Chapter 20
‘Then in this monster subjugation, Valentin won’t be staying with Lucy. That means if Valentin gets injured, there won’t be anyone to heal him.’
Still, the male lead wouldn’t actually die… right? I’ll stay right next to him, so it should be fine.
I tried to stay positive, but the anxiety rising inside me wouldn’t go away.
After thinking for a long time, I decided to find Lucy. I would find her and somehow persuade her to move together with us.
With sharp eyes, I immediately began searching for Lucy.
“Sir Nathan.”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why you’re standing here?”
“Is it unpleasant?”
“N-No, not at all. It’s just that this place…”
George kept his eyes fixed on the ground, unable to endure the obvious stares of the noble ladies.
I had failed to find Lucy at the medical tent and moved to where the noble ladies were gathered.
Dragging George with me.
‘If I walk around alone, who knows how they’ll treat me? A fresh young knight that ladies like is necessary.’
George looked like a younger man—strong presence on the outside but actually soft inside. A handsome face that matched his personality perfectly.
‘She’s not here either?’
Among the colorful dresses, I strained my eyes so I wouldn’t miss Lucy’s unique, beautiful light-blue hair. But she was nowhere to be seen.
“Who is that beast…”
“I heard he belongs to the Berenice Knights.”
“That’s impossible.”
“They say he achieved great merit in Shamantla. His strength is unbelievable. Maybe because he’s part monster?”
“Well, if he’s on our side, that’s reassuring. Since the Duke chose him, there must be a reason.”
Thankfully, because of what happened in Shamantla, public opinion about me wasn’t as bad as I had feared.
Of course, I could still feel faint fear and disgust in the eyes above their fans, but thanks to Valentin’s influence, it was bearable.
I repeated Valentin’s words—act confidently—and forced myself to stand straight.
‘Still, I don’t understand why the rumors became so exaggerated.’
Just as I turned around, realizing once again how powerful rumors could be, I noticed a woman walking toward us.
Her steps were firm and without hesitation. Each time she took a step, her red hair swayed at her waist.
Wearing a green cloak that matched her eyes, she stopped right in front of me.
‘Who is she?’
“It’s my first time meeting you, Sir Nathan Rafelapia. I am Jamie Teller, the second daughter of the Teller barony.”
Her soft voice sounded fresh and youthful.
As I looked down at the top of her head—she didn’t even reach my chest—the whispering around us grew louder.
“Look at him just standing there. Anyone would think he’s about to eat her.”
“What does timid Lady Teller want?”
“So the quiet cat climbs onto the kitchen first, huh?”
“Well, that’s not exactly a kitchen…”
I had never been in this kind of situation before and didn’t know how to react. After hesitating, I finally spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Jamie Teller.”
Teller? Jamie Teller?
Slowly, I turned my head and looked at George, who was standing awkwardly beside me.
‘I heard Sir George Teller has one younger sister.’
Looking back at Jamie, I noticed she looked exactly like George.
Upturned eyes, round face, pale skin with cute freckles.
When I showed surprise after realizing who she was, Jamie smiled shyly.
“I heard that my brother owes you a great deal, Sir Nathan. He praises your character and strength so much that I wanted to meet you as soon as possible.”
“Jamie!”
George’s ears turned red, clearly embarrassed.
‘No wonder the way he looked at me changed after we returned from Shamantla.’
When I narrowed my eyes, George avoided my gaze.
Watching his flushed face, I returned the compliment.
“I was able to adapt quickly to the knights thanks to Sir George. You have a very sincere and kind brother.”
Jamie smiled brightly, pleased to hear her brother praised. Then she took something white from her arms.
“This is…”
She handed me a handkerchief made of soft fabric, embroidered with a black wolf.
As I took it without thinking, I remembered why so many ladies attended the monster subjugation.
It was an official event where they could freely gift a handkerchief made with care to a man they liked.
Because the subjugation often created new couples, they eagerly awaited it.
As I stared at the wolf embroidery, Jamie spoke shyly.
“I made it while thinking of you, Sir Nathan. I’m not sure if you’ll like it… but I hope you return from the subjugation without a single injury.”
‘She made it thinking of me?’
The wolf, embroidered tightly with black and gray threads, looked dignified and elegant.
Its eyes—made of yellow, black, and white thread—were so detailed that they seemed alive.
And beside the proud wolf was the emblem of the House of Berenice: a red rose pierced by a longsword.
‘Do they learn embroidery from childhood here?’
I always complained about being seen as a beast. But if I were this elegant and noble kind of beast, maybe I could accept it happily.
“This is the first time I’ve received such a wonderful gift. Thank you very much.”
When I spoke with genuine emotion, Jamie waved her hands in embarrassment. After hesitating for a moment, she said she hoped to see me again and returned to her tent.
Before leaving, she also gave George a handkerchief embroidered with a red rose.
“You really have a cute little sister.”
“…She is the most precious person in the world.”
For George, who couldn’t protect his parents in order to save his sister, what must Jamie mean to him?
Unable to understand the depth of that affection, I stayed silent.
In the end, we didn’t find Lucy, but we returned to the tent with a precious gift instead.
Under the flag bearing the sword cutting through a red rose.
But something felt strange.
“…What’s going on?”
Did they eat something wrong? Why were they all shirtless and doing push-ups?
I hesitated outside in shock, but Endy wiped his sweat and pulled me inside.
“Berenice’s mascot, Sir Nathan! Let’s think about how to crush the pride of the Imperial Knights. What about building more muscle?”
‘So it’s because of the Imperial Knights.’
Most of the Berenice Knights had fought alongside Valentin for years. Many of them weren’t nobles but were highly skilled, and their loyalty to him was stronger than anyone could imagine.
They also followed Valentin’s attitude of keeping distance from the Imperial family.
The Imperial Knights often belittled them because of status, so of course their relationship wasn’t good.
Understanding the situation, I waved my hands firmly.
“No more muscles, please.”
My face already looked fierce enough. I didn’t need more muscle to make it worse.
Meanwhile, George had already been dragged away.
“But what’s that on your chest?”
As Endy tried to drag me too, he pointed at my chest.
“Oh, this? I received a handkerchief from a lady.”
At that moment, several pairs of glowing eyes turned toward me.
“Oh~”
“Sir Nathan, starting early, aren’t you?”
“You must be popular with ladies.”
“I’m jealous!”
They were far too excited.
Their loud voices almost burst out of the tent, so I quickly tried to explain.
“It’s not like that. It’s from Sir George’s sister.”
But the reaction only grew stronger.
“You mean Jamie Teller?”
“That cute young lady gave you one personally?”
“You must win the Ice Flower and present it to Lady Teller!”
At the mention of the Ice Flower, the atmosphere became even hotter.
“How could I possibly win the Ice Flower?”
No one listened. They were already deep in their fantasies.
Although the subjugation required moving in groups due to danger, in the end it was an individual competition.
The person who defeated the most monsters over the three days would receive the Ice Flower.
The Ice Flower was a diamond carved into the shape of a flower, made only by the continent’s greatest craftsmen. It looked almost like a real flower and was extremely beautiful and valuable.
But that wasn’t all.
It symbolized the courage of a knight who risked his life fighting monsters, so it was incredibly popular among knights and ladies.
‘How could I possibly come in first? Maybe Valentin could.’
In the original story, Valentin won the Ice Flower. And Lucy became its owner.
Leaving the festival-like excitement behind, I escaped from the tent.
If I stayed any longer, I’d definitely get dragged into that muscle party.
The passion of knights that could even heat the cold northern wind.
‘Youth. This is youth.’
To avoid attention, I walked aimlessly along a forest path.
When I thought everyone had probably calmed down and was about to head back—
“Huh?”
My chest felt empty.
I searched the pocket on my chest with rough hands, but nothing was there.
“Where did it go?”
My handkerchief!
‘I’m sure I put it in my pocket.’
As I remembered the carefully embroidered wolf, my vision darkened. It hadn’t even been a full day since I received it.
Where did I drop it?
I slowly retraced my steps, scanning the ground carefully.
But no matter how hard I looked, I saw only trees and grass.
“Excuse me.”
Where is it? What should I say to George?
“Sir Knight.”
I should apologize to Lady Teller immediately—
“Sir Knight, excuse me.”
At the gentle voice behind me, I straightened up.
Was someone calling me?
When I turned around in confusion, clear light-blue hair caught my eye.
Like a fish, I opened and closed my mouth as I stared at the color I had been searching for.
Hair that shimmered like waves. A smooth white forehead. Long lashes framing light-blue eyes. A small nose like a drop of water and soft lips.
The person before me looked like…
“Are you a fairy?”
Just looking at her felt like my heart was being cleansed. Even without introductions, I knew.
The woman standing before me was Lucy Wainsrain, the heroine of Cliff Flower, who would never break no matter the storm.
“…Pardon?”
When Lucy blinked her large eyes in confusion, I became certain.
Valentin did not slowly fall for Lucy.
He fell in love with her at first sight.
