“Don’t punish me later for the crime of riding the crown prince.”

“That will never happen.”

“You won’t hold it against me later?”

“I swear on my name. So please let down your skirt and allow me to carry you.”

Lucian spoke resolutely.

Since the cautious Lucian even swore on his name, Adelia softened her firm stance.

She untied the skirt tightly bound around her knees. The skirt, now wrinkled, fell neatly to her ankles.

Adelia retraced her steps. Her steps were light, perhaps because she felt relieved of some hardship.

The sound of footsteps gradually grew closer to Lucian’s ears.

Soon, Adelia’s prim voice came from right in front of him.

“Alright. I’ve let down my skirt, so open your eyes.”

At her words, Lucian lowered the hand covering his eyes.

His tightly shut eyelids fluttered open, revealing his long eyelashes. His hidden red eyes quivered as they met the cold air.

Adelia’s figure came into his view.

She stretched out her hands toward him like a child begging for something.

“Now, please carry me.”

* * *

Lucian hesitated for a moment. Adelia was taller and thinner than Ariana. She didn’t look heavy, but he felt he should handle her as carefully as Ariana.

“Then, excuse me.”

Lucian supported Adelia’s back with one hand and grabbed behind her knees with the other, lifting her up.

She was lifted effortlessly, she’s lighter than he had worried. Her legs dangled in his strong arms.

Startled, Adelia wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies were pressed closely together. Adelia shivered slightly at the strange sensation.

His thin shirt was not enough to hide his well-defined muscles. She could feel a firm yet soft texture could through the shirt.

Adelia looked up at him with a slightly dazed expression, her arms still around his neck.

“Are you sure I’m not heavy?”

“I can’t tell if I’m holding a person or an illusion. Do you even eat?”

“Well, that’s fine then. Let’s go.”

Adelia leaned into his arms and lowered her head.

Her ears turned red. Being held by him now felt more embarrassing than when she had met him in strange pajamas.

Her eyes rolled sideways.

The open-collar shirt revealed his well-toned chest muscles. The faintly visible muscles under the thin shirt were beautifully contoured.

Gulp. Adelia swallowed unconsciously. She had never seen such well-defined muscles in both her past and present lives.

She hurriedly urged the journey, fearing her improper thoughts might leak out.

“I’ll light the way so you don’t trip.”

She raised her hand. As she extended her fingers, a small butterfly appeared. The golden butterfly landed on her finger, emitting a soft glow.

“Can you guide us to the darkest place?”

Her gentle voice echoed softly. The butterfly, as if understanding her, fluttered its wings and flew deeper into the cave.

Golden dust trailed behind the butterfly, illuminating the path like a lit torch.

The butterfly circled in place, urging them to follow.

Lucian followed the butterfly into the cave, its light guiding their steps.

Thus, they ventured deeper into the cave.

‘This is… more comfortable than I thought.’

Adelia, quietly nestled in his arms, smiled with an unfocused expression, lost in her thoughts.

The cave floor was uneven, with rocks sticking out randomly. It was a difficult environment to walk straight in, but Lucian’s arms provided a steady comfort.

There was a rhythmic movement with each step. The regular tremor felt like sitting in a rocking chair.

The cool cave air and Lucian’s warm body heat created a perfect harmony.

Sleepiness crept in, and her eyelids grew heavy.

‘I mustn’t fall asleep!’

Adelia barely kept herself awake. It was embarrassing enough to be carried by him; falling asleep would be even more mortifying.

To shake off the drowsiness, Adelia started a conversation.

“Your Highness, do you know the conditions to become the owner of the holy sword?”

“If a healthy body overcomes the trials of the mind, one can become the owner of the holy sword. Isn’t that it? That’s what the first emperor said.”

In history, the first emperor was the only one who became both a white mage and the owner of the holy sword.

The first emperor sacrificed his life to bless his descendants. The diary found after his death contained a few pieces of information about white mana and the holy sword. One of them was the condition to become the owner of the holy sword.

The first emperor was praised as a wise ruler by all, and the image of the holy sword and the white mage was glorified. This created an illusion that spread widely.

“Do you really think that’s the condition, Your Highness?”

It was a leisurely question from someone who knew the answer.

Lucian was silent for a moment before answering.

“The emperor and the crown prince can read the diaries of the imperial family in the imperial library. There are stories of imperial family members who failed to find the holy sword.”

“Did you find any truth there?”

“I don’t know what the truth is. None of those who went to find the holy sword returned alive.”

The words came out softly from his red lips. Adelia was momentarily startled and blinked rapidly.

This was something she didn’t know. Adelia had brought up the topic purely to find out the truth. The real method to become the owner of the holy sword. But an unknown truth had just surfaced.

“What do you mean?”

“Most of them died without finding the holy sword. But among those who sent letters claiming they had found it, none returned alive.”

“Hey… could it have been a lie?”

“Considering all the holy swords drawn in the letter are identical, it probably wasn’t a lie.”

He calmly spoke the truth. At this, Adelia pounded his shoulders and shook her body.

It was a protest for him to put her down, but Lucian didn’t budge. Instead, he held her even tighter, as if he had no intention of letting her down.

“So, knowing that, you followed me to get the holy sword? What if you die!”

Adelia raised her voice and shouted.

She truly didn’t know. Had she known, she would never have mentioned the holy sword.

She couldn’t help but resent herself for not finding out about it.

Despite her irritation, Lucian did not put her down. Instead, he responded with a face that seemed to say he didn’t understand what she was talking about.

“If it was dangerous, you wouldn’t have brought me here.”

* * *

Adelia stopped struggling as if she had been hit on the head.

She looked at Lucian with a dazed expression.

His red eyes were looking at her steadily.

Did he know? That those eyes contained trust.

Adelia buried her flushed face in her hands.

“Well, I didn’t know. No, wasn’t it natural that I didn’t know in the first place? I can’t see the imperial library.”

A voice full of self-reproach and regret came out of her small lips.

“I thought you would know. I should have told you beforehand.”

“If you had, I would have found another way or not brought you here.”

It was a holy sword that would be found someday in the hands of the male protagonist.

It was not a very important item as it only appeared as a laughable point for finding a valuable treasure easily. That’s why Adelia prepared the holy sword as the price of the deal.

“The failure of the holy sword means death….”

Adelia held her throbbing head. She had to recall the original story. She had to think about what would happen if one failed to become the owner of the holy sword. Otherwise, she couldn’t do anything.

Anxiety gradually crept up. Her heart pounded wildly. Whenever she tried to recall something, the pounding sound scattered her thoughts, and when she tried to remember again, the sound of her heart interfered. As this situation repeated, Adelia became more and more anxious.

In her impatience, Adelia bit her lip. Seeing this, Lucian’s face crumpled.

“Why are you doing this suddenly?”

“We can’t just go like this. We have to prepare for something…”

A metallic taste lingered on her lips. Blood was drawn from her bitten lips, but Adelia didn’t care. She acted as if she couldn’t think of anything else but coming up with an alternative.

Adelia was extremely anxious about things going wrong in her hands. Especially when it was related to the original story, it was even worse.

Lucian was bewildered by Adelia, who was visibly anxious.

He felt the tremor from all the places where they touched.

It was the first time he saw Adelia, who maintained a calm appearance despite her inner turmoil, break down like this.

“Let’s think calmly for now. Speaking out loud will help organize your thoughts better than just thinking in your head.”

A calm voice whispered in her ear. It was the best effort Lucian, who had no talent for comforting others, could make.

The voice of another person had an effect on her, who was always trembling alone.

The trembling gradually subsided, and her eyes, which had become dull and empty, regained their vitality.

Adelia absentmindedly rubbed her bitten lips. The stinging and wet feeling was unpleasant.