Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 32.2
Chapter 32.2
“…Huh?”
My hand shot out towards the beast. The dagger in my grasp transformed, its blade lengthening, piercing the beast’s neck. I felt the distinct sensation of the blade slicing through skin, muscle, and bone.
“Ugh.”
I landed hard, my rear hitting the ground. The beast, its neck impaled, lay still. My blood, coating the blade, must have ensured a swift death.
“What in the world…?”
The shock of the near-attack was overshadowed by the transformation of the dagger. It had changed shape completely, becoming a sword. Ignoring the lingering danger, I crossed the bridge to the annex, thankfully unimpeded.
“Haah…”
Reaching the annex, I was suddenly struck by the absurdity of it all. This was all because of Hector, that wretched man. I slid down the wall, sitting with my legs drawn up. Bashar would have taken Kelliard somewhere safe. Catching my breath, I looked down at the weapon in my hand, still in its elongated form. The small dagger, barely a handspan long, was now a slender small sword, several times its original length.
“What are you…?”
As I stared at the small sword, it twitched.
“What now?”
The straight blade rippled, undulating like a wave.
“The… the sword is going crazy.”
I scrambled to my feet, too stunned to drop the weapon. I could only watch as it continued to transform. The dagger, then the small sword, now shifted into something entirely different, something incredibly familiar.
“…Snowy?”
The sharp metal had become a snake, pure white scales, cool to the touch, a flickering tongue, and jet-black eyes. It was identical to the snake Ronen had given me.
“How did you… why is the sword…?”
Hiss!
Snowy, flicking its forked tongue, slithered towards my left arm, nudging it with its snout.
“Hmm? What is it?”
I followed its gaze to the blood-soaked ribbon tied around my arm. It had come loose, no longer stemming the flow of blood.
“Oh, you want me to re-tie it?”
As I fumbled with the ribbon, Snowy began to coil around my injured arm, its cool scales soothing the burning wound. Then, just as quickly as it had transformed from a sword, Snowy became a bandage.
“Uh…”
I stared at my arm, dumbfounded.
This was no ordinary snake. Especially considering its lack of aggression in this corrupted space. Cautiously, I poked the bandage with my right hand. It felt exactly like… a bandage.
“I’ve never heard of snakes doing this.”
In all my time with the children, I had never seen them transform into anything other than their snake forms. They shed their skin, yes, but their basic form remained serpentine. A dagger, a small sword, a snake, and now a bandage.
“Snakes are amazing creatures…”
I murmured, a sudden realization dawning on me.
At the shop Ricardo and I visited, I saw a talking parrot. Unlike the snakes who only conversed with me, this creature spoke human languages, possessed its own will, and moved freely. The shopkeeper, observing the parrot, declared it a magical creature. Much about magical creatures remained unknown. No one knew how many existed or what forms they took. So, it hadn’t occurred to me that Hayang might be one. At least outwardly, he looked no different from other children.
“Speaking of which, the shopkeeper said magical creatures eat magic stones, didn’t he?” I was responsible for Snowy’s care, which naturally included its diet. The problem was the price of magic stones…. Practical considerations made my head throb. At this rate, I’d be stuck here all night, lost in thought.
“Sigh…”
This wasn’t the time. I glanced at the sky. The darkening made it difficult to see clearly, yet the sun’s position was easier to discern than in broad daylight. It had been well over an hour, maybe two, since I arrived at the mansion. Even if Damian was delayed, he wouldn’t keep Kishan’s princes waiting for hours. Moreover, he’d have sent knights as soon as the summoned beasts were spotted outside. I just had to hold on a little longer.
Thinking of Bashar waiting in the annex, I entered the building. He had gone ahead to find a safe place for Kelliard, which meant I needed to find him. The mere absence of rampaging beasts within the building lightened my steps.
‘Of course, the enemy would be targeting the sanctuary within the annex as well.’
The sanctuary was a space impervious to both the summoned beasts and the frenzied animals outside. Therefore, the culprit would have to act directly this time, to kill the prince hiding in the annex.
Thud, thud.
“Damn it, I can’t believe the one in the back garden was Prince Haroon…!” Startled by the sudden sound, I quickly hid. Someone was approaching from the other end of the hallway.
