<Chapter 6>
Lusiel’s claws mercilessly pierced Edwin’s side as he embraced Selenia.
He coughed up blood violently.
“Edwin!”
“Run… away…!”
Edwin pressed one hand against his bleeding side, while the other radiated holy power.
‘This should at least hold him off… for a little while.’
His hand, glowing with golden light, touched Lusiel’s face.
In that instant, Lusiel’s face began to burn as though scorched.
“Argh…!”
His face crumbled like sand, scattering ash into the air.
“You little brat…!”
Lusiel’s eyes burned with murderous rage as they fixed on Edwin.
The effect was more powerful than expected. It was Edwin’s first time using holy power against a vampire, and even he hadn’t anticipated its potency.
Lusiel staggered back, clutching his burning face.
He had never imagined that a mere boy like Edwin could wield holy power.
If he got hit with that power again, he’d be seriously injured. It was clear. Now was the time to retreat.
Glaring at Edwin with feral eyes, Lusiel retreated, slinking out of the cave.
Edwin collapsed to the ground.
Selenia knelt down and held his head in her arms.
“Edwin! Why did you do that…?!”
Even if he had some romantic feelings for her, they’d barely known each other. Those feelings couldn’t possibly be strong enough to risk his life.
“…I was going to follow you.”
“What…?”
“I didn’t intend to get involved, just watch from afar….”
Edwin’s face was growing paler by the second.
Despite his ragged breathing, he smiled softly—but it was a sorrowful smile.
“Even that… must have been too much to ask.”
“Don’t talk like you’re about to die, Edwin!”
Selenia pressed both hands against the bleeding wound in his side, frantically looking around. She needed something to stop the bleeding.
Meanwhile, Edwin’s lips had turned an ominous shade of blue.
“The wound is deep… I don’t know if I can hold on…”
His voice faded into the air like a dying echo.
He had used so much holy power that he no longer had the strength to heal himself.
Selenia tore her shirt and pressed the cloth against the wound.
She took off her robe and wrapped it around him to keep his body warm, then gently moved him closer to the campfire.
She gazed down at him, breathing so weakly he seemed on the verge of death.
Then she slowly stood up.
“…Your Highness.”
Edwin instinctively reached out with a trembling hand and grabbed the hem of her robe.
“Even now… my feelings…”
He struggled to open his mouth, desperate to confess his feelings before he died.
If he died like this, it would haunt him that he never got the chance.
“I’ll hear the rest… when you recover.”
But Selenia interrupted him, her voice thick with emotion.
She didn’t want to hear words that sounded like a final farewell.
He would live—she would make sure of it.
“Until I bring back the herbs… don’t you dare die.”
As she turned to leave the cave, she paused and looked back.
“That’s an order.”
Edwin gave her a faint smile, like a dying ember flickering out.
Gripped by sorrow, Selenia shut her eyes tight and left the cave. Outside, raindrops had begun to fall.
She had to find herbs that would stop the bleeding and reduce his fever.
Selenia searched the forest thoroughly. But the rain and dim light made it hard to see the ground.
“Damn it.”
A curse escaped her lips—something she’d never said before.
To make matters worse, the rain began to pour heavily with a deafening roar.
She was growing desperate. The bad weather wasn’t helping.
Edwin was suffering in pain while she fumbled around in the forest.
She wiped the rain from her face and scanned the ground like a hawk.
Finally, her eyes caught sight of a rare herb.
“There it is…!”
A golden-stemmed plant with purple flowers. She was lucky—crushing the stem could stop bleeding, and the flower’s nectar had fever-reducing properties.
She quickly picked the herbs and rushed back to the cave.
In the distance, Edwin lay motionless like a corpse.
She placed a finger under his nose—thankfully, he was still breathing faintly.
“Just a little longer, Edwin.”
With deft hands, Selenia crushed the stem and pressed the paste against his wound.
He groaned in pain.
“Ugh…”
“Just hold on a bit more.”
The bleeding finally stopped. Selenia breathed a small sigh of relief.
Next, she had to administer the flower’s nectar.
She removed the stamens so the nectar would flow easily, brought the flower to his lips, and slowly tilted it.
Thick nectar, the same color as Selenia’s hair, oozed out.
“Mmm…”
As the nectar entered his mouth, color slowly returned to Edwin’s face.
His blue lips turned red again, like before.
“Hah…”
Only then did Selenia exhale in relief and sit down.
Seeing Edwin recovering stirred something deep in her chest.
Ever since her mother died, she had learned to hold back her tears.
But now… she couldn’t.
“Hrk…”
Tears streamed from her eyes.
Rain dripped from her soaked hair. Her body felt heavy from the cold. She hugged her knees and leaned against the cave wall.
Now that Edwin’s hideout was exposed, there was nowhere to return to.
And Lusiel could return at any time—they had to leave.
She had never felt so cornered before.
It all felt like her fault.
No matter what Edwin said, she would take him to the imperial palace. It was too dangerous to leave him behind.
Selenia jumped to her feet.
Despite the cold seeping into her bones, she wouldn’t die here—not by Lusiel’s hands.
She hoisted the unconscious Edwin over her shoulder.
At that moment, she felt thankful for the noble blood running through her veins.
If she weren’t of royal blood, she wouldn’t have had the strength to carry someone bigger than herself.
If she could just reach the next village, she would borrow—or steal—a horse and return to the palace with Edwin.
She would set everything right.
Selenia’s eyes gleamed with resolve.
***
She spent the entire night crossing to the village next to where Edwin had lived.
Had she been in better shape, she would’ve made it much faster, but the rain and carrying Edwin had slowed her down.
Still, she made it by morning.
Selenia stood tall, panting for breath.
She spotted a small house with smoke rising from the chimney.
Something delicious was cooking—probably lunch.
She knocked on the door with Edwin still slung over her back.
“Is anyone home?”
The door creaked open. A small girl, about seven years old, peered out.
“Who are you?”
Startled by the sight of the bloodstains on Selenia’s clothes, the girl’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
“Gasp—are you hurt?”
“Yes. Little one, could we please have some water? This young man is very sick.”
“Okay. Come in.”
The girl scurried to the kitchen.
Soon, she returned, struggling to carry a jar as big as herself. It was full of milk.
“Here, have some milk.”
She plunked the jar down and ran back to fetch steamed potatoes and sweet potatoes.
“These too.”
Red marks peeked out from the sleeves of her dress.
“…Thank you.”
Selenia turned her head, brushing it off casually as she thanked the child.
She took a few sips to wet her throat, then carefully poured some into Edwin’s mouth.
“Mmm…”
His eyelids fluttered open briefly before shutting again.
He wasn’t fully conscious yet.
“Where are your parents?”
“They went to work in the fields.”
“…I see. What’s your name?”
“Del.”
The girl answered smartly. Selenia rummaged through her pockets.
If she were back at the palace, she would’ve given this child a gemstone as thanks.
But all she had was the keepsake necklace her mother had left behind—a diamond imbued with magic that sparkled with a soft glow.
She never took it off except for bathing.
She clenched the pendant tightly, then made a firm decision and unclasped it.
“Del.”
“Yes?”
“This is very precious to me.”
The diamond’s brilliance reflected in Del’s wide eyes.
“If I leave this as collateral… could I borrow your family’s horse?”
“Our horse?”
“I’ll come back with a gift for you and take the necklace back then.”
Del thought for a while, then ran to the door and beckoned.
She led Selenia to the stable, where a brown horse was tied up.
“Here it is.”
“…Here.”
Selenia placed the diamond in Del’s tiny hands.
“Keep it safe. I promise I’ll return.”
“Okay, I will.”
Del beamed and hugged the pendant to her chest.
Selenia pulled up her hood to hide her face, placed Edwin in the front, and climbed onto the horse.
Now that she had a horse, she could get to the capital much faster.
With hope in her heart, she urged the horse forward.
Thanks to her urgency, they reached the capital before a full day had passed.
But the moment they arrived… her hope was shattered.
“Oh no, oh no!”
Wails rang out the moment she entered the city.
Selenia dismounted and looked around, her eyes wide with shock.
There was only one reason.
Everyone—peasants and nobles alike—was dressed in black.
As if someone had died.
“You there!”
She grabbed the hem of a passing man’s cloak.
“Who died?”
No… it couldn’t be…
Her lips trembled as she asked.
The man flared up, as if angry at her ignorance, then sobbed.
“You didn’t hear?! The crown princess was attacked by vampires… and…”
Selenia’s eyes widened in horror.
The man continued, unaware.
“She’s dead!”
At those unbelievable words, Selenia’s vision went white.
