Chapter 14
“Am I 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 his face again and again.
Edward had never expected such softness from someone who looked so thin—almost skeletal.
A strange feeling rose in him.
I thought she was all bones.
And brazenly, she was clinging tightly enough to block his entire 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 carried an unnervingly emotional tone.
Unnie?
Edward frowned slightly and considered it calmly.
Did she purify a woman before?
She had claimed he was the only one she had ever 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 arrangements, but it didn’t seem impossible…
However, the thought didn’t last long.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
A rapid heartbeat echoed near his face.
It was coming from the soft body pressed against him.
She really is like a little mouse.
It reminded him of small creatures he had once held in his hand—their hearts racing as they clung to warmth.
“….”
Unexpectedly, Edward’s mood improved.
Even the annoyance of being chased by Temple forces faded.
Her thin body was warmer, softer, and more fragile than expected.
Even through armor, he could clearly feel her body heat.
The way he had to hold her firmly so she wouldn’t fall.
And above all, the heartbeat pressed so close to his ear.
…
His grip tightened without him noticing.
“Eek!”
Lucy flinched as her thigh was squeezed.
Only then did she realize she had been clinging to his head.
“C-cough!”
The warmth around his face disappeared all at once.
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.
But since he was holding her so firmly, that didn’t seem likely.
Then maybe covering my nose and mouth earlier wasn’t meant to kill me either?
Maybe she had simply overinterpreted it.
Relieved that he didn’t intend to harm her, Lucy cautiously looked toward the distant Temple banner.
Then, pretending to be calm, she wrapped her arms lightly around his neck.
“S-sorry. I was just… really surprised. Haha.”
Edward’s expression softened slightly, and he met her eyes.
“You’re flying. Don’t interfere. Stay still… like a mouse.”
“Why does the mouse have to be dead—”
“A-ah, then I’ll be quiet like a well-behaved mouse.”
Her body trembled slightly.
Edward interpreted it differently.
She’s afraid of heights.
Tsk.
Clicking his tongue lightly, he adjusted his grip and lifted her head into his chest again.
“…?”
Confused, Lucy nonetheless let her face press against his armor.
Edward sighed.
I was going to show her the view, but she’s too timid.
Still, her obedience was pleasing.
So was the warmth of her thin arms around his neck.
Then he 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 being forced downward the entire time.
Crack.
Her neck made a disturbing sound.
I thought it was going to break.
At first, being pressed against his chest had felt somewhat reassuring.
She had been afraid of falling midair, trusting only a man who might act on a whim.
But that comfort lasted only about three minutes.
After that, even though her neck hurt terribly, he refused to let her move.
Once she got used to it, her fear disappeared—but she still couldn’t look around.
When she tried—
“Sir, my neck….”
“Shh.”
He would simply press her head back into his chest like calming a child.
And why did he keep touching my cheeks?
It was as if he was testing whether she would cling again.
Because of that, her cheeks now bore clear marks from his armor.
Her neck also ached badly.
Still… it’s a relief.
She had escaped the Temple. And that man…
…he seems to be taking me to the Tesseron estate.
He had started moving immediately after she spoke.
And most importantly—when he had pressed her head into his chest earlier, something had shattered at her neck.
Crack.
Something like a crystal breaking.
At the same time, something that had been connected inside her… was cut off.
She felt strangely refreshed afterward.
It must’ve been the tracking magic.
Lucy shivered, realizing her guess was likely correct.
Then she looked around.
Chirp, chirp.
Birds flew over the roof of a high-end inn.
The sky, once blue, was now deep red with sunset.
“The gate is closed today! Come back tomorrow!”
“Order! Maintain order!”
Outside the walls, crowds gathered at the northern gate.
This was the passage toward the north.
Beyond it lay the vast territory of House Tesseron.
Fertile lands mixed with harsh wilderness.
And at its center stood the Tesseron ducal estate.
Something like a northern fortress duke’s domain?
…Except its lord looked like a blonde, flirtatious crown prince.
Lucy glanced at Edward at the counter.
“Yes, yes! We’ve cleared out the inn! Of course we’ll give everything to the Duke of Tesseron!”
The innkeeper was bowing frantically.
From the moment they landed, he had been panicking.
Golden wings, armor with the ducal crest, and above all—his face made it obvious who he was.
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 and travelers alike crowded the walls to stare at him.
Even those who had been forced out now watched in awe.
The crowd kept growing.
This is uncomfortable.
Since she was traveling with him, Lucy had also become part of the spectacle.
“What is that woman?”
“A maid?”
“Did he pick up a stray?”
In an instant, she felt like an animal in a zoo.
He should really cover his face.
His good looks were causing too much attention.
While she grumbled internally, Edward glanced at her and nodded toward the room.
“…Yes!”
Lucy quickly ran over and closed the door, blocking 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 so quickly.
By carriage, it would have taken days.
But they had crossed it in just a few hours.
If they had kept flying, they’d already be at the estate.
There was no need to stop somewhere crowded.
Even if the tracking magic was gone, what if the Temple picked up their trail?
We should get to the north as quickly as possible.
As she worried, Edward gave a quiet laugh.
“Maybe you should check your own condition before asking that.”
