Chapter 20: Are you crazy?

“What should I do…?”

“For people like that, maybe it’d be better if they just died…”

The moment that thought appeared, Simon immediately rejected it. He couldn’t be that heartless.

Gritting his teeth, he plunged both hands deep into the damp soil at the edge of the ditch. The cold, sticky mud clung to his fingers as he endured the tearing pain in his muscles.

With all his strength, he pushed with his arms and kicked with his legs, slowly dragging himself out of the pit hidden beneath thick vegetation.

“Is anyone there?!”

He shouted again and again.

“Help!”

Making any sound in this dark forest could attract wandering monsters.

But what choice did he have?

Weak as he was, he could only rely on others.

Simon could only hope someone would hear his cries.

He staggered forward, calling out until his throat grew hoarse.

At that moment, he heard footsteps.

“What happened, Simon?”

A gentle female voice reached his ears. Looking toward the sound, he saw a blonde woman and a blue-haired man approaching.

Saved.

The blonde woman was Yuli Astana, an elven princess and the top student in both theory exams and practical assessments in their class—exceptionally powerful.

Simon hurriedly explained everything that had happened and begged her to save Lyra.

Would Lyra really do something like that?

Yuli felt puzzled. She had once stayed at the Stuart family estate for several months due to cooperation matters with the Principality of Norslan.

That girl who valued her own life so much, would she really risk herself to lure a monster away to save Simon?

Yuli couldn’t help but feel confused. She glanced at Simon carefully.

Could it be… she likes this pretty boy?

But she’d always heard that Lyra bullied him. Could that be some strange kind of “affection”?

Still, Simon’s worry didn’t seem fake.

“I understand. It’s dangerous here. Rod, stay and protect Simon,” Yuli said.

The blue-haired man, Rod, nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

With that, Yuli turned and rushed in the direction Simon had pointed.

The tension in Simon’s chest finally eased a little.

He had done everything he could. That should settle things between them.

If she survived, he would still repay everything he had suffered.

He watched Yuli’s figure grow smaller in the distance, her shadow stretching longer and longer…

For some reason, he noticed her shadow moving on its own, swaying like a strange dance. Then, within the darkness of that shadow, something seemed to condense into a seed.

“Rod… right? Why is Yuli’s shadow moving like that?”

Simon’s first thought was some kind of magic.

Rod followed his gaze, but everything looked normal.

“You’re exhausted. You’re hallucinating.”

‘No… that wasn’t it.’

Simon was sure it wasn’t an illusion.

In the blink of an eye, the black seed shot into his body.

“What-”

Before he could think further, a strange dizziness overwhelmed him.

His thoughts became blurry. What had just happened seemed shrouded in fog. Gradually, he forgot the strange shadow, and the seed that flew into him.

“Feels like something happened…”

Simon scratched his head, looking confused.

Rod assumed it was just pain and fatigue causing hallucinations.

“It’s probably the pain. Let me treat your wounds.”

Blood was still flowing from Simon’s arms and legs, the result of being thrown by the earth dragon.

“Is that so… alright, thanks.”

****

That was what happened before Yuli arrived at the battlefield.

“What kind of look is that? What happened to your hair?”

Seeing Lyra’s hair, white at the roots, gradually fading into red, Yuli asked curiously.

“None of your business!” Lyra snapped.

Same temper as always. Yuli sighed inwardly.

“I remember when I taught you etiquette, you did quite well, didn’t you?”

That brought back nightmares.

Small, precise steps. No loud laughter, only a restrained smile. Eating silently, moving with exact posture, every motion controlled.

A nightmare worse than nightmares.

And the source of it all… was this annoying, big-chested woman in front of her.

“I don’t deal with nobles anymore. You can’t control me out here,” Lyra said arrogantly.

“Even so, you should at least maintain the Stuart family’s image,” Yuli said, then paused. “Though you never really had one.”

“Can you walk?” she added.

“I can,” Lyra replied through gritted teeth.

“Good. Then I’m leaving.”

“Hey! Slow down!”

“So you should try being more honest and cute, Lady Lyra~”

“Don’t use that disgusting tone with me!”

“I recall you didn’t mind when a certain someone said it… Simon, right?”

“You big-chested idiot, stop making things up!”

“Oh? Embarrassed?”

“Not at all!”

Lyra truly hated talking to this woman. It was like speaking to someone from another planet, everything twisted into strange romantic nonsense.

During those months at the Stuart estate, she had suffered enough.

If she could stay away, she absolutely would.

“You used to say you were a man. Changed your mind?” Yuli teased.

“And what’s with your hair? Are you a chameleon now?”

“None of your business! None of it!”

Finally, the chatter stopped.

Lyra let out a breath.

“Can’t you just quietly act like a reliable hero and get me out of here, Princess Yuli?”

“As you wish, Lady Lyra~”

“…You!”