Chapter : 46
A necklace!
A red stone!
That’s it! I was wearing that red stone necklace!
It was an accessory, but the stone was incredibly large and thick, so heavy that it had to have been pierced by the spear.
Eden Daucus… the spear…
Oh my god…!
Come to think of it, I was hit by the spear that Eden Daucus threw!
In the original story, Rajif gets hurt instead of Kalix.
But strangely enough, what Rajif actually got hit by wasn’t a spear—it was three arrows.
In the end, the one who got hit by Eden’s spear wasn’t Rajif—it was me.
Of course, it was true that Rajif took the arrows to protect Kalix, but regardless, it was I who got hit by Eden’s spear.
And of course, I hadn’t intended to protect Kalix like Rajif did; I had just stumbled while trying to run away quickly.
But in that moment, it was my necklace that saved me!
Understanding everything at once sent chills down my spine.
Oh my god… I could have… died.
I shivered and hugged myself.
The words of the woman who had read my cards came to mind:
“If you don’t want to die, buy the charm.”
“That red stone over there… buy that.”
“It’s worth your life… and it’s cheap.”
What… it was real?
Curious about the stone, I felt around my neck where the necklace had been. But the stone wasn’t there.
Looking around the room, the necklace was nowhere to be seen.
What happened to it?
Where is it?
Who took it off my neck?
I was curious about the whereabouts of the red stone that had saved my life, but at the same time, another thought came to mind.
Rajif!
In the original story, he survived even after being hit by Eden’s spear.
That’s why I had brought him to the battlefield.
But unlike in my writing, what he actually got hit by wasn’t a spear—it was three arrows.
And I had forced him to come here. What if he had died while protecting Kalix, whom I was carrying…?
No!
I was terrified.
Ignoring the pain in my chest, I got off the bed.
I couldn’t lie down any longer; I had to know if Rajif was safe.
“Ouch!”
I groaned without realizing it.
My ankle ached.
The pain from the sprained ankle surged.
It must have been a proper sprain—it hurt terribly.
But thinking about Rajif, I pushed the pain down and walked toward the door.
When I opened it, two knights I hadn’t seen before were standing there.
“What is it?”
One of them asked me politely.
“Um, where is Rajif?”
He’s alive, right?
“Sir Rajif is in the infirmary.”
The infirmary?
Ha…! He’s alive!
If he’s alive, he must be in the infirmary.
“May I go see him?”
“That’s not a good idea.”
Not a good idea… so I can go, just not entirely freely?
Standing in the doorway, I cautiously stepped outside.
“No.”
This time it was a direct prohibition.
“The infirmary is still inside this fortress, isn’t it? I just want to check on Rajif’s condition.”
“I’ve been ordered not to let the young lady leave this room. I’m sorry.”
An order…
Right, Rajif had always obeyed orders absolutely.
I felt guilty for forcing him to come here. That’s why I was curious about his condition—but I decided not to insist.
I didn’t want anyone else to be troubled or put in danger because of me.
“Alright, understood. Then just tell me about Rajif’s condition.”
“He is alive. I will convey your regards to him.”
Alive…?
So he’s not dead, at least.
Guilt washed over me again.
Feeling depressed, I quietly returned to my room.
About an hour after entering the room,
Knock knock.
A knock.
Who could it be?
I remembered Kalix saying, “I’ll be back soon.”
Is it Kalix?
He said soon, but this soon?
“Come in.”
As I said this, the door slowly opened.
Seeing who entered, I quickly sat up from the bed.
Pain shot through my chest, but I had no time to care.
It was Rajif.
He was leaning on crutches, his upper body and arms wrapped in bandages, limping into the room.
Oh my god!
“Rajif!”
Instead of relief at seeing him alive, I was shocked to see him walking in like that, barely holding himself together.
With that body, he came to my room?
Why?
“Why are you here in that state?!”
He flinched at my voice and stopped.
“I apologize for entering the young lady’s quarters without proper attire…”
What are you saying!
Is that the problem right now?
Forgetting my relief, anger surged again.
Because I was so close to him, somehow the anger I couldn’t direct at anyone else came out toward Rajif.
“What are you saying! Why did you come here in that condition? You should be lying down!”
His face, which had been frozen, instantly turned red.
Is that… Rajif?
Why is he like that?
It was a look and expression I had never seen from him before.
“Young lady! I am fine. I heard that you were looking for me.”
He’s out of his mind. How can he be fine in that state?
“Seriously, what are you saying? I think you hurt your head too.”
Through the gap in the door, I caught a glimpse of the knights standing outside my room.
I shouted at them.
“Look at this! Rajif is really hurt. Take him to the infirmary immediately. He’s going to collapse!”
They looked bewildered, and Rajif’s face turned even redder.
Why is he like that?
I jumped off the bed, limping toward Rajif, and grabbed his stiff arm.
“I’ll take you. You’re in a lot of pain, right?”
Seeing him wrapped in white bandages like a mummy made my heart ache.
My deep guilt over dragging him into danger to more effectively plead for my life and my family’s safety outweighed the pain in my ankle and chest.
“Young lady! Please let go of my arm. I’ll go by myself.”
He spoke in a firm voice.
But somehow, it felt different from before.
If his previous firmness had been purely from coldness, strictness, and duty, now it felt like he was forcing himself to be rigid to hide warmth and goodwill.
What is this overflowing kindness?
Rajif looked down at my hand holding his arm, with eyes saying he couldn’t bear such honor.
I finally let go.
Unable to understand his strange behavior, I studied his face.
He seemed to notice me staring and cleared his throat before speaking.
“I heard that you were concerned about my well-being… I apologize for not coming sooner to express my thanks.”
“Huh?”
He came to tell me I asked about his well-being… in this state?
Ridiculous.
Rajif must have hit his head.
Rajif, I’m not your lord Kalix. I’m Kaelin Brockburke, daughter of Minister Brockburke, whom you dislike.
Seeing me watching his expression, he suddenly spoke solemnly.
“I am grateful you saved my life. But from now on, you must not take such actions for me. Never! You must not.”
Ah…!
That?
He’s talking about the time I got angry seeing him take three arrows to protect only Kalix.
Could he be grateful because of that?
Sigh…
It was only natural in that situation. And I had put him in that condition…
Hearing his gratitude made me extremely embarrassed.
But what Rajif said next left me utterly dumbfounded.
“Not only did you save my life, young lady, but you also saved the life of my lord! You allowed me to protect him, and even took a spear yourself in his place!”
After saying that, Rajif paused, as if to control his emotions, and caught his breath.
“You performed a noble act no one else could. From now on, I will devote my life to protecting you.”
“Huh?”
What is this nonsense?!
Seeing my shocked expression, he added,
“I apologize for pledging my loyalty in this state without proper etiquette. Once I recover fully, I will….”
“Wait! What are you saying?! When did I ever…!”
I stopped mid-sentence.
Something had hit my head with a pop.
Rajif, without noticing my sudden silence, bowed politely and finally left my quarters.
I collapsed back onto the bed in a daze.
Then I recalled all the praises Rajif had given me.
Contrary to my guilt for putting him in danger and having him take arrows in place of Kalix, Rajif was grateful for being able to protect Kalix.
Considering his absolute loyalty to Kalix, that part was understandable.
But what was truly strange was what he said next:
“…and you even took a spear in place of Kalix. You performed a noble act no one else could.”
So what Rajif is saying is that I threw myself at Eden’s spear to protect Kalix!
But that’s not true!
I had no such intention…
