Chapter 13
“I’m going to die! I’m going to die!”
“Hey.”
Grip.
Every time Lucy panicked and clung to his head, her soft, squishy body pressed against Edward’s face, rubbing against him.
He had never expected such softness from someone who looked so thin—almost skeletal.
Edward felt something strangely unfamiliar.
I thought she was just skin and bones.
And brazenly, she was clinging so tightly that she blocked his entire field of vision.
But Lucy herself didn’t even realize what she was doing.
“Unnie! Unnie!”
She kept calling out desperately, as if she had lost her mind.
Her voice was filled with an unnervingly emotional tone.
Unnie?
Edward frowned slightly and considered it objectively.
Did she purify a woman before?
She had said he was the only one she had purified—but was that a lie?
The desperation in her voice made it hard to interpret otherwise.
He had never heard of same-sex purification partnerships, but it didn’t seem impossible either…
However, the thought didn’t last long.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
A rapid heartbeat echoed in his ear.
It was coming from the soft chest pressed against the side of his face.
This really is like a little mouse.
It reminded him of the small creatures he once held in his hand—how their hearts had raced as they clung to his warmth, seeking stability.
“….”
Edward’s mood improved unexpectedly.
Even the annoyance of being chased by Temple knights faded instantly.
Her thin body was softer, warmer, and more pliant than he had expected.
Her thighs, her back, even the way her shoulder blades shifted under his grip as he held her securely so she wouldn’t fall.
And most of all—the chest pressed close to his ear, transmitting that frantic heartbeat.
…
His hand tightened unconsciously.
“Eek!”
Lucy flinched when her thigh was suddenly gripped.
Only then did she realize she had been clinging to his head.
“C-cough!”
The warmth covering his face quickly disappeared.
Edward’s brow tightened slightly at the sudden emptiness, though Lucy didn’t notice.
He’s not trying to kill me.
She had thought he might drop her midair and kill her.
But since he was holding her so tightly, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Then maybe covering my nose and mouth earlier wasn’t to kill me either?
Maybe he had just been annoyed, and she had overinterpreted it.
Relieved that he didn’t seem intent on harming her, Lucy cautiously glanced at the Temple banner disappearing behind them.
Then, pretending to be calm, she wrapped her arms gently around Edward’s neck.
“S-sorry. I just… got really surprised. Haha.”
Edward’s brow smoothed slightly, and he met her eyes.
“You’re flying. Don’t interfere. Just stay still… like a mouse.”
“Why is the mouse dead—”
“Ah, then I’ll be quiet like a well-behaved mouse.”
Her body trembled slightly, afraid of annoying him.
Edward interpreted it differently.
She’s afraid of heights.
Tsk.
With a small click of his tongue, he shifted his supporting arm higher.
“…?”
Then he pressed her head firmly into his chest.
Lucy, confused, obediently followed the movement and rested her face against his armor.
Edward sighed softly.
I was going to show her the view, but she’s too timid.
Still, her obedience was pleasant.
The warmth of her thin arms around his neck was also… not unpleasant.
With that, Edward spread his golden wings and flew onward.
* * *
…Is this torture?
A few hours later.
After finally landing, Lucy stretched her stiff neck, which had become painfully strained from keeping her head down.
Crack.
Her neck made an alarming sound.
I thought it was going to break.
At first, being held against his chest felt somewhat reassuring.
She had been terrified of falling midair, trusting only a man who might act on a whim.
But that relief lasted only about three minutes.
After that, even though her neck hurt terribly, he refused to let her move.
By the time she got used to it, her fear had faded—but he still wouldn’t let her look around.
When she tried—
“Sir, my neck….”
“Shh.”
He would gently press her head back into his chest like calming a child.
And why did he keep squeezing my cheeks?
It was as if he was testing whether she would cling to him again.
Because of that, her cheeks now bore a clear imprint from his armor, like she had just woken up from sleep.
Her neck also ached from staying bent for so long.
Still… it’s a relief.
She had escaped the Temple. And that man…
…he seems like he’s taking me to the Tesseron estate.
He had left immediately when she asked.
And most importantly—when he had first pressed her head into his chest, something had shattered at her neck.
Crack.
It felt like something breaking.
And at the same time, something that had been connected inside her… was severed.
She felt strangely refreshed afterward.
He probably destroyed the tracking spell.
Lucy shivered at the realization that her guess had been correct.
Then she looked around carefully.
Chirp, chirp.
Small birds flew over the roof of a high-end inn.
The blue sky had already turned crimson with sunset.
“The gate is closed for today! Come back tomorrow!”
“Order! Maintain order!”
Outside the walls, crowds gathered at the gate leading north.
This was the passage toward the northern region.
Beyond it lay the vast territory of House Tesseron—fertile land mixed with harsh wilderness.
And at the center of it all was the Tesseron ducal castle.
Something like a northern duke’s stronghold?
…Except its lord looked like a flirtatious blonde crown prince.
Lucy glanced toward Edward at the counter.
“Yes, yes! We’ve cleared the entire inn! Of course we’ll give everything to the Duke of Tesseron!”
The innkeeper was bowing repeatedly, clearly terrified.
From the moment Edward had landed in the courtyard, the man had been panicking.
Golden wings, armor bearing the ducal crest, and above all—his striking face had made his identity obvious.
Famous people really are famous.
It wasn’t just the innkeeper.
“Is that the Hero Duke?”
“I’ve never seen a Dragon Incarnation before…”
“I love you, Your Grace!”
Guests who had been kicked out, along with travelers at the gate, crowded around the walls just to stare at him.
Even those who had complained earlier now stood stunned whenever Edward glanced their way.
The crowd only kept growing.
This is getting uncomfortable.
Since she was traveling with him, Lucy had also become part of the spectacle.
“What’s that woman?”
“A maid?”
“Did he pick up a stray?”
In an instant, she felt like an exhibit at a zoo.
He should at least cover his face.
His good looks were attracting too much attention.
While Lucy grumbled internally, Edward glanced at her and tilted his head toward the inn.
“…Yes!”
“Hey! Wait!”
“Don’t close it!”
“Duke, I love you!”
Lucy ran quickly and shut the door, cutting off the crowd’s view.
Then she followed him inside and whispered like a scheming servant.
“Um, Your Grace. I have a question.”
“What is it.”
“Why are we stopping to rest?”
It was a valid question.
She hadn’t expected them to reach the gate this quickly.
By carriage, it would have taken days.
We crossed it in just a few hours.
If they had continued flying for another day or two, they would already be at the Tesseron estate.
There was no need to stop and draw attention in a crowded place like this.
Even if the tracking spell was gone, what if the Temple still chased them?
We should head north as fast as possible.
As she worried, Edward let out a quiet laugh.
“Maybe you should check your own condition first before asking that.”
