The monsters, which had been baring their teeth and growling moments before, began to retreat, their once fierce eyes now looking away from Edwin. Instead, they fixated on the tent where Angelina was.
“Damn it,” Edwin cursed under his breath.
He had thought hiding Angelina from human eyes would be enough. He hadn’t anticipated this kind of development.
“Beryl, didn’t you mention something strange about the monsters when Angelina came to the tower?”
“Yes, the guards reported that at some point, the monsters suddenly withdrew and disappeared,” Beryl confirmed.
Until now, Edwin had assumed it was because of his own overwhelming energy. In the world of beasts, the law of the jungle dictated that weaker creatures cower before a powerful dragon.
“But I was wrong.”
If anyone figured this out, it would bring trouble.
The realisation clenched his fist. He had a bad feeling that more people would come after Angelina now.
“What kind of special bride did they give me? Not only does she have Jueri’s protective tree, but even monsters react to her.”
He chuckled bitterly, but it didn’t matter.
Whatever Angelina’s abilities were, the only thing that mattered was that she was Edwin Crawford’s bride.
“Anyone who touches her won’t live.”
His blue eyes darkened briefly before returning to normal.
One by one, the monsters retreated, vanishing completely.
The beach, once filled with chaos, was now desolate, save for the sound of waves crashing and the cries and moans of the survivors.
The fireworks had long since ended, and the night sky was silent.
Deciding the situation was under control, Edwin rushed into the tent.
He found Angelina sitting weakly on the ground, looking exhausted, while Benjamin lay comfortably nearby.
Regret filled Edwin—he should have let the boy die.
“Edwin,” Angelina called softly, smiling as she reached out her arms to him.
The irritation bubbling inside him melted away at her gesture.
Quickly, Edwin crossed the tent and scooped her into his arms.
“I saved Benjamin. Isn’t that good?” she asked, her voice laced with pride.
Edwin didn’t respond.
Noticing his silence, Angelina pouted slightly and spoke again.
“I didn’t collapse this time. I did well, right?”
“Yeah, you did well.”
When he praised her, she smiled brightly and leaned against him.
The warmth of her body pressed against his brought him a sense of calm he hadn’t felt before.
He unconsciously tightened his grip around her.
*While Angelina fought to save Benjamin elsewhere, someone was focusing intensely on controlling the monsters.
In front of a large, red magic circle, a man with dark eyes opened them sharply.
“Damn it!”
The monsters that had been under his control had suddenly stopped following his orders and returned to their lairs.
This was the second time it had happened.
“This can’t keep happening,” the man muttered anxiously, biting his nails.
He had only reached half of his goal, and issues were already cropping up.
“Is it because of the Duke of Crawford?”
The first time the monsters had behaved strangely was at Crawford’s estate, making him the most likely suspect.
The man recalled something the emperor had once said:
[The duke doesn’t have much time left. His madness is likely to escalate soon.]
“Is it because of his madness? Is his energy too overwhelming?”
But that theory seemed unlikely.
When the previous duke’s madness had reached its peak, the monsters hadn’t disobeyed orders.
If anything, it was thanks to that madness that they were able to kill the previous duke.
And this time, they were in Keitan, far from Crawford’s influence.
“I put so much effort into this plan.”
Pacing in frustration, the man suddenly stopped.
“Perhaps I need to go see the emperor.”
Before heading to Keitan to investigate, he needed to gather more information. Perhaps there were other developments with the Duke of Crawford.
“And I’ll check on the progress of that task I left in the emperor’s hands.”
With a snap of his fingers, the man’s black robe transformed into a neat suit. He slicked back his jet-black hair and walked in the opposite direction of the magic circle.
Moments later, the magic circle glowed, and his figure vanished.
After a brief nap, Edwin sat in a chair, staring at the bed for a long time, even after dawn had broken.
Rustle.
As soon as he sensed the long-awaited movement, his cold face brightened instantly.
However, his voice remained gruff.
“If you’re awake, why don’t you get up?”
At his words, the person lying in bed shot up immediately.
Benjamin, who had been looking around cautiously, spotted Edwin and his golden eyes widened.
“You seem fine,” Edwin commented dryly, glancing at Benjamin’s condition.
“Where… where am I?”
“Winston Hotel. Now that you’re awake, I’d appreciate it if you left my room.”
Still blinking in confusion, Benjamin finally realised where he was and quickly jumped off the bed in shock.
“I-I apologise.”
“I’ve already informed the Earl’s residence, so they’ll come to get you soon,” Edwin said indifferently, standing up.
Last night, when Angelina had said she wanted to stay by Benjamin’s side until he woke up, Edwin had been filled with such anger that he had almost killed the boy right then and there.