As I lowered my gaze, I caught a glimpse of the arrow lodged in his shoulder. The sight was so shocking that my breath caught in my throat, and my chin trembled uncontrollably.
“Let me go! I won’t be satisfied until I kill that wench, even if it costs me my life! Let go of me!”
Thud. As Devon struggled against the knights dragging him away, the arrow burrowed even deeper into his flesh.
“No, Edmund!”
A pained groan escaped through Edmund’s clenched teeth.
For a moment, our eyes met—his twisted with pain. If only his gaze hadn’t softened so gently, as if telling me not to worry, my heart wouldn’t have ached so much. My face contorted as if I were about to cry while I looked up at him.
I was about to push away from his chest and step back when—
“Are… are you alright?”
Startled, the knights hesitated. Edmund turned his sharp, hawk-like eyes on them, making them freeze in place as if their breath had been stolen.
“This is hardly the time to be worrying about me.”
His low, growling voice made the knights flinch. With a grim expression, Edmund barked an order.
“Bind him and hand him over to the Imperial Search Squad. The rest of you—find the archer.”
“Yes, sir!”
Their loud response echoed through the alleyways, where knights had been strategically stationed. Soon, they disappeared with Devon, who continued to resist even while coughing up blood. Verita, looking utterly exhausted, was also taken away, supported by the knights.
Edmund remained on high alert until they had completely vanished. I, on the other hand, was so choked up that I couldn’t utter a single word. I could only glare at him with tear-filled eyes, as if protesting against fate itself.
It was only then that Edmund turned to face me after scanning the end of the alley.
“Etricia, another arrow might come flying at any moment. The alley is narrow, and the high walls reduce accuracy, but you should still—”
“Why…”
A strained voice barely escaped my lips.
“Why were you the one who got shot?”
I gripped the hem of his cloak tightly and stared at him with resentment. He forced a smile, his face even paler than before. Beads of cold sweat formed on his smooth forehead.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? An arrow—!”
His nonchalant response made anger surge within me. I almost shouted, but I bit my lip instead. I knew he wasn’t being careless—he was trying to reassure me.
“You know, don’t you? The arrow is coated with the blood of a monster.”
“It can be neutralized.”
“How?”
“Lebron is here.”
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
Lebron’s ability only caused hallucinations, burns, and auditory illusions in monsters—he couldn’t purify them.
“This isn’t ordinary poison. It’s monster blood. It can only be neutralized with divine power.”
And divine power, even for the noblest aristocrats or even royalty, could not be used on an individual without a justified cause. Lova, bound by the strict honor and rules of the temple, would never grant divine power for his sake instead of mine.
If anyone could receive special permission from the emperor, it would be Edmund, given his distinguished military achievements. But if the process took too long and the poison spread… if he stopped breathing…
A chilling fear ran down my spine, making my whole body tremble. My mind instinctively shut down. I refused to imagine such an outcome.
Before I knew it, my entire body was shaking, my resolve crumbling. This was all my fault. Just to capture Devon, I had sacrificed Edmund. My reckless decision had put him in danger.
I clenched my hairpin in frustration, yanking it out forcefully. My tangled hair caught in it, but I didn’t care. I stared at the pearl hairpin in my hand, overwhelmed with regret.
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have called him. I should have been the one to take the hit. I should have…
Just then, Edmund’s warm hand grasped mine, the one holding the hairpin. His other hand gently wiped the tears streaming down my face. Only then did I realize—I had been crying all along.
He had noticed my tears before I did, even in his pain. To him, my insignificant tears seemed more important than the arrow lodged in his shoulder.
“Don’t blame yourself. This was an accident… and my choice.”
He winced; his breathing ragged.
“And I told you, didn’t I? If you—ugh.”
His words cut off as he bit back another wave of pain. Now I noticed—he had been trying to hide his agony all along. The poison was spreading. There was no way he was fine.
“Etri… cia, if you get hurt… I could never forgive myself…”
His voice faded like a dying ember as he collapsed onto my shoulder.
“Edmund…?”
I instinctively caught him, my arms wrapping around his frame. My hands, brushing against his wound, came away wet and burning hot. I pulled back slowly, dreading what I would see.
“Ah.”
My trembling hands were soaked in his blood. His navy blue uniform was already stained with a dark, spreading pool. Monster blood—the poison—spread faster when mixed with human blood. Even minor contact with the wound could be fatal within days. But at this rate, he wouldn’t last two.
“Stay with me, Edmund…!”
In a frantic daze, I shouted for the knights.
The rest was a blur. I screamed until my throat was raw, ordering them to bring a carriage. I climbed in with Edmund, resting his head on my lap as he gasped for breath. I wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief while using my sleeve to dry my own tears.
As the carriage jolted forward, something slipped from my pocket and tumbled across the floor like a dice.
A ring case.
Tap. Tap. My hands, still wiping his forehead, trembled as a tear fell onto them.
‘How foolish.’
Again. Again, I had made the same mistake.
I had lost my father and regretted not saying the things I should have. I had realized too late that there were words you had to say before it was too late.
I had thought that as long as our hearts connected, words weren’t necessary. But I was wrong.
It was never enough. The words I had left unspoken now swirled in my mind, refusing to be ignored.
Tears blurred my vision. I leaned down and pressed my cheek against his forehead.
“I have a gift for you.”
“…”
“There are words I need to say.”
“…”
“So please…”
Unable to hold back my sobs, I pleaded. I prayed for the carriage to go faster, for someone—anyone—to save him.
Upon arriving at the mansion, I immediately summoned medical experts knowledgeable about poisons. I contacted the emperor directly, but there was no way of knowing when he would respond.
Edmund lay motionless, his face cold. Every time I turned to check on him, my heart clenched in fear.
“What should we do…”
I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to act before it was too late.
I rushed out, ignoring my friends’ desperate calls, and ran straight to the grand temple gates.
I called out for Lova. There was no time for procedures or formalities.
When he finally answered, I begged him.
“Lova, I’m at the temple gates. Open them. Please… save him.”
The gates creaked open. I ran inside, hoping—praying—that I wasn’t too late.
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