IWBCAS 17

Episode 17

Red drops of blood quickly fell onto the table.

Drip. Drip.

“Huh…?”

Both Reina and Carlhail looked down at the table at the same time.

Carlhail’s grip on Reina’s wrist tightened when he saw the blood. Reina frowned slightly at the pain.

Noticing her expression, Carlhail let go with an annoyed look.

As the warmth of his hand left her wrist, pain hit her belatedly.

Reina quietly sucked in a breath through her teeth.

Carlhail stared at her and said sarcastically,
“It does hurt, huh?”

Trying to control his temper, he sighed, then brought over a small wooden box. It was a first aid kit.

While he calmly opened it and took out medicine and bandages, Reina paced nervously.

“We don’t have time for this! He has to drink it before it cools!”

But Carlhail didn’t even glance at the medicine bottle in her hand. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit beside him.

“What are you doing? I said it’s urgent!”

As Reina protested again, Carlhail replied, opening the ointment,
“I’m not going to drink it. So stop.”

“What?!”

Why not?! Do you even know how hard it was to make that medicine—no, that blood?

Reina felt like crying. That bottle was priceless.

If she sold it, she could have gotten several jewels for it.

But it seemed Reina was the only one who felt it was valuable. Carlhail didn’t look regretful at all.

As he gently applied ointment to her fingers, he said,
“I knew you didn’t think things through, but I didn’t know it was this bad.”

“What do you mean I don’t think?!”

“Then what would you call cutting yourself just to help someone else? Isn’t that foolish?”

Foolish…?
She cut her hand to cure him and he calls it foolish?

Reina glared at him, but he didn’t even notice. He was too focused on wrapping her finger with a bandage.

“…Take care of your own body first. Don’t hurt yourself for someone else.”

Don’t hurt herself…

No one had ever said that to her before. Carlhail was the first.

Hearing it made Reina feel strangely emotional.

Once he finished wrapping the bandage, Carlhail tidied up the kit.

He lifted her hand—and at the tip of her finger was a small white ball of gauze.

Reina chuckled softly, and Carlhail said awkwardly,
“It’s not my fault the wound’s in such a weird spot.”

He thought she laughed because it looked silly to have such a big bandage on a small cut.

But that wasn’t it.

She smiled because someone had cared for her wound so gently. It made her a little happy.

She had grown up alone and was used to taking care of herself. Kindness from others always felt awkward and ticklish.

As Carlhail silently watched Reina smile, he asked seriously,
“Do you hate kissing me that much?”

Well… if she had to be honest, it wasn’t the kiss she hated most.

“It’s not that—”

“Then what is it?”

She wanted to say: “I just hate being treated like a medicine bottle.”

But she couldn’t say anything.

Because Carlhail’s face was way too close. He was sitting next to her, and his deep, beautiful eyes were right there.

Thump.

Her heart suddenly pounded, and she quickly looked away in panic.

“Reina?”

Carlhail tilted his head, seeing her avoid his gaze. From the corner of her eye, she saw his eyebrows crease.

He really is handsome.

Which annoyed her even more.

Why did he suddenly act all gentle now? Why not just treat her like a medicine bottle like before?

She was angry at his change in attitude. And that annoyingly handsome face.

So she acted on impulse.

She turned her head and kissed Carlhail on the lips.

Carlhail didn’t resist. Instead, he kissed her back naturally.

Their lips and tongues tangled in a deep kiss.

“…Haa.”

Reina pulled away with a shaky breath and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

“…That’s it. I kept my promise. Including last time.”

“This time it definitely worked.”

Carlhail grinned as he touched his lips.

He could feel a clean, warm energy spreading through his chest. The kiss had worked.

“You know… we get along pretty well.”

“…What?”

“I think we’d do great as a married couple.”

“You’re mistaken, Your Highness.”

Reina replied flatly.

Carlhail just chuckled like he expected that answer.

After Reina left, Carlhail sat alone, staring at the traces she left behind.

The table stained with her blood, the small bottle, and her handkerchief.

“How could she even think of hurting herself like that…”

He had seen knights die right next to him during battles with monsters.

So why did a small wound on her make him so angry?

He thought of the kiss they just shared… and the drops of blood that had fallen from her hand.

Just then, there was a knock, and Bayen entered.

“I saw Lady Reina home safely.”

“Good.”

Carlhail nodded. Bayen asked brightly,

“Did you receive the medicine from her?”

“I did. It worked… very well.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Then Bayen tilted his head and asked curiously,
“But… does the medicine have to come directly from her?”

“Huh?”

“Well, if she could make a bunch of it in advance, it’d be easier than asking her each time…”

“…True. That is unfortunate.”

Carlhail’s voice trailed off strangely, but Bayen didn’t notice. He just found Carlhail’s odd smile a bit suspicious.

“So, what did you find out?”

“She didn’t even read your letters. Just threw them out.”

Carlhail expected that, but hearing it still stung.

“And the rest?”

“Just as you guessed.”

Bayen shared what he had learned—about what Grace went through at the salon and the rumors surrounding Reina’s family.

“…And she still won’t marry me?”

“What will you do? Try convincing her again before winter comes?”

Carlhail rubbed his lips thoughtfully.

He had to return to Rautzen before winter, when the monsters would move south. But the woman holding his medicine didn’t want to marry him.

He didn’t want to drink her blood, but he couldn’t just kidnap a noble lady either.

It’d be nice if she just came willingly. Tsk.

He clicked his tongue in frustration.

“…There’s no other choice.”

“Sorry? What do you mean?”

“I guess I’ll just have to beg her to marry me.”

It might actually work… if he gave her just a little push.

A few days later.

In the slums of the capital, a large man appeared.

He looked like a bull, with a rough, scary face.

Kids who first avoided him began gathering when he pulled a big basket of white bread from his cloak.

“Mister… can I please have one?”

A hungry child asked, holding their stomach.

The man smiled warmly.

“Hungry, huh? Come on, let’s go share these over there in the open lot.”

He was a stranger, but bread was bread.

The hunger was stronger than their fear.

Like the Pied Piper, the man led the kids and sat down with them. He handed out big chunks of buttery bread.

The kids giggled happily.

“Eat slowly and plenty,” he said kindly, patting their heads.

“You kids should be growing… It’s sad to see you so hungry. But don’t worry. The Saintess has appeared. Things will get better soon.”

Eyes wide, the kids gasped.

“The Saintess…?”

“What do you mean, mister?”

“Oh? You haven’t heard? Hmph, tsk tsk.”

He clicked his tongue sadly and leaned closer.

“This is a secret… Should I tell just you all?”

The kids nodded with sparkling eyes.

“I work at the temple. And recently, we received a prophecy.”

“A prophecy?!”

Their eyes widened.

They’d heard of divine prophecies before—but no one thought they were real.

“Wow…!”

“Amazing!”

Excited voices rang out.

“What did it say?!”

The oldest kid asked. The man lowered his voice like he was about to share a top-secret story. All the kids leaned in, forgetting to chew.

“A Saintess will appear and end the world’s misfortunes.”

“She’s coming?!”

“Woooow!”

The kids cheered, but the man quickly shushed them.

“Shh! Didn’t I say it’s a secret?”

His actions were so secretive that it felt real.

“Only you kids can know this, okay? Not a word to anyone.”

All the kids nodded and even pretended to zip their lips.

The man chuckled and patted their heads again.

A few days later.

Two people wearing black cloaks and hoods stepped out of a carriage.

It was Reina and Amy.

They dressed all in black to avoid attention and hid their faces under their hoods.

No one looked at them—no one thought they were noble ladies.

They quietly got off and walked carefully toward their destination.