---------------
Brought to you by ‌‌‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read ‌‌‌directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 79
I flailed my limbs through empty air while locking eyes with Asdal.
"Huh?"
Before I could even register my confusion, a splitting pain seized my head.
It felt as though someone had cleaved my skull with a hammer, then tickled the inside of my brain with feathers—I wanted to scream. The agony was unbearable, damn it all.
The fever seemed to climb higher and higher. I began to wonder if my body might simply ignite and explode from the heat.
A burning thirst consumed me. I craved contact with another person. I needed to touch someone, to make ‌‌‌‌contact, as though only physical connection could quench this desperate thirst.
"You should try to sleep quietly."
Enoch's voice reached my ears.
When my senses cleared, I realized I was lying in a bed.
It ‌‌appeared to be Yuanna's bedroom on the Second Floor. Unlike Asdal's bedroom, ‌‌‌which had been destroyed by the Monster, Yuanna's remained intact.
I saw Enoch standing beside the bed. His upper body was bare, wrapped entirely in bandages. ‌‌
He was hardly a pleasant sight either. But at that ‌‌‌‌moment, such things didn't matter to me.
"How am I supposed to sleep like this?! Why don't you just knock me unconscious? Please, I'm begging you—I don't want to die in agony like this."
I thrashed about and wept bitterly.
'My body is so unbearably itchy.'
I pleaded with him again.
"Enoch, I'm so ashamed—please, ‌‌‌just knock me out."
Tears streamed down my face against my will. Enoch's expression grew troubled.
As his hesitation deepened, my patience crumbled. I reached out with trembling hands and pulled his arm toward me.
Enoch's face drew close. His startled expression filled my vision. Our noses nearly brushed. I gazed desperately at his lips—flushed and barely within reach.
Our ragged breaths tickled each other's faces, and I was on the verge of losing my grip on reason.
'Please, get a hold of yourself. Get a hold of yourself.'
I muttered this to myself, but my body refused to obey.
Then Enoch furrowed his brow, swept his hair back with his hand, and glared at me.
With an expression of anguish, he bit his lower lip firmly, as though restraining something with all his might, and pushed me away.
"Damn it, you're driving me insane."
He muttered ‌‌through gritted teeth.
When he rejected me, relief washed over me, yet somehow my tears fell even more bitterly.
"Just knock me out already! I'm dying of shame!"
Enoch leaned toward me ‌‌slowly. I thrashed on the bed, then froze as his face drew near. He pushed ‌‌‌my shoulder, rolling me onto my side.
Thud.
Then sharp pain exploded at the back of my neck, and my vision went black.
Thank goodness. And yet, even though I'd asked him to knock me out, I never expected to actually get hit by the male lead.
I really wasn't cut out to be a heroine.
Right. What suits me is survival thriller.
* * *
When I came to, it seemed to be dawn. Pale blue light was seeping through the bedroom window.
My vision was still dim. ‌‌‌
As I slowly tried to sit up, I realized both my arms were bound to the bedposts.
Damn it. I let out a sigh and lay back down on the bed.
Then, startled by a presence near the bed, I turned my head and saw Enoch ‌‌sitting on the floor with his head resting against the bedpost, fast asleep.
The moment I saw ‌‌his face, vivid memories of ‌‌what had happened ‌‌last night flooded back, and I let out an internal scream.
'Damn, ‌‌how embarrassing!'
As I ‌‌‌‌was reliving the shameful history of last night alone, Enoch opened his eyes.
"...Margaret?"
Our eyes met while my hands were bound to the bedpost in a rather awkward position.
"Why does it feel like it's been such a long time since we've seen each other?"
Enoch stared at my face without saying anything. I lowered my gaze under the weight of his stare.
"Would you mind untying my hands?"
I asked without being able to meet Enoch's eyes.
Then, after a moment of silence, I heard a rather heavy sigh. Soon, a shadow fell across my face as Enoch leaned toward me.
Only after he untied the restraints binding me could I sit up.
As I sat on the bed and rubbed my wrists, Enoch reached out and grasped my wrist.
Enoch furrowed ‌‌his brow and examined my swollen wrist as he spoke.
"I'll need to apply medicine to this."
I couldn't ‌‌‌bring myself to answer and closed my mouth.
Enoch, still holding my wrist, ‌‌‌lifted his head and looked at me.
"Are you alright?"
"...What?"
I blinked blankly with a bewildered expression. Enoch studied my complexion carefully and asked again.
"I asked if you're feeling better now."
"I'm fine. What about you, Enoch?"
He placed his hand on my forehead. It wasn't mere flattery—my body truly felt refreshed.
"Are you asking if I'm alright?" ‌‌‌‌
At his strange question, I nodded with a confused expression. Then he let out a short ‌‌‌laugh.
"I'm far ‌from alright." ‌‌
He tilted his head slightly and swept his gaze over me with a languid expression. He slowly stroked his chin and laughed as if exasperated.
"You really won't let me take my eyes off ‌‌you for a moment, Margaret. ‌‌‌You."
I just blinked at his words and met ‌‌his gaze.
"That's what I should be saying."
After saying that, I quickly corrected myself.
"Ah, of course, regarding last night's commotion, I ‌‌have nothing to say for myself either...."
Of course, he seemed largely unbothered by whatever I said.
"I... Enoch? Huh?"
Finding it strange that he remained silent for a while, I called his name, and then he suddenly pulled me into his arms.
Enoch's embrace was warm ‌‌‌‌and firm. He lowered his head and rested his face against my shoulder. His hot breath tickled my shoulder.
"I'm glad you're safe."
With his face buried ‌‌in my shoulder, he exhaled words heavy with exhaustion. The weight of those words was so significant that I couldn't ‌‌respond and closed my mouth.
"You owe me an explanation for what happened, Margaret."
Enoch stepped back slightly, ‌‌his gaze fixed on my face. His golden eyes traced every contour of my expression.
"Where did you and Rodban go?"
"Like I said, we were attacked by a Monster. Remember that small silver egg we saw in front of the Cabin before?"
At my question, Enoch paused in thought before nodding.
"Margaret, you disposed of it deep in the Forest, did you not?"
"Kaiden found that egg in a different location. It was as if someone had moved it. But ‌‌‌‌‌here's the strange part—when Kaiden touched it, it emitted something toxic, yet when I touched it, nothing happened. Odd, right? Anyway, while we were dealing with that, we encountered a Tarantula Monster. ‌‌‌‌Right in front of the Cliff."
I went on to tell him about falling from the Cliff, how the egg kept following me, ‌‌and how Silver Earthworm hatched and helped us.
"Thank you."
"What? What are you thanking me for?"
"For coming back safely."
I was taken aback. The words seemed oddly sincere, yet my face inexplicably grew warm. Was the Tentaculum toxin still lingering in my system?
"...So, what about you? Why did you go berserk like that?"
"I had to eliminate the ‌‌Monsters." ‌‌‌‌
I stared at his calm response in disbelief.
"Seriously? You intentionally went berserk? Do you realize that's suicide?"
"I believed you would return."
Enoch looked ‌‌‌at me with eyes full of unwavering trust and conviction.
"What if ‌‌‌you hadn't made it back in time?"
"I asked the Bishop to run me through with his sword."
Run him through with a sword... Good heavens.
I silently wiped my ‌face. What was I going to do with this man?
"I'm grateful too."
"What?"
"For coming back safely."
At my words, he suddenly clamped his mouth shut and looked at me. I watched silently as the tendons in his clenched fists became pronounced.
With reddened eyes as he contained his turbulent emotions, ‌‌‌he pulled me into ‌‌his arms again and exhaled deeply.
I quietly patted his back, waiting for his heart to settle.
Enoch was a man who lacked emotional expression in many ways. Perhaps my words had brought him some comfort.
Then, suddenly,
"I like you, Margaret. Remember that."
The words he had spoken just before collapsing came back to me.
'Was that really sincere?'
After a moment's hesitation, I couldn't help but ask him.
"Enoch, did you mean that?"
Only then did Enoch pull away from me. His face came into view.
"Mean what?"
"That..."
It was too embarrassing to say aloud.
"Do you remember coming to the Cabin? What you said to me after that?"
At my question, Enoch's brow furrowed, and he fell silent, his expression thoughtful. ‌‌‌‌
"...I can't seem to remember."
Well, of course. It was probably just delirious ‌‌‌rambling, like me last night when the fever had me talking nonsense. I found myself disappointed and let out a sigh, then startled at my own reaction.
I shook my head and rose from the bed.
"How is the Bishop doing?"
"Well, he's probably still tied up in front of the door."
"I'm fine now, so the ‌‌‌Bishop should have his wits about him too. Should we go down?"
At my words, Enoch, ‌‌who had been sitting on the bed, gave me a reluctant look before standing. He gently stroked my hair.
"Why don't you rest a bit longer before going down?" ‌‌
I shook my head at his suggestion.
"Rujeep ‌must be struggling too, so we need to untie him. If I get too ‌‌‌‌tired, we can always go back to sleep in our usual spot."
"All right. I'll be right beside you anyway, so it should be fine."
Enoch looked at me intently with an unreadable expression, then nodded.
Was he saying he'd stay by my side to protect me if Rujeep's condition hadn't improved? I was about to ask him another question but swallowed it back.
In the past, I ‌‌‌‌would have bombarded him with questions ‌‌‌‌without hesitation, but now, strangely, I felt a bit embarrassed.
I had interpreted his words about staying beside me in my own way, and ‌‌somehow I didn't want to shatter that interpretation.
In the end, I gave up asking him.
I descended to the first floor with Enoch. As expected, Rujeep was sitting tied up in front of the Cabin door, sniffling with ‌‌tears.
When he saw us coming down from the Second Floor, his face brightened and his buttocks wiggled with joy.
Asdal was asleep in front ‌of the Fireplace, and his heavy slumber kept him from waking.
As I untied the cord binding Rujeep's wrists, a thought crossed my mind.
Now that I think about it, where is Silver Earthworm?
And if the Tarantula has started blooming.... Is Kaiden all right?

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest ‌‌‌‌releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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