Chapter 44 Return

  "What are you saying? Are you trying to defend his actions?" Yumi snapped, anger still burning in her voice.

  "His strange behavior—his rage, his unresponsiveness—it might not be just a drug, but more specifically, poison," Agnes said as she bent down, wincing from the pain in her sore, naked body. She examined Iryoku where he lay on the ground, his face unnaturally still, eyes open yet lifeless. Pressing her ear to his chest, she listened intently.

  There exists an odorless poison—slow-acting and insidious—that fuels uncontrollable rage in its victim, all while quietly consuming them from within. By the time the symptoms are recognized, it’s often too late.

  Iryoku’s heart was racing—wild and erratic—then, without warning, it stopped.

  Agnes's eyes widened in alarm. "His heart has stopped!" she cried, panic rising sharply in her voice.

  "Eh?" Yumi gasped in shock.

  Agnes stood up abruptly. "He’s dying—we have to do something!" Without hesitation, she brought her hands together in a circular motion, casting a spell. Moisture gathered from the air, swirling into a small vortex of water that shimmered with magic. From it, "Come to me, Aqua!" Agnes commanded.

  A naked female figure formed, sculpted entirely from water. Aqua, the water spirit, swiftly raised her hand toward Iryoku’s lifeless body, and a mist of glowing water rained down upon him.

  "Quickly, Lady Yumi—we need to get his heart beating!" Agnes commanded, rushing to the edge of the chamber and flinging open a cabinet.

  Yumi, uncertain and overwhelmed, suddenly knelt beside Iryoku. She placed her hands on his chest and began performing chest compressions.

  "Am I doing this right?!" PUSH. PUSH. PUSH. "Ah—I’ve never done this before! Princess, help!" she cried out in panic.

  "Just keep him alive!" Agnes shouted back, desperation in her voice. "Do anything! I need time to find something to counteract the poison!"

  Tears welled in Yumi’s eyes as she continued pressing on Iryoku’s chest, her movements frantic and uneven. She looked down at his face—battered and bloodied, marked by cuts and burns, with scars still lingering from the dragon encounter. His nose was broken, his lips torn from the fresh damage she had just inflicted. Guilt crashed over her like a wave as memories flooded her mind.

  She saw his face again, not like this, but how it used to be—alive, full of confidence, that big, bold grin, those piercing eyes shining with defiance. She remembered the moment he stayed behind to fight the dragon, the words he shouted before vanishing into battle:

  "Trust me—I’ll come back to you. After all, I still have to make all of you fall for me!" he’d said, flashing that trademark grin.

  Yumi’s tears fell faster, her heart aching as she lowered her face to his. She kissed him gently, then began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

  Please, please come back. I’m sorry… I’m sorry. Please, wake up, she begged in her mind, continuing her desperate attempt to bring him back to life.

  Then, suddenly—a cough escaped his lips.

  Yumi quickly lifted her head, eyes wide, as Iryoku’s chest began to rise and fall, his body convulsing with harsh coughs as he struggled to breathe. A flicker of hope lit her face.

  Aqua’s magical mist was taking effect—his wounded, bloodied face began to heal rapidly, the cuts and bruises fading before her eyes.

  Bare footsteps echoed behind them, quick and unsteady. Agnes arrived, clutching a small vial tightly in her hand. She dropped to her knees beside them, ignoring the pain wracking her ravaged body, and gently tilted the vial to Iryoku’s lips.

  "Please, Lord Iryoku... take this remedy. It will help you," Agnes urged, her voice trembling with worry.

  The liquid touched his lips but he didn’t swallow—he was unconscious.

  Desperation flared in Yumi’s eyes. "Give me that!" she said sharply, snatching the vial from Agnes’s hand. Without hesitation, she took a mouthful of the potion, then leaned down over Iryoku, pressing her lips to his in a desperate effort to transfer the liquid.

  His body finally responded, the potion slipping down his throat. Moments later, Iryoku’s uncontrollable coughing subsided, and his ragged breathing began to steady.

  Both Agnes and Yumi visibly relaxed, relief washing over their faces.

  "Let’s get him onto the bed."Once they managed to lift Iryoku and lay him gently on the bed, Agnes collapsed to the floor, utterly exhausted.

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  "Are you okay, Princess?" Yumi asked, her voice laced with worry.

  "I'm fine," Agnes replied, lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her breathing was rapid but gradually began to slow. Responding to her thoughts, Aqua moved to her side, the healing mist shifting focus as it began to soothe Agnes’s battered body.

  "Fuuuuh…" Agnes exhaled deeply, her gaze drifting down to her lower body, still marked by the aftermath of what had just occurred—filled with Iryoku’s seed. For a moment, tears threatened to fall as the weight of the experience settled over her.

  Her expression shifted—serious, distant, lost in thought. Then, as if something suddenly clicked in her mind, she placed a hand on her belly, rubbing it gently. A faint, almost creepy smile curved her lips.

  "Princess Agnes?" Yumi’s voice broke through her thoughts.

  "What?" Agnes jolted upright, startled, as if caught doing something she hadn’t intended anyone to see.

  "He’s waking up," Yumi said with a bright, relieved smile.

  Iryoku slowly opened his eyes, blinking as he took in the dimly lit room. His gaze quickly shifted to the two girls at his side. With some effort, he sat up on the bed, his body already showing signs of recovery, though it was clear he had gone too long without proper healing.

  "Lord Iryoku, you were poisoned—are you all right?" Agnes asked, her voice trembling with palpable worry.

  Iryoku didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes found Yumi’s face—on the verge of tears, her expression caught between relief and lingering anger. A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes.

  He lifted his hand and gently ruffled Yumi’s hair.

  "It’s good to see you alright, shorty," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

  Yumi’s tears finally spilled over as her hands flew to her eyes, trying to wipe them away. "uuuuh…!" she sobbed softly.

  Without hesitation, Iryoku pulled her into his arms. Yumi’s face pressed against his chest as he held her close, her body trembling slightly before beginning to calm, soothed by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

  "Where are the others?" Iryoku asked softly, his voice breaking through Yumi’s daze. She looked up at him, only to feel his hand gently brushing her cheek with tender care. Her eyes welled up again, fresh tears threatening to fall.

  "We got separated…" Yumi began, her voice cracking. "A group of knights were chasing us—they were sent by that fat noble... Then we ran into bandits… and monsters… We wanted to search for you, but everything went wrong. We had no choice but to split up and agreed to meet here. That’s why I sneaked in without being seen… to ask for the princess’s help."

  As she spoke, Iryoku wrapped his arms around her again, holding her tight. But his eyes shifted—growing cold as they locked onto Agnes.

  "Are you some kind of exhibitionist?" he asked in a chilling tone. "Or are you expecting a second round?"

  Agnes’s face flushed with visible shame. She quickly turned away, scrambling to find something to wear.

  "Wait—why are you bullying her?" Yumi snapped, pulling slightly back in his embrace. "After what you did, the least you could do is get down on your knees and beg for her forgiveness!"

  Iryoku’s gaze returned to her, and the coldness in his expression melted into warmth. He looked at her with soft eyes, still holding her close. Her ample breast was pressed firmly against him. Yumi, despite her anger, didn’t pull away from his embrace—but her glare remained fierce.

  "After everything you've done," she said sternly, her eyes narrowing, "the very least you can do... is marry her—and take responsibility for your actions!"

  Agnes, now dressed in a simple white gown, had been walking back toward them when Yumi’s words hit her like a thunderbolt. She stumbled, tripping on her own feet, and fell flat on the cold stone floor. Face flushed, she quickly scrambled to her feet, pretending it hadn’t happened, and approached the bed.

  Iryoku, unfazed by Agnes’s clumsy recovery, turned back to Yumi, a mischievous glint in his eye. Ignoring everything else, he spoke clearly, boldly:

  "I can do that… but only if you marry me first. What do you think, my lovely wife-to-be?" Iryoku asked with a confident grin.

  Yumi’s face turned scarlet, her mouth falling open in shock, completely caught off guard by his sudden proposal.

  "Why would I want to marry you after what you did to her?!" she screamed, her voice cracking, sharp and high-pitched with emotion—full of shame, anger, and flustered indignation. Her cheeks burned crimson as she berated him.

  "Someone like you… you’re a pervert! An enemy of women! An asshole! A dummy… you—"Her voice faltered, growing smaller with each word. Despite the rage and humiliation lacing her outburst, she didn’t let go of him—not even for a moment.

  No matter how fiercely she cursed him, Yumi’s arms clung to his body with desperate conviction. Deep down, a trembling fear gripped her heart—the fear that if she let go, he might vanish again, slip away like a fleeting dream she couldn’t bear to lose.

  Iryoku simply smiled at her, his expression soft. But their moment was abruptly interrupted.

  “Lord Iryoku, Lady Yumi… I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to address the Maxwell problem,” Agnes said hesitantly, her voice uncertain but firm.

  Both Yumi and Iryoku turned toward her, noticing for the first time that she stood beside the mutilated, lifeless body of the fat noble. A flicker of irritation crossed Iryoku’s face.

  “Tch,” he clicked his tongue, his voice sharp with annoyance. “Can’t you see I’m having a moment with my woman?” Disdain laced his tone as he looked at Agnes, the contempt in his eyes undeniable.

  Yumi flushed slightly at being called his woman, but quickly tried to ignore it.

  “Wait… that guy’s dead?” she asked, eyes widening, though she still avoided addressing Iryoku’s possessive words.

  Agnes’s face tightened with worry as she glanced at the mangled corpse. “Yes… and we’re in serious trouble,” she murmured, the weight of the situation heavy in her voice.

  Iryoku’s gaze darkened, his expression hardening into something cold and unhinged.

  “Can you stop worrying about that useless pig? I told you before—you should’ve dealt with him quickly so we wouldn’t have to deal with this mess. He dared to lay his hands on my women. He earned his fate,” he growled, his voice low and chilling, laced with a madness that made Yumi’s body stiffen slightly in his embrace.

  She could feel the barely restrained fury radiating from him, and for a moment, it frightened her—not because she feared him, but because she realized just how far he was willing to go for them. His anger wasn’t wild—it was purposeful, chilling, and resolute.

  Agnes’s face remained tense, her brow furrowed with worry as she spoke, her voice taut with urgency.

  “The real problem isn’t him,” she said, shaking her head. “Yes, he was corrupt and held influence, but the true danger lies in the power behind him—the ‘Death Tree.’ … His father... ”