Chapter 103
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Chapter 103
"Is this real?"
My chest felt suddenly constricted, as though something had lodged itself in my solar plexus.
Only then did Enoch slowly release me from his embrace. His face came into view—calm, serene golden eyes examining mine with quiet intensity.
He lowered his hand and gently clasped mine, his large, warm palm enveloping my bare skin with tender care. With the unwavering steadiness of an ancient oak, he gazed at me and spoke.
"Whether it's real or not doesn't matter. I have no intention of letting go of this hand."
I looked down at our intertwined hands in silence. I had known it, but Enoch was no longer merely a character printed on a page.
Suddenly, I found myself wishing I could truly be Margaret.
I wished I could hold the hand of this man—solid and unwavering as timber, reaching toward me alone without ever bending.
I lifted my gaze again, meeting Enoch's quiet eyes. He tenderly caressed my cheek with his other hand.
Feeling something brush against my feet, I looked down to see Silver Earthworm struggling to climb onto my lap, demanding my attention with insistent movements.
I laughed and released Enoch's hand, lifting Silver Earthworm's body with both hands. Watching the creature lick its tongue happily, I turned to Enoch and asked.
"What about the others?"
"As for the others, I cannot say. Rodban and I plunged directly into the River, following you, Margaret."
"You... jumped into the River? What?!"
I covered my mouth with both hands. For a moment I could only gape silently before the words burst out of me.
"Are you out of your mind?"
At my question, Enoch let out a dry laugh—something closer to a self-deprecating smile.
"If I were in my right mind, would I have done such a thing?"
His frank admission left me speechless once more. Enoch gestured toward Silver Earthworm with an untroubled expression and continued.
"This creature seemed to guide us toward your location. Rodban and I were following it when..."
He paused, looking troubled as he glanced around.
"We clearly saw the Cabin, but suddenly fog rolled thick through the Forest. After that, I lost sight of Rodban."
"The Cabin!"
I started in alarm and scanned our surroundings. The place where Enoch and I stood was deep within the Forest, the mist now cleared, but the Cabin was nowhere to be seen.
"This is strange. The Cabin was quite large and not far away. How could it vanish so completely?"
Enoch murmured, his eyes sweeping across the landscape alongside mine.
"We need to find Kaiden quickly."
I was answering him when—
Sssssss—
Silver Earthworm, coiled around my arm, began to writhe and demand attention. Enoch watched the creature and chuckled softly.
"Since this one led us to you, I suppose it deserves some praise."
Silver Earthworm stretched its head forward, looking up at me with eyes gently closed. Was it asking to be petted?
I regarded the creature with bewilderment before carefully stroking its smooth head.
At that, the creature seemed delighted, extending its tongue and gently swaying its tail as it coiled around my arm.
Enoch stared at me intently, his brow furrowing slightly before he removed his jacket. He draped it over my shoulders and asked.
"You seem to be bleeding. Are you alright?"
At his words, I looked down at my abdomen where gauze was applied. Fortunately, only a small amount of blood had seeped through, so it didn't appear serious.
"This much is fine."
"Still, we should treat it properly."
"Let's move to somewhere safe first. Enoch's wounds are more serious than mine."
I frowned at the sight of his torn jacket and the gashes scattered across his body. It looked like it must hurt terribly, yet Enoch simply nodded with a serene expression as if nothing were amiss.
"I too am fine with this much. As you say, it would be best to move to safety first."
With those words, Enoch examined my clothing with calm eyes.
"And I've been wanting to ask since earlier—these clothes."
Enoch pointed to the pants and t-shirt I was wearing. Then, glancing at my stomach again, he quietly turned his head away.
The t-shirt clung to my body and was cut short enough that it probably looked rather immodest and peculiar to the people of the Empire.
Since Enoch seemed embarrassed, I found myself growing flustered as well and laughed awkwardly.
"Your clothes are quite unique."
At Enoch's words, I felt oddly delighted and lifted one leg to show him.
"These pants are really comfortable. I feel like I'm finally alive."
Enoch's calm eyes, neatly composed, held a warmth and tenderness to them.
The Enoch I knew from Margaret's memories—the Crown Prince—was gentlemanly but always seemed somewhat weary and languid, emotionless and inhuman.
But when he looked at me like that with those seductive eyes marked by a beauty spot, it felt like cheating. The trust I sensed in his gaze tickled something inside me, so I quietly lowered the leg I'd been holding up.
"If you're comfortable, then that's all that matters."
He arranged my hair with a composed expression.
"A sorcerer took me in. There was another survivor. These clothes were given to me by that person."
I was too disoriented at the time to ask, but I later realized that it was Jenath who had rescued me from the River.
'That mist was probably Jenath's doing. Magic? But mana can't be used on this Island...'
Wait.
"How did that person use mana when I'm being suppressed in this body?"
Jenath had definitely said something like that. Only now did I realize how odd those words were.
'In this body'—did that mean his original body existed elsewhere? Could he use mana with his original body?
"What do you mean by another survivor?"
Enoch's voice pulled me back to reality, and I looked up at him.
"Oh, there was someone living in that Cabin. He saved me. Though he did save me, but..."
In the end, he left me to nearly die at the hands of a Monster.
"The story will take a while, so shouldn't we look for Kaiden before the sun sets? Once it gets dark, the Monsters..."
Before I could finish, I noticed Enoch's weary face. He was rubbing his temples and frowning irritably.
"The Monsters have evolved again."
"What?"
"I've been dealing with Rodban and the Monsters since yesterday afternoon. Now we can't even feel safe during the day. And they're no longer in beast form—they've become unrecognizable grotesque creatures."
Monsters appearing during the day? My mind went blank. The conversation I'd had with Jenath was becoming reality far too quickly.
"As you say, finding Rodban should be our priority then."
Enoch stood and extended his hand to me. I tried to remove the jacket draped over my shoulders to return it to him, but his expression turned somewhat displeased.
"Will you be alright? That outfit..."
Enoch slowly placed the jacket I'd removed back over my shoulders, his words trailing off.
Then, as if by accident, his hand brushed across my t-shirt, and he suddenly turned his head away in surprise. He gritted his teeth, lowered his gaze, and gripped my jacket tightly.
"It seems better that you keep wearing clothes."
Since he was so embarrassed, I had no choice but to put his jacket back on. His jacket was tattered too, but wearing it was better than nothing.
Once I obediently put on the jacket, Enoch finally looked at me with relief washing over his face.
With his anxiety about my rampage completely gone, Enoch appeared flawless, without the slightest flaw.
His eyebrows were drawn with precision, his nose sharp and defined, his eyes a mesmerizing deep golden hue, his lips a rich red, and his jaw resolute. Every feature of his face was harmoniously and perfectly sculpted.
Handsomeness served no purpose in survival, but it seemed to bring a sense of calm to those in his presence.
I felt my chest, which had been turbulent from the fog Jenath and he had created moments before, gradually settling.
Once I had calmed down, my mind felt considerably lighter. Enoch, who had been watching me quietly, spoke.
"Now, shall we go find Rodban?"
At his words, I nodded obediently.
"Yes, let's go."
First, I needed to find Kaiden and then explain more details about Jenath.
And I also needed to figure out where the Cabin had suddenly disappeared to.
* * *
Rujeep struggled forward, bearing Kaiden's heavily laden backpack.
"Would you consider lending a hand?"
Rujeep turned to Diego and asked, but Diego declined with a composed expression.
"I must reiterate—it would be wise to discard what can be discarded."
At Diego's cold words, Rujeep bit his lower lip hard.
"Would you speak so easily if this were your own luggage?"
"If it were mine, I would say I did well to abandon it. It is the wiser choice to discard a burdensome load rather than risk danger while carrying it."
His words were undeniably sound, and I had nothing to say in return. I couldn't fathom how Kaiden managed to carry something so heavy.
But the backpack could not be abandoned. Though Kaiden had been carrying it, its contents were entirely things that Margaret needed.
As Rujeep stubbornly refused to discard the bag and trudged forward with effort, Diego finally sighed and snatched the backpack from him.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org