episode_0095

“There’s only one place left. Let’s hold on a little longer. Erincia.”

It’s late afternoon and the sun is starting to get shy.

Elden, who had one last installation location marked on the map, spoke as he encouraged them.

Lumiang laughed happily under the shadow of his hood.

It was a difficult but rewarding time.

And, it was a lovely time.

The Archduke returns after several months.

It was a place he had left behind, and he was the Grand Duke who had left because he had no confidence in facing those who would be sad because of his wrong judgment.

It was clearly a mistake to use the wedding war for personal gain.

If she had deeply regretted it and wanted to please her people who were happy to see her appear in a pure white dress on her wedding day, she should have forgiven Deron.

Even if it was a false atonement ordered by the father, he should not have tolerated and accepted it and ruined the people’s joy.

But I couldn’t forgive him, and not only did I lose someone precious to him, I almost hurt those who had wished me blessings and happiness.

“I heard you don’t have any external activities these days. I’d like to see you again.”

“Of course, you. You must be having a lovely time as a married couple right now.”

That’s why Lumiang, who was carefully examining the returning Archduke, was able to feel relieved.

Because I can only know my own pain.

It seems that the afterglow of the festival-like wedding ceremony still lingers.

I felt truly blessed and grateful to my father who put his family and people first.

If it weren’t for that, the Great Empress of November wouldn’t have been as warm and tranquil as it is now.

“Hehehe. Still, how fortunate I am to be able to see the last engagement ceremony of our grand duke’s family before I die.”

“That’s true. It was so grand that I almost felt wronged if I died without seeing it.”

Even though several months had passed since the end of the Battle of Honya, the stories of that day were still buried in every corner of the streets, delighting the ears and mouths of the people.

Lumiang, who was from a family that ruled the vast land of the Northern Territory of Winterfell and its people, realized once again how foolish and reckless he had been in pursuing only his own greed and ideals.

‘Thank goodness… everyone looks happy.’

I wish I could turn back time, but I can’t go against the natural order.

I just hope that the people don’t know what happened at the end of the Battle of Honyak.

“Hey, hey-! Get out of the way—!!”

That was when.

A man’s urgent cries echoed through the streets.

With the sound of carriage wheels.

Those sounds rang in Lumiang’s ears as he passed through the middle of the street, but they were not enough to bring Lumiang out of the swamp of deep thoughts.

“Rain, get out of the way—!! Get out of the way-!!”

slap!

The coachman tried to stop the carriage by cracking the whip, but it was difficult to apply the brakes suddenly when there was less than two meters left.

If things continue like this, it is a given that Lumiang will be hit by a running horse and thrown back, seriously injured.

“Wow!”

At the predicted accident, screams echoed through the streets, and only then did Lumiang wake up from his reverie and face the carriage mercilessly charging towards him.

Even if he had reacted now, the distance and speed were unavoidable, and all Lumiang could do was instinctively shrink back.

At that moment.

“Erincia-!”

At the same time that he heard a voice calling him from behind, he felt a strong hand grabbing his body.

Then, I felt a wide embrace wrapping around my body and came to my senses.

“… .”

I found myself in Elden’s arms.

I raised my head.

He saw Elden’s face looking down at him with worried eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“… .”

Lumiang was so entranced that he couldn’t close his mouth.

I couldn’t even take my eyes off Elden.

I couldn’t take it off.

Because her pitch-black hair fluttering in the breeze, her red eyes that were so warm that they were almost hot, her sharp jawline and nose, and her skin without a single blemish were all so unbelievably beautiful.

There were times when I looked up to Elden during my time at the Academy, and times when Elden looked down on me.

The other thing is that I have never seen it this close before and it has never been this warm.

Also, the body odor that was clearly so disgusting somehow became sweet and fragrant, as if my nose was buried in flower petals.

“… .”

My heart was pounding with surprise.

My breathing became labored.

The force of the man I was feeling for the first time was so strong, and the embrace of the man I was feeling for the first time was so wide and cozy, I couldn’t escape.

A feeling of solidity, as if it could block all the storms of the world.

A warm feeling that seems to block even the harsh cold wave of the northern region.

On a hard day, I feel like I want to lean back and rest.

Just like not wanting to leave the campfire on a winter day, or not wanting to come out from under the blanket that covers you on a winter day, Elden’s embrace felt like that.

I knew I had to answer the question of whether I was okay, but I couldn’t say anything.

Of course, I can’t speak now, but even if I had overcome my aphasia, I don’t think I would have been able to speak.

That much, Elden’s face, looking up at me while held in my arms, was cool.

Even back when I was a student at the academy, it was a face that I absolutely did not want to face, and when the bullying was at its worst, just seeing it made me feel sick.

“… Erincia?”

Lumiang, who had been staring blankly at Elden as if possessed, comes to his senses.

And only then do you realize.

For staying in Elden’s arms for too long.

It’s time to get out of the comfort of your winter blanket and by the campfire.

“… .”

Feeling regretful is probably greed.

Lemian smiled as she escaped from Elden’s embrace.

Trying to hide the unbearable heartbeat and rapid breathing.

[are you okay.]

[thank you.]

“Thank goodness you weren’t hurt.”

Lumiang, who thought it was strange and yet funny that he had the desire to stay in the arms of the person he once despised so much, began to walk again.

and.

It was Lumiang who seemed to know that the beautiful women Ariel and Rachel were fighting over Elden.

If you have such a wide, warm, and strong embrace, you’ll want to be held in it at any time.

‘It’s good… .’

Of course, Lumiang still didn’t know whether it was good because it was the arms of the opposite sex or because it was the arms of Elden.

**

“Go in first. I have something to do.”

Among the three groups, Rachel, who had finished installing the mana detection device the earliest, sent Rendler to his quarters and was heading somewhere.

“Welcome~ We have everything except what’s not there~”

The place she arrived was none other than a men’s shoe store.

As I was installing the mana detection device, I went to a place I had been looking at, and of course, it was to buy my disciple’s shoes.

‘It’s old and worn out.’

Just half a year ago, the author Elden was a man who was obsessed with expensive designer shoes and would mercilessly throw them away if they had even the slightest flaw.

Rachel, who used to have a lot of shoes that were worn out or worn out, now stopped buying shoes even when they were worn out and worn out, and this was the first time in her life she had visited a men’s shoe store.

“What kind do you want?”

Rachel has spent her entire life wielding a knife.

It was difficult to ask her what type of shoes she had, as she had never bought men’s shoes before and would just pick up whatever shoes she saw.

of course.

“Black short-sleeved shoes with a low heel and thick sole.”

It wasn’t a difficult question for her, having spied on the information Ariel had compiled.

“Oh. I guess it’s a gift for my boyfriend. I have one that fits perfectly. What size would you like?”

Rachel knows my shoe size only after trying it on.

However, the fact that he can answer questions about other people’s shoe sizes without hesitation is also thanks to Ariel’s great help(?).

“Two hundred and sixty.”

“Let’s see- Oh, I have just the right thing.”

“How much is it?”

“If I may speak of this short story, it is said to have been made by Danteroid Malaigodgashus, the best shoemaker in the Northern Territory… … .”

“How much is it?”

“2 gold 10 silver.”

“Yes?”

“2 gold… 5 silver?”

“Yes?”

“2 gold?”

“Yes?”

“1, 1 gold 8 silver.”

“Yes?”

“… Aaaah! I forgot about this! You are the 100th customer to visit our store, and you have won the special prize of being able to enjoy this pair of shoes made by our artisans for a whopping 50 silver!”

“Here.”

Rachel, who had received a special discount so easily(?), left the store holding a bag containing sneakers.

If the information recorded is accurate, it will definitely make a great gift.

It was my first time buying a gift for someone, so I was a little embarrassed, but now that the real battle for possession had begun, I could handle this level of embarrassment.

Of course, how to give it was a problem that had to be solved.

‘… You picked it up on the way?’

hmm.

It’s too high-class to be something I picked up.

‘Or… who gave it to you and gave it to you?’

hmm.

Who would just give away such fancy shoes?

‘…Should I just leave it in the room?’

But I need to make it clear that it is ‘I’ who is giving the gift.

‘Hmm… … . This is difficult.’

It would be easier to just learn one more magic sword technique.

After countless thoughts on how to give a gift naturally, Rachel arrived in front of the dorm and ran into Ariel.

“Huh? Rachel?”

“It looks like Youngae finished work early too.”

Rachel guessed so, looking at the small bag Ariel was carrying.

Likewise, Ariel also guesses the same thing when she sees Rachel’s bag.

“You finished early too? What’s that?”

Sneak.

Ariel tried to look through the items in her bag, but Rachel quickly hid them behind her and changed the subject.

“By the way, why didn’t your engagement with Lady Anna Ventria come to fruition?”

Rachel asks her rival a question she would definitely have asked if she had been in the same group as Anna.

That was because I was proud that it was a question that no one with the same goal could resist asking.

Since ancient times, the surest way to win a match is to identify the factors of defeat and eliminate them in advance.

Unfortunately.

In a war between rivals, there are factors that don’t need to be taken into account.

“… He said he didn’t like it because it was ugly.”

“Yes…? Anna… Are you saying that Young-ae is… ugly?”

“Yeah… .”

Bam.

A bag of shoes fell onto the ground.

The hand that was holding the bag clenches into a fist.

Ariel suggests, grabbing her rival’s fist as she feels the same despair as herself.

“Shall we have a drink…?”

like that.

“Let’s go with the strong one.”

A temporary truce was agreed upon between the rivals.