CH 69

Claude tried to step forward, perhaps frustrated with the priest who was just staring at Sarah.

"Priest-nim, please treat Nanny quickly."

"Wait."

Ethan carefully put Sarah down from his arms, blocking Claude with one arm. And also blocked the other party’s gaze at Sarah by blocking her with his body.

"All the faces of the priests staying in the Imperial Palace are in my head. You would better tell me your true identity without thinking about making such a frivolous feat."

At Ethan's warning, the priest, no, the man who was pretending to be a priest turned his gaze to Ethan. An eerie red light flashed in his dead eyes.

"It’s you, the owner of that power."

He slowly took off the priest's headwear he was wearing and approached him. Then, his red hair, which was darker than the blood Sarah spat out, was scattered in a mess. It was Benjamin.

"I know right away because I'm close."

Benjamin's cold gaze turned to Ethan and Claude hiding behind him.

"The person behind you must be my master."

Each time he took one step closer, the dark red magic in his hand flickered and disappeared, and then flickered and disappeared again and again. Claude sensed the atmosphere was unusual and grabbed Ethan's hem with an anxious face. May, who was breathing from afar, carefully stepped back when she noticed the situation going around now. Then when Claude made eye contact with her, May mouthed the words.

'I'll summon the Knights.'

"......!"

Claude opened his eyes wide and nodded slightly. May walked out of the lounge with a tensed look on her face. The Knights of Ambrosia were guarding this place right in front. If she went there, they would be able to catch the intruder disguised as a priest.

"Where."

However, Benjamin, who sensed May's small movements, wielded the trembling mana in his hand. Then, right in front of May's feet, that dark red mana flew like a sword.

"Ack!"

May was startled and fell backward. She screamed as she saw the marble floor dug deep beneath her feet.

"If you're going to scream at the top of your lung to bring in people, I recommend you not to do it. I activated a magic spell to block the sound before I came in."

"......!"

Benjamin signed a mana seal with his hand. Then, dark red light rose from the groove at May's toes.

"Those who are alive cannot pass. So keep calm and stay here."

His voice, which uttered such cold command, contained a clear warning.

"I have no luck……"

May gritted her teeth and muttered a little. She then backed off her back and decided to keep the distance again.

"Haa."

Ethan sighed heavily as he watched Benjamin use his power in this Imperial Palace, even in Ambrosia's lounge, without even thinking of hiding it.

"Are you Sarah's disciple?"

"......Sarah?"

Benjamin tilted his head sideways as if he had heard something very strange at the name that came out of Ethan's mouth.

"Sarah? Sarah, Sarah……"

Benjamin rolled the name over and over in his mouth. His voice was neither high nor low. It was then.

"Ugh!"

Sarah, who was lying down, vomited blood once more.

"Nanny!"

"Sarah!"

Ethan hurriedly raised her upper body. If she had vomited blood while lying down, her airway could have been blocked and she could not breathe. However, even though Ethan raised her upper body, he was worried if Sarah couldn't breathe and vomited only blood. He was in a hurry.

"Breathe. Sarah!"

Ethan patted Sarah on the back, causing the blood to spit out of her throat. But even that was not easy because she was unconscious.

"Nan, Nanny……, Nanny!"

Claude took Sarah's hand, trembling as if he was convulsing again. In her cold hands, he couldn't find the warmth he had felt before. He snapped once more, and tears welled up in Claude's eyes.

"Wake up, wake up……"

It was pitiful to see him rubbing Sarah's hand with that little hand and trying to add warmth to her hand.

"Get out of the way, Claude."

Ethan hurriedly placed a large hand on one of her cheeks and placed his mouth over hers.

"......!"

Claude looked at it with his eyes wide open. Ethan first sucked the blood in her mouth and spat it out. After repeating it a couple of times, the blood from her throat stopped flowing. Then, after taking a deep breath, he placed his mouth over Sarah’s again and blew his breath deeply.

"......"

Unlike the hot blood, Ethan creased his forehead painfully due to the touch of her icy lips. Blood flowed through their engaged lips, and it also dyed the corners of Ethan’s lips red. Ethan repeated over and over again, pressing the soft flesh with his mouth and blowing hot breath deeper.

"Haa, ha……"

Sarah's breathing returned to normal only after he breathed in until he was out of breath. Only then was Ethan able to lie Sarah down comfortably again as if he was relieved.

"......!"

Benjamin, who finally saw her face as Ethan put Sarah down, opened his eyes wide. She was a young woman who looked pale and tired soaking in a lot of blood. Although that woman and his master were similar in size, it was hard to believe that she was the master who always looked infinitely big in front of him.

"So, so this is how you look like…… Master."

She was unfamiliar. He was confident that if he saw his master, he would recognize her immediately, faster than anyone else. He thought it would be possible. It was incredibly strange that she was his master. As if he had never seen her before.

"......Ah."

Transparent tears flowed down Benjamin's cheeks. He froze, doing nothing. Seeing that, Ethan quickly grasped it.

'It won't help.'

Benjamin, who had been frozen as if he had received a shock, seemed to have lost his concentration, which had maintained the mana. The wall made of mana that had stood in front of May before had disappeared. And after a while.

"My Lord!"

The Knights of Ambrosia quickly entered the lounge and jumped in. At the same time, three swords hung around Benjamin's neck as if they were about to strike at any moment.

"You'd better take your mana out. Because my knight's sword will pierce your neck faster."

"......How dare you."

Benjamin stared at Ethan, grinding his teeth at the situation that had occurred while he was careless. Every time Ethan's hand tidied up Sarah's sweat and blood-soaked hair, his bloodshot eyes followed.

"Get away from Master."

"Why should I do that?"

"Do you ask because you don't know that? It's all because of you that Master became like that."

Benjamin contorted his face and spat out his words.

"That magic stone contained the dirty power you possessed. If it hadn't been broken without notice, Master wouldn't have become like that."

With those words, Ethan was quietly convinced of the doubts he had. It was true that the power contained in the magic stone belonged to Ambrosia.

"My power is not in a form that can be taken out and put in. Why are you so sure it's my power?"

"Because it was the magic stone that Master was using for research in the magic tower. Do you know how much power that magic stone has?"

A fishy smile crept on Ethan's lips, who had been silently listening. His eyes were shining with a light colder than ice before he knew it. It was when Benjamin narrowed his eyebrows as he sensed that something was wrong.

"I finally found you."

"What?"

"Should I say thank you for walking in on my own?"

Ethan beckoned at the Knights. Then Benjamin felt a strong shock in the back of his head.

"Heok!"

In an instant, his head was spinning and Benjamin's body staggered and tilted. Seizing the chance, the Kights quickly tied his hands. And with a click, he was locked with a magic control device.

"How dare you!"

Anger erupted from Benjamin. Ethan's shoes stained with Sarah's blood could be seen in Benjamin's eyes, who had been suppressed by the Knights. Ethan's voice, without a hint of warmth, descended like frost over his head.

"If you made Sarah like that with the magic stone you brought from the magic tower, you'll have to pay the price."

"What is that!"

"Didn't you just confess with your own mouth? This is all because of you."