Chapter 94
“Ardion, can you use mana quietly?” I asked.
Ardion tilted his head slightly, looked into my eyes, and smiled. “I can use mana without any sign, just by looking. It’s easy for .”
“Then, if Serina shows up, it might be best to knock her out or restrain her so she doesn’t get hurt. Derol and I will handle the rest…”
“I’ll just take care of everything at once. If Serina shows up, I’ll make her lose consciousness right away and bring her back in the carriage.” Ardion’s response was clear and straightforward.
He continued, “We’ll need a place that’s open but not crowded. The riverside should work.”
“…” I looked at Ardion, surprised.
When our eyes t, he tilted his head slightly. “What is it, Laila?”
“It’s just… that’s exactly what I was thinking earlier. I was looking out the window at the river and had the sa thought.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Ardion’s lips. “Then let’s do that.”
I nodded instinctively. Sohow, it felt like things were falling into place. At that mont, Derol nudged my hand with his head. I looked down and saw him gazing up at with bright eyes.
“Then, Master, what should I do?”
“Hmm, you can co with or follow from a distance. What do you prefer?”
Derol tilted his head, then clasped his little hands together. “I’ll go with you, Master.”
“Alright, then you can stay in my pocket.”
Derol nodded.
“Now we just need to make sure Serina follows us.”
Ardion tapped the table lightly and looked at . His face was serious, but his gaze on was still intense.
I said calmly, “Serina will try her hardest to find . She already knows I’m in the palace, so the mont I step outside, she’ll be on my trail.”
“How can you be so sure?” Ardion asked sharply.
“I saw it in the dream. If she doesn’t bring back, Rowell said he’d kill her.”
Ardion let out a short laugh. “That sounds like Rowell.”
“This might actually be the best way for both Serina and . From what I saw in the dream, she didn’t seem to have a very high opinion of Rowell either.”
“Still, it’s unlikely she’ll willingly spill anything about the magical drug.” Ardion looked across the table, his gaze sinking deep into thought.
“You spent a lot of ti around Serina on the frontier, didn’t you?”
At that, Ardion finally looked up. When our eyes t, he relaxed his expression and nodded.
“What was she like back then?”
“She was a regular mage. She didn’t bother others or try to make small talk, so she was easy to work with.”
That surprised . When she fought , she looked like she wanted to kill Ardion right then and there. How did she manage to hold it together before?
“Did you ever suspect she was secretly plotting sothing? Like making a magical drug or following you?”
“I had those thoughts sotis. She always seed to be behind when I did sothing. But she pulled her weight, so I didn’t see any reason to push her away.”
“So you fought together on the frontier?”
Ardion nodded, then looked at with a curious expression. “Laila, are you jealous?”
“What? Of course not. I’m just curious.”
“If you’re just curious, why ask in such detail?”
“I an, I just…” I trailed off mid-sentence.
Ardion was already smiling, clearly misunderstanding that I was jealous.
He leaned on his hand, grinning at . I looked away awkwardly. There was no point in insisting I wasn’t jealous. It would only tire out.
Still… Serina’s ultimate goal was to kill Ardion. Should I tell him everything? Should I warn him?
It was dangerous for him, so I figured he needed to know.
“Ardion, even if Serina didn’t do anything back then, I think you should still be careful from now on because…”
“Yeah, Laila.” Ardion nodded with a happy expression.
His smile was so bright. I hadn’t seen him look this happy in a while. He had the sa look on his face back when we watched the fireworks in the flower field during our ti at Duke Orchid’s mansion…
“I’ll be careful with Serina,” he said clearly, still smiling.
I opened my mouth to say more but stopped. It didn’t seem like he would take it seriously anyway. If anything, he looked even more pleased, completely unconcerned about the danger.
I gave him an awkward smile and stood up.
His expression imdiately turned serious. “Laila, are you leaving already?”
“I want to get rid of that magical drug as soon as possible.”
I didn’t ntion the dream again. I didn’t want to burden Ardion with more worries. He already knew I’d been dreaming anyway.
Derol jumped into my pocket. I petted him, then turned to Ardion. “But I’ll need a carriage that doesn’t draw attention. Do you think you can get one?”
“Just take the one I usually ride.”
“Why?”
“Serina already knows what kind of relationship we have. If you suddenly take a different carriage, it might raise suspicion.”
He paused for a mont, then rang the bell on the desk. Shortly after, a knock sounded at the door.
“Have my carriage prepared outside.”
The servant bowed and left imdiately.
Once he was gone, Ardion turned back to . “The carriage will be ready soon. What about everything else?”
“This setup should be enough. And when I cough loudly, that will be the signal to catch Serina.”
Ardion nodded.
After a short while, another knock ca at the door. “Your Highness, the carriage is ready.”
Ardion nodded again and turned to . “Laila, let’s go.”
He held out his hand. I hesitated to take it.
“Laila?” He looked at with concern.
I said calmly, “If you co with , Serina might not take action. So I think I should go in the carriage first, and you should follow at a distance, keeping an eye on things.”
Ardion stared at for a mont, then slowly nodded. I was about to head for the door when…
“Laila.”
I turned at the sound of his voice, and before I could react, he closed the distance between us. He held the back of my head with one hand and kissed .
There was no ti to even be shocked. His lips completely enveloped mine. The warmth sank in slowly, growing familiar. Without thinking, I leaned into him. Then suddenly, I felt his breath, rough and urgent.
I quickly opened my eyes and pushed against his shoulders. Ardion froze, then slowly pulled away, still nibbling my lower lip as he did.
“Ardion.” I stared at him wide-eyed.
He smiled gently, brushing my hair back. “Laila, I’ll follow you in the carriage with the crest.”
“…”
“See you soon.”
He smiled into my eyes. I nodded slightly and opened the door.
Derol squeaked loudly, “Master, Ardion was terribly rude just now. Acting like that without your permission, he’s worse than a beast.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed quietly. No matter how well I’d raised Ardion, I couldn’t control his nature.
“Lady Laila?”
Just then, a servant approached carefully. I nodded. It was ti to et Serina.
I followed the servant at a brisk pace.
The carriage was waiting right outside the palace. It was entirely black, and just by looking, anyone could tell it was luxurious. The wheels looked sturdy, the fra solid. And most notably, it bore the imperial seal.
There was no mistaking that this was a carriage used by the imperial family.
Before getting in, I looked around. Nothing in particular stood out, but I couldn’t feel at ease. If Rowell really said he’d kill her if she didn’t bring back, then Serina must be nearby.
If that were true, she was definitely sowhere around here.
I raised my voice deliberately to the coachman. “Take to the riverside.”
“Yes, as you wish.” The servant opened the carriage door.
I climbed in calmly. Once the door shut behind , Derol poked his head out of my pocket. “Master, do you really think Serina will follow us like this?”
“She probably will. And even if she doesn’t, it’s not like it puts us at a disadvantage.”
“That’s true, but still… I hope she moves just like you’ve predicted.”
“That would definitely make things easier.”
The rest would be tricky. But for now, I focused only on the present. Catching Serina here was the best course of action.
The carriage began to move slowly, and once it reached the main road, it picked up speed.
Since it was Ardion’s usual carriage, the cushions were just right, and the ride wasn’t too bumpy. It was well-equipped with quality features.
I glanced around the interior, then turned to look out the window. It was still early, so the streets weren’t crowded.
I hoped the riverside would be just as quiet. I silently prayed that everything would go smoothly. Please, let no one get hurt from this.
Especially Ardion—he had been hurt enough. I was tired of seeing him being manipulated by Rowell.
❋ ❋ ❋
The carriage ca to a complete stop. The center door opened, and the coachman spoke. “We have arrived.”
I stepped out with Derol. The weather was clear. Pretending to look at the sky, I quickly scanned the surroundings.
And then, in the distance, I saw a strange carriage co to a stop.
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