Chapter 121

Kinaine opened his eyes.

His vision was still submerged in darkness, but fortunately his sense of smell was still usable.

Recognizing he was in an unfamiliar space from the bitter herb smell that touched his nose, Kinaine instinctively tensed his body. But he couldn't put strength into either his arms or legs.

"Oh! Dad, this mister opened his eyes! Chirpy, come quick!"

'A child?'

The clear voice characteristic of a young child pierced his ears. That liveliness instantly broke his tension.

Kinaine groaned as he barely managed to raise his waist.

"Here, you must be thirsty? Drink some water first."

Something suddenly touched his lips. With his left arm immobile, he fumbled with his right hand to feel it. By its shape, he could tell it was a cup.

"Huh? Mister, could it be..."

As he inhaled, he faintly smelled water. At the same time, tremendous thirst washed over him, and Kinaine gulped down the water hastily.

"Cough, hack!"

As he choked, small hands patted his back with slapping sounds.

"Ouch, you shouldn't drink so quickly! Mister, you've been asleep for three days!"

"I've been asleep?"

"Don't you remember? My dad brought you here after you collapsed with a hole in your shoulder."

Only then did Kinaine recall his memories before losing consciousness. The horrific scene on the bridge and the suspicious figure who had attacked him.

If he hadn't seen wrong, the one who attacked him was definitely Biche.

'But why...'

He knew Biche held hostility toward him. However, he had only felt it was the level of emotion directed at a competitor; he hadn't noticed at all that there was enough malice to want to kill him.

The black mage told him that Biche had tried to eliminate him several times. Considering what had been done to Rahu and the gatekeeper, there was no denying the cruelty of his methods.

If Biche had attacked him to eliminate a competitor, the other bride candidates wouldn't be safe either. Moreover, if he became Asad's mate...

Had he been relying too much on his sense that responded sensitively to negative emotions since his body had been switched? His hand holding the cup tightened.

He needed to inform Asad of this fact quickly.

Kinaine held out the cup toward where he thought the child was. Without even realizing his direction was wrong.

"Thank you. Now I must go."

"What? What do you mean..."

"Ugh!"

Crash! Kinaine, trying to move hurriedly, fell right off the bed. Contrary to his will, his body wouldn't move as he wanted.

"Jane, what's happening!"

A strange man's voice was heard. It seemed he had rushed in, worried about the child after hearing the commotion. To the voice full of wariness, the child responded calmly.

"Nothing happened. The mister just tried to move by himself and fell."

"Oh dear. You're not in a condition to move right now. Let me help you up."

Having assessed the situation, the man who had set aside his wariness carefully supported Kinaine and sat him on the bed. Kinaine smelled strong herbal scents from the man.

"You are..."

"Ah, I'm Tiron. I found you in the forest and brought you here for treatment. I'm something of a doctor."

To meet a doctor at the place where he had collapsed unconscious - he could only say he was extremely lucky.

Kinaine bowed his head.

"I'm Nine. Thanks to you, my life was saved. Thank you."

"It's nothing. But don't try to move too much. I gave you painkillers, but it must still hurt."

"Ah."

Only then did Kinaine feel a dull pain from his left shoulder area. No wonder his hand wouldn't move well - it was where he had been pierced by the attack. If it had been just slightly off, his heart would have been pierced.

But otherwise, there didn't seem to be any particular problems.

'Didn't I fall from the bridge?'

The bridge was above the clouds. If he had fallen from such a height, it couldn't possibly have ended with just this level of injury. Had he used black magic unconsciously?

Just then, a light weight settled on his shoulder.

Chirp.

"Oh, you came too."

"So it was your bird?"

Kinaine smiled bitterly. This bird obeyed him because of black magic. Even though it wasn't a fellow human, he felt guilty toward this small creature for using black magic to exploit it.

"It's very clever. It was thanks to Chirpy, ahem, that bird that we were able to save you."

"Chirpy pulled my dad's hair a lot! That's how he said he found the collapsed mister."

"Really?"

Kinaine carefully brought his finger to his shoulder. As his finger waved in the air, the bird seemed to bring its head forward, and soon he felt a soft touch. Kinaine stroked the bird's head as if praising it.

"Chirpy, what a cute name you've gotten."

The bird stayed still as if enjoying being petted.

Suddenly, Kinaine felt a gaze directed at him.

As he turned his head, Tiron asked.

"So you really can't see?"

"Yes, but it's not because I was injured."

"It doesn't seem like you were born that way either. Anyway, why was someone who can't see collapsed there?"

It was a story that would never end if told. In the human realm where spirits remained only as fantasies, telling such a story would only get him treated as a madman.

After pondering briefly, Kinaine groaned while holding his forehead.

"Ah, my head..."

"Oh dear, are you alright?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry. My head hurts and I can't remember."

As Kinaine groaned and suffered, Tiron didn't ask further.

"Don't try to force yourself to remember. It will come back naturally with time. For now, I'll bring some medicine good for headaches. Jane, let him rest and come help me?"

"Yes, Dad!"

After Tiron and Jane left the room and time passed, Kinaine's expression slowly returned to normal.

Only then did it truly sink in. That he had really returned to the human realm.

Just moments ago, thinking he needed to immediately convey the culprit's identity, he had tried to get up without thinking, but now that he had come to his senses, he realized it had been an absurd action.

"Fool, how were you going to send a message to the spirit realm?"

This time Kinaine genuinely grabbed his head and groaned.

In the spirit realm, they could open the door to the human realm. In fact, the door had been open even before Kinaine opened it, so not much effort was needed.

But this time, the door had to be opened from the human realm, and this was impossible. Hadn't Kor said it before? That the door to the spirit realm opens only when Runamoon rises. As he said, the door from the human realm to the spirit realm remained sealed and wouldn't open except on the day when Runamoon appeared.

Now Kinaine knew the detailed circumstances of how it came to be. He had heard the story of how long ago, when humans stole the horned tribe's treasure, the bridge was cut and the door firmly sealed.

'Runamoon returns every 7 years.'

In other words, it meant he could never return to the spirit realm again.

"Then what should I do?"

Lost in thought, Kinaine only came to his senses when the bird chirped right by his ear.

Blinking blankly, Kinaine gave a hollow laugh.

"Haha, that's right. I left everything behind, yet I'm still holding onto attachments. It must be my personality."

Kinaine flopped down on the bed.

He had lived a life where he had to solve everything alone. As a prince, he had to fulfill duties no one else could replace, and as a mercenary, naturally, he had to be responsible for his own life.

That habit must still remain, as even facing death, he felt he had to resolve everything himself.

But it was a useless thought.

"Asad is different from Helio... he won't fall for such vain tricks."

The almighty dragon would have no need for the protection of a mere human. In Asad's long life, his existence itself could be considered unnecessary.

"Perhaps I wanted to deny that fact..."

The faint voice soon faded.

'Still, I can't help but worry. I can only hope Kor received my message and figures it out safely.'

With the gatekeeper murdered, they would certainly try to understand the circumstances. Only he and Biche had been there. If Biche hadn't managed to erase all traces, Kor would surely discover it.

...Though there was also the possibility they might think he was the culprit.

After all, he had used black magic to escape.

He really hadn't wanted to, but it was the only way to leave the dragon palace.

That's how desperate he had been. The desire not to die pathetically in front of Asad.

Come to think of it, in his hurry to leave, he hadn't left even a single letter for Asad. Of course, even if he had had time, he probably wouldn't have written one, but he couldn't help feeling regret.

He thought leaving such a thing would have been of no use anyway. After all, regardless of any circumstances, the fact that he had lied to him wouldn't change.

Asad must surely be feeling betrayed.

From the beginning, he had detested lies. Now that he would have realized he had been deceived, he would never forgive him.

He thought he had grown accustomed to being hated by him, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Recalling those golden eyes filled only with hatred toward him, his chest stung as if cut by a knife.

But even this current pain, these emotions about to burst, would soon disappear.

Only that thought provided comfort to Kinaine now.