Chapter 13
Originally, a noble young lady’s breakfast—meaning Anais’s breakfast—usually went like this.
First, she would wake up only after the sun was high in the sky.
Then, she would complain that she had no appetite.
The nanny would smile and say that it was only natural for someone to have no appetite right after waking up. Then she would place a tiny breakfast in front of Anais, no bigger than bird feed.
She would also make sure to serve a glass of sour juice to help wake her up.
But today’s breakfast was anything but peaceful.
Before the sun had even risen, Atlas knocked on Anais’s door.
Anne, who had also just woken up, rushed out of the room next door in shock.
“Our young lady is still asleep!”
She tried to send him away, but Atlas looked at her as if wondering why a dog was barking.
“I don’t think so.”
“Our young lady is practically unconscious at this hour!”
“After suffering burns like that, there’s no way she could sleep.”
Anne wanted to argue, but Atlas was right.
The noise of the two arguing outside the door woke Anais, and she opened it.
Her face looked pale and exhausted.
“Please come in.”
With those short words,
Atlas delivered Elliot’s message.
The Commander wanted her to join him for breakfast.
Anne immediately started protesting.
“What are you talking about? Can’t you see the dark circles under our young lady’s eyes? She’s not well enough to even sit in the dining room. She should eat in bed. Besides, a respectable young lady can’t have breakfast alone with a man she doesn’t even know!”
Atlas answered without much emotion.
“Then we’ll all eat together.”
Anne nearly fainted.
But Atlas looked completely confused, as if he couldn’t understand what the problem was.
“If three people aren’t enough, then let’s include Tuberosa and make it five.”
Unfortunately, they couldn’t place a horse’s feeding trough inside Anais’s room.
So, in the end, the three of them had breakfast together.
Anne sighed over and over as she helped Anais eat.
A bowl of porridge made from ground grains mixed with milk was placed in front of Anais, since she could barely swallow anything.
After Anais managed to take only a few spoonfuls,
Elliot finally spoke.
“Miss Fleur. You will have to come with me.”
Anne answered before Anais could.
“…I’m sorry, Sir Knight, but couldn’t you wait until our young lady finishes eating?”
“If that were my intention, I wouldn’t have sent Atlas here so early.”
“I’d rather die than be sick…”
Anais shook her head and raised a hand to stop Anne.
“It’s alright, Anne. Anais can’t digest it anyway. I can’t eat any more.”
“Oh, Miss… Please try to eat just a little more.”
Leaving Anne’s worried voice behind,
Anais looked at Elliot.
“I understand. What do I need to do?”
“…There isn’t really anything you need to do.”
Anais frowned.
Of course, the eyebrows that should have moved were gone, burned away by the lightning.
So only the place where her eyebrows used to be tightened slightly.
“…Should I prepare for the journey? The Possessors you’ve taken before…”
“Oh, they never needed to prepare for a journey.”
Atlas continued.
Anais tilted her head slightly, telling him to go on.
Atlas shrugged.
“Most Possessors resisted and refused to come with us, so our Commander used the Black Dragon’s power to put them to sleep before taking them.”
“…Put them to sleep? But sleeping people can’t walk.”
“Well, obviously not. Since most of them were nobles, their servants or family placed them inside coffins and loaded them onto wagons.”
Anne looked horrified at how casually he described it.
Anais quietly repeated,
“Coffins…”
When she thought about it,
it made sense.
Every Possessor eventually died before the Dragon.
She silently imagined Elliot putting a Possessor to sleep.
It must have looked like a funeral.
Elliot putting the Possessor to sleep.
Family members watching them…
Some already saying their final goodbyes.
Servants carefully placing the sleeping Possessor inside a coffin.
A person who was either already a corpse…
Or someone about to become one.
Compared to that,
perhaps she was in a slightly better situation.
“At least the servants liked it since there wasn’t any rigor mortis.”
“Atlas.”
Elliot quietly warned him.
Atlas awkwardly scratched his head.
“My apologies.”
Anais let out a quiet sigh.
“Anne, please prepare for the journey. How long does it take to reach the Vidna Mountain Range, where the Black Dragon is?”
“We passed through a Gate and rode without stopping. It took just under thirty days.”
Anais looked puzzled.
“You possess the Black Dragon’s power, don’t you? Don’t you use magic?”
Every kind of magic in this world came from Dragons.
Because of that, magic was always expensive, and ordinary people could never hope to use it.
But the Azure Dragon Knights wielded the Dragon’s power.
Surely magic wouldn’t be expensive for them.
Elliot answered calmly.
“The Azure Dragon Knights carry out the will of the great Dragon. That is why we guard ourselves against arrogance above all else.”
“So… you don’t use magic.”
“Yeah, pretty much. We can use it, but our Commander is unusually strict about things like that.”
Atlas added.
Anais looked at Elliot again.
His calm eyes.
His tightly closed lips.
His firm jaw.
Even though he was unbelievably handsome,
she had never found him attractive.
Now she understood why.
Guards against arrogance.
Strict.
He’s an old-fashioned stiff…
If Anne heard that thought, she would surely scold her for being rude.
Anais sighed.
“Very well. Anais will prepare a carriage.”
But Elliot frowned slightly.
“…Can’t you ride a horse?”
“Huh? I can ride, but…”
Atlas quickly interrupted.
“When you say carriage… do you mean a two-horse carriage? One that carries luggage too?”
“Is there another kind?”
Anais asked in confusion.
Atlas burst into loud laughter.
“Haha! This is driving me crazy. Commander, I can’t even respond to this.”
His tone clearly mocked her.
Anais frowned.
After looking at her for a moment,
Elliot spoke with difficulty.
“I’m sorry, Miss Fleur.
But a carriage won’t be possible.”
“What? But…”
“No, in the first place, the Black Dragon has summoned you. This isn’t a sightseeing trip across the continent.”
Atlas cut her off.
Anais slightly opened her mouth.
But Atlas continued before she could speak.
“Right now, you have to prove that you are not a Possessor. Your life is at stake. Shouldn’t you reach the Black Dragon as quickly as possible and ask for mercy?”
Most people would panic after hearing that.
But Anais only tilted her head.
“But Anais isn’t a Possessor.”
“…That’s exactly why, until the Black Dragon confirms it, Miss Fleur, you’re still considered—”
“You’re Sir Atlas, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“The Black Dragon is completely fair and can perfectly distinguish Possessors, isn’t that true?”
Atlas looked offended.
“How dare you even question the Black Dragon? The fairest judge on the continent is the Black Dragon Himself!”
“Exactly.”
“So the Black Dragon will quickly prove that Anais is innocent.”
She looked Atlas straight in the eyes.
“But Anais has committed no crime. So I don’t want to desperately beg for my life while forcing myself to ride a horse that I’m not even used to.”
“Miss Fleur!”
“Sir Atlas.”
Atlas had unknowingly raised his voice.
But Anais calmly looked back at him.
She understood exactly what he was trying to say.
These people had to bring her before the Dragon and determine whether she was lying about being a Possessor.
That was their duty.
Anais also felt wronged.
The Possessor had ruined her life.
An entire year of her memories was gone.
On top of that,
the face that had once been the most beautiful in the world was now covered with burns.
She was already struggling to deal with that,
and now even the Dragon from ancient legends had suddenly become part of her life.
Naturally,
most people would panic and rush to the Dragon to clear their name.
But for Anais,
it didn’t feel like the most important thing.
That was only natural.
Because, as Atlas kept calling her,
she was Miss Fleur.
“Do you think I’m refusing simply because riding a horse to the Vidna Mountain Range would be difficult?”
“Then why are you refusing?”
“Thirty days of nonstop riding to the Vidna Mountain Range. That’s your speed as knights. It would take even longer for Anais.”
She paused.
“Because Anais is a patient.”
“…We will take your condition into consideration.”
“Sir Atlas.”
“Do you know what my nickname is?”
Atlas frowned.
Anais answered calmly.
“The Princess of Belfast.”
“What does that have to do with this? If you’re saying you want to be treated like a princess—”
“Sir Atlas.”
“After listening to you, I finally understand.”
“You seem to think Anais is a complete fool.”
She stared directly at him with angry green eyes.
“I may not actually be a princess, but being called one means I also carry responsibilities in Belfast worthy of that title.”
Just then—
“Miss! Miss!”
A maid came running toward them in a hurry.
Anne looked at her with a scolding expression,
but the maid paid no attention.
“Miss, I think you need to come outside.”
