[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 14

When Angelina fell from the sky, I was surprised and happy, but also sceptical.

The timing, place, and appearance, everything was too perfect.

The only way to clearly find out if Angelina was truly Jueri was to feed her his blood.

If she was an ordinary person, just a drop of his blood would make her writhe in agony.

The only thing that could injure him enough to draw blood was an heirloom dagger, so he used it to cut himself and fed her the blood.

The moment he saw Angelina’s expression, not just pale but discontented, a thrill spread throughout his body.

At that instant, realising she must not be lost, he drank her blood and chanted the magic of the covenant.

'How could I find Jueri, my bride that could never be found again?'

The thought of losing his bride started a frenzy in his heart.

"Ugh."

"Are you alright?"

Stricken by pain in the solar plexus, Edwin exhaled deeply and nodded that he was okay.

Then he turned to check on Angelina...

She wasn't moving.

In a moment of fury, his body reacted before his mind. He mechanically knocked down the approaching Raven and rushed to Angelina.

Whatever had happened, her hand, which seemed like it would never detach, was already off the old tree.

Like a marionette with its strings cut, Angelina lay there, her pale blonde hair cascading over her face.

Over it, the last image of his father, covered in blood and wrapped in a white cloth, overlaid.

And over his father's face, his own face overlaid.

As if mocking him, 'This is your future.'

Suddenly, nausea rose, and he vomited onto the sand.

'I can't let it be like this. Let’s see whether God or I will win to the end.'

Edwin roughly wiped his mouth and his eyes sparkled.

Yet, the hand he extended to check Angelina’s breathing was only gentle.

"Haah."

Relief washed over him as he felt her weak but regular breathing.

He knew it. She wasn't dead.

Because of the blood covenant, if Angelina had died, he would have definitely known beforehand.

Despite knowing this intellectually, his body reacted as if it didn’t know that fact.

Edwin’s fingertips, still trembling, clenched tightly.

A self-mocking smile twisted his lips.

As the trembling subsided, he gently lifted Angelina into his arms.

Her face was still pale, but it looked more peaceful than before.

His protective embrace resembled that of a wild beast guarding its young against predators.

He buried his face in the crown of Angelina’s head and aimlessly stroked her sweaty, sandy blonde hair.

"My lord."

After a while, Beryl approached and called him softly.

Edwin slowly lifted his gaze as Beryl spoke with a stern expression.

"I've dealt with everyone."

"Anyone who escaped?"

"None."

It was a natural outcome, given the layers of security in place.

‘Such a perfect plan it was.’

Edwin looked down at Angelina's face, still devoid of any colour.

'She is the only one who can perplex me like this.'

Especially since she had appeared out of the blue from the sky, always escaping his plans and control.

"Check again to make sure no one has slipped away. It must not be known about my bride."

When Angelina, in pain, had collapsed, her hood had come off.

That's how Raven had recognized her.

"Understood."

Beryl turned and gave orders to the knights waiting around; some quickly disappeared.

Beryl then cautiously spoke to Edwin, who remained motionless.

"Sir, shouldn’t we take the lady back to the mansion quickly?"

However, Edwin did not respond as if he hadn't heard.

"If she has fainted from severe pain, she should be seen by a doctor quickly. The lady is frail."

"...My bride is not weak."

Edwin sighed as if in resignation and finally slowly rose from his seat, still holding Angelina tightly.

*

Henson, the family physician of the ducal house, rushed over, his nerves on edge upon being summoned.

Although employed by the ducal house, he had never actually seen the duke's face.

The duke never fell ill or was injured.

Henson's duties were mostly confined to treating the servants or attending to injured knights.

Now, to be facing the duke known as the 'ferocious dragon' was inevitably nerve-wracking.

Moreover, the lady was ill—the very lady that the formidable duke always carried around.

Henson felt this might well be the last day of his life.

"My lord, I have brought the physician."

As they reached the bedroom, the accompanying butler announced them at the door.

Meanwhile, Henson swallowed dryly and adjusted his dishevelled attire.

"Come in."

The duke’s voice, heard for the first time, was colder than Henson had imagined.

The door opened shortly after, and he followed the butler inside.

Not daring to meet the duke’s gaze, Henson bowed his head, and the butler gently nudged his arm.

Startled, Henson blurted out in desperation.

"Yo-your Grace, I-I am Henson, it’s my first time meeting you."

No reply came from the duke.

Instead, a prickling, searing gaze was felt.

Cold sweat ran down Henson’s back.

"What are you doing?"

Frozen, unable to even pull out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, a sharp voice was heard.

"Pl-please spare me."

Thinking he was about to die, Henson prostrated himself on the floor, begging.

Then, a deep sigh from the duke was heard, and despite it not being winter, a chill filled the room.

"Get up and attend to the lady."

The butler whispered softly, snapping Henson back to reality.

Driven by the will to survive, he shakily got to his feet, although his legs barely supported him.

Just as he was about to step forward, his legs failed to move.

Thinking he was doomed, the butler, somehow noticing, supported him and led him to the bed.

Henson hesitated, swallowing hard several times, and just when he mustered the courage to look up, he froze.