Chapter 49
“Please wait a moment! You’re the one I met at the temple that day, right?!”
Deonis turned to look at Lihelin. His eyes showed no emotion—only annoyance.
“That day, you treated me rudely. Please apologize.”
“Why should I? Wasn’t it you who forced healing on me and acted without manners?”
His voice was cold as ice.
“That’s because you rejected the goddess’s will.”
“I didn’t reject the goddess. I rejected you, priestess.”
Deonis started walking again, his face completely indifferent. Just watching him made one’s throat dry. Lihelin grabbed him again before he could leave.
“Duke, the goddess told us to respect her servants. But how… how can you act so cruel?”
“First you tried to force treatment, now you try to force an apology. All you’re doing is wasting my time.”
He shook off her hand with ease.
“Don’t ever touch me again. I don’t care if you’re the goddess’s servant or not.”
“……!”
Leaving Lihelin behind, Deonis walked away. She stood frozen with a wounded expression, then slowly turned and left.
Melody, who had been crouching and holding her breath, finally exhaled.
“Something must have happened between them,” Awhin said.
“Looks like it…”
It was clear the two had recognized each other, but in a direction Melody hadn’t expected.
Still, if the story followed its flow, Deonis would eventually love Lihelin. Yet, seeing them together now, Melody wondered—should she support this doomed love, or ruin every moment so it would never bloom?
But what if fate couldn’t be changed, no matter what she did? The thought twisted her mind. When she lifted her head, Awhin was watching her.
“Are you worried about those two?”
“You’re not?”
After all, Lihelin was also part of his fate.
“…I am.”
So, Awhin’s one-sided love had already begun. But Melody couldn’t bring herself to cheer for his love either.
Awhin stood, his tall body casting a heavy shadow over her.
“That lover you mentioned before… was it Duke Deonis?”
The sudden question left Melody stunned. She stared at him blankly.
“No.”
Then she remembered—she had once lied, saying she had a lover.
“Then… do you have someone else?”
His serious face made Melody blink.
“Actually, it was a lie. I only said that because I didn’t want the Duke to know I was meeting you.”
“Ah.”
Awhin thought for a moment before asking,
“May I ask why?”
“He didn’t want me making magic tools for healing. He said the temple wouldn’t like it if they found out.”
“So you climbed over the balcony to avoid the Duke’s eyes.”
“Yes. I wanted to make them, no matter what.”
In his violet eyes, a faint warmth flickered. His lips curved slightly, and he reached out his hand to her.
“When your mind feels troubled, riding a horse can help. Would you like to try?”
Melody took his hand and stood. Thanks to his divine power, her hangover was completely gone. She was about to answer when—
“Magic tool maker! You need to fix this.”
A tired-faced Gerson called her.
The blacksmiths had also joined the expedition to maintain weapons. In the temporary forge, Gerson placed a broken magic tool down.
“They’ve been using it so much it finally broke.”
“I’ll repair it right away.”
“And I’ll need another fire-starter tool too.”
“I can finish it before sunset.”
Soon, Melody was busy nonstop. She didn’t even have time to dwell on the embarrassing memories from her drinking. More broken tools arrived, and she had to design new ones for the expedition. She even continued researching the magic-canceling machine whenever she could.
When Dering dropped by to sharpen his sword, he spotted her and gave her a thumbs-up.
“As expected, the greatest tool is a magic tool. The weapon works perfectly.”
“Thank you for saying that, Sir Dering.”
“See? I’m not the kind of man who holds grudges just because you once didn’t take my side.”
“You sure talk a lot for someone who lost.”
Talia suddenly appeared, mocking from behind. Still hammering with one hand, Melody waved the other.
“If you’re going to fight, do it elsewhere. This is a no-fighting zone. Sir Rohan said so.”
“What’s wrong, holy knight? Afraid of me?”
Talia tilted her head to provoke him. Dering snorted.
“The goddess did not give me fear when she made me. I’m just busy.”
“Oh, so scary.”
“Let’s go.”
With a bright grin, Talia dragged the fuming Dering off toward the training grounds.
Melody got along with most of the expedition members, but not everyone was friendly.
“Disgusting. Even if you call them ‘magic tools,’ in the end they’re just made from monsters’ corpses.”
“How can we use such things when we’re about to restore the holy barrier?”
A temple priest sneered at the parts laid out on a cloth, refusing to touch them. He even covered his nose with a handkerchief as if they stank.
“It’s shameful that such things are used in a holy expedition.”
After the priests left, Anna fumed.
“I thought magic tools were made in the temple too!”
“They are.”
“Then why do they treat you like that?!”
“Because the closer they are to light, the more filthy monsters must feel to them.”
The temple’s magic tool department existed only for control. They used tools because they were useful, yet condemned them because they went against divine will. That was why the workshop was hidden deep underground, where few ever went. Melody had long accepted this. But Anna wasn’t satisfied.
“That’s why we should show everyone how good magic tools really are!”
Full of energy, Anna went around demonstrating tools to the knights. The knights eagerly gathered to watch, and soon the forge became noisy with crowds.
After the crowd scattered like locusts, Melody rested her sore shoulders, watching training in the yard. Then she saw a familiar face walking toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
It was Lihelin. She came closer and looked at Melody’s hands.
“Your hand…”
Melody lifted it without thinking. It was stained with magic stone powder and sweat, but uninjured.
“I’m fine. I was just taking a break.”
“I heard from the knights. You’re a magic tool maker. I saw the things you made. What are they?”
“This one gathers moisture and makes water. It’s useful where there’s none—like here.”
“I see. But… I know a place where water is.”
Lihelin continued.
“This is actually my hometown. Just over that hill, my family’s house is there. I never thought, in just the few months I was gone to the capital, something like this would happen here.”
