Chapter 11
“……?”
The knights being chewed out by Edrion rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
What was unfolding before them couldn’t be anything but an illusion.
None other than Edrion la Akshad—the continent’s strongest knight, the man infamous as the devil bastard who crawled up from hell!
Wasn’t he gazing at his fiancée with eyes curved like an innocent boy’s?!
“You came all this way to see me? Instead of sending someone to summon me. Making you, so delicate, go through the trouble—I’m disqualified as a fiancé.”
“No, it’s not you, Your Grace— I have something to ask Sir Jeffrey.”
“Ah, not me, but Jeffrey…”
His voice, which had been oddly excited, dropped instantly.
Edrion slowly turned his head and fixed a steady stare on Jeffrey, who was trembling in the corner.
Edrion’s mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.
‘I’m dead now.’
He couldn’t bring himself to meet that chillingly gleaming gaze straight on.
While Jeffrey slyly averted his eyes and prepared himself mentally to meet his parents in heaven, Edrion narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.
Lilith’s hair and shoulders were slightly damp, as if she’d been caught in a light drizzle.
“Just a moment.”
“Yes?”
“The weather is still chilly. I don’t know what the matter is, but…”
Edrion reached out, gently tousled Lilith’s pale pink hair, and immediately removed his jacket.
Then he carefully draped it over his fiancée’s shoulders.
“I’m worried you might catch a cold.”
“Ah…”
Like a beast guarding its territory, his menacingly flashing eyes remained fixed on Jeffrey.
As if just remembering, Edrion spoke.
“Jeffrey.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Didn’t you have an important mission? I believe you did—head out immediately.”
“But I just returned after tracking the target all night…”
“So, you’re saying you won’t go?”
Edrion’s voice, suggesting departure, was softer than silk, which made it all the more terrifying.
Jeffrey glanced once at the mahogany desk crumbled like crumbs, once at the thick vein bulging on Edrion’s jaw, then sorrowfully hung his head.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no other choice.
“Sigh, fine, I’ll go. It’s an important mission, so I have to leave right away, right? You lot get up too.”
“What? We’re going too? And what other mission besides target tracking? This is the first I’ve heard…”
“……”
“Ah, now I remember! We just thought of it. Of course we have to go, haha!”
The knights, having witnessed Edrion’s gaze, exited the office swiftly and lightly, yet somehow awkwardly, like an ebbing tide.
Only then did Edrion turn back to Lilith with a much more satisfied expression.
“Unfortunately, Jeffrey has an important mission. Lilith, is it urgent?”
“No, not really… I just had something I wanted to ask Sir Jeffrey.”
“I’m curious what it is. If it’s not a secret, tell me. Of course, even if it is a secret, I’d be thrilled if you told me.”
With that, all the annoying interlopers were gone.
Of course, he planned to call Jeffrey later and give him a thorough chewing out.
Like an innocent boy, or like a beast with a small, precious rabbit in front of it… Edrion’s eyes curved prettily.
* * *
Lilith, led by Edrion to sit on the sofa, rolled her eyes in bewilderment.
‘I was just going to ask Sir Jeffrey for rainwater and leave right away…’
Edrion tossed logs into the fireplace saying the weather was chilly, brewed steaming hot tea to warm her up, then added ice saying she might burn her tongue, closed the curtains saying the light was glaring, then opened them saying there was no sun, repeating the process.
His fussiness was like a large dog wagging its tail vigorously because it liked the guest.
‘Heh heh.’
It was a bit overwhelming.
In the original story, he was described as cold, cruel, and not even revealing his inner thoughts to his sister Aitana.
‘Is he that happy the World Tree revived?’
Lilith had heard a detailed explanation from an empress’s palace attendant about what happened the previous night.
The World Tree had emitted a miraculous glow, illuminating a corner of the palace brightly.
She had gone to bed early and missed it, but the knights on guard at the sacred site had witnessed the phenomenon and reported it up the chain, leading even the emperor to come personally and take in the sight.
The World Tree’s leaves had become strangely blue and moist.
‘As the captain of the guardian knight order, Edrion treats protecting the World Tree as his life’s mission.’
If she didn’t know the original story, she might have mistaken Edrion for having feelings for her.
But she knew his obsessive nature about protecting things, forged from a past of hitting rock bottom.
His family was like that, his supreme honor was like that, and the World Tree was an extension of it.
There was no way romantic feelings could enter such a man’s eyes.
‘So it’s reasonable that this kindness he’s showing now is for the sake of the World Tree.’
Nodding to herself, Lilith set aside the unnecessary thoughts and got to the point.
“I have one favor to ask.”
“Please, say anything.”
“Could you get me some rainwater? Quite a bit, and regularly, if possible.”
Rainwater was rich in nitrogen, oxygen minerals, and such that were good for plant growth, free of salinity, and had an appropriate pH—hydrogen ion concentration.
But there was no need for Edrion, a high noble, to know such specialized horticultural knowledge. He was already busy enough.
So Lilith decided to vaguely lump together the reasons why rainwater was needed.
“The World Tree wants rainwater.”
“I see.”
“It was crying for rainwater, and I got soft-hearted and gave in. That’s why my clothes and hair are wet.”
Edrion nodded readily.
Thanks to that, Lilith, who had been about to naturally continue complaining, suddenly realized something.
‘……Wait.’
No matter what, a tree was a tree, even if it was the World Tree.
In the original story, the World Tree was just a tree without a mouth or anything.
‘Did I just say something completely insane?’
But Edrion’s eyes looking at Lilith were extremely clear and serene.
If you say so, then it must be; the World Tree could suddenly grow a mouth and cry, sure— that kind of look.
‘Is it me or him who’s the lunatic?’
Lilith hurriedly added whatever came to mind.
“So, what I just said was, like, an example to help explain? Sometimes plants spit out water from their leaves if they don’t like it. Like dry heaving, you know?”
“Of course.”
“Cats cough up hairballs too, right? That’s not bad for the cat’s health; it’s natural. Haha, this feels similar?”
“Thanks to you, Lilith, I understand.”
“Are you sure you understand?”
“Of course.”
Tsk, I don’t think so…
It was scarier because he answered so readily without any rebuttal.
His eyes, clearer than first-grade pure water, stared unwaveringly only at her, making her body tremble with fear!
‘Anyway, mission accomplished, so time to exit quickly.’
Lilith smiled awkwardly and stood up.
She tried to open the door breezily like a spring wind and disappear, but Edrion, who had hurriedly stood up after her, carefully grasped her hand on the doorknob.
“You’re leaving already? I haven’t even properly hosted you.”
“No no, it was plenty good hosting.”
“I’m glad if that’s the case, but…”
Edrion hesitated for a moment as if unsure, then continued.
“Do you have time this evening, by any chance?”
“This evening?”
“It’s too regrettable to part like this—if it’s okay, I’d like to have a meal together. Would that not work?”
Edrion’s eyes, gazing at Lilith, glistened moistly.
His body, trained to the extreme, was large and menacing, but his face retained the beauty of a pretty boy.
Unfortunately, however, Lilith was so much shorter that to face him, she had to tilt her head up quite a bit.
In other words, throughout the conversation, Lilith had been staring at Edrion’s terrifying chest.
“I appreciate the offer, but I plan to go into town this evening.”
“Outside the palace?”
The appearance attack didn’t work—tch, Edrion secretly clicked his tongue and then asked worriedly.
“Is there some problem…”
“Uh, no? Just to buy some tools needed for World Tree management!”
“Then it would be better to send someone…”
“I think it’s best if I pick them out myself after seeing them. Well then.”
She’d come up with the excuse on the spot to refuse, but it seemed pretty good.
It wasn’t urgent, but she did need some things, so might as well go out while she was at it.
It was the moment Lilith quickly turned away before being caught and opened the door.
“The door’s opening!”
“Wait, don’t push!”
“……?”
At some point—who knows when—a cluster of knights had been huddled by the door, and they stumbled back en masse.
