Chapter 76
Ronan had been a savior to Layla.
The first time they met was in Ramona Village, a settlement built by people who had lost their homes and families to dark wizards and wanted to rebuild their lives. But the village had already been attacked by dark wizards and monsters, and they had taken over the place as a stronghold. However, this fact was unknown to the outside world.
The dark wizards exploited this by pretending to request help from the temple, claiming the village had been attacked by monsters, and set a trap. Ronan and his men, unaware of the deceit, went to exterminate the monsters and fell straight into the trap.
Surrounded, Ronan and his companions were imprisoned in a place where human experiments were being conducted. The entire basement was surrounded by immense magical power, all their weapons had been confiscated, and the dark wizards threatened them by holding the lives of both the villagers and Ronan’s men hostage, leaving no room for action.
In this desperate situation, where they couldn’t even call for reinforcements, a red-haired woman was dragged in front of Ronan. It was Layla.
The dark wizards were regularly conducting experiments to turn humans into monsters using villagers, and this time, Layla had been captured for the experiment. As a paladin, Ronan could not stand by while an innocent person was sacrificed to dark magic. But before he could even think of an escape, something unexpected happened right before his eyes.
The dark wizard who had brought Layla apparently never expected her to fight back. Layla, lying on the ground, quietly pulled a dagger from inside her sleeve and stabbed it into the dark wizard’s neck while he momentarily looked away to prepare for the experiment. Piercing a vital spot, the dark wizard clutched his neck and staggered, unable to even cast a single spell before collapsing.
[…He’s dead.]
Once she confirmed the dark wizard was dead, the color returned to Layla’s face. Even though it was the enemy, killing someone must have been quite a shock, yet she rifled through his body to find the keys to free Ronan’s group.
Originally, the entire underground prison had been enchanted with dark magic, but with the caster dead, the magic naturally lifted, and they could be freed immediately if the keys were used. Layla, trembling, opened the prison doors and only after that did she collapse, her legs giving out.
[Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere…?]
As Layla sank to the floor, Ronan reached out with both arms to support her. She was so small that it was hard to believe she had killed the dark wizard and saved a paladin. Just as he checked whether she had been injured while being dragged in, Ronan’s eyes met hers at a distance of only a finger’s length. Her red hair flowed like a flickering flame, and her violet eyes shone as if they contained stars. She was so beautiful that he almost forgot the urgency of the situation.
It was at that moment that Ronan fell in love with Layla at first sight, though he realized it only later.
With Layla’s help, Ronan and his group were freed safely and completed the extermination mission. The corpses of the dark wizard and monsters were burned, and together with priests who had come as reinforcements from the temple, they conducted purification operations. The villagers of Ramona stayed in shelters arranged by the temple while the purification took place, eventually moving to the capital. However, Layla chose to remain in the village.
[Please let me at least hold a proper funeral.]
[We’re sorry, but the bodies used for experiments must be burned to prevent the spread of disease.]
[Then let me at least help with the handling of the corpses.]
[…Are you sure? The condition of the bodies will not be good.]
[I don’t mind.]
Layla quietly assisted in collecting the corpses of the sacrificed villagers, and Ronan rolled up his sleeves to help as well. It was his way of repaying her for helping to successfully complete the extermination operation.
Not only did she save lives, but Layla also guided them through the hidden labyrinthine bases of the dark wizards and the areas patrolled by monsters, leaving no detail unreported.
In addition, Layla volunteered for all the chores during the purification operations and guided them around the village, acting as their guide. Ronan followed her under the pretext of protecting her.
[Are paladins usually this idle?]
[Not idle. I’m here to protect you. Who knows when the dark wizards might attack again.]
[You don’t need to protect me.]
[It’s a way of repaying the debt for saving my life. Consider it like having a skilled bodyguard.]
[That’s more attention than I need.]
[You’re bothered by me?]
[…]
Layla glanced at Ronan’s men for help, but they, like obedient dogs tailing their leader, allowed the two of them to be alone. This allowed the two to grow closer quickly. By that time, Layla no longer tried to separate from Ronan.
Ronan took the opportunity to ask her about everything: whether she had family, how long she had lived in Ramona Village, and if she had a lover.
[Did you deliberately get captured that day?]
[Yes. Only paladins could save the village, and since I was caught by the dark wizard, I thought I had to do everything to be rescued. So I let myself be captured and taken.]
[If we hadn’t found you, you would have been dead.]
[… I hadn’t thought of that. I was really lucky.]
Over time, Ronan’s feelings for Layla deepened, and he confessed as though he might die if he didn’t. The problem was that instead of saying “I like you” or “I love you,” he proposed marriage.
Hiding behind a tree, Ronan’s men thought the confession would fail, but to their surprise, Layla willingly accepted. It seemed she felt the same way.
However, until then, Layla did not know that Ronan was Ronan Blanche. She didn’t know that, as the commander, he led the entire order of paladins, and she could never have imagined that the man called Sir Blanche was truly the son of Marquis Blanche. Before the marquis could oppose the union, Layla initially rejected Ronan’s proposal.
[Why did you suddenly change your mind?]
[Ronan is the hero and commander of the paladin order, and the only son of Marquis Blanche. In contrast, I’m from a fallen noble family. We clearly don’t match.]
[…Could you just call me Ronan instead of Sir Ronan?]
[That’s not the problem right now.]
[It is a problem.]
Layla tried to push him away, but Ronan refused to back down. He didn’t care if Marquis Blanche opposed it. Every day, he brought fully bloomed white peonies to propose. When he showed no signs of giving up, Layla herself went to the marquis.
[Please stop Ronan. I came because I thought you might listen to me. There’s nowhere to put the white peonies anymore.]
Although it was said the marquis opposed it angrily, in truth, he only opposed it because of his son’s bold actions, not because he disliked Layla.
Her status as a fallen noble didn’t matter. Her family had acted as military financiers during Leopold’s time and had been destroyed by dark wizards, which was honorable. Many heroes had died without leaving their names. A daughter from such a family was naturally admirable.
Ronan, hailed as a hero, was a paladin often dispatched to exterminate dark wizards and monsters. If Layla married him and died the next day, she would instantly become a widow. Even if she remarried, she would face disapproving eyes due to her connection with a family that had produced generations of paladins. Moreover, since she had not yet accepted his proposal, there was no reason to push her into marriage.
Yet Ronan ignored opposition from everyone, even the woman he loved, and pursued Layla relentlessly. He didn’t give up on her, to the point of planning to elope. Gradually, Layla’s resistance began to soften.
[If my status is an issue, I’ll renounce my title. I’ll give up being a paladin. We’ll live in a distant land, build a magnificent mansion in a lush forest, tend the garden during the day, and stargaze at night. If you prefer lively places, I have a fief you could live in. Or we could go north. It’s cold, but the scenery is beautiful.]
[What do you like about me?]
[Excuse me?]
[I’m not a great beauty, I’m not wealthy, I have no exceptional talents, and I’ve never been part of the temple. Why would you give up everything to leave with me?]
[I’ve liked many things about you. Your bravery when you infiltrated enemy lines with only a dagger to save us. Your kindness in helping with the corpses and prayers despite not being obligated. And you say you’re not a great beauty? Your red hair flows like fire, and your eyes shine like stars…]
[W-wait a moment.]
[There’s more.]
[Alright, alright! Stop talking!]
Ronan had succeeded in winning Layla’s heart. The marquis eventually relented, and once again Ronan’s proposal was accepted. He was so overjoyed that he repeatedly asked if she really said yes. Ronan’s eyes always shone with love when looking at Layla, but that day, he looked as though he had the whole world. And so, the two were married.
Charlotte, who had heard the story, covered her mouth in astonishment.
“Father really loved Mother.”
“Yes. He loved her. To the point that everyone around them was exhausted by it. When preparing the wedding, it was even more. When Layla said, ‘I’ll prepare the furniture,’ do you know what Ronan said? ‘Just bring yourself.’ I heard it right next to him.”
“That must have been joyful.”
“Not really.”
Charlotte let out a small laugh. She felt happy hearing stories she didn’t know about her parents.
Her father had told her so much about her mother. Whenever Charlotte asked, he answered sincerely, even during play, sharing stories as if her mother were still alive. She had never felt the absence of her mother deeply. She only sometimes thought, If Mother were alive, she would have loved me as much as Father does.
“I didn’t know how you and Mother met. Father often spoke about her, but never about that.”
[…]
“Maybe because, as Grandfather said, he had been rejected more than ten times.”
Marquis Blanche smiled quietly, though a bitter taste lingered in his mouth. Though he said that, the truth was something he couldn’t tell Charlotte.
[If I hadn’t proposed that day, would Layla have died?]
Ronan carried guilt over Layla’s life.
[I kept her with me, and that’s why she died. Layla could have met a good husband, had beautiful children, and lived happily…]
[…]
[I caused Layla’s death.]
That’s why, though he told Charlotte stories about Layla, he could never recount exactly how they met or fell in love. Speaking of it would have twisted his face and made it hard to breathe. Ronan always longed for Layla and loved her.
“Grandfather?”
[…Nothing. We’re almost there.]
Marquis Blanche turned his head toward the window. The palace was nearby. He changed the subject as naturally as he could, but the shadow on his face didn’t easily fade.
