Ch 2.5
‘It’s because he’s handsome.’
Why did I want to help this man, why did his smile make my heart flutter, and why was he on my mind?
I attributed all those reasons to Eden’s beautiful appearance.
From the first time I saw him, his looks were so outstanding that they drew an exclamation.
‘Especially that gaze.’
The look pouring from those purple eyes was strange, as if it could bewitch a person.
He seemed firm and upright, yet a sense of emptiness and loneliness wafted from his eyes and his entire face.
So, the reason I cared about him this much and felt drawn to him for some unknown reason was all because of Eden’s exceptional beauty.
As I was rationalizing it to myself like that, the necklace hanging around his neck particularly caught my eye.
“You’re wearing a…… pretty necklace.”
Among the men I had seen since coming here, not a single one wore a necklace.
Perhaps that was why that necklace, situated in an unfamiliar place, somehow stirred a sense of incongruity.
Of course, the slender necklace of a light purple—similar to Eden’s eye color but a bit paler—suited him quite well.
“The necklace is very pretty.”
I mentioned the necklace once more toward the unresponsive Eden.
Then, Eden’s hand went near the necklace, and he fumbled with it along the chain.
“It is pretty, but it is just as dangerous. Since it holds my life in its grasp.”
“Pardon?”
At Eden’s words, I looked at him with eyes full of questions.
However, he kept his mouth shut, as if he had no intention of telling me anything more.
Eden didn’t seem to have much need for my help, as he said nothing more regarding the favor I had shown him.
I considered asking him once more but just kept my mouth shut.
We weren’t close enough for me to offer uncalled-for kindness to the point of bothering him.
So, from then on, we walked forward toward our destination without much conversation.
And after a while, we arrived in front of the inn where I was staying.
“We’re here.”
I felt Eden looking back and forth between me and the inn.
“Thank you for seeing me back. So, will the children rescued this time also go to that orphanage?”
“That is correct.”
“I see. Anyway, I hope you find the person you’re looking for. Well, I’ll be…….”
“My Lady?”
But it was then.
Just as I was exchanging final greetings with Eden, a familiar voice calling me urgently came from behind.
I turned my head toward the source of the sound.
It was Lian.
However, Lian’s face was covered in sweat, as if he had been running around in a hurry.
“Lian?”
“My Lady!”
Lian called me again and approached until he was right in front of me.
Lian’s breathing was very heavy.
“Why are you coming from that direction?”
When the person I thought would be sleeping in his room suddenly appeared outside, I asked Lian with eyes full of curiosity.
“Because My Lady had disappeared…….”
‘Ah…….’
I think I knew what had happened.
Lian had likely come to find me and realized I was gone.
So he must have been wandering around looking for me.
“Then do Mary and Sir William also know that I was gone?”
“No.”
It was a relief that only Lian knew.
I was embarrassed that I might have caused my people to worry by going out without a word again. I let out a sigh of relief.
Then, as I looked at Lian with a sorry expression, I noticed that Lian’s gaze, which had been on me until a moment ago, was directed behind me.
Lian was looking at Eden.
I stepped slightly to the side and let Eden and Lian face each other.
“Ah, you remember this person from back then, right? The one who saved you all in Peorat.”
“……Yes. I remember.”
“Is this child that boy from then?”
The voices of the two men overlapped at the same time.
“Yes. That’s right.”
I answered Eden first.
“He has…… grown a lot.”
“Right?”
I stroked the boy’s silver-gray hair with a somewhat proud expression, as if I had raised Lian this much myself.
I felt Lian, who already surpassed my height due to his rapid growth, slightly lower his head.
I naturally smiled at Lian’s behavior.
“Ah, that’s right. Lian, the younger ones you lived with. They’re doing well at the
orphanage. I found out which orphanage it is, so let’s go there together after the journey is over. Okay?”
“Is that why…… you went out in the middle
of the night?”
“Yes. You looked gloomy after seeing the circus troupe earlier, so I went just in case. And I actually ended up meeting him.”
Perhaps touched that I had observed his emotions and acted on them, I felt Lian’s expression momentarily choke up.
“Are you touched? You see how much I think of you, right?”
I boasted playfully, but I had felt a sense of responsibility for this child ever since I took him in.
Therefore, things like this were among the tasks I had to do.
“Let’s go in.”
I lightly tugged at Lian’s hand.
Looking up at the dark sky, the moon was tilting low.
I could tell that the night was very late.
I had to hurry and sleep to start another day tomorrow.
“Thank you for everything. Please get back safely.”
And I gave my final thanks to Eden.
Then, the mysterious look in Eden’s eyes as our gazes met captured me.
“My Lady?”
Lian’s voice broke that moment when we were looking at each other for a very short time.
“Eh? Oh. Let’s go.”
With that, I turned my back on Eden and
entered the inn.
Somehow my back felt prickled, so my body straightened up involuntarily.
And with the sound of the door closing, that intense gaze vanished.
Once the strange heat I felt on my back disappeared, I deliberately spoke to Lian to snap out of it.
“Since when were you looking for me?”
“It hasn’t been long.”
“If there’s no answer, you should just think I’m sleeping.”
“I had a strange feeling…….”
Lian trailed off.
“You have good intuition.”
As we walked while talking, we soon arrived in front of my room.
I smiled slightly and stroked Lian’s hair once more.
“Please do not go around alone, please.”
Suddenly, Lian met my eyes and warned me with a firm voice.
“Alright. I’ll be careful.”
Lian’s appearance like this was unexpected, so I replied that I would do so in my daze.
“It’s not about being careful; My Lady is just too, sigh…….”
Lian let out a deep sigh, unable to continue further.
However, seeing how that little boy from a year ago had grown so much to say such things to me, I was now quite moved.
“I get it, so stop nagging. If you grow just a little more, I’ll be in big trouble.”
As I said that and pushed Lian’s back with both hands to head back, my mouth, which had curved up in pride, showed no sign of
coming down.
However, Lian’s body, which had been being pushed lightly, came to a sudden halt and wouldn’t be pushed any further.
“I will protect My Lady forever.”
Then he spoke, putting strength into every single word as if making a vow to me.
“Yes. You are my knight for life. So you must protect me.”
Because Lian spoke to me in a solemn voice devoid of playfulness, I responded seriously in turn.
But Lian was still a child.
And he was still lacking the skill to protect me.
“Just like now—no, train even harder. You have to become stronger to protect me.”
Lian’s back beneath my hands flinched, then he nodded and replied.
“Yes. I will definitely become strong.”
Those words were a determination Lian made to himself and, at the same time, a promise to me.
The next morning, seeing that Mary didn’t say anything special to me, it seemed that, as Lian said, Mary and William didn’t know I was gone during the night.
“My Lady, where shall we go today?”
Mary asked me while doing my hair.
“I don’t know. Where should we go? Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“I like anywhere as long as it’s a place My Lady wants to go.”
“I want to go to the sea.”
“The sea?!”
At the mention of going to the sea, Mary’s voice became twice as loud.
“Are you really going to the sea?”
“Yes. I don’t know when I’ll see it again, so I should see it to my heart’s content before I go. Don’t you think?”
“That’s right. You’re absolutely right!”
Mary agreed with me vehemently, unable to hide her excitement.
“Then I’ll go tell Sir William and Lian to get ready.”
“Yes. Do that.”
As soon as my grooming was finished, Mary left the room with light steps.
I looked out the window until she returned.
From early morning, the streets looked full of vitality.
I quietly closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
The faint scent of the sea filled my nose.
“The sea…….”
As I told Mary, I had a hunch that I might never be able to come here again in my life.
So, I’ll fill my eyes with it until I’m sick of it.
While I was thinking that, Mary returned, saying preparations were complete, and we left the room together.
