TGDHC Chapter 185

Chapter 185 – A Move at the Edge of the Cliff

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Loic’s voice was terribly hoarse.

“I’m okay. I’m not hurt at all.”

“…That’s a relief.”

His trembling hands moved anxiously along my back, checking me over again and again.

“Thank goodness… thank goodness…”

Loic kept repeating those words quietly.
His clothes carried the cold scent of the northern wind.

I wanted to see his face, but his arms were wrapped around me so tightly that he wouldn’t let go.

His large body was shaking so much that my own body moved with it.

“Were you very shocked because of me?” I asked softly.

This was the first time I had ever seen Loic so shaken.

If the situation had been reversed, I would probably have been just as terrified.

Feeling sorry, I gently patted his wide back and kept whispering that I was fine.

Only after a long moment did Loic reluctantly loosen his arms.

“I’m sorry,” he said, biting his lip.

“I wanted to come sooner, but there was no mage in the castle…”

Only then did I remember that Enolius had left on a mission with the 9th Knight Order because of the gate project.

“You must have waited a long time. Were you frightened?” Loic asked.

“You came quickly, Loic,” I replied.

I brushed his messy hair back with my clean hand.

“And I wasn’t alone, so I wasn’t that scared.”

Only then did Loic’s eyes move past me toward Lucion, who was standing behind.

Seeing the blood on Lucion’s forehead and shirt, Loic’s expression hardened slightly.

Carefully, I spoke.

“I wasn’t hurt thanks to the Prince.”

“I see.”

Loic immediately turned toward Lucion and spoke politely.

“Your Highness, I owe you a debt I can never fully repay.”

Lucion seemed a little awkward with the formal tone.

“On the contrary,” he replied, “Her Highness saved my life. Please don’t worry about it.”

Loic turned toward the knights who had arrived.

“Where is the priest?”

“I-I’m here!”

Pushing through the knights, Miel hurried forward, completely exhausted.

His hair was a mess as if he had rushed here on horseback.

“Your Highness! Are you safe?”

“I’m fine. Please check the Prince’s injuries.”

“Oh my!”

Seeing Lucion covered in blood, Miel rushed to him.

But then he tilted his head in confusion.

“You’ve already received healing? I can feel holy power from you…”

For a moment, the eyes of Miel, Lucion, Loic, and me met.

Miel quickly realized what had happened, and his face brightened with excitement.

“Your Highness! You succeeded in healing!”

“Priest.”

“…I apologize!”

When Loic gave him a warning look, Miel quickly controlled his expression and began healing Lucion’s smaller scratches.

“Your Highness!”

Cecilia came running toward me.

Her eyes were swollen from crying.

“I really thought something terrible had happened to you!”

Looking around, I saw the chaotic backstage area beyond the people who were finally sighing in relief.

“Your Highness, thank goodness you’re safe!”

“The Goddess has protected you!”

The theater staff were sweating nervously.

There’s going to be a lot to clean up…

Tomorrow’s performance would be a problem.

While I was sighing inwardly, Loic wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“Annette, let’s go back now.”

“Wait a moment.”

I placed my hand on his chest.

“Why?”

“There’s a lot to handle… before we leave, we should discuss how to fix things…”

“You said… work?”

Loic’s voice dropped.

“Well… if the performance is tomorrow, they need to clean everything, repair the backdrops, and prevent another accident—”

“Annette.”

Loic interrupted me gently but firmly.

“That is something the people here will handle.”

He forced a smile, trying to remain patient.

“So Annette should return to the castle and rest—”

Suddenly he stopped speaking.

He had noticed something unusual about my hand.

Loic lifted the hand he was holding.

His sharp gaze fell on the dried blood on it.

“What is this?”

“I’m not hurt.”

Seeing his shaking eyes, I whispered so only he could hear.

“It’s just a little of the Prince’s blood.”

Loic bit his lip tightly.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

Then he said coldly,

“Who is responsible?”

The air around us instantly became cold.

Alchent stepped forward nervously.

“Y-Your Grace…”

“I will give you one chance,” Loic said with a frightening gaze.

“Restore everything to its original condition by tomorrow.”

Alchent bowed his head without daring to speak.

“If tomorrow’s performance is disrupted, or if rumors spread because of today’s accident, I will hold you responsible twice over.”

“I-I understand!”

Loic then turned back to me.

“Let’s go.”

In the end, I had no choice but to nod.

Leaving the Theater

The backstage entrance we had used earlier was blocked by the collapsed backdrops.

So we had to leave through the lobby hall.

“If you carry me outside, people will think it’s strange,” I said.

Loic often carried me when I was tired, but many audience members had seen him and the knights rush into the theater.

There were definitely still people in the lobby.

Loic closed his mouth and said nothing more.

Instead, he held my blood-stained hand tightly so no one would see it.

As expected, many people were still in the lobby.

“Look, they’re coming out!”

“Your Grace! Your Highness!”

Curious nobles greeted us.

Luckily the knights surrounding us kept them from coming too close.

We were almost at the exit.

Holding Loic’s hand, I walked forward, feeling both relief and exhaustion.

Then—

“Your Highness!”

A woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd.

Loic quickly pulled me behind him.

Who is that?

The woman blocked our path and suddenly fell to her knees.

Her hair was messy and her face pale without makeup.

Even though she looked disheveled, her eyes were filled with sharp hostility.

“What is this?” Loic frowned.

As the knights moved to remove her, the woman shouted toward me.

“Your Highness! Please save my daughter!”

Save her daughter?

Do I know her?

“Oh my— isn’t that Countess Avoir?” one noblewoman whispered.

More murmurs followed.

“She hasn’t appeared in public for a while…”

“What happened to her?”

That’s Meisel’s mother?

Only then did I remember the woman from the lakeside tea party.

The proud, elegant noblewoman from before looked nothing like this desperate woman now.

“I beg you on my knees! Please show mercy to my daughter!”

“What does she mean?”

“Isn’t Lady Meisel in a monastery?”

“Did she cause trouble again?”

The public still didn’t know what Meisel had done after escaping the monastery.

Loic had once told me:

“Her punishment is being discussed with Count Abor. Please don’t worry about it.”

I knew Meisel was imprisoned underground, but I didn’t know anything about her final punishment.

Loic’s expression turned cold.

He signaled Norton with his eyes.

“Take the Countess to her residence.”

Just as the knights moved—

The Countess shook them off violently and shouted toward the crowd.

“Everyone! My daughter threatened the Grand Duchess!”

“What?”

The crowd began whispering.

Loic’s jaw tightened.

“Because of Meisel, the Grand Duchess was kidnapped and nearly lost her life!”

“Good heavens!”

“What is she doing saying this here?!”

Many people had gathered in the lobby.

The Countess loudly revealed everything Meisel had done, as if she wanted everyone to know.

Why is she doing this?

I stood there in confusion.

Then the Countess shouted with bloodshot eyes:

“Everyone, listen! My daughter tried to become the Grand Duchess!”