Chapter 147
\ \ \
Asdal opened his eyes, his body uncomfortable from the rough movements. He saw a bright blue sky moving in his vision.
Squeak-
Squeak-
His body lurched and shook.
He moved his body quickly, then let out a groan of pain.
His back hurt terribly. It seemed like a bone was probably broken.
"Oh? You're awake?"
Yuanna's voice came from above his head. She had put him on a giant leaf and was dragging him along.
"Hoo. I thought I was going to die of exhaustion."
Asdal felt somehow grateful and sorry to her, so he tried to get up.
"Don't bother. I even stole His Highness's meal. I thought that's why you collapsed so weakly."
Yuanna sighed and stopped him.
Asdal felt strangely ashamed and blushed.
"Thank you for helping me. And for saving me."
"Well, you should be grateful for saving you. You owe me your life twice now."
"I will repay you."
Yuanna smiled at his firm answer.
"Yes. I'll look forward to it."
Asdal turned his head and examined the area where he felt pain. It didn't feel like his spine was broken, but rather a bone in his upper abdomen.
'Lady Flone said it was a rib.'
Margaret had suffered the same injury before. At that time, she said that he should protect his waist with something hard.
Asdal was wearing indoor clothes instead of a uniform, so he didn't have a jacket to support his waist firmly like a protector.
'When you break a rib, it's better to walk a lot rather than rest. Don't worry.'
That was what Margaret had said to Enoch, who was trying to delay the schedule out of consideration for her.
"Oh? Why are you getting up?"
Yuanna, who was struggling to pull the leaf he was lying on, looked at him with a puzzled face.
Asdal got up and turned to look at her. Then he frowned at the pain that washed over him.
"The symptoms are the same as when Lady Flone was injured before. The location of the injury is similar too. She said then that it's better to walk."
Yuanna then understood and exclaimed. She put her chin in her hand with a serious face and fell into thought.
"Lady Flone really knew a lot."
Asdal agreed a hundred times with her muttering.
"I wondered if she was the same Lady I knew. It was as if she had been hiding her true self all along."
Yuanna's eyes sparkled with interest.
"I think it would be good to meet Lady Flone as soon as possible."
Asdal fully agreed with her words.
It seemed difficult to survive on this island without Margaret. If it hadn't been for Margaret's help, he might have died a long time ago.
But how has he treated her so far? Didn't he doubt and push her every time? Looking back on the past, he couldn't blame Margaret for running away because she didn't want to be with him.
Asdal sighed softly. It was all his karma, so there was nothing he could do. Even if Margaret expressed anger and contempt when they met again, he would have to bear it. Even if he could turn back time, he would still be the one to doubt Margaret.
Asdal moved his body as carefully as possible and scanned his surroundings.
"Did we cross over to the North Island?"
"Ah, yes. We just crossed over."
At Yuanna's words, Asdal realized that the long road behind him was the road connecting the North and South Islands.
At that moment, Yuanna took out a map from her pocket and examined the terrain.
"Hmm. There seems to be supplies near here. Should we pick them up and move west? It's quite close from here."
Asdal followed Yuanna and looked at the map. As she said, the word "supplies" was marked on the east side of the North Island. It was very close to where they were, so it didn't seem difficult to stop by in terms of their route.
They had found supplies on the South Island before. However, there were hardly any items that they knew how to use, let alone items that they knew the purpose of. In addition, they had to abandon all the items they had packed because they faced a swamp at the time.
"I think it's important to collect as many supplies as possible to escape. It would be nice to have a weapon."
Hearing Yuanna muttering to herself, Asdal stared at her face.
"You're talking as if you know how to escape."
At Asdal's words, Yuanna raised her head. She stared at him blankly with a thoughtful face, then answered calmly.
"I know there's an escape route in that damn brat's cabin. I need a weapon to get there."
"Damn brat?"
Asdal frowned at Yuanna's answer.
Again. She's saying something incomprehensible again.
Asdal looked at her clear face for a moment with a troubled expression. And he carefully broached the subject.
"I've wanted to ask The Saintess something for a while now..."
"Ask me."
Yuanna shrugged and answered coolly. She looked like she would really answer anything.
Asdal decided to ask everything he had been curious about.
"I want to know why The Saintess's attitude suddenly changed. Don't say no. The Saintess suddenly changed after Lady Flone fell into the river."
"......"
"Did you remember something? What exactly does The Saintess know..."
It was then.
Goo-ooo-ooo-
A strange sound echoed from a distant place.
Asdal and Yuanna, who were looking at the map, raised their heads at the same time.
It was midday with the intensely hot sun in the sky.
They were aware that the Monster's behavior patterns were changing. Monsters were appearing even in broad daylight.
But the eerie cry they heard now was a bizarre cry of a kind they had never heard on the South Island.
Yuanna's face gradually turned pale. She stiffened her body and only turned her head to look at Asdal.
"Oh my god... I forgot. M, Monsters evolve..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Originally, Monsters only appeared at night."
"What?"
"And just before turning back time, they started appearing from when the sunset began."
Asdal frowned, not understanding what she was talking about at all. Turning back time? What does that mean?
But Yuanna didn't seem to have the mind to explain in detail. She kept muttering as if she was talking to herself.
"That's not all. They said the form would also change."
Who said that?
Asdal had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't ask any further because Yuanna grabbed his arm urgently with her trembling hands.
"Your Highness. That's the sound of a Monster. We have to run away."
But they didn't get far before they encountered the Monster horde in question.
They had such bizarre forms that their identities were unknown.
'It never rains but it pours.'
Asdal muttered the idiom that Margaret often used and roughly ruffled his hair. This time, it might really be difficult to survive.
\ \ \
I woke up on a soft bed.
I don't know how much time has passed. My head was very clear and I felt very refreshed.
I tossed and turned, but realized that the movement was somewhat uncomfortable.
"Umm."
A low voice, full of sleep, was heard in my ear.
Only then did I open my eyes wide. Curved muscles and soft bare skin came into view.
Gasp.
I thought I had a dream last night.
But it wasn't a dream.
Wait... It wasn't a dream?
I jumped up. Kaiden and Enoch were sleeping on the bed with me, shirtless.
I don't know how Enoch and Kaiden found their way into the Bunker. I looked around, but Luzef and Diego were nowhere to be seen.
The two men are fast asleep, oblivious to my movements. It seems that they were very tired, just like I was. It had been almost half a year since I had slept in a bed, so it was understandable.
Kaiden is Kaiden, but this is the first time I've seen Enoch sleep so deeply. I've never seen him sleep properly since coming to this island, but he's sleeping without even knowing I'm getting up.
I stared at his closed face and carefully arranged the hair that was scattered over his forehead. Then I gently stroked his forehead with my thumb.
How can his skin be so smooth?
I slowly lowered my hand, stroked the bridge of his nose, and stopped my hand on his soft lips.
Suddenly, I remembered last night's kiss, and I was startled and let go of my hand.
Umm.
Then, Kaiden's big hand stretched out from behind and wrapped around my stomach. He stretched out one arm in his sleep and hugged me.
I glanced back at him. He looks so pretty even when he's asleep. Maybe it's because of his snow-white silver hair and pretty looks, but he really looked like an angel.
'But didn't Kaiden have immunity to poison?'
Based on my memory of last night, he clearly seemed to be poisoned as well.
I think it was said that only the low body temperature of a non-addict can detoxify the toxic substances coming from the Tentationem Flower...
Considering that even Kaiden, who is immune, was poisoned, it seems that it was not a normal addiction.
Then, I remembered the deep kiss I shared with them again, and I buried my face in my hands. It was the first kiss I've ever had, but I did it while I wasn't in my right mind! It's unfair!
'Damn Zenas.'
If it wasn't for Tentationem, I could have held him back. I remembered that Anata couldn't touch the flowers here because Zenas had set them up.
Certainly, it seemed difficult to approach the Gate with such a powerful and highly toxic poison. Besides, it's not like the Gate just opens when you open it.
I pushed away Kaiden's arm around my stomach and got out of bed with a dazed mind.
I didn't have any strength in my body, probably because I had put in too much energy last night.
I don't know how this happened, but my clothes were a mess. The white T-shirt was stretched out and torn, making it look quite unsightly. It was also uncomfortable because it was the clothes that had been messed up by the poison gas.
There were clothes scattered haphazardly on a hanger in one corner of the room.
'That's good.'
I quickly chose a top that I could wear from the clothes hanging there, lest the men wake up. This time, the only useful thing was a crop top, so I had no choice but to wear a white short-sleeved crop top.
Still, there was a jumper here, so I could put on a black bomber jacket over the crop top. The only pants hanging on the hanger were jeans, so I decided to wear the cargo pants I was wearing.
At that time, Eunji, who was sleeping curled up on the carpet on the floor, opened his eyes. He was startled to see me and jumped around and circled around me in a fussy manner.
I smiled and stroked his scales, then looked at the men sleeping on the bed.
Just in time, Enoch was stirring in bed and getting up. Kaiden was still in dreamland.
"Margaret...?"
His voice was deep and low, full of sleep.
Enoch sat on the edge of the bed and washed his face with his hands. Then, he stroked his chin with his hand, raised his eyebrows, and looked at me.
"Why are you already awake?"
He had a languid look, probably because he had just woken up. He was even shirtless, giving off a very sensual atmosphere.