Chapter 33

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Chapter 33

The duke slowly raised his head at the words sounding like a death sentence. The doctor bowed his head to the father with an empty expression.

The duke, who had glanced at the doctor’s bowed head, raised his head blankly and looked up at the sky. There was not a single cloud in the blue sky that could be seen beyond the trees.

The duke’s mouth twitched as he looked up at the sky. It wasn’t really about to say anything. It was a silent moan that emanated from the agony rising from the depths of his heart.

Before long, the golden eyes, which had always been strong, slowly closed, and a short choking sound ran as a cry broke out.

‘Ah… The weather is nice here too… Why is my daughter lying on this cold ground like this? Why on earth… It’s okay to exchange my own life, how great would it be if I could go back to the past?’

An endless sadness choked his throat. But there was no time to be like this. He couldn’t help but sit down on the grass and lay his head down, crying over his daughter’s neck who might die soon. She was still breathing, so he had to save her life.

‘After saving her I will scold her very hard… I will hug her very tightly.’ The duke took a breath, hiding the wail that flowed through his teeth.

“…Send a carrier pigeon to Ariana Temple… right now. Send the fastest one…”

What immediately came to mind was the story of the priest that Lucas and Aaron had been talking about. The priest, who was said to have extraordinary abilities, might’ve been able to provide a solution.

“What about the content?”

“…That priest… Bring him even if you have to drag him. Don’t delay even for a moment. Selena’s…”

The duke spoke up to that point and bit his lips. Having to spit the reality through his own mouth was too cruel.

“In critical condition.”

As soon as the duke finished speaking, some of the knights hastily rode away on horseback, headed to the duke’s residence.

The duke, after listening to their leaving gallops, asked the doctor in a much better state than before.

“Can I… move Selena…?”

Of course, ‘better’ didn’t necessarily mean he was really better. In order to save Selena, he chose to become a little stronger. The doctor noticed this and silently nodded.

“I think we should bring a stretcher instead.”

“Right, I’ll ask to bring a stretcher.”

“There is one here.”

It was a stretcher he had brought in advance. When he heard the news ‘Selena ran away alone, she seems to have gone to the clock tower,’ it was something he had brought along just in case. However, he was hoping he didn’t have to use it. He blamed himself for making a fuss over a simple incident and hoped to return to the duke’s residence with Selena.

‘Ah…’

The duke was unable to continue. He bit his lip and waved his hand. At the signal to move Selena, some of the servants and knights who had accompanied him carefully carried her.

Aiden clenched his fist as he followed Selena into a wagon waiting nearby. Nails dug into his hands, but he felt no pain. All he could feel was a deep sense of guilt. The dark red traces left on the spot where Selena was lying seemed to have been carved in his mind.

He was there. He stayed by the miss’s side until the very end, just before she fell. But in the end, he couldn’t stop it.

“Just turn around.”

“Aiden.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Uuhkk…” A painful moan escaped Aiden’s mouth.

Why the bell? Why was he so sad and angry? Why did his heart hurt so much? She was the one who tormented him… Was it because she was the one who saved him, too?

“Would you like to go with me?”

“Go away! I hate to see you!”

“Then I guess we’re like beggars too.”

Countless voices filled his head again.

‘Please stop… stop!’

All the voices in his head caught his breath as if they were choking him.

Aiden, wrapped in an indescribable feeling, closed his eyes tightly. The memory of Selena sitting precariously, calmly falling back as if it was nothing until the end, was repeated endlessly with a confusing voice.

‘… Priest…?’

Aiden, who had closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears, slowly opened his eyes. Through the chaos, the duke’s words came to mind. It was the story of the duke looking for a priest in Ariana’s temple.

‘Priests have healing powers.’ But that was an ancient story, and priests these days probably had no healing powers… Still, if the duke had sent a carrier pigeon and told them to bring him right now, there must’ve been a good reason.

Aiden, who thought about it that far, closed his eyes tightly again. He tried to erase Selena’s voice and image from his mind.

‘You must no longer be swayed by other thoughts… I couldn’t save her before, so I have to save her this time.

‘What I really want. Let’s just think of that. You must go to Ariana’s temple and bring the priest.’

Aiden’s green eyes flashed open.

“Huuu…” Exhaling, he frantically walked in the opposite direction of the men carrying Selena in the wagon.

The place he was heading was towards the clock tower.

Aiden, staring at the clock tower with no guards, slowly turned the doorknob. Holding his breath, he closed his eyes, opened the door, and took one, then two steps inside.

And when he opened his eyes again…

“…Aiden?”

“Young Master…”

It was truly magical.

At the sudden appearance of Aiden, Lucas and Aaron jumped up in surprise. At the same time, Ian, who was having a conversation with them, also got up.

They had good reason for being so surprised. This temple was a place that could be reached by riding a carriage for three hours. It would have been impossible for Aiden to open the door and enter at this time unless he had been following them.

“…Aiden?”

“Young Master…”

Aiden was as surprised as they were by his sudden appearance and muttered blankly. His voice sounded stuffy, as if it was clogged. The red around his eyes looked like a person who had been crying for a long time.

Aaron felt that something was strange and was about to walk to Aiden, but a loud squeaking noise echoed from the window. It was the largest carrier pigeon from the duke’s residence.

There was Aiden, who suddenly appeared with tears in his eyes, and a huge carrier pigeon, which the duke didn’t usually use.

Aaron opened the window anxiously. The large pigeon flapped its wings once more and held out its head. A note was loosely wrapped around its neck. Strength entered the hand holding the note. As his anxiety grew bigger and bigger, his pounding heart grew louder.

Aaron, who opened the note while trembling, gasped for breath. He lost strength in his legs and had to hold on to the window sill.

“What’s the matter?!”

Seeing Aaron staggering, Lucas came closer and supported him. Then he peered into the note held tightly in his friend’s hand.

[The princess is in critical condition. The duke asks to bring the priest right away.]

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