I Don’t Want the Obsession of a Twisted Archduke

‘What the hell happened?’

Thinking back, Taylor said with a grin on his face.

“How did I end up like this? As you can see, I was beaten by a beast because I lacked the ability of a…”

“No! Sir Taylor was trying to save a new knight who almost lost his life to Dullahan.” The priest who came with him suddenly interrupted and delivered the facts on behalf of Taylor’s false statement.

Silence fell. While the mood was already cold, it became heavy to the point that the priest who guided us here sneaked out of the way.

Damn it.

In front of him, Geppel chewed his lips as if he were angry. It was an extremely painful expression.

While silence was still flowing, Geppel interrupted everyone’s thoughts with an expression of unwillingness to admit it.

“Taylor, this is…”

Before Geppel could say anything else, Sir Taylor quickly added.

“You can’t fix it, can you?”

That was right.

No matter how close Geppel was to the likes of a divine being, had the confidence of one, it was not possible for him. Geppel could not fix the disappearance of an element, no matter what form they were in. It was not part of the human scope to regenerate a missing arm.

‘Taylor knows it very well, that’s why he said it.’

Geppel clenched his fist in anger then shouted for everyone to hear.

“No, it’s not. I can fix it. Who am I? I’m the miraculous Geppel. There’s no wound in the world I can’t fix.”

Geppel was struggling to talk; heavy in emotion, but it sounded very pathetic to me. I wonder if Taylor felt the same way. He opened his mouth with a gentle smile.

“I see, I guess I underestimated the High Priest Geppel too much. Could you fix it?”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll try. No, I’ll definitely do it.”

Geppel, who spoke as if he had resolved to determine himself of the outcome, approached Taylor.

Taylor was just smiling and giving out what was left of his arms without a word.

Soon Geppel had a tightly tense face. Even so, Geppel’s tight-lipped expression seemed to contain all of his wishes. He wanted to heal the wound somehow.

“…!”

Soon after, Geppel murmured something.

It was the language of the world’s closest race to God, needed when using advanced healing technique.

It was the language of the ancient species.

Whaaaaaaa!

A brilliant gold glow emanated from Geppel’s hand. It was such a strong light that it was no match for the use of the previous wide-area divine power that he used.

It wasn’t only until Geppel’s divine power wrapped around Taylor’s arm that Geppel muttered unconsciously.

“Please.”

So did I.

I sincerely hoped Taylor’s arm would be healed.

The divine power hoisted around Taylor’s arm for a long time, and Geppel’s face was instantly running thin as he was depleting his stamina.

And…

The light that was soon extinguished.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

There was a heavy silence among the four of us.

And…

“Why?”

Geppel broke the silence and asked back.

Taylor’s wounds were the same despite all the hard work that Geppel put in even though he poured out so much divine power into the injury.

I bit my lips hard.

“Why won’t it be fixed? Damn it!”

In a fit of anger, Geppel reached out again and stretched himself out to Taylor.

Whaaaaaa!

The divine light remerged, but again there was no change in Taylor’s arm.

“… no. Please.”

When he saw it, Geppel desperately spewed his words and poured his energy into Taylor over and over again, without knowing that his face was turning white, and his lips were getting flaky.

Nevertheless, Taylor’s arms still remain the same, and Geppel’s eyes shook mercilessly.

“… no. No, please.”

“…Mr. Geppel. I’m fine, so let’s stop.”

“No! Don’t tell me to stop because I will fix it.”

Geppel flatly rejected Taylor’s weak refusal.

Geppel came at Taylor again, but Taylor’s arm never healed.

“It’s fixed, it’s fixed, it’s fixed. Please fix it!”

Geppel cried out sobbingly.

However, there was a limit. Geppel, staggering, crumpled to the floor.

“Ha, ha… Hahahaha…”

He laughed as if he had lost his mind, while also crying his eyes out.

Bang!

He clenched his fist and hit the floor.

“Fuck. Damn, damn… What is a genius? A weak human being who can’t do anything like this.”

Geppel had a look of helplessness. Tears were flowing from his eyes. Geppel looked as if he couldn’t do anything anymore and silence fell again in the room.

Sejan also had a rare severe expression.

‘You can’t laugh when you see such situation.’

“Ugh… Ugh…”

I looked quietly at Geppel, who was still in tears. He looked so broken that it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been elated a little while ago.

Yes, he was crying like a pure child who had never experienced any hardship in life, even though he was an adult.

“Dear Geppel, I’m fine.”

At this time, Taylor, quietly watching Geppel, smiled mildly trying to reassure him.

Determined to console Geppel, he went on to add.

“I knew from the start that it was an irreparable injury. I just asked them to bring me here because I thought it would be a relief to see Geppel last, but I can’t believe I’m seeing you try so hard for me. This makes me a very happy man.”

Last. Happiness.

That’s why it was so harsh.

‘Taylor, whose arms are gone, will no longer be a knight.’

Those who resigned or can no longer be part of the Arcane knight cannot stay in the temple. Cruel but that was the rule of the temple.

So now Taylor will have to go back home.

A little sparkle soon found his way around Taylor’s eyes. It was tears. Taylor looked awkward for no reason.

“Well, as I get older, I get emotional about little things and tears come out on their own. Well, no, it’s all because Geppel is crying.”

“…”

“But I’m sad to think that I won’t see Geppel playing hooky anymore… I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

Hahaha. Taylor laughed happily while tears were still flowing out of his eyes. He was trying desperately to comfort Geppel.

‘You’re the one who got hurt.’

Even with Taylor’s effort, Geppel couldn’t pronounce a single word as if his throat was clogged. Taylor looked at me and continued.

“By the way, it’s an honor to see her beautiful Highness and the Knight of the Romani family at the end of my service in the knighthood. I guess I’m very lucky.”

He appeared to be trying to freshen up the mood somehow. I knew what he was trying to do, but I couldn’t open my mouth.

Taylor Wooden.

A knight that accompanied Geppel since birth.

He was also the only one Geppel relied on like parental figures after losing his parents in an accident when he was young.

In the original book, I just wrote that he was retired.

‘No way, having his arms cut off while saving one of his colleagues is the reason for his retirement.’

I was lost in thought for a moment. Technically, I wasn’t even contemplating. I already knew myself very well.

‘I could fix it.’

Using my powers, his arms would return intact. However, it was also true that the risks were high.

‘It will be hard to pass it as a healing technique like it was with Kyle.’

If this incident spread rumors about my abilities, I might get caught up in trouble. Additionally, if I were to use this ability whenever I face those kinds of situation, it may be revealed sooner than later.

‘However…’

Honestly, the two of them didn’t seem like the kind of people to spread rumors. Besides, this happened when I wrote that Taylor retired when I was the author.

I had a clear responsibility.

Moreover, Geppel was a better person than I thought.

‘And then again…’

I almost laughed without realizing it.

‘It’s not really something to think about.’

Seeing I was trying to create a valid reason while my mind seemed to have already been set. When was that?

‘Maybe from the moment I faced Taylor.’

And at that moment, something else came to mind.

Feeling sorry for Taylor, I could help them and speak to Geppel afterwards asking “Maybe I can get help with Kyle’s curse?”.

Yes, I wasn’t entirely innocent, unlike Geppel, who was trying to heal Taylor earlier.

“Geppel, do you remember the conversation we had earlier?”

Geppel, who had been silent all this time, looked at me instead of answering my sudden question.

“The conversation about the Archduke.”

Geppel looked at me as if he had no idea why I was bringing it up in this situation.

I went directly to the conclusion I had in mind.

“So, uh, would you believe me if I healed Sir Taylor’s arm?”

“…what?” Geppel asked back in a cracked voice.

His expression was clearly saying “What nonsense did you say to my face?”.

Geppel, who had been silent for a while, managed to open his mouth.

“I can’t… Do anything you can…” Geppel soon blurted out the words.

‘Will you believe me when I tell you that Kyle’s going to die?’

Perhaps it was because I looked at Geppel with such serious eyes that he accepted my help.