The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 57

“Madam…?”

 

“You’re family now. And since you took the time to travel all this way, I wanted to give you a little gift of my own.”

 

Buying something for her without any warning—Grace’s eyes widened. Only then did the Marchioness smile and explain.

 

“Oh, you didn’t have to…”

 

“I wanted to show how I feel. So please accept it.”

 

“Th-thank you… I’ll really put it to good use.”

 

Before Grace could refuse, the Marchioness insisted on giving the gift, and Grace, unable to resist, accepted it.

 

‘She’s such a kind person.’

 

She already knew the Marchioness had looked kindly upon her from the start. But the gift was another level of kindness that touched her heart.

 

‘I should tell Frederick…’

 

She wanted to tell him how sweet his aunt had been to her. And she also wanted to show him how she looked in the hat. She’d liked what she saw in the mirror, after all.

 

“If there’s anywhere you’d like to go, feel free to say so. Is there?”

 

As they left the shop, the Marchioness asked.

 

“If you’re hungry, we could grab a meal or some dessert. I know a few great spots in the territory.”

 

“That sounds good—”

 

Just as Grace was about to answer, two unfamiliar figures passed by her.

 

Two tall people, fully dressed in black, with their hoods pulled low. Grace’s heart dropped.

 

‘It’s them.’

 

They were the ones from her dream. The same people who had tried to harm the bird she’d found in the forest.

 

‘No.’

 

Grace groaned inwardly. They were just people in black hoods, and yet she knew.

 

They would hurt it. And when they did, something terrible would happen. Her instincts were screaming at her.

 

“Madam…”

 

Grace turned to the Marchioness.

 

“Can we go back to the castle?”

 

“The castle? Oh, is the town not to your liking?”

 

“It’s not that. I just suddenly feel a little unwell.”

 

Grace forced an awkward smile. The Marchioness looked at her, startled. Her face had gone pale—she really did look sick.

 

“Since when? You should’ve said something…”

 

“It just started. All of a sudden. I think I’ll feel better if I rest a bit.”

 

“I see. Then let’s return to the castle at once.”

 

Without hesitation, the Marchioness helped Grace into the carriage and ordered the coachman to head back as quickly as possible.

 

“Thank you for today. I’ll be going now.”

 

As soon as they arrived, Grace quickly got out and headed toward her room.

 

“Shall I call a doctor for a check-up? If your stomach is upset, there might be something wrong…”

 

“No, it’s just a bit of indigestion… I’ll feel better after some rest.”

 

Grace firmly insisted she just needed rest and headed toward her room. But after only a few steps, she turned and stood still. She watched until the Marchioness disappeared, then slowly began to walk again.

 

She had to hurry. She had to protect it.

 

“Quickly, quickly…”

 

Grace ran in the direction of the forest. She didn’t know exactly what she had to protect, only that she had to stop those hooded figures.

 

“It’s the same…!”

 

The moment she entered the forest, a gasp escaped her lips. She’d never actually been here before, but it looked exactly like it had in her dream.

 

‘Just follow the path from the dream.’

 

Grace ran exactly as she had in the dream. Everything matched perfectly. Even the strange force guiding her. She didn’t need directions—this force told her everything she needed.

 

After running for a while, Grace came to a stop.

 

“The bird…”

 

It was the same white bird she’d seen in her dream, fluttering its wings as it stood there. Grace stepped closer. The bird turned its gaze to her, its eyes as if asking, What’s going on?

 

Grace walked right up to it.

 

“You’re in danger.”

 

She stared directly into the bird’s eyes. Unlike in the dream, there was no time to marvel at its beauty.

 

“You have to run. People who want to kill you are on their way.”

 

The bird just stared at her blankly. It didn’t seem to understand her.

 

“Oh… what do I do?”

 

Panicked, Grace reached out her hand like she had in the dream. The bird responded by stretching out its wing. Skin touched feathers.

 

Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran through her entire body. Something she hadn’t felt in the dream.

 

Grace looked into the bird’s eyes again. Its once-blank red gaze now flickered with something else.

 

‘Who… are you?’

 

It was a voice she had never heard before. But Grace instinctively knew it came from the bird.

 

‘I sense Ennis’s energy in you.’

 

She had no idea who Ennis was. But the fact that she could communicate with the bird was all that mattered now.

 

‘You have to run.’

 

Grace sent the message she’d wanted to tell the bird.

 

‘They’re coming. Bad people are coming.’

 

‘What are you talking about?’

 

‘They’re going to attack you. You have to escape now.’

 

The bird calmly spread and folded its wings, then tilted its head.

 

‘Do you know what happened to Ennis?’

 

Grace was growing desperate. Whoever this Ennis was, now wasn’t the time to care.

 

‘I don’t know who Ennis is.’

 

‘That can’t be. You carry Ennis’s energy completely. How can you not know?’

 

Grace felt like her chest was about to burst. She let out a small sigh.

 

Her expression grew visibly dark, and finally, the bird narrowed its eyes, as if it had realized the seriousness of the situation.

 

‘Are the ones chasing me… humans?’

 

Grace nodded urgently.

 

‘I don’t want to run from humans. But… should I?’

 

So it does understand. But there’s no time!

 

Grace looked like she was about to cry.

 

There was no time to waste. If her dream was right, those hooded figures had the power to harm the bird. If she was even a moment too late, everything would be lost. She had to move the bird deeper into the forest or get it to hide—anything—before they arrived.

 

“There you are.”

 

…It was too late.

 

Grace let out a small sigh. Behind her stood the same black-hooded figures from the market.

 

“To find the divine beast so quickly—we’re lucky today.”

 

“Let’s capture it quickly and offer it to our lord.”

 

Judging by their voices, they were men. Their gazes turned to Grace.

 

“Who’s this girl? Another one trying to catch the beast before us?”

 

“Does it matter? Kill her.”

 

One man gave a sharp nod toward the other. The second man drew a small dagger.

 

He was about to throw it at her.

 

‘I’m going to die…’

 

Terrified, Grace shut her eyes and instinctively stretched out her hand in front of her, as if she could stop the flying blade with it.

 

But the pain never came. Instead, there was a metallic clang. The dagger clattered to the ground far away.

 

Grace opened her eyes in shock.

 

“What… is this?”

 

From both her hands, a brilliant white light burst forth and spread wide. The dagger now lay on the ground, nowhere near her.

 

“…What the…”

 

“Did she just deflect a blade?”

 

The men looked dumbfounded. Grace swallowed hard. Whatever it was, the power coming from her hands had saved her life.

 

“She’s got something weird going on.”

 

The bird was now standing close at her side.

 

“The energy she’s giving off… it’s the same as the divine beast’s.”

 

“She must be someone who can wield the beast’s power.”

 

“No way. I’ve never heard of a divine beast forming a contract with a human.”

 

“I don’t know why she has powers, but she’s not normal.”

 

They exchanged words and prepared to attack again.

 

Grace tried to steady her mind. She still didn’t know what this power from her body was, but it was the same kind of energy as the one the bird—called a “divine beast”—had.

 

And now, they were trying to harm her too.