Chapter 32

 

Vivian hoped for salvation but never truly believed someone would come.

 

Given the circumstances around her, it seemed impossible.

 

The flames were too intense, and the smoke obscured everything ahead.

 

Finding someone in this situation was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

 

Even if found, escaping would be another challenge altogether.

 

Yet, in this dire situation, Kylo appeared.

 

Of all the people, the one her logical side of mind least expected to show up had come.

 

"Why... Why are you...?"

 

Shocked and confused, Vivian couldn't finish her sentence. Kylo's actions were beyond her comprehension.

 

Did they share any loyalty or special feelings worth risking one's life?

 

On the contrary, weren't they entangled in complete misfortune?

 

Saving her from poison was fundamentally different from this situation.

 

In the poisoning incident, there was no risk that Kylo had to bear.

 

But now, with the castle engulfed in flames, things were entirely different. Kylo was risking his own life to be here.

 

Just by looking at the burn marks on his shoulder, she could tell how much danger he had faced to find her. Seeing the flesh burnt and peeling away, it was clear those scars would remain with him for life.

 

And all of it was endured to save her life—a fact Vivian couldn't possibly understand.

 

While Vivian sat speechless and flustered, Kylo sighed and withdrew his hand.

 

Then he tore a piece of his own clothing.

 

Perhaps drenched with water, the torn fabric was still damp.

 

Kylo crouched in front of Vivian and brought the cloth to her face.

 

His hand covered her nose and mouth.

 

"Hold this over your face."

 

Startled by his words, Vivian didn't react immediately.

 

But thanks to the cool moisture from the cloth, she could breathe a bit easier.

 

—Crash! Boom!

 

Another pillar collapsed nearby.

 

Vivian flinched and tried to turn her head toward the sound, but Kylo's firm hand prevented her from moving.

 

"No time. Get ready to stand up. How long are you going to make me wait...?"

 

Kylo pressed her with a determined tone but... paused for a moment.

 

His urgency calmed as he faced Vivian's expression.

 

Vivian had been trembling in mortal fear and could hardly believe Kylo's presence.

 

With such an incomprehensible situation piling up, her expression must have been quite a sight.

 

"You're crying again, aren't you?"

 

Kylo asked pointedly, but his tone had softened.

 

Without hesitation, his hand brushed away the traces of her tears.

 

At his words and touch, an indescribable emotion surged within Vivian, causing more tears to flow.

 

The situation was so urgent that she didn't even notice the usual distance between them fading away.

 

"If I save you, will you swear to stop whining for the rest of your life?"

 

Even at this moment, Kylo turned her inside out with his characteristic arrogant tone.

 

However, Vivian vaguely felt that this was his way of comforting her.

 

She was beginning to feel at ease. This space, akin to the doorstep of death, was transforming into a place where a glimmer of hope could be seen, all because of his words and actions.

 

"Will you swear or not?"

 

"You're... even in a situation like this..."

 

Seeing Vivian's exasperation, Kylo flashed a sly grin and spoke again.

 

"If you don't like it, snap out of it. We need to get out of here."

 

"..."

 

He wasn't wrong. Vivian nodded and tried to push herself up from the ground.

 

"Ah!"

 

But her twisted ankle held her back once more.

 

Noticing her expression and movements, Kylo seemed to grasp the problem immediately.

 

"You've got to be kidding me."

 

Realizing the situation had worsened, he frowned and pondered for a moment.

 

But Vivian couldn't take her eyes off Kylo. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his face.

 

All her senses were focused solely on him.

 

After a brief thought, Kylo sighed and said,

 

"Climb on my back."

 

"What?"

 

"Hurry. I can't get us out if I have to support you. The path is blocked, and we don't have time."

 

"W-What do you mean... the path is blocked? Then how are we supposed to escape—"

 

"No time to argue. You would've died if I hadn't come. Trust me."

 

"..."

 

Swallowing hard, Vivian nodded. She now understood that accepting the situation and following Kylo's lead was the right thing to do.

 

"Turn around... I'll get on your back."

 

Kylo shook his head and opened his arms wide, inviting her into his embrace.

 

Vivian stood still, not understanding his intention.

 

Seeing this, Kylo lowered his shoulders, revealing the upper part of his back to her.

 

Vivian's breath caught for a moment.

 

His back was reddened and tattered from burns extending from his shoulders.

 

Without words, Kylo was letting her know that his back was too injured to carry her.

 

Seeing this, she couldn't bring herself to suggest being carried on his back.

 

The only way to cling to Kylo was to be held in his arms. That's why he had opened his arms.

 

But even knowing this, she couldn't easily surrender herself into his embrace.

 

She understood that to survive, she had to let him hold her, but her heart kept hesitating.

 

She had built up a long-standing hostility with him over the past year.

 

Being held in his arms couldn't just be an act for her own survival.

 

Rather, it was akin to breaking down the walls of caution she had built.

 

She felt that her relationship with him was gradually changing, but letting go of all those feelings and surrendering into his arms required a whole new level of resolve.

 

"Hurry."

 

At Kylo's continued urging, Vivian snapped back to reality. She couldn't afford to waste time here.

 

She could instinctively feel that the flames were growing with each passing moment, and they didn't have much time left.

 

"..."

 

So Vivian crawled awkwardly... and slowly moved into his arms.

 

Kylo's left arm wrapped under her thighs, and his right arm supported her back and neck.

 

Vivian also held onto his right shoulder to help him carry her more easily. She wrapped her left arm around his neck, careful not to touch his left shoulder.

 

The two became tightly entwined.

 

Vivian's heart pounded even harder.

 

—Thump... Thump... Thump...

 

How long had it been since she felt another person's warmth?

 

How long had it been since she was held by someone?

 

The embrace she had longed for so much was, paradoxically, happening in the arms of her enemy.

 

And equally paradoxically, Vivian couldn't understand why she felt a sense of comfort.

 

Unknowingly, she held Kylo Allen tightly.

 

Like a drowning person clinging to anything to survive, she too grasped the sense of relief she hadn't felt in a long time.

 

And while embraced in his arms, she realized anew how much he had grown.

 

When they first met, they were similar in height, but now he was much taller than she was. His robust physique, characteristic of someone from the North, now seemed to envelop and protect her.

 

Holding Vivian close, Kylo quickly surveyed their surroundings.

 

Being this close, she felt an illusion as if she could read his thoughts and feelings.

 

Kylo, seeking a way to escape the fire, started running through the castle.

 

After running like that for a while, Kylo's breathing became labored.

 

In the castle's heat, sweat poured from Kylo's body like rain.

 

At first, she thought his body was damp because he had soaked himself with water before entering, but now she realized he was sweating heavily.

 

Being born in a cold region, Kylo didn't seem to tolerate heat well.

 

But no matter how much he sweated and became slippery, Vivian only clung to him more tightly.

 

Then, Kylo stopped in front of a window.

 

It didn't seem like he stopped because he was exhausted. It looked like he had made a decision.

 

Kylo's left arm gripped her legs more firmly, and his right arm pulled her closer.

 

As a result, Vivian's face pressed more closely against him, and she could almost feel his heartbeat.

 

"Kylo Allen... Surely you're not..." Vivian whispered as if anticipating his next move.

 

"..."

 

But Kylo didn't answer.

 

Instead, he gazed at the window with the same eyes he had when he executed criminals.

 

For a moment, Kylo stepped closer to the window and looked down, his expression growing more resolute.

 

It was at least three stories high. It was uncertain whether they could survive the fall.

 

Letting out a short sigh, Kylo held Vivian even more firmly.

 

At that moment, Vivian felt a strong belief that he would never let her go.

 

"Just this once. Close your eyes tight."

 

Unable to even protest, Vivian entrusted everything to his judgment and closed her eyes.

 

Kylo stepped back from the window for a moment, then suddenly, as if unleashing all his strength, he sprinted toward the window.

 

He ran, stepping over the crackling, burning floor, pushing through the heat that stung his face.

 

Finally, at full speed, he reached the window, stepped onto the sill, and leaped powerfully.

 

Vivian felt dizzy for a moment at the sensation of leaping into the air.

 

The sound of air rushing past their faces deafened their ears, and a cool breeze so cold it was almost chilling enveloped them.

 

Vivian felt as if she were floating in the sky for a lifetime.

 

Each time she became aware that they were falling, she clung to Kylo even tighter.

 

Kylo, as if responding, held her even closer.

 

At the moment of landing, Kylo hugged Vivian tightly and rolled forward.

 

Even so, Vivian felt breathless, struck by a powerful impact.

 

Kylo didn't let go of her until the end, holding her securely and protecting her.

 

After rolling, Kylo and Vivian collapsed onto the ground. Kylo continued to let out shallow groans as he caught his breath, and Vivian tried to calm her pounding heart.

 

Even knowing she was alive, Vivian remained still in his arms.

 

She couldn't believe they had escaped safely from the flames.

 

Soon, as Kylo regained his breath, he slightly lifted his upper body, checked on Vivian's condition, and said,

 

"...I think my leg is broken..."

 

Vivian silently looked at Kylo's leg.

 

His left leg was bent in an unnatural direction.

 

At the horrific sight, she quickly turned her head away.

 

Knowing that he had gotten hurt while saving her only deepened her guilt.

 

A deep silence settled between them. They lay there as if they would remain in that spot forever.

 

However, as the reality of survival set in, a question arose in Vivian's mind.

 

It was something she hadn't had time to ask amidst the flames.

 

"...Kylo Allen."

 

"..."

 

"Why... did you save me?"

 

****

 

"Why... did you save me?"

 

As soon as she asked that question, I couldn't help but sigh.

 

I didn't know what answer to give or how to begin explaining.

 

Whether she wanted a clear answer or a plausible excuse... I felt she wouldn't accept it.

 

I didn't even fully understand why I was acting this way myself; how could I explain the reason to Vivian?

 

She might as well believe I had some ulterior motive.

 

Because my feelings were so complicated, I found it bothersome to reveal anything.

 

Whether she believed me or not, whether she understood or not, I was starting not to care.

 

However, when Vivian looked at me with that persistent gaze, I realized that hiding something would be even harder.

 

With my body creaking all over now that everything was over, I struggled to sit up.

 

Vivian, who had been lying on top of me, slid off and sat up as well.

 

"Ugh..."

 

A groan escaped involuntarily. The burns on my back and shoulders stung, and my leg throbbed with terrible pain.

 

I knew I needed urgent treatment, but it would take time for the vassals to realize our situation and find us.

 

So it was better to resolve any questions while it was just the two of us.

 

"What is so confusing?"

 

I asked her.

 

Vivian's eyes trembled slightly. Her expression showed she couldn't grasp the meaning of my question at all.

 

I sighed and rephrased my question.

 

"Is the reason that important?"

 

She bit her lip silently, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke as if squeezing out the words.

 

"Is there... some ulterior motive... Not even vassals... Why would you risk your life to save me... What on earth..."

 

Her voice was full of confusion. Her eyes were filled with anxiety and doubt.

 

She seemed to have firmly decided that I was her enemy, wanting an understandable answer.

 

"It's important...! Because I still don't know what you're scheming...! It's frustrating, my heart...!"

 

"Scheme? What kind of scheme could I be plotting in this land where I have no allies?"

 

"You said it yourself!"

 

Vivian shouted.

 

"That you wanted to see me suffer more. Is that why you saved me? Risking your life... Did you want to torment me that much...?"

 

At her question, I froze for a moment.

 

If I had come this far for such a reason, it would have been easier.

 

I was as frustrated as she was, not knowing why I was acting like this.

 

"...Do I look that much like a demon?" I asked her unconsciously.

 

Vivian quietly shook her head. Clutching the fabric near her chest tightly, she spoke softly.

 

"No. That's why I'm even more confused... You, the one I should hate the most... you keep..."

 

She couldn't finish her sentence and covered her face with her hands, remaining frozen for a while.

 

I was equally frustrated by this conversation.

 

I didn't know what to say to her, and she seemed to feel the same way.

 

"...If you had stayed put, you could have been safe. There was no reason for you to get hurt like this. You must have had a reason to act."

 

Desperate to resolve her frustration, Vivian earnestly whispered to me.

 

I scoffed at her words.

 

"Safe? What safety? It's not like I'm in my homeland."

 

"..."

 

"You keep forgetting, but I'm in as precarious a situation as you are. How do I know someone won't show up and stab me in the gut? Staying still changes nothing for me."

 

Vivian still looked at me as if she couldn't understand.

 

Maybe she was still hoping for a convincing reason.

 

I sighed and answered honestly.

 

"I don't know the reason either."

 

As expected, Vivian didn't seem able to accept such an answer. I would have reacted the same way. She began to argue, her tone growing increasingly agitated.

 

"What kind of answer is that! How can you say you don't know the reason!"

 

"Then what do you want me to do! Why does there have to be a reason when my body just moves!" I shouted back, my emotions flaring up.

 

"...What?"

 

Vivian's reddened eyes were fixed on me.

 

I looked straight at her, taking a slow breath before speaking.

 

"I don't know either. Maybe I feel some sense of responsibility, some kind of guilt about you being left alone. Or perhaps your mother's or your brother's requests are echoing in my mind."

 

...Or maybe it's the witch's curse.

 

"..."

 

Vivian still seemed to want an answer, so I threw out something she might accept.

 

"Or maybe it's because you're incompetent, and I want to keep you in that position. If someone else seizes real power, my life could get more complicated... So perhaps I just want you to remain the head of Rondor."

 

Vivian averted her gaze slightly as if she were hurt.

 

Seeing her like that made me feel so sorry for her that I couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

 

"Whatever it is, just..."

 

"..."

 

"I just..."

 

She focused intently on me. Chewing on the words that wouldn't come out, I finally whispered.

 

"I just don't want to see you die."

 

Vivian froze. I, too, fell silent afterward.

 

Her eyes searched mine as if trying to find the truth.

 

She looked as if she had heard the most unbelievable thing.

 

Perhaps, in a situation where everyone wanted her dead, my words sounded especially out of place.

 

Her eyes were filled with incredulous shock.

 

"Then, all this time, you..."

 

As if asking the most sensitive and unbelievable question, Vivian carefully and quietly asked,

 

"Whatever the reason... you've just been protecting me?"

 

Her words came to me like a wall crumbling down.

 

I realized I could no longer offer any excuses or further explanations.

 

There was no reason to hide my incomprehensible true feelings anymore, and perhaps being honest was what I needed at this moment.

 

Letting out a weary sigh, I looked into Vivian's trembling eyes.

 

At this moment, I finally laid bare my true feelings.

 

"You idiot. You're only realizing that now?"

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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