I'm Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 161

I wondered where Enoch had gone, but he must have been behind my back, because he scooped me up from behind and made me change seats. 

It was a round table, and I ended up sitting between Arthdal and Enoch. Kayden grumbled, his face full of discontent.

“Margaret, are you all right?” Enoch asked me. It was only after his question that I thought about my condition again.

Am I…… okay? 

His question made my mind go blank. Nothing came to mind.

“Actually, I don’t think we’re all okay, that’s normal, so I won’t pretend to be okay.”

Enoch looked at me wordlessly and then nodded, while Kayden stared at the side of my face.

Arthdal, who had been watching us silently, broke the ice with a softer tone. “You are right, young lady. If you force yourself to pretend to be okay, you’ll only feel sick inside. We’re all lucky to be alive. I’m actually proud of us all. Think about it. We saved the world, and no one knows it yet.”

Although he is the suspicious type, he is basically a cheerful and positive person.

Although I think he’s the one who tries the hardest to pretend he’s okay, because he lost an eye.

Then I suddenly realized that Kayden and I were still wearing the same clothes, and Enoch and Arthdal had changed.

“They don’t have a dress, so I can’t change, but where did you guys get your clothes?” I asked.

Arthdal shrugged as if it was no big deal. “There are plenty of spare clothes for men.”

“The dress is on its way, so you have to be patient. For your information, there are no female knights assigned to this infantry unit, so it takes the same amount of time to get a female soldier uniform. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to just wait for the dress?”

Enoch rose from his seat after his explanation.

He took tea leaves from a shelf beside the table, poured water into a kettle, and began to boil the water. Arthdal sat down next to him and began setting the teacups.

“I’m more comfortable in pants than a dress……. no, no. Yes, I’ll wear a dress. I’ll get used to it. I’m Margaret.”

This time, the three men stared at me wordlessly. Somehow it felt like a look of sympathy.

“Your Highness, we have the tea you mentioned. I shall go in.”

I looked back at Arthdal and Enoch, puzzled by the sudden voice from outside the barracks. 

Enoch had a puzzled look on his face as well.

The knight came in carrying a set of teacups and looked surprised to see Enoch and Arthdal busily making tea.

“I…… I apologize. I didn’t hear you say anything about not needing tea. I’ll take the teacup set back.”

The knight bowed his head while stammering with a pale face, Enoch and Arthdal’s faces were stiff.

Both men had been on a remote island long enough to have gotten used to doing everything with their own hands. Arthdal only set the teacups, but it was Enoch who served the tea.

Kayden clicked his tongue as he watched. “Just put it down and go, I’m sure it tastes better than theirs.”

At Kayden’s words, the knight, who had been standing there, turned to look at Enoch.

Enoch sighed in embarrassment and nodded. “Leave it,” he said.

The knight, who appeared to be a young boy, set the teacup down in front of us, his hands fidgeting nervously as he realized he had made a mistake.

Then he stood up straight with a military stance, gave Enoch a roaring salute, and strode out of the barracks. 

“Pfft.”

As soon as the knight was out of the barracks, I burst out laughing. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve laughed so heartily, but it was a very funny situation. There was a kind of bond that only we could relate to. 

“I guess I’ll have to adjust myself,” Arthdal said, sipping his hot tea with a grin on his face.

I laughed so hard I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned to Arthdal and Enoch. “Anyway, what do you have to say? I have something to ask you too.”

All eyes turned to me at my question.

Arthdal spoke first. “Something to ask?”

“What should we say if someone asks about our whereabouts when we went missing?”

Once again, it was Arthdal who answered my question. “I think it’s better to tell the truth, that it was a kidnapping.”

“Are you saying there should be an open investigation?”

“An open investigation? I’ve never heard that term before, but it makes sense. It’s gotten to the point of a continental war, you know. The whole country is watching this now. If we conduct an open investigation, the people behind the experiment will try to make a move.”

“Or they might stay quiet as a mouse.”

Arthdal and Enoch nodded in agreement. 

Arthdal added, “All the better, then, because we’ll be able to find Alea Island unhindered.”

“Alea Island?” I asked.

Enoch replied, “As Arthdal said, we will conduct our investigation publicly, focusing on finding the forces behind this. But before we do that, we need to find the destroyed Alea Island.”

“What? Wait, wasn’t Alea Island an island in another time and space, uh… I mean, I thought it existed in another dimension?” I asked, a little confused by Enoch’s words.

Besides, wasn’t Alea Island completely destroyed?

“Young lady, do you remember the portal gate we went through?” Arthdal asked.

He must be referring to the escape gate we used to escape with Eunji. 

I nodded, and Kayden, sitting next to me, spoke up, “It was not a portal gate that opened a dimensional door or led to another place in time and space. It was coordinated to the southern coast of the Langridge Empire.”

“Then……”

“They built Alea Island somewhere on the southern coast of the empire and twisted time and space.”

Enoch nodded at Kayden’s words. “The island has been destroyed, but there must be remnants. We must find Alea Island before those behind the experiment do, and we must secure the evidence.”

“You’re all here because you’ve been betrayed by those close to you… well, some not so close.”

“When you leave the island, there’s a peony caught in a spider web. Find it, it’s proof of their involvement.”

Anata must have said something like that. I nodded, listening to Enoch’s words.

“So there’s more behind the experiment than just the Holy See and House Rohade, as Anata said?”

Arthdal nodded at my question. “Yes. There are more, and they have ties to this war. The Bilterheims seem to know something about them.”

My eyes widened in surprise at the sudden mention of Diego’s family.

“The Bilterheims?”

I looked up, but Diego was nowhere to be seen. Are people from the Bilterheim family in this camp?

Enoch continued his explanation, “Apparently, the Bilterheims were originally one of the forces behind the experiment, but in Sir Diego’s generation, the current Duke and Duchess rebelled……”

“My God. Is that why Sir Diego was included in the list of subjects?”

“That’s right. It’s their revenge.”

Only then did I remember what the vengeful spirits had said to Diego.

[Bad people-]

[Those who killed us-]

[This bastard’s blood-!! Is filthy-!!!]

Obviously, those words were directed at Diego.

“Diego’s younger brother is a member of the Imperial Knights, and he’s been called up to fight in this war, but he’s not in this camp, he’s in the western camp, and Sir Diego is there.”

I nodded slowly at Enoch’s words. “Well, we’ll have to talk to him when he comes back.”

And with that, I thought to myself, ‘Well, at least it’ll be peaceful until he comes back,’ and ‘I’ll just lay down in the barracks.’

That is, until the next day, when I witnessed the rare sight of the entire infantry being punished by Enoch for neglecting military discipline.

***

[I thought you’d tell them about me, why hide it?]

Jenas’ voice echoed in Kayden’s head as soon as he returned to his barracks. Kayden didn’t answer, just lay down on his bed. 

[Hey, descendant. You’re not answering?]

After staring up at the ceiling of the barracks, Kayden spoke in a low voice, “Balhyeon.” [1]

[1] A spell. Its literal meaning is a state in which the spirit hidden inside is revealed to the outside.

[Argh-!]

Jenas groaned in pain.

“You’re going to rebel like that at every turn when you’re under a soul-binding contract? I commend you on your tenacity.”

[Insolent……! Argh.]

Kayden clicked his tongue while listening to the arrogant voice of Jenas, who never gave up.

“You’re comfortable there, aren’t you? But you’re not supposed to be comfortable, bxstard, you’re supposed to feel that pain all the time, it’s kind of like a punishment.”

As it turned out, the lightning bolts that struck Jenas were actually vengeful spirits. This allowed Kayden to safely subdue Jenas and bind his soul. 

First, Jenas is forever sealed within Kayden’s body. Therefore, he can never harm him or go against his will.

Second, he will help find the forces responsible for the experiment. For every one of them killed, Jenas’ every remaining Jenas’ soul will be torn apart one by one.

Third, he can never lie to Kayden.

Since it was difficult to remove all of Jenas’s grain-like soul, the next best option was the Soul-binding Contract.

There is something called a ‘seal’ in a soul-binding contract. It was a punishment for those who went against their master’s will. It involves stamping the soul with a giant seal that is heated in a fire and pressed down, causing terrible pain that burns the entire body.