Chapter 99.2

Despite the slight differences in architecture, with buildings in the northern region shorter and thicker-walled, the spring scenery reminded Canillia of the capital city. The streets were alive with the sounds of people chattering and clinking glasses, enjoying the festive atmosphere.

As she passed by an art supply store not far from the convent, Canillia’s curiosity got the better of her. Stepping inside, she was greeted by the unique scent of paint and various types of canvases. Among the unusual items she couldn’t identify, she found two thin pieces of paper, pen nibs, ink, and crayons.

“Please bill the amount to the Duke of Ihar,” she instructed the owner, who looked surprised as he scanned her up and down. “How should I write your name?” he asked.

“You can write it as Canillia,” she replied.

Despite his hesitation, the owner dutifully wrote down her name, and then handed over the purchased items. Canillia quickly grabbed them and her driver approached, waiting with a sturdy envelope in hand.

As Lia carefully selected pens of various colors, a sudden and deafening noise erupted from outside the building. The ground quaked beneath her feet, the massive vibrations shaking her to the core. Her eyes widened in shock as she rushed outside to see what was happening.

Panic and chaos had engulfed the once-relaxed city. The dust thickened, and people across the street fanned themselves in all directions. Everyone was startled and terrified, as the building in front of them began to crumble.

“Quickly, call a doctor! Hurry!” someone shouted. “My baby is inside there, my baby!” another voice cried out in desperation.

One side of the wall had collapsed, and it was uncertain when the rest of the building would follow. People were trying to enter the building to save those inside, while others attempted to stop them. It was utter chaos.

Through the confusion, Lia could see familiar figures jumping into the building without hesitation. “Claude?” she gasped in disbelief. “Duke Ihar!” she called out, hoping to get his attention.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of people screaming. The person who had just jumped into the building was indeed Claude. In the distance, she could see Ivan coming out of the building, unable to keep up with the duke.

In a state of panic, Lia rushed towards Ivan. Her heart raced as she looked at the unstable building in front of her, a mixture of wood and stone that threatened to collapse at any moment. Her panic was palpable as she addressed Ivan, her voice trembling.

“Ivan! What happened? Did the Duke go inside?”

“He did, miss. But he’s not alone,” Ivan reassured her.

Lia’s worry only intensified. “How can I not worry? I don’t know when it’s going to collapse!”

Taking a deep breath, Lia steeled herself. She knew she had to take action to prevent the worst from happening. If she could buy some time, the people inside the building could escape safely.

With a determined look on her face, Lia scanned her surroundings for anything she could use. Her eyes landed on a tall wooden fence on the left side of the building, sturdy and twice her height. She turned to Ivan and the driver, clenching her fists.

“Help me! Quickly!”

Leading the way through the crowd, Lia urged them on. “If we tilt this wooden fence, we can prevent the building from completely collapsing! Come on, we have to tilt it somehow!”

Lia refused to stand idly by while others were in danger. Ivan and the driver understood the urgency of the situation and joined her in pushing the fence. The people around them quickly caught on, adding their strength to the effort. As they worked to tilt the fence, others began to jump in.

“I am with you!”

“I am too!”

“Everyone, join hands! Together, on three!”

Thud!

The freshly erected wooden fence had yet to settle into the soil, but Lia held onto the belief that it would hold. She quickly scanned her surroundings and signaled to the man holding a shovel to dig the earth along the wall. Workers, who had rushed from a nearby construction site, started digging with great urgency. On the opposite end, Ivan and his team pushed against the wall with all their might.

With every collective hit, the wooden wall shifted and groaned. Despite the chaos and danger, everyone pulled together with a common goal. Slowly but surely, the sturdy fence began to tilt, creating a support for the unstable building.

Lia’s eyes darted back and forth between the entrance where Claude was expected to emerge and the fence. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her skin.

“Once more!” she shouted, rallying the group.

With every last bit of strength, they pushed the fence away. As the sagging structure and the fence collided, there was a deafening sound. The crowd held their breath, waiting for the dust to settle. When it did, they saw the fence, which had supported the building just before it collapsed, and they erupted in cheers.

“Wonderful!”

Relieved smiles spread across the faces of the citizens, and those who had been trapped in the building began to emerge. The people cheered their return. Some of them appeared to have suffered serious injuries, but they were alive and breathing.

Shortly thereafter, doctors and ambulance workers arrived in a vehicle and carried the injured people away.

The people outside the building shouted out for the Duke as Claude emerged from the building, his arms full. In one, he held a newborn baby, wrapped tightly in a cloth, and in the other, a cat that had been left behind. Looking around frantically, he finally spotted the woman who had been wailing and rushed towards her.

Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she embraced her child, grateful to have him back in her arms. Others around them were moved to tears as well.

After thanking the Duke once again, the woman immediately began to nurse her crying infant.

Lia let out a sigh of relief as she saw Claude walking out of the building unscathed, and fell back in exhaustion.

Claude approached her and knelt down, meeting her eyes.

“Did I surprise you?” he asked calmly, as if it were just another ordinary day.

“What happened? Why are you here? Why did you jump into the collapsed building! Do you know how scared I was?” Lia questioned Claude with a mix of anger and concern.

“I was waiting for you. I thought we could go on a date. But I didn’t know the building would collapse right in front of me,” Claude replied with a chuckle, brushing off the dust from his hair.

Lia couldn’t believe his nonchalant attitude. The collapse was a matter of life and death, and he had put himself in danger. She buried her face in her knees, feeling the tension draining out of her body. She trembled as if about to cry, realizing how close they were to disaster. Did Claude understand the gravity of the situation?

She reached out and grabbed his arm tightly. “I thought my heart was going to stop…I was so scared. Please don’t get hurt. Your…?”

Claude took her pale hand and glanced at the fence. His warm breath tickled her ear as he spoke, “It’s your work, right? I heard it all inside. Your voice.”

“Really?” Lia couldn’t believe her ears.

“Yeah. That’s why I wasn’t worried at all, Canillia,” he assured her with a smile. As he held her chin tenderly, ready to plant a kiss, a cough shattered the moment.

“We have prying eyes on us. Not everyone knows about the lady. We must go,” Iva whispered urgently.

Lia gathered herself, her face flushing with embarrassment, while Claude’s expression turned grim. He took her hand and rose to his feet, muttering under his breath. “Let’s have our wedding in a place where all of Del Casa can witness it. Then, no matter where I kiss you, everyone will look away.”