Chapter 85
Gasping for breath, she ran blindly until she collided with someone and was thrown to the ground.
“Lady Lea!”
Zion quickly scooped her into his arms and called out, while Derek grabbed her hand.
“Lady Haisley. What on earth is going on…”
Derek was shocked at the sight of Lea trembling uncontrollably, but more than that, he was thrown into confusion by the torrent of thoughts flooding his mind.
Until now, he hadn’t been able to hear her thoughts. Only what she deliberately projected had reached him.
But now, the words pouring out of her mind were bizarre. Ominous.
Cold… I don’t want to be hit anymore.
I’m scared. Cal, don’t look at me like that. Please.
Ahhh, I told you—I don’t know anything!
Please, please, please, please…
Please, someone, just kill me!
The flood of thoughts forced Derek to imagine revolting scenarios, and he felt a wave of nausea. Who had done this to her? Or rather, who had threatened her?
As the two men struggled to handle Lea’s fit, they spotted Rose running from the Crown Prince’s palace. Behind her were two Espers, and their appearance put both Zion and Derek on edge.
Zion didn’t know the details, but he could tell that those two were the cause of Lea’s condition. He tightened his arms around her protectively.
Rose reached them, grasped Lea’s hand, and met her eyes as she spoke.
“Lady Haisley, are you all right?”
Lea, who hadn’t responded to Zion or Derek, slowly came to her senses at the sound of Rose’s voice.
“Rose…”
“Yes, it’s me, Rose. I’m here, Milady.”
Though she had tried to seem indifferent, Rose had been consistently watching over Lea’s condition. She felt like she was looking at a younger sister she’d had to leave far away. And after years of tending to the sick, Rose had come to recognize Lea’s strange habits.
Though she usually had a bold personality, whenever she was placed in a violent or traumatic situation, Lea became fragile. As delicate as glass, ready to shatter.
Rose didn’t know what had pushed her to this breaking point, but there was no way she could let her remain here, shaking like this in full view of the entire palace.
She spoke to Zion.
“She needs to rest.”
“Of course.”
Zion responded with a glare toward Calix, who had stopped at a distance, watching silently. Before leaving, Derek briefly scanned Ilion’s nearest surface memories…
And immediately realized that they had discovered Lea was a Guide.
A sharp current passed between them. Derek made up his mind. If he couldn’t have all of Lea, he would at least stay the closest to her.
His gaze lingered on Calix for a long moment before vanishing.
* * *
Calix watched silently as Zion and Derek disappeared with Lea.
Their behavior, their eyes, their wariness. When he put it all together, it was clear they had known from the beginning that Lea was a Guide.
“Why did Lady Haisley suddenly react that way?” Ilion asked. “…Is sucking a finger really such a shocking thing?”
After all, he’d done far worse before disappearing.
Calix admitted to himself that he had been genuinely hurt by Lea’s reaction. Part of him had been happy—secretly so—that the woman who came to save him had been her. And now he felt like a fool.
“But still, if someone suddenly bit your finger… you’d be startled too, wouldn’t you?” Ilion offered.
Calix let out a bitter laugh. He had seen every flicker of emotion that passed over Ilion’s face earlier.
Why else would he have forcefully separated them and pulled her to his side?
In that moment, Calix remembered precisely what had gone through his mind.
That he wouldn’t let anyone else have her. Not even Ilion.
It was a contradiction. He still resented Lea, but he didn’t want to give her to anyone else. He wanted her—always wary of him—to continue watching his mood, remaining in his sight.
“How ridiculous. I only sucked up a bit of blood. Why make such a fuss?”
He answered vaguely, then turned and stepped back into his palace. He had no intention of chasing after her to torment her further. Not today.
“Daisy, I’ll need my hair done.”
“Yes, I’ll fetch the stylist right away. But… did she just leave like that?”
“She did. Don’t know what scared her, but she fled like a storm was on her heels.”
…So much that it made me want to chase her.
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