The few seconds of falling felt like hours. I felt a tug, and at the same time, I heard the sound of a branch breaking. Though my eyes were tightly shut, I felt the speed of the fall decrease slightly. *Thud!* We rolled to the ground with a loud thud. Fortunately, Adeus had tightly wrapped me in his arms, acting as a cushion, so I didn't feel much pain.
“Haa, haa...”
Only after the movement stopped did I exhale the breath I had been holding. Cold air, not hot, seeped into my nostrils. My constricted airway was finally clear. I realized we had made it outside. I opened my tightly shut eyes and slowly sat up. The tablecloth that had wrapped around me slipped off. As I stood up, I saw Adeus lying beneath me, his face contorted in pain.
“...Adeus!”
His hands, which had been holding my head and back, fell weakly to the ground. I looked at Adeus with wide eyes. Leaves were stuck to his messy hair. His thin shirt, torn by the glass when we broke through the window, was tattered and stained red with blood. It seemed he had been cut in several places. Moreover, his skin was burned and charred. His arm and ankle were swollen and twisted in an unnatural way, likely from hitting something during the fall. He was in the worst condition. I quickly looked around for help. The windows of the floor we had escaped from were visible. Flames were dancing through the broken windows, and broken branches lay beneath the window we had jumped from.
'The branches of the large tree near the window must have cushioned our fall!'
This explained why I felt the speed decrease mid-fall.
'What an idiot!'
I clenched my fists tightly. Unlike Adeus, I didn't have a single scratch. He had firmly wrapped me in his coat and tightly bound me from head to toe with a wet cloth before holding me in his arms. Additionally, I had landed on his back, so I didn't feel the impact. All his actions were clearly to protect me.
“Is anyone here...!”
“Her Highness, the Duchess!”
Just as I was about to call for help, the knights of the duchy rushed over.
“Her Highness, the Duchess! Are you hurt...!”
“It’s good you’re here. Doctor! Where’s the doctor?”
“We called as soon as the building caught fire, so he should be here soon...”
“I’m fine, so bring the doctor here immediately!”
I cut off the knight’s words and shouted with impatience. The knight, startled by my sudden shout, nodded and hurried away. The remaining knight tensed and looked at me.
“What about the fire in the building?”
“The knights were suppressing the fire to enter the floor where Her Highness, the Duchess, was. The fire should be under control soon.”
“Are there any other casualties? This floor was only occupied by us, but there were many employees on the ground floor.”
“Yes, except for an employee with severe burns and three employees who fainted from smoke inhalation in the break room, there are no other injuries. They have already been taken to the doctor.”
Thanks to Terdeo, there were no other customers in the store, which was a stroke of luck. Also, the knights of the duchy were guarding, so there were no major casualties. It was a fortunate outcome in an unfortunate situation. As I let out a small sigh of relief,
“Ugh...”
Adeus, who couldn’t even open his eyes, let out a muffled groan.
“Adeus! Can you hear me? Do you recognize me?”
“It... hurts.”
“Where? Where does it hurt? The doctor will be here soon! Just hold on a little longer...”
“From above... please come down...”
Oh! In the chaos, I had forgotten that I was still sitting on Adeus. I quickly got off and checked on him.
“Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Tell me!”
“It...”
“Are you crazy? Do you want to die? You could have told the knights to prepare before we jumped!”
Before Adeus could speak, I scolded him. Adeus smiled weakly. His smile sounded like a harsh, metallic sound.
“...If we had waited for them to prepare, we would have been burned...”
Adeus couldn’t finish his sentence, exhausted. I knew that even if we had asked the knights to prepare, there would have been nothing to prepare, and we wouldn’t have had time to wait. Seeing Adeus injured on my behalf, I felt guilty and grateful. I calmed myself and, with a sigh of relief, said what I should have said first.
“...Thank you for saving me, Adeus.”
“...!”
Adeus turned his head toward me, his pupils dilated and shaking like a ship in a storm. I took off his coat and covered his body with it, continuing.
“Adeus, if it weren’t for you, I would have either burned to death or been severely injured from the fall. Thanks to you, I escaped without a scratch. Thank you so much.”
Adeus looked at me in surprise for a long time. Then, he slowly smiled, as he usually did.
“...You owe me another life debt.”
“Yes... I really do.”
I couldn’t deny it. Seeing my honest admission, Adeus smiled more clearly.
“...I’m glad I saved Her Highness, the Duchess.”
It was a sincere smile. Adeus, with trembling hands, tried to reach out to me. Just as he was about to, a hurried and anxious voice called out from behind.
“Perechati!”
Adeus’s hand fell weakly. As I turned to the familiar voice,
“...!”
A large, familiar embrace tightly held me. His heart was beating fiercely.
“T, Terdeo. You ran here?”
Terdeo didn’t answer. But the rough breathing on my shoulder spoke for him. The strong arms that held me were trembling slightly.
“...Were you scared?”
He looked like a child who had just had a nightmare. I had never seen Terdeo like this, which made me feel bewildered. As I moved my eyes around, he tightened his hold on me.
“Are you hurt? Any injuries?”
Without letting me go, Terdeo murmured in a low voice. The deep tone spread through my body.
“No. Adeus protected me...”
“We’re going back to the mansion immediately.”
Without waiting for my answer, Terdeo lifted me up. He seemed not to notice Adeus, who was lying on the ground, unable to move.
“Wait, just wait until the doctor arrives...!”
Despite my urgent plea, Terdeo continued to walk, holding me. He didn’t seem to hear me. His long legs quickened the pace, and the distance widened. Looking back, I saw Adeus waving his hand weakly with a smile.
“Wait, wait!”
I struggled to break free, but it was no use. Terdeo’s grip was too strong. Moreover, he seemed too shaken to hear me properly.
“Terdeo!”
He continued walking without any reaction. I had no choice. In such situations, shock therapy is the best.
“...Theo!”
I called out his nickname emphatically. Finally, Terdeo’s steps stopped. He looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“Theo! Adeus is badly hurt. He was protecting me, and it’s best to wait for the doctor to arrive.”
But Terdeo’s expression hardened. He spoke in a cold voice, trying to suppress his boiling anger.
“Do you know how I felt coming here?”
“Can you imagine how I felt when I heard that you were trapped in a burning building due to an explosion?”
“...”
“Especially when I heard you jumped from this floor without any protection? Ha.”
Terdeo’s brows furrowed deeply, as if he was imagining the worst. His arms tightened around me.
“You’re crazy.”
He was so shocked that he even dropped the formalities in his speech.
“You need to see a doctor immediately.”
“Theo.”
Terdeo’s body visibly tensed each time I called his nickname. But that was all. He was resolute.
“I want to tear apart all the knights who failed to protect you. But I’m holding back so you don’t feel guilty.”
“But...”
“Perechati.”
His voice was a warning, telling me not to speak further.
“Don’t test my patience.”
He clenched his teeth and resumed walking, but more slowly than before.
“But Adeus saved me. It’s the truth.”
“Do you think I’m here to argue about facts and lies?”
“I want to see a doctor too. Do I look like someone who cares more about others than myself? You know I’m not.”
Terdeo didn’t react.
“He’s lying there, unable to move because of me. I’m not saying I’ll stay here until he recovers. I just think it’s too cruel to leave him on the ground like a rag before the doctor arrives.”
“...”
“Because he risked his life to save me.”
He tried to ignore me, but his furrowed brows showed he was listening.
“If Adeus hadn’t helped, I might be the one lying there.”
“Saying such terrible things...!”
Terdeo stopped and glared at me. He growled, showing his teeth.
“If we leave him like that, I won’t be able to rest properly even when we get back to the mansion. Let’s wait for the doctor to arrive. Just until then.”
Terdeo stared at me fiercely for a long time. After a few minutes, he finally looked away. He let out a sigh through his