Chapter 6
“…What?”
What is he talking about?
Lucy could only stammer, unable to follow the direction of the conversation.
Without another word, Edward simply continued walking.
Huh?
That’s it?
She had just revealed something incredibly important.
That Saintess Sepina was a fake.
That the temple had falsely presented her as his destined mate.
And he’s just… okay with that?
For Edward, who had practically been forced into an intimate relationship with Sepina all this time, that should have been an earth-shattering revelation.
Why doesn’t he look surprised at all?
His reaction was almost disturbingly calm.
Considering the charming personality Edward had displayed earlier, she had honestly expected him to set the temple on fire for deceiving him.
To be honest…
I was kind of hoping he would.
Instead…
That tiny spark of expectation fizzled out into nothing.
Feeling that something had gone terribly wrong, Lucy cautiously spoke up.
“Um… Your Grace?”
“…”
“I think we were still in the middle of talking…”
She carefully tested the waters.
“Don’t want to leave?”
“Huh? No! I do! I really want to leave!”
“If you become mine, you can leave immediately.”
Well…
That was technically true.
“I’m being incredibly generous right now.”
…Why does that actually sound true?
As confusing as this situation was, compared to the terrifying attitude he’d shown the guard earlier, Edward now resembled a lion that had just finished a feast.
“And I’m in a good mood.”
“Uh…”
“So?”
He glanced down at her.
“Still don’t want to?”
It’s not that I don’t…
As Lucy hesitated, trying to read the room, a quiet chuckle escaped from inside his helmet.
“Then it’s settled.”
As though telling her not to waste the opportunity he’d given, Edward shrugged and continued walking.
Did I…
Actually survive?
The moment that thought crossed her mind…
“Urgh…”
All the tension left her body at once.
Her exhausted stamina had finally reached its limit.
I think I’m going to pass out.
Even so…
There was still one thing she absolutely needed to know.
“W-Wait… just a moment…”
You’re not going to kill me, right?!
She wanted to make absolutely certain.
What if he carried her around for a while and then decided she was too troublesome?
At least… promise you’ll spare my life…
She was about to ask.
“Haa…”
Edward sighed as though he couldn’t be bothered anymore.
Click.
Then, without warning…
He removed his helmet.
Soft platinum-blond hair spilled into the moonlight, shimmering beautifully.
Long eyelashes fluttered, tiny flecks of light gathering at their tips.
His refined features looked more fitting for a prince than a duke.
A perfectly sculpted nose.
A graceful jawline.
And between them…
Soft crimson lips curved into a dangerously beautiful smile.
“Still not convinced?”
“…”
“Even now?”
His expression practically asked—
I’m this handsome.
You’re still not coming with me?
Lucy stared with her mouth hanging open.
Yep.
Definitely the male lead…
But there was something even more important than his absurdly handsome face.
“So then…”
“You’ll take responsibility.”
He smiled lazily.
“You’re mine now.”
The instant she heard those words…
I’m alive.
Snap.
The thread holding together both her nerves and her exhausted body finally broke.
* * *
“Yaaawn…”
Inside a luxurious black carriage waiting outside the Grand Temple—
“I wonder how long it’s been.”
Tepe stretched while checking his pocket watch.
“It should be about time for His Grace to return.”
He clicked the watch shut.
“His purification sessions have been getting shorter and shorter lately.”
The man sitting across from him finally spoke.
“…That’s not a good sign.”
“I know.”
Tepe sighed.
“But if His Grace says he hates it, what can we do?”
Silence fell over the carriage.
Both men were the Duke’s closest retainers and personal guard knights.
And lately…
They had been increasingly worried about his condition.
This is bad.
It’s becoming harder and harder for His Grace to control his berserk episodes.
That was also the reason Edward insisted on wearing armor that completely concealed his face.
Whenever dragon scales appeared across his skin—the first sign of losing control—
People panicked.
They recoiled in fear.
Funny.
The same people who praised him as the Dragon Incarnation…
Looked at him like he was a monster.
Not that His Grace cares.
Edward himself never paid any attention to how people viewed him.
Even so…
He hid his face for a different reason.
Whenever civilians froze in terror upon seeing him transform, their delayed evacuation only got in his way during battles.
Still…
His retainers couldn’t help being angry.
The ungrateful bastards.
They’re alive because of His Grace.
Tepe clicked his tongue.
Compared to him, Gorgo spoke far more seriously.
“If the attacks become any more frequent…”
He folded his arms.
“Even we may no longer be able to restrain His Grace.”
“I know, Gorgo.”
“When that day comes…”
His expression hardened.
“We’ll have to lay down our lives if necessary.”
“Let’s not talk like we’re marching toward our deaths.”
Tepe deliberately lightened the mood.
“Well…”
He shrugged.
“The chances are one in a thousand… no, one in ten thousand.”
“But if the temple’s right, and Miss Sepina truly awakens as His Grace’s destined mate…”
Bang!
The carriage door suddenly swung open without warning.
There was only one person capable of approaching unnoticed by two elite knights and casually opening the door.
“Welcome back, Your Gr—”
Tepe froze.
Because the Duke was carrying an unconscious woman in his arms.
“…Your Grace?!”
“What in the world is this?!”
Tepe practically leaped into the air like a cat startled by a cucumber.
Did our Duke finally lose his temper and commit murder?
The one who calmed him down was Gorgo.
“Did this woman offend Your Grace?”
Looking more closely…
She was still breathing.
Offend him?
That sounded much more believable.
Tepe relaxed slightly.
“What happened this time?”
He grimaced.
“Another woman throwing herself at Your Grace just to touch your hand?”
“…Or was she aiming for your lips?”
Monster or not…
Edward was still Edward.
His overwhelming beauty.
His towering physique.
His title as Duke Tesseron.
His status as the Dragon Incarnation.
There was never any shortage of fanatics—young or old, male or female—who became obsessed with him.
Some people even drooled over the dragon scales covering his body, claiming they made him even more attractive.
Those people have no shame whatsoever.
The more aggressive ones sometimes threw themselves at him.
Others pretended it was an accident while trying to flirt.
If the woman in his arms was one of them…
“Did you bring her back to punish her personally?”
Ignoring Tepe’s question, Edward calmly climbed into the carriage.
“It’s my own fault.”
Although Lucy’s sudden collapse had surprised him…
He had quickly reached a conclusion.
She must have fainted because seeing his face so suddenly had overwhelmed her heart.
It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.
After all…
He had seen more than a few people faint after beholding his face.
“Well… I suppose to certain perverts, Your Grace’s mere existence is a crime…”
“But seriously.”
Gorgo looked directly at him.
“What happened?”
Even Tepe kept stealing glances at the unconscious woman.
She was filthy.
Tiny.
She looked as small as an acorn.
Among everyone who had ever thrown themselves at the Duke…
She looked by far the frailest.
…Wait.
His Grace isn’t showing any disgust.
He carried this woman himself.
And she’s alive.
The realization finally hit him.
Even participating in purification rituals with Miss Sepina disgusted Edward.
So why…
“It seems…”
Edward spoke calmly.
“This belongs to me.”
“…What?!”
“So I picked it up.”
Tepe’s eyes practically shook with an earthquake.
His gaze bounced repeatedly between the scrawny little woman and the Duke.
Normally…
When someone said something like that about a woman…
“…Don’t tell me…”
Tepe gasped.
“That weak little thing threw herself at Your Grace, and you couldn’t stop her because you thought she’d die if you pushed her away…”
“…”
“And then the two of you actually went all the way—”
“Where exactly did your imagination wander off to?”
Before Tepe could continue spinning increasingly ridiculous theories…
Gorgo, who had quietly been observing Lucy, finally spoke.
“When you say ‘it belongs to me’…”
He looked at Edward.
“Do you mean something that was meant to come into Your Grace’s possession?”
“…Yes.”
“In that case…”
Gorgo glanced toward Lucy.
“Is she one of the temple’s experimental subjects?”
“…!”
Tepe immediately sat up straight.
To outsiders, Gorgo’s question might have sounded completely unrelated.
But that was simply how he spoke.
The taciturn knight had a habit of skipping every step of the conversation and going straight to the conclusion.
And somehow…
He’s almost always right.
Judging by the fact that Edward didn’t deny it…
Gorgo had guessed correctly again.
Tepe looked at him expectantly.
Please explain.
Gorgo answered calmly.
“We already knew…”
“…that the temple has been conducting some kind of secret experiments.”
