Contrary to the expectation that only diamonds would react, all the veins taking root in Mount Mether began to react hotly.
What was even more surprising was that black mana began to flow out of the wizard as if gas was leaking out.
Not only that, but the black mana was being sucked into the jewels emitting light.
Pausing for a moment at the unexpected sight, I began to sing desperately.
The more he did, the more Chiaro's pattern on his chest became hot as if on fire.
"Hey, why is this like this?"
The bewildered wizard tried the magic several times, but the magic did not work because mana was not condensed every time.
In addition, he was helpless against Edwin's attack because he could not build a new defensive barrier.
"Aren't you able to use that stupid magic any more?"
"no! No way!"
The wizard, who was emitting a venomous cry, figured out the situation later and tried to attack me, but couldn't even try.
It was because Edwin, who had been playing with a wizard like a cat with a mouse, had changed at once.
"I warned you. I will kill you if you touch my bride."
"Aww! I should have killed that girl first."
As the wizard couldn't contain his anger and shouted, the cave rumbled.
"I would have told you not to speak of my bride recklessly."
Edwin fixed his sword and ran towards the wizard with a frightening force.
The wizard tried to use the magic somehow, but it didn't work.
His clothes were torn here and there, and wounds on his limbs increased.
In the end, Edwin slashed his chest with the sword he wielded widely.
"Ugh."
He grabbed his chest and sat down.
"Now, where are you going to cut it? eight? Bridge? No, would you mind starting with the tongue that teases your mouth?"
Edwin pointed the tip of his sword at the wizard's chin and let out a cool breath.
"Crawford, I will never forgive you."
The wizard opened his ax eyes and looked at Edwin.
"Who forgives whom?"
Edwin snorted.
"I will rip that woman to shreds in front of your eyes and kill you wretchedly."
"I still haven't come to my senses."
Edwin furrowed his eyebrows as if annoyed, raised his sword and plunged it into the wizard's leg.
"Ahh!"
The wizard's scream echoed through the cave.
Unable to look down, I struggled to raise my gaze.
As Edwin pulled out his sword, blood dripped from the tip of the sharp sword.
"Where do you keep talking?"
As Edwin took a step closer, the wizard desperately crawled on the floor, trying to get away.
Even as she shed tears from physiological pain, there was little poison in her eyes towards Edwin.
Still, the wizard did not stop running away. Edwin continued to drive him like a prey.
When he finally reached the edge of the cliff, Edwin raised an eyebrow sullenly.
"Now there is nowhere to run. What do you do?"
The wizard, who had reached a dead end, glanced at the edge of the cliff.
But something was strange.
Eyes that should have been darkened with despair turned for an instant.
Edwin also felt a strange feeling, so he hurriedly lowered his sword.
But sooner than that, the wizard threw himself. down the cliff.
Edwin rushed to run, but eventually missed the wizard.
'Is this the end?'
I hurriedly moved the louvernack and headed towards Edwin.
As soon as he landed on the floor, he ran to the cliff where the wizard had fallen.
"Damn it."
Edwin shook his head violently, irritably.
You dealt with the wizard, but why?
"Ed?"
"The bastard ran away."
"Yes?"
running away who?
"You mage, he fell down and teleported away."
"Yes?"
Did you fall on purpose? But how did you use magic?
"Ah... ... !"
The moment Edwin cut the wizard's leg, he was so startled that he stopped singing.
Have you been using mana in the meantime?
Although it was surprising that the wizard still had mana left, he felt a rush of self-blame.
"I... ... I think it was because I stopped singing."
"It's not Lina's fault."
Edwin hugged me on the shoulder and comforted me. But his words did not reach my ears.
"It was an opportunity to catch a wizard. I should have been conscious... ... ."
The reason I was able to deal with the wizard today was only possible because this place was Mount Meter, the root of the vein.
My heart was heavy and I couldn't bear the fact that I had missed the chance of genius Il-woo by my mistake.
"Lina, look at me."
Edwin gently lifted my chin and made eye contact.
Beyond the quiet gaze, I could see the emotions that I had not been able to pour out violently.
"It was all thanks to Lina that I was able to injure the wizard, and that I am able to be like this now. So don't blame yourself."
He slowly reached out and touched my face.
The tip of my nose twitched at the gentle touch, though I was careful about whether it would break or get hurt.
"Were you very scared? Sorry for coming late."
Tears fell without me knowing at the friendly voice.
Edwin, who was wiping away my tears, hugged me tightly in his arms.
With the firm arms that embraced me and the familiar warmth, I realized that I was with Edwin.
'I'm alive. Me too, Edwin.'
Tears flowed uncontrollably as the deep relief came like a wave.
"I was scared. I know I will never see you again."
"I was scared too."
There was trembling in the low voice and deep relief in the hot breath.
The beating of my heartbeat in my ear seemed to be speaking to me.
that you searched for me
The last remaining hesitation in that whisper crumbled down.
When he realized that he had been kidnapped by a wizard, he could only think of Edwin.
"I missed you."
As I dug into Edwin's arms, he hugged me so tightly that it took my breath away.
The calmness relieved the tension, and the strength in my legs was gone.
Had it not been for Edwin to hold onto him, he would probably have sat down.
"I'm glad you're safe."
He gently wiped his tear-stained face and let out a sigh.
Complex emotions were intertwined in the eyes examining my complexion.
"Thank you for coming to the rescue."
"Because you are my precious bride."
It made my heart flutter when he said it like it was natural.
"Are there any injuries? The wizard threw something like a bomb earlier."
"I'm fine. You thought I wouldn't be able to avoid that much?"
"I didn't see Ed... ... . I thought I fell off a cliff... ... ."
When I think of that time, my heart still sinks.
I reflexively tightened the arm that was holding Edwin.
"Lina is here, where am I going? you said I will always be by your side."
Edwin rubbed his back as if to comfort me.
I suddenly remembered the first time I met him. That's what I said back then too.
At the time, those words were very suffocating, but now they are very reassuring.
"You have held up well against the wizard. A cowardly rabbit."
Edwin patted my nose and grinned.
"Because I believed Ed would come."
"... ... Well done."
Edwin's eyes widened as he looked at me.
I wanted to turn my head away because the feeling inside was unfamiliar, but I couldn't.
It felt as if his intense gaze was engulfing his whole body.
Edwin stared at me without a word, smiling softly and stroking my hair.
"Our rabbit has grown a lot."
Edwin kissed the cheek as he inflated his cheek as if he was making fun of him.
I was startled, and when I covered my cheek with a hand, Edwin smiled a little and hugged me lightly.
"Let's get out of here for now."
I buried my face in Edwin's shoulder in embarrassment, and suddenly I felt Edwin's body harden.
"... ... ?"
I looked up nervously, wondering if the wizard had appeared again, and Edwin's cool eyes touched my leg.
'... ... Why?'
As he looked down at him, bewildered, he saw bruises and cuts through the torn clothes.
It was probably due to crashes while falling.
The cold, blazing blue eyes moved slowly and began to scan my body thoroughly.
The fingertips that rolled up my sleeves trembled.
There were large and small scars along with a bluish bruise on the arm that was soon exposed.
To be honest, I was embarrassed because I didn't even know that I was hurt, but considering that I almost died, I thought I was lucky enough to be this much.
Unlike me, Edwin couldn't just let it go.
Whoops.
I heard an unusual noise next to me.
"I'm fine. This can be cured quickly with jewelery."
"... ... What did he do?"
"I fell and crashed all over the place. It must have been a wound from that time."
"It was a good thing I didn't kill him on the spot."
As he trembled at Edwin's cruel eyes, he patted his back tenderly.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
As I shook my head slightly, Edwin whispered sweetly in my ear.
"I'll pay you back several times."
Normally I would have told him not to do that, but he didn't want to show mercy to the warlock for some reason.
Not only did he try to kill me, he also broke my precious ring.
When I remembered my engagement ring, I felt sad and upset.
"Ed."
Edwin's expression hardened at the sound of a crying voice that came out unintentionally.
"Are you sick too? I told you not to be patient."
"It's not that, the wizard... ... The engagement ring that Ed gave me... ... ."
As I spoke, my emotions overflowed and tears flowed down my face.
"Did he touch the ring?"
Edwin asked softly, stroking the corners of his eyes.
I nodded my head and told the wizard what the wizard had done, just like a child would tell his parents.
"I powdered the engagement ring. anklets too. Ed gave it to me. It is precious to me."
As my story continued, my blue eyes gradually darkened.
"I begged him to return the ring, but he never returned it. sorry. Because I couldn't keep the ring."
I was so upset and angry that I couldn't bear it and burst into tears.
"it's okay. Lina did nothing wrong."
Edwin leaned me in his arms and stroked my hair.
"You can make any number of rings exactly the same. Or will you fit a new one? Let's match it with something prettier than before."
"Even if we make it again, it won't be the first ring."
The fierce anxieties I struggled to survive and Edwin's promise to protect me. And the times I spent with him were included.
It was the same with the anklet.
to lose it all in an instant. It felt like there was a hole in the side of my chest.
"It's okay if we don't change our minds. Because what we put in our engagement ring is our hearts."
The gentle voice calmly awakened me more than ever.
What kind of heart did I put in the engagement ring?
shackles of subordination.
The decision not to run away from Edwin.
It contained feelings closer to despair than hope, and decisions based on fear and anxiety rather than affection.
'My mind has changed.'
When I think of Edwin, I think of hope rather than despair, and stability rather than fear and anxiety.
What has changed the most is my heart towards him.
What was it like when you were kidnapped by a wizard and thought you would never see Edwin again?
It was so sad that my heart was pounding.
If it were my destiny to die here, I thought that I would like to see Edwin one last time.
When did Edwin take over my heart like this?
It made me laugh even though it wasn't funny.
I lifted my head and looked at Edwin with tears in my eyes.
I felt sorry for the blue eyes that looked under the lightly frowned eyebrows.
The hand that gently wiped away the tears was only tender.
Since when did this person look at me like this?
He has changed too. I wasn't the only one who changed.
When I realized that, my heart was filled with joy.
I reached out and covered Edwin's face.
Important person.
'I've come to like you, me.'
"We are getting a new engagement ring. Prettier than before."
It will contain our changed hearts and our feelings for each other.
So make a new contract.
For you and me, for our future.