Chapter 43
10. The Shaky Bridge Effect
I couldn't quite remember how we moved after defeating the Anaconda and avoiding the poisonous gas.
I knew I was clinging to Kaiden's shoulder like a piece of luggage, and we took refuge somewhere in the forest...
The blurry vision slowly focused.
The first thing I saw was a broad, large leaf. As the leaves swayed in the gentle breeze, the clear blue sky was visible through them.
I slowly tried to sit up.
The moment I did, my head spun, and I fell back down with a sigh.
I turned my head slightly at the presence beside me, and soft silver hair came into view. Then, Kaiden's entire face, with his eyes gently closed, filled my vision.
I placed my hand on his cheek for a moment. Yet, he didn't open his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was in a deep sleep or if he had collapsed and couldn't get up.
I got up and examined Kaiden.
'What on earth happened?'
Enoch was lying next to Kaiden. I quietly put my fingers to their noses to check if they were breathing.
Fortunately, they both seemed to be breathing evenly, which finally relieved me.
We were huddled together under the roots of a giant tree, with large leaves covering the entrance to the roots.
It seemed someone had covered it with leaves to prevent exposure to wild animals or Monsters.
I removed the leaves and crawled out from under the tree roots.
As I tried to stand up, I heard a dull sound of something rolling on the dirt floor.
Thud, thud, thud. Coconuts were rolling around on the ground.
I slowly raised my head, and Luzef was standing in front of me with a surprised look on his face.
"Lady Flone...?"
Ah, Luzef seems to be safe, thankfully.
'But why is he so surprised?'
He slumped down in front of me, staring blankly. It seemed his legs had given out.
"Are you... alright?"
He asked me haltingly. I gently nodded, turning my stiff neck for a moment.
"How long have I been asleep? I feel fine, except for a little dizziness. I slept well, so my body feels refreshed."
As soon as I finished speaking, tears fell onto Luzef's pale cheeks. Tears streamed from his pure, gray eyes.
I was momentarily taken aback, watching the teardrops falling from his chin.
"Thank goodness. You have been unconscious for two days. It was probably due to the effects of the poisonous gas."
"...What? Two days?"
I asked back in surprise, and Luzef nodded with a sorrowful face, tears streaming down.
"Lord and Crown Prince have been in critical condition, unable to wake up for two days now."
He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and sniffled.
Even in this situation, seeing such a pure beauty like that made me want to offer him a handkerchief.
"I... I really thought everyone was going to die... There was nothing I could do..."
I looked back at Kaiden and Enoch. It seemed they hadn't just fallen asleep but had really collapsed.
Surprised, I examined their conditions closely.
They had many small wounds on their bodies, and the slightly deeper ones were wrapped in white cloth.
It seemed Luzef had given them first aid. Well, he was a cleric, so he would have learned healing art as a basic skill.
"I couldn't tell what was what in your medicine kit, so I only gave them first aid with the knowledge I had..."
I then noticed the first aid kit placed near Enoch and Kaiden's heads.
Next to it was a wooden box containing Flame Bombs.
I gently placed my hand on Kaiden's cheek.
He had a slight fever, but it seemed the initial high fever had subsided a bit. I hoped his condition was improving.
I checked Enoch's temperature as well and, after confirming he also had a slight fever, turned to Luzef. He was picking up the coconuts that had fallen on the ground.
"Why didn't you go back to the group?"
At my question, Luzef looked at me resentfully with a tearful face.
His gaze seemed to ask how I could ask such a question, which made me a little embarrassed. Why so intensely...
"How could I leave when people are hurt? Everyone is in critical condition like this."
Only then did I remember that he was a kind priest who served God.
I had forgotten because in the novel, he forgets about God and does all sorts of things with the heroine.
Taking care of three injured people for two days must have been quite difficult. Moreover, all three were poisoned and in critical condition.
Kaiden and Enoch had suffered serious injuries and their lives were in danger, but they were still safe, so it seemed Luzef had taken good care of them.
"You've worked hard. And thank you."
At my words, Luzef's face twisted, and he started shedding tears again.
Growl.
Then, a thunderous sound came from his stomach. I was surprised by the noise and asked him.
"Don't tell me you haven't eaten for two days?"
He blushed and hesitated before shaking his head.
"I did eat some berries, like wild strawberries and blueberries."
I ended up resting for a while to recover my strength, then caught some fish from a nearby stream.
I hadn't eaten anything for two days either, and once I regained my senses, I was tormented by hunger.
I told Luzef to start a fire and went to catch fish, but Luzef was still struggling to start a fire.
"You still haven't started a fire? I showed you how to do it last time."
At my question, Luzef fidgeted, unable to answer with a troubled face.
"Well... seeing it and doing it yourself are different, aren't they?"
Luzef wiggled his fingers and answered in a barely audible voice. Pathetic.
I ended up starting the fire myself, making a bonfire, skewering the fish on branches, and grilling them. Only after feeding the nicely grilled fish to Luzef could I rest.
"What happened to those Monsters?"
I sat in front of the bonfire, took a breather, and asked Luzef.
He was silent for a while with a very gloomy face, and only after a long time did he open his mouth.
"I don't know exactly either. While Lord and I were arguing and packing our things in the cabin, Crown Prince urgently called me out..."
He put his hands together as if praying and rested his chin on them with a serious face.
"I saw those guys wandering around the corpse of the Monster that died the day before, so maybe the Monsters gathered because of that corpse... That's my guess for now."
"Kaiden said the Monster he killed the day before was eating something? Do you know what it was?"
"As I recall, it didn't seem to be eating something, but rather preparing something."
"Preparing what?"
"Well, maybe it was trying to lay eggs."
Trying to lay eggs. That made some sense.
Bishop Ruzef didn't know anything more than that, so I would have to hear the details from Enoch.
I was very worried about Enoch and Kaiden, so I couldn't sleep and had to stay up all night with Luzef, checking their wounds.
And fortunately, the next day, Kaiden woke up first. As soon as he opened his eyes, he looked for me.
At that time, I was twisting thin branches to make shoes like straw sandals (well, slippers to be exact), when a large hand reached out from behind and pulled me into an embrace.
"Margaret."
I was so surprised that I broke the branch.
'Damn it, I was almost done.'
Hot breath touched my shoulder. Soft hair tickled my bare skin.
"Margaret..."
At Kaiden's plaintive voice, I turned around and sat down. He was looking at me with a dazed expression, probably because he had just woken up.
"I didn't know you were awake. Are you alright?"
He lowered his head and rested his forehead on my shoulder. He seemed to be resting silently in that position for a long time.
Right. He must be out of it since he just woke up. I quietly left him alone.
"You're not the real Margaret, are you?"
But he suddenly said something out of the blue and calmly raised his head.
His red eyes, which I had only thought of as blood-red, seemed to be shining beautifully like rubies now.
I was so stiffened by what he said that I couldn't answer.
"To me, you seem like a completely different person."
His face came closer.
His large hand caressed my neck, and his fingers intertwined through the hair at the back of my head.
His face got even closer. The tips of our noses touched slightly.
