
“…Right away?”
The reason I survived was because of Loic.
Because he had come to meet me, the swap was discovered much sooner, and he could immediately start searching.
“How did the Grand Duke know?”
Last night, I hadn’t had the presence of mind to ask.
“I don’t know. He just knew the moment he saw her that it wasn’t you.”
“Really? Just by looking?”
Cecilia told me how shocked everyone had been when Loic roughly dragged Meisel out of the carriage.
“Wait, the Grand Duke grabbed Meisel’s arm?”
“Yes. He grabbed her wrist instantly and threw her out of the carriage.”
How was that possible?
If Loic had touched Meisel, their mana should have reacted violently.
‘Did Cecilia misunderstand?’
But she continued, saying the knights were also extremely curious about how the Grand Duke recognized the fake.
“Everyone says the power of love is incredible.”
She went on at length about how desperately Loic had run to find me.
“I see.”
Strangely, the heavy weight in my chest began to lift.
‘Loic recognized me.’
Suddenly, my fear of the dragon felt foolish.
‘At the end of the day, it’s just a winged reptile.’
And he said he was dying.
The way he rushed to steal my holy power as soon as he realized the imprint meant he was clearly desperate.
Still, the fear lingered—probably because of my ignorance.
‘I don’t know anything about holy power.’
Maybe it was my fault for closing my ears the moment people started calling me a saintess.
‘I can’t keep avoiding this anymore.’
If I had decided to live in Blenheim—no, if I had accepted this world as my own—then I had to face the problems head-on.
There’s no need to be so afraid.
I’ll learn more about saintesses and study holy power properly.
‘There are mages here, and priests too.’
There are plenty of people who can help.
Most of all, Loic is here.
When I remembered his broad, solid back blocking me, my heart felt steadier.
Being curled up like this really isn’t my style.
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