Chapter 82
The Second Prince woke up from the commotion.
The first thing he felt was excruciating pain in his ankle.
Bowing his head, he stared blankly at the bandaged ankle.
He tried to recall what had happened, but only the horrific pain resurfaced.
Unable to move, the Second Prince dragged himself to the window and looked outside.
“Ahhh!”
Monsters had come right up to him.
Startled, he stumbled backward.
Hearing his scream, Kane approached the carriage window.
“Your Highness! It’s dangerous outside, so please don’t come out!”
“Ah, I understand, but hurry and kill those monsters! Ah, no! Protect me. Just stay around the carriage!”
The Second Prince covered his ears and curled up.
The pain in his ankle persisted, and the screams from around him kept gnawing at his nerves.
With eyes bloodshot from burst veins, he bit at his lips relentlessly.
Even as he drew blood, he didn’t stop.
Then, suddenly, he remembered the large stone outside the window—the one his mother had insisted he bring.
“The Holy Stone…”
Compelled, he got up and stood before the door.
He reached for the doorknob but couldn’t move further.
“My priority… should be to survive. Yes. Mother would surely be relieved…”
As he tried to step back, he paused again.
“No, Mother wouldn’t be like that… She would be angry, for sure…”
His heart burned as intensely as his inner conflict.
As his breathing grew shallow and his vision started to whiten,
the door suddenly flung open.
“Ahhh!”
Startled, he immediately curled up.
“Protect me! Quickly!”
“It’s me.”
The Second Prince lifted his head sharply.
It was his advisor.
Relieved, he crawled toward him on his knees.
“I… I don’t think I can bring the Holy Stone. Could you speak to Mother on my behalf? If you do, I’ll forgive all the rudeness you’ve shown me until now.”
The advisor silently looked down at the Second Prince at his feet.
Then he took something from his chest and dropped it.
“This…!”
The Second Prince recognized it as the Holy Stone.
Without hesitation, he quickly stretched out his hands and grabbed it.
Clutching it tightly, it became the most precious thing in his possession.
“Thank you! Without you, I would have been in serious trouble…!”
“…Are you pleased?”
“Of course! Now I can finally hear Mother’s praise, so what is there to fear…”
“I am not pleased,” the advisor said.
The Second Prince noticed that his voice was lower than usual.
“I expected, expected, and expected again… But why does this ominous feeling always turn out to be correct?”
Blood dripped from the tightly clenched fist of the advisor.
Where it touched the carriage floor, it blackened and rotted.
“Whoever is the target of my anger, Mother, I, and Duke Persia will deal with them. I will surely tell Mother of your achievements.”
The advisor turned his gaze to the window.
The battle had already ended, and Wished and Luna were standing there. Wished carefully rubbed near the scratch on Luna’s cheek.
Luna smiled as if nothing had happened.
It was completely different from when she had touched her own cheek.
“You mustn’t do that, Luna.”
It’s different.
“That smile… it should have been mine.”
His gaze, once fixed on Luna, shifted to Wished.
“I will come for you, Wished. I will kill you without fail.”
Just a few steps remained.
To reclaim everything of mine.
As Mikhail said, the place I had been was near the center of the sacred grounds.
The battle wasn’t over yet, so I was carried swiftly in Wished’s arms.
By the time we arrived, the battle was almost done. As soon as Wished entered, it ended completely.
The fight had been so chaotic that I didn’t notice one or two people disappearing, but I realized Wished had disappeared and reappeared.
He didn’t ask what had happened first.
Instead, he asked if I was in much pain from the minor scratches.
“A little stingy. I didn’t even notice it when I was hurt.”
“Even on your cheek?”
“Oh, really?”
I unconsciously raised my hand to my cheek but was stopped by Wished.
He gently rubbed near the wound as if stroking soft fur.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
It was ironic. Someone who could kill casually asked about a minor wound, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Wished narrowed his brows, carefully observing the wound, then looked at me.
“Why are you smiling? What’s so good about being hurt?”
I lowered my voice.
“Wished, did I bleed?”
I realized too late that my blood smelled sweet to the beastmen.
Wished’s expression, which had relaxed slightly, grew serious, and he brought his face close to mine.
After sniffing carefully for a while, he pulled back.
“Just a little. Anyway, there are only my subordinates here, so it’s fine.”
Even as he said that, he anxiously rubbed his pheromones on my body.
The blood smell was fully masked, and his expression relaxed a bit.
Since some knights were injured, we decided to set up tents a little away from the sacred grounds.
Fortunately, none of us were seriously hurt. Helen fainted briefly but soon woke up, and nothing else happened.
After changing into pajamas, we entered Wished’s tent.
He was shirtless.
I froze for a moment, ready to step back, but then noticed his scarred body. I had seen him without a shirt a few times, but always in chaotic situations, so this was the first time I saw him properly.
I knew he had scars, but not to this extent.
As I approached, Wished quickly put on a shirt.
“What is it, Luna? Admiring a pervert?”
He spoke playfully.
“Why do you have scars? Wished… your recovery is fast.”
Beastmen’s bodies rarely retain scars.
“Want me to tell you? You might cry if I do.”
“…N-no, I don’t want to hear.”
I spoke lightly and sat down.
Then I took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I’ll tell you everything from the beginning.”
“Take your time.”
I shook my head.
“It’s okay. Really, nothing serious happened.”
Wished sat beside me, and I fiddled with the golden bell on my thigh as I began to speak.
From the moment someone grabbed my hand, to what Mikhail had said—I recounted everything.
Of course, I didn’t mention Reynold’s true identity.
“…You’re a lucky charm?”
“That’s what they said.”
Even thinking about it now felt absurd.
“What do you think, Wished? Do I really seem like a lucky charm?”
“If that’s true, then the Pope had the most definite reason to kidnap you.”
Even so, it had nothing to do with what the Pope had actually said.
Since I lied that I had arrived before speaking with the Pope, I didn’t correct Wished.
“But then, why did you show no reaction when leaving the temple? I was even with the golden bell.”
“Maybe it was all a lie.”
He spoke so seriously that it sounded sincere.
“The temple guy said he would show evidence, right? Then we just need to check it.”
“Oh, but that’s a bit… we’d have to go to the temple.”
Wished frowned.
“That won’t do. Besides, nothing changes even if you are a lucky charm.”
I agreed.
I wouldn’t want special treatment or for it to be revealed just because I was a lucky charm.
“Now, let’s sleep. I’m sleepy.”
I yawned and stretched, and Wished followed.
Then he took my hand.
“…Is this because of him?”
Wished’s gaze landed on my arm.
I was wearing a translucent cardigan over my pajamas, but bruises were visible.
It was the first time Wished mentioned the culprit.
He carefully held me by the shoulder.
“Luna. I promise.”
His voice settled over my head.
“I will make sure to kill him.”
But Wished… that’s not the one who should die.
Muttering words I couldn’t speak aloud, I closed my eyes.
