The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 134

Both of them were slow to recover. Islay hadn’t even sustained any major injuries in the first place.

The reason such a strong man had coughed up blood and collapsed must have had something to do with what the princess had done.

In any case, Islay was said to be in good condition and would regain consciousness soon. However, even the doctor couldn’t be sure about the princess.

Setting aside his pessimism, Mikel slumped down onto a bench in the front yard and began writing a letter. The recipient was Alexio, who was still in Pantege.

Alexio was in the middle of signing a non-aggression pact with the First Prince of Pantege. Though he had a higher rank in the line of succession than Hendrick Regan, he had been stripped of his rights and long ostracized from the imperial family due to a clash of ideals with the emperor. The primary point of contention had been colonial policy.

Thus, by establishing this treaty with the prince, Alexio was taking the lead in returning territories that Pantege had seized from various nations over the centuries.

He brought together influential figures from the original nations to facilitate the negotiations, and in doing so, he made sure to secure tangible benefits for Largo. The trust and respect he had earned from multiple countries were also of immeasurable value.

Because of the heavy responsibility Alexio bore, Mikel decided to withhold news of the princess’s unconscious state. He instead wrote that she had been safely rescued and was currently recovering. After all, Islay had given strict orders before departing to prioritize reinforcing Largo’s foundation above all else.

Her devoted brother seemed to be working nonstop to join them here, but still—

‘No word from Calis either…’

“Mikel!”

As Mikel ran a hand through his hair with a heavy heart, he raised his head at the sound of someone calling him. From across the deep green field, Dora came running, arms full of white flowers.

“What do you think?”

Panting, Dora offered up a bouquet of wildflowers. A fresh fragrance wafted up immediately, but Mikel didn’t hide his troubled expression.

“I didn’t ask you here so we could chat idly.”

“What kind of comment is that? I know. These flowers aren’t for you. Though I can understand why you might think so, given how many gifts you’ve gotten from me.”

“…So what do you want?”

“I was going to put these in the vase in Her Highness’s room, but your subordinate scared me off, saying they could be poisonous.”

“…So?”

“Smell them. See if they’re toxic.”

Mikel blinked and brought his nose over obediently. Sniffing like a wild hound for a moment, he shook his head.

“They’re not poisonous.”

“Great!”

Dora promptly dashed back into the inn. Mikel stared blankly at her retreating figure, having been treated like a mere sniffer dog.

She, who seemed to care nothing for him, was one of the people firmly convinced that Islay and Stella would awaken on the same day.

“Good grief.”

…Should I prepare a bouquet for my lord’s room as well? He seriously considered it as he gazed out over the wildflower-covered field.

And the next morning, before Mikel could finish his deliberation, Islay opened his eyes first.

***

In a bedroom lit by pale early dawn, Islay was alone.

Perhaps Mikel had been standing guard outside the door all night—he burst in the moment he sensed movement.

“Captain! Are you all right?!”

Islay remained lying still, exhaling a deep breath. For someone who had never once dawdled upon waking, it was highly unusual.

It felt strange, as if the sensations throughout his body weren’t his own. Not because he was uncomfortable or in pain.

The destructive impulses that had tormented him so cruelly of late no longer surged up. The murderous instinct that made him want to tear apart anyone who approached was gone. He no longer even thought of the sedatives he used to desperately crave.

If he had previously been submerged in boiling lava, now it felt like he had crossed a stream of cool water and come to rest in a serene lake.

His body, which had been at war between reason and instinct every day, had finally found peace. A peace he had never once desired in his life—and one that didn’t suit him.

There was no way he didn’t know what this meant.

“…How long was I asleep?”

“Today makes eight days.”

Islay abruptly sat up and strode past Mikel. His steps were far too brisk for someone who had been unconscious for over a week.

A subordinate, realizing where he was headed, followed and said, “Your recovery seems slower than before. Captain, perhaps…”

It referred to the bruising on Islay’s shoulder caused by falling debris while he had been running with Stella in his arms. A wound that once would have healed immediately now took days to fully close.

Even so, had it struck an ordinary person, it would have been fatal on the spot. Even if the curse turning him into a tenacious monster had been lifted, Islay was still an evolved Calisian. There was no way such a petty injury could hold him back.

…Ah, right. So that was the question—had the curse truly been broken?

Islay, who hadn’t even considered such things, let out a hollow scoff. If this was the result bought by Stella’s sacrifice, then what meaning could it possibly hold? Only her safety mattered to him.

“Step aside.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Islay found the room where Stella rested and gave a sharp order outside the door. His already red eyes were bloodshot.

Not just Mikel, but even the subordinates guarding the entrance stepped back in silence. No one could defy him.

Islay grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open. A faint scent of flowers drifted in the moment the gap appeared.

In the warm room, Stella lay under a snow-white blanket. Bathed in morning light that was brighter than before, her sleeping face appeared pale and clear.

Islay felt his heart pound as he approached her. Through the slightly open window, a faint breeze stirred a few strands of her golden hair.

“Estella.”

The voice he longed to hear did not answer. With her eyes gently closed, she simply breathed weakly in and out.

Up close, her face was far too pale. After losing so much blood and lying unconscious for so long, it was to be expected, yet the usual blush on her cheeks had vanished. His heart dropped.

With trembling fingertips, Islay cautiously stroked her face. He traced her slender jawline, moved up to her plump lips, then rested on the tip of her nose where a faint breath escaped.

Only after confirming her warmth with his own hand could he accept that Stella was still alive. But that didn’t ease his heart.

“…Estella.”

The repeated calling of her name was soaked with desperation. The name that had once felt strange and ticklish on his lips was now as precious as his own life.

Islay slowly laced his fingers with hers, feeling the faint warmth in her small hand. His gaze, drawn downward, fell upon her bandaged wrist.

Beneath those thick wrappings would lie a long wound, no different from self-inflicted harm. A cut on the body of the woman he had treasured like fine porcelain—it was as if his own heart had been slashed.

“Why did you make that choice?”

At last, a voice filled with anguish slipped from between his lips.

“I told you that nothing in this world matters more than you. That you should never endure the pain of slicing your own flesh for the sake of a man like me.”

He had pleaded so earnestly—so why? What if something had gone wrong with her? Why had she done it?

“You said you wanted to live out your days by my side as an ordinary woman.”

If you made that wish before the sacred relic, spilling your blood from such a small body, then you should return to me now.

The unspoken thoughts poured out over her forehead in a desolate breath. Islay endlessly caressed her pale face, as if believing that only then would she regain her vitality and look at him again with her lovely eyes.

He resented God. Yes, if God truly existed, shouldn’t He give the pain to someone wicked like him instead of such an innocent woman? He should have been the one to shoulder the tragic fate of sacrifice in her place.

“Open your eyes now, Estella.”

Emotions surged uncontrollably, and his heart pounded as if it would burst. The grief and fury welling up inside him were so overwhelming, it didn’t feel like the curse had been lifted at all. Whatever the reason, gazing at the face of the sleeping woman always brought it back. That abnormal heartbeat he had always tried to suppress with medicine.

Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that her sacrifice had been in vain. A futile sacrifice—please, let it not be so…

At that moment, a fresh breeze flowed in through the open window. Birds chirped from leafy green trees. The golden morning light softly caressed Stella’s face.

It was a scene so peaceful, it felt unreal. If only she would open her eyes, it would be perfect…

Just as he thought so—