Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 136

He was a young man with a genial appearance, holding a brown-haired woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. The woman appeared unconscious, her eyes closed despite the surrounding commotion.

Gideon, his expression cool, rested his hand on his sword.

“I carried her here after she collapsed, and you draw your sword? That’s a bit harsh.”

“Hand her over now.”

“Aren’t you curious why she collapsed?”

The brown-haired young man grinned, but Gideon’s gaze remained fixed solely on Vanessa’s pale face.

It was clear at a glance that she wasn’t well. Her fingertips were a mess, hinting at whatever she had been doing…

Gideon spat out each word.

“Hand her over this instant-”

“Aren’t you curious how *you* woke up?”

Only then did Gideon’s gaze lock onto the young man. Golden eyes blazing with fury made Bam Vandalu chuckle inwardly.

*Yes, a face like that makes saving the world worthwhile.*

Bam Vandalu nodded in satisfaction, thinking Vanessa had quite the eye for beauty.

Then, he noticed a woman with black hair and gray eyes emerging from behind, walking surrounded by members of the Royal Court. The colors reminded him of a friend from long ago, stirring up old memories.

Bam Vandalu said cheerfully.

“Vanessa Rose revived the magic circle for you and re-sealed the monsters. So, the Duke has awakened again, and Priba is safe.”

“What?”

Someone asked, spitting as they spoke, but the magician offered no further explanation. They would soon find out through their own investigations.

Bam Vandalu gestured to Gideon, then carefully handed Vanessa over to the large man who strode forward.

Gideon embraced Vanessa completely and stepped back. The two fit together perfectly, becoming whole. He felt the frantic beating of his heart finally settle.

“She won’t wake up right away. She exhausted too much power at once. It’s like being completely drained. Lay her down in a warm place, where the sun shines, and talk to her often, so she doesn’t linger in her dreams for too long.”

Gideon took off his outer coat and wrapped it tightly around her, then put gloves on her cold, frozen fingertips.

Having Vanessa back, he had no interest in the young man’s identity. He pressed his cheek against Vanessa’s cold cheek, sharing his warmth. Then, holding her protectively in his arms, he left the castle.

He didn’t care whether the people gathered around were astonished by their intimacy.

The King frowned, looking back and forth between the brown-haired young man and the dragon.

“Who are you?”

His dignity was gone, his voice sounding like a street thug picking a fight. Bam Vandalu chuckled.

“Who knows? Who am I?”

Offended by the rude tone, a member of the Royal Court shouted sharply.

“This is Priba’s First Castle. You won’t be able to escape, so you’d better submit to the investigation.”

“Why can’t I escape?”

“This place is under a magic prohibition circuit [a magical barrier preventing the use of magic], so hurry-”

“Oh, really? Who created that magic prohibition circuit?”

Bam Vandalu snickered. The moment the young man’s lips curled up, a splendid magic circle unfolded beneath his feet as if blooming. Everyone’s mouths fell open.

The First Castle, including the castle and the large garden, was completely covered by a magic prohibition circuit—a circuit that no one had been able to penetrate for a thousand years. Since Bam Vandalu had designed it himself, only he would know the way.

So, speculation naturally flowed in one direction.

*Could it be? Could that young man be…?*

The eyes of those who recalled Bam Vandalu’s portrait trembled violently. Wasn’t there something similar about the colors?

And before they could even rub their eyes, the young man’s face instantly aged and wrinkled, and his shoulders subtly stooped.

It was a sight that no one born in Priba could fail to recognize.

The great magician, having wiped away his smile, roared.

“I warn you, do not forget that you are alive thanks to that young magician, Vanessa Rose. The price she paid was great, so if the compensation is not sufficient, or if you even attempt to add to the trap, I will reawaken the monsters.”

Bam Vandalu stomped his foot on the ground. Then, dazzling lines shot out from the magic circle that had been rippling below, instantly swallowing the giant dragon.

Amid the murmuring noise, Bam Vandalu stared intently into the King’s eyes—clear gray eyes that sparkled like stars. He didn’t avoid his gaze and met it directly.

He clicked his tongue.

“The bloodline is tenacious. If it had been a different color, I would have just left it alone!”

And then, Bam Vandalu disappeared as well.

Despite the large number of people gathered, the surroundings were as silent as a graveyard. If it weren’t for the gardens completely crushed and mangled under the dragon’s weight, everyone would have thought they were having a waking dream.

“That magician, could it be…”

Someone mumbled in a daze, breaking the silence. The King sighed and opened his mouth.

“Check the status of Bam Vandalu’s magic circle… and assign magicians and doctors to Vanessa Rose. If the magician who saved Priba cannot awaken, I will not forgive you.”

It was the King’s voice. Everyone gathered bowed deeply.

However, despite the orders of the nation’s foremost king and the care of the one and only Duke, Vanessa did not awaken for quite some time.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

A ballad singer sat in a large square and began to sing loudly. His voice wasn’t particularly beautiful, but the rhythm and beat had a hearty power, and people began to gather.

The lyrics of the song he sang were based on the well-known fairy tale, *The Great Bam Vandalu and the Black Monster*, familiar even to children.

Up to this point, it was all familiar content, but the lyrics that followed were definitely new: the appearance of a wicked villain, the awakening of the black monster, and even an unknown magician, then the arrival of peaceful days.

It was perfect, without a single hole, so everyone listened with great interest.

The many events they had actually experienced added to the credibility. From the appearance of numerous monsters to the earth-shaking vibrations, the cloud-like events that had enveloped all of Priba had not been heard from for some time.

When the long song ended, people cheered loudly and threw coins in front of him. The ballad singer smiled broadly, carefully collecting even the rusty ones.

Someone asked with a curious voice.

“That was very interesting. I’ve been sad because there haven’t been many plays lately! But are the lyrics of this song original?”

“Original? It’s a true story! I wrote it myself and sang it here for the first time today.”

“Really?”

“Really! My niece’s wife’s father’s older brother is a high-ranking official in Priba’s cabinet! Bam Vandalu appeared in the garden of the First Castle and roared.”

The ballad singer bent down, thrust his face at the children sitting around, and shouted.

“This young magician put the black monster to sleep and saved Priba, so make sure no harm comes to her!”

The children opened their eyes wide and mouths agape. The ballad singer instantly changed his expression and smiled brightly.

“So, that unknown magician saved Priba?”

“That’s right! Even if you don’t believe me, you’ll soon have something to believe, so remember it.”

“If that’s true, it’s a really fortunate thing. Everyone has been having a hard time with the continuous vibrations lately. Only ominous rumors are rampant and useless! The young man at the fruit store next door had his arm broken by falling bricks.”

“Is that all? All sorts of monsters popped out and ran down the main street. Ugh! That was really the first time I’ve ever seen such a sight in my life.”

“It’s a very thankful and reassuring day. Thank you for the song.”

When someone took out a yellow coin instead of a silver one and handed it over, the ballad singer quickly took it and tucked it deep into his pocket.

“A young magician, how old is she? I would have been too scared to even go, but she’s amazing.”

“Don’t worry, no one would expect anything from you!”

Excited laughter erupted among the gathered people for the first time in a while. The rough-faced young man scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

But a suspicious voice popped out from within.

“Hey, that doesn’t make sense. Isn’t that a story without any evidence?”

“Then don’t believe it! Later on, you’ll be making a fuss about how curious you are about the rest of the song. Don’t regret it then!”

The person who spoke, seeing the ballad singer packing up his things as if he had been waiting for it, stammered.

“No, that’s not it. Then shouldn’t His Majesty give that magician a great reward right away? If it’s true, why isn’t he announcing the content?”

“He probably wants to, but he can’t! That magician is lying unconscious in Balder Castle, barely breathing! It’s because she used too much power.”

Someone sighed at the ballad singer’s dramatic attitude.

The rumor spread throughout Priba on the wings of song. People were relieved by the good news but wanted to know the truth.

As more and more people became curious, the King announced the content himself. A magician named Vanessa Rose, belonging to the Special Forces, had followed in Bam Vandalu’s footsteps and restored peace to Priba, and he expressed his gratitude to her in the King’s name.

The people of the kingdom, who had been groaning under many incidents, were able to fully enjoy their returned daily lives. They were grateful for the peaceful daily life that one magician had restored.

After that, the number of gazes peeking inside Balder Castle increased. There were also people who secretly came in the early morning and left freshly picked, dew-covered flowers.

But despite all this attention, the gates of Balder Castle remained firmly closed.