Chapter 74
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Chapter 74
I had no idea what he meant. Looking around, it seemed Kaiden didn't understand either.
Prince Asdal showed no intention of offering further explanation.
What is this, why does he speak in riddles and posture like that? I regarded Asdal with a look of disgust and ultimately decided to ignore him.
In any case, Margaret in the past possessed a considerable amount of magical power, but the moment she heard she needed to "practice" to use it, she abandoned the study of magic that very day. It was obvious it would be tedious and exhausting.
Come to think of it, there were other occasions when I'd heard about my magical power reserves. I opened my mouth while looking at Kaiden.
"It does seem like I have quite a bit of magical power. There's what the tutor who came to teach magic at the Family Estate said, and when I took the Academy entrance exam in the past, I underwent a magical power test. I actually broke the test orb back then."
After surveying the people listening to me, I shrugged my shoulders.
"The Magic Department professor who was the examiner at the time said either the orb had a defect or I possessed an enormous amount of magical power—one or the other. So he said he'd bring a new magical power orb and have me retested, but...."
"But?"
"I didn't take the test. I only went because Enoch said he'd be coming out as a special examiner for the Academy. I wasn't particularly interested in Academy admission."
Everyone looked at me with an expression of understanding.
"What, all of you? What's with that look of pity?"
"I had forgotten how much Flone Young Lady followed Crown Prince Enoch around."
Asdal sighed and made a deflated expression.
"Indeed. As expected, the Young Lady's heart belonged only to Crown Prince Enoch."
Yuanna nodded in agreement.
The phrase "Margaret likes Enoch" seemed to be a magic word that granted a free pass to Margaret's questionable behavior.
But since it's true, I can't even refute it... This is frustrating.
"That's all in the past anyway. Things are different now, aren't they? Right, Margaret?"
Kaiden, who had been sitting with a dissatisfied expression the whole time, pressed me for an answer.
"Well... I just don't have the mental capacity to worry about such things now."
"See, Margaret doesn't like the Crown Prince anymore."
I was about to refute Kaiden's words, but since they weren't wrong, I remained silent.
"Regardless of how much magical power the Young Lady possessed before, that's all in the past anyway. On this Island now, magical power is essentially at zero, isn't it?"
"That would be correct. This is an Island where magic cannot be used."
"Then doesn't the hypothesis that a Monster was imprinted by the Young Lady's magical power not make sense?"
I nodded in agreement at Asdal's counterpoint.
"Then what could it possibly be?"
Yuanna murmured while resting her chin in her hand. That's what I'd like to know too.
Everyone looked at Silver Earthworm again with puzzled expressions. Just then, Silver Earthworm, who had descended from my shoulder, was wagging its tail on my lap while adorably flicking its tongue.
As I pondered Silver Earthworm for some time, Enoch's large hand—whom I thought was deeply asleep—suddenly grasped my wrist with a soft thud.
I started in surprise and looked at Enoch's face as he lay there. His eyes opened languidly, as if feverish, and he spoke.
"Is that really true?"
His voice was deeply low.
Whether from drowsiness or fever, his voice was hoarse and rough. The gaze with which Enoch looked up at me was intense.
"Margaret. I asked if that's really true."
As I stared blankly at him, he called out to me again.
"...Yes? What is it?"
"You don't like me anymore, then?"
"Are you seriously asking me this while you're in pain, just because you're curious right now?"
"...Answer me, will you?"
"That is...."
"...No. Don't answer."
Enoch exhaled deeply and looked up at me quietly.
His presence was so captivating that everyone who had been making a fuss fell silent all at once, their attention fixed on us.
'This is... overwhelming.'
Cutting through that excessive gaze, Enoch spoke to me.
"I like you, Margaret. Remember that."
Having delivered that bombshell confession, he simply fell back asleep as if losing consciousness.
A silence so profound it was almost terrifying filled the Cabin.
I had known that Enoch regarded me with rational affection, but this was the first time I'd received his feelings expressed so directly.
'He should have said something like this when we were alone...!'
Then I could have given it serious thought! I clutched my head in embarrassment.
"Well, I expected as much, so there's nothing surprising about it."
Asdal answered as if it were no big deal. Then Yuanna chimed in as if in agreement.
"The Young Lady used to say he disliked her, but that's ancient history now. Looking at the Young Lady now, it's hardly strange that the Crown Prince would be captivated, is it?"
Yuanna spoke with a hearty laugh.
'No, Anna... you shouldn't say it like that.'
I sighed while splashing my face with imaginary water.
'...Right. Actually, this is good. I've completely avoided the death flag now.'
Rujeep and Diego remained silent, neither affirming nor denying, while Kaiden glared at Enoch with an irritated expression.
"The Crown Prince isn't in his right mind right now. Margaret, don't take it to heart."
Kaiden looked at me anxiously and covered both my ears with his hands. What good does it do to cover my ears this late?
"Right. Enoch isn't exactly in his right mind at the moment."
At my response, Kaiden exhaled with relief and lowered his hands from my ears. I quietly gazed at Enoch's sleeping face before continuing.
"And besides, Enoch can't function without me right now. There's no one to stop his rampage. That's probably why he said such things. Please don't misunderstand."
I looked around and urged them, but everyone merely nodded halfheartedly.
These people...?
"So. What's the situation here? You need to explain."
At my words, Diego, who had been reading the room, approached with the determined expression of a general taking command and opened his mouth.
"After the Young Lady disappeared, His Highness appeared quite anxious. He continued searching for the Young Lady constantly."
Much was left unsaid in Diego's matter-of-fact account.
"He acted like a madman. The problem is that Monsters happened to swarm in at that very moment...."
Asdal stood with a troubled expression, staring intently at the sleeping Enoch. Rujeep, who had been gauging the mood, took the baton and opened his mouth.
"We speculated about why Monsters suddenly swarmed. It seems to be because of Monster blood."
"Blood?"
At my question, Rujeep slowly nodded.
"Monsters appear to have the ability to detect the scent of their own kind's blood. Just as when we killed the Anaconda at the Base Camp before, other Anacondas swarmed in droves the next day."
It matched my own hypothesis.
"The period when Kaiden and I went missing was two days. What was it like during the daytime? Did the Monsters disappear then?"
"Yes. They vanished somewhere. And His Highness fell into a deep sleep as if unconscious. Then he would smell blood again, and the Monsters that swarmed would be slaughtered.... He kept repeating that cycle."
So even after waking from deep sleep in the middle, the rampage continued.
Enoch's condition seemed like it should improve, but he showed no intention of getting better. Usually in cases like this, it depends on willpower....
"Still, it's fortunate that we've grasped the behavioral patterns of the large Monster swarm. Since we've also disposed of the Monster corpses, things should be fine now."
Everyone nodded at my words with slightly relieved expressions. It seemed we had finally lifted some of the burden.
I stared at Enoch's sleeping face for a long moment, then let out a sigh. Exhaustion washed over me in waves.
"For now... shall we rest a bit and talk again later? I think we all need to rest."
I wasn't the only one who was tired. Evening or not, I was so exhausted that I wanted to rest.
But for some reason, the unusually quiet Kaiden seemed off, so I turned to look at him, and his face was filled with guilt that didn't suit him.
"Are you okay?"
"I'll apologize again. I'm sorry."
Neither he nor I knew that our trip to the Cliff to see Silver Earthworm's egg would snowball into something like this. I resented him for a moment, but not anymore.
"To be honest, I was a bit disappointed, but it wasn't wrong of you to suspect me. The situation unfolded in a way that made no sense, but no one is blaming you for it."
At my words, Kaiden squeezed his eyes shut with an anguished expression.
"Margaret, I'm still sorry."
Soon after, he slowly opened his eyes and looked directly at me. The turbulent crimson in his gaze gradually calmed.
I watched him, who now seemed somehow more resolute, and asked.
"So you won't suspect me anymore?"
"No. I won't."
"But you still don't trust me."
"No, I do trust you now. Really."
As he said this, Kaiden's gaze remained unwavering and serene as he looked at me.
I watched him quietly for a moment, then opened my mouth.
"It took an incredibly long time for distrust to turn into trust, didn't it?"
At my question, he pressed his lips together and didn't answer. I spoke to him with a firm expression.
"You wait too. Until I trust you."
At my words, he nodded obediently. Watching him, I lay down beside Enoch.
Silver Earthworm wriggled over and settled at my head, curling its tail into a circle. Kaiden followed my lead and lay down on my left side.
As I lay looking up at the Cabin's ceiling, rustling sounds reached my ears.
The others were preparing their sleeping places. The restless movements continued, and I closed my eyes, forcing myself toward sleep.
"Margaret."
Then Kaiden called to me quietly. I slowly opened my eyes and turned my head.
Kaiden had turned to face me. He looked at me with a contemplative expression for a long moment, then asked carefully.
"I can't sleep. Would it be okay if I held you while we sleep? Then I think I'd sleep better."
"You're not asking because you think I'll allow it, are you?"
"No. I thought you'd refuse."
"Then just sleep."
At my words, he nodded obediently. He remained turned toward me.
Since waking on this Island, I haven't had a moment of true rest. I had been tense the entire time, under constant threat to my life, in an unrelenting succession of brutal days.
...I'm so exhausted.
I closed my eyes once more.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org