TAVBZ 110

Chapter 110

“Sorry, I didn’t consider that your body wasn’t feeling well.”

Hearing Enoch’s murmured apology, I blinked my eyes drowsily.

The robe of Kaiden was a little too small for the three of us to share, but still, we were all wrapped up in it together like a blanket.

The warmth of our bodies touching, the comforting energy, made me feel somewhat revived.

Once my rational mind returned, a wave of embarrassment rushed in, and I cleared my throat to speak, full of excuses.

“Now that I think about it, it might just be a fever or something. I haven’t slept properly for a few days, and yesterday I slept uncomfortably up in a tree. My wounds aren’t fully healed, and I’ve been tense the whole time.”

Enoch sighed and patted my head.

“Just rest for a while. We’ll watch over you.”

“Yeah. Rest, Margaret.”

Even before they spoke, my eyelids were gradually closing. And at some point, against my own will, I fell asleep as if I had fainted.

It had been a long time since I’d slept so soundly. The feeling of waking up refreshed after such deep sleep brought a full sense of happiness.

My body felt light, so it seemed the fever had completely passed. Lifting my eyelids slightly in the bright morning light, I realized I was still in Enoch and Kaiden’s arms. The night had been bitterly cold, but now that my sickness had passed, it was quite warm.

“Um…”

“You’re awake, it seems.”

“You’re up, Margaret?”

I had only quietly spoken, yet both of them asked at the same time.

It seemed they had shared their body heat with me and hadn’t slept at all. A sudden wave of guilt and apology surged over me.

“I’m fine now. Thank you.”

I carefully slipped out of their arms and sat up. The two of them rose with me.

Kaiden stretched and yawned, while Enoch rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit stiff.

“You both probably couldn’t sleep because of me…”

Eunji, who had been curled up sleeping at my feet, blinked and wriggled over.

I lifted her onto my lap and patted the little creature as she pressed her face into my palm, acting cute. Then I looked up.

The two men were watching me with slightly awkward expressions.

“Why?”

Kaiden scratched his cheek, avoiding my gaze.

“I just… want to see yesterday’s Margaret again.”

“Yesterday… me?”

…Could he really be talking about the ridiculous request I’d made to be held?

Enoch didn’t say anything, but his face clearly agreed with Kaiden’s comment.

“I feel like I caused you both trouble yesterday. I’m sorry.”

“Trouble? No, it was… wonderful…”

“Lord.”

Enoch called Kaiden, as if to calm him, and Kaiden quietly closed his mouth and shrugged.

Enoch sighed and placed his hand gently on my forehead, then calmly brushed my cheek.

“Your fever seems to have fully subsided.”

Kaiden, noticing Enoch’s observation, added his own words.

“Yesterday your body went from ice-cold to burning hot. It was chaos.”

“Thank you both so much. From now on, I’ll stand watch, so both of you can rest.”

Enoch and Kaiden exchanged a glance, then shook their heads as if it were no big deal.

“We’re fine. Our stamina is good; one day won’t hurt.”

I couldn’t argue with that—it wasn’t a lie. Before I could say anything further, Enoch got up.

He picked up the shirt that had fallen to the floor and put it on. Kaiden did the same, putting on his shirt and standing, offering me his hand.

I picked up Eunji and took his hand, standing with him.

“Today, we should try to find the cabin. We’ll plan everything else afterward.”

Enoch spoke, scanning the surroundings carefully.

“Margaret, if you’re okay with it, we should look around immediately. The effect of the barrier will probably wear off soon.”

I tidied my clothes and slung my crossbody bag over my shoulder.

“Alright. I’m ready to go.”

Hearing my determined answer, Enoch gave me a dry smile and patted my head.

“Then, let’s go.”

We wandered the area looking for Jenass’s cabin, but as expected, we couldn’t find it.

“How could it disappear so completely?”

Moreover, the closer we got, the thicker the fog became, and we had no choice but to stop.

“Going in like this would be dangerous.”

“Can’t we use magic?”

Kaiden rested his chin in his hand, staring at me before glancing around.

“We could… but the spell I use is delicate, and it requires a lot of mana.”

“Then, is there a simpler, less precise spell that would still work?”

“Hm… I could manage that.”

Enoch drew his sword, standing guard, and spoke to us.

“I’ll watch the surroundings with Eunji. You two handle the fog.”

Eunji, wrapped around my arm, flinched when her name was called, then quietly slipped down to the ground and made her way to Enoch, flicking her tongue at me.

I smiled at her and took Kaiden’s hand. Light manifested between our joined hands as Kaiden began drawing a magical circle in the air.

He quickly completed the circle and poured his mana into it.

However, despite the circle activating, nothing happened.

“What? The magic isn’t working?”

Kaiden frowned, murmuring in confusion. Feeling the fog thicken, I tugged on his collar.

“I think we should get out of here first.”

Kaiden glanced at me. Enoch agreed, speaking up.

“Right. If magic won’t work, we should retreat, just as Margaret said.”

Enoch sheathed his sword, picked up Eunji, and we had to retreat to a place where the fog thinned to plan our next move—again, up in a tree.

I sat between the two men, fidgeting with my bottom out of embarrassment.

“Do we really have to hold a meeting up here? We could just use a barrier.”

Kaiden clicked his tongue.

“Don’t waste your mana like that. Save it. You’ll need time to recover. Or you’ll collapse again, like before.”

I nodded obediently.

Enoch quietly watched us, then put a finger to his lips, signaling us to be silent.

I immediately understood. Kaiden and I held our breaths and peered below.

A wolf-like monster with six legs and long rabbit-like ears was sniffing around the ground. I froze.

I recalled what Jenass had said about the monsters liking me.

‘Could it have followed my scent?’

The creature circled, sniffing as if searching for something, and finally disappeared after some time.

“Jenass might be using creatures like that. Better to avoid them.”

Kaiden muttered thoughtfully, and Enoch nodded in agreement.

“First, we should plan our next steps.”

Enoch spoke quietly, and Kaiden rested his head in his clasped hands, nodding.

“To check what Jenass or Anata are hiding, we need to reach the cabin. But as it is, it seems impossible to find…”

“Then let’s look for other clues first. Or find the Saint.”

Both men nodded at my suggestion.

“The map the Saint had marked the supply locations, right? It should be along the way to the Southern Island?”

Kaiden, with his excellent memory, said this suddenly as if he’d just remembered.

Indeed, that was correct. The supply locations had been marked near the bunker.

“Margaret, didn’t you draw a map back then?”

Kaiden asked. I shrugged and sighed.

“It got all wet.”

Then I remembered Enoch opening my crossbody bag to treat my wounds. Surely he must have seen the notebook from the cabin and the piece of cloth that looked like a bunker map.

Why didn’t he say anything?

I glanced at Enoch. When our eyes met, he raised an eyebrow, looking confused.

‘It’s time to reveal the bunker, isn’t it…?’

The bunker could no longer be my Plan B. Tears welled up—the fact that I had no escape left.

I hesitated, then took the bunker map out of my pocket and unfolded it.

“There’s another map.”

Kaiden crossed his arms, staring at me in surprise.

“Where did you get this?”