Chapter 107
Will I really never be able to get rid of the magical drug?
Just as despair completely overtook my heart, I heard Serina’s voice.
“It’s only that I can’t do it, but you might be able to.”
“What do you an?”
“If you can dispel Ardion’s mana naturally without attacking it, then it should be possible to
do the sa with mine.”
“But I already tried earlier, and it didn’t work.”
I collapsed into the chair. My mind was still foggy. The faint flicker of hope I had been clinging to felt like it had gone out completely.
Then ca a resolute voice. “I’ll help you.”
When I looked up, Serina was standing in front of . I was taken aback.
Just a few hours ago, she had seed completely indifferent towards , just looking for any excuse to get out of here as quickly as possible. But I didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on that now.
“How?”
First, I had to get rid of that damn magical drug, no matter how what it took.
“I’ll give you my mana first. Then you’ll be able to remove the drug’s mana.”
“But didn’t you say you couldn’t remove it?”
“I know how. I just can’t do it myself. No matter how many tis I try, I can’t dispel the mana,” she responded with a cool expression.
I reluctantly held out my wrist. “But if I receive your mana, will I be able to dispel it?”
“Laila, didn’t you already receive Ardion’s mana? That’s probably why you were able to break his mana seal.”
Now that she ntioned it, she was right. I had received quite a lot of Ardion’s mana, and it had helped stabilize mine.
Even now, after using mana, my hands weren’t trembling. I felt fine. Actually, my mana felt even stronger than before.
Before I realized it, Serina’s hand was on my wrist. She held it gently, and a refreshing sensation swept through , calming my mind.
She let out a soft breath and sat in the chair.
I looked at her and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Now, if you dispel the mana, you can remove the magical drug.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded. I scanned the room. No one had entered, but just to be safe, I checked behind the curtains. The knights who had been roaming earlier were no longer visible.
I turned back and saw Serina standing up. “Where are you going?”
“If I stay here, I might put you in danger.”
“No. Just stay. Rowell won’t co here without good reason.”
Serina didn’t answer and simply stood there in silence. At that mont, the drawing room door opened. Startled, I stepped in front of her.
“Laila.” Ardion was standing there, tilting his head slightly to peer behind .
“What were you doing?” His voice was unusually quiet.
Serina stepped out from behind . “I think I should go.”
I quickly grabbed her hand. “Just stay. I’ll explain everything to Ardion.”
“Laila, if I stay, I’ll only cause you trouble.”
“Do you even have sowhere to go?”
She said nothing. As expected, she had nowhere else.
I continued, “Then stay until you do.”
Ardion strode towards us. In a mont, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and made gently let go of Serina’s hand.
“Laila, are you saying Serina will be staying here?”
“Just for a while. Rowell is trying to kill her.”
“Why?”
“Well…”
“It’s all my fault. From the beginning, I didn’t even know how to remove the drug.”
Ardion’s face hardened. The mana surrounding him began to glow more vividly.
I quickly grabbed his arm. “Ardion, even so, Serina gave her mana so I could remove the drug.”
He looked at . Instantly, the glow around him disappeared.
Relieved, I glanced at Serina. “You must be exhausted. You should return to the room you stayed in before. You’re familiar with it anyway.”
Serina didn’t respond. I held Ardion’s arm and gestured again. After hesitating a mont, she quietly left the room. Once she was gone, I let go of Ardion’s arm.
“Laila.” His voice was especially low.
I looked at him and said, “You said you’d trust .”
Ardion’s gaze was intense. After staring at for a mont, he suddenly pulled into an embrace. Warmth enveloped in an instant.
His voice quickly reached my ear. “It makes anxious when you keep seeing Serina, like sothing’s going to happen. And why did you leave without saying anything? Do you know how desperately I was looking for you?”
“I’m sorry. Serina was being chased, so I had no choice.”
“What exactly happened?”
I let out a soft sigh. A lot had happened, but it was already late. Still, since he wanted to know, I told him everything that had happened. Ardion held the whole ti, but I could feel the subtle tension in his arms.
“Ardion, I believe everything will be okay.”
He exhaled quietly. Then he gently drew back and looked at . “I’ll get rid of the magical drug no matter what.”
He took my wrist gently, his thumb brushing along it.
Startled, I quickly pulled my hand away. “No. If you do it, Rowell might notice because of how much mana you have.”
“So what? Even if he does, it’s not like I’ll just die because of it.”
“Still, nothing good will co from Rowell finding out. He might co after you more aggressively.”
“Don’t worry about , Laila. Just think about yourself.” Ardion cupped my cheek. “No matter what you think, I’ll stay by your side.”
His green eyes locked onto mine. Then, in an instant, his lips t mine, and our breaths tangled roughly. He supported my waist and lifted into his arms.
“H-hey, Ardion!” I turned my head and protested.
He pulled away slightly and looked at , his eyes filled with deep desire. “Don’t sneak off while I’m asleep again. My heart nearly gave out while I was trying to find out.”
“That’s…”
“So for now, just focus on .”
With those words, his lips pressed against mine again, more demanding this ti, giving no room to escape.
I gasped for breath. His heated touch left dizzy. Whether it was the mana or sothing else, a refreshing sensation enveloped completely. My rational thoughts vanished, swept away by him.
The door opened before I realized it, and before long, Ardion laid down on my bed. Suddenly, I ca to my senses. He leaned over .
I took a breath and shifted to the side. “I’m tired. I want to sleep.”
As I turned away, Ardion looked at for a mont, then slowly lay down beside and pulled into his arms, his chest pressed against my back.
“If you have a bad dream, wake first.”
“…”
“And don’t run off anywhere.” He brushed my hair aside and breathed in the scent near my neck. Even though he couldn’t sll, he did that sotis. With a strange feeling stirring inside , I closed my eyes.
❋ ❋ ❋
Removing the magical drug was all I could think about. I spent nearly the entire night trying to dispel the mana in my wrist. Each ti, water would form from my hand, but by the ti I ca to, it had already dried up. I eventually collapsed onto my bed, completely drained.
“Master, the ball is tomorrow.”
I let out a sigh. I had tried for two whole days with no success. And as always, ti showed no rcy.
“What should I do?”
“You’ll succeed, Master. You were able to dispel Ardion’s mana after all.”
Even hearing that didn’t lift my spirits. Normally, I’d at least pat Derol once for saying sothing like that, but I didn’t even have the strength left for it. I was completely exhausted.
As I stared blankly at the ceiling, there was a sudden knock on the door.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought the dresses.”
That’s right. With the ball just around the corner, I needed to look over the dresses and accessories. It would be my debut in society, so I had to look presentable.
I forced myself to get out of bed.
Derol hurried over to my feet.
“Your Highness, let show you the most popular dresses in the capital first. This one is…”
With that, dozens of dresses started pouring into my room. I was briefly overwheld by their splendor before one dress caught my eye. It was a sky-blue gown with a brilliant blue gem shining at its center, evoking a clear, radiant light.
“I’ll wear that one.”
When I decided in less than a minute, the servant looked flustered. “Your Highness, that dress…”
“I think it’s the prettiest.”
Hearing my words, the servant nodded, then whispered cautiously, “But Your Highness, that dress was brought from a lesser-known boutique. I’m worried the quality may not hold up…”
“Bring it here.”
She quickly brought the dress to . I examined it thoroughly. The stitching was neat, the quality solid, and up close, it looked even more beautiful.
“No matter how I look at it, this one’s the prettiest.”
“… Then we’ll go with this dress.”
I nodded. Next were the accessories. Countless maids held up boxes in front of . I chose the cleanest, most striking piece—a pearl necklace.
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