Chapter 14: The Hand That Held Me

“Why…”

Before he could even properly ask why, a guard rushed toward Raymund and thrust a sword at him.

Startled, his ability reacted instantly.

Crunch.

Like crumpling fabric, the guard’s body twisted unnaturally.

Judging by the sound of bones breaking, even if he wasn’t dead, he was on the brink of it.

“Huh…”

Raymund was shocked.

Even though the person had attacked him, it was his first time hurting someone to the point of near death—yet he felt nothing.

Should he say that the suffocating feeling in his chest was relieved instead?

Maybe he had always wanted to treat those who feared and rejected him this way…

‘Get a grip.’

Even if life was dark, he couldn’t let himself be consumed by it.

Raymund was a descendant of one of the ten heroes who protected the world.

As their heir, he couldn’t go around hurting others.

Even with a fellow guard grievously wounded in front of them, the others showed no emotion.

Their blank eyes looked as if they had been brainwashed.

Seeing how they showed no killing intent despite trying to kill him, Raymund thought he might be right.

‘Who’s after me?’

Ever since he became an esper, Raymund had lost everything—his family’s love, which once seemed natural, and even the right to inherit the empire.

There was no one left who would grieve his death, nor anyone who would benefit from it.

In fact, his death would cause problems.

If he died, his power would likely be passed on to his younger sibling, who was still a child.

He still didn’t know who would want to target him, but Raymund decided he wouldn’t be manipulated by the attacker’s intentions.

‘I’ll go as far away as I can.’

As he wished it, his ability activated, and the scene in front of him changed instantly.

From the strong scent of grass, he guessed he must be in a mountain or forest, but he didn’t have time to look around.

“Ugh…!”

The backlash from using his unstable ability hit his body.

Feeling an even deeper pain, Raymund collapsed onto the gravel ground and passed out from the pain.

In fact, he didn’t even remember passing out.

But the moment he saw the face of someone waking him up, he realized, “Ah, I must have fainted.”

A face?

Its overall colors were pale and cool, but the eyes—which reflected himself—were a deep, vivid blue.

For a moment, Raymund thought he was staring into a deep lake.

But the moment passed quickly.

The moment he realized it was someone else in front of him, and the moment he felt that person holding his hand, Raymund reflexively swatted it away.

The other person looked surprised, cupping her now red palm with the other hand.

Raymund felt regret.

He hadn’t meant to hurt her.

‘She was just too close…’

He didn’t want to see a concerned face turn into one of disgust.

He didn’t want to be hurt by others anymore.

If she was going to discard him like trash later, he would have preferred if she had just ignored him from the start.

He hoped she would get fed up with his guarded attitude and leave.

But she didn’t.

“You were surprised to see a stranger’s face, right? I’m sorry.”

Rather than back off, she approached.

Raymund, who had only ever seen people retreat or flee, was flustered.

Why?

Why didn’t she hate him?

‘Have I finally gone mad and started hallucinating?’

Now it was Raymund who recoiled in fear, gritting his teeth.

To think he’d be scared of a mere illusion—his pride was wounded.

Determined not to be consumed by this illusion, Raymund resisted the urge to step back.

But surprisingly, what was in front of him wasn’t an illusion.

“Ah…?”

Warmth touched the back of his hand.

As if that weren’t enough, she carefully held his hand.

Had it been years since someone else held his hand?

Though flustered, his heart trembled.

It was like having an upset stomach, a feeling that made him want to throw something up.

But nothing came out when he opened his mouth.

Though his hand was being held, he couldn’t hold back.

Afraid it would be shaken off if he moved, he remained stiff and still.

Raymund was dazed, as if intoxicated.

Nothing around him felt real.

Maybe that’s why, when the girl—Seiana—asked his name, he impulsively gave the one he had used as a child.

“Ray.”

“I see. So, Ray, what were you doing here?”

But Raymund couldn’t answer.

He couldn’t tell her that he had come here fleeing from guards who tried to kill him.

Even though she didn’t seem to fear espers like him, she might be frightened if she heard that the guards were assassins.

No—she might think him strange just for being chased by guards.

All Raymund wanted was for the warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time not to push him away.

But maybe that was a mistake.

The guards he had left behind had followed him.

‘How?’

Raymund had run with only one thought—to go far.

So he didn’t even know where he was.

Even he, who had teleported, didn’t know the place.

So how had the guards, who were ordinary people, found him here?

And how had they shown up so quickly, even though he escaped with his powers?

“Run!”

Maybe she thought Raymund was scared because he didn’t understand the situation—she grabbed his hand and ran.

Even as he was being pulled along, Raymund looked at the hand that held his.

He could have just told Seiana that they were after him, and she could leave him.

It was such a simple thing to say.

After all, she had no reason to risk her life for someone she had just met today.

‘But I can’t say it.’

He didn’t want to let go of this hand.

He didn’t want to lose it.

But he didn’t want Seiana to be in danger either.

He didn’t like this, or that.

Caught in between, the danger kept getting closer.

It was hard for a child to outrun adults.

‘I’ll use my power.’

Using it might hurt like death again, but he couldn’t let Seiana get hurt by the guards.

Raymund lightly tripped someone’s foot.

As the person running ahead stumbled, those following collided and fell.

But the guards were too skilled to be fooled by that alone.

In the end, Raymund had to push, lift, and throw his attackers.

Luckily, since Seiana was running ahead, she didn’t see those scenes.

Tripping might be considered lucky, but it was hard to call seeing an adult man tossed into the air anything but unnatural.

After half-shaking them off, Raymund saw Seiana struggling and began leading her instead.

Though he felt pain from using his powers, he now had the strength and stamina to surpass normal people by far—he was an esper now, after all.

“That’s strange. My body doesn’t hurt.”

Is it because I used a minor ability?

Or has my body finally gotten used to the power and stopped feeling pain?

Unlike usual, his body felt light.

He didn’t know what was going on, but since it was better than being in pain, he ignored it and started running—only to see people ahead.

Could it be another attacker?

He tensed up.

“Oppa!”

Seiana ran out from among the people and threw herself into his arms.

His hand almost let go from the surprise, but

Raymund held on tightly, so nothing happened.

Raymund, who had accompanied them to their lodging after Seiana collapsed, learned that they were people from the House of Count Estarote.

‘Then Seiana must be the young lady of Estarote.’

She was so beloved that they gave her the middle name “Lovely.”

She was said to be the most beloved child in the empire.

True to her name, she was so lovely that even Raymund couldn’t take his eyes off her.

As soon as Sincia laid her down on the bed, Raymund grasped her hand again tightly.

He wished she would open her eyes once more and look at him kindly… but perhaps due to exhaustion, even when the palace contacted them and came to pick Raymund up, she still hadn’t woken up.

‘Can’t I just take her to the palace like this?’

Such a thought crossed his mind, but Seiana’s family seemed to read his feelings, and though trembling with fear, they blocked him from doing anything rash.

It was only a momentary impulse—he hadn’t lost the reason to restrain himself—so Raymund obediently returned to the palace.

He didn’t want to act out and be hated for no reason.

‘There will be another chance.’

Another chance to grow closer.

Inside the carriage back to the palace, he thought so and closed his eyes.

It should’ve been dark when he closed them, but what appeared before him was

Seiana’s brightly glowing face, as if stinging with light.

Looking straight into his eyes, she had whispered:

“It’s okay.”

Even though she must have been in shock from what had happened.

The way she smiled, as if to reassure Raymund the moment she saw him, was burned into his memory and wouldn’t fade.

The warmth he’d held in his hands seemed to rise again, and Raymund clenched the air.

He didn’t know why, but he wanted to have it.

For the first time in his life, greed stirred within him.