chapter 43

Ben lifted Cersinia at once. Her legs were so weak that she couldn’t even stand without support. So, she had no choice but to lean on him.His arms felt like a shield and it made her feel safe and sound.

“We’ll go to the treatment center right away.”

Cersinia, who had been leaning on him helplessly, worried about her weight. She kept thinking that she was too heavy but Ben held her as if she was a feather. Ben gently wrapped one arm around her waist and with his other hand, and took a handkerchief out his pocket and pressed it against her forehead. His veins stood out of the hand that was holding the handkerchief but his touch was more cautious and tender then ever.

Ben was angry, and wanted to kill whoever did this to Cersinia right away. But Cersinia comes first no matter what. And right now she was bleeding and her breathing was shallow since earlier, all that made him crazy and worried. Her crimson eyes were dull and lifeless and her face was extremely pale.

“Cersinia.”

Cersinia breathed quietly, with her thin fingers clenching the hem of his robe. Still, no answer from her. Ben blamed himself. He should’ve protected her before she got hurt, he should’ve prevented everything from happening. If he did, she wouldn’t be bleeding right now.

‘I shouldn’t have been caught 3 years ago on that day.’

This wouldn’t have happened if he had been by her side. Ben resented the former Grand Duke Kantrid, who was responsible for everything but Ben was mostly mad at himself. His neck was getting stiff so it meant that his blood pressure was rising.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

He hugged Cersinia’s waist and shoulders, who was leaning against his arms. Before her wounds open any further, he intends to hold her and take her to the treatment center.

“Ben…”

After a while, Cersinia opened her mouth. Her voice was broken and rough.

“Yes, Cersinia.”

Ben replied quickly. His eyes were glued on Cersinia, as if she was the only person left in the world.

“…I want to go home.”

“All right,” he replied without hesitation.

Going to the treatment center was the right thing to do since she needed the treatment. But if she wanted to go home then they would go home. Ben could feel her shoulder touching his callus-filled hands. And he was right, she did lose some weight. His heart ached at the unfamiliar sensation he got from her bones.

“Hurry up…”

Cersinia naturally wrapped her arms around his neck and quietly buried her head in on his chest. She couldn’t remember everything she had planned. She didn’t even know what was going on. The only thing she wanted was to go back to her house, into the space created entirely by ‘Herself,’ which cannot be invaded by the darkness that engulfed her before. She just closed her eyes.

“No one can touch you. I will protect you.” Ben whispered as if making an oath to her.

“Your Highness. Lady Cersinia, are you okay?”

After hearing the news, Archen followed Ben. Cersinia, whose eyes were closed, looked terribly precarious in Ben’s arms.

“Archen, bring a doctor.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Archen moved right away without asking. Ben took a step, he was being very careful and acted like if he wasn’t she would break. But he was feeling impatient, and his steps were hasty.

* * *

“If we go on like this, we will all die!”

“That’s right! Didn’t you see that earlier? She’s a witch. A Witch!”

The murmur filled the space. Everyone was looking at a person sitting at the table, and they were shouting as if talking wasn’t for someone to hear them.

“That woman… is a monster.”

When the freckled young woman opened her mouth, everyone who raised their voice shut up. They all had experienced what happened earlier, but no one could compare or even relate to this woman, who grazed death. Even her eyes were still blurred, and nobody could see where or what she was looking at. The woman, who seemed out of her mind, was shivering as if she had seen the devil. And there was even a handprint on her neck.

“Look at this! She was really determined to kill her!”

The man, who was kneeling down in front of Cersinia and begging, said while pointing at the woman’s neck. It was the reality of cunning and vicious human beings who couldn’t even remember what they had done. Chief Carl Jacques frowned, his headache worsening.

‘It’s been a while since I sent someone to inform Count Dexter of the situation but why did no one come?’

His son has been imprisoned in a cold cell for three days, and in the midst of all this, people came to him asking to kill the witch, which made his headache worse.

“The Lord will give you an answer soon.”

‘What kind of mess is this because of just one woman?’

Carl Jacques was furious at the thought of his son being imprisoned by the witch. Even if he wanted to kill her right away due to the rising anger, there was the Dark Red Lion protecting her.

The famous Grand Duke of Shorevarce. Carl Jacques didn’t know what their relationship was, but they must at least know each other since the Grand Duke saved the witch and put his son in prison. And this alone should make anyone move carefully around that witch.

“We can’t move recklessly. Didn’t we all already see it? The Dark Red Lion.”

Behind that woman was the Grand Duke. They were the ones who would get hurt if they moved hastily. Then, the closed door was opened, and men in robes entered the chief’s office.

“Count Dexter has ordered you to capture the Grand Duke.”

He finally heard the news from Count Dexter. Carl Jacques quickly got up and greeted them with a heaving sigh of relief.

“I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Where is the Grand Duke now?”

“Chen will guide you.”

Chen, who was standing in the corner, was not happy to be picked but complied.

“It’s done now.”

Carl Jacques sighed and sat back on his chair.

“How about ending it altogether?”

At those words, they all focused on the person who talked.

“What? What does that mean?”

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, everyone in the room held their breath at the sound of a knock on the door. The wary eyes stared at the door.

“Who is it?”

“Chief, I brought tea.”

A very young voice was heard beyond the door.

“Come on in.”

When Carl Jacques gave his permission, the door opened, and a small child came in with a tray in his hands. The child took careful steps to not drop the tea. Those who were wary when they heard the knock, calm down instantly after seeing the child, since this small child could not bring them any harm.

“The witch…Shouldn’t we try to burn her again? If we leave her like this, we’ll surely get hurt later.”

At the man’s words, Carl Jacques’s finger started tapping on the desk, a habit he had when he was intensely thinking. The man was right, who knew what would happen in the future if they leave the witch alive.

“It’s still hot, chief.”

The child clumsily put the teacup on the table. He only did his duty as if whatever everyone was talking about didn’t matter to him.

“After the lord’s men capture the Grand Duke, let’s set the witch’s house on fire.”

As the man assumed that the village’s Chief agreed to his proposition, he became more eager and started making plans. Everyone gathered around him and nodded at his propositions, each expressing their desire to get rid of Cersinia.

Carl Jacques had a subtle pleased expression on his face. The woman was the axis of evil and the seed of disaster. His son suffered all kinds of humiliation and was imprisoned because of her. Carl Jacques clenches his fist at the thought.

‘I would never let her live.’

There was nothing that he couldn’t do in the absence of the Grand Duke.

“Good. We’re setting fire to the witch’s house in the morning.”

“Let’s get rid of her!”

When the chief gave his permission, everyone shouted together. You could sense that they had been waiting for this one. Carl Jacques took out the papers he had kept in his drawer.

“Keep communicating with Count Dexter. I’ll let him know what happened and make it seem like the fire was an accident on the witch’s part.”

You could literally see the fire in their eyes. And each of them looked more vicious than the other. The child escaped the mass and quietly left the room.

* * *

“F-Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, so she only needed two stitches.”

The doctor barely finished speaking and wiped away his cold sweat. In front of him, Cersinia was lying with her eyes closed like a dead person.

“Were there any injuries?”

“N-No, sir.”

“Then why isn’t she waking up?”

The doctor shivered at Ben’s dangerous voice. He felt like running away immediately.

“I-It’s because she has lost a lot of energy… She’ll be fine after she rest.”

At those words, Ben’s sharp gaze softened. Only then the doctor took a breath that he had been holding back.

“The scar?”

However, Ben’s voice was still murderous and when the doctor heard him he chocked.

“T-There might be a light scar left… P-Please spare me!”

Despite Ben’s short question, the doctor, who understood his question perfectly, threw away his pride and lay flat on his face. After all, he had to live.

“Uhuhu! Cersinia!”

May was standing next to Cersinia, wiping away her tears. But they kept flowing down her cheeks and didn’t stop.

“Look after her until she wakes up.”

“Yes! I understand.”

Ben didn’t take his eyes off Cersinia, not even for a moment, before the doctor came and until now.