Leticia watched with concern as Dietrian departed in the distance.
Even in the past, Dietrian had left for reconnaissance several times while crossing the desert. Fortunately, nothing dangerous had happened, and they hadn’t encountered any monsters.
However, Leticia couldn’t easily dismiss her worries this time. Too much had changed since the past.
‘The fact that Tenua is escorting the diplomatic delegation is something that didn’t happen in the past.’
When she had seen Tenua this morning, her heart had sunk.
Leticia’s complexion paled slightly as she recalled the fear from the past. It felt like the old anxieties were resurfacing.
‘Let’s calm down. It’s all in the past.’
She repeated it like an incantation while taking deep breaths. Thanks to the deep breaths, her heart settled a bit, but she still felt a slight tremor in her body. Leticia tightly held onto her own arm and continued walking.
‘I miss Dietrian.’
Because she was scared, she naturally wanted to see him.
Leticia made a conscious effort to think about him more deeply.
His arm that used to be wrapped around her waist two days ago, his breath brushing past her ear, the sound of his heartbeat that she could hear through their pressed bodies.
She thought about the pleasant low notes that were like a musical instrument, his gentle smile, or the affectionate comfort he had given her last night.
Then, the fear that had filled her heart lessened a bit.
Leticia closed her eyes slowly and exhaled slowly. Her hair began to flutter slightly. Her red lips, as if casting a spell, silently called his name.
Dietrian, Dietrian.
A sharp sensation passed under her eyes.
Di…
As she opened her eyes in surprise, her body suddenly spun around. Her vision quickly darkened.
Something hard touched her cheek, and someone forcefully embraced her shoulders.
With a fluttering sound, a cloak-like object wrapped around her body. It was as if they were determined not to let go, and there was a strong grip around her waist.
“Are you okay?”
Leticia’s eyes, frozen in place, widened.
“A dream?”
“What…?”
Along with the familiar scent of dry sand, his familiar fragrance filled the air. Leticia, her breath trembling, buried her face in his chest.
“It’s not a dream.”
As soon as she called him, as if by magic, he appeared.
“It’s really Dietrian.”
Just to make sure he wouldn’t disappear, she called him again.
“My Lady?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
The moment she heard his response, all the tension that had built up in her body due to Tenua’s presence suddenly dissipated. He firmly held her as she swayed slightly.
“We’ll stay like this until the storm passes.”
For some reason, his voice sounded slightly annoyed. However, she couldn’t dwell on it as the howling wind followed, violently shaking them both.
Wheeing— It was a sound like the whipping of a cloth by the sandstorm’s peculiar wind. It felt like more than just an ordinary wind, and even though she was nestled in Dietrian’s arms, she could feel intense vibrations. It was only then that Leticia realized what was happening.
‘A sandstorm is coming again.’
There had been no signs at all. Suddenly, a sandstorm had formed.
‘It could have been a disaster.’
Sandstorms in the desert contained not only sand but also sharp rocks and pieces of wood. Without proper protection, one’s skin could be cut by the debris. If it weren’t for him, she would have undoubtedly been seriously injured.
‘Dietrian protected me from the sandstorm.’
Even in her drowsy state, she was deeply moved.
After hesitating for a moment, she grabbed his clothing. As the fabric fluttered with a rustling sound, Dietrian held Leticia tightly in his arms.
This time, the wind was particularly long and sharp. The surroundings became so dark that they couldn’t see properly.
It felt like there were only two people in the whole world, him and her.
After a while, the wind subsided.
Dietrian slowly opened his eyes. Curses and complaints filled the air.
“A sandstorm out of nowhere? Is the wind completely insane?”
“We just finished the rainy season, and now this.”
“Last year, we couldn’t even watch the sandstorm…”
“Do you think we can reach the oasis before evening?”
The surroundings were a mess of sand and gravel. Dietrian clenched his jaw as he looked at the chaotic scene.
‘Why did Leticia do that just now?’
Despite the approaching sandstorm, Leticia didn’t turn around. Dietrian was so surprised by her actions. Without thinking, he rushed to her and turned her around.
“Why did you take such a dangerous action?”
Just a moment ago, Leticia seemed completely distracted, as if her mind had been completely taken over. There was a straw mattress nearby.
‘Is it because of the wings escorting us this time?’
Her complexion had turned pale all of a sudden, even before they started their journey.
Ahwin and Tenua.
It happened when the two of them appeared. Leticia, who had been frozen and unable to breathe, suddenly turned her gaze away as if she was afraid of something. It was as if she was afraid of the wings.
He wanted to examine the situation more closely, but he couldn’t. Leticia quickly covered her face with a scarf.
‘It’s likely that one of them received Josephina’s command to mistreat her. It could be either of them.’
Dietrian tried to control his anger as he glared at the backs of the two wings.
‘For now, Tenua is the more likely suspect.’
Tenua’s notoriety was well-known even in the Principality.
‘Ahwin is also a possibility.’
Ahwin is known as Josephina’s most cherished wing. Among the wings, he was relatively straightforward, but in any case, a wing was a wing. If it was Josephina’s command, they would follow it even if it wasn’t right.
‘Either way, someday they will pay for their sins.’
The day would come when he was free from the king’s duty. He swore to find all the humans who had hurt her, no matter what, and repay their debt.
Even if the opponent had transcendent power.
‘Wings are still humans.’
Humans with beating hearts, shedding blood, and vulnerabilities. So they could be killed.
‘Maybe this sandstorm was also caused by a wing.’
The sandstorm just now was definitely not normal. The sandstorm suddenly appeared as if it were rising from the ground. Then it rushed fiercely toward her.
The swirling sandstorm opened its mouth like a predator, as if it wanted to taste her blood.
‘…Let’s endure it for now.’
Dietrian tried to calm his boiling anger and then released his tightly held arms.
‘At least she’s not hurt.’
He thought that way as he checked her face.
There was a small cut about the size of a fingertip between her eye and cheek. It didn’t seem too deep, and the bleeding had almost stopped.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt.
If the piece of stone had grazed just a bit higher, it would have hit her eye. When he thought about it, his calmed heart began to boil again.
“Dietrian?”
Leticia called him cautiously.
Her green eyes, resembling the color of fresh leaves, looked at him gently. Just as much as he was angry at the wings that had tormented her, he was angry at himself.
‘I should have come back sooner.’
He had hurried as if there was no time to spare while exploring the habitat of the marlins.
The subordinates who had gone scouting with him had almost cried out, telling him to slow down, as if someone was chasing them.
Despite the hurry, he had arrived late.
Seeing Dietrian’s expression stiffen, Leticia quickly became worried.
“Did something go wrong with the scouting? Did the marlins appear…?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Dietrian quickly put on a smile and shook his head.
“Nothing happened. The nest was clean. You don’t have to worry about marlins for a while.”
“Well, that’s a relief, but…”
No, it’s not. I can’t be relieved when you’re hurt. He swallowed that statement and said,
“First, we should treat your wound.”
“My wound?”
“Yes, you were injured.”
“Me?”
She looked puzzled, and it pained him once again. How much must she have suffered not to realize that she had been injured?
“Don’t touch it.”
He grabbed her hand that was moving toward her lower eye and said,
“We need to disinfect it as soon as possible. Wounds can get infected.”
“Oh… it was under my eye. I didn’t know.”
“The location of the wound is not ideal. It seems better to rest properly and treat it.”
“You don’t need to do that!”
Leticia quickly tried to reassure Dietrian.
“It’s just a minor scratch. The bleeding has stopped. It can’t be that harmful.”
“It’s not just that. The sandstorm just now caused a lot of damage.”
Dietrian’s mood sank as Leticia downplayed her injury.
“We need to check for any damaged items and make repairs. Rest when it’s time to rest, so don’t worry.”
“But…”
And then, right at that moment.
Pretending not to notice, the members of the diplomatic envoy, who had been using all their hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two, exchanged glances and started making sounds as if they were making excuses.
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