Chapter 450
Kenneth had been holding it together for too long, but he was at his limit.
Now, he could barely keep his eyes open, his legs felt like lead, and he couldn’t even lift himself off the ground. Every muscle ached as if he was carrying a mountain.
“Are you okay?” Tiffany knelt beside him, her fingers gently pressing his wrist.
His pulse was faint, and his skin was hot to the touch. He had a fever, likely from his wound, and if it worsened, infection was almost inevitable.
But before Tiffany could speak, Morwen cut in, smirking. “I don’t have all day. Either leave him here and come with me to get the Eternal Herb or take him somewhere to get treated. You can only pick one.”Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
With her arms crossed, Morwen looked downright pleased, as if she was watching an entertaining play.
Tiffany’s mind raced. She had come all this way to the Azure Sea Royal Palace for the Eternal Herb, even braving the dangerous challenges of the Treasure Pavilion to earn it.
However, Kenneth’s condition was worsening, and if he didn’t get help soon, it would be disastrous.
Kenneth, sensing her hesitation, shook his head and pushed himself up as best as he could. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going,” he insisted, steadying himself with pure grit.
His team was right behind them, ready to step in at a moment’s notice. He wasn’t going to die, not here, not now.
Tiffany clenched her jaw, then glanced at the head of the Treasure Pavilion nearby. “Do you have a wheelchair? I’d like to borrow one,” she asked. Surely, in a palace this size, a wheelchair wasn’t too much to ask for.
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 head of the pavilion looked uncomfortable, clearly wanting to help but forced to lower his head to Morwen’s authority. With an apologetic look at Tiffany, he seemed helpless.
Morwen, meanwhile, looked thrilled to have the upper hand. Her smug grin practically screamed, “This is my place–good luck challenging me here.”
Tiffany just gave a cool, quiet smile, her sharp gaze so intimidating that even Morwen flinched. More people in the palace began turning their heads, and Morwen, sensing this, quickly grew anxious.
If the king saw Tiffany, Morwen would be finished. “Enough! I don’t have time for this!” she snapped, her voice now edged with a hint of panic.
Tiffany was just as eager to get the Eternal Herb, so she let Kenneth rest his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, lean on me.”
Kenneth hesitated, not wanting to weigh her down, but he didn’t have much choice. Just as he was lifting his hand to her shoulder, a panicked scream split the air.
The ground rumbled as a massive black bear barreled toward them, sending everyone into a frenzy.
Morwen’s face went pale with fear as she shrieked, “This bear’s gone mad! Someone, kill it!”
But the bear didn’t attack anyone–it rushed straight to Tiffany, then stopped and crouched down by her side. Its intense energy turned into a calm, almost protective presence.
Tiffany paused, surprised, and then caught on. She leaned down, asking gently, “You’re here to protect me, aren’t you?”
In response, the bear rubbed against her leg, making a soft, purring sound in its throat.
Then, the bear turned and flashed its claws at Morwen, growling as if to warn her.
Tiffany grinned, patting the big bear’s head. “My friend’s hurt. Think you could help him out?”
The big black bear seemed to understand and gave Kenneth a light swat. It looked rough at first, but before Kenneth even knew what was happening, the bear had scooped him up in its arms“-like Beauty and the Beast live–action.
Tiffany, though she couldn’t see a thing, could totally picture the whole scene. She burst out laughing, eyes sparkling with amusement.
Kenneth’s eye twitched slightly. Strange as it was to be carried this way, he had to admit–it was surprisingly comfortable.
No one would’ve guessed that this massive creature would be so loyal to Tiffany.
Morwen’s expression dropped. ‘No, this is too bizarre to go unnoticed. His Majesty is bound to hear about this, she thought. Especially since the bear only ever obeyed the little princess, and now it was rushing out of the Treasure Pavilion to protect Tiffany. This news would be all over the palace in no time.
If she had known this could happen, she would’ve just handed over the wheelchair without any fuss. But with so many people watching, it was too late to cover it up.
She could only hope the king wouldn’t hear about this right away. In the meantime, she needed Tiffany out of the picture- fast.
Morwen’s expression soured again. Her original plan to make Tiffany struggle to get the Eternal Herb had instantly fallen apart.
She needed Tiffany out of Azure Sea Royal Palace, and only then might she have the chance to take her down along the way
Without hesitation, she ordered someone to fetch the Eternal Herb and handed it to Tiffany, her face unreadable. “Is this enough?” she asked.
Her sudden shift in tone surprising everyone. Even the head of the pavilion looked on, baffled by the change of heart.
‘What’s going on with Saintess?‘ he thought. ‘She was so reluctant earlier, but now she’s handing over the item without a second thought. What’s her game?‘
Tiffany was just as confused. Out of caution, she took the Eternal Herb and gave it a careful sniff. It was real, untouched- just the way it should be.
She breathed a sigh of relief–finally, she had the medicine she needed.
Morwen tilted her chin up. “Now that you’ve got it, you can leave
Tiffany had no intention of sticking around any longer. She turned, and the big black bear followed her.
Seeing this, the head of the pavilion stepped forward, looking hesitant. “About this bear-
He wanted to say that the bear belonged to the Treasure Pavilion, and they couldn’t just take it, but since it had been following Tiffany around from the start, he didn’t know exactly how to put it.
He settled on, “This bear is important. Its master–well, in short, it has to go back to the Treasure Pavilion. Miss Kelley, can you convince it to return?”
Tiffany blinked, shrugged, and said, “I’ll try.”
The big black bear seemed to understand. It nuzzled her pants, looking up at her with clear desire to stay with her.
Tiffany chuckled, rubbing its big head. “Go back. Thanks for helping me out twice.”
There was no way she could take the bear with her–it was too big for the helicopter, and it wasn’t hers to take in the first place.
The big black bear dropped Kenneth gently and walked back to the Treasure Pavilion without hesitation, leaving the head of the pavilion utterly dumbfounded.
They had been feeding and training the bear for years, but it had never listened like this before. The moment it saw Tiffany, though, it acted like she was its true master.
‘Does this mean the bear recognizes her as its owner?‘ he wondered.