Ch.91Crescendo (6)

“Lord Evan, you’re safe!”

As I descended from the mansion, fragments of shattered gargoyles were scattered everywhere around us.

The duke’s territory was completely devastated, showing clear evidence of yesterday’s fierce battle.

After briefly surveying the numerous corpses and blood-soaked ground, I slightly bowed my head toward the crown prince who was approaching us.

“I was worried when there were consecutive explosions from the upper floors of the mansion. But you seem… better than I expected. By the way, what you’re carrying is…”

“She said it was difficult to walk, so I had no choice but to carry her like this.”

“No choice… well, that’s not what’s important. I’m truly glad you’re both safe.”

“Thank you.”

Tap tap.

Irene, being carried in what’s commonly called a princess carry, tapped my chest.

She turned her back to avoid showing her face to the crown prince and glared at me,

but I paid no mind and adjusted my hold on her with a faint smile.

“E-van!”

Unable to raise her voice, she called my name softly as I gazed at her for a moment.

Her reddened face burrowing into my chest was quite nice.

I think this is much better than suddenly kissing in front of an enemy.

Since Irene was clearly having difficulty walking, I planned to carry her like this until we returned to the mansion.

“Put me down quickly. I’ll forgive you this time.”

“And if you don’t forgive me, what do you plan to do?”

“…I hate you.”

Her arm weakly struck my chest before falling limply.

When I made a dejected expression at her words of hatred, Irene hastily spoke up after seeing my face.

“Ah, I don’t hate you, so don’t make that face.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I hate Evan? I was just saying it. Really.”

“If that’s what you think.”

When I smiled brightly as if nothing was wrong, Irene’s expression became subtle.

It was just a joke, but seeing the lady who had fallen for it so completely made me laugh.

She hit my chest a bit harder, but what did it matter?

Just being able to feel this comfortable right now made me grateful for everything in the world.

“Hmm, I see. You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing, just thinking out loud.”

The crown prince gave us a wry expression.

Sometimes the corners of his mouth would twitch up in amusement, which annoyed me slightly and made me furrow my brow.

After clearing his throat, he approached me and handed me a piece of paper.

“It’s a scroll containing a teleportation spell. When used, it will take you directly to Yuris. I thought you would succeed, so I got it from Lord Azest in advance. I’m glad I can give it to you now.”

“You prepared this in advance?”

“I believed in you. Honestly, I initially thought the three of you would enter together, but I considered you the most important among them. After all, you were the one who ultimately dealt with Biltain.”

“…You flatter me.”

The crown prince patted my shoulder and then looked up at the sky with a deep sigh.

His trembling red eyes clearly held many thoughts, so I smiled faintly and spoke.

“You’ll be busy for a while.”

“Indeed. The reason Lord Theorad returned immediately was to handle the numerous tasks ahead. Damn it, how could I have known Roman would end up like this?”

“……”

But the crown prince’s circumstances were his own,

and once we returned to the mansion, Yuris would have plenty to do regarding this incident.

First, we needed to check on the condition of the remaining people,

and verify whether the black magicians had left any curse-related marks in hidden places.

Even knowing the imperial family would be busy… I planned to stay secluded in the mansion and rest for a while.

After complaining while staring at the sky for a long time, the crown prince

glanced at me still carrying Irene and slowly spoke.

“You may go now. I hope you get plenty of rest.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Consideration? It’s only natural. Anyway, we’ll need to meet soon. We’ll discuss what to do next then…”

“Wait, Your Highness…!”

Rip! The crown prince tore the scroll against our wishes and smiled brightly.

He mentioned meeting soon, so I hastily tried to speak, but

by the time I opened my mouth, the scenery before my eyes had already changed.

A familiar building, a space filled with numerous tree stumps.

And flowers not yet withered in full bloom, filling the surroundings with colorful hues, making me open my mouth slightly in awe.

The garden, which I thought was familiar from seeing it so often.

But why did it look so new when I saw it like this?

Beyond the window showing the corridor inside the mansion, I saw a girl.

The maid named Ropena, with sparkling brown eyes, stared blankly at us and quietly murmured.

“…My lady?”

For a moment I thought about greeting her first,

but I quietly set Irene down as Ropena hurriedly turned and approached us.

As always, moments of reunion are touching, aren’t they?

Seeing Ropena embracing Irene made my nose tingle with emotion.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Ropena, her face covered in tears, unnecessarily apologizing for not being kidnapped together.

People change, but this building and nature do not.

Even if the plants that bloom change with the seasons, the same flowers eventually bloom again, don’t they?

The garden I always see, the faces I always saw, I thought I had become accustomed to them, desensitized even.

But feeling the sentiment of returning made a corner of my heart feel touched. A tree standing tall alone in a corner of the garden.

As a leaf blown by the wind slowly touched the tip of my nose, I quietly smiled and closed my eyes.

I hadn’t realized it when I was here, but surprisingly, I found myself thinking that I had really missed this mansion.

#

I searched among the mansion’s occupants for anyone who might be missing or injured,

but as Biltain had said, not a single person was missing or hurt.

Was it really just about kidnapping Irene to draw me in?

I had thought quite a few people in the mansion would have died when we realized Irene had been kidnapped,

but this reality completely defied my expectations, bringing various thoughts to mind.

However… there was no need to complicate my mind right now.

Both Irene and I needed rest. With my wounds not fully healed, I decided to rest in my room for a while.

I heard that Lord Chris would temporarily take over my guard knight duties,

so I needed to think about what excuse I could use to see Irene.

“…By the way.”

Why did I feel something was missing?

I thought I would feel at ease, but after overcoming this major hurdle, I felt a sense of emptiness enveloping me.

Even while lying in bed, my body felt restless, so I quietly got up and began pacing around the room.

There was an aching feeling in my chest. Probably because I had been stabbed by Biltain.

It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, so I gently touched my bandaged chest and let out a faint sigh.

I had heard that reaching the level of Master significantly enhanced physical abilities.

Not only surpassing the limits of the body,

but also increasing muscle and bone density to the point where ordinary attacks wouldn’t even cause damage.

However, this time I had sustained quite a few injuries and used a lot of mana, so I was told I needed absolute rest.

…Still, going out briefly should be fine, shouldn’t it?

If I avoided Irene and Ropena’s eyes, I thought Lord Chris would understand me.

I carefully put on the shirt hanging behind the door and slightly opened the door to check the surroundings.

Fortunately, the corridor was empty, so I sneaked out while raising a small amount of mana.

I covered the sound of the door closing with mana, and when it finally closed completely,

I checked the gold coins in my pocket and slowly moved toward the window.

If I went out through the main entrance, someone would surely see me leaving,

so I couldn’t think of any better way than this.

I put my foot on the window, checked below, and was about to lower myself when—

Poke.

A finger jabbed at my neck, making my shoulders jerk.

Was it a fingernail? I covered my stinging neck and turned around to see a woman with an expressionless face.

Her eyes momentarily flashed with a frost-like white hue, creating a chilling atmosphere.

She just stared intently without saying anything,

but somehow I felt a pressure as if she were gripping my shoulders, so I carefully lowered my foot from the window and met her gaze.

“…My la—”

“Evan.”

She seemed quite angry.

The gentle voice she usually used had completely disappeared,

and under that piercing gaze without words, I could only bow my head quietly.

Though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt as if I had committed a grave mistake, and my voice wouldn’t come out properly.

“…I was just going to go out for a moment.”

“What did the doctor who came last time say?”

“To get absolute rest… he said.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Everything else is fine, but please rest in your room for a while. Blood is still seeping through your bandages like this. How do you think that makes me feel?”

I quietly put my arm around Irene’s shoulders as she bit her lip slightly while looking at me.

The trembling in her voice was mixed with anxiety,

reminding me again that she was genuinely worried about me.

Irene bowed her head deeply, and only then did I notice the tray she was holding.

Boiled porridge along with a dark liquid. Probably the medicinal brew that Irene had ordered for me.

With her worrying so much… there was no reason to cause her distress just because I felt restless.

As I gently stroked Irene’s chin with the back of my hand while she kept her head bowed, I finally met her gaze with a gentle smile.

“I’ll stay in the room as you say. So, please don’t make that expression. When I’m fully healed, I’ll go out with your permission, alright?”

“…Do you promise?”

When I nodded at her cautious words, Irene let out a sigh of relief and spoke again.

“I’ll watch you eat the porridge before I go. I have something to talk about too.”

“…Alright.”

As I entered the room with Irene, this room suddenly felt extremely cramped.

Despite it being a comfortable room with plenty of space left even after lying down, Irene seemed so close that I exhaled with difficulty.

The pale porridge looked like it was made with only rice, without any solid ingredients.

But thinking of Irene who brought it, I slowly picked up the spoon.

It didn’t have much flavor since it wasn’t seasoned, but I still nodded with a slight smile.

“How is it?”

“It’s good. Well made.”

“…Actually, I made it myself.”

I opened my eyes wide as Irene said this with slightly flushed cheeks.

Irene made it herself? My heart… felt a bit touched.

Come to think of it, this was the first time someone had made food specifically for me.

When I was sick, I either went to the hospital or suffered alone, so seeing porridge made by Irene herself made me smile involuntarily.

I could feel Irene’s gaze as she fidgeted with her fingers and glanced at me.

She seemed pleased that I said it was good, and seeing her slightly trembling lips, I picked up the spoon again.

I could eat this no matter how tasteless it might be.

Even if it were made by boiling grass or had sand mixed in, I could eat it happily.

After finishing the entire bowl, Irene looked at me with slightly flushed cheeks and folded her hands on her knees.

She seemed to have many things she wanted to say, and I thought I knew what they might be, so I spoke first.

“It was delicious. Though the medicine was a bit bitter.”

“Was… it?”

“You seem to have a talent for cooking. Isn’t making porridge the first thing one learns when starting to cook?”

I didn’t know much about cooking, but I knew this must have been quite difficult.

How could I take lightly the fact that Irene, who had never had to touch water with her hands in her life, had made porridge herself?

Even if she had received help from Ropena.

I moved slightly closer to Irene who was lying on one side of the bed and gently grasped her hands folded on her knees.

“So, what did you want to tell me?”

In the past, she would have been embarrassed just by having her hand held,

but now quite accustomed to such contact, Irene glanced at me and slowly spoke.

“The crown prince sent a letter. He said he might call for you soon. As a witness to Roman’s subjugation and a newly appointed Master knight, you might meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

“The Emperor, you say.”

The Emperor. Come to think of it, while I had many points of contact with the crown prince, I had never directly met the Emperor.

He wasn’t prominently featured in the original work either,

and only appeared occasionally to check on Scarlet when she met with the crown prince.

The master of Evangelium, the absolute ruler of the Empire. Yet in the novel, he was just a name without even showing his face.

He was governing the Empire well and taking active measures against black magicians, but I knew very little about him.

Except for the strangely antagonistic attitude he had toward Scarlet.

If Irene, who was the villainess, was the first antagonist, then the Emperor was the antagonist who appeared after Irene.

Without any apparent connection, he drove a wedge between Scarlet and the crown prince,

and later even attempted to assassinate Scarlet.

That’s why the relationship between the crown prince and the Emperor was described as quite bad, but

the crown prince I actually met didn’t speak negatively about the Emperor.

As the only legitimate son and the confirmed next heir to the throne, what reason would he have to be on bad terms with his father?

I had questions about that, but for now, I needed to meet the Emperor directly before I could think about what comes next.

As I organized my thoughts and turned my head, Irene, who was still looking at me, moved her lips.

“But if Evan’s body hasn’t recovered, it would be difficult to send you there.”

“Won’t I heal quickly? The wounds that remain aren’t that deep.”

“You might heal if you get enough sleep, but I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately. Do you have something on your mind?”

I shook my head at that question. Rather than having something on my mind, I was just unsettled.

“I just can’t sleep well. I think it might be because of the fight with Biltain.”

Perhaps the heightened emotions from the battle were still lingering.

After hearing my words, Irene stared at me for a moment,

and then slowly began to lie down on the bed.

“…My lady?”

For a moment, my mind went blank.

Why was Irene lying down here, looking at me with a completely flushed face?

It took quite a long time to understand the situation itself,

and when I finally fully realized that Irene was lying on my bed, my body sprang up from the bed.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that? I’m just lying down, that’s all.”

“It’s not just lying down… is it?”

While trying to gather my confused thoughts,

I could only let out a hollow laugh at Irene’s next action.

Covering her reddened face with one hand,

she tapped the bedsheet with her other hand and moved her lips.

“…Aren’t you going to lie down? I can help you sleep…”

Looking at her snow-white hair flowing over the bed and the nape of her neck revealed between the strands,

I began to seriously contemplate whether this situation was a dream.

If it wasn’t a dream, what on earth was I supposed to do?