CHAPTER 72…………………………………………………
Because he wore a black robe, I couldn’t clearly see his face. As soon as the man’s eyes met mine, he sheathed his sword.
“Se… Saintess. I have truly committed a grave sin. The horse suddenly ran wild…”
I took my eyes off the man and focused on the coachman, who was kneeling and speaking with a trembling voice.
When I turned my gaze to the paladin, he seemed to sense what I wanted and immediately pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me.
“Thank you.”
Taking the handkerchief, I bent down to sit.
“Are you alright?”
I asked as I wiped the blood from the coachman’s face. Honestly, I wasn’t worried about him.
I just wanted to look closely. His shoulders were trembling.
I carefully observed the coachman, who couldn’t meet my eyes, and comforted him.
“It was an accident. No one was hurt, so it’s alright.”
“Se… Saintess…”
“Really, it’s fine. Please stand up.”
As I straightened, the coachman hesitated but slowly rose to his feet.
“I apologize again, Saintess.”
I gave a faint smile.
The man behind him sheathed his sword and turned away.
The paladins were about to follow him.
“Please wait a moment!”
The man stopped briefly at the paladin’s words and looked toward me.
“Could you tell me which noble house you serve? Melissa owes you a great debt.”
I, too, didn’t take my eyes off the man.
Though hidden beneath his robe, our eyes met once more. He pulled his robe down to cover his face.
He didn’t answer, and walked away quickly.
I quietly watched his back as he left. People whispered among themselves.
Some said he looked like a mercenary, others guessed he was a knight from a noble house.
But with him leaving without a word, no one could be certain.
I called over the paladin who had been trying to follow him.
“Sir Knight.”
“Ah… Yes, Saintess.”
“I think we should tidy up here first.”
The adults shielded the children who had come to watch.
The paladins, having seen it as well, cleared their throats and began checking the fallen horse.
“There should be a public carriage nearby. I’ll head there first.”
“Eh? No, you don’t have to. We can go together.”
“It’s close. I’ll go ahead and wait.”
As I said, the place where the public carriages gathered wasn’t far, just around the corner.
“I’ll catch up soon.”
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
I smiled faintly at the villagers who had gathered.
The further I walked, the more eyes followed me.
“You truly are a Saintess. If it were any other noble, they might have killed the coachman on the spot.”
“Look how kindly she worries about him.”
“If it weren’t for that knight, that horse might have trampled our whole village.”
“Exactly.”
I walked without looking back until the voices faded from my ears.
Perhaps because this village was on the way to the temple, a place nobles frequently passed through, people didn’t find it strange whether the man was a mercenary or a knight.
That was fortunate.
Turning the corner, I finally escaped the crowd’s gaze.
Leaning against a wall, I let out a long breath.
I tried to calm my racing heart. I had never witnessed a carriage accident before, and the thought that someone would do something like that…
All to test my sanctity. Innocent people could have been hurt.
Still, the fact that I hesitated for a moment struck me as almost funny.
“Are you alright?”
Crunch, crunch. The sound of footsteps on dry dirt. The man’s voice reached me.
It was him, the same man from before.
And I knew exactly who he was.
“Your Grace.”
Why was Kardin here?
Why did he always show up when I was in trouble, in such a vulnerable state?
His face was still hidden by the robe, but I could tell he was worried about me.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“…No. I’m fine.”
“This was a deliberate accident. Did you realize that?”
He had noticed. It was no ordinary accident.
I recalled the dead horse.
Its eyes, turned inside out, didn’t look normal.
Even the foam around its mouth.
I had thought perhaps it was drugged. Kardin seemed certain of it.
“Yes. I know.”
“And yet, you say you are fine?”
His voice, full of concern, made me chuckle lightly.
“If it weren’t for you, many could have been hurt. Thank you.”
“Saintess.”
“I really am fine.”
Kardin lowered his gaze. Only then did I realize he was looking at my trembling hands.
I clasped them together, strengthened my grip, and smiled.
“What brings Your Grace here…”
Then, for a moment, worry struck me that the same might have happened to Aria.
My pupils trembled slightly.
“You needn’t worry about the previous Saintess.”
“Huh?”
It was as if he could read my thoughts by looking at my face.
“Prince Three will be waiting.”
I hadn’t expected that. I had thought Gloria would send someone.
Raymond himself had come.
“I heard that the Saintess accompanies people to the end of the sanctuary.”
I looked up at Kardin.
In his slightly visible black eyes, my figure was fully reflected.
When I didn’t respond, Kardin continued.
“I came because I was worried.”
“…Why worry about me, when I’m only here alone in Melissa?”
“Because you’re not in front of me, I worry.”
Footsteps approached from behind. Kardin slightly bowed and met my eyes.
My clasped hands twitched—they were too close.
“And I was a little upset you didn’t reply only to me.”
Kardin’s lips curved into a small smile. I found my lips parting without realizing it.
“Th-That’s…”
I hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Kardin then turned toward the carriages gathered nearby.
“All carriages have been checked. You may rest assured.”
As the steps approached, Kardin straightened and disappeared into an alley.
I stood there blankly, then slowly moved. I glanced at the alley where he had vanished, but he was gone.
Kardin’s smile seemed to cover the fright I had felt from the earlier accident.
As the paladins’ voices grew near, I resumed walking.
The resting coachmen saw me and hurried over in a single stride.
“Se… Saintess?”
“Saintess…!”
“Something came up. Could we get your help all the way to Melissa?”
“Oh, of course! Please get on!”
Even as I boarded the carriage, my gaze remained fixed on where Kardin had disappeared.
Tap, tap. A paladin knocked on the carriage door.
“Saintess.”
When the door opened, he checked on me.
“Are you really not hurt anywhere?”
“Yes. Has everything been taken care of here?”
“Jaice stayed behind to finish up.”
It seemed one of the knights remained behind.
“Can he handle it alone?”
“He plans to return to the temple and come back with a few other knights.”
“In that case, I should have gone to speak with him myself.”
“No. How could we let the Saintess go alone?”
Though the distance wasn’t far, I understood the knight’s words.
“The captain ordered us to protect the Saintess closely.”
“So the captain said.”
“Ah! Of course, even without the captain’s order, we would have protected you!”
“Yes. I understand. Shall we go?”
“Yes. Let’s depart.”
As he closed the door, silence returned inside. My eyes searched for someone again.
Though I didn’t expect to see him, it seemed he had realized I had been waiting and revealed himself.
Finally, the carriage departed.
