CHAPTER 122
Philip didn't respond to my words and just kept rambling.
"It's fortunate that we have Lady Elsner on our side. The Marquis hasn't been actively attacking us."
But there was no sign of ease on Philip's face.
Acting tough. He looks scared!
Philip seemed to be thinking about something anxiously.
Is he pondering a way to overcome this situation?
When a person is cornered, you never know what they might do.
I was confident in Lewis' victory, but I kept an eye on Philip while watching Lewis.
Suddenly, Philip's expression changed, as if he had thought of something good.
He asked Sir Schuster.
"By the way, wasn't there a landslide warning issued in this area?"
"Yes, it was issued recently due to heavy rains and is still in effect."
"I see."
Why is he suddenly talking about a landslide?
Sensing my sharp gaze, Philip glanced at me and then approached Madden.
And he said something that shocked Madden.
"Don't target the Marquis, but cause a landslide on the mountain where the Marquis is."
"What? Are you telling me to cause a landslide?"
Madden, who was about to cast a new spell, turned to Philip.
What the... I was left speechless with my mouth open.
Since attacks aren't working, he's resorting to such measures?
Philip shamelessly nodded.
"It's better to cause a landslide. Even if the Marquis dies, it can be treated as a natural disaster."
He's planning to cause a man-made landslide for such a reason.
"Do you think this will just go away?"
I asked Philip, and he nodded.
"It will be buried. If we deal with the Marquis, this whole thing will be buried. Manipulating the Lady's memory is a piece of cake."
He's planning to eliminate Lewis and erase my memory.
That won't happen!
"Fu—"
Just as I was about to shout to warn Lewis of the danger, Philip covered my mouth.
Then he warned me in a low voice.
"If you don't want to die, you better behave. I hate people who go against my wishes the most."
So I should be thankful he's not planning to kill me.
Held captive and with my mouth covered, I couldn't warn about the danger.
In the meantime, Lewis' attack was taking down the knights.
Lewis, advancing while deflecting attacks, seemed to be eliminating the knights.
It was clear he was a formidable threat.
"Understood."
Madden decided to comply swiftly with Philip's orders.
He had even attempted to summon demons at Philip's command, so causing a landslide was probably nothing for him.
What should I do? Knowing Philip's plan, I couldn't be at ease.
Lewis wasn't aware Madden was going to use underhanded tactics, right?
With the mountain soaked from the rain, even a little magic would cause it to collapse.
If that happens, not just dirt but also falling rocks would be dangerous...
How do I warn Lewis?
A small, glowing orb formed on Madden's staff.
Seeing Madden casting the spell, Philip spoke.
"Since I've been using attack magic, he'll think the magic is directed at him. Bury that entire area."
The small orb quickly grew in size.
It's about to be fired...
I anxiously glanced back and forth between the staff and Lewis.
I had to disrupt Madden before he cast the spell.
Soon, the orb fully expanded.
There's no time. This is the only way I can think of...
I opened my mouth wide—
"Ouch!"
I bit Philip's hand as hard as I could. Immediately, his hand withdrew from my mouth.
I broke free from Philip and shouted.
"Landslide, Marquis!"
Then I dashed towards Madden. To prevent his magic from endangering Lewis.
"No!"
I shoved Madden, causing his arm to swing wildly.
As a result, the magic aimed at the dirt mound near Lewis missed its target.
It missed!
I felt a moment of relief, but it was fleeting.
The fact that Madden had cast a spell was the problem.
His spell hit a dirt mound adjacent to us!
The soil forming the mountain began to scatter and pour down towards us.
It wasn't just the area hit by Madden's magic that was the problem. The surrounding soil also started to collapse.
"Damn it!"
"It's a landslide! Evacuate!"
I heard the knights shouting.
'Ah, so avoiding Lewis' side puts me in danger now?'
The range was too wide to escape by running.
The sight of rocks and soil rushing down overwhelmed me, rooting me to the spot.
Today's luck is really...
As I watched the soil approaching in a daze.
"Selina!"
I heard Lewis' voice.
He must have used magic. Lewis, who had somehow gotten behind me, embraced me.
As he shielded me in his arms, I heard an enormous roar.
KABOOM!
I instinctively shut my eyes tightly.
Despite the deafening sound, I felt no pain.
Curious, I opened my eyes slightly to see the soil being deflected away from us. It looked as if there was a protective barrier.
And then my body lifted off the ground.
Weirdly, we seemed to be moving away from the soil mound.
Did we float into the air...?
Looking down from Lewis' embrace, I spotted a wide river.
Then we plummeted rapidly.
"Aaaah!"
A loud splash echoed in my ears.
We had clearly been thrown into the river.
And at that moment, the ring, which had been quiet, began to glow. A miraculous phenomenon occurred.
Even though we were underwater, I could breathe with no difficulty!
Lewis swam, holding me with one arm, heading towards the surface.
Soon, we emerged from the water completely.
"Haa, haa..."
My breath trembled. My heart was racing wildly, likely from surviving a near-death experience.
"Are you alright?"
Lewis asked beside me.
His voice carried concern, and I nodded.
"Yes... A landslide occurred, but a barrier seemed to form."
"I made that. The barrier pushed us away, causing us to be flung into the river."
Ah, so that's what happened?
Listening to his explanation, I looked at my protective ring.
"When we fell into the water, this glowed. That's probably why I could breathe underwater."
"It worked there. I'm glad you didn't swallow water."
Considering how swiftly Lewis swam, he must have been in a hurry.
We're alive. Truly.
Realizing we had passed the crisis, a sigh of relief escaped me.
"Both you and I, Marquis, I really thought we were going to die."
"Why would we die? I haven't heard your answer yet."
"Answer?"
What answer? I was puzzled for a moment.
"Ah..."
I realized what Lewis was talking about.
The words he had been wanting to hear from me.
"Is your heart still the same?"
Lewis was asking about my feelings again.
Hey. Is this really the time to say such things?
I hesitated, and Lewis asked.
"Is it still not the time?"
"It's not that."
I quickly replied, not wanting him to be disappointed.
In fact, there was no need to hesitate. It wasn't a secret, and I intended to tell him anyway.
I hadn't planned to say it this late.
"If we hadn't gone to the palace, I would have told you much earlier."
I spoke in a hesitant voice.
"I was about to tell you that I like you now..."
"That you think it's okay to be with me?"
"Yes..."
I nodded repeatedly, my face turning red.
"I like you too, Marquis. I already did, but now I'm sure."
"....."
"Just as you want to be my lover, I like you too."
Ah, I don't know why my face is burning up. My heart was racing wildly.
Lewis' serious face probably made my heart race even more.
Soon, a smile spread across his face.
His delighted look was such a contrast to the urgent situation earlier.
"I'm happy. Finally, you accepted my heart."
"Don't say that. Who am I to..."
Feeling embarrassed, I tried to get up, but Lewis grabbed my wrist.
"Why are you getting up?"
"What do you mean why? We need to go back!"
"After barely hearing your answer, you want to go back immediately?"
He didn't seem keen on moving right away.
So? I tilted my head in confusion.
"Isn't now the time to reunite...?"
While I was glad we fully understood each other's feelings, the Crown Prince probably thought we were dead!
"Just a moment."
Lewis didn't let go of my hand.
He gently pulled me back, causing me to sit down again.
"Marquis?"
"It's just us here."
His voice became somewhat more intimate.
"...?"
Lewis stared at me intently. His gaze seemed to carry a hint of thirst.
Lewis reached out and touched my lips.
With his touch, my heart seemed to race even more.
While it was disconcerting, my heart pounding wasn't just because of the suddenness.
Lewis asked in a low voice.
"I've been holding back all this time. Can't I kiss you?"
"It's not that you can't..."
I answered, feeling flustered.
"The situation earlier was abrupt—why are you asking such a thing?"
As I muttered excuses, he laughed.
"Then it's okay."
Is it really okay?
Lewis, looking pleased, moved closer. Soon, his lips overlapped mine.
".....!"
I felt something soft entering my mouth.
His hand caressing my neck made me shut my eyes tightly.
My heart felt like it was about to burst. I wondered if the sound might be audible from outside.
The pounding sound echoed through my ears.
He gently swept the inside of my mouth. The longer the kiss lasted, the harder it became to breathe.
But I didn't dislike it.
The embarrassment vanished, and a sweet sensation filled me.
When our lips parted briefly, I took the chance to catch my breath.
"....."
His gaze still held a faint thirst. As my breath stabilized, our eyes met in the air.
And our lips joined again.
I clasped my hands around his neck.
So we could satisfy each other's thirst for a little longer.
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