TDSFE 52

chapter 52

Eldora realized she could no longer shield Tethia’s eyes. Excessive lies would only build a barrier between Tethia and Eldora.

“Redford… I’m sorry.”

Eldora felt regretful. It seemed that fate in this life would not favor Redford. From the circumstances she had pieced together, Prince Lowenheart… seemed like a fox. He appeared to be constantly thinking, yet his emotions retained an unspoiled, raw purity. This was Eldora’s conclusion from her first impression of Lowenheart. While the prince might not be a bad person, this would certainly be bad news for Redford.

Moreover, he seemed quick-witted. His gaze, surveying Eldora carefully, was sharp. The two of them remained silent for a moment, assessing each other, until Lowenheart finally spoke.

“It is a pleasure to meet the lady I have only heard of in stories. I am Lowenheart Tiranavan.”

“Oh. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Lowenheart. I am Eldora.”

Eldora responded politely. Unlike the earlier brief nod, they now formally introduced themselves. Lowenheart gave a faint smile. As Eldora had heard, he looked elegant, with a composed, slightly arrogant expression that suited him perfectly.

Most importantly, Eldora was the only lady close to Tethia. Tethia, Eldora, and Redford—their relationship was well-known. All three were children of influential families, each exceptional in their own way. Gaining Eldora’s favor could not hurt. Moreover, Eldora likely knew of Redford’s feelings. Just because Tethia was awkward in matters of romance didn’t mean her friend was as well… Eldora was even renowned in social circles. There was even a saying that if one encountered difficulties in love, they should consult Eldora. Being so well-versed in matters of the heart, and valuing friendship, Eldora would likely side with Redford—so gaining her favor seemed even more important.

“I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

“Oh? What have you heard?”

“That Eldora has exceptional knowledge and foresight.”

Knowledge and foresight, huh. Eldora smiled with satisfaction. Most men praised her appearance first, noting her figure, which she never found flattering. In that sense, Lowenheart passed the test.

‘Passed.’

A quick-witted man who could speak gracefully. Eldora smiled warmly. After all, if Tethia and Lowenheart had feelings for each other, there was no reason to act coldly. Soon, Tethia appeared.

“Tethia!”

Eldora called out first.

“Eldora! What brings you here?”

Seeing Tethia’s bright smile, Eldora realized how much Tethia liked her. Lowenheart sensed immediately that he would hear nothing from Tethia today. His heart burned, yet he could not bring himself to hurry the joyful expression on her face. Lowenheart awkwardly smiled between the two.

“Guhk!”

Victor spat out bright red blood. The wound inflicted by the Ice Sword continued to bleed incessantly. It was said that injuries caused by the Ice Sword healed poorly and inflicted burning pain. Victor experienced this firsthand. It felt as if his very bones were freezing. Trembling violently, foaming at the mouth, Victor clung to Danzhu’s legs. Danzhu looked at him disdainfully.

Those who barely escaped had arrived at the hidden refuge, built as a precaution for unforeseen events.

“Victor.”

“Hngh… Don’t just watch…! Ugh, do something, do it!! You’re a mage….”

Victor panted heavily, his shoulders twitching as he clung to Danzhu. Danzhu regarded him with a strange expression. They had failed even the second chance bestowed upon them. The offerings painstakingly collected during the Spring Festival were now lost. Some remained here, but…

“Victor.”

“Ugh…!”

Victor’s eyes rolled back as he coughed up blood. Danzhu clicked his tongue and cast a spell. While the wound from the Ice Sword didn’t fully heal, the bleeding stopped. Danzhu crouched and brushed Victor’s face.

“If this continues, we will all be abandoned by Him.”

Danzhu’s voice echoed coldly through the refuge. He slowly surveyed those gathered. They were merely workers gathered from Estonia, not the people they had brought. A better solution than incurring His wrath by failing to send the offerings on time came to Danzhu’s mind. He smiled wryly.

“Victor, what do you think?”

“What?”

Victor replied sharply. Touching the wound, his face twisted in pain, muttering curses continuously. Danzhu spoke again.

“We must send the offerings this time, by any means.”

“So?”

Victor muttered, his voice sluggish.

“Look around—there are plenty of good offerings here, aren’t there? We’re already here anyway…”

Victor narrowed his eyes at Danzhu’s whisper. Since they only needed to use the magic circle to send them to the final destination, those present here were no longer needed. The workers could be replaced. Enduring the pain, Victor stood.

“Set up the magic circle.”

He gripped his sword again, spitting blood onto the floor. It did not take long for the refuge to turn into a sea of blood.

A shadow, observing the offerings from Estonia, tilted its head. It tapped its cheek thoughtfully and finally spoke.

“Another failure.”

Most of the corpses had been dressed uniformly. It seemed they had killed those in Estonia who mishandled the offerings, sending the victims as new offerings.

“Perhaps we should discard the Estonia side.”

The shadow muttered ominously. But leaving Estonia would be a shame. Lowenheart Tiranavan in Estonia was a perfect candidate for an offering. Fortunately, the Estonian emperor had expelled the betrothed candidates, leaving only Lowenheart. His outstanding appearance had surely captivated Princess Tethia. However, sending a new person to Estonia now would be impractical. All other betrothal candidates had been dismissed, and Estonia did not accept foreigners easily. Rumor had it that Estonia strictly screened foreigners.

“This is troublesome.”

Still, the shadow had no intention of abandoning the plan it had patiently waited for. It wrote a letter to send to Estonia, placing it on the magic circle, where it vanished instantly. Now, the goal of the children in Estonia was clear: leave the offerings and capture Lowenheart alive! The shadow chuckled lowly, eyes fixed on the offerings—they would serve as nourishment for it.

“Eldora. What brings you here?”

“I came to see you. I also heard something serious happened recently. I heard Redford had a hand in it?”

Eldora asked with concern.

“Of course, I handled it well. After all, I am the leader of the Valkyries.”

“I returned unharmed. Thanks to Redford and Lowenheart here.”

Tethia reassured Eldora. Eldora confirmed with her eyes that Tethia was unharmed. Tethia regained her composure and gracefully lifted her teacup. Meanwhile, she observed Lowenheart, aware of why he had come. She had promised to respond once the situation was resolved. Her heart pounded wildly. Thankfully, Eldora was present; otherwise, Tethia would be trembling and unable to speak. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

“Lowenheart, what brings you here?”

Lowenheart gazed steadily at Tethia, who pretended not to know. He could clearly see she was avoiding him, but he could not rush her in this situation. Eldora watched him with cat-like eyes.

“Just… I wanted to make sure Tethia is alright.”

Lowenheart suppressed the words that almost escaped his lips. His resolve to settle things had dissipated. Tethia quickly hid her guilty look. Yet Eldora immediately understood the situation.

Tethia is avoiding him.

Eldora crossed her legs, considering helping, but Redford came to mind. Both Redford and Tethia were precious friends to her. Leaving the matter to them seemed the right choice. She clapped her hands to draw attention.

“Everyone, shall we have dinner?”

“Yes. That’s right, Eldora!”

If you smile that brightly, Lowenheart will be hurt, Tethia, Eldora thought, sticking out her tongue. Just receiving a response made Tethia thrilled.

“To commemorate our meeting, I’d like to treat you to dinner.”

Eldora judged it best to feign ignorance between the two this time, as Tethia would certainly insist otherwise.

“That’s a good idea! Heart, is that alright? Eldora is a wonderful friend! She could also be a good friend to you!”

Lowenheart nodded weakly.

“Good. I look forward to it.”

Gaining Eldora’s favor was important. Hearing Tethia’s answer would come later. Eldora resolved to ensure she would hear a “yes.”