Although it's not as big as the dragon that kidnapped my mother back then, but I'm sure that the crown prince's dragon totem can definitely give me a hint about that black great dragon. Well, at least I've got two red threads and just have to follow these red threads.
ROAARR!!
AAAAUGHH!
WAANGH!
The terrifying sounds continued to give me goosebumps. I can only peek from behind Vio's arm. The shadows of the totem animals seemed to be doing something, like a group of crows preying on carrion for food. Very scary. I couldn't imagine what was going on amidst the flames, what was clear was that I could see that the flames covering the buildings around the main hall had started to shrink.
Ting!.
A sound like water being parted at an unimaginable speed hummed rapidly. My ears felt like they had just been passed by a needle thrown at full speed and then just disappeared.
I don't know what just happened, but I feel like I could feel time had stopped for one second when that piercing sound rang out.
"Milord!" Someone shouted while running towards the two people who had just emerged from the flames that had subsided.
"Quickly move Earl Lucca to the treatment room!" shouted Duke Carrion who came out of the mansion carrying Earl Lucca. I reflexively also looked towards Duke Carrion, but I didn't find my daddy with him either. Where's daddy?!.
"Daddy!" I shouted. I tugged at Vio's clothes.
Vio also understands my worried feelings. He also approached Duke Carrion while looking for the figure of my daddy who for some reason had not come out, even though Duke Carrion and Earl Lucca had already come out. I was very worried and my anxiety continued to increase when I saw Earl Lucca who was covered in burns. Not only Earl Lucca. Duke Carrion also seemed to be injured, even if only slightly.
Daddy was the closest person to Earl Lucca when the totem went out of control, so I think daddy must have been seriously injured too. Where's daddy?!. Unknowingly, I started shedding tears again and crying.
"Dad, Dad!"
"Young Lady…"
"Vio…" Duke Carrion made a gesture to Vio then whispered something I couldn't hear. After that, Vio only nodded as if understanding what Duke Carrion had just told her.
"My Little Cellia, why are you crying hm?. Come here. Let uncle carry you..." said Duke Carrion.
Without avoiding Duke Carrion like the previous incident. Vio happily gave me to Duke Carrion so I was carried by him, while Vio went into the mansion running.
What happened?. Why does Vio do this? Something must have happened to daddy!.
"Daddy!!!" I kept crying louder and louder even though Duke Carrion tried hard to silence me.
"My Dear Cellia, don't cry. Vio just wants to go to the toilet for a while. She will be back as soon as possible. You and uncle first okay?" Duke Carrion explained. It seemed he misunderstood my crying a little. I cried not because Vio left me, but I cried because I was worried about my dad's. Why don't you understand too?!. Duke Carrion is really stupid!.
"Cellia wants daddy!!" Duke Carrion seemed surprised when he heard me press my words. I even emphasized the word 'daddy' so that he would understand a little what I meant earlier.
"O-oh. Your father ... your father is fine. He's not as badly injured as Earl Lucca-"
"Daddy!"
Finally I saw my daddy come out. He was with the crown prince and Vio. And they seem to be fine. Perhaps it was because Duke Carrion's armor protected daddy?. But if so, how could Earl Lucca be injured so badly?. Wasn't he also under Duke Carrion's protection before?.
"Dear Cellia, why are you crying?" my dad said. He immediately snatched me from Duke Carrion's arms.
"Dad, Dad!"
I hugged dad very tightly. I'm still feeling a mix of relief and worry. For some reason, I felt that dadsy was a bit unwell, but I didn't see daddy showing a reaction like someone who had been hurt. Dad doesn't look sick or... maybe he's holding back the pain?.
"What did you do to my Cellia? Do you want to die, Carrion?!" Said Dad next. My Dad's stared at Duke Carrion with an extremely terrifying gaze. It seems that daddy was very angry because I cried. Daddy must have thought that it was Duke Carrion who made me cry.
"What?!. I didn't do anything Celia you know!"
"You know? It looks like my lions need extra protein. Would you like to come with me and enter the lion's den?"
"No. Thank you. I'll just go home. My dogs still need to be fed..."
"Don't worry about your little dogs. I can take care of them even if their master disappears from the earth"
I felt a great energy blazing within my daddy like a lion that kept roaring. Is that the energy that comes from father's totem?.
"Duke Carrion, Duke Leonhart, thank you for your cooperation," said someone who finally made the silent battle between father and Duke Carrion subside.
"Your Majesty, Kharel Yvone..."
"Your Majesty, this is thanks to you. Thank you for coming to help us," said my dad's. I don't know if it's just me or daddy really spoke to the crown prince in a very cold tone.
"Of course I will come to help if anyone is in trouble, especially if it's you guys. Without the Hunter and the conqueror, this kingdom will always be filled with fear" explained the crown prince. He smiled--he didn't seem bothered by my dad's cold demeanor, or was he just as stupid as Duke Carrion to not notice my dad's attitude?.
It's a shame if he's stupid, even though he's this handsome, I thought. But, what is the hunter and the conqueror?. Was the crown prince referring to my dad's and duke Carrion?.
"Hm? Oh, is this young lady Cellia Leonhart?" Said the crown prince. It seems that my judgment was a little wrong about it. He noticed that I kept watching him.
Whoosh!
"That's right. She is my daughter, Your Majesty," said my daddy. I feel deja vu. Did dad's just avoid the crown prince who was trying to touch my cheek?. I suddenly remembered the scene of Vio avoiding Duke Carrion earlier.
"I see. He will definitely inherit two abilities at once, yes. The ability to conquer belongs to her father and the ability to hunt belongs to her mother, Lady Alliciaa."
My daddy frowned. It seems he doesn't like this conversation. I could feel the energy that was raging within my daddy like that becoming bigger, but I also felt another energy that was much greater from my dad's.
That must be the energy that comes from the crown prince's totem!.
Even though the crown prince's totem energy isn't as turbulent as dad's, I can feel an immense amount of pressure coming from it. What if the energy is volatile? It must be very powerful and exceeds that of dad's totem.
Is the dragon totem as terrible as this?.
By the way, what animal is daddy's totem? If the Phoenix from earlier had belonged to Earl Lucca, the Dragon belonged to the crown prince, then what remained would be Cerberus and Griffin.
The dad's totem is one of the two animals. Cerberus or Griffin?. If I guess based on the sound I heard just now, does that mean dad's totem is Griffin--that half lion and eagle creature? And Cerberus - the three-headed dog is Duke Carrion's totem?.
Oh, I'm curious. Why does Duke Carrion address me as his niece?. What relationship does daddy have with Duke Carrion?. Or perhaps the mother who is related to Duke Carrion?.
"Yvone, return to the castle"
a voice echoes inside my ear. I looked around for the figure of the person who spoke, but of course I couldn't find anyone because the sound literally just echoed in my ears, and it seemed that only I could hear it.
"Okay. Because the business here is finished. I will go back," said the crown prince and then he just left.
I thought the voice was meant for the crown prince because it said his name. And I think that voice should only be heard by him alone, but why can I hear it too?. As I was thinking that, the crown prince stopped walking and walked back towards where my dad's was standing.
"I have something for Young Lady Cellia. Come on, take it," he said. It turns out he turned around just to give me a chocolate candy. After that he smiled and left.
I stared at the chocolate candy and for some reason I felt very happy. In my previous life, I never received a chocolate. No. I think I received it from my husband once, but I never got around to eating it. And when I was at the orphanage, I also never got the Valentine chocolates that were distributed by the donors. Even on Valentine's Day, I never had time to buy chocolate for myself. At that time I also no longer had time to love myself or just buy chocolate for myself to eat. Even though it's just a trivial and small thing like that, it feels like it's hard for me to get it.
"Cellia honey, give the candy to daddy. You can't eat random candy or you'll get sick later" dad said. He was about to take the chocolate candy from my hand slowly.
"Got Celia!" I said. I've become possessive of chocolate, I'm sorry dad.
Besides dad, why do you seem to suspect chocolate from the crown prince?. He couldn't have given me poison, could he? Don't worry, I won't get sick just because of some chocolate daddy.
"Darling. Dad will buy you lots of chocolate next time, but don't eat this chocolate, okay?. Dad promises to buy you your favorite chocolate later," said dad.
I can only make my lips purse and give the chocolate to dad. I'd rather obey than make daddy worry.
My dad's smiled with relief then gave the chocolate to Vio and we returned to the mansion.
"Do you like the chocolate?"
The voice that only I could hear echoed in my ears again. Just like the voice that called the crown prince just now.
Is this voice now asking me?.