Chapter 80
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 80
To kill Hagus, I had to sever his neck, and the most certain way to do that was to get close and cut with my blade.
But if I did that, the blood spurting from his severed neck would inevitably splash onto the knights.
Though we fought with our lives on the line, I could not ask them to fight a battle where everyone would die without exception.
That would devastate the knights' morale entirely.
I had to give them the belief that they could survive and return.
For that, an antidote was absolutely necessary.
'Cain Maxius.'
Since Cain Maxius was preparing the antidote, I had no choice but to wait for him.
But right now we had no antidote, and we had to fight in this state.
"Seal your armor tightly so Hagus's bodily fluids don't seep inside!"
"Yes! Understood!"
"And wear your helmets properly!"
"Yes!"
Everyone quickly readied themselves and faced the monsters again.
But just as the end of the dark night sky was nowhere in sight, this situation showed no sign of ending either.
The monsters kept pouring in, and we had to hold them back endlessly.
Yet fighting this way, it was uncertain whether we could hold them all back today.
I thought about why I was here.
The reason the Three Dukedoms received more trust than the Imperial Court was not something else.
They were supported because in battles like this, they used their power to minimize casualties and save more allies.
My deliberation was brief.
'Just until the antidote is made....'
Until then, I had to endure no matter what.
I quickly surveyed my surroundings.
More monsters and knights were clashing than before.
I ran at full speed, found the highest point on the Castle Wall, climbed up, and concentrated the ring's power, drawing it all to one place.
A power unlike anything before now enveloped my entire body.
It was incredibly hot.
So intensely hot that my body felt as though it would burn away and disappear.
But I endured it.
Gritting my teeth, I gathered the power to its limit and summoned Phenia, the guardian beast of House of Fire, House Heitz.
"Phenia!"
Then the ring blazed even brighter, and something surged up powerfully from that spot.
It was a colossal bird completely engulfed in flames.
Phenia swept through the darkness, her long tail composed entirely of flames billowing behind her.
"What... what is that?"
"What is it?"
"It's fire!"
"It's the Young Lady! The Young Lady has...!"
The knights were startled by the sudden appearance of this unfamiliar presence.
Some even panicked, mistaking her for a new monster.
But soon, one of the knights from House Heitz recognized Phenia and cried out.
"The Young Lady has summoned the Guardian Beast!"
"Waaaaah!"
The roar of the knights, brimming with hope, echoed in my ears.
"Phenia, go!"
I commanded the Guardian Beast.
At my word, Phenia, who had been leisurely circling the night sky, began unleashing massive flames that engulfed the monsters.
"Gaaahhhhh!"
Hagus's screams reverberated throughout the entire Castle.
The flames spreading in all directions consumed those atop the Castle Wall, then swallowed those clinging to it all at once.
"Don't leave a single one—annihilate them all!"
At my command to continue, Phenia rushed toward those positioned at the perimeter in the blink of an eye.
Those monsters that foolishly resisted Phenia turned to ash in an instant.
Realizing their strength was utterly inadequate against her, they began fleeing into the Forest.
But I could not stop here.
Resolved to burn the entire Forest, I pushed Phenia forward.
And shortly after, half the Forest was consumed by flames.
The brilliantly burning Forest illuminated everything around us.
Hagus was no longer visible.
With a sense of relief that it was over, I called Phenia back into the ring.
But having released so much power all at once, my strength suddenly drained from my body.
I had no idea how to properly control such immense power being used for the first time.
Not knowing my own limits, I had exerted myself recklessly, and I could no longer maintain control of my body.
My consciousness grew hazy.
I felt as though I would lose consciousness any moment.
Just as my eyes were closing and I was about to collapse to the ground.
Someone caught me in their arms.
I lifted my head to look at them.
"Aiden Byon."
"Belita."
Aiden Byon was gazing down at me with wavering eyes—when had he approached?
"Thank you."
With those words, I collapsed into his embrace and lost consciousness.
* * *
It felt like a dream, yet the sensation was wonderfully pleasant.
Someone seemed to be caressing me with such tenderness.
'Who could it be?'
Who was touching me so gently?
This feeling was unfamiliar to me.
No—it was a sensation I had never known before.
Yet it felt good.
I wished it would continue for longer.
Much longer....
But cruelly, my consciousness began to return.
I was waking from a dream I did not wish to leave.
'No, not yet.'
So reluctant was I that I tried to force myself to remain in the dream, yet something felt strange.
I realized now that I was no longer dreaming.
Yet the hand that had been touching me was no dream either.
Even now, I could still feel that touch around my hair.
Curious as to who it was, I opened my eyes slowly.
Before me stood Aiden Byon, just as he had been moments before I collapsed.
"You're awake?"
His face, the first thing I saw upon waking, bore a relieved smile.
"Aiden Byon...?"
"Yes, it is I."
I stared at him in bewilderment, then craned my neck to survey my surroundings.
It was my room.
"Where is Mary...?"
I looked for her, noticing her absence.
"Where is Mary?"
"She said she would wait and I sent her to her room."
"Ah, so Aiden Byon was beside me the entire time I was unconscious?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"I see. But...."
All this while, he had continued to stroke my hair.
I gestured upward with my eyes.
"Does it displease you?"
Contrary to my expectation that he would withdraw his hand at once, Aiden Byon asked me with an unbothered expression.
"It's not that I dislike it...."
Such intimate contact was new to me, and uncertain how to respond, my eyes darted about of their own accord.
Noticing my discomfort, Aiden Byon withdrew his hand with a reluctant expression.
Yet how treacherous the human heart is—the moment he pulled away, I felt a pang of longing.
But I had no intention of letting him discover that weakness.
So I composed my expression and asked him what I was most curious about.
"How did the battle conclude?"
My memories were hazy, and I wanted to know if we'd finished it properly.
"After Phenia drove him back and we fled, Hagus made no further advances."
"Thank goodness. And the knights? How severe were our losses?"
"We avoided significant casualties. That was thanks to you, Belita."
"I only did what was necessary."
I couldn't bear to watch someone die before my eyes.
Though it was a battle where death was inevitable, I wanted to do whatever I could to minimize that senseless loss.
"How is your condition?"
"Well, I slept and woke up feeling fine."
I paused briefly, sensing the power within me.
It wasn't quite back to its original state, but more than half had recovered.
"You pushed yourself far too hard."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"But if I hadn't stepped forward, the damage would have been far worse."
Aiden Byon had no response to that.
"...Still, next time—."
"I understand. Next time I'll exercise proper restraint. Since this is my first time using this power, I didn't know how much to control it. So next time, I'll only use it enough to avoid collapsing. Does that work?"
I cut him off hastily before he could launch into a lecture.
Now that I thought about it, Aiden Byon was even more overprotective than Lian.
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