I'm Stuck on a Remote Island With the Male Leads - Chapter 213

“I was worried. I’m so glad you’re okay, thank God.”

Enoch seemed taken aback at first by my emotional reaction. But then a strong forearm wrapped around my waist and a low voice whispered in my ear.

“I love this warm welcome, but I’m afraid your family might faint from surprise.”

The words jolted me back to reality and I pulled away from Enoch. When I turned around, I saw my family, who had run after me, staring at the two of us, stunned.

“I apologize, Your Highness, we didn’t have enough time to be ready, so I’m afraid we’re looking a little unprepared.”

“It’s okay, it’s my fault for the rushed visit,” Enoch replied calmly to my mother’s apology.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, then smiled in embarrassment. Somehow I felt like an immature aristocrat.

“I……, do you mind if the two of us speak privately first?”

My mother, Innis, and Rosemary nodded in response to my question. Fortunately, my father had left for work at the palace, so there was no one to interrupt my date with Enoch.

“Oh?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Are you going to the drawing room?”

“No, I’m going out to the garden. I’m going for a walk.”

I took Enoch’s hand and answered the three women’s questions. I heard Enoch chuckle softly. I felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment.

“Yes, you’ve been lying in bed, you need a walk.”

“Take care.”

After hearing my mother and Innis’s answer, I went out into the garden with Enoch.

It was the season of transition from the warmth of spring to the freshness of summer. As I walked with Enoch through the green and bright garden, I felt a sense of peace that brought tears to my eyes.

I can’t believe a time like this has come for us.

After a moment of emotion, I stopped, turned to Enoch, and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Enoch, who followed me, nodded slowly. He reached out and stroked my hair gently.

“I came running when I heard you were awake. I couldn’t use the portal gate now, so I had to use the carriage.”

Enoch’s fingers brushed past my forehead and down my cheek. I closed my eyes for a moment and felt his touch. His thumb gently roamed over my cheek.

I slowly opened my eyes to see Enoch staring at me with an intense gaze.

“I’m fine.”

A smile as if drawn with a brush spread across Enoch’s lips.

“I actually thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to die with you, when I finally heard your confession. It would have been romantic to die in that state.”

“There’s nothing romantic about dying.”

Enoch chuckled at my rebuke. There was a mischievous look on his face.

I stared at him, dumbfounded, because it was so rare for him to laugh so loudly with such an open face.

Then, suddenly, a wave of remorse washed over me, engulfing me. I quickly turned grim and shut my mouth.

“I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Seeing my sullen face, Enoch fidgeted and apologized to me.

“It wasn’t that……. I’m sorry, I realized it too late. I like you, Enoch.”

As I said that, I stole a glance at Enoch’s face, but he only looked at me passionately.

“You’re driving me crazy.”

He sighed, looking so happy. Then, this time, he took a deep breath and slowly rubbed his face.

“If you’re this adorable…….”

He leaned in a little closer to me, cupped my cheeks in his large hands, and lowered his head slowly. I gasped in surprise as he leaned in as if he was going to kiss me.

“I can’t stand it.”

“What?”

But Enoch didn’t bother to answer my question, leaving a brief kiss on my lips.

Blushing, I quickly looked around. Fortunately, there was no one else in the garden, and when I looked again, Enoch was staring at me, arms crossed, very relaxed.

He smiled languidly and said, “Instead of saying I’m sorry, I’d prefer you to say I love you.”

“E-Enoch!”

My bewildered exclamation caused him to burst into laughter again, this time with amusement.

And after the laughter died down, I asked, “Ah, Enoch. By the way, did you hear about that? Kayden has…….”

“He will be fine.”

“What? How do you know? Have you met him?”

“I haven’t seen him since we got back. I saw him when he picked us up from the dimensional rift, and you weren’t awake at the time.”

There was a moment’s silence, his face troubled. 

“He’ll need to regain his strength, too. I think it would be best to give him some time.”

Enoch’s words reminded me of what Yuanna had said. She’d mentioned hibernation.

Why would he need to hibernate? Had he truly left his mortal form? And if so, had he stepped into the God’s realm?

I have so many questions.

As I stood there, thinking about Kayden, Yuanna entered the garden.

“You two, I was told you were here. Everyone came when they heard you had woken up, Meg. There’s His Highness Arthdal, Archbishop Ruzef, and Sir Diego.”

Eunji was in Yuanna’s arms. He said he’s happy to have a pretty friend, and he follows Yuanna very well.

“I heard Your Highness was too busy to even move, but I see you managed to get out of the palace?”

“Margaret has woken up, and I can’t stay locked up in the palace, but I have to go back.”

Answering Yuanna’s question lightly, Enoch grabbed my hand, his tone resolute as he spoke to me.

“Just wait a little while for me to sort things out.”

Wait for what?

“Then I will formally propose to you.”

Again, I was dumbfounded, and my mouth dropped open like a crucian carp. A proposal?

He stroked my hair and kissed me on the forehead, and Yuanna, who was standing next to me, looked at us like she’d just chewed on a rotten apple.

“I have to go now, so I won’t see the others. Say hello to them for me.”

“Sure. I know it’s hard, but it is what it is, times are tough. Take care.”

Yuanna left a greeting for Enoch that I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be a warning or a consolation, and Enoch shook his head.

Enoch bade us farewell and departed back to the palace. Then Yuanna, Eunji, and I made our way to the parlor where the others were waiting.

“Young lady?”

I opened the door to the parlor and was immediately greeted by the scent of flowers. The three men were sitting around a table drinking tea.

When Ruzef spotted me entering the parlor, he jumped to his feet and ran to me. He pulled me into a strong embrace.

“Thank God you’re okay.”

His body trembled as he hugged me. Next, Arthdal and Diego stood up and came to me.

“Are you okay?”

“Seriously, young lady…… you have a way of making people’s hearts soar and freefall.”

Diego and Arthdal said to me in turn.

I smiled at them. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Come on, sit down, you must be tired. Oh, that kid’s here too?” Arthdal said, motioning for me and Yuanna to take a seat, then looked surprised when he spotted Eunji.

“Not ‘that kid’, I am Eunji!”

Eunji shouted in Yuanna’s arms, causing Ruzef and Diego to stare at him curiously.

There was no time to explain to them that Eunji had been transformed into a human.

“So, Eunji, how did you feel after swallowing the mad wizard?” Arthdal asked, watching him in curiosity.

Eunji nodded cheerfully. “It was delicious!”

He probably didn’t mean that Jenas was delicious, but rather that he was referring to the magic stone. But Ruzef, Diego, and Arthdal, who didn’t know the hidden meaning, turned white.

“Well, it looks like you had a good meal.”

Arthdal avoided Eunji’s gaze, panicking.

“I’m glad you’re all safe,” I said.

Arthdal nodded tiredly. “It’s been a lot of work cleaning up the mess.”

“How come you’re not going back to the kingdom and still in Langridge?”

“What do you think of my power? I’m allowed to be here. But with the way things are going, I’ll have to go back soon.”

Arthdal answered nonchalantly, then asked me with a puzzled look.

“By the way, how come your mana is still intact?”

“How do you know?”

“You forgot that I have a magic eye?”

Yuanna turned to Arthdal, looking troubled. “I’m sure you’re aware of the situation, but I think it’s best if we keep the fact that Margaret has mana between us.”

“Of course. Besides, there’s someone else with more mana than her,” Arthdal replied, smirking.

He was obviously referring to Kayden.

I glanced at Ruzef, trying to change the subject.

“How’s the situation with the Holy See? I mean, the divine power is gone, and so is the Pope’s.”

“The Archbishop will be made pope, the first pope in a world without divine power.”

Yuanna answered for Ruzef, who was still sobbing as he looked at me.

Arthdal chimed in, “I suppose it will be hard for religion to disappear from the human world. In times like these, everyone wants to believe in something. It’s a good thing Archbishop Ruzef is going to be the pope.”

Oh. A pope. I vaguely thought it was possible, but it was so unbelievable. Our Ruzef is going to be Pope. And from what I’ve heard, Arthdal will soon be crowned King of Hestia.

I watched the reclusive Diego sip his tea as he listened to our conversation and asked, “Are you all right, sir? What about Sir Marcel?”

Diego nodded in response to my question.

“We’re fine, thanks to you.”

“I’m flattered. You’ve had a rough time of it in the south of Langridge, I was told you helped my father.”

“He came to my aid. I didn’t know His Excellency the Duke of Floné was such a skilled swordsman,” Diego replied, looking as if he were recalling the past.

“I didn’t know my father had such swordsmanship either.”

“In any case, I think it would be a good idea to attend the execution the day after tomorrow. I’m going to leave for Hestia after that, but there’s also the coronation of our Archbishop that day, isn’t there?”

Everyone nodded at Arthdal’s question.

“Congratulations in advance. I’m sure you’ll be busy that day, so I don’t think I’ll be able to greet you personally.”

Ruzef nodded at my words. My congratulations were followed by Arthdal, Yuanna, and Diego.

“You should all be there when I’m crowned. I’ll send out invitations. If anyone can’t make it, I’ll write it down in my diary so I can remember,” said Arthdal.

“You keep a diary?”

“I’m a very detailed man.”

“That’s right. You’re the only one of us who carries a handkerchief.”

Come to think of it, neither I, a noblewoman, nor Yuanna, a saint, carried a handkerchief. Of course, that didn’t bother us at all, and we had no intention of carrying them. If I had to, I’d ask Vanessa.

“Oh, no, a handkerchief is a basic necessity……. Ha, never mind.”

We ended up laughing together at Arthdal’s resigned answer.

“It’s so nice to see you laughing so freely,” Ruzef said with a newfound look on his face, and Arthdal laughed out loud and slapped him on the back.

***

Since our meeting at the Floné Castle, I have not been able to see Enoch easily, for he has been too busy trying to organize the chaotic situation.

Instead, I’ve gotten letter after letter from him. I wonder if this is what it’s like to be in a long-distance relationship.

Luckily, I was also recovering and adjusting to a new world, so waiting for Enoch wasn’t too difficult.

“This is so uncomfortable. If there was magic, I could have gotten to the meeting through a video sphere.”

Innis grumbled as she prepared for her daily commute to the palace. For security reasons, even unimportant agenda items had to be discussed in person at the palace.

It wasn’t the only inconvenience: newspapers would be delayed, letters would not be delivered, and trains powered by magic stones would stop running.

Many magical and divinely-powered shops closed, causing unemployment and eventually an economic crisis.

This means that there are many problems that Enoch and I will have to deal with in the future.

Anyway, as we adjusted to the new world, the day of the execution of the Peony Blossom faction arrived.

Surprisingly, the Emperor of the Langridge Empire is among those to be executed.