Chapter 28
Elion immediately called for Fred, who was standing beside him.
“Fred.”
The moment their eyes met, Fred instantly understood what his lord was about to say.
“Yes, I understand. Please return first, Your Grace. I’ll report to you as soon as the work here is finished.”
This was the level of competence expected from a chief aide who had served by his master’s side for ten years.
“Good. I leave it to you.”
“Consider it done, Your Grace.”
Elion left Fred and the knights behind and offered his hand to escort Rubiana.
She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his.
As they walked toward the carriage, Rubiana glanced up at him with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“I can go alone. This is important work—shouldn’t Your Grace stay on site?”
“That’s exactly why the High Priest and Saintess are coming. Their presence means I can step back. Even if I stayed, there’s nothing more I could personally do. Barrier maintenance is entirely under the Temple’s authority.”
“Still…”
“And especially today… I should stay by your side if you’re to feel safe.”
“Ah…”
She couldn’t believe he used the very excuse she had invented to keep him with her.
And that dazzling, harmless smile on top of it!
Rubiana’s heart fluttered lightly.
Ugh… What is this tingling feeling?
The carriage carrying the two of them began moving slowly, and her heart continued thumping.
“Oh, that reminds me…”
Breaking the silence, Elion spoke.
“Thanks to you, we made an important discovery. We knew the barrier had issues, but no one had the slightest idea where or what the problem was.”
“Me? No, surely not!”
Rubiana shook her head violently.
“You were the one who found the magic circle first, Your Grace. I only… saw a snake.”
“That’s true, but still…”
Elion tilted his head.
“…It was an extraordinary coincidence. Extraordinary luck.”
“It really was. Quite amazing.”
“Yes. Amazing indeed.”
Her awkward little laugh made Elion’s gaze soften.
***
“We greet the High Priest and the Saintess.”
The assembled knights and priests bowed deeply as High Priest Boris and Saintess Florencia arrived.
“You’ve all done well. This was a tremendous task.”
At his praise, one of the priests spoke respectfully.
“It was all thanks to Grand Duke Klitzman, Your Excellency. He happened to discover this place by chance.”
“Oh? By chance, you say? Lady Ipolito must have guided him. It seems he has departed already. Well, he is a busy man.”
Sensing the right moment, Fred stepped forward.
“Since it concerns the safety of the capital, His Grace wished to stay, but he had a prior engagement and could not remain until the end.”
“Understandable. It’s fine, no issue. This matter is under the Temple’s jurisdiction anyway. Now, shall we take care of these magic circles?”
“Yes, this way.”
The priests led the High Priest and Saintess to the site.
But no one noticed that Florencia’s face was stiff with irritation.
I thought I’d at least see Elion for a moment. What sort of “important prior engagement” kept him from waiting even a little? He must have heard I was coming!
Annoyance surged.
Grinding her teeth silently, she felt someone’s gaze on her.
Turning her head, she found Elion’s aide, Fred, staring at her with a somewhat puzzled expression.
Florencia offered him a sweet smile before looking away.
But the smile did not last.
What should I do now…?
She had chosen this spot specifically because no one would ever notice it—yet Elion found it.
It should have been the Crown Prince who discovered this place!
It was meant to become a stepping stone to strengthen the Crown Prince’s position.
Now everything was ruined.
The thought of the Empress whining and crying again already gave her a headache.
And her father’s impending rage made her heartbeat quicken in anxiety.
If only she had seen Elion for even a brief moment, she might have been comforted.
His existence was the very meaning of her life.
But Elion had left without waiting for her.
Nothing is going right.
Throughout the entire process of nullifying the magic circles, Florencia couldn’t focus.
***
The Payson family warmly greeted Elion and Rubiana as they stepped out of the carriage.
“Thank you for coming, Your Grace,” said Count Lyndon Payson.
“And thank you for accepting our sudden invitation,” added the Countess.
Elion shook hands with the Count.
“And thank you for sending us such exquisite wine from the Grand Duchy. We appreciate it greatly, Your Grace,” the Countess said.
“A small token of gratitude for your gracious invitation, Countess.”
Elion politely kissed the back of her hand.
“But how did you and my sister arrive in the same carriage, Your Grace? How did the two of you meet?” Justin asked immediately.
He could never hold back his curiosity.
The boy’s eyes sparkled with admiration for Elion, the war hero.
The fact that his hero and his sister had arrived together must have seemed incredible to him.
“So you must be Justin. I’ve heard you’re a brave and pure-hearted boy. As for Lady Rubiana, we met by chance.”
“By chance? That’s fate, then!”
“What? Fate?”
At the ten-year-old’s unexpected remark, Elion and the entire Payson family burst into laughter.
Rubiana ruffled her adorable brother’s hair.
“If every coincidence were fate… the world would be in total chaos, Justin.”
“Really?”
He tilted his head and giggled.
Even during dinner, laughter flowed easily.
“I hope the food suits Your Grace’s tastes,” said the Countess.
“I’m not picky. Please don’t worry, Countess.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear. Ah, our eldest daughter Stephanie is on special duty tonight and couldn’t attend. She was disappointed.”
“I see. Well, starting tomorrow her workload should lighten considerably.”
“Truly? That’s excellent news!”
The Countess’s voice brightened noticeably.
Watching Elion converse so comfortably with her family, Rubiana felt a strange sensation.
He’s… just a normal nobleman.
Though she had entrusted her life to him, a part of her always believed getting involved with him was dangerous.
But seeing him here—smiling, chatting, blending in—she wondered if she might have been wrong.
“I want to become a great knight like Your Grace when I grow up!” Justin suddenly declared.
With everyone’s attention on him, the boy looked at Elion seriously.
“How many hours a day do I need to practice swordsmanship to become like you?”
“His Grace trained incredibly hard from a young age,” Rubiana answered before Elion could.
“People say he practiced constantly—except when sleeping or eating. Justin, could you do that?”
“No time to play with my friends? No time to read or draw? How is that even possible?”
The more he thought about it, the darker Justin’s expression grew, and Rubiana secretly giggled.
Elion chuckled and spoke gently.
“Rumors always exaggerate. No one trains swordsmanship nonstop except for sleep and meals.”
Justin’s face brightened immediately.
His eyes sparkled again.
“Then how much did you practice, Your Grace?”
“Hmm… about ten hours a day?”
“Whaaaat?! Ten hours?!!”
The boy’s eyes went round as saucers.
“That’s way too long! I can barely manage two hours…”
Everyone laughed as his little mouth drooped in despair.
Annoyed that his family enjoyed his suffering, Justin pouted repeatedly—only to soon join the laughter.
Elion smiled at the boy’s innocence—then suddenly met Rubiana’s eyes.
Startled by the unexpected eye contact, her gaze trembled before she looked away.
Something in Elion’s chest tightened.
It felt like a tiny scratch had opened inside him, letting a faint wind leak through.
Unsettled by the feeling, so out of place at a warm family dinner, he swallowed down his wine.
***
Today was the day Rubiana had declared she would sleep in.
Too much had happened yesterday, and she was exhausted both physically and mentally.
She needed absolute rest.
She was lazing on her bed, skipping breakfast, when—
“Milady! Lady Rubiana! Something terrible has happened!”
Sophie burst in, shouting at the top of her lungs.
