Chapter 223

Prison ménage à trois

Over, over there!

Unfortunately, my guardian deity must have had to choose one. Either heed my plea or ignore me and protect me. But the subject of the power was me, and my power stopped all magic.

And.

-Human!

A small snow leopard blocked the swords that flew at me. The red energy deflected all the swords and blew the knights away.

But once again, countless swords flew. The moment the sword pierced the snow leopard, I sat down and hugged Pudding tightly. Whoop. A blue haze made from my fingertips pulled the pierced sword away.

“Are, are you okay? Quick, quickly. Get……. Get inside me! ”

But this good-natured beast was crying loudly, only worrying about me.

-Human, Nyan! Human, let go of me! Human!

At the same time, an unbearable pain flooded my back. A little late, a blue energy enveloped me. My guardian deity was howling long. Like blaming itself.

“…… it’s okay. It’s not…… your fault.”

When I turned my head with difficulty, I saw the village that was in good condition. Under the high sky, the village was as peaceful as I had seen it. A smoke flows slowly as if cooking a meal.

What is this? Since when did I overflow with love for humanity?

I just laughed.

With this, the magic that came quickly as if waiting for it slammed down on me. It’s easy to block, but blood seems to rush on my body. Oh, I think I got hit by something a little bigger than I thought.

‘…… I have to go to Ricdorian.’

And my eyes slowly closed. The Empress’ face was amongst the landscape. Ah, now I know.

Like a snake that glides under her silky, shiny hair. One last glance at the mad Empress’ smile, smiling broadly but never in a normal way.

“Hahahaha, I got it! Finally got it! Ahahahaha!”

There. The smile and a firm face that agreed when I said that I didn’t like that extraterrestrial forces dictate human fate was not there.

Her wish that she doesn’t want to go crazy never comes true. I smiled for the last time.

‘The enemy has increased.’

I faced the dark.

***

Drip, drip.

Dripping water. I knew the water dripping was a familiar sound. I was in doubt. That’s weird. How do I know this without seeing it? The answer to the question I asked myself came right away.

…… That’s a sound I’ve heard countless times.

The prison had a stone wall, so no matter how well it was built, on a rainy day, this kind of noise was always heard. In particular, Ricdorian’s cell, locked in the bas.e.m.e.nt, was even worse. But wait.

‘Prison?’

I slowly opened my eyes. Was it something I was thinking about unconsciously?

“It’s really the prison cell…….”

I saw the structure of the familiar room. It was only the structure that I was used to, but it wasn’t exactly the same. It differed from Kambrakan in the material of the stone and the width and shape of the grate.

However, the grate that came down heavily, there was a small flaming torch, and the moist air as a whole. It was a very familiar s.p.a.ce to me.

‘Anyway, it’s the cell.’

I looked down at my hands and took a deep breath. My hands were heavy. When I came to my senses, I expected that nothing so peaceful would await, but……. rattle. My hands had cold and heavy handcuffs. The rattling chain was a bonus.

“Huh.”

I clicked my tongue.

I can’t believe it’s the handcuffs now. I thought it was fortunate that it wasn’t shackles, but I never thought I would get to experience the full imprisonment set in the cell. I swept my head with my handcuffed hands.

“…… How come I got back into prison after going round and round?”

First, I have to check the condition. Pudding that I was most worried about was asleep inside me. It looked like it had fainted or was recovering as it didn’t answer when called.

I’m glad it came back safely to my arms. And my guardian deity also seemed to be doing well too. However, I could not easily use my power perhaps due to what was used in these handcuffs.

‘I’m sorry. As soon as I meet you, I make you suffer a lot.’

It bothered me that I hadn’t been able to speak properly with my guardian deity yet. It was because things had turned around. It heard my thoughts and gave a small cry. The sound of m.u.f.fle ringing seemed to envelop my heart at ease.

This is your way of comforting me.

I smiled slightly and clasped my handcuffed hands.

‘Is it the handcuffs that make my power useless? Or if it’s the whole room, I don’t know.’

Remembering the last time I saw the Empress’ face, she wouldn’t have allowed me to walk free. Yeah, I wouldn’t normally get tied up. I sighed deeply, recalling old memories.

“I hate being tied down.”

“You don’t like restraints?”

“Of course. Who likes it……”

Instead of answering naturally, I paused.

Confinement, chains, and the familiar voice.

It was a very familiar situation to me, so I answered without thinking. Because that’s always been the case in Domulit.

‘Chaser?’

When I turned my head, the owner of the ecstatic voice was smiling. His eyes curved showing he was happy to see me.

“I see you again. Iana.”

However, his situation was not where he could smile leisurely.

Drip, drip.

The sound of dripping water. It was from him. Drops of blood were dripping down his fingertips, both hands tied to the wall. His stoic attire had gone, he was bound to the wall with white shirt half-ripped and only his pants on.

He did not lose his smile as he looked at me as if he was not in pain even while being restrained in a vicious posture where he could neither stand nor sit.

“Isn’t it refreshing to see me?”

“Who.”

I frowned.

“No? I thought you’d like this…….”

“Do you like hanging on chains like that?”

“Of course not.”

I naturally distanced myself from Chaser. Friendliness? There was no such thing anymore. Just like the changed Empress, that man is an ‘enemy’.

“But our Iana. It feels good to see you.”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I slowly opened my mouth as I looked at the figure who was confined next to me.

“…… Who said I agreed with that t.i.tle? Don’t call me that.”

“Then my Iana?”

Chaser’s expression didn’t change even though he saw me visibly retreating. I rolled my eyes indifferently and turned my head.

“Say whatever you like. I won’t even talk to you anymore.”

“Iana.”

He was a smart man. I don’t know what happened to him to get him hanging over there……. Nevertheless, he was a man who made me feel threatened. On the other hand, even in this state, he was so excited that he spoke casually, so I was speechless.

“It’s true that I’m really happy despite the circ.u.mstances.”

At the same time as Chaser said so, a familiar voice was heard once more.

“Iana, please shut him up.”

My rose’s voice with a low but elegant reverberation.

“Don’t give him a glance, a gaze, or even a look.”

Turning my head, I saw a similarly restrained Ricdorian beyond the grate.

“Ricdorian?”

“Yes. Please tell me quickly. So that guy can listen too.”

That one is chained tight and covered with fog.

“That you love me.”

The light was dim and almost made him like a silhouette, but I recognized it clearly. No, there was no way I couldn’t recognize my rose. Fortunately, his hands were tied, but his movements were not restrained. In addition, the chains attached to the handcuffs were long enough to walk up to the grate.

“Are you really Ricdorian?”

“Yes. Iana.”

Upon closer inspection, I could clearly see his condition too. Ricdorian wasn’t in a very good condition either. His whole body was tightly bound with chains, and there was blood all over his face.

“…… Are you hurt?”

I hurriedly knelt in front of the grate and sat down.

“Are you hurt anywhere? How hurt are you?”

The red lips under the blindfold drew a shy curve at my worried voice.

“A little bit. Very little.”

“I don’t think it’s a little.”

“It’s really little.”

Ricdorian was blindfolded, but he seemed to pinpoint my location from the sound.

“I’m only hurt enough for Iana to worry about.”

“…… What is it?”

Ricdorian reached out his hand towards the grate. He couldn’t reach out far because of the chain. He asks me to hold his hand.

“It hurts, Iana.”

I sighed and took his hand. His hands were already covered with small wounds. I don’t know whose blood this is, but…… It seemed to show that he had been through a fierce fight, no matter whose blood it was. In fact, it wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to ask Chaser who was behind me.

What he warned me about. Don’t trust the imperial family, did he expect this to happen? I could have asked this, but I didn’t.

It already happened anyway.

“By the way, why did you even get caught?”

Ricdorian’s force was truly overwhelming. It would have been impossible to catch him alive without mobilizing some kind of force…….

Ricdorian smiled bitterly for a moment.

“I had no choice. During the fight with the Black Rose, the Empress appeared, and she pushed a random trick…… .”

When I see him smiling, something flashes through my mind.

“Don’t tell me the Empress took me hostage?”

“…….”

Ricdorian did not answer, but I knew that this meant a yes.

“…… You are my only weakness, the weakness of all roses.”

Ricdorian smiled bashfully.

“My body is not a waste if it’s to protect you.”

I got furious.

“It’s not the time to say your body not a waste. Do you think I would like to see you get hurt?”

“But…… we meet again like this.”

I stopped talking at the sound of his thirsty voice.

The weakness of all roses. Without realizing it, I almost turned my head.

…… Does that mean that Chaser was also caught because I was hostage? I don’t know the man now. But now I have come too far to understand.

“More than that, Iana, won’t you listen to me?”

“…… what?”

Ricdorian sticks out his tongue and lightly wets his lips.

The white skin seen under the blindfold and the dark red blood stains that contrasted with it. And red lips. It shouldn’t be like this, but…… I seemed to forget the situation and a strange imagination was ignited. I took a breath.

No, wait, I think I’m going to be a real trash if I think about it here. I patted my face with handcuffs. Wake up.

“Tell me that you love me. Okay?”

“Ah…….”

“Hmm, if you’re agitating me like this. It’s very different.”

Chaser’s voice interrupted the conversation that seemed to be of only me and Ricdorian.

I then glanced back.

I don’t know why he kept silent until now……. Chaser stared at us as if piercingly. When he met mine, his red eyes fluttered slightly.

He was a contradictory man. While having no hesitation in harming others. But he got hurt by one small glance of mine.

I blinked my eyes slowly.

Ricdorian suddenly showing a spoilt side. I was the one who told him not to endure it any longer.

Then I smiled a little. My lips opened slowly.

“That’s mean. My Ricdorian.”

Chaser flinched.