Chapter 193

Chapter 193

I wanted to grab him by the collar and ask him these questions, but I couldn’t say it out loud. Exchetra was after Kaichen. It seemed like she was trying to bring him down instead of bringing him over to her side. As if Kaichen was a greater hindrance than Julius.

‘Unlike me, that person read the entire story. That person must’ve leaked information to Exchetra.’

I was hateful because of this incident. I wanted to curse at that person.

“We can’t lose next time,” I could only say. “Your Highness, I can’t lose Master.”

Julius looked at me stiffly. His eyes looked like he had a lot to tell. But there was something else –  Julius was also worried. He knew that Exchetra was going after Kaichen.

To Kaichen, Julius was an irreplaceable and precious friend. So, he always ran to save Julius even if it was dangerous. It was the same for Julius. Kaichen was no different than a brother he grew up with and was a precious existence that he never wanted to lose.

I thought that he might’ve also wanted to send him back to the willow house. But Julius was weaker than Exchetra. If he didn’t have Kaichen, it would be a huge loss, so he probably was conflicted between greed and conscience.

“That’s why we have to win next time,” I repeated.

Julius and Kaichen’s eyes widened. They must have not expected me to say that. If I could, I would leave everything and run back to the willow house for protection. Even if he were the emperor or queen, I wouldn’t care.

But… Julius was already a precious friend to me. We were with each other for the past two years.

Beyond being the protagonist, the Protector of the Blue Dragon, Julius, he was my friend, Julius Kalhai. That infuriating friend who constantly chatted, annoyed and made jokes with me. His love for his people was genuine, even if he sometimes became upright and stern when upset. In my heart, I hoped that he would become an emperor for the people, not for himself.

To become the leader of the empire that I lived in.

“So, I’m saying that we need to become stronger.”

No matter what, I couldn’t lose to another transmigrator. I couldn’t bear to see my precious Kaichen and this silly protagonist Julius, break!

The corners of my lips raised as I saw the surprised and conflicted expressions on their faces. It was akin to the smirk master usually had.

* * *

After that, I fell asleep as if I had fainted. It wasn’t from the tense situation, but because of the excessive use of mana. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Kaichen, who was reading a book sitting on a chair beside my bed. I saw him curled up, lying on his side once I opened my eyes.

How fortunate I was, to see the face of the man I liked as soon as I woke up.

Kaichen was focused on his book, not knowing that I had woken up. The book’s contents were obvious; It was definitely about magic. The sound of the pages turning were soothing to my ears.

I didn’t have the strength to move my fingers. It felt as if I had just finished a marathon, but fortunately, my facial muscles moved well and I giggled like an idiot. Then, Kaichen’s gaze shifted from his book over to me.

The sun shone brightly through the window. It created an illusion, like a halo, around Kaichen. His face came closer to mine as I blinked a few times.

“How do you feel?”

When he asked affectionately, I smiled as I answered him bluntly.

“I feel like vomiting.”

When I uttered something completely different than what my smiling face implied, Kaichen merely smiled in reply. He slowly helped me up and brought me a glass of water. I reached out to grab the glass, trembling like a new-born fawn, but Kaichen stared at my hand and silently pushed the cup to my lips.

“Drink.”

I was embarrassed, but I was thirsty, and my throat was burning. I silently opened my mouth to drink the water. It was only after Kaichen carefully wiped the water from the tip of my chin that I could breathe properly.

It was similar to when I was suffering before. Kaichen was very skilled at taking care of people. I don’t think I’ve taken care of anyone in my entire life.

“Do you feel like talking to me now?”

I remembered interrupting and ignoring him before falling asleep.

Earlier, I had expressed my wish for Kaichen to leave Julius’ side and return to the willow house. I remembered Kaichen’s frown when I tried to interrupt him. I was overcome with anger at the time.

“Um… Unless you’re angry at me.”

My brows drooped. I wondered if he might’ve blamed me for speaking rashly and being rude to Julius.

“Why?”

His words were short, but I knew what he meant to ask. It’d be nice if he could say everything to the end. I held back a sigh and leaned back onto the head of the bed to make myself more comfortable.

“Because I decided what Master should’ve done,” I replied.

Kaichen chuckled like he did before and sat cross-legged on the chair. It was his usual smug way of looking at me with his arms crossed. But his eyes were warmer like they’d ever been before. It felt even warmer than the sunlight filtering in from the window.