Chapter 24

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: Chapter 24

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: The Golden Lion's Treasure and the Polluted Water (8)

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The doctors who meticulously examined the awakened victims of demonic energy contamination gave their firm assurance that there were no longer any problems with them. Jackie, the apprentice cook from the Lily Palace kitchens, blinked a few times before sliding down from the bed.

At first, when she had just opened her eyes, she had no idea what had happened to her. She had been in a hazy state, as if freshly woken from sleep, but as the examination went on, vague memories began to return.

She had been washing dishes when her senior cook caught her slacking off and scolded her. Grumbling, she had plunged her hands back into the basin, only for excruciating pain to come crashing in. It was an agony she had never felt before, so she must have groaned and blacked out.

'It felt like I had such a terrifying dream...'

Shadows that took form. Terror baring dark red fangs. It seemed she had been trapped in a nightmare where such horrors swarmed over her and crushed her down.

She had no idea how long she endured in pitch darkness, with nothing but 'death' filling her mind. Just when she thought she was truly done for, she spotted a figure enveloped in faint light.

Jackie had run toward that figure with desperate abandon, but right before she could reach her, she woke up lying on the bed. And there, in the middle of the treatment room, stood the woman—completely drenched.

'She was so beautiful...'

The doctor examining Jackie said,

"You know, you nearly died. If it weren't for the Lily Palace princess."

Jackie left the treatment room in a daze and made her way back to the Lily Palace. Beaming brightly with tears glistening in her eyes, she called out to the cooks who welcomed her.

"Listen, the princess saved my life. Can you believe it? I've never even seen her before, but she came into that awful nightmare to rescue me!"

When Kirshan returned after being turned away at the door, only the knight captains remained in the treatment room. Adrian spoke up.

"Hexston went home with his kid."

"Ah, right."

Kirshan glanced up at the treatment room ceiling, still dripping water.

"The maids will be here soon to clean up. Let's head out."

"Ah, right."

Kirshan had always been the one to calmly temper Floyd's rage, but this time, it was harder than ever to keep his wits about him.

'What just happened?'

"What the hell happened?"

Adrian voiced the thought straight from Kirshan's mind.

"What did that princess even do?"

Kirshan realized that, in Adrian's eyes, she had been elevated from 'that woman' to 'princess.'

"At first, I figured since our lord embodies fire, maybe the princess was water or something like that. But you know what Jewelry said?"

"What?"

"Monsters were chasing her, but there was the princess. So she ran straight to her and woke up."

"A nightmare..."

"It wasn't a nightmare. The others said the same. Everyone saw the princess in their nightmares. Our lord couldn't pull something like that off."

No one spoke as they walked down the corridor. Once they were out of the main palace, Arsen broke the silence.

"Our lord may have already known about her abilities. That's probably why he took her in."

Kirshan shot Arsen a glance. He still wore that displeased expression, as if her very existence grated on him.

No matter how extraordinary the abilities of Roxiana—who bore a slave brand—he couldn't accept sheltering her in the Lily Palace.

But Kirshan couldn't care less about Arsen's rigid opinions. He knew things were about to change for Roxiana here in the grand duchy. At the very least, knights who prized talent would treat her with respect; after all, she possessed the rare gift of purging demonic energy.

That kind of power—one that could cleanse what only blessed holy water from the Grand Temple could normally wash away—was no common feat. It was a talent worth pitting against the Gania Kingdom itself to defend.

In truth, Adrian no longer furrowed his brow when speaking of her.

"Our lord didn't seem to know what she could do. When he opened the treatment room door, he looked more shocked than anyone."

"True. He almost looked foolish for a second there. Anyway..."

Kain, oblivious to the fact that Floyd had carried Roxiana off to his own chambers, turned his gaze toward the Lily Palace.

"Is the princess alright? She looked like death warmed over..."

I dreamed a dream of nostalgia. Even within it, I knew it was a dream. Such peaceful scenes were no longer mine to have.

Though I knew it was but a fleeting moment, the young Roxiana in the dream still smiled. If my family was watching me from somewhere in that dream, better they see me happy.

Before the young Loti stood something translucent, shifting shapes into various animals. Little Loti giggled in delight at the sight.

Now and then, a breeze of just the right warmth would blow in, brushing the dust from Loti's cheeks. As if refusing to yield, the ground would rumble, sending the densely blooming flowers on the trees shaking—petals scattering like snowflakes.

Loti tilted her head back to watch the petals drifting down from above. They swirled beautifully, as if stitching patterns into the clear blue sky.

Loti, standing at the heart of that vortex of petals, looked every bit the fairy. Her platinum blonde hair danced gorgeously in their wake.

-My darling Loti. How are you so beautiful?

-Do you know? You nearly died in your mother's womb, but we saved you.

-Our kings pooled their power to spare your life. They despise humans, but your mother treated us kindly from childhood. So they answered her prayers.

-That makes you our child too. We'll always protect you.

Loti loved hearing those gentle voices. They were so kind, cheerful, boisterous, and lively. Thanks to them, even nights alone in bed held no fear.

"Loti!"

Then came a voice she had longed for with all her heart. Loti whipped around, waving wildly at the figure dashing toward her.

The young Loti smiled, but the Roxiana within wept tears of blood.

'Echion oppa...'

She yearned to see her family, even in a dream. Even if it was a hollow illusion that would vanish in an instant, she prayed desperately for just one of them to appear.

And that prayer was answered.

Roxiana gazed at her brother, younger in the dream than she was now. Clear blue eyes, radiant golden hair, lips set in a faintly stubborn line.

Echion oppa looked so headstrong even as a child.

As that thought crossed her mind, Echion drew near and swept Loti into a hug from behind.

"Spirit nim, this is a problem."

Echion addressed Undine, who had drawn water into a form.

-Problem? Always nagging.

Undine grumbled, but Echion couldn't hear her. Ordinary folk could see a spirit's shape but not hear their voices.

The gift of hearing spirits' voices so clearly—and conversing with them—was Roxiana's alone. Even her mother, born of spirit sorcerer lineage, hadn't heard them quite so distinctly.

"The palace is crawling with people everywhere. If you're spotted, we're in deep trouble. And please don't talk to Loti around others. People mutter that she's got something wrong with her head."

-Such a stickler.

-Echion's an idiot.

-Not cute. Total nuisance.

-Loti's our baby!

The spirits grumbled on, unheard by Echion as he clasped Loti's hand tight and turned away. Loti glanced back, waving farewell to those left behind.

Then, looking up at her brother, she asked,

"Oppa, are you mad at me?"

Echion, rigid until then, met his little sister's eyes and broke into a soft smile. The stubborn set of his mouth melted into warm affection.

"Loti, I'd never be mad at you. You're my one and only little sister."

"What about Lanian?"

When Loti brought up her little brother, Echion scrunched his nose.

"That one's too wild and rough around the edges. No more little brothers. Can't even think about it."

The eldest, Echion, sighed at the thought of his boisterous younger brothers. Loti admired her big brother, who never once raised his voice despite their endless torments—along with those of her second and third brothers.

To Loti, pestered daily by her second and third brothers' pranks, Echion seemed the most wonderful man in the world.

"When I grow up, I wanna marry oppa!"

Echion's eyes went wide at Loti's declaration, then he burst into hearty laughter. How refreshing her brother's laugh sounds, Roxiana thought as she awoke.

She had known it was a dream all along, yet the hollowness and sorrow of waking crushed her all the same. Her chest tore with pain at the sight she would never behold again. As the ache clawed up from her heart, threatening to become sobs, Roxiana sensed something amiss.

'What...?'

Something heavy enveloped her body, bearing down with weight. Only then did Roxiana open her eyes—and find a man's face right before hers.

Tanned skin and thick brows. Long lashes casting shadows beneath closed lids, a straight high nose, lips pressed firmly shut. Perfectly sculpted features, balanced like a finished statue.

Roxiana's eyes widened further.

'This is...?'

What she noticed next was her own position. She was cradled in his arms, wrapped tight.

One solid arm pillowed beneath her head, the other draped over her waist. His thigh tangled with hers, binding her in place.

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