Chapter 103

“Is this real?”

Enoch slowly pulled me out of his arms. His face started to fill my vision. Calm, sincere golden eyes scanned my face.

He slowly reached down and took my hand. A large, warm hand gently wrapped around mine.

He said to me, looking at me as intently as an unshakable old tree[1]. “It doesn’t matter if it is real or not. I have no intention of letting go of your hand.”

[1] If someone calls you similar to an old tree, it means that you are reliable, just like someone who can take shelter under an old tree.

I looked down at the hands that were still holding each other. I know that Enoch is no longer a character on paper.

It occurred to me that I really wanted to be Margaret.

I also thought it would be nice if I could hold the hand of this strong, old tree-like man who stretched out his hand to me without bending down.

I raised my head again and met Enoch’s calm eyes. He touched my cheek with his other hand.

I looked down at the feeling of something hitting my feet. Eunji was struggling to slither onto my lap, making a fuss as if asking to see me.

I smiled, releasing Enoch’s hand. Then I lifted Eunji up with both hands. While watching Eunji flicking his tongue with a happy face, I asked Enoch.

“What about the others?”

“I don’t know about the others. Lord Kayden and I jumped straight into the river after you, Margaret.”

“Oh, jumped into the river– what?!”

I covered my mouth with my hands. I was speechless for a while, so I just kept my mouth shut.

“Are you out of your mind?” I asked back, shouting.

At my question, Enoch laughed lowly. It was a laugh close to a self-deprecating smile.

“If I were sane, would I have done that?”

He admitted it so emphatically that I was lost for words again. Enoch pointed at Eunji with an unwavering face as if it was not a big deal and said, “I thought this kid would lead us to where you are. So I followed him with the Lord…….”

Looking around with a puzzled face, he added, “I must have seen a cabin, but suddenly a thick fog covered the forest. I couldn’t see Lord Kayden after that.”

“Ah, the cabin!”

I looked around in wonder. Enoch and I are in a deep forest where the fog had cleared, but the cabin is nowhere to be seen.

“What a strange phenomenon. Obviously, the size of the cabin was quite large. It was not far away, but it disappeared all of sudden,” Enoch murmured as he followed me around.

I replied, “We need to find Kayden soon.”

-ssss.

Eunji who was wrapped around my arm looked at me, demanding attention. Enoch looked at Eunji and smiled.

“Since he gave me your location, you should give him a compliment.”

Eunji poked his head out and gently closed his eyes. Are you asking me to pat you?

I carefully stroked his head.

Then Eunji, who seemed to be in a good mood, flicked his tongue and gently wagged the tip of his tail.

Enoch stared at me, narrowed his eyes for a moment, and took off his jacket. Then he put it on my shoulder.

He asked, “You seem to be bleeding, are you okay?”

I lowered my head at his words and looked at my stomach wrapped in gauze. Fortunately, there’s only a small amount of blood, so it doesn’t look too serious.

“This is fine.”

“But you’d better treat it.”

“First, let’s move to a safe place. Enoch’s wounds are more serious than mine.”

I frowned at the torn jacket and the scars on his body. It looked really painful, but Enoch nodded his head with a calm face as if nothing was wrong.

“This much is fine. As you said, it would be better to move to a safe place first.”

Enoch examined my clothes with calm eyes. “And I wanted to ask you from earlier. Your clothes.”

Enoch pointed to my pants and t-shirt. Then I looked at my stomach again and turned my head slightly.

It’s a short, tight-fitting t-shirt, so it seems to be somewhat reckless and strange to the people of the empire.

Since Enoch was embarrassed, I was embarrassed and smiled awkwardly.

“Your clothes are very unique.”

Enoch’s words made me feel a bit excited, so I lifted one of my legs and showed it to him.

“These pants are really comfortable. I think I will live now.”

Enoch’s calm eyes are warm and kind.

Prince Enoch in Margaret’s memory was a gentleman, but he was always a man who was somewhat bored, languid, and emotionless.

It is a violation if he looks at me like that. The trust in that gaze at me somehow tickled me, so I quietly lowered my raised leg.

“If you’re comfortable with it, that’s fine.”

He stroked my hair with a determined expression.

“A strange wizard took me away. He told me there was another survivor. He gave me these clothes.”

Because I was distracted at that time, I only realized now that it was Jenas who saved me from drowning in the river.

‘I think the fog was Jenas’ doing. Was it magic? But you cannot use magic on this island…….’

Wait.

“How did that person use mana that I can’t do with this body?”

Jenas must have said that. I realized now that his words were a little strange.

He said ‘with this body.’ If so, would it be better to have his original body separate? So that he can use magic with his original body?

“Another survivor? What do you mean?”

I came to my senses when I heard Enoch’s voice and looked up at him.

“Oh, there was someone else living in the cabin. He saved me. He did save me, but…….”

In the end, he let me almost get killed by a monster.

“Since this is going to be a long story, why don’t we find Kayden first? When the sun goes down, the monster…….”

Before I could finish my words, Enoch’s tired face caught my eyes. He rubbed his temples and furrowed irritably.

“The monster has evolved again.”

“Yes?”

“Lord Kayden and I had been dealing with monsters since daylight yesterday. We can’t be relieved even during the day now. And they are no longer in the form of beasts, but have become strange creatures whose shape cannot be recognized.”

Monsters appear even during the day. I feel like my mind is going blank. The conversation I had with Jenas became a reality so quickly.

“First of all, as you said, it’s urgent to find the Lord first.”

Enoch held out his hand to me. I took off the jacket draped over my shoulders and tried to return it to him, but he made a slightly disapproving face.

“Are you okay? Your clothes…….”

Enoch couldn’t finish his words as he slowly put the jacket I had taken off back over my shoulders.

Then, he hastily turned his head after accidentally looking at my t-shirt. He gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and clenched his jacket.

“I think you’d better keep it on.”

He was so embarrassed that I had no choice but to put his jacket on. His jacket was in tatters, but I put it on anyway.

When I quietly put on his jacket without resisting again, he looked at me with a relieved face.

Enoch, whose anxiety about his seizure state had completely gone, looked perfect without a trace.

Neat eyebrows, sharp nose, ecstatically deep and dark golden eyes, red lips, and a solid chin. Everything is sculpted harmoniously and perfectly on his face.

Being handsome is useless for survival, but still gives peace of mind. I felt my mind, which had been confused by Jenas and the fog he created a moment ago, gradually calm down. No wonder my head felt lighter.

Enoch, who was still looking at me, said, “Now, let’s look for the Lord.”

I nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”

I’ll tell him more about Jenas after I find Kayden.

And I also have to find out where the cabin suddenly disappeared.

***

Ruzef struggled to carry Kayden’s backpack, which is seriously heavy.

“Would you like to help?”

Ruzef turned to Diego and asked, but he refused.

“I’ll say it again, it’s better to throw it away.”

At Diego’s cold words, Ruzef bit his lower lip.

“Would you say that easily if this was yours?”

“If it was mine, I would say you did a good job by throwing it away. It is a wise choice rather than risking carrying a heavy load.”

There was nothing to say because everything he said was true.

I don’t know how on earth Kayden carried this heavy thing.

But I can’t throw it away. Kayden did carry it, but everything Margaret needed was in the bag.

As Ruzef struggled and continued walking without throwing away the bag, Diego finally sighed and snatched the bag from him.