Chapter 68: Chapter 68

At the mere mention of Edelfina’s name, Langrion’s mouth hung open.

“Listen, about Edelfina -”

Before Langrion could finish what he was trying to say, however, Khailis and Marmie waved their hands towards them.

“Hey, lovebirds, is this place alright? Should we set up our camp here?” Khailis yelled from the top of the clearing, just a few feet above them.

“I think it’s okay,” Shia responded to them. “Let’s go ahead and help set up camp,” Shia said, dragging Langrion’s hand along as she walked faster towards Khailis and Marmie who had reached a clearing in the summit.

Langrion could only scratch his beard with his remaining hand. So, Shia was still misunderstanding the relationship between him and Edelfina. He must make this misunderstanding clear as soon as possible once he gets another chance to talk to her.

After they had chosen the perfect spot, everybody set up for work at the camp. Shia made vines and plants appear from the earth, making tents from them and asking trees to give her their dried branches to be used as firewood. Langrion and Khailis went out to scout for a water source and hunt for game, and Marmie set up the kitchen utensils she brought along with her and started the preparations for dinner.

The twilight came in soon, and the mage and the commander reached the camp before nightfall. They were able to purchase four horses. They will purchase another four on the succeeding days so as not to attract too much attention from the small village of Liddraelle.

After eating an early dinner prepared by Marmie, they all sat around the campfire to discuss their plans and share information that they had so far gathered from what happened that day.

“Lady Shia, I know it’s the first time you have seen these lads, so let me introduce them to you. This one on my left is Kerr, and on my right side here is Gaf, his brother. Gaf here can talk to birds. They are both from Jazamel.”

“Greetings, Lady Shia. We heard you also have powers, is that right?” the taller one of the two, Kerr, asked.

Shia nodded. “Yes. I can make plants grow.”

“Cool! That matches so well with my powers! Do you want to practice wielding your powers with me one of these days?” Gaf said, grinning wildly at Shia.

Suddenly, Langrion, who was sitting beside Shia by the fire, twirled his hands around Shia’s waist tightly as he peered at the young boy who gave Shia a compliment. He was already familiar with this boy and his brother for he was the one who rescued them in the past. At that moment, though, he glared at Gaf a little bit to show his displeasure.

“It’s alright. She’s already well-versed in using her powers, so she doesn’t need to practice with anyone,” Langrion said dryly.

Embarrassed at his childish act, Shia tried to laugh at Langrey’s unnecessary comment. She nudged him by the rib cage and gave him a wary look when everybody was busy.

“Anyway, thank you for joining us and responding to our plea for help. I know you are all risking your neck to save us...” Shia replied towards the members of the Red-Headed Knuckles.

“No need to thank us, Lady Shia. Langrion is part of the brotherhood. We would risk our lives to save him and anyone dear to him, should he ask of it.”

“I know, but now I think you are all in much greater danger... Back there, we have encountered the Ancient Evil,” Shia said, lowering her head as she spoke.

The members of the Red-Headed Knuckles were shocked.

“The Ancient Evil? You mean the Devil himself? H-He’s already in the Capitol,” Marmie said in fright.

Shia nodded. “I’m afraid he is possessing Danterion’s body...”

Shia and Khalis proceeded to tell them what happened back in the castle as they tried to escape.

“The Ancient Evil said he had altered the void, Mage Silas. He knew you and Langrion were inside it. What’s more, he has some powerful cursed ones by his side.”

“I see. Then those people that were possessed back in there – that’s the work of a cursed one, right,” the mage said, nodding at her comment.

Khailis spoke, “That’s right. I remember seeing the boy with an ash-colored hair right after I went back to the bedroom, Shia. I think that was when he started to possess me. But how did you manage to wake me up?”

“I needed to hurt you, Khailis. There was a strange mark in your hand back there, and when you touched me, you got pricked by some thorns accidentally. The mark vanished when you bled.”

“I see... So that explains why I got this wound right here,” Khailis remarked, looking at her scratched hand.

“What’s more, the Ancient Evil might also be the one who sent Langrion’s pursuer inside the void. All of these just prove that the Ancient Evil knew of our plans even beforehand...”

Everybody fell silent. It was Commander Rus who spoke to break the gloom and tension in the air.

“Well, if the world is really about to end, there’s no use in fretting. If the prophecy is true about the rise of the Demon King, then there will be no stopping him. Let’s just live the best way we could for now and be glad that we get to get to enjoy another day like this.”

“But, commander, aren’t you afraid? The prophecy says that all cursed ones belong to the Demon King, and they will have to fight alongside with him in the breaking of the world. If that’s true, then whether you like it or not, you will be controlled by the Demon King, right?” Kerr said, his face filled with utmost worry.

“Lad, we were given free will for a reason. Even if the Demon King calls us to his side, we shouldn’t succumb to him freely. I know I will give a hard damned fight if that were to happen. I will make sure I unleash hell before he turns me over to his side!”

After that talk around the campfire, everyone resigned to the tents that Shia had made. Shia made a separate tent for him and Langrion, but Langrey took him to one side and begged.

“Can you not stay with me inside the tent? It’s awfully cold, and I missed you.”

Shia’s face turned crimson that she couldn’t even bear to look at Langrey’s face. Why was he acting so brazen all of a sudden?

“Langrey, were amongst other people... I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to sleep together.”

“I don’t care about other people anymore, Shia.”

Shia trailed her hand on Langrion’s rough cheek. “Sleep by yourself tonight, your highness. You need to regain your strength. It must have been hard for you to sleep when you were in prison.”

“Indeed, it was, but only because you weren’t there with me.”

Langrion moved closer towards her and hugged Shia tightly. Ever since he had escaped from prison, it seemed that Langrey wasn’t much concerned of propriety anymore. He hugged her and held her hand more openly now than before.

“Alright, if you don’t want to sleep beside me tonight, let’s just go somewhere for a while,” Langrion said, his only visible eye sparkling in excitement.

Shia could only shake her head in exasperation. What happened to her old Langrey? This prince before her seemed to have become a truly bolder person!

After begging her a few more times, Shia finally consented to Langrion’s request. He took her to the place by the river where he and Khailis had gotten water earlier.

As soon as Shia saw the place, she knew why Langrion had wanted her to be there. As the night deepened, the shallow riverbed and the surrounding bushes were lit by hundreds of fireflies, all glowing in unison. It was such a beautiful, beautiful sight to see!

“I knew this place glows in the night time. Did you like it?” Langrion said. She could see his face split in a sheepish grin.

Shia remembered the time when Langrion tried to bandage her wrist. He failed miserably, but the sight of his face smiling up to her melted her heart so much that she had always treasured that moment.

“It’s truly breathtaking!” she answered back.

“You are by far more breathtaking that they will ever be.” Langrion twirled his hand against Shia’s long curls, kissing the ends of her tresses softly. Finally, he came closer to Shia’s face and kissed her fervently on the lips.

Shia kissed him back, her head arched upwards to receive his lips, his breath heavy on her mouth. His kiss felt soft, but it quickly became more urgent and much deeper than before.

As breathlessness finally caught the two of them, they parted from each other’s lips. With his hand still hugging Shia, Langrion whispered. “I missed you, Shia. I never thought I would see you again...”

“I missed you too, Langrey...”

He looked at her face that was illuminated by the pale lights of so many fireflies, trailing his fingers to her soft cheeks.

“When I heard you say you were getting married, I felt like dying. I thought I would go crazy and die if you married another man. Please don’t ever leave me again, Shia. Don’t go marrying anyone else...”

“I only did that to save you. It was the condition set by your uncle, so I could not decline him.”

“I know. I knew that bastard had set his eyes on you when he looked at you back at the manor. He’s really a filthy old pervert!” He pushed her shoulders away at arm’s length and peered at her from head to foot. “Did that old foot hurt you in any way?”

Shia shook her head. “Fortunately, he didn’t.”

“Thank the gods then!” Langrey couldn’t stop himself from caressing Shia’s face. He suddenly remembered something else.

“Shia, about Edelfina... I know you saw us kiss at the ball... It was wrong of me to kiss her back, but I did it because I wanted to take revenge against her... Before I met you, we have been engaged. But on the night of our engagement, I saw her together with my brother. It turned out that they had long been having an affair before that... We separated thereafter. I have cut ties with her in my heart that very day. I thought it seemed like a good idea to give her a taste of her own medicine by pretending to kiss her, but it backfired...”

“It really did backfire,” Shia said, laughing softly.

“Would you forgive me for hurting you back then?”

Shia looked back at Langrey, her eyes filling up with tears. She remembered that moment so strongly that her heart began to ache. “What was there to forgive? She was a person whom you love. I can never compete with that...”

She tried to step away from Langrion, but he held her fast in his arms and embraced her once again. “I do not love Edelfina! You were right, I have loved her, but it was in the past. There is no one else I love now but you!”

Tears were still flowing down Shia’s cheek, trickling down to Langrion’s neck. “How can I trust that love, Langrey? You have known me for some months, but you have been together with her since you were young... How can you ever love me more than her?”

“Then, let me prove to you that love, Shia... Let me prove that I love you and none other...”

Langrey began to unfasten the cape in his shoulders. As things began to make sense in her head, Shia gulped back the tears in her throat.