The Young Master I Carefully Raised Became Obsessive

"Why is there nothing missing here? Even firewood is here…

"It looks like someone used this place as a temporary shelter. It doesn’t appear very old, maybe just about a month ago."

Now that I looked around, I noticed blankets and even small bowls scattered about. The firewood was neatly organized in the corner.

"Is it okay to just use this?"

I suddenly felt guilty for some reason as I was eating. Now that I thought about it, both Ardion and I had used the firewood without hesitation, and we had taken over this place, practically occupying it.

Someone must have put a lot of care into organizing and setting this spot up.

"We can just leave the meat behind when we go. They’ll use it. I noticed the firewood hasn't been used for a while, so it’s been some time since anyone was here."

"Does that mean they’ve left?"

"I don’t know. They might be out hunting and just left this place empty for now."

The crackling fire gradually died down. Ardion stood up and organized the remaining firewood. "I’ll go check if the rain has stopped."

I nodded. Ardion walked out briskly. His broad back was oddly reassuring, and I found myself staring at it before standing up.

I cleaned the bowls as best I could and collected the stray ash into one place. My hands got dirty, and I wiped them on my dress. The skirt was dark enough that it didn’t show any stains.

Ardion returned quickly, his face bright. "The rain’s stopped. Let’s go."

I followed him outside. The sky had miraculously cleared. Ardion checked the horse he had tethered, then adjusted the saddle.

I looked around and then noticed something. "Your Highness, what’s that over there?"

Ardion glanced over briefly and casually answered, "It’s the animals I hunted. They were beasts infected with magic before the hunt, but don’t worry. They’re dead now."

"No, that’s not what I meant… Did you kill all of them?"

"What’s wrong? Is that so surprising?"

I was at a loss for words. Was it really no big deal that a pile of carcasses was stacked up like a mountain in front of us? They looked as tall as the trees nearby.

"I’ve set up a barrier around the bodies, so they won’t decay too quickly. The cave’s owner will take care of the rest."

"Are you really leaving all this behind?"

"The hunting tournament is already over, and the winners have probably been announced. Even if we take them, they’ll just end up buried in the ground."

I felt a sense of unfairness. "If it weren’t for me, Your Highness would have won."

My tone was regretful, but he laughed. "If you’re so worried, you could at least call my name again."

When I hesitated, Ardion reached out a hand. "Let’s go back."

I took his hand, and he knelt beside the horse.

"Please don’t tell me you want me to climb onto your thigh."

"That’s exactly what I want. Or would you prefer I lift you up?"

"No, I can get on by myself."

Even so, when I tried to step onto the stirrup, my foot slipped. I lacked strength in my hands and barely managed to get down without falling.

"Laila, stop being stubborn." Ardion motioned to his thigh with his eyes.

Reluctantly, I stepped onto his thigh and climbed into the saddle. Ardion swiftly settled behind me, his strong arms still visible, unconcerned about leaving them exposed.

From behind, he gently pulled the reins, and the horse started moving. As it galloped, I could feel his warmth. I tried to act nonchalantly, but I wished we would reach somewhere soon.

After riding for a while down the damp dirt road, we finally saw the tall palace in the distance. When we reached the wide gates, they opened automatically.

Ardion slowed the horse as we arrived at the neat road.

"Your Highness!" A familiar voice called out.

It was Delzion, who had clearly been waiting for him. The horse stopped completely. Ardion dismounted first and then extended his hand to me.

I took his hand and carefully stepped down, but Ardion basically lifted me off my feet and pulled me into his arms. My feet barely touched the ground, and my heart continued to race for a while.

The others around us seemed equally unsettled.

"Find Serina immediately." Ardion’s low voice echoed.

The people around us quickly composed themselves and lowered their heads.

At that moment, Delzion hurried toward us. "Serina has disappeared, Your Highness. The mana she was supposed to use has also disappeared from the vault…"

"Rowell?"

"Still quiet. With the hunting tournament over, it seems he’s busy preparing for the ball."

"Ball?" Ardion chuckled softly, but his expression quickly hardened. "He must have planned to use Serina to get rid of me."

"What should we do?"

"Since Laila lost enough mana to be hurt, I have to report it. Some nobles dislike Rowell."

"Yes, I’ll prepare the documents."

"Also, Laila’s black mouse—she always carries it around—has disappeared. Search the area thoroughly and find it."

Delzion nodded, quickly selected a few knights, and sent them off.

I stepped closer to Ardion. "Your Highness, I’ll help look for Derol."

"No. After what Serina did to you, you need rest."

"But I can’t just do nothing. I feel uneasy."

"Why do you think you’re doing nothing?"

I was confused by his response, but Ardion didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled me into his arms. "Just being by my side is already a big help."

His voice was soft, and his breath, warm against my ear, felt strangely familiar. Without realizing it, I wanted to lean on him. As that thought crossed my mind, I stood frozen in place.

Then I heard a cough—a strange sound.

"Your Highness?"

Ardion let out a deep sigh and slowly stepped away from me. When his hands completely left me, the air felt strangely cold. I looked towards the unfamiliar figures standing nearby. They were dressed like nobility from a prestigious family.

"We heard that Your Highness withdrew from the hunting tournament, so we came running. What happened?" One of them stepped forward and asked.

Ardion called Delzion over and spoke briefly before answering, "It seems my absence was automatically counted as a forfeit. But I didn’t forfeit on purpose. Serina broke the rules and used magic in the forest."

"Serina? But she…?"

The crowd murmured. Ardion gently took my hand and then released it. He raised his eyes to look at me. "Wait here. I’ll be back soon."

As I watched his retreating figure, Delzion approached me. "Lady Laila."

I turned to him.

He said calmly, "Did you give Derol mana?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"It’s easier to track Derol if you’ve given him mana."

"Really?"

Delzion nodded. "Lady Laila, if we track your mana, we should be able to find him."

I extended my arm. "Then take my mana now."

But Delzion frowned, looking uncertain. "I’m sorry, but you need to receive treatment first."

"Treatment?"

"Yes. Since your mana was drained, you need a full examination to make sure you’re okay."

Just then, a healer in white rushed in. "You’re the urgent patient the prince mentioned. Where have you been?"

"Urgent patient?" I asked, puzzled.

Delzion pointed at me. "Please take careful care of her. We don’t know her condition yet."

The healer blinked and then bowed before ushering me away. I reluctantly followed him to the treatment room. The room smelled faintly of medicine. He sat me down in a white room and drew some blood from my arm. It stung, but it was bearable.

After a few minutes, he led me to a bed.

"Take this." The healer handed me a yellowish potion.

"What is this?"@@novelbin@@

"It’s a potion to stabilize your mind and body. You’ll need to rest for an hour after drinking it."

I could only drink it. Strangely, within minutes, sleepiness overcame me. Without realizing it, I collapsed onto the bed.

Several hours later, the healer came to me and said in a calm voice, "You’ll need to rest for a while. Your mana levels are stable, but since it was drained so suddenly, we don’t know what side effects may happen, so you’ll need to rest."

"But I feel fine now?" I stretched and curled my fingers. When the healer's face didn’t soften, I even bent and straightened my legs.

Still, the healer shook his head. "While you may appear fine on the outside, if you don’t rest now, you could suffer more severe side effects later."

"Then how long do I have to lie here like this?"

"You’ll likely need to stay like this for about a week. His Highness Rowell also ordered special care, given the events at the hunting tournament."

When I heard this, a wave of anger surged within me. Isn’t this all Rowell’s doing?

In a way, Serina was someone under Rowell’s influence. It seemed unlikely she would act alone in such a matter. More than anything, there was no justification. I hadn’t done anything to provoke her, and she hadn't shown any particular interest in me either.

She must have been targeting Ardion…

When I thought about the necklace she had taken, I started to piece it together. She knew I would chase after her, so she had to drain all the mana from my body to prevent that from happening.