Help! I'm in Another World and the Dragon Man Want Me To Get Pregnant!
Chapter 77: The One Who Vanished

Chapter 77: The One Who Vanished

And then, he had to say something.

Anything.

"I appreciate the sentiment. But, Shen Xinghui... please, take better care of yourself. I—"

"My dirty body isn’t good enough, is it?"

"What?"

Shen Xinghui’s eyes, so close now, filled with tears.

They spilled over, tracing silent paths down his smooth cheeks.

His expression twisted with deep sorrow.

Ignatius had said something wrong.

Hurt him.

"I’m sorry," Shen Xinghui whispered, his voice barely audible.

Then, he hastily grabbed his discarded clothes and fled.

As if rejecting him.

Ignatius tried to follow—tried to stand—but dizziness overwhelmed him.

His vision blurred, and he stumbled, barely catching himself before he hit the ground.

He had lost too much blood.

A bitter realization.

He slammed a fist against the floor in frustration.

He had hurt Shen Xinghui.

His actions had been mistaken for rejection.

He had been so focused on suppressing his own emotions, on trying to do the right thing, that he hadn’t considered how it would wound Shen Xinghui instead.

He cursed his own useless body, his inability to move.

If only he had pushed through the pain.

If only he had chased after Shen Xinghui, grabbed his wrist, held him close—

Then perhaps...

Perhaps he could have prevented the tragedy that was about to unfold.

Ignatius learned that Shen Xinghui had disappear the following evening, just as the sky was beginning to be swallowed by darkness.

"I’m so sorry! He said he wanted to take a walk, and then—"

The maid trembled as she apologized, but her words barely registered.

Ignatius’s pulse pounded in his ears, loud enough to drown out everything else.

His body refused to move, frozen in shock.

He had spent years in this residence since becoming the crown prince.

No one within these walls would ever harm Shen Xinghui.

Which meant—

Shen Xinghui had left of his own will.

Because he had hurt him.

"These were left in his room," said Ronble, his trusted aide, stepping forward with Shen Xinghui’s belongings.

A magic bag containing nearly all of Shen Xinghui’s clothes, a dagger, food, money—everything Ignatius had given him.

And among them, the whistle he had entrusted to him.

A sharp pain clenched his chest.

It was hard to breathe, hard to steady himself.

His body trembled so much he could barely stand.

"We’re already searching the surrounding areas of the estate. I’ve sent people into town to ask around," Ronble assured him.

"I’ll search the forest."

"What?"

Ronble’s eyes widened in surprise, but Ignatius had already started moving, staggering forward.

The estate bordered a dense forest—one that led to the mountain pass where Shen Xinghui had first arrived.

Within the protective barrier, he had been safe.

But once outside...

Monsters roamed freely.

If Shen Xinghui had wandered beyond the barrier—

The blood drained from Ignatius’s face.

He broke into a sprint, heading straight into the forest.

Darkness had already set in.

And the nocturnal monsters were far more dangerous.

He searched frantically, scanning his surroundings, his senses sharp—looking for any trace, any scent, anything that could lead him to Shen Xinghui.

Then, he felt it.

A faint lingering presence.

Following it, his feet carried him toward a river.

It stretched toward the border.

And along it—

The unmistakable scent of Shen Xinghui.

He was close.

He could still find him.

As Ignatius ran, chasing after his thoughts, the moon climbed high into the sky, and the darkness thickened, swallowing everything around him.

His breath came in ragged gasps, and his body felt distant, as if his senses were slipping away.

Yet, even through the exhaustion, he had followed the scent to its source.

It was the place where he had once collapsed.

Of course, Shen Xinghui was nowhere to be seen.

Only the faint trace of his scent remained, along with the dried remnants of Ignatius’s own spilled blood.

"Ah..."

A warmth streaked down his cheek.

He staggered forward, sinking to his knees.

Shen Xinghui had been here—he was certain of it.

If he turned back now, he would find nothing but memories.

Days filled with laughter, that strangely excited smile, the delicious meals they had shared, the happiness in his eyes.

A lump formed in his throat, tightening unbearably.

No—he couldn’t breathe.

Where was he now? What was he doing?

Had someone cruel found him? Was he suffering?

Had he left the country’s borders and run into monsters?

Was he crying, still tormented by what Ignatius had done to him?

"—!!"

A dragon’s roar tore through the night, shaking the forest.

His voice burned as he screamed, as if he could pour all his despair into the void.

If Shen Xinghui was safe, he begged for an answer.

If he could never be forgiven, then so be it.

But let him at least have the chance to apologize.

If they could never cross paths again, he would endure it.

He would carve this pain into his soul for as long as he lived.

A rustling sound broke through the silence.

Ignatius snapped his head around.

Deep down, he knew it wasn’t Shen Xinghui.

Shen Xinghui would never come closer after hearing such a terrifying roar.

His fear would keep him away.

And yet, he couldn’t stop himself from hoping.

He wanted to see him.

He wanted him to come back.

That was the only thing keeping his heart from shattering completely.

He tried to stand, tried to run, but dizziness overwhelmed him.

He had ignored the old healer’s warnings.

He was still supposed to rest.

As he collapsed, strong arms caught him.

A glint of gold, shining like the moon, filled his vision.

"Gabriel..."

"Ignatius, you mustn’t push yourself."

His closest friend’s expression was filled with sorrow as he gently helped him sit.

Ignatius clutched at Gabriel’s sleeve, desperation pouring from him.

"Please! My... my most precious person has disappeared! I have to find him! I have to go! Gabriel, I’m begging you—help me!"

"Calm yourself, Ignatius!"

Gabriel’s voice was firm.

"I’ve already sent word to the border checkpoints. They’re monitoring everyone coming and going."