Chapter 99
I felt a soft touch once more—a warmth that grazed the edge of my lips.
Cesar’s lips were on mine. Before I could even wonder why they were there, he pulled his face back slightly and smiled.
“Thank God.”
My sense of reality had not yet returned, and all I could do was blink, unsure of what was happening.
What on earth had happened? Even in my daze, I could see that his lips were redder and shinier than usual.
“…Ren.”
Still in a stupor, I could not answer his call.
Lips met mine again. A breath entered, and my chest swelled once more, gradually unblocking my halted breathing. As if entranced, I took in his breath and exhaled, over and over, until my labored breathing slowly returned to normal.
I was confused. Why was I here? I was walking toward the pond when someone pushed me from behind, and I fell in…
‘Die!’
Yes, that was it. A hand pushed my back, and I fell into the water. It was a clear attempt to kill me. That much I remembered. The curse whispered in my ear was all too vivid.
The painful memories resurfaced, tormenting me. My heart raced, and I could feel the blood coursing through my entire body. The rush of blood to my limp limbs was enough to make me dizzy.
I trembled uncontrollably. Such intense, palpable malice. Someone had tried to kill me. I had encountered people who tormented me before, but no one had ever done something so wicked.
At the same time, I was terrified by the memory from my dream—the face of the one who had killed the other candidates for crown princess. Mercedes’s gruesome image came to mind, that demonic face.
Superimposed over that image, the name of the maid who had pushed me finally surfaced. Her name was Elda.
A chill ran through me, and my teeth began to chatter. I had just escaped death. If Cesar hadn’t come to save me, by now I would be…
Just then, Cesar threw his arms around me.
“Ce-Cesar?”
I was caged by his powerful arms, held so tightly I couldn’t move an inch. We were so close I could hear his heartbeat in my ear. It wasn’t my imagination—a rapid, frantic pounding.
What a comfort that sound was. Had he rushed here to save me? The thought that he had sensed my peril, as he always did, caused something to burst inside me. I couldn’t hold back the flood of tears and finally broke into sobs.
It was because a memory from my childhood was overlapping with this very moment. No matter how much I cried, Annalisa had never once held me. I had never spoken of it, but the fact had always filled my heart with a sorrowful ache.
“Ren, it’s all right…”
But now, Cesar was holding me tight. The hand patting my back was so gentle.
Someone was holding me securely. Such a warm embrace. Such a reassuring voice. To be able to share warmth with another person was a joyous thing.
With that thought, my flickering eyes closed. My consciousness sank as if plunged into mud.
When I opened my eyes again, I was at the base of a large tree trunk. It seemed I had fallen into a deep sleep, held tightly in Cesar’s arms, and had just now awoken. The sunlight filtering through the shade of the tree was harsh.
I turned my gaze to the side and saw an unfamiliar man, cloaked entirely in black fabric.
He had been holding his hand out toward my face. A faint light emanated from it. I felt a bit of strength returning to my stiff body.
And across from him, I saw Delphina, her face tear-streaked. I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Where am I?”
“Your Highness, are you awake?”
“Y-yes.”
I blinked a few times. My consciousness, which had been submerged, slowly resurfaced. A severe headache set in, and with it came a dawning realization. Something had definitely happened. Something huge.
“I’m so relieved. I was so worried when you wouldn’t wake up.”
But my head was still too foggy to think clearly.
“What happened to me…”
I licked my lips without thinking. In that instant, a realization like a bolt of lightning flashed through my mind. Delphina then told me.
“You fell into the pond.”
“I… I did?”
Delphina squeezed my hand tightly. Her fingertips were trembling faintly.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn’t saved you…”
“So you are the new crown princess consort.”
Just then, the man in the black robe spoke again. His was the voice of a young man.
However, it was monotonous, without any rise or fall. After staring at me in silence for a long moment, he reached for his robe and lowered the hood.
In that instant, I drew a sharp breath.
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