Chapter 29
I bent down as I smelled the old wood in the air. The ceiling was so low that I had no choice but to hunch over.
After roughly organizing my luggage, I left the room and heard loud voices coming from the first floor.
Maybe because the building was old, the wooden stairs let out small creaking screams every time I stepped on them.
Please don’t collapse.
This inn was located at the edge of Van Pala, where the subjugation battle had taken place, on the road back to Berenice.
Considering both Valentin’s and my physical condition, we decided to stay here for a few more days instead of forcing ourselves to travel.
Unlike the center of Van Pala, where decent inns had been built for the large number of people who came every year for the subjugation battle, the border area had no clean or luxurious inns that could accommodate many people.
Because of that, someone much taller than the average person—like me—had to practically fold himself in half to go down the stairs.
Thankfully, there was no shortage of food. The knights were eating their fill.
“Oh! The pride of Berenice!”
“The master of monster subjugation!”
“Berenice’s romantic guy has arrived!”
The moment I appeared, the dining hall turned into a marketplace.
Good thing we had rented the entire inn. Otherwise, someone might have thought a war had broken out and run outside.
I waved off the nicknames that seemed to increase every day and sat next to Neumann.
As soon as I sat down, Neumann pushed a drink toward me.
“I expected you would do well, but I didn’t think you’d defeat that many monsters. All of the Second Prince’s efforts to hold Berenice back during the subjugation battle ended up being useless.”
Chase had apparently fought monsters for three days straight with help from the Imperial Knights.
No wonder he looked so confident.
Thinking about the way Chase had frowned when he saw me holding the Ice Flower made my head ache a little.
“I didn’t mean for it to turn out that way.”
I just did what I had to in order to survive.
Neumann nodded as if he understood.
“All things must be done as if your life depends on them.”
That’s not what I meant.
I drank my beverage while looking at his unusually excited hazelnut-colored eyes. The cool liquid slid down my throat and lifted my mood.
Well, good is good.
“More importantly, I never imagined Sir Nathan would be such a romantic.”
“Pfft!”
The liquid I hadn’t swallowed yet sprayed out of my mouth.
“Of course, I noticed you were interested in Lady Lucy. Did you think we wouldn’t see how restless you got whenever she was with the Duke?”
Now that the rumor of “Romantic Guy” Nathan Rafelpia had spread, the knights leaned in and agreed with Neumann.
“That’s not it.”
“Isn’t it? Really?”
Good grief. I thought Neumann was a proper gentleman, but he could be quite sly!
After presenting the Ice Flower to Lucy in front of everyone, there was only so much I could deny.
I opened my mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, but Andy cut in first.
“Sir Nathan may not know, but it was a scene for the ages. A beast offering a precious flower—won at the risk of his life—to a beautiful lady! Even someone like me with no dating experience knows that was something straight out of a fairy tale.”
Ahhh!
Embarrassed, I buried my face in my hands and recalled what had happened.
Everything had unfolded quickly.
Back then, I took a deep breath full of tension and forced my feet to move.
I slowly came down the stairs and turned left. The women in the hall quickly looked each other up and down.
But when I headed straight toward the mage, doubtful gazes wrapped around me like ropes.
The stares were so heavy that the glass box in my hands felt like a rock.
Thankfully, the tension pressing on my shoulders melted away the moment I met Lucy’s clear eyes.
“Sir Nathan?”
Lucy seemed unable to believe what was happening.
She called my name softly and just stood there.
“I would like to give this Ice Flower to you, Lady Lucy.”
For a moment, there was a frightening silence.
Looking at Lucy, who couldn’t even close her mouth, I hesitated. Offering the flower like that felt awkward.
How did Valentin give Lucy a flower in the novel?
After thinking hard about the description, I slowly knelt on one knee and held out the box toward her. It was the typical proposal pose.
I don’t think it was like this…
If it had been Valentin, he could’ve casually tossed it to her saying he found it somewhere, and it would still have become a legendary scene.
But I’m not him.
So I did the most classic and traditional pose I knew, trying not to look too awkward.
Meanwhile, the once-silent hall exploded with noise.
“Breaking news!”
“The Beast of Berenice offers the Ice Flower to Lucy Wainsrain, disciple of the Magic Tower Master!”
“What happened between them? This is an exclusive for Dizpaji!”
“Write the article and send it immediately!”
The press rushed to write articles and draw illustrations.
Among the women, conversations bloomed.
“Lucy? What connection do they even have?”
“Did they know each other before? Or is she so beautiful that even a beast fell for her?”
“She is pretty.”
“I don’t know if receiving flowers from a beast is a good thing, but it’s definitely newsworthy. If only I’d known earlier.”
Ironically, I was the most flustered of all.
In my rush, I hadn’t considered that Lucy might be troubled by being linked to a “beast” like me.
I used to be completely against public proposals…
And now I was doing one?
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Lucy’s face, as she looked down at me, was much calmer than before.
Baron, standing beside her, had a far more interesting expression.
Right. Baron is a second male lead too.
I had been so focused on Hersion that I momentarily forgot Baron also had feelings for Lucy.
But I truly had no choice.
Saving Valentin’s and my life was not something that could be repaid with mere words of thanks.
Even if Valentin later gave her a reward, I wanted to give her something myself.
Lucy had saved the battered Valentin. To me, she was a benefactor as well.
…Besides, the Ice Flower was originally hers.
I didn’t know where things had gone off track, but in the original story, Valentin was supposed to win first place in the subjugation battle and give the Ice Flower to Lucy.
Even if the one giving it had changed, shouldn’t the recipient remain the same?
That was how valuable I believed the Ice Flower was.
Thankfully, before my raised arm became too awkward, Lucy accepted the flower.
“Thank you, Sir Nathan. It’s an honor to receive such a precious flower.”
Her bright smile was clear and almost blue in its purity.
At the same time, the Ice Flower in her hand shone in brilliant colors, as if it had found its rightful owner.
I stared blankly at the sight and prepared to stand up.
But at that moment, Lucy gently grabbed the hand that had been holding the flower.
“Lady Lucy?”
When I looked up in surprise, she was smiling mysteriously.
“This is the only way I can repay the brave knight’s heart.”
Then, in a light voice, she pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand. Her lips brushed against my skin, and it tickled.
On top of that, she softly blew on the spot. Goosebumps spread all over my body.
I scrambled to my feet so awkwardly that it was embarrassing.
Later, Neumann told me that it wasn’t uncommon for a lady who received flowers to kiss a knight’s hand. Only then did I relax.
If I had known, I wouldn’t have acted like such an idiot.
The time I spent sweating nervously felt unfair.
But something else embarrassed me even more.
As soon as I turned to leave, the Berenice Knights burst into thunderous applause.
And among them…
Valentin stood calmly, like the eye of a storm.
I smiled awkwardly at the excited knights making all sorts of gestures. Then my eyes met his unreadable green gaze.
Valentin slowly raised a finger.
Me?
When he was sure I was looking at him, he leisurely moved his right hand—first pointing at me—then dragging it across his own neck.
I followed the movement of his fingers like a puppy watching a fluttering butterfly.
Then Valentin smiled sweetly—almost wickedly—and mercilessly made a slicing motion.
I copied his gesture in confusion. A few seconds later, I understood.
My neck… cut?
“I-I’m going to die?”
When I mouthed the words in disbelief, Valentin nodded without hesitation.
A chill ran down my spine.
Naturally, I wrapped both hands around my neck to protect my precious life.
That heartless bastard!
Is he jealous because I gave Lucy the flower? Has his affection for her already reached its peak?
No matter what, how could he treat me like this?
…Or is he upset because I didn’t give him one?
Whatever the reason, Valentin kept that terrifying smile on his face and didn’t take his eyes off me.
In the festive atmosphere caused by the Beast’s offering of the Ice Flower, I was the only one who couldn’t relax.
Back in the present, I slammed my head onto the table. Neumann pushed a plate of chicken breast toward me.
“You don’t have to be so embarrassed. It was truly impressive.”
Then he whispered something that offered no comfort at all.
“With that, you may have gained the upper hand over the Duke. I’ll be rooting for you.”
Without lifting my head, I rubbed my forehead against the table to show there was no need.
Forget it. That’s not the problem…
Despite that terrifying throat-cutting gesture, Valentin had done nothing since.
He said nothing. He did nothing.
That’s what makes it scarier.
I couldn’t figure out exactly why he was upset, which made me even more anxious.
When a strange guy goes quiet, it’s always worse.
Before Valentin could appear, I shoveled the food on the table into my mouth at frightening speed, trying to leave as quickly as possible.
