Chapter 86
“…”
I slowly gathered my consciousness .
An unfamiliar ceiling appeared in my blurry vision as I gradually woke up . It was completely different compared to the grand ivy carvings of the castle ceiling I was used to . Instead, simple beams adorned the flat ceiling of the room .
Where am I? My mind posed a curious question . My eyes were better now, but my head still didn’t work properly . For a short while, I daydreamed without purpose until my brain decided to function again . I then remembered my escort’s pale, faded complexion .
“Klaus!… . Ow…?!”
A dull pain hit my head when I tried to get up .
This is… probably that . A migraine from when you had either slept for too long or woke up halfway through your sleep .
Holding my forehead with the tips of my fingers, I waited for the agonising pain to pass and breathed a sigh of relief .
“If it’s Klaus you’re thinking of, he’s fine . Don’t worry . ”
A voice came as soon as the pain had subsided . I scanned the room but saw no one .
Over here . ’ I looked out the window towards the direction of the voice and saw a hand waving from outside . I got up from the sofa and approached the window sill .
When I peeked outside, I was greeted by a pair of honey-coloured eyes belonging to a young man . He was sitting on the ground while staring at the sea with his back leaned against the outer wall .
“Wolf . ”
“Morning . Seems you’re having trouble getting up . ”
As he laughed out loud, I could see the hidden fatigue on his face .
“Did I pass out?”
“Don’t you remember what happened?”
“Err… Just a bit… Here and there…”
I tried to recall my memories while trying to talk, which resulted in a jumble of nonsense .
After Klaus regained consciousness, I had then laid down from exhaustion . I couldn’t remember if I had passed out after that .
According to Wolf, I stepped outside for a drink and then felt a terrible headache . When that happened, he carried me to another room and I ended up sleeping on the sofa .
“You slept for so long . Everyone was worried, you know?”
“I have nothing to say to that…”
I hung my head in shame .
Although he was concentrating on treating Klaus, there were still many others who were injured . He probably treated them too while I slept through it all . I wish I could disappear . Rather, can someone please take me away from here right now?
“What are you feeling down for?”
“Because I haven’t done anything to help . I’ve been saved many times and yet I didn’t even say thank you . ”
The doctor and Michael saved Klaus’ life . Not only that, but the people who brought Michael to us, Georg and Miss Bianca, also helped greatly . Mia and Flora did their parts as well .
“You definitely said thanks to that young magician of yours . ”
“Eh?”
“You grabbed that young man’s arm and repeatedly cried ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ over and over again . ”
Through his words, I remembered more of that night .
The gentlemanly Michael offered to help me up on my feet . However, I instead grabbed his arm and repeated words of gratitude many times like a broken record player . I remembered how his black eyes started to well up . What was I doing, making my benefactor cry?
“You also cried out ‘Thank you very much!’ to anyone passing by when I carried you . ”
Was I drunk?! I can’t accept that harsh reality!
If that was true, haven’t I dug my own grave?!
“It was pretty interesting . All the crewmembers were baffled . It was such a shameful sight that I couldn’t even bear to look . Even that handsome-looking acquaintance of yours was bright red, you know?”
“Please stop . I will die from embarrassment at this rate . ”
I covered my beet red face with my hands .
A hearty laugh roared over my head as Wolf bent down closer .
“I knew it . You feel nothing like a princess . ”
He said in a firm voice .
Peeking from between my fingers, Wolf’s soft eyes stared back at me with a kind expression .
Towards his affectionate gaze, my body turned stiff from its charm .
I slowly lowered my hands and opened my mouth .
“Wolf . ”
“Hm?”
“Thank you very much!”
I dropped my line of sight from Wolf as I sat down on the carpet with my back straight . Bending over slightly, I stretched out my hands on the floor in front of my knees and formed a triangle with my fingertips . As I deeply brought down my head, Wolf cried out in a panic .
“Oi! Mary! What the heck are you doing?!”
“Thanking you . ”
“I can tell just by looking! But that’s not the point! You’re a princess! How can you lower your head to a mere apothecary like me?!”
“It doesn’t matter whether if I’m a princess or if you’re an apothecary, you have my gratitude . Besides, we’re not in public . It’s just the two of us right now . ”
“Even if you say that-!”
“The miracle clan, Kua . ”
“!!”
Wolf’s eyes opened wide in surprise to my words .
“I heard that you’re from a mysterious clan that rarely gets involved with the outside world . Wouldn’t it make things difficult for you if you revealed your identity?”
A clan that didn’t work for anyone despite having a vast knowledge of medicine and technology . It seemed my journey will be much harder than I first imagined .
Anyone can learn and inherit knowledge if they were enthusiastic enough . But for any further development, money was key . However, the clan didn’t seek out business or sponsors, nor did they raise the price of their drugs . After thinking up to this point, I still couldn’t come up with a good reason to explain why they chose to be so elusive .
Besides, even if the clan refused service, a man of powerful status wouldn’t give up so easily . Those sorts of influential people tended to be more stubborn than the average person, especially when it came to protecting their pride and honour . There will be someone out there whose intention is to monopolise the clan’s immense knowledge and skills .
I believed that the Kua Clan had more reasons for keeping its whereabouts secrets other than cultural traditions .
“You could have kept your identity a secret, and you were also well-aware of the risks that came with exposing it . Yet, you still chose to save Klaus . For that, you have my sincere gratitude for saving my precious escort . ”
I lowered my head one more time .
Silence fell upon the room . Only the sound of the distant sea waves echoed in my ears . What finally broke the gentle calm was a long, long sigh .
“…?”
Was he surprised? I raised my face up a little to confirm the situation and noticed that Wolf had also bowed his head towards me .
“Wolf?”
“Stop it . I’m not a man that deserves your gratitude . ”
Wolf raised his face back up as he spat out those words bitterly . The lingering sharpness had a hint of self-loathing mixed within .
“Whether it was the servant girl who collapsed or the sailor that was injured, I was the one who forced them all on you, remember?”
“That couldn’t be helped because you were trying to hide your identity . If I hadn’t pulled through, you were going to treat them yourself anyway, am I right?”
It was certainly true that Wolf entrusted me to treat Mia and Kurt . But if I had refused, he would have taken over immediately . I believe this to be a fact, and not mere speculation .
“I was using you! Don’t you get it?!”
“Me?”
Listening to his words, my eyes widened in surprise .
But why? A simple question came to mind . I wonder what he had to gain by doing something like that . As if he was reading my mind, Wolf spoke further .
“I dropped by Nabel to meet the rumoured Goddess . ”
Apparently, Wolf had been gathering up information at the harbour for a while . He heard that a ship, the Julius zu Eigel, was departing in the name of the previous Marquis Eigel’s second son . He also heard that the Marquis was related to the Goddess in question and that she was aboard the ship .
“I was on a return journey back home anyway . When I heard that the Goddess was going to be on board, I thought of how lucky I was . Well, I found out the truth soon after though . ”
After Wolf realised that Flora wasn’t the real Goddess of the rumours, he had decided to go on a different journey . However, he met me in the ship’s kitchen first .
“My hair colour should have been different then . ”
“That’s right, but I was still curious . Besides, it doesn’t matter much if you’re the Goddess or not, because the thing I’m trying to find is not just the Goddess herself . ”
Something else he wanted to find?
When I probed him further with my eyes, for some reason, Wolf’s facial expression became sour . Since he always had a reliable look on his face, the sour expression made him look like a child being scolded .
I didn’t want to ask him directly, so I rephrased my question .
“…Was I able to fulfill your expectations?”
I asked with a smile, half expecting him to respond with ‘Don’t be silly . ’ like usual .
But instead, his facial expression became even more clouded . With an exhausted look, Wolf brushed away his bangs and scoffed .
“Not exactly . Are you serious? Why did you have to be a princess? It’s good and all to have power, but I wished you had been born with a lower social status . ”
At first glance, it sounded like something out of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . However, it didn’t sound like he was speaking to a lover . I felt as if I was being blamed for some reason .
“If you’re a princess then act like a princess . Be more honourable . If you had been a spoiled brat, ignorant, vulnerable, and arrogant… then I would’ve tried to find someone else . I’ve always believed that anyone with power wouldn’t have much good in them . ”
“Wolf…?”
I didn’t know what he was talking about .
Wolf stared at me, but I was still confused .
“…Hey, Mary . ”
His large hand extended and grabbed my arm .
At this point, my confusion turned into bewilderment .
“Do you know what will happen to you after this?”
“Well, since I’ve exposed myself as a princess, I would probably be taken to Flamme’s Royal Palace . After that, I would likely be deported back to Nabel . ”
The royalties of Flamme would practically be saying ‘We’ve taken care of our guest before sending them back home’ by doing so .
Even though I’ve finally met someone from the Kua Clan, I lost the chance for any meaningful negotiations . Furthermore, since Wolf’s identity had been exposed, it would be impossible to keep him by my side any longer .
I would return home without having achieved anything .
“Just to be sure, can you come back?”
“I don’t think so… Even getting out of the castle will be quite a task . ”
‘I don’t think Father would give this failure of a daughter another chance to redeem herself . ’
I muttered ruefully with a smile . Wolf then breathed out another long sigh and turned towards me, his expression surprisingly serious .
“Very well… Then it can’t be helped . ”
“Eh…? W-Wait!”
My field of view was suddenly reversed . My line of sight that stared up at the sky through the window was now gazing at the ground .
Wolf picked me up and carried me on his shoulder . He grabbed my luggage that I had set aside and pulled a cloak over me .
We disappeared into a back door .
Wolf descended down the flight of stairs without any hesitation .
“Eh?! What’s this?! What are you doing?!”
Why am I being carried?!
Besides, where are we even going?!?
Confused, I looked to Wolf for answers, but he covered my eyes instead .
“Would you mind being kidnapped by me for a little while?”
“…Huh?”
A bewildered cry escaped my mouth .
What was this guy saying?
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login