I'm Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 197

“His Highness said he was on his way to see you, so I came along.”

At my puzzled stare, Rosemary hastily made an excuse. Enoch naturally followed her into the room.

“Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were all right. No tea.”

Enoch looked at my face thoughtfully. He seemed to be making sure I was really okay. His gaze seemed a little unsteady.

Enoch had been like this ever since yesterday in the garden. He was anxious, as if I could disappear at any moment. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s come and gone to check on me since last night.

But it didn’t bother me, not at all.

On the contrary, I was grateful. I felt like my empty heart was being filled by the attention and care he was giving me, so I meekly let him do what he was doing.

I could see Rosemary slumped down on the arm of the bed, trying not to look at us.

“Margaret. Has Eunji been this weak all this time?”

Rosemary’s curious voice came through. It was Rosemary, the one who coddles Eunji even though she says she doesn’t.

“Uh, yeah. So I was wondering if I should leave her here. Should I give her some magic stones? Every time she eats a magic stone, she seems to grow a little bit.”

“She grows every time she eats a magic stone?”

Rosemary looked at me in surprise. Enoch was also looking at me with a questioning expression.

In the past, the monsters of Alea Island had evolved with the mana of the mother of monsters. Since Jenas’s magic stone generates the same magic waves as the mother of monsters, shouldn’t it have a similar effect?

“His Highness Arthdal said that there’s no problem with eating the magic stones. Even so, I thought it was strange that Eunji liked magic stones…….”

Eunji, who had her head down while listening to Rosemary’s words, slowly raised her head.

-hiss.

She hissed as if grumbling, “Why are you making so much noise when I’m sick?”

I turned away from Enoch and took out a magic stone from my desk drawer. I had a hunch that feeding Eunji a magic stone would revitalize her.

Enoch followed me to the bed and stood beside me, looking down at Eunji.

“Eunji, do you want to try this?”

I held out the magic stone to her as she woke up. As if her ears perked up, she slowly leaned her head into my palm, sniffed it, and then looked up at me with her eyes shining.

“Do you really want to eat it?” I asked, and she nodded.

Then, before I could give her permission, she swallowed the magic stone whole.

Her tail wagged gently. Her complexion seemed to improve a little. Snakes don’t have expressions, of course, so I couldn’t tell exactly, but I could feel it, since we could resonate.

As Eunji watched me and Rosemary, she finished eating the other magic stone in my hand, and then belched happily. Apparently, the magic stones were helping.

But here’s what happened next.

Suddenly, a bright light began to emanate from her body.

“Eunji!”

I called out in alarm, but the light from Eunji’s body grew brighter and brighter, until it was blinding.

A moment later, something lunged at me through the slowly fading glow and wrapped itself around my waist.

“……????”

I was at a loss for words, too panicked to say anything.

What the heck is going on? Who is this kid?

As I stood there confused, the kid raised his head and looked at me.

He had snow-white hair. Unlike Kayden’s silver hair. I froze in shock as I met his yellow pupils, which were slit vertically like a snake.

“Unnie!”

The kid held out his maple-leaf-like hand to me.

“Are you……, Eunji?”

“Yes, Unnie!”

The kid nodded vigorously and smiled brightly at my question. His face was flawless and adorable. Uh, I think it’s Noona, not Unnie.

[T/N: So Eunji is male and Margaret thought she was female.]

“You could turn into a person?”

If so, why hadn’t he turned human before? Maybe eating a lot of magic stones made him evolve or something? My head is spinning. I have no idea what the hell is going on.

Then Eunji waved his arms in the air and announced his regained energy.

“Ugly stone, every time I eat it, I get stronger. That’s why I changed!”

“……It looks like the magic stone is really helping him.”

Enoch said as he watched the scene unfold. Eunji nodded vigorously in agreement.

‘Eunji wasn’t a normal monster to begin with.’

Was all that pain and suffering a part of her preparation for evolution?

“A bad grandfather attacked me, so I got sick, but I ate an ugly stone, so I got stronger! That grandfather is bad!!”

Eunji’s calm explanation gradually grew angrier, and he ended with a scowl.

By bad grandfather, he was obviously referring to the Pope. And the ugly stone seemed to refer to the magic stone.

Just then, Eunji opened his arms toward Enoch. It looked like he was asking for a hug, but no matter how close Enoch and I are, he’s still the crown prince.

“Eunji. Unnie- no, let Noona give you a hug.”

I didn’t want to offend him and make him feel uncomfortable, but Enoch didn’t seem to mind, and he hugged Eunji gently.

Eunji tilted his head and stared at Enoch, as if trying to decide if he liked him enough. The way Enoch hugged him was so steady and natural.

When he smiled, his chestnut cheeks blushed. He was cute as a snake, but Eunji in a child’s form is adorable.

“Thank God.”

I held back a tear as I looked at the healthy-looking Eunji. Evolution or whatever, he’s okay. Thank God.

Eunji reached one hand out to me from Enoch’s embrace. Enoch gently picked him up and walked over to me, his chubby hands cupping my cheeks.

“Unnie, don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying, and I’m not an Unnie, but a Noona. I’m sorry. I didn’t know your gender, I just named you.”

I looked at Eunji and swallowed back the tears of relief that washed over me. Rosemary, who had been watching us quietly, spoke up.

“But I’ve never heard of a monster evolving into a human before, and judging by the way you evolved, I’m guessing you’re neither a divine beast nor a monster.”

Eunji, who had been touching my cheek, clenched his fist at Rosemary’s words.

“Eunji is neither a divine beast nor a monster!”

“Then what are you?”

“I am Meg Unnie’s sister!”

Eunji exclaimed proudly and put his hands on his waist. How cute.

Oh, yes. Eunji was born before my eyes. So he doesn’t know exactly who he is.

However, Rosemary frowned at Eunji’s words.

“What? Margaret is my Unnie.”

“No, she’s Eunji’s Unnie!”

“How can you be Margaret’s sister if you’re not even human?”

“No! You don’t have to be human to be her sister!”

“You can’t. I’m the only one who’s Margaret’s sister!”

“No!”

I stared at Rosemary and Eunji’s childish bickering in disbelief. Besides, Eunji is a boy, and neither of them seem to care about that.

Enoch looked back at me with a sudden realization.

“How many magic stones has Eunji eaten so far?”

“Seven?”

“Seven out of fifteen. And there’s still eight left,” Enoch muttered thoughtfully.

As we’d seen at the birthday party, more magic stones meant more power, so it was important to know who had the rest of the magic stones.

“Archbishop Rinnehaon was the only Peony Blossom to disappear from the party without being caught, so I’m guessing he took the other eight magic stones with him.”

Archbishop Rinnehaon and the magic stones that disappeared from the party, and Jenas, who disappeared after telling us to come to Alea Island. The Marquis of Rohade, who was the first to set out for Alea Island.

All the information points to one place.

“I was also troubled by the information that Marquis Rohade went to Alea Island, but given the circumstances, I wonder if Archbishop Rinnehaon is trying to hand over the magic stones to Marquis Rohade.”

Enoch nodded as if my words made sense.

Rosemary, who had been arguing with Eunji, looked back at us and asked, “But if Eunji evolves by eating magic stones, what happens if he eats the other eight magic stones as well? How far can he evolve?”

“Uh……. Um……. Dragon?”

Of course there was no way an anaconda could become a dragon, but it wasn’t a real anaconda anyway, it was a magical creature, so maybe it was possible?

At my answer, Rosemary’s eyes widened and she looked at Eunji, then she put her hand to her cheek and giggled.

“A dragon that I’ve only seen in old books? So cool!”

Eunji blinked at Rosemary’s excitement, not knowing what to make of it. I turned to Eunji, who was still snuggled in Enoch’s arms.

“Can you go back to being a snake? Are you now fully human?”

“Yes, I can go back! The ugly stone gives me strength, but if I look like a human too much, I’ll lose it again.”

“Really? Then go back to being a snake.”

At my words, Eunji nodded vigorously and smiled brightly. Then he closed his eyes, looking sleepy. Awww, he’s cute. I patted him on the head, overwhelmed by his cuteness.

I didn’t get to ask Eunji any other questions, because he fell asleep and casually reverted to his snake form. He looked so angelic and cute as he slept soundly in Enoch’s arms, his tail twitching.

“Are you going to leave Eunji here?”

Rosemary asked, looking at me with wide eyes. She looked like she wanted me to leave Eunji at the castle, as I had originally thought, but I shook my head.

“Now that Eunji is better, I’ll take him to the island. I’ll be right back.”

I patted Rosemary’s head, and she glared at me, annoyed that I was treating her like a child, but didn’t move my hand away.

Enoch, who had been watching the two sisters, turned to me.

“I think we should get going, so let’s get you changed.”

Rosemary glared and disappeared to see Innis, and I quietly slipped into the dressing room to change. I changed into the pants, cropped tee, and bomber jacket I’d worn on Alea Island. Vanessa had made sure they were clean.

‘Wait, Vanessa.’

I grabbed my cross-body bag, threw in my flares and bullets, and left the dressing room.

“I’m ready, let’s go.”

Enoch, who was waiting for me with Eunji, nodded.

Meeting up with Arthdal and Yuanna, who were also ready, we stood in front of the portal gate. The wizards of Magic Tower had built the portal gate in the Floné Castle.

“It’s impossible to go directly to the island without knowing the exact coordinates, so I’ll take the coordinates Sir Diego sent me – on the southern coast.”

Said one of the wizards who was setting the coordinates of where we would arrive. Enoch and I nodded, as did Yuanna and Arthdal.

“We’ll get this place organized and be on our way. Be careful.”

My mother, Innis, and Rosemary waved to us.

The Emperor’s decree had been issued, and none of the other people who attended the party were allowed to leave the Floné Castle, except for us, the survivors, until the investigation was complete.

We decided to enlist the aid of the wizards of Magic Tower in the capital. Diego needed their help to keep the perpetrators from entering the island. Kayden, our only wizard, is no longer with us.

We would be joined by reinforcements from the palace once we reached the coast.

I said goodbye to my mother, Innis, and Rosemary with a forced smile.

“I’ll be back.”

We must find Ruzef and get Kayden back.