In her dream, Lillian was walking through a field covered in white snow.
She was limping with difficulty, and her breath was labored from fatigue.
For some reason, her right leg wasn't moving well.
It was as if she had suffered a severe injury that had completely withered away...
'Why?'
But the question quickly faded within the dream; She accepted this body condition very naturally.
Just as she accepted the sadness that choked her breath, and the guilt that squeezed her heart.
‘Ah!’
In the end, she fell onto the snowy field after being unable to escape any further.
Just then, a voice called out from behind her.
'Lillian!'
'Don't come close!'
Lillian shouted at the man who followed her with his gaze.
The leg was nailed to its place as if it were a stake stuck in the ground. He couldn't move.
Or rather, it was her shocked expression that held him back.
But Lillian screamed, crying: 'I hate you! 'I hate you so much!'
Tears flowed; Although it was a dream, the wind was so cold that the tears almost froze on her cheeks as soon as they came down.
However, she couldn't hold back her feelings.
'You're the one who made everyone hate me, I hate you so much...'
Her heart was almost bursting with hatred, and she bitterly begged him to abandon her.
But nothing she hoped for came true.
'What happened next?'
I don't remember anymore.
It's snowing again; Let the painful and cruel things sink under its pure whiteness in silence.
It is as if ignoring the wound can deceive a person and convince him that the pain is gone.
* * *
The second day since the fall of Lillian Tillard —
Evren narrowed his eyes as he stared sharply at the tent curtain.
The groan of pain from the fever could still be heard from within.
All the capable women were holding Lillian's hand and diligently massaging her arms, and yet her waking fever did not subside even a little.
on the contrary.
“We sincerely apologize, Your Highness...”
“We can no longer absorb any more controlling power.”
Everyone who left Lillian's care seemed to be in the best of health and energy; They absorbed tremendous energy from it.
The women who returned from inside whispered in a low voice: “Didn’t they say she was incapable?”
“I heard that too.”
“But I feel better now than when I received the help of a Class A Dominant!”
“Wow, I feel like a hole has opened up in my head from the intensity of the cold, it's really cold and refreshing.”
“Me too… Wait a minute, if this continues, she’ll die.”
It had been a long time since they had felt such sharp mental clarity.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, they couldn't help but wonder.
'Which category will emerge from it after the awakening fever ends?'
‘Since her energy matches all of us, it must be amazing…?’
'At least it will be Class B? No, but A for sure?'
An atmosphere of anticipation began to prevail inside the camp.
Dominants are fewer in number than those with abilities, and the higher their class, the more valuable they are.
Even cash-strapped families throw wild banquets if their child wakes up as a high-ranking dominatrix.
So it was natural to feel excited upon the awakening of an amazing class, even if he was from the hostile Taillard family!
But Evren began to feel dissatisfied.
What's wrong? Why doesn't it get better?
“We cannot move with a patient in this condition with us. Is there no solution?”
“Mmm... Your Highness. Actually, I have a medical opinion but...”
The doctor cleared his throat in embarrassment and continued: “It is said that cases of delayed awakening fever occur due to contact with someone with power.”
“Lillian Taillard must have met a lot of people with abilities by now?”
And on top of them is that damned preacher.
“In order for a person to act as a stimulant of awakening, he must be...usually, possessed of an ability of a very high category.”
“…….”
“Just holding a hand shouldn't be stimulating, but...”
The doctor looked at Evren warily.
The shadows tried to raise their heads silently but they held on with difficulty; Their heads remained lowered while their eyes moved curiously.
A very high-class ability person in this place?
Isn't he their master, the only S-Class holder here?
But if holding a hand wasn't the trigger, what was...?
The doctor quickly cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, and continued speaking very quickly: “Why exactly did the miss respond now? It is not clear. However! The person who was stimulating her alertness must remain by her side constantly. Only like that! Her ability will stabilize quickly and her temperature will drop immediately.”
“…….”
“It would be faster than anyone else. He should at least keep holding her hands constantly. In fact, I think it would be good if he did the ‘tag’—”
“…….”
“...I apologize. The last sentence was a slip of the tongue.”
The doctor quickly lowered his head.
Marking is the creation of an eternal bond between a powerful person and a dominant.
Then the controller can only use his power to one person, and in return, the person with the power must do everything for that controller.
It is a promise stronger than the human marriage system and more lasting than love.
“Doctor”
“Yes, Your Highness”
“So you had the strength to say such a terrible and useless thing?”
“...I apologize”
The doctor sank into silence, while Evren went inside.
The patient's temporary room smelled of a sweet, clear fragrance.
'Were the others really okay?'
Those who emerged from Lillian's care did not seem strange.
Evren silently massaged his shoulder; He felt stiffness in the muscles of his entire body.
In the center of the room, Lillian seemed to be sinking into her bed.
Although many people took care of her over the past two days, the heat did not leave her.
Squeak…
Evren sat down lightly, closest to Lillian's head.
Is the widening echo of the sounds around him caused by his keen sense of hearing?
Ways, ways —
Evren gently touched Lillian's palm, while her eyes were closed from the severity of the fever.
Her palm was soft; This is normal for a body that does not carry a sword.
He ran his index finger, tracing the delicate lines of her palm, and rubbed the round fold of skin beneath her thumb, then ran his fingertips across the inside of her wrist as if it were a feather.
Her wrist was very thin compared to his.
He continued to try to touch for a while, but this child-like contact showed no signs of hypothermia; The act that constitutes real contact begins with holding the hand correctly.
However, Efrain did not immediately hold her hand, but rather kept staring at her intently.
'The hypocritical Teilhards who move around like butterflies...'
Even the governor ridiculed the Tillard family as a mass of pretentiousness.
But he thought they were at least honest with each other.
Rameau Taillard, of good repute; It was surprising to see him mock Lillian as she flopped on the ground.
Evren did not hesitate any longer and grabbed Lilian's right hand.
He heard the muffled noise of his followers a little while ago; They said it had refreshing control power as an A-class.
But he, as soon as he held her hand, felt suffocated.
A chillingly sweet heat glow ran through it, like a snake crawling along its spine.
Why does he feel this overwhelming heaviness instead of recovery?
Moreover, it was not just the hand that was holding hers that was trembling; Rather, his breath was so hot that he felt as if his heart was burning.
Between her slender fingers, and as soon as he inserted his fingers and intertwined them with hers, a ringing sounded in his ears.
This cannot be merely an exercise of control.
This thing is…
“…His Highness the Prince”
The hand clasped with his trembled.
Evren wiped his feverish eyes with the back of his hand.
Lillian opened her eyes after a long absence of consciousness, and although she was in a state of daze and had not yet fully regained consciousness...
Evren tried to calm his ragged breathing.
But when his eyes met her green eyes, which were partially covered by her eyelashes, Evren almost subconsciously jumped from his place.
'What is this?'
His heart was beating insanely fast, and he felt suffocated as if someone had put an invisible collar around his neck.
“Huh?”
He scratched the back of his neck; He didn't touch anything.
But he realized instinctively; He realized this without anyone telling him.
“Huh”
Has he been tagged?
By Lillian Taillard?