Chapter 143

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“This is the first time we meet.”

“But somehow you are quite familiar…”

“Have we met in a dream?”

As Nina tilted her head, Fiona smiled a little again. Nina was amazed.

How amazing it was to be able to laugh like this even after going through such a thing, no, it was not a simple surprising fact, it was awe-inspiring.

Fiona carefully looked at Nina.

Golden eyes like the sun, neat features, and white hair that sparkles like snow. If she saw it once, she’d remember it, but she couldn’t remember. But somehow, she was familiar.

“Can you talk?”

Nina asked.

In order to organize things, first, you have to take everything out. Whether it’s books or clothes, you have to take them all out once and organize them. Putting it back together after taking it out is both easy and difficult.

But the same goes for thoughts, one had to throw up everything to clean them up. It’s not easy to explain it in words, but it was something they had to do now.

At Nina’s words, Fiona nodded her head. She didn’t say a word for a while after that, and Nina patiently waited for her. It’s always difficult to get the first words out.

“I grew up in a temple orphanage. There was no problem up to that point. The problem was that I…”

She seemed to pick her words. She mumbled in a tone that she wasn’t even sure of herself.

“It was after I developed a unique ability. I’m sure…”

Perhaps that wasn’t everything, Nina asked back, even though she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to ask what Fiona didn’t want to say.

“Unique ability?”

“Growing plants, blooming flowers. I was able to heal wounds, too.”

“I see.”

Nina nodded as if it were nothing. Feeling Fiona examining her reaction, Nina raised her hand.

As she moved her fingers, snowflakes formed between them and they began to dance in the air. In the sunlight slanting outside the window, the snow crystals looked like diamonds.

Fiona sighed as Nina finally took the cloth warped around her wrist, unfolded it, and showed the spirit crest disappear.

“You are a Spirit Contractor.”

“Yes.”

“I am a saint.”

Fiona let out a self-helpful sigh. Nina should have brought up the story of Lucrezia, but first, she decided to listen to Fiona’s story.

“High Priest Ashton became aware of my abilities, and I was taken to meet him. He tested my powers. Making one lesser bellac disappear was also part of the test.”

To summarize Fiona’s story roughly, it was like this.

At first, she was blocked from the outside, with excuses that she had to be trained as a saint.  She was allowed to see the orphanage children, but when night fell she moved to a secret place.

At that time she was with Edgar. They were from the same orphanage, so they were like siblings.

Then, the time to be quarantined increased.

“They did a terrible thing to me.”

Fiona only said that. Nina could see that she didn’t want to tell the details, she understood Fiona’s feelings and nodded her head.

While hesitating, Fiona decided to tell about the important facts.

“They even put pieces of corrupted spirits inside of me.”

It hurts even when a needle is pierced on the skin, but if such a thing is put inside her body, the pain would be enormous.

“Corrupted spirit fragments?”

“Yes, and they got it back later. Some of them melted in my body and disappeared.”

She caressed her arm. Fiona swallowed her saliva and quickly began her story, to shake away the horrible memory.

“After that, I couldn’t go out at all. That’s when Edgar came.”

How did she know that Edgar had come to where she was locked up?

Edgar took her back to the orphanage and they spent several days together.

“Edgar didn’t tell me the details…”

Just being in an orphanage was not safe. He said so and made a plan to move her and the orphans.

At first, they thought it was successful until they left the capital.

Fiona shook her body and wrapped her hands around herself.

“That was the trap.”

“You must have been kidnapped.”

“Yes.”

She said that Edgar was also there at the time. She thought they were all caught and it was over.

When she opened her eyes, she was alone. The unknown experiment continued, and she was locked up in a room after the experiment was over.

It was a room with no toilet.

“I don’t even know how much time has passed.”

By the time Fiona finished her story, the sun was already setting. The maid came into the room with a patient’s diet. Fiona emptied the clear soup clean and took the medicine.

Fiona, who had exhausted her energy by talking, soon fell asleep, and Nina got up from her seat.

‘My head is complicated.’

For now, it wasn’t up to her to use her brain, so Nina immediately went up to the office.

She made it to the entrance of Adrian’s office, but her head was so cluttered that she didn’t know what to say first. She stood at the doorway, organizing her thoughts, without even getting inside.

Adrian knew Nina had come, but without haste, patiently waited for her next move.

As if her mind had been sorted out, Nina asked while sneaking inside.

“Official matters first? Private life first? Which way should I start with?”

“Do you need a distinction?”

At Adrian’s words, Nina said, “Adrian~.” Came over and pulled him out of his office chair. Sitting him down on the sofa, Nina sat on the floor next to him and leaned against his leg.

“Yes, yes.”

Now accustomed to her behavior, he patted her head.

“I am really tired today.”

“You’ve been busy since morning.”

“Yes, ah-.”

Nina thought of Faradiv and breathed out a sigh. She’s got to talk from there.

“Prince Faradiv wants me to be the Crown Princess.”

Adrian was not surprised. He simply said, “I see.”. Nina leaned her head against his thigh and sighed.

“It seemed sincere. But since he’s coming in so straightforward, I have to say no outright. Me? The Crown Princess?”

It was so ridiculous she laughed. Nina raised her head and met her gaze with Adrian’s.

“What does Adrian thinks about it?”

“About?”

“Me becoming Crown Princess.”

Nina would expect him to laugh, pat her forehead, or sigh.

Adrian didn’t do that.

Only his pink eyes calmly looked down at Nina.

She was joking around, but Nina felt embarrassed because her opponent felt too serious for the prank.

‘Ah, but…’

I wanted to get something confirmed by Adrian. But what kind of reaction do I want from him?

“Do you want the Crown Princess seat? Or, did Prince Faradiv become special?”

There was no joke in his words. Nina looked straight into his gaze without even blinking her eyes.

“It’s natural that the person who told me that he liked me is special.”

Whether it was a good or a bad side, it was natural that such people were considered special. Adrian’s brow furrowed subtly.

“Besides, what do you mean by the Crown Princess seat, am I that kind of person? If I had liked something like that, I would have gone to get it right away.”

I won’t be here like this.

At Nina’s words, he turned his eyes to her.

“Right.”

“Adrian.”

Nina asked.

“Do you want to be the Crown Princess?”

“?!”

In an instant, shock passed through his face. Nina realized that she had picked the wrong word.

Well, what title should she use for men?

“Wait. Should I say Male Consort in this case?”

All she could think of is the word husband, but it was not a good fit.

“What……?”

When Adrian barely asked back, Nina looked at him worriedly.

“No, I think you’ve been paying attention to the prince quite a lot these days.”

“Ah, Nina.”

He wiped his face with both hands. Despair passed over his eyes.

Nina got up from her seat and sat her chin on his leg. Adrian helplessly looked at her, then found Nina’s lips trembling.

“Nina La Dell!”

When he involuntarily criticized her, Nina burst out laughing and said.

“I don’t want it, and he’s not more special than Adrian. I promised I’ll let you know if I ever find someone more special than Adrian.”

“I thought it was the day you would tell me.”

He was exhausted and leaned back on the sofa, muttering. Nina got up from her seat and strode across his long legs to sit on the chair a little further away.

“Then what did you say?”

Adrian asked.

“I haven’t done it yet.”

Nina replied without reserve.

What are you going to say?

The question lingered on the tip of his tongue and then disappeared. Adrian pressed down his heart with strength.