Chapter 15
“Where are the jewels? You said you invested in a mine—why are you talking about jewels?”
“They’re obviously gone! Just say something!”
People grabbed Anais and pressured her, but she had no answer.
“It hurts…!”
Her entire body throbbed with pain from the burns. Struggling just to stay on her feet was a challenge, and the rough handling only made it worse.
What troubled Anais more, however, was something else entirely. She genuinely didn’t know where the jewels were.
‘Why hadn’t Anais thought of that sooner?’
She had read about it in the journal. It mentioned that the jewels were exchanged as part of an escape plan. But Number 33 hadn’t written down where they were hidden. Naturally, who would document such information when planning to flee in the middle of the night?
“This won’t do. Take everything valuable!”
“That statue of the goddess is mine!”
“Move aside!”
The creditors, who had been tormenting Anais, quickly turned into looters. Some grabbed Anais by the collar.
“Let’s take this woman to the Belfast Royal Family!”
In normal times, raiding the Fleur family would have been unthinkable. Though the kingdom was small, weren’t they related to the royal family? Typically, even if they lost money, they would have politely discussed compensation.
But too many things were working against Anais. She had no parents, no grandfather. The family’s assets were gone from the bank, and the whereabouts of the jewels were unknown.
More than that, Anais had scraped together money in front of others like a market vendor, causing her dignity to plummet.
Of course, none of this was Anais’s fault, but the creditors couldn’t possibly know that.
“Stop it! Stop! Anais…”
Anais protested, but the creditors ignored her. Someone ripped the brooch from her indoor clothes.
“It’s expensive, right? I’ll take this cameo!”
“What are you doing?!”
Anais screamed, clutching at her chest, but another person pulled at her bonnet.
“Look at this lace! It’s imperial! Did you make these clothes with my money?”
It wasn’t even a concern that her burnt hair and forehead were exposed. Anais’s eyes filled with tears. Please stop, please…
At that moment.
“What are you all doing?!”
A loud voice rang out, followed by a heavy pressure that filled the air. The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Anais involuntarily drew a sharp breath.
Unbeknownst to her, this was a shout imbued with the spirit of a knight. People would be frightened or even fall to their knees and in this case, everyone did just that.
Someone gasped and collapsed. Another person staggered back in shock.
“What are you doing to a patient?”
A low, serious rebuke followed in the now-silent Great Hall. Everyone instinctively looked up.
A rarely seen, beautiful face glared down at them with reproach autumn-green eyes.
It was Elliot.
From the moment the maid ran to Anais’s room, Elliot followed her and witnessed all the chaos Anais had endured.
Naturally, he had seen everything Anais went through and heard her words.
Anais’s behavior had been far too clumsy. The answers she gave to the furious investors were hollow, and in the end, they were futile.
She claimed that they should trust her because she was a relative of the Queen—speaking to people who had invested because they were related.
Elliot’s mind had been in turmoil since then, unable to decide what to do.
“Who are you?”
One of the angry investors shouted, even as the confusion lingered. Elliot sighed before answering.
“I’m someone who dislikes mistreating patients.”
“State your name!”
“We were scammed by this woman! Does it matter if she’s a patient?”
Elliot wanted to lash out at them, but he understood their ignorance.
To the people, Anais, who collapsed must have seemed like a deceitful fraudster. He could see why they were so upset, but he also understood Anais’s situation. He had to consider both sides.
He spoke again.
“My name is Elliot Resaloniki.”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
People were astonished by the unexpected name. The name Resaloniki carried significant weight.
“The leader of the Black Dragon Knights?”
“Yes.”
“…Have you come to collect a debt from this family too?”
“Right, the Resaloniki family also invested…”
Elliot clenched his jaw, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them.
Damn it, Kie!
Cursing his sister, who he had always suspected was destined to be his greatest nemesis, he answered firmly.
“No.”
“Then why are you here, Sir Resaloniki?”
Instead of explaining that he was here to determine if Anais was possessed, Elliot drew his sword. The heavy sound of it unsheathing echoed through the hall.
“…The Eternal Snow of Resaloniki…”
“Yes. This is the Eternal Snow.”
Elliot spoke calmly as he held up the sword—an heirloom of the Resaloniki family.
It was a magic sword forged by a dragon for the previous leader of the Blue Dragon Knights—a sword of exorcism, designed to vanquish evil.
He looked at it for a moment before driving it into the stone floor.
The sword sank into the floor with a resounding crack.
Normally, a sword would bounce off the stone.
However, the Perennial Snow was no ordinary weapon. The sound of the white stone splitting echoed through the hall.
People’s mouths hung open as Elliot didn’t stop.
“My goodness…”
The sword sank halfway into the Great Hall’s floor before coming to a stop.
Only then did Elliot release the sword and raise his head. The room was now filled with expressions of awe and fear.
“This sword belongs to Resaloniki. As long as this sword remains embedded in the Fleur estate’s Great Hall, Resaloniki guarantees Fleur.”
“…What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what it says.”
Despite his calm tone, Elliot’s mind was chaotic.
Is this the right thing to do? Should he be making this guarantee? He had no idea.
But another part of him thought it was the right thing to do. Helping someone who had clearly been wronged was the only course of action.
And, more importantly, that wronged person might be suffering because of his words.
“Anais Fleur must accompany me to the north for a mission of the Blue Dragon Knights.”
The creditors were confused by this statement.
“Does that mean Lady Fleur isn’t trying to escape?”
Elliot hesitated. Everything seemed to point toward a possession trying to escape.
Even if Anais Fleur returned and disproved the possession’s escape plan, Elliot would still be lying.
Could he lie as an agent of the dragon?
But the crowd had already begun concluding before Elliot could speak further.
“The Blue Dragon Knights don’t cover separate travel expenses…”
“If it’s to the northern Vidna Mountains, it would take a lot of money…”
“But she withdrew all her savings?”
“Still, if it’s guaranteed by the Resaloniki family…”
The Resaloniki family was of a much higher standing than the Fleur family. They were renowned throughout the continent, while the Fleur family was only respected in Belfast.
Elliot chose not to elaborate further and began to move toward Anais.
He helped her to her feet, as she struggled to rise, still staring at him.
“Lady Fleur.”
Anais looked up at Elliot, who knelt before her and extended his hand.
It was a complete disaster. Her bonnet was in tatters, her body ached, and her collar had been torn. Anais Fleur had never felt worse.
But, despite everything, Anais decided to take his hand.
She gracefully placed her free hand in his and stood.
Though she limped from an injured leg and was in terrible pain, Anais managed to retain her dignity, thanks to Elliot’s support.
She glanced around the now-silent hall, swallowed hard, and spoke.
“Since the Resaloniki family has kindly vouched for my innocence, it’s only right that I repay them.”
“……”
“I, Anais Fleur, swear in the name of the Good Dragon.”
The name of the Good Dragon was an oath that bound a person’s soul. Breaking it would unleash hellfire upon the oath-breaker.
“From this moment on, I will repay all the debts I have incurred. And I will restore the honor of the Fleur family.”
There was no room for doubt. One by one, the people left the Great Hall.
Soon, only the two of them remained.
