Chapter 450
Kenneth had been holding it together for too long, but he'd reached his limit. He could barely keep his eyes open, his legs felt like lead, and he couldn't lift himself. Every muscle ached as if he were carrying a mountain.
"Are you okay?" Tiffany knelt beside him, gently pressing his wrist. His pulse was faint, and his skin was hot. He had a fever, likely from his wound, and if it worsened, infection was almost inevitable.
Before Tiffany could speak, Morwen interrupted, smirking. "I don't have all day. Either leave him here and come with me to get the Eternal Herb, or take him somewhere for treatment. Choose one." Arms crossed, Morwen looked pleased, as if watching an entertaining play.
Tiffany's mind raced. She'd come all this way to the Azure Sea Royal Palace for the Eternal Herb, even braving the Treasure Pavilion's dangers. However, Kenneth's condition was worsening, and delaying treatment would be disastrous.
Sensing her hesitation, Kenneth shook his head and pushed himself up. "I'm fine. Let's keep going," he insisted, steadying himself with grit. His team was close behind. He wouldn't die here.
Tiffany clenched her jaw, then glanced at the Treasure Pavilion's head. "Do you have a wheelchair? I'd like to borrow one," she asked. Surely, a palace this size had one. The man nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I'll get one right away—"
But before he could finish, Morwen's cold voice cut in: "Did I say yes? No, you may not."
"Uhm, well—" The pavilion head looked uncomfortable, wanting to help but deferring to Morwen's authority. He offered Tiffany an apologetic look.
Morwen, meanwhile, reveled in her power. Her smug grin practically screamed, "This is my domain—good luck challenging me here."
Tiffany offered a cool, quiet smile, her sharp gaze so intimidating that even Morwen flinched. Palace onlookers began to turn their heads, and Morwen, sensing this, grew anxious. If the king saw Tiffany, Morwen would be in trouble. "Enough! I don't have time for this!" she snapped, her voice edged with panic.
Tiffany, equally eager for the Eternal Herb, let Kenneth rest his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, lean on me."
Kenneth hesitated, but he didn't have much choice. As he reached for her shoulder, a panicked scream split the air. The ground rumbled as a massive black bear charged toward them, sending everyone into a frenzy.
Morwen's face paled. She shrieked, "This bear's gone mad! Someone, kill it!"
But the bear didn't attack—it rushed to Tiffany, then crouched beside her. Its intense energy shifted to a calm, protective presence.
Tiffany paused, surprised, then understood. She leaned down, asking gently, "You're here to protect me, aren't you?"
The bear rubbed against her leg, purring. It then turned, flashing its claws at Morwen and growling a warning.
Tiffany grinned, patting the bear's head. "My friend's hurt. Think you could help him?"
The bear seemed to understand and gave Kenneth a light swat. Before Kenneth knew it, the bear had scooped him up—like a live-action Beauty and the Beast. Tiffany, though unable to see, pictured the scene and burst out laughing.
Kenneth's eye twitched. As strange as it was, being carried this way was surprisingly comfortable.
No one would have guessed this creature would be so loyal to Tiffany.
Morwen's expression dropped. This is too bizarre to go unnoticed. His Majesty is bound to hear about this, she thought. Especially since the bear only obeyed the princess, and now it was protecting Tiffany. This news would spread quickly.
Had she known, she would have given Tiffany the wheelchair. But with witnesses, it was too late to cover it up. She could only hope the king wouldn't hear about this immediately. Meanwhile, she needed Tiffany gone—fast.
Her original plan to make Tiffany struggle had fallen apart. She needed Tiffany out of the Azure Sea Royal Palace to take her down later.
Without hesitation, she ordered someone to fetch the Eternal Herb and gave it to Tiffany, her face unreadable. "Is this enough?" she asked.
Her sudden shift surprised everyone. Even the pavilion head was baffled. 'What's going on with the Saintess?' he thought. 'She was so reluctant, but now she's handing it over. What's her game?' Tiffany was equally confused. Cautiously, she sniffed the herb. It was real and untouched.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she had the medicine.
Morwen tilted her chin. "Now that you have it, you can leave."
Tiffany had no intention of staying. She turned, and the bear followed.
The pavilion head stepped forward hesitantly. "About this bear—" He wanted to say the bear belonged to the Pavilion and couldn't be taken, but since it followed Tiffany, he wasn't sure how to phrase it. He settled on, "This bear is important. Its master—well, in short, it must return to the Treasure Pavilion. Miss Kelley, can you convince it to return?"
Tiffany blinked, shrugged, and said, "I'll try."
The bear nuzzled her pants, clearly wanting to stay.
Tiffany chuckled, rubbing its head. "Go back. Thanks for helping me twice." She couldn't take the bear—it was too big for the helicopter, and it wasn't hers.
The bear gently lowered Kenneth and returned to the Pavilion without hesitation, leaving the head dumbfounded. They'd trained the bear for years, but it had never obeyed like this before. The moment it saw Tiffany, it acted as if she were its true master. 'Does this mean the bear recognizes her as its owner?' he wondered.