“I think it would be better to leave the child here for a moment and go up… if you would not mind…”

Duke Cassan clenched his empty fist, then opened it again. He looked like a knight who made a vow and was ready to die on the battlefield.

“I would be grateful if you would allow me to carry you. If you continue to move in this state, it would be difficult for you.”

I appreciated it and did not want to refuse his request. I told him okay and nodded.

The duke moved to hold me with a slightly perplexed face. I hoped my weight was not too much for him. I was worried and embarrassed the moment he lifted me up but the duke seemed to be fine. He managed to avoid my wounds while he carried me.

I thought that it would be wobbly going up the stairs but the duke walked up steadily.

It might be because we both smelled like blood that it seemed more like a situation where a soldier supported another on the battlefield rather than a romantic scene.

I leaned comfortably on him and asked, “Why did you protect me earlier?”

“Because I made a promise.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you very much.”

My eyes were dry and I wanted to rub them. I lifted my arms and then put them back down since my hands were dirty. At his thank you, I turned to look at him.

Although I questioned his unexpected thanks, Duke Cassan was silently looking ahead.

“What?”

He did not answer but continued climbing up the stairs. I continued looking at him but no answer came.

It wasn’t until I decided to forget about it that he replied, “For your sacrifice…”

When he spoke, the door was just around the corner. He carefully placed me down in the hallway and uttered a sigh. His deep breath rang right by my ear.

“Once again… thank you.”

I was not able to catch his expression while he spoke. When I realized that he was truly thankful, I was a little embarrassed…

“Well, it’s my job… and I get compensated for it.”

When I hear these kinds of appreciation, I feel good. It also lets me know that what I did was not in vain.

I took a step back and opened the door. I glanced at him with a small smile as I slipped through the door.

“Thank you very much. Don’t worry, I’ll have a servant look after the child downstairs.”

As I closed the door, Duke Cassan was standing there awkwardly.

After closing the door, I thought I should wash up. I took the jewelry from my hair off first.

Although the temple was quiet, a servant came after I rang the bell. The servant left after I asked them to take care of the child I saved today. I wanted to stay by the child’s side but could not in my current state.

“My clothes are so dirty that nobody would have thought they were ever white,” I lamented to myself as I looked at my ragged reflection in the mirror.

Reneben was highest in rank after me so he could take care of everything else right now.

I fell onto the sofa like a toy that ran out of power. My regenerative powers were already working quickly. When my back was first injured, it was hard to breathe. Now it only stings a little. It will still take about a week for the wound to fully heal…

Since I had been training with the knights these days, my stamina had improved. I wiggled my toes and wondered if I could improve even more.

I knew that I was getting the sofa dirty but I did not want to get up so I just closed my eyes. I was so tired that sleep came quickly for me.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already midnight. The outside of the temple was quiet.

I blinked my eyes until my blurred vision became clear. I noticed I was lying on my bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

I eventually got up to light up the room. The stand was in my hand as I stretched out my stiff neck. I looked around the room which was now brightened by the light.

I noticed everything on me was cleaned by the servants using magic, even under the nails. I thought it might not be a bad idea to hire a wizard for the temple.

I lifted my clothes and saw that my wounds were also treated and bandaged. As I straightened my clothes back, I could feel the sincerity.

I got out of bed and moved to the terrace. As I stepped outside into the cool air, my bare feet felt cold. I leaned against the terrace railing and looked out.

The moonlight illuminated the darkness. I could see the outer wall of the temple, part of it collapsed and part of it was returned to its original state. Should I make the wizards use up all their power to fully restore the outer wall?

I leaned over and breathed out. There was a big difference between the temperatures at day and at night. I could see my breath.

“It’s quiet as if nothing happened.”

I stretched out my arm in the air. One of the reasons I love this world was the clear starry sky, one that I could not see in my old world.

The more I reached out, the more my hand seemed to disappear in the dark. I lowered my arm back down.

“Um…”

I touched my chin and groaned, “When I get up later, there will be a lot of work to do.”

For a moment, I felt relaxed while watching the beautiful scenery before me. I gently closed my eyes and listened to the wind around me.

I heard the sounds of someone breathing. Without opening my eyes, I said “Veron Nestro.”

“You know without looking?” he asked me in a way as if he was casually greeting someone.

I opened my eyes and moved away from the terrace railing.

“What else is going on today?”

With those words, I came back to reality. I was starting to get angry at his rudeness, and wanted to say something to him.

However, such words would not work on Veron.

Veron touched his chin, his face was covered in darkness from the shadows. The moonlight shined brightly behind him, highlighting his silver hair.

“Are you feeling well?”

“Well… I didn’t know that you could ask something like that.”

At my words, he rolled his eyes and then looked at me with cold eyes. What else did he come here to say? I expected him to say more things about the princess. There was only one person that came out of his mouth without fail.

“Ronella came to the temple to see you.”

“Gosh, I can’t believe she came to see me during this mess.”

“Since the saintess was hurt, she said she wanted to help. The result was that the priest turned her away.”

“I’ll have to thank Reneben later. I’m not sure what the princess was thinking about when she came to visit in this situation.”

I know now that the princess was not just a gentle person, but also an ambitious one.

I could vaguely tell from his expression that he knew something I did not know.

He paused before asking, “Do you like Ronella…?

“Well, is there anybody who does not like the princess?” I replied with a smile.

I don’t know why he is asking this but I could not read his changing expressions. An unknown chill seemed to pass through me.

He lowered his head slightly and eventually said, “Ronella is a lovely child.”

“She is.”

“And~”

“And?”

I stared at him with a smile. I could not understand what he was trying to say so I watched him intensely at every word.

“Ronella must be a lovely child.”

Haha- 

I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my expression. I lowered my eyes and smiled in order to act calmly.

“Of course, if Ronella is not lovely, then who would be considered lovely in the Empire?” I responded as if I did not know anything.

He looked at me. I looked at him.

She is a lovely child?

He clenched his fists and turned away.

“That’s great.”

What else did I expect from him? His beautiful sculpted face was so scary at the moment that it could not be expressed by words.

Like last time, he turned around and flew into the air, leaving the temple. At this point, his hobby was to stop by and tell me cryptic words about the princess. Of course, it was my job to decipher what he was trying to say. He did not say enough for me to understand anything yet.

**********

Shortly after I started working again even though my wounds have not fully healed.

“Miss Emilone, it’s better if you rest some more…”

“It’s surprising.”

Reneben handed over the documents while I listened to the endless whining. I was writing while sitting on my bed as he complained that I was overdoing it.

“Everyone is so supportive of my opinions.”