Chapter 24
“I’ve already told the family that the children have caught an infectious disease.”
Rixion Luhanes made sure that even when delivering meals or clothes, they were left only at the door and he would knock afterward. He had instructed the servants carefully so that out of fear, no one would come near the children.
“I also made a point to cover my nose and mouth with a cloth when visiting the children, so that they wouldn’t suspect anything at all.”
Listening to all this, the anger that had been bubbling inside me gradually subsided, replaced by feelings of gratitude and guilt that I had forgotten.
“B-But… is it really okay?”
Feeling embarrassed by my habit of getting angry and then feeling sorry, I asked sheepishly. Rixion Luhanes glanced at me briefly, then turned his gaze back straight ahead and spoke calmly.
“You mean bringing those children here?”
“Yes.”
Even in the empire, merely being around someone infected with an infectious disease was enough to invite severe criticism. The fear of a disease without a cure was immense.
And yet, he brought the children all the way to the duke’s residence. There was no doubt that even in noble society, many eyes would judge and criticize him for it.
In reality, the social atmosphere reflected that sentiment, regardless of the children’s recovery.
Rixion Luhanes was so self-assured that his position would hardly be threatened, so he probably didn’t care much.
But the fact remained that he had taken on the burden of karma I would normally have shouldered. Even if Rixion Luhanes himself was fine with it, I was now indebted to him in a big way.
Perhaps sensing my guilt from my dejected tone and expression, Rixion Luhanes stopped walking and turned toward me.
I followed suit, stopping abruptly, staring at him.
“Even if Miss Christener hadn’t cared for them, I would have brought them here anyway.”
His eyes were serious, meeting mine without a trace of a smile.
I froze at the unexpected words, and then a playful smile appeared on his face.
“…Would that lighten the burden on your heart a little?”
He spoke in a light tone, almost jokingly, as if intentionally making me feel less guilty.
Then he took a step forward and resumed walking.
I couldn’t follow immediately. Shocked and stunned, I just stared blankly at Rixion Luhanes’ back.
Is this really Rixion Luhanes? The Rixion Luhanes from The Saintess of Erendel?
I had been shocked by his unexpected behavior ever since meeting him, but today was truly exceptional.
How could someone like him be called a psychopath or sociopath?
I was so moved by his actions—bringing the children in my stead and still showing consideration toward me—that I completely revised my judgment of him. At the very least, the labels “psychopath” and “sociopath” were officially canceled in my mind.
‘He must have been portrayed differently in the original work for no good reason. Or maybe only Jieun Ha lost her mind over him.’
Shaking my head to myself, I quickly caught up to walk beside him. I seriously considered that a reevaluation of Rixion Luhanes’ character, as it was portrayed in the original story, was urgently needed.
Suddenly feeling someone’s gaze, I looked to the side. Rixion Luhanes was staring at me with an expression hard to read.
When our eyes met, he quickly covered his expression with a smile, but the fleeting look lingered in my mind.
What was that? For a moment, I wondered if I had done something wrong. His expression was subtly unfamiliar.
“This is the room.”
We stopped in front of the room at the end of the long corridor. He knocked twice, saying it was the sunniest room.
After the knock, a loud commotion could be heard from inside, which soon fell silent.
Rixion Luhanes smiled knowingly, then opened the door wide.
“Oh, I haven’t tidied up yet.”
The first thing I noticed was the children, holding toys awkwardly in both hands.
Seeing us, they looked unsure what to do, then bowed their heads slightly.
Next, I took in the scene inside the room.
Aside from a few pieces of furniture, the room was filled with countless toys—so many that even I, as a child, had never seen that many.
“I thought it might be boring to stay in the room all the time,” Rixion Luhanes said, as if reading my thoughts.
“You even brought toys? This many?” I asked in surprise.
“When trapped in one space for a long time, holding onto something like this provides comfort,” he said calmly.
His tone didn’t carry typical kindness or affection; it was a kind of empathy that only someone who had experienced the same situation could possess.
Recalling his past as described in the original story, I stiffened. Unnecessary emotions I had tried to avoid began to creep in.
As I tried to avert my gaze to avoid looking at him with pity, Rixion Luhanes met my eyes.
“Has your opinion of me improved a little?”
He seemed to have the habit of looking directly at someone when speaking. Feeling awkward, I avoided his gaze.
Noticing my reaction, he looked puzzled. I felt embarrassed, realizing it was a bad time to meet his eyes.
“Are you the one who helped us back then?”
The cautious voice of a boy coming closer broke the tension.
Turning, I saw the two children who had left their toys behind, hesitantly approaching me.
They looked completely different from when I first saw them. Cleaned up and wearing new clothes, they no longer resembled children living in slums.
Thanks to the holy water, perhaps, their skin was flawless, their features strikingly beautiful.
I smiled unconsciously, lowering myself to meet their gaze.
“Hi. You wanted to see me, right?”
“Yes, um…”
Greeting them warmly, I stepped closer. The children glanced at each other, then bowed together.
“Thank you for helping us.”
The synchronized bow was charming, as if rehearsed.
After bowing, they hesitated, then the girl finally spoke in a small voice.
“Thank you, sister.”
Ah, this is why I endured all that hardship—to hear such a sweet greeting.
As I felt the reward for the physical and emotional strain of the past two days, the boy, pale-faced, scolded his sister.
“You dummy! You’re not supposed to call her sister!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Please forgive my sister,” he added, hiding her behind him.
I was just as flustered.
Certainly, in this world, commoners couldn’t freely speak to nobility. So it made sense that the children trembled as if fearing I would scold them.
But I felt it was more important to comfort the pale, frightened children than to focus on my own embarrassment.
“No, I like being called sister. You can call me that. Actually, I want you to call me that.”
I deliberately smiled brighter to show I wasn’t angry. The children exchanged glances.
After silently communicating with each other, they looked back at me. Their identical faces and large eyes, like proof they were siblings, were so adorable that I couldn’t stop grinning.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
The girl looked at her brother, seeking permission, and he nodded slightly. She said in a shy, small voice,
“Yes, sister.”
“I can’t… why are you two so cute?”
Unable to contain myself, I hugged both children tightly.
Startled, they froze for a moment, then their small arms wrapped around me in return.
The warmth from their tiny bodies was incredibly comforting, soft, and tender.
