Chapter 97.1

12. Two Blessed

Yurina briefly said goodbye to Lydia and ran out of the hall as if she were running away. She didn’t even think about the fact that this was rude, if done wrong, it could be taken as a weakness by De Flon.

Her foggy mind was occupied by thoughts of getting out of her sight as soon as possible.

Raynard politely ended the conversation on Yurina’s behalf and hurried after her.

Yurina was walking away staggering and didn’t notice the pursuit. Upon arriving at the empty garden, her legs gave out.

“Yurina!”

Luckily, before she fell, Raynard grabbed her tightly and hugged her. Yurina was breathing heavily, resting her head on his shoulder. She wasn’t particularly sick, but her stomach was in a hurricane, as if from seasickness, and her head was throbbing, as if a woodpecker was pecking at her temple.

“Yurina, why are you suddenly like this? Where does it hurt? Your face is pale.”

Reynard quickly looked up and down at Yurina.

These days, no major accidents have occurred because he corsets weren’t tight, but he heard that in the past, many women fainted because they couldn’t breathe properly because of corsets. In addition, Yurina said that she hadn’t eaten anything all day, so it wasn’t surprising if she suddenly felt unwell.

Young couples were cooing from behind, so Reynard quickly performed space-dividing magic. The surrounding landscape was still the same as before, but the sounds no longer reached them. The spring wind that had been rustling also disappeared.

“Should I unfasten your corset?”

He looked at Yurina, who was breathing heavily, and tried to reach for the button on her back. But Yurina grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

“I’m okay. It’s not because of the corset.”

“You haven’t eaten well today. Then you may feel dizzy all of a sudden. And even if you feel better for a while, it might be worth loosening your corset. Don’t worry, no one sees you.”

“It’s not really like that.”

Yurina pushed his shoulders and fixed her eyes on him.

Red eyes that stand out even in the dark.

How happy she was to find Reynard with these eyes seven years ago behind the shabby orphanage. Feeling of joy, confidence that she will stay alive.

‘Despite the hostility shown by Marquis De Flon, the only reason I was able to feel at ease was thanks to Reynard, who was by my side.’

There was never a single doubt that he wasn’t Karion. Until yesterday, no, even when she danced with Reynard, Yurina naturally thought he was Karion.

There was no reason to doubt that. Blond hair, good looks, age 12-13, and above all, red eyes that are hard to find anywhere else. All this said that he was Karion.

‘But what if Ray isn’t Karion?’

Yurina closed her eyes tightly, replaying the original content of the novel in her head, especially all the evil intentions of Marquis De Flon. The accident of seven years ago, about which she had long forgotten, also returned to her mind.

The sharp winter wind and white snowflakes hitting the face, the red fingers that throbbed whenever they moved as they cooled down, the blurry vision, the terrible pain, and the loneliness.

‘I thought I was finally free from that terrible memory, but it felt like the shadow of death, which had disappeared for a moment, was strangling me. I have just seen a man who may be the real ‘Carion’.’

However, unlike her cold head, her body couldn’t withstand such a blow. Her legs buckled and her body fell without strength. Startled, Raynard grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Yurina, Yurina!”

Yurina opened her closed eyes and stared hard at the red eyes approaching her. The very eyes she believed in were her hope and her salvation.

‘Or maybe not.’

Chances are slim, but it was possible to find another red-eyed boy. Could it be that Marquis De Flon saw Reynard and then turned the Empire upside down and found a new child with red eyes?

Indeed, in the last 7 years, he was sticking out at a distance from the capital.

So, it wasn’t yet clear who was the real hero from the original, Reynard or Karion. The first thing to do was to check something.

Yurina raised a trembling hand and touched the corner of Reynard’s eye. Raynard took her hand, his eyes still worried.

“Your hands are cold. Are you really okay?”

Yurina cleared her throat while watching his face warming her hands by blowing on them. However, her voice trembled slightly as she said.

“The person Lydia introduced to me earlier. Did he have red eyes?”

In fact, Yurina hoped that Reynard would deny it. But he gave her an answer she didn’t want.

“Hm. Would that person be Blessed like me? Until now, I thought I was the only one with red eyes. The next time we meet, I’d like to talk to him.”

It looks like he thought he was meeting with a comrade-in-arms. He must have been filled with solidarity, knowing how much such red eyes cost the other.

If Lydia De Flon hadn’t brought the man, or if his name wasn’t ‘Karion’, Yurina would have been happy to protest Reynard’s words.

But she still couldn’t.

Yurina bit her lips as she looked at him, whose eyes were shining, just like the first time he tasted soft bread.

“Is the man’s name really Karion?”

He tilted his head for a moment at Yurina’s question, then nodded obediently.

“Yes, that was his name. Did you know? Karion in ancient language means ‘winner’. Did you know the ancient language?”

Perhaps that’s how it was. According to the original, Marquis De Flon gave him a name to show his ambition. What was he thinking when he named Karion? Must have fallen into arrogance, convinced that he could finally rein in the Carthia House and Yurina personally?

Just like Yurina thought when she found Reynard.

‘This alone is not enough.’

While thinking about Karion’s setting, Yurina struggled to open her mouth with her last hope.

“I will ask one more thing.”

“But why are you so worried?”

“It could be a very sensitive question.”

Unlike the serious Yurina, Reynard laughed lightly.

“I don’t care what you say except that you don’t like me.”

Is it really so? Yurina swallowed her dry saliva, feeling her mouth dry up.

“Did your mother run a brothel when you were little? Did you go to an orphanage to escape your mother’s abuse?”