Chapter 22: The Broken Covenant and the Princess’s Embrace【Arc 2: The Orc Princess versus the Ice Princess】

Gabriel’s furious shout still burned bitterly in my ears.

The sound echoed like a physical blow as we tore through the crowded market streets of the capital. The world around us blurred into a chaotic mess of fleeing merchants and violently overturned market stalls. Ripe apples rolled uselessly under our heavy traveling boots, instantly squashed into the cobblestones as we desperately pushed forward.

The angry yells of the city guards rang out from every narrow alleyway we passed. Their heavy metal armor clanked in a frantic, terrifying rhythm that signaled our impending doom if we dared to slow down.

Diana gripped my wrist with an iron-clad tightness.

Even through the rising panic of our escape, her slender fingers felt surprisingly warm and absolutely sure of their path. I kept running anyway, driven entirely by pure adrenaline and the instinct to survive.

Yet, my chest ached infinitely worse than my burning legs.

It was not just the physical exhaustion of the desperate sprint causing the pain. It was the crushing, suffocating weight of a twelve-year bond snapping into irreparable pieces right in front of my eyes.

Twelve years with those guys.

Gone in one stupid, fragile second.

Gabriel had always been the one to punch my shoulder with a loud, booming laugh after every single mess we stumbled into. Togashi had always just nodded once, his silent but absolute promise that he would fix whatever disaster my wretched existence had wrought. We had shared cramped, freezing tents that smelled permanently like old dried blood and wet sheep’s wool.

We used to sit around crackling campfires late into the night. We would laugh until our ribs hurt about my unfortunate face causing endless, catastrophic disasters wherever we traveled.

Now, they had finally left me behind.

My foot caught hard on the jagged edge of a shattered wooden crate hidden in the debris. I stumbled violently forward, bracing my body for the harsh impact of the solid cobblestone.

Diana pulled me upright with a terrifying, unnatural speed.

When I glanced over at her, she was smiling brightly as if this life-or-death escape was nothing more than a thrilling festival game. Her pristine white hair whipped wildly in the biting winter wind, serving as a stark, beautiful contrast to the absolute grime of the city we were desperately leaving behind.

We finally breached the dense tree line sitting just outside the towering stone walls of the capital.

The frantic, overlapping sounds of the city immediately gave way to the overwhelming quiet of nature. Dry pine needles crunched rhythmically underfoot with every single step we took deeper into the wilderness. A thin, sparkling layer of morning frost covered absolutely everything in sight, painting the quiet forest in a melancholic shade of silver.

The frantic tolling of the capital alarm bells slowly faded behind us. Soon, they were nothing but a phantom ringing echoing in the back of my exhausted mind.

Once we were safely hidden by the thick, overhanging canopy of the ancient trees, I slowed down to a miserable walk. All the nervous energy drained from my body in a single instant.

My shoulders slumped incredibly low. I was suddenly burdened by an invisible weight that threatened to physically crush me into the freezing dirt. My eyes stung fiercely with the threat of hot tears, but absolutely nothing came out. My body was simply too tired to even cry.

I just stared hard at the frozen ground, my mind endlessly replaying the exact moment my party turned their backs on me.

Diana stayed uncomfortably close to my side. Her slender arm brushed against mine on purpose, a highly calculated gesture clearly meant to draw my shattered attention back to her.

“You are free now, Takashi.”

She spoke the words with a soft and sickeningly sweet tone.

“No more rules from your old party.”

She stepped even closer into my personal space, completely ignoring the sheer devastation clearly written across my face. Her delicate hand slid smoothly down my arm. Her warm fingers lingered possessively right above my elbow. She was a vision of otherworldly beauty, but right now, her presence was nothing more than a harsh reminder of everything I had just lost.

I pulled away from her touch at a painfully slow pace.

The winter woods suddenly felt entirely too empty. There was no Gabriel yelling boisterous orders to secure the perimeter and set up camp. There was no Togashi silently scanning the deep shadows for hidden magical threats.

It was just me and her, isolated together in a world that had grown entirely too quiet.

Frustration boiled over into sudden anger. I kicked a frozen pinecone as hard as I possibly could, watching it bounce violently into the thick, thorny bushes. My long braided hair hung loose and completely messy against my back. Stray strands stuck uncomfortably to my sweat-drenched neck, a physical reminder of the pathetic state I was currently in.

I wiped the dirt from my face with the rough sleeve of my tunic, desperately trying to scrub away the lingering shame of my exile.

Diana watched my every single move with intense, unwavering fascination. Her shimmering silver eyes sparkled with a bright, predatory light that sent a distinct shiver racing down my spine. She reached out toward me once again, stubbornly refusing to let the distance between us remain.

Her soft fingertips touched my cheek. It was a touch that was incredibly soft and careful, as if she were handling a fragile piece of ancient porcelain that might shatter at any second.

“Let me take care of you now.”

She leaned in so close that her warm breath ghosted smoothly across my jawline.

“You do not need them anymore.”

I stepped back exactly one pace, desperately needing to put space between her intoxicating floral scent and my wildly spinning head. The rough bark of a massive pine tree pressed firmly against my back. The cold wood sent a harsh shock straight through my thin linen shirts, grounding me in reality.

The memories hit me again, striking like a barrage of physical punches straight to my gut.

I clearly remembered that violently stormy night in Eastport when the innkeeper’s lovesick daughter locked the heavy door to my room, refusing to let me leave until I accepted her unwanted affections. Gabriel had stood outside in the freezing, pouring rain all night long. He yelled threats and insults through the solid oak wood until the girl finally gave up in pure frustration.

Meanwhile, Togashi had seamlessly slipped through the narrow second-story window, grabbing me by the collar and dragging me out into the storm to secure our safety.

They never once blamed me out loud for the endless string of chaotic events my curse brought down upon our heads. They just fixed the terrible problems and kept moving forward, absolutely unwavering in their brotherhood and loyalty.

I remembered the terrifying, bloody incident at Blue Reef when the infamous pirate captain forcefully grabbed me by the throat, loudly declaring me her new eternal husband in front of her entire crew. Togashi had cut my heavy binding ropes in complete silence while the drunk crew slept. Gabriel had literally carried me on his broad back for miles across the jagged coastal rocks to ensure our escape before dawn.

They used to proudly call me their very own miracle.

I was the rare, highly sought-after healer who could actually hear the gentle, melodic song of living mana flowing through the world. I was the absolute core of their survival on the battlefield.

Now, they just called me fired.

My legs finally gave out completely. I slid slowly down the rough tree trunk, my rear hitting the frozen, solid ground with a hard thud. I pulled my knees tightly to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as if trying to hold my broken pieces together by force.

Diana immediately knelt right in front of me, completely unbothered by the damp dirt staining her clothes. The rich leather of her finely crafted tunic brushed softly against the scuffed tips of my worn traveling boots.

She tilted her head in a genuinely cute, inquisitive manner. Her pristine white hair fell elegantly over one long, pointed ear.

“You look so sad right now.”

She placed one slender hand firmly on my knee, applying a gentle pressure that stubbornly remained in place no matter how much I tensed up.

“I can make the sadness leave.”

Her thumb began rubbing slow, highly rhythmic circles against my kneecap. The unexpected warmth of her skin bled straight through the thick, durable fabric of my adventuring pants.

I could not bring myself to look directly into her mesmerizing eyes, so I simply stared past her shoulder into the distance.

The surrounding pine trees blurred slightly as my vision swam with unshed emotions. Beyond the dense, dark forest, the familiar border hills rolled continuously ahead into the bright horizon. The tall southern grass waved beautifully in the wind, painted a brilliant golden color by the mid-morning light.

My old childhood house waited for me over those distant hills.

It was a remarkably small stone cottage nestled perfectly against the gentle landscape, completely isolated from the maddening crowds and political schemes of the capital cities. A carefully tended herb garden sat right out front, a physical testament to the peaceful, quiet life I used to lead before I ever picked up a healing staff.

It was a place that represented quiet and absolute safety.

Or at least, it used to be. The curse always had a funny, cruel way of eventually ruining every single sanctuary I desperately tried to build for myself.

Diana suddenly scooted much nearer to me, completely closing the tiny gap I had tried so hard to maintain. Her knee pressed firmly against mine. She smelled intoxicatingly like blooming winter flowers, a magical fragrance so incredibly strong and sweet that it completely overpowered the natural, earthy scent of the pine forest.

“I see how warm you are inside.”

She whispered the words in an incredibly low tone, sending a highly visible thrill of magical energy rippling through the cold air between us.

Her free hand reached up to slowly trace the intricate, messy weave of my braid. Her soft fingers danced lightly against the highly sensitive skin of my exposed neck.

“Your mana sings to me even now.”

She leaned her forehead dangerously close to mine until we were only a breath apart, our skin almost touching. Her features were incredibly bright and flawlessly perfect in the dappled sunlight breaking through the dark tree canopy above.

I swallowed thickly, my throat suddenly feeling as dry as old bone. My hands shook uncontrollably in my lap. It was a physical manifestation of the rising panic battling against the intense magical allure she naturally projected.

This ridiculous, world-ending curse made women go completely crazy around me, constantly twisting their normal affections into something obsessive, possessive, and suffocating.

It had been a minor, highly annoying inconvenience at first. It was just a running joke among my party members when tavern girls gave us free drinks. But this time, the scale of the disaster was entirely different. This time, it had cost me absolutely everything I held dear in this world.

I saw Gabriel’s furiously twitching eye in the middle of the crowded market. I saw Togashi turning his back and walking away into the crowd without uttering a single word of farewell.

Twelve long years of shared battle scars.

Shared stupid jokes around the glowing campfire.

Shared absolutely everything.

Gathering whatever shattered fragments of willpower I still had left in my soul, I pushed myself up to my feet at an agonizingly slow pace. My legs felt like they were made of solid, unyielding lead.

Diana gracefully rose with me, moving with a fluid elegance that quietly mocked my clumsy, heavy exhaustion. She stubbornly kept my hand trapped tightly in hers, giving my palm a single, incredibly soft squeeze that radiated pure affection.

“We can go anywhere you want.”

She matched my sluggish pace with practiced ease, walking so close that her hip bumped playfully against mine on purpose with every other step.

“Or nowhere at all.”

She offered me a sideways smile that was equally dangerous and blindingly bright.

“Just stay with me.”

The narrow dirt path wound endlessly through the rolling golden hills, cutting through the vibrant landscape like a worn ribbon. The tall, dry grass gently brushed against our legs as we made our steady descent toward the hidden valley. The sun climbed much higher in the cloudless blue sky, its bright rays casting a highly comforting warmth across my battered, exhausted face.

I purposefully kept my eyes locked firmly on the ground below.

Every single step I took served as a painful, agonizing reminder of my bleak new reality. There would be no more structured party watches in the middle of the pitch-black night. There would be no more Gabriel violently shaking my shoulder and whispering for me to breathe quietly when a monster approached our camp. There would be no more Togashi meticulously packing exactly one extra healing staff in his bag just in case I accidentally broke mine during a chaotic fight.

I was truly alone in the world now.

Well, I was alone except for the impossibly powerful orc princess who had caused this entire disaster in the first place. She seemed entirely oblivious to my crushing despair. Instead, she hummed a little melodic tune that sounded entirely too light and sickeningly happy given the tragic circumstances of our morning.

Her slender fingers played constantly with mine, slowly and deliberately tracing the rough outline of each knuckle with a deeply reverent fascination.

“You are thinking about them again.”

She spoke the accusation with a gentle tone, yet there was a highly noticeable, sharp edge to her words. Her voice wrapped tightly around me like a heavy velvet blanket, suffocating but undeniably soft.

“I can feel it in your mana.”

She stopped walking with a sudden, forceful jerk. She used her surprising, monstrous strength to effortlessly pull me around so I was forced to face her completely. Both of her hands moved to rest firmly against my chest. Her palms pressed flat and incredibly warm against my rapidly racing heart.

“Let me replace that hurt.”

She rose delicately onto her toes, effortlessly bridging the slight height difference between us. Her soft lips brushed briefly against my tense jawline.

It was not a full kiss.

It was just enough contact to promise something much deeper, much darker, and infinitely more complicated.

My heart slammed incredibly hard against my ribs in response. It was a stupid, traitorous body reacting to the affection even when my logical mind violently screamed in protest against the obvious manipulation.

I stepped abruptly sideways, breaking the intimate physical contact as quickly as I possibly could.

“We need to reach the house before dark.”

My voice came out sounding incredibly rough and completely devoid of any real emotion.

Diana just laughed quietly, a beautifully melodic sound that chimed exactly like expensive silver bells. She effortlessly caught up to me in two graceful steps, completely refusing to let me escape her magical orbit. Her arm confidently linked straight through mine, pressing her soft shoulder tightly against my side as if staking a permanent, unbreakable claim on my body.

“Whatever you say, darling.”

She rested her head affectionately on my arm as we walked. Her pristine white hair tickled the bare, sensitive skin of my neck with every single step we took.

The golden hills finally dipped lower, dramatically revealing the secluded valley I used to call home.

The deeply familiar dirt path appeared before us, winding neatly toward the property line. My old wooden gate creaked mournfully in the gentle afternoon breeze. The sturdy stone walls of the cottage looked exactly the same as the day I had left them behind so many years ago. Even the fragrant herb garden remained surprisingly neat, likely tended by the kindly, quiet neighbors from the next valley over.

I reached out and pushed the heavy wooden gate open. I winced slightly as the rusted iron hinges groaned softly in protest against the sudden movement.

Diana stayed glued to my side like a second, immovable shadow. Her hand slid possessively to the small of my lower back. Her fingers spread incredibly wide, a silent gesture meant to let anyone watching know exactly who I belonged to now.

We finally stepped into the small dirt yard, the crunch of gravel echoing loudly in the quiet space.

Then, I saw them.

Lady Elara leaned casually against the solid wooden doorframe of my home. Her immaculate silver armor gleamed blindingly under the bright afternoon sun, polished to a mirror finish that demanded immediate, absolute respect. Her raven hair whipped wildly around her beautiful face in the rising wind.

Her dark, intense eyes locked straight onto me the second I walked through the gate.

Beside her stood Prince Foxu. The golden royal crown sat noticeably crooked on his head, a highly obvious sign of a hasty and frantic journey across the kingdom. His hands were tightly clasped behind his back in a poorly feigned posture of royal authority.

He looked incredibly smug, yet simultaneously terrified at the explosive situation currently brewing in my front yard.

They had waited right there, completely occupying the only safe haven I had left in this miserable world.

They were waiting specifically for us.