Chapter 71
“Elia!”
Rias reached out as if the ground itself was trembling like an earthquake.
But once again, a tremendous roar echoed close by. This time, the carriage rocked violently, as if it would completely overturn. With a loud crash, the carriage began to collapse heavily to one side.
Amid the chaos, the horse let out fierce snorts, causing the already half-destroyed carriage to sway wildly.
“What in the world…?”
Elia, barely steady inside the swaying carriage, spoke. Was it an earthquake? Or was it some beast that had come down looking for food? Without time to gather her thoughts, she trembled, bracing for an even greater impact.
Rias’s eyes flashed sharply. His calm gaze grew intense as he pushed the half-crushed carriage door open with his foot and urgently said to Elia.
“Stay here, don’t come out—!”
“Ah!”
But Rias’s words were cut off abruptly. With a thunderous bang, one of the wheels completely broke off. The carriage jolted as if it might roll forward at any moment.
A wave of unease surged toward Elia’s neck.
“Just do that much and stay put. If you get hurt, I’ll be heartbroken.”
Then, from above came a gentle voice.
A sudden chill ran through Elia’s entire body. A fierce headache swallowed her consciousness. Her hands, trying to steady herself, slowly relaxed.
‘Why? Why is this happening?’
She asked herself, shifting her gaze. Through the carriage, half in ruins, the cliff below was clearly visible. And there, standing as if ruling over it, were someone’s feet.
“Enough already. This is getting boring.”
The door, unable to withstand any longer, shattered with a sharp crack. Suddenly, the view brightened completely.
The sunlight poured in, making Elia squint. The feet gathered became even clearer.
‘…How could this be?’
Elia squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. The sharply tailored black uniforms and the golden insignias on their chests unmistakably identified them as Cyrone’s elite knights. The knights sat astride their horses at the cliff’s edge, their eyes cold and calculating.
Staring blankly at them, Elia slowly shifted her gaze.
“Cy… Cyrone?”
There he stood on the steep cliff bathed in sunlight, as if a painting came to life. A gentle breeze fluttered through his hair, revealing his finely sculpted eyes.
Cyrone’s gaze was fixed relentlessly on Elia alone.
“How on earth…?”
Elia murmured instinctively. He must have chased them all night, closing the vast distance from the capital. How fast must he have come after them?
Cyrone, who had been staring down at Elia intensely, gracefully dismounted from his horse. Without ever breaking eye contact, he walked toward her and let out a low chuckle. It was a chillingly beautiful expression.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”
The moment he spotted Elia’s face, Cyrone felt as if something inside his mind snapped. She was right there in front of him, yet it felt unreal, as if she might vanish like a midnight dream if he reached out to touch her.
He continued walking closer to the edge of the cliff until he stood perfectly above Elia. Cyrone’s gaze brightens with warmth.
“What’s with that look? Didn’t you want me to come find you?”
His smile vanished in an instant, replaced by tightly clenched lips.
* * *
“Why… why did you…?”
Elia stared up at the cliff, unable to believe the scene before her. Their eyes met and intertwined. Like that day long ago, they could no longer avoid each other. But now those eyes carried a different color.
“So, how was it? Playing around with me?”
Cyrone tilted his head slightly and asked, his voice was tender like he was casually checking on someone’s well-being.
“Did you enjoy it?”
But no matter how composed he tried to sound, his voice trembled ever so slightly at the end. The subtleness sent chills down Elia’s spine. She stared back at him, stunned and uncomprehending.
“Answer me, Ellie.”
With an annoyed gesture, Cyrone brushed his hair back. His usually masked, calm eyes were fully revealed.
The only person those eyes belonged to was Elia. In fact, she was Cyrone’s entire world.
“….”
But Elia couldn’t respond. She simply couldn’t grasp this moment. She was the daughter of a treasonous family, a fugitive who had escaped prison. Yet Cyrone’s gaze wasn’t that of someone looking at a contemptible criminal.
Instead, Cyrone’s eyes were desperate. Like a child who had lost something, chasing after a vanished illusion while trembling uncontrollably.
“Elia.”
Cyrone whispered her name again softly, searching for something unbelievable despite it being right before him.
“Will you come to me, or shall I come to you?”
He offered a choice, but Elia knew well enough there was only one option. As always, she would take Cyrone’s hand and stay by his side like a doll.
As Elia’s face clouded with thought, Cyrone’s own fear suddenly surfaced.
“Come on your own two feet. While I’m still in a good mood.”
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