SWNOVELXO Chapter 28 - I’ll Carry You and Run
“Marquis Spencer! I suggest you remove your hand from the sword immediately.”
Luance locked eyes with Taishar’s crimson gaze. It was like a frog staring into the eyes of a ravenous snake—paralyzed, unable even to think of escape.
“Prince Luance, you’ve ignored my warnings.”
“W-wait… If you raise your sword against me, it will mean war!”
Taishar smirked and began to draw his blade.
“Marquis Spencer.”
A gentle voice interrupted him, halting his actions. Taishar smoothly slid the half-drawn sword back into its sheath and strode over to Laurencia.
“What is the matter, Lady Laurencia?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Did you just say you’re hungry?”
“Yes.”
Laurencia blushed deeply and nodded. Truthfully, she wasn’t hungry at all.
“I thought as much.”
“Pardon?”
“I was worried since you’ve been eating so little. Is there anything specific you’d like to eat?”
“I’d like to have the potato soup I didn’t finish earlier.”
Laurencia forced a bright smile as she spoke. Seeing her smile, Taishar’s own expression softened, and he chuckled, as if utterly pleased. Laurencia watched him laugh, quietly exhaling in relief.
She had never imagined Taishar would draw his sword in the royal palace, let alone threaten Luance. Seeing him ready to strike as if he truly intended to kill Luance, she had called out to him in desperation. Thankfully, he stopped.
“Lady Laurencia, the potato soup you left earlier is no longer available. I’ll prepare something even more delicious instead.”
“The cocoa Marquis Spencer brought was delicious too. Can I have some more of that?”
“Of course. I’ll also prepare some milk with strawberries, which is equally delightful.”
“Alright. I’ll eat and drink whatever you bring me.”
Seeing Laurencia agree so willingly, Taishar felt a surge of warmth and emotion. He had been worried about her eating too little, but Susanna had warned him that forcing her to eat too much at once could upset her stomach. It was better to gradually increase her portions.
Susanna had also emphasized that willingness was key when it came to eating. So, watching Laurencia express her desire to eat filled Taishar with a mix of pride and tenderness. The anger that had flared up because of Luance dissipated like smoke.
“This won’t do.”
“Pardon?”
Taishar suddenly became restless. He needed to return to his room immediately to tend to the hungry Laurencia. As if coming to a firm decision, he gently picked her up like a princess.
“Excuse me, Lady Laurencia.”
Her perspective shifted as she found herself face-to-face with Taishar’s crimson eyes. From behind, she heard the maid Meru exclaim, “Oh my! Marquis Spencer!”
“I’m going to carry you and run.”
“Put Laurencia down right now!”
Luance shouted, his eyes blazing with fury. In that instant, the hostility in Taishar’s red eyes grew even sharper. The warmth he had shown Laurencia moments ago was replaced with a chilling, murderous glare as he looked at Luance.
“I see I was mistaken. It’s clear now that Prince Luance is someone undeserving of consideration.”
The sheer force of Taishar’s presence drained the color from Luance’s face. His body trembled, his legs felt weak, and he could barely breathe under the oppressive weight of Taishar’s aura.
“Marquis Spencer.”
“Yes?”
“Could you please put me down?”
At Laurencia’s request, Taishar’s killing intent vanished in an instant, replaced by a radiant smile.
“Feeding you is an urgent matter, Lady Laurencia. Since I need to carry you quickly, I’m afraid I can’t put you down just yet.”
Laurencia lightly tapped Taishar’s shoulder and pleaded to be let down. Reluctantly, he set her back on the ground, letting out a heavy sigh. He then glared at Luance with evident displeasure.
“Prince Luance.”
“Laurencia. Let’s go back.”
“I’ve been thinking about why you keep suggesting I return to the Count’s estate. Is it because of the medicine I’ve been drinking every day?”
Her unexpected question left Luance’s mind blank. The medicine he had been giving her was called Digenne.
It was an alchemical potion designed to amplify magical power. However, its effects came with a severe downside: the body couldn’t handle the increasing magic, leading to physical collapse. Due to this, Digenne was a prohibited substance.
Laurencia, being the so-called “monster,” could handle it, or so Daniel had assured him. She even claimed that drinking Digenne recently had made her feel better. This had only reinforced the belief that she was, indeed, no ordinary human.
But since Digenne was banned, its distribution by Duke Greykan’s household—and Luance’s involvement—would spell disaster if discovered.
“You told me the potion was made by someone trustworthy from the royal palace,” Laurencia said.
Hearing this, Luance felt an unprecedented surge of frustration toward her. He knew she lacked awareness, having been sheltered most of her life, but he never imagined she would bring up such a sensitive topic at a time like this. Worse, she said it in front of Taishar, who had just moments ago been ready to draw his sword.
“Did you say this potion was made in the royal palace, Lady Laurencia?”
“Yes, Marquis Spencer. Prince Luance personally ensures I receive it every day for my health.”
“Prince Luance.”
“Laurencia, let’s return to the Count’s manor.”
“I’ve been thinking about why you keep suggesting we return to the manor. Could it be because of the potion I’ve been drinking every day?”
Luance froze at her unexpected question, his mind going completely blank. The potion he had been giving Laurencia was called Digenne.
Digenne was an alchemical potion designed to amplify magical power. However, it was infamous for its dangerous side effects—while it increased magical energy, the body couldn’t handle the strain, leading to physical collapse. For this reason, it was a prohibited substance.
Daniel had assured Luance that Laurencia, being the “monster” she was, could handle it. Recently, Laurencia herself had claimed that drinking Digenne made her feel better, which only reinforced Luance’s belief that she wasn’t ordinary.
But since Digenne was banned, its distribution by Duke Greykhan’s household—and Luance’s involvement—would result in serious consequences if discovered.
“You told me the potion was made by someone trustworthy from the royal palace,” Laurencia said, her tone guileless.
At that moment, for the first time, Luance felt a murderous urge toward her. He knew she lacked awareness after being sheltered her entire life, but he hadn’t expected her to blurt out such a sensitive topic—especially not in front of Taishar, who had just moments ago been ready to draw his sword against him.
“Did you say this potion was made in the royal palace, Lady Laurencia?” Taishar asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, Marquis Spencer. Prince Luance personally ensures I receive it every day for my health.”
Taishar’s eyes narrowed further as he fixed Luance with a suspicious glare. To him, Laurencia didn’t look remotely healthy. The claim that this was a “health-boosting” potion made him want to laugh.
More importantly, it was strictly forbidden for potions manufactured in the palace to be taken outside. The composition of these potions could reveal illnesses afflicting the royal family, making their export a serious breach of protocol. Even if the potion was genuinely beneficial, it would never be allowed to leave the palace.
Taishar also doubted the potion being given to Laurencia—referred to as the “Young Sapling”—was anything remotely normal.
“What kind of potion is it?”
“I don’t know the exact details, but I was told I need to take it daily.”
“A potion for health, you say? I’d like to try it myself,” Taishar said, feigning interest. His blunt curiosity clearly unsettled Luance, whose discomfort was written all over his face.
“No, Marquis Spencer, you mustn’t!” Laurencia interjected.
“And why not, Lady Laurencia?” Taishar asked with a raised brow.
“Prince Luance told me this potion is specially tailored just for me.”
Laurencia smiled sweetly, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
“Prince Luance, where can I find this potion you’ve been giving me? Is there a place in the palace where it’s prepared?”
She decided to push Luance just a little further, hoping to watch him squirm under the weight of his own lies. Sure enough, his expression betrayed his rising panic.
“If that’s not possible, could you bring it to me daily, just like you did at the manor?” Laurencia added with a sly twist of her lips when she noticed him avoiding her gaze.
“…You don’t need to take that potion anymore,” Luance muttered before abruptly fleeing the room.
Laurencia watched him leave and then turned her gaze to Taishar, who stood by her side as her escort.
Surely, Taishar had already realized that the potion Luance had been giving her wasn’t normal.
“Marquis Spencer.”
“Yes?”
“Were you really about to draw your sword and strike a royal earlier?”
“I just wanted to scare him a little,” Taishar replied nonchalantly.
Luance’s taunts had pushed Taishar over the edge, and he’d nearly acted on them. In his mind, he hadn’t done anything wrong. If Luance tried to pressure the Spencer household over this incident, Taishar was confident he could retaliate in kind.
However, Luance didn’t seem inclined to take any action. His earlier nervousness, paired with Laurencia’s question, had sent him scurrying away. The potion was definitely suspicious, and just thinking about it stoked Taishar’s anger. He resolved to find out exactly what Luance had been giving her.
“Lady Laurencia.”
“Yes?”
“What kind of potion was it that Prince Luance gave you?”
“It was a potion… He said it was good for my health.”
“A potion, you say…”
Laurencia, completely unaware of the implications, answered Taishar’s questions with innocent candor. She described the potion’s color, consistency, and dosage in detail. The more she explained, the darker Taishar’s expression grew.
When they returned to Taishar’s quarters, Susanna greeted Laurencia warmly.
“Lady Laurencia.”
“Susanna, the young lady says she’s hungry. Bring her a meal right away,” Taishar ordered urgently.
Laurencia blushed. She had only said she was hungry to prevent Taishar from escalating the situation with Luance earlier. She hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously.
“Please wait just a moment. Marquis, step outside while I help the young lady change. Her current attire isn’t suitable for dining,” Susanna said firmly.
“Change her clothes? That’s not important right now! She said she’s hungry, and her meal takes priority!” Taishar protested.
“I understand, Marquis. But the young lady’s outfit is too cumbersome for her to eat comfortably. I’ll need to change her into something more appropriate.”
“Fine. Will five minutes suffice?”
“Why don’t you walk to the princess’s reception room and back? That should give us enough time.”
Taishar frowned. The reception room was a thirty-minute walk away.
“Fine, if I must. Lady Laurencia, I’ll fetch a meal and a scroll with a treatment order.”
“I’ll wait,” Laurencia replied with a soft smile.
After confirming Taishar had left, Susanna guided Laurencia to sit on the bed. She gently tied up Laurencia’s hair, revealing the delicate line of her cheek, previously hidden beneath her locks.