Chapter 131
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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 131
Enoch slowly extended his hand toward me.
"Come here."
I quietly approached him. He then pulled my hand and seated me on his lap before pressing a kiss to my cheek.
I touched my cheek with a bewildered expression.
Was I truly losing my mind? It was astonishing how accustomed I'd become to such gestures. The feeling wasn't even unpleasant.
A firm arm wrapped around my waist. The man who had exuded a savage possessiveness like a wild beast gradually softened his grip and took my hand.
As he pressed kisses to each of my fingers, he gazed at the flight jacket I wore with a puzzled expression.
"Where did you get this clothing?"
He regarded the jacket as though it were something bizarre. To the Empire's people, it must have appeared hopelessly crude and unfashionable. I fastened the jacket and pointed toward a hanger in the corner of the room.
"It was there. I think Jen—, I mean, Jenath brought it for me."
"...Jen? You call him by such a nickname."
Enoch's brow furrowed with displeasure. His eyes blazed like burning logs.
Startled, I shrank my neck, and he exhaled before gently stroking my hair. I answered cautiously.
"At first, yes. I didn't know what kind of person he was."
Sitting on his thigh grew increasingly awkward, so I tried to slip away, but he pulled me back down.
"Are you alright?"
At his question, I scratched my cheek and gestured to where I was seated.
"If I stay in this position much longer, I'm afraid it won't be alright."
Only then did he release me obediently.
"Sigh. You're troublesome."
As I slipped from Enoch's embrace, Kaiden awoke. He lifted his head with drowsy eyes.
His hair was disheveled, yet his striking features made even that look refined and elegant.
Upon meeting my gaze as he raised his head, he hurriedly rose from the bed and pulled me into an embrace.
I glanced at Enoch. Perched on the bed, he stroked his chin while watching Kaiden with a measured gaze.
"Are you alright?"
Kaiden released me from his embrace and carefully examined my complexion. Unlike the aggressive man from last night who seemed ready to consume me, he was remarkably gentle.
"Um... Margaret, your inner clothing seems shorter than before?"
He'd noticed the crop top visible between the jacket's opening. Kaiden furrowed his brow and personally fastened the jacket's front.
"It's embarrassing."
"You're fine with what you're wearing?"
"I'm fine. I could show more if you'd like. Want to see?"
What the hell is this lunatic saying.
"I'm not curious, so keep it covered."
As Kaiden showed signs of actually removing more clothing, Enoch rose from his seat.
"Rodban."
He then called Kaiden's name in a low voice. Though he merely spoke, the atmosphere became solemn. Kaiden clicked his tongue and obediently retreated.
I watched the two men undressing and pointed toward the hanger.
"There are proper clothes here. Before we have a real conversation, it would be better to get dressed first."
I gazed at Enoch's white shirt scattered across the floor. Those tattered fragments needed to be discarded.
I walked toward the hangers first and selected clothes for Enoch and Kaiden.
Enoch stood behind me, stretching both arms to sift through the hangers with me. Before I knew it, I found myself leaning back against him as I picked out his clothes.
"This one seems like it would fit Enoch's frame best."
I pulled out a black short-sleeved shirt and held it up to his body. In doing so, my gaze inevitably drifted to his impressive musculature.
Memories of last night swirled through my mind, making me feel like I was dying.
Enoch, oblivious to what I was thinking, quietly accepted the clothes from me. He then pulled on the shirt and changed into the pants as well.
"I've never worn clothes like these before."
I let out a small exclamation upon seeing Enoch in the outfit. The shirt fit him perfectly, and his firm muscles were remarkably accentuated.
"Pick something for me too."
Kaiden approached and asked me while examining the clothes haphazardly draped over the hangers.
Fortunately, there were clothes and pants suitable for Kaiden to wear, but he insisted on putting a mage's robe over them.
When I asked why, he grinned and said,
"What if you get cold at night? We'll have to share it then."
His cheeky answer left me speechless.
"Fine, just get dressed already. We need to talk."
I handed Kaiden the clothes I'd picked out and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Enoch, now neatly dressed, approached me and gently stroked my hair. His touch was delicate, as if handling a precious glass doll.
It felt strangely ticklish and unsettling.
I grabbed Enoch's wrist. I was afraid something strange might happen if I didn't.
When I slowly lifted my head, my gaze met Enoch's golden eyes as he looked down at me intently.
It felt as though time itself had stopped.
"We have much we need to discuss with each other."
Enoch spoke while looking down at the wrist I held.
He was right. We needed to talk about everything that had happened.
I was also curious about what had become of Rujeep and Diego.
That's when Kaiden suddenly threw off his clothes. I gasped and opened my eyes wide. Though all I could see were black underwear since Enoch quickly covered both my eyes with his palm.
"How careless of you, Rodban. Margaret is watching, isn't she?"
"Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"
I heard Kaiden's brazen retort to Enoch's rebuke. Enoch, being considerate of me, had changed his clothes behind a shelf, but Kaiden was true to form, and I couldn't help but laugh.
As we continued this banter, it felt like we'd returned to the beginning. To that time on the South Island when the three of us were together.
My expression suddenly darkened and I swallowed my words.
I remembered what the situation had been like just before I parted ways with Enoch and Kaiden.
'They were trying to seal my magic. And they said they would kill me.'
I thought it was certain that I had misunderstood due to the toxic gas poisoning.
But what if that wasn't the case? What if it wasn't a misunderstanding? What would I do then?
"What are you thinking about?"
I heard Enoch's voice from above my head. The hand covering my eyes was removed. I lifted my head and looked at him.
Enoch was perceptive, and he seemed to have noticed that I was harboring negative thoughts. I looked up at him quietly, blinking as I deliberated, then opened my mouth.
"If you were trying to kill me, what would be the reason? That's what I was thinking about."
"...What?"
Enoch's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Kaiden, who had changed into fresh clothes and come to me, gasped in genuine shock.
"Wait, Margaret! What are you saying?! Who's killing whom? Us, you?"
Kaiden asked me with a bewildered expression. I nodded slowly.
Enoch stared down at me with a hollow look. Was it my imagination, or did he seem somewhat hurt?
"I suspected as much. That's why you fled."
At Enoch's words, I clamped my mouth shut. Sorrow surged through me again, and I felt tears threatening to spill.
"That makes no sense whatsoever."
Kaiden rushed forward in a single stride and knelt before me, looking up.
"We would never do such a thing."
"I know. I didn't think you would."
At my response, Kaiden exhaled in relief. Watching his face, I opened my mouth.
"That's why I wanted to ask directly and judge for myself. Whether what I heard was true. Whether you really intended to seal my magic."
"What? Margaret, that's——!"
Kaiden tried to protest in surprise, but Enoch cut him off.
"Let me explain. Margaret, you've misunderstood."
He explained calmly, about that conversation I had overheard in fragments that night.
"We thought you would be the key to escaping this Island. You're the only one among us who possesses magic. We spoke of sealing your magic to test whether your power was attracting the monsters."
"Then when you said you'd kill me...."
"That never happened. What you heard was probably us saying it wouldn't be too late to kill the monsters after conducting the experiment."
When I expressed doubt at Enoch's words, Kaiden answered.
Ah....
Only then did I understand the situation, and I sighed. Relief washed over me, followed by a wave of remorse for doubting their trust.
I buried my face in my palms, consumed by self-reproach. I was ashamed. The guilt was so overwhelming I couldn't lift my head.
I slowly lowered my hands and stared only at my feet.
"I'm sorry.... I.... I went back to the Cave after that. I waited for half a day, but no one came.... I ran into a monster and fled...."
In my confusion, I spoke incoherently, unlike myself. My hands clasped neatly on my lap trembled slightly from the panic.
Then Kaiden, who had been kneeling before me, took my hand. He kissed each of my fingers obsessively while looking into my eyes.
"It's alright. No matter where you ran, we would have found you."
With those words, Kaiden smiled brilliantly. His dimples deepened, creating that characteristic captivating smile.
At Kaiden's words, Enoch nodded in agreement.
"Forgive us for frightening you. I can only imagine how terrified you must have been alone...."
Enoch contorted his face in self-reproach.
According to him, they hadn't come to the Cave immediately because they found a scrap of cloth I had dropped while searching for me. Then they encountered Jenath.
"I needed a place to hide. While searching for somewhere to conceal myself, I found the Underground Passage beneath this Bunker."
"An Underground Passage? Ah, is that the path that damned Archmage disappeared through?"
"Well, it seems so."
I nodded at Kaiden's question. Of course, I had veered off to a different path midway and encountered a skeleton.
I had been about to tell them about that skeleton, the Romallizan Battle uniform, and what happened in the Bunker.
Thud!
Something struck against the door outside. I flinched in alarm and turned to look at the firmly closed door.
"What... what is that...?"
I rushed to retrieve the crossbow and hastily drew out a flare, my hands trembling. Enoch and Kaiden followed suit, unsheathing their longsword and shortsword respectively as they shifted into defensive positions.
"Could it be a Monster?"
I asked Enoch and Kaiden with tension etched across my face, my eyes fixed warily on the sealed door.
"Did someone leave the Bunker door open?"
At my question, Kaiden's brow furrowed in discomfort.
"The entrance we came through is closed. There's no locking mechanism, so if something wanted to open it, there's nothing stopping it... But would a Monster possess the intelligence to open a sealed door?"
Kaiden turned the question back to me, and having no answer, I merely shrugged. In that moment, Enoch moved to the door, pressed his ear against it to listen, then turned back to face us.
"I'm going out first. I need you both to cover me until I reach the Bunker entrance."
Kaiden and I nodded simultaneously. Enoch took a deep breath, then swiftly pushed the door open and leveled his blade forward.
Crash!
"Ugh!"
And we heard a cry we recognized all too well.
Collapsed before the doorway with a deathly pale complexion was none other than Rujeep.
"Were you all here the whole time?!"
Upon seeing us, Rujeep cried out with a trembling voice, his face twisted in anguish.
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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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