The place he so dearly loved, which he had exerted all his strength to protect, was now in complete disarray.
It was absolute chaos. The once-green garden was littered with blood-drenched bodies.
His own men were hardly different from the corpses, shedding blood as they swung their swords. The one who had just shouted in rage was none other than Yulken.
“Die!”
Yulken’s sword sliced through the neck of a knight in white clothes. As the sword passed, blood gushed out in a scene that seemed eerily slow.
The knight fell backward slowly. Dietrian’s heart sank as he recognized the wing emblem on the white armor.
The Holy Empire.
They were Josephina’s knights.
“Huff, hah, Your Majesty.”
Yulken, panting and out of breath, called out to him. Blood was gushing from a wound on his side.
“You must escape.”
His face was as pale as a corpse as he spoke. In that moment, Dietrian realized that Yulken’s death was imminent.
Then Dietrian’s arm ‘moved’.
Clang!
A broken arrow flew towards him slowly.
Only after deflecting the arrow did he realize that he was holding a sword in his hand.
It wasn’t his sword.
It was a strange, unfamiliar sword.
With a wing emblem on it.
‘Have I taken a sword from an imperial knight?’
His hand clutching the sword and his sleeve were both covered in blood.
“There’s no time, Your Majesty.”
Yulken staggered towards him.
“Please, you must escape!”
Desperate despair was etched on his face.
* * *
He opened his eyes. Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet.
The sounds of weapons clashing and the screams had all disappeared.
Dietrian, who had been frozen like ice, moved his eyes slightly.
Faint light was seeping through the familiar tent door.
The dense night clouds, the collapsed castle walls, the bodies of his men, all covered in blood, and even Yulken pleading for him to escape – none of it was there.
‘A dream?’
He understood it was a dream, but it felt strangely real. Too real for a dream.
‘Why would I dream of such a thing?’
The thought of the empire causing the downfall of the Principality was unimaginable and unwelcome.
With a frown of displeasure, Dietrian shifted his gaze downward.
Then he suddenly became aware of Leticia in his arms. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her peacefully sleeping face, erasing the unpleasantness of his dream.
His shoulders, which had been tense, finally relaxed. He exhaled slowly.
‘Right. It’s something that must never happen.’
The Principality was now the land where Leticia would live.
Having resolved to give her a happy life, he must ensure that the land she would live on was safe.
Reaffirming this commitment, he closed his eyes again.
* * *
Soon, dawn broke, bringing a bluish hue to the surroundings.
A message came from the empire, urging them to depart quickly.
The well had been damaged, so they needed to move to the next well as soon as possible.
Everyone hurriedly packed and prepared to leave. Dietrian waited as long as he could, not wanting to wake her, but eventually called her.
“Leticia, it’s time to wake up. Leticia?”
But Leticia did not open her eyes. Despite his repeated calls, she just mumbled and fell back into a deep sleep.
She seemed to be in such a profound sleep that she wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away, almost as if she were trapped in an intense slumber.
Dietrian felt a deep pity for her.
‘She must have been so exhausted.’
Avoiding the saint’s eyes while helping Enoch, and smuggling out his brother’s remains. Believing that everyone hated her, she had to embark on a strange journey.
‘How difficult it must have been for her.’
He wanted to wait until she woke up, as she desired, but now they had to leave.
“Leti…”
About to call her again with a sense of apology, Dietrian hesitated.
‘Do I really need to wake her?’
Seeing her sleep so soundly, she must be extremely tired. Forcing her awake might only make her journey through the desert more strenuous.
He was already concerned about her traversing the harsh gravel desert.
“Your Majesty, we should start moving soon. As for the lady…”
Hearing Yulken’s worried voice, Dietrian gently brushed her hair behind her ear.
“I will carry her.”
“You, Your Majesty?”
Instead of answering, Dietrian carefully laid Leticia down on the ground.
Even then, her hand clung to his clothes. A slight smile formed on his lips as he held her hand.
“Leticia, I will carry you until you wake up.”
As if hearing his words, her brow twitched.
Her lips moved as if she had something to say, but soon she was peaceful again.
Yulken whispered awkwardly.
“Your Majesty, it might be too strenuous for you. Perhaps we should carry the lady…”
“No. She is my wife. It’s my duty to take care of her.”
His firm declaration carried a subtle possessiveness.
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
Eventually, Dietrian picked up Leticia and started walking.
The scorching sun soon settled over the desert. The air sizzled, and the gravel became more abundant.
The harsher the conditions, the more tenderly Dietrian looked after Leticia.
He meticulously wrapped the scarf to prevent sand from blowing in, and repeatedly checked the hood to ensure the sun wouldn’t bother her. Careful not to shake her too much on the gravelly path and wake her, he stepped gently, one foot after the other.
It wasn’t easy. Sweat trickled down his chin, and his muscles screamed in protest.
But his heart was more fulfilled than ever.
Simply having her completely reliant on him felt right. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
A smile unknowingly graced his lips.
* * *
This brief happiness was soon overshadowed by a worrying turn of events.
Carrying her through the desert had been fine, as was ensuring she rested comfortably.
However, no matter how long he waited, Leticia did not wake up.
Half a day had passed.
At a resting point along the way, Dietrian called out to Leticia.
“Leticia.”
She struggled to lift her eyelids. Her body was still limp as if soaked in water.
Dietrian frowned. Leticia moved her lips. He quickly leaned in to listen.
“Speak. I’m listening.”
“…”
She fell back into sleep. Peacefully, softly.
A hint of concern crossed Dietrian’s face. Something was very wrong.
He could no longer just view her prolonged, deep sleep as merely endearing.
No matter how tired, it wasn’t normal to sleep so deeply and for so long during travel.
“Leticia, you need to wake up now.”
“…”
“Leticia.”
“I don’t want to…”
Leticia whined weakly and pushed him away, then collapsed back into sleep.
“Leticia, you must wake up…”
“…….”
“Leticia!”
The situation kept repeating.
After repeatedly trying to awaken her, Dietrian realized there had to be a conclusion.
Something was wrong.
Her pulse, breathing, and complexion appeared normal, but there was definitely a problem.
He urgently picked her up, saying,
“She needs to see a doctor.”
“But Your Majesty, there are no suitable villages nearby.”
They had been traveling away from the empire for a day and a half. There was a village nearby, but its doctor had been bribed by the saint to poison Enoch.
“We need to get out of this gravel desert first. If we ride in a carriage, we can reach a small town in two days.”
“That’s too late.”
Dietrian bit his lip in frustration. It would take half a day to get out of the desert and another two days to race to the small town. No matter how fast they went, it would take at least two and a half days.
Dietrian looked down at Leticia with a sense of defeat.
‘Must we return to the empire?’
It took a day and a half to get here, so assuming they travel through the night, they could reach the capital in a day.
‘But the saint is there.’
The one person in the world who hated Leticia the most. He didn’t want to bring her anywhere near the saint, even if the sky fell. Regardless, a decision had to be made. Whether to wait for her to wake up and walk back through the desert or to return to the empire.
“Your Majesty!”
Just then, a desperate call was heard. Someone was approaching the delegation from the Principality in the distance.
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