If Behemoth hadn't eaten the dagon parasite at that crucial moment, and it had therefore safely reached the sea and infected marine creatures to escape, the situation would've turned out very differently.
However, the biggest problem of all was that the device designed to detect the dagon parasites couldn't detect its mutated form. If they were to investigate the recovered specimen, they might be able to create new detection equipment, but there was no telling how many people might become infected in the process.
Hyun-Ah could feel the blood in her body suddenly turn cold. With a stern face, she looked at Behemoth, who was enjoying a sunbath with So-Ya the mermaid. Only a portion of its body was outside the water, and the carefree mermaid was draped across its huge form. She couldn't help but think how incredible it truly was every time she saw it.
"Ugh. I'm done for...”
Hyun-Ah approached Seung-Hyun, an ordinary person who had survived despite suffering a near-fatal injury.
She solemnly lowered her head, and none of the Awakened individuals tried to stop her.
She declared, “I apologize. I should’ve investigated more thoroughly. I'm sorry that it caused you so much suffering.”
“Please, raise your head. You couldn't have known the association head was infected. Besides, I don't think this is something the Sacred Group representative needs to apologize for.”
As Seung-Hyun said, if they were only talking about where the fault lay, it was an issue for the Awakened Association to deal with, not the Sacred Group.
“No,” she insisted. “It’s only right for me to apologize. While the Awakened Association has a duty to protect ordinary people from the disasters of the gates, Sacred Group, who is cooperating with the Awakened Association, also bears responsibility.”
“It's fine. Honestly, that parasite was too much of an aberration to ever plan for.”
She appreciated his consolation. “Thank you.”
“The association head hasn't regained consciousness yet, but I bet he'll be furious when he wakes up and hears the full story.”
“Of course he will! He lost his family to a monster, and then he was manipulated by that same monster...”
“Grace.” Hyun-Ah politely requested, “Right now, you're the only one who can confirm infection statuses, so please help us out a little.”
The homunculus girl put on an annoyed expression, but Seung-Hyun gently nudged her back, saying, “Help them. You can do it, right?”
“Haaah. Fine.”
With her stepping forward, confirming infection statuses would be infinitely easier.
“Elysia, are you hurt anywhere?”
Meanwhile, Si-Woo was receiving a barrage of nagging from Elysia.
“Is that important right now?! How can a person with no power be so fearless?!”
"Hahaha... Well, luckily I didn't get badly hurt, so...”
“Don't talk nonsense! You need to fix that reckless behavior of yours before you can cure my instincts!!”
She'd never yelled at a grown man like that, not even back at the church. Even though Elysia knew she was spending time with Si-Woo with romance in mind, unlike her interactions with other men, she felt strangely at ease around him.
Contrary to Yushir's worries and predictions, her mental issues were rapidly dissolving thanks to Si-Woo.
“By the way, Behemoth swallowed that parasite. Is he going to be okay?”
“I think he'll be fine. He's not some lightweight who can get infected by a mere parasite. The important thing right now is how to prepare for future incidents.
“It wasn't detectable with the existing equipment. According to the report I heard on the way here, Park Seung-Hyun was infected before he even came to this island.”
“Yes. We need to collect a sample of the parasite for research.”
“I'm counting on you. And Kouna... Wait. Where’d she go?” Hyun-Ah frowned slightly at her absence in the situation and picked up the radio. It wasn't long before she found her talking to the mermaid So-Ya.
Hyun-Ah sighed as she watched Kouna ask So-Ya with a tense face, “Excuse me... Where did he go?”
“Hmm? Who do you mean?”
“Davey O'Rowane... He was just here.”
“Ah. He was here a little while ago.”
“I knew it... It was strange that an ordinary person survived an injury like that. So, where’d he go?”
“Well... He turned pale, said he had to run away, and disappeared somewhere.”
Kouna’s head tilted at the unexpected answer.
* * *
After cleaning up Rinne’s hideout on the deserted island, the Awakened individuals loaded the injured onto a transport ship and returned to Korea.
Seung-Hyun spent the journey lying half-tied to a portable bed with an IV drip in his arm.
When he let out a silly laugh, Grace irritably smacked him on the head. “Why are you laughing?! You think this situation’s funny?”
She seemed annoyed just by the fact that Seung-Hyun was hurt.
“It is,” he insisted. “It was my first vacation by plane that wasn't to Jeju Island.”
The retreat to Evangeline's lair was different because they took a rift. Rinne’s island was his first time traveling so far from Korea, and the way back was ridiculous.
“You're not hurt anywhere, are you?” he worriedly asked her. “You overdid yourself.”
“Well, my whole body definitely aches. But at least now I know how to handle my power a little better. It's just... I don't know how to explain it. My body just moves on its own. It's not a great feeling.”
“Right. Then don't transform next time.”
“Why?”
“If you don't like it, then it's best not to do it.” Seung-Hyun chuckled and strained to reach for her head. But he couldn't get that far, so just held her hand instead. “Let's order fried chicken and pizza when we get back.”
Her eyes lit up. “Promise? You know I eat a lot.”
“Don't worry. Thanks to the sacred items we sold to the church, your food expenses won't be a concern for a long time.”
With billions in his account, there was no need to worry, yet he nonetheless felt that Grace would still somehow quickly blow through it.
He mumbled to himself, “It won’t all run out... right?”
She couldn't quite hear his mutter. “What did you say?”
“Nothing. Just choose the flavors you want to order beforehand.”
“Sweet and spicy,” she immediately responded.
“Do you want boneless?”
“How can you eat that dry stuff? I want them with bones!”
“Deal.”
They lightly highfived.
That handled, Seung-Hyun looked toward Si-Woo and Elysia.
They'd grown quite close during the incident, and perhaps because they finally felt at ease, they leaned against each other and slept so soundly that they probably wouldn’t even notice if someone carried the two away.
“Those two are amazing,” Seung-Hyun marveled. “They’re acting like they’ve been lovers for decades when it’s only been a couple of days.”
“Lord Neltarid said it's the red thread of fate,” Grace remarked.
“I heard about it, but... seeing it actually work in real life is surprising.”
“Do you have a red thread too, Seung-Hyun?”
“I wouldn't know. I don't have any plans to get married yet, at least. Oh well, I'm bored. Maybe I’ll watch some streams.”
Seung-Hyun habitually went to the streaming site. He clicked his tongue as he saw an announcement posted on Evangeline's channel. “How many days is this brat going to be on break? She's shaking down the trolls with a bang.”
Apparently, there were some punks causing trouble on her stream lately. There would always be people who would rear their heads once things quieted down.
“But the reason for the hiatus is... Hmm?"
* * *
“Dad, why don't you turn yourself in now and see the light?” Evangeline suggested to her father.
“No. Your mom is terrifying when she gets this angry.”
“Haah. Dad, you have no right to criticize the Gourmet Research Society or the Development Society.”
“Yeah. Sorry, Eva. Your dad’s kinda busy right now, okay? It'll only take a minute, I swear.”
“Geez... Fine, I'll help you.”
Heaving a sigh, she searched through his secret stash in one corner of her treasury and handed him the things he needed. She once more asked, “Is running away really going to solve anything?”
“I only have to last until your mom calms down. After that, I'll figure something out.”
There had been times when Davey had taken a furious Perserque somewhere and returned with her in a much better mood.
Evangeline had asked what he'd done to achieve such a miraculous effect, but she'd never gotten an answer. She asked, “Who are you going with?”
“Just me. Rinne only did what I told her to do, so I'll use her as a shield first.”
“Lord Davey, Rinne evaluates the decoy strategy lowly. Rinne states that if Lord Davey betrays Rinne, Rinne will reveal every detail of Lord Davey’s movements.”
Evangeline smirked. “Well, can't really argue with that, Dad.”
Gritting his teeth, Davey told her, “She's been getting more and more fearless lately.”
She didn't back down an inch. “Rinne evaluates Lord Davey's underhanded schemes lowly.”
Davey gave up on the decoy strategy. “Can't be helped. Then should we try escaping to a bubble world?”
“What if Mom bribes Kouna into helping?”
“I already got a little help from Goddess Freyja,” Davey assured her. “There's a place that's perfect for hiding right now.”
“Wow... That’s a dirty move, Dad. More importantly, I thought you could only enter bubble worlds through Willow’s access device.”
“Some of the worlds Goddess Freyja told me about are directly connected.”
Evangeline clicked her tongue in disbelief.
Davey reached toward her with something in his hand, saying, “Here. Just in case, this is a crystal ball I made.”
“A crystal ball for communication?”
“Don't let your mom find out about it,” he solemnly reminded her. “I'll be using it to contact you from time to time.”
She didn't know why such extreme measures would be necessary. “How long are you planning to hide?”
“A few days, maybe? I also want to find something that'll help calm your mom down.”
Davey took a deep breath, then extended his index and middle fingers and drew them through the air.
At the same time, a purple rift appeared.
He pleaded, “Eva, don't betray your dad.”
“That’ll depend on you, Dad.”
They said men were still children no matter how old they got or how important of a person they became. Evangeline couldn't understand why Davey, who had lived far longer than she had, sometimes behaved like such an immature child.
“Dad, bring me a present when you come back.”
“Sure, I'll try to find something for you too.”
At first, she'd hated even the slightest smell of alcohol, and seeing laundry scattered nearby had always made her feel strangely uncomfortable. Yet, at some point, those feelings had begun to fade.
An ancient dragon's rebellious phase was beyond imagination, but her naturally gentle personality from childhood had only shaken and drastically shortened that rebellious streak.
“Have a safe trip.”
After the noisy Davey disappeared beyond the rift with Rinne, Evangeline headed to her room with an indifferent expression. “I won't be streaming for a while either, so what should I do with myself?”
She figured Park Seung-Hyun and Si-Woo, whom she often spent time with, were probably busy dealing with the dagon parasite situation.
In the end, she was left by herself.
Just then, one of her guardians came in carrying a small letter in its mouth.
“What's this?” she asked.
The letter had come from Tionis.
“An invitation to a banquet? Who sent it... The Central Empire? Pallan?”
The letter was from Pallan, inviting her to what appeared to be an international banquet attended by people from several nations.
The official reason was to bring the younger generation together and help them form connections, though, to Evangeline, it sounded more like a gathering where children competed over whose family had more influence.
“Hmm. I didn’t think the Emperor of Pallan liked this sort of thing very much.”
Perhaps the emperor couldn't put a stop to every little thing, despite their strong imperial authority.
Still, it sounded fun to her. In movies, places like that always ended up with hot-blooded young people getting into fights.
“I'll just go to watch, and they'll put on a show for me. I really have been neglecting Tionis lately.”
Evangeline suddenly wondered whether she'd ever actually fulfilled any of her duties as a noble in Tionis. No matter how much they kept it quiet, her dad was still a grand duke of the Rowane Kingdom in Tionis, which made her a grand princess.
Davey had told her she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to, but it was also true that she'd been spending far too much time holed up on Earth as of late.
Since things had turned out in such a way, she figured she could use Tionis as an excuse to extend her hiatus, even taking a vacation while she was at it.
“I've heard the food at banquets in the Pallan Empire is supposed to be incredible.”
* * *
Half a day after Davey ran away with Rinne, Evangeline visited the Heins manor.
“Oh, milady! It's been a long time since you visited.”
“It sure has, Alnis.”
“Your skin looks even more radiant than before,” they complimented.
“Really? I haven't been taking special care of it.”
"Oh my!You shouldn't say that anywhere else, or you'll make everyone jealous.”
The basic passive ability of an ancient dragon was never going to disappear.
She finally asked, “Where's my first mother?”
“She's extremely furious, though still currently handling the manor's affairs. All the staff are on high alert.”
“That makes sense...”
The only reason they weren't searching for Davey immediately was a lack of information.
Evangeline wondered whether the Gourmet Research Society or the Territory Development Department, both of which had suffered greatly at Davey's hands, might betray him by selling him out to save their own skin.
"Hmm. It's totally possible for them to do so.”
Nodding her head, she walked on and soon saw Perserque, Illyna, and Aeria, who were giving off a heavy atmosphere in the office.
“Oh. What are all three of you doing here?”
“Ah. Eva. Come on in.” When Aeria slowly stretched out her hand, Evangeline scurried over and hugged her.
After a light display of affection, she did the same with Illyna. She then tried to approach Perserque, but Illyna quietly held her shoulder to stop her.
Thud!!!
Perserque, who had been concentrating on the documents, slammed the table and buried her head in her hands.
In a voice that sounded more forlorn than angry, she muttered, “Davey... Just wait until I catch you.”
Illyna quietly explained the situation while side-eyeing Perserque. “She's incredibly mad because your dad used the research materials she was preparing for ages, and now she can't make what she was working on.”
“Wow. If dad gets caught, it's not going to end well. Honestly, not even I could protect him this time.”
“Even if it was to help Willow...”
Come to think of it, Davey said he was going to find something for Perserque while running away to a bubble world.
A sudden thought occurred to Evangeline.
‘Did he go to get better ingredients because the reagents she’d planned on weren’t effective enough for the experiment she's trying to conduct?’
Yet, she quickly shook her head.
‘If he’d been that confident in a resolution, he wouldn't have been in such a panic.’
Evangeline belatedly pulled the letter from her pocket that was her actual purpose for coming.
“Looking at the seal, it's from Pallan? What’d they send to you?”
“Ah. It's nothing much. It seems Pallan’s hosting a continental banquet for the younger generation this time.”
“Ugh, that trashy banquet...” one of them lamented.
“You know something about it?”
“I do. You see, your mother is from Pallan,” Illyna reminded her. “Well, where should I begin? It originally started as a way for promising young talents to meet and get to know one another, but over time, it turned into nothing more than a place for people to show off their family status and personal talents. I'd recommend avoiding it if you can.”
Hearing Illyna's sharp assessment, Aeria offered a faint smile. “I received an invitation a long time ago, too. But I wasn't in a position to go then.”
“Usually, only children who haven't reached adulthood attend. Similar events were held a few times before. Well, the banquet where I first met your Dad in Felicity was like that, too.”
“Was it? Still, I think I'll go just once. That way, I'll have a reason for my streaming hiatus,” Evangeline told them.
“When’s the RSVP date?”
“If I send word that I'm going today, the timing should line up perfectly.”
“Alright, then I'll help you. My sweet girl... I'm not fond of high society, but if you're making your social debut, I should put in the effort to pull a few strings.” It was the kind of confidence one would expect from Illyna, who'd once turned Winley into the star of a banquet overnight.
“Sis, why don't we leave Davey’s situation on the burner for a moment and help Evangeline first?”
“...Yeah, let's go with that.” Perserque gritted her teeth. “Davey must think I’ll cool down, but I'll show him that's not going to happen.”
If she remained quiet even after time passed, he’d eventually crawl out on his own. Then? She’d catch that cursed husband of hers and twist his spine.
The quill in her hand snapped as if a breaking spine.
“Oh, right. Evangeline.” Perserque looked at her and smiled faintly. It was a gentle but eerie smile. “The banquet invitation should’ve originally arrived about two weeks earlier.”
“Really? Why?”
“Time is needed for a person to prepare to attend. Which means... the person in charge there...”
“No, Sister. I don't think the person in charge would’ve intentionally provoked Eva.”
“What else, then?”
“It's a common trick,” Illyna told her. “It's probably a covert prank pulled by one of the factions among the young noble ladies and lords attending.”
As time went on and things became quiet, new punks were rearing their heads. Some people had no fear. Still, it was too minor an issue to justify overturning the whole event.
“Let's go and get you fitted for a dress.”
Evangeline was hesitant. “Uh. Hmm. I guess that's okay.”
“Tsk! It’ll practically be your official debut. You have to dress up properly, don't you think?”
Hearing Illyna's words, Perserque and Aeria broke out in a cold sweat and averted their gazes.
They knew all too well what would happen once Illyna got involved. She was surprisingly meticulous about those kinds of things, so Evangeline was in for an interesting time.
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