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chapter 19
Something soft was brushing against Sienna’s face. It was a cloth soaked in cool water. The hand gently cooling her heated cheeks was careful and kind.
‘Is this a dream?’
Such delicate, pleasant touch.
Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Sienna kept lying there, pretending to be unconscious.
“It seems it will take some time before she regains consciousness.”
At the low, resonant voice, Sienna realized the owner of the hand was Arthur. No wonder she thought she smelled something nice.
‘Wow, he really smells like a typical male lead. His voice is so good too… I kind of want to kiss him without thinking.’
The thought came to her unconsciously.
‘What am I even thinking right now? I’m really going crazy, Sienna!’
Startled, she scolded herself harshly.
At that moment, Arthur sensed something strange.
“You’re awake.”
She could no longer pretend to be unconscious.
Sienna quietly opened her eyes. Arthur, holding the wet handkerchief, was looking down at her.
“Was I out for long? I remember my vision turning yellow…”
Sienna sat up.
She discreetly checked the hem of her white dress. It was clean, without any trace of vomit. Thankfully, it seemed she had avoided the worst-case scenario.
Her face brightened.
Just then, Kojum, who was tied near the spring, snorted in dissatisfaction.
“Hihiin!”
Kojum’s mane was sticky all over with what she had left behind. Seeing it, Sienna frowned awkwardly.
Arthur tilted his head toward her.
“What are you doing? Clean it up.”
‘I was going to, you jerk. I at least have a basic conscience.’
Grumbling inwardly, Sienna snatched the handkerchief from Arthur’s hand.
‘I’m the type who cleans up her own mess, at least.’
With the handkerchief soaked in spring water, she gently wiped Kojum’s forehead. Only then did the horse lower its head, calming down.
Sienna apologized to Kojum.
“I’m sorry. I had my reasons too.”
Arthur stood leaning against a tree near the spring, watching her.
Sienna came to rinse the handkerchief in the water and glanced at him.
Arthur stared straight at her.
Considering she had done something wrong, she thought she would shrink back and quickly avert her eyes once they met. But instead, Sienna turned her whole body to face him.
In the end, Arthur spoke sharply.
“What did you do to deserve staring at me like that?”
“No, it’s behind you, Your Grace.”
Sienna wasn’t looking at him, but at the tree.
Arthur turned around. The tree bark had been mercilessly torn apart, as if something had raked it with claws.
Hesitantly, Sienna said,
“Earlier, the bandits said this forest is where monsters appear. I was wondering if it’s really okay for us to stay here.”
“I wondered what it was.”
Arthur let out a scoff.
Sienna’s mood soured instantly.
‘What’s with that expression? Did I say something stupid?’
She looked around.
The surroundings were embarrassingly peaceful. Even Kojum was leisurely grazing on grass.
In a voice tinged with resentment, Sienna protested,
“Was what I said strange? I just value my life.”
“Seems the High Priest was right. They said the Saintess lost her memory.”
“What?”
Sienna blinked.
“You don’t even know my nickname.”
“Oh, I do!”
‘Did he think I wouldn’t know? I heard the beggars whispering in front of the temple.’
Sienna proudly declared,
“You’re called the ‘Capital’s Playboy King’!”
…Was that not it?
Arthur’s gaze seemed to turn colder.
“…Not that one.”
He was half grinding his teeth.
“‘Monster Slayer.’ Haven’t you heard it?”
“Pardon…?”
Sienna tilted her head as if it was her first time hearing it.
That expression of complete ignorance irritated Arthur.
“It was me who wiped out the monsters in the eastern forest of the Bledel territory with a single sword. So stop talking nonsense and finish cleaning Kojum.”
“Yes, sir…”
Sienna replied without enthusiasm and turned back to Kojum.
“Hey, you must have it tough too, having such a nasty-tempered master. Right?”
Was it her imagination?
The black horse, who had been munching on grass, seemed to nod vigorously just now.
Sienna wiped the filth from Kojum’s mane with the handkerchief.
“Alright, I just need to clean behind your ears now. Hmm?”
Flutter.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a flock of birds taking flight.
Kaaak!
It came with sharp cries, as if warning each other of danger.
Sienna, who had been peering at Kojum’s head, looked up at the sound.
Kaaak! Kaaak!
“What’s going on?”
Where the flock had been perched in the distance, there was a smear of sticky blue liquid.
Frowning, Sienna examined it.
“What is that?”
Plop.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from above.
A translucent blue liquid began to drip sporadically onto the grass nearby. The smell was horrendous.
“Grrrrrr…”
At that moment.
A low, threatening sound echoed like it was reverberating inside a cave. Soon, a large shadow revealed itself from afar.
Sienna felt goosebumps rise all over her body as she examined the edge of the shadow.
“This is…”
A monster in the form of a gigantic wolf was staring at her with yellow eyes.
“I-it’s a monster!”
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
The monster still had a couple of birds clamped in its mouth. Each time its strong jaws moved, there was a faint crunch of bones breaking.
From its mouth, along with half-swallowed feathers, the disgusting blue liquid dripped down. Whenever it exhaled heavily, the blue liquid splattered around.
Its claws were sharp enough to tear a person apart in an instant.
‘If that thick forepaw were to swing at me—’
Just imagining it felt like sharp iron hooks piercing into her body.
Her breath caught in her throat.
“Hhk… haa…”
Sienna’s mind was filled with only one thought: run. But her feet felt as if they were rooted to the ground and wouldn’t move.
‘I-I’m scared…!’
Her tightly pressed lips trembled.
Thankfully, she had someone to rely on.
‘Monster Slayer,’ Arthur Bledel, the Grand Duke.
Recalling his nickname, Sienna tried to calm herself.
“Y-Your Grace…? I think it’s time for you to show your skills?”
But there was no response from behind her.
A bad premonition ran down her spine.
She called him again.
“…Your Grace?”
Still no answer. Sienna turned her head.
Arthur, who had just been leaning against the tree, was nowhere to be seen. He was collapsed on the dirt ground, his body trembling.
Shocked, Sienna shouted,
“Your Grace!!”
Arthur barely lifted his head.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he painfully clutched the dirt. Though he was enduring it, a low groan escaped between his teeth.
“Ugh…”
It looked as if an invisible hand had ripped open his abdomen and was violently stirring inside.
Arthur writhed like a mercenary enduring torture. Seeing him like that for the first time, Sienna’s face turned pale.
‘This… could it be… because of the curse?’
She recalled what she had heard from the bandit.
The painful seizures that occasionally struck the Grand Duke of Bledel due to the curse.
“His eyes turn bloodshot and red, and he growls like a beast.”
A seizure had come over him.
Of all times, now.
