Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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Chapter 37 – Unknown (3)

Towards the end of lunch, Dandelion arrived in the Capital.

The downtown area, including the square and the market, was in full swing with the preparations for the festival.

Three or five simple tables were lined up, and simple but tasty food was laid out one by one. Next to the fountain in the square, there were already piles of firewood taller than his height.

At night, it was the custom of Walpurgis Night to light firewood and spin around, dancing, singing and playing all night long.

It was a day crowded with people that lived outside the capital, so the streets were more crowded.

Where people gathered, merchants also gathered.

Varenne used to be a place where trade was active, but today it was especially full of unusual things. From sand crafts which were popular in the Khan Empire, to the famous cookies from the Kingdom of Valronha, which have not been on good terms lately.

The place where Dandelion stopped walking while going through the street was a stall selling accessories of the Hestia Empire.

As he entered the temporary tent, he heard a lively voice.

“Welcome!”

Compared to the poor tent, the interior was full of expensive ornaments.

“All of these are precious items that have been painstakingly brought in from Hestia. Since we are leaving for Cannes tomorrow, these are precious products that can only be seen today.”

The owner blinked his eyes and quickly began to suggest this and that.

“This red gemstone is especially popular. When you hold it to the light like this, you can see crystals, can you see it? Here’s a heart shape. And, this fabric from across the sea…”

Even though the things the owner recommended were certainly strange and beautiful, there was something he liked from the beginning.

“I’ll take this.”

What Dandelion chose was a hair ornament reminiscent of a white baby’s breath. The pearls that were interspersed were very beautiful.

“Oh, my! You have an excellent eye. These days, it is a style that is very popular among the nobles of Hestia.”

The owner showed a demonstration of how to use it himself.

Dandelion’s eyes lit up, and he was serious about learning.

“No matter what kind of lady it is, I’m sure they’ll like it. I guarantee you.”

“I’d hope so.”

“Be confident.”

The owner thought that if he gave it to the lady with that face, she would be happy even if it was an arrowroot. Even so, the cheeks that were slightly flushed were lovely even in the eyes of the same man. What about those broad shoulders?

“It looks like you’re going to a festival in the castle today.”

If he was an aristocrat choosing a gift while wearing an expensive evening coat, it would have been obvious.

“Good luck to you, Sir.”

“Thank you.”

Dandelion put the carefully wrapped gift in his arms and started walking again.

Before entering the castle, there was a place to stop.

Leaving the noisy street and entering the alley, he turned around the complicated streets and knocked on the door of a small brick building.

First one, then five, and finally three.

It was only after knocking nine times in total that the door opened. A man like a black bear appeared through the half-open door.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m here to pick up some stuff.”

“Wait…”

Without the black bear saying anything, Lily slipped out of the door.

“Wow! The handsome older brother!”

“Hi.”

“Hi!”

He bowed his knees, greeted Lily, and stepped inside.

“The Captain is in the basement.”

After saying that, the black bear took Lily, who was excited, and went back to the kitchen.

Because he was in charge of Lily today, he was currently on a mission to feed the picky eater Lily with carrots.

“Tsk. I want to play with that handsome brother.”

“Wake up. It’s not until you eat all of this.”

“I hate carrots!”

“Carrots hate you, too.”

Dandelion looked at the two of them fighting for a moment, then went down the stairs. When he opened the basement door, Kias was lying on the bed as usual.

He greeted him without even looking at Dandelion.

“You’re here?”

“The thing?”

“I’m having some trouble. It’s going to take more time.”

“How long.”

“About a month. It could be more.”

Hearing those words, Dan’s face suddenly darkened.

“What’s the problem?”

“They said they were attacked while trading goods. Fortunately, they escaped, but everyone is taking care of themselves.”

“Is there no other way?”

“I’m looking into it for now. But finding a new business partner. It won’t be easy.”

“You can’t guarantee even a month.”

“It’s good that you understand quickly.”

Kias got up slowly and snorted.

“It’s a little too much for a replacement, but I’ll give you a present.”

“Gift?”

“Your princess’ information.”

Dandelion furrowed his eyebrows. He thought Kias would find out about Sienna’s identity sooner or later.

But, it’s the Princess’s information.

A voice with an ominous premonition came out.

“Tell me, so I can understand.”

“She was kidnapped.”

“…What?”

“Emmett’s dogs are making a fuss again, so I’m looking behind them…”

“Where is she now?”

Before Kias could finish speaking, a question came.

Dandelion looked very impatient.

Kias had never seen this man’s face like this before. He always thought the man in front of him was just an expressionless and incomprehensible guy.

“Hey, I’m asking. Where’s the princess?”

Instead of answering, Kias got out of bed and got dressed.

“Are you going, dressed up like that?”

Kias, who was carrying the sword, frowned at Dandelion, who was dressed neatly.

“You have to run quite a bit.”

He then took off his coat without saying a word. The present he just bought was also placed next to it.

Meanwhile, Kias was the first to leave the room with a box in the corner of the room.

“I’ll leave for a while. I’ll be back before night falls. Oh, don’t leave any carrots.”

Kias left the door, and soon Dan followed.

“Hiya!”

The two men rode their horses and headed for the forest to the west.

As they approached the entrance to the forest, they could see smoke rising in the distance. Dan and Kias exchanged glances and ran at full speed without delay.

And, finally, the two of them were frozen in sight.

“What is this…”

“Sienna…”

A small hut in the middle of the woods was on fire.

A wildfire engulfed everything around him.

“Oh! Oh, it’s hot!”

“Ahh!”

“Help me!”

If they look closely, they can see people with their clothes on fire rolling on the ground and putting out the fire. At the same time, the burning hut was crumbling down to the extent that the original shape was unknown.

“In there—“

Kias couldn’t keep up with his words. There was no way she could survive in such a fire.

Dandelion got off his horse and ran towards the hut as if possessed.

‘Please…’

His vision was wildly shaken by the tremendous fire.

“Sienna!”

He shouted with all his might, but the fire that burned everything swallowed up, even his voice.

“Hey, are you crazy?”

“She’s going to die!”

The sound of burning could be heard here and there. Still, without hesitation, he jumped into the flames and slashed the broken entrance with his sword before entering.

The ferocious fire could not do any harm to him.

It would be an accurate expression to say that it couldn’t even reach him.

“Sienna…!”

And, it was the same with Sienna.

Her eyes were covered, and she lay on her back with her hands and feet bound. However, the flames did not reach her as if an invisible shield had been placed around her.

There was no time to space out.

He walked out of the hut with Sienna and the bunny rabbit in his arms.

The two did not have single soot. Those who were wallowing on the ground were startled and stopped.

It was as if they were faced with a grim reaper. The two should have never been able to come back, so how?

“You…”

Kias seemed to have a lot to say, but he hesitated.

Now, there was something more urgent.

Dandelion went far away from the burning hut and broke the rope that bound her feet and hand.

“Uhk—“

After a while, Sienna woke up with a low moan.

“Princess!”

“…Dan.”

She took off her eye cover with her free hand. Her stiff body was accompanied by pain with every movement.

“It’s okay…”

Dan was unable to speak. It was because he had seen Sienna’s tears welling up in her eyes in an instant.

What should he say at this time?

Suddenly, he became frustrated with himself for not being proficient in any of these things.

Dandelion hugged her, unable to find a proper sentence. In confusion, he gently patted Sienna on the back, who was crying. Her body, which had been trembling to the point of pity, gradually found stability.

He was also relieved by the sound of her breathing that had changed regularly.

Sienna, barely holding back her tears, buried her face in his shoulder and whispered.

“Is this heaven?”

“That’s a relief. You have the energy to joke around.”

“As I always say, I’m serious about it.”

“….”

“I’m saying this because I don’t think I can do it right now…”

“….”

“It was the longest ten days in the world.”

“….”

The arms that embraced him gained strength.

“Ha. I lived. I really thought I was going to die.”

As Sienna uttered with a smile of relief, she faced Dan, who was bewildered, causing her ears to burn.

‘Huh…? What? I can’t even make eye contact.’

He fiddled with his dress shirt and made the impression that something wasn’t right.

Thinking that he shouldn’t have taken his coat off, Dan regretted it too late.

“Princess, your dress…”

“…Ah, I was kidnapped from my blanket while I was sleeping…”

So, right now, Sienna was in her pajamas, bare feet. She finally understood his embarrassed expression. It didn’t really cover anything, but she hugged Shushu for comfort.

After she smiled shyly for a while, she found Kias.

“Huh? Why are you…”

“It was him who informed me of the princess’s location.”

Dandelion, who had spoken up to that point, carefully grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

‘Huh?’

He clasped her hand, which was reddened by the rope, and wrapped his hand tightly around it.

Her swollen wrists continued to bother him.

‘It’s warm…’

A smile spread across Siena’s lips as the warmth of his hand that touched her.

‘I’m alive.’

Somehow, it didn’t feel real.

The moment when all the magic was drained, and the flames that blazed in her in an instant.

And…

Sienna wrapped her arms around his wrists as Dandelion had done.

They gazed into each other’s eyes without letting go of their wrists. A pulse, not sure if it was her or his, was beating.

“Thank you for coming, Dan.”

She waited for his words to follow quietly, like someone who knew what he was going to ask.

“Why, why don’t you ask what you’re thinking about?”

What is this fire, how can she stay alive in it?

“I have a lot to ask.”

Why wasn’t he surprised? Why was he okay? Dandelion was obviously hiding something. Of course, she thought for a while whether to pretend she didn’t know what he wanted.

‘But…’

She wanted to stop going round and round like this without getting any closer or farther away.

Sienna stared straight into his eyes and asked.

“…Every time I ran into you, I got a weird feeling.”

A different, unfamiliar feeling. At first, of course, she thought it was just because her heart was trembling.

“I really didn’t know what it was.”

“….”

“I think I know.”

Perhaps, for the first time, Sienna called him by his full name.

“Dandelion Mont.”

‘“.…”

“Who are you?”

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