The whereabouts of the heart (14)
Ian's sudden appearance caused more people to gather.
"Oh, our little Duke has arrived!"
"It was thanks to the little Duke and the Knights that the First Prince was able to achieve such a great victory!"
"Yes, that's right! The little Duke is our hero!"
While Ian responded to the cheers of the people, I quietly looked around.
The girl disappeared.
She disappeared while everyone's eyes were focused on Ian.
'Where are you hiding?'
She didn't seem to have escaped. The pungent, bitter smell still lingered faintly.
Ian's lips moved with a faint smile on his face.
"You must avoid it."
"I know, let's go."
Then he covered my face with his hood and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I was wrapped in his arms and headed to the carriage.
Fortunately, the people readily let us go. We arrived in front of the carriage, very nervous.
Suddenly Ian's breathing became ragged.
"Your Highness?"
"Get in the carriage."
"What's wrong? No?"
"No."
Ian opened the carriage door himself.
He put me in the carriage first and then gave instructions to the coachman in a soft voice.
"By the way, as fast as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The carriage set off.
Ian didn't say anything. He just kept his eyes closed.
It's strange. He looks fine on the outside, but why do I feel so anxious?
I tried to focus my sense of smell just in case, but I couldn't smell any blood.
I don't know. It was a moment when I was desperately trying to shake off my anxiety by grabbing my cloak.
Ian bit his lower lip. Large beads of sweat ran down his pale cheeks.
'Your lips... why are they blue?'
The next moment, realization struck me.
It's poison.
The bitter smell that continued to linger in his nose was not the girl's body odor, but the poison on the needle.
Oh my God. I was so overwhelmed with fear that I didn't even realize that Ian was being attacked instead of me.
There was a ringing in my ears. I felt like I was trapped in a terrible nightmare. A trembling voice leaked out from my lips.
"Where... Where does it hurt?"
"No."
"Your breathing sounds different than usual."
"..."
"I'm not an idiot who doesn't know anything. So please, please tell me the truth."
Do you know how pale your face is right now? I can see your lips are blue!
He gritted his teeth and held back a scream. Only then did Ian open his heavy lips.
"I think I've been poisoned."
"Oh, where, how much...!"
Before I could finish speaking, Ian cupped my cheek.
"I can handle it."
There was no trace of pain in his soft voice.
But how could you not feel pain if you were poisoned? You must be just trying to keep it a secret to reassure me.
Tears fell without a moment to stop them. I shut my mouth tightly and swallowed my sobs.
Ian looked down at me quietly as I shed tears in silence.
"I told you to smile."
I was so shocked that I couldn't help but laugh.
"How can I laugh in this situation!"
"Are you that worried about me?"
"You call that talking?"
The face that was smiling and smirking was calm, unlike that of someone who had been poisoned.
Does this man not have a sense of crisis? I was so dumbfounded that I pushed his hand away. Then I took a deep breath.
'There's no time for this. Come to your senses and find a way.'
Given that Ian is still conscious, the poison the girl used probably wasn't that bad.
If you think about it, it was obvious.
If the opponent dies as soon as she uses the poison, she will be blamed for it, so she must have diluted the poison appropriately to buy time to escape.
"Where did you get poisoned?"
"It's okay."
"I can't leave it like this. I have to suck it out."
A look of embarrassment spread across Ian's face, which had been calm even as he turned pale.
"Just now what did you say?"
"I said I needed to suck out the poison. Please tell me the affected area."
"If you swallow it by mistake, even Young Lady will be in danger."
"I won't swallow it. That'll do. There's no time to argue, come on!"
"No."
"So you want me to just sit there like this? Is that really all I can do?"
It was only yesterday that I was confident that I was different from my past life, but I was still helpless. Tears welled up in my eyes again as I felt despair as if I was facing a huge wall.
"Please let me do something for you. This is what I ask."
"Young Lady."
"There's no time. We have to suck out the poison quickly...."
I couldn't wait, so I reached out to Ian. Just as I was about to grab the cloak and pull it away forcefully.
"Millenia."
He wrapped his arms around me affectionately and pulled me gently toward him. I held him helplessly.
"Wh. what... Why are you like this? Please let me go!"
"Shh, calm down."
His thick arms held me tightly as I struggled. He whispered with his lips pressed against my ear.
"Stay like this."
"Are you crazy? Let me go quickly!"
"I'll be here soon. I'll get healing from Rahon as soon as I get there."
"Rahon, he can't use his powers right now! You could really die like this!"
"But that won't do. I can't allow you to take even the slightest risk."
"It's not dangerous! I told you not to swallow it!"
No matter how much I screamed and begged, Ian wouldn't let me go.
The body that imprisoned me was as solid as a castle wall. I stopped struggling in his comfortable embrace. I no longer had the strength to struggle.
Tears that had dried for a moment flowed down the corners of my eyes. I grabbed his sleeve and muttered.
"If you cared so much for me, why were you angry then?"
"Did I get angry?"
"The night before you went to Oakwood, you pushed me away and told me not to do that."
"..."
"Actually, I wanted to apologize, I'm sorry. I touched your face without permission."
There was silence for a while, Ian muttered to himself with a smile on his face.
"Really... I can't win."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Don't apologize. It's not Young- Lady's fault."
"It felt bad wasn't it?"
"Not at all. You can touch it whenever you want."
"Then why are you being so cold to me? You don't talk to me, and no matter what I ask you, you give short answers, and..."
"Also?"
"When eating, you don't even help me..."
The first time I cried in my life was just awkward. He laughed softly. The breath on my ear was ominously hot.
How long can he hold out? How much longer is left until we reach the castle?
Unable to contain my anxiety, I gripped his little finger tightly.
"Are you upset?"
"A little."
"I was wrong. I will help you in the future."
"No, I don't need any of that. Just promise me one thing."
As I said that and stretched my hand upward, he raised his head. Soon, I could feel his face, drenched in cold sweat.
"Don't die. If you die, I won't forgive you."
"... If it is your will, Young Lady."
Finally, Eldern Castle came into view through the carriage window.
Okay, we've arrived.
The moment I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the joy and relief, the strength left Ian's arms.
"Your Highness?"
As I turned around, Ian's face, which had been leaning on my shoulder, dropped down.
"Little Duke? Come to your senses! No! Little Duke!"
Meanwhile, the carriage stopped In front of the castle. The coachman opened the carriage door.
"Your Highness, we have arrived. If you would like to get off... Huh?"
The coachman glared at me as I hugged Ian in the carriage. I shouted at him as he froze.
"Call Rahon! Quickly!"
"Yes, yes! Miss!"
After a while, Rahon and his servants came rushing out of the castle.
Rahon, who had been calmly looking at Ian, clicked his tongue slightly.
"Why did he have to get hurt at a time like this? Is it poison?"
"Yes, I think he was hit in the back or waist."
I answered urgently, remembering that the girl was standing behind Ian.
"How long has it been?"
"20 minutes? Oh, no, I think it's been 30 minutes."
"Move Ian to the bedroom."
At Rahon's direction, the servants carried Ian into the castle.
I was sitting in the carriage in a daze, so I called the maid and headed to Ian's bedroom.
In the bedroom, Rahon was cutting Ian's shirt with scissors.
The exposed waist was pitch black. The poison was spread like a spider web along the blood vessels.
Rahon sprinkled white powder on it.
Could it be an antidote? I watched with bated breath and narrowed my eyes.
The shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck to Ian's back, and a pattern was visible around his shoulder blades.
'That's...'
It was like a flower.
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