Chapter – 10
“Marie, noona!”
“Unnie!”
“Eric, Sandy.”
Familiar faces ran over and hugged me.
Thanks to the two years I spent wandering the slums under the pretext of volunteer work, I had come to know people there. The siblings Eric and Sandy were among them.
I didn’t want to just sit quietly in the foundation office and sign papers. But I couldn’t work while appearing as a noble lady, either—it would make both me and anyone watching uncomfortable.
That was when I first started using the name “Knight Marie.” Dressed as a knight and helping with the dirty work, no one said anything; it suited the situation perfectly.
In reality, it was Dean and Rodel who actually did the tough work, but in a world where even fetching your own water could be considered burdensome for a noble lady, there was nothing I could do.
“Tell us about that other world again, noona.”
“Hm? You liked that story?”
“Yes. In that world, there’s no social class, and if you study hard, you can become someone amazing. I want to live there too.”
It was cute, yet a little heartbreaking. It seemed the story I told from my past life, like a fairy tale, had captured his imagination. I smiled and ruffled Eric’s hair; he grinned back shyly.
“I’ll tell you next time. I came here for something else today. How’s Grandma Lesha?”
“She’s better than when you last came. Eric and I visit her every day to take care of her, unnie.”
“That’s good of you.”
I had come today to deliver her medicine. The foundation had been so busy with the library construction project that I wanted to personally check on the slums as well.
After giving Grandma Lesha her medicine, I wanted to take a look around her home. Her mobility was limited, and there was no suitable place to move her, so aside from minor repairs, her house hadn’t been properly maintained—it was always precarious.
“Let’s go to Grandma’s house quickly!”
I followed Eric and Sandy into Grandma Lesha’s home.
The old house was tiny and modest. It was hard to tell whether the room with the bed was a living room or a bedroom, and it barely separated from the kitchen. The ceiling had been patched together with boards, and I feared that with the coming rainy season, it would leak badly.
“Grandma, I’m here.”
“Marie?”
“Yes, it’s Marie. How are you feeling?”
Grandma nodded and smiled, seeming much better, but the situation was still not ideal. I needed to arrange temporary housing and perform repairs before the rains began.
The reasons we hadn’t done it before were twofold: first, no one in the slums could temporarily lend a place to stay, and second, many elders were attached to their homes and didn’t want to leave.
And there was also the fear of having their homes taken away.
“Eric, Sandy, can you help me?”
“Yes!”
“This is the medicine, and this is the food. Share the food with Grandma, then give her the medicine. You can do that, right?”
“Got it, unnie.”
“Where are you going, noona?”
“I’m just going to check the house for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
I stepped outside to inspect the fragile house, which seemed ready to collapse at any moment. I imagined rats coming in from here, and that window falling at any moment…
“Hmm…”
“This place needs immediate repairs.”
Startled by the voice behind me, I turned around. Deep red hair, like the color of wine. It was Luke Ventus.
“…Sir Ventus.”
“As a knight, you should have sensed me coming, Marie.”
Why was the master of Delua, who should be guarding the border or watching over Eclett, standing here leisurely? Had he been lingering around the foundation this whole time? I had thought he had stopped paying attention since there were no related reports.
“I’m still not good enough.”
“Hm… I see. You need to train your body a bit. For a knight, you’re too—”
Physically, I was fairly strong… Luke Ventus quickly turned his head and stopped speaking.
It was better to change the topic; there was no point in talking more about knights.
“By the way, Sir Ventus, what brings you here? This isn’t really a place you’d be at.”
“Oh, I followed you when you came here.”
“…Why?”
“Curiosity.”
Luke Ventus was a former mercenary who had achieved the most success among his peers. He had been recognized for his feats and granted the most dangerous Delua territory, becoming both the lord of Delua and the commander of its knights.
His success was due to immense strength, swordsmanship, leadership, and tactics—any one of which alone was extraordinary.
“My instincts told me to follow you.”
Yes, that instinct. That almost animal-like intuition was what had carried Luke Ventus to such heights.
“….”
“So, what do I have to do to catch the attention of Marie, whose standards are so high that someone like me wouldn’t even register?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m pretty good at carpentry.”
“….”
“Delua is relatively poor, so there are many houses like this. There aren’t enough people in the territory to do repairs, so fixing houses yourself is just everyday life.”
“….”
“Want me to help?”
I could have refused immediately, but I hesitated.
Honestly, he was someone I shouldn’t get involved with, and though I disliked him, thinking pragmatically, his help was efficient. If I didn’t get help from him, I’d have to fetch Dean from the foundation office or do it myself. Going all the way back to the office would be inefficient, and I knew my own capabilities. Repairs had never been my strength, even in my past life.
“…Sir Ventus.”
“Hm?”
“…Then, I’ll accept your help.”
“Good.”
Luke smiled freely and rolled up his sleeves.
Because Luke hadn’t gotten any answers from Bihan, he sometimes went to check on the eastern slums himself.
Unlike Duke Kaisers, who directed others, Luke acted personally.
Most of Luke’s subordinates were knights—not suited for secretive movement. If the Delua knights moved around, they would only draw attention.
That was when he saw me—Marie—walking into the eastern slums so naturally. Luke recalled the shocking remark I made earlier:
‘But my standards are high. Even Sir Ventus wouldn’t catch my eye.’
How could someone like me not notice him? Even those obsessed with bloodlines and status had ended up flustered by him.
Luke had a keen sense. He understood perfectly the meaning behind the intense gazes ladies threw at him.
There were generally three types: admiration for strength, hostility toward mercenaries, and a sticky, unpleasant feeling.
Marie’s gaze was intense, but in a way different from the usual three—
“…She looks really annoyed.”
Exactly.
Her shocking remark was overshadowed by the striking way her eyes were full of annoyance. It wasn’t hostility. It was more like…
“…Bothered?”
Yes. She looked at me as if I were a nuisance. Eyes that said, “I don’t want to get involved.”
What should I do? Showing annoyance always made me want to win her over. I wanted at least a piece of her favor.
Luke smiled mischievously and followed behind me.
‘She’s in debt to the foundation… was she from the eastern slums like Eclett? Doesn’t look like it. I’d believe she’s a princess more than that.’
“Marie, noona!”
“Unnie!”
“Eric, Sandy.”
The slum siblings soon hugged Marie.
She treated the children naturally and headed to one of the poorest houses in the slums. It was so dilapidated that conversations inside could be overheard outside.
“Eric, Sandy, can you help me?”
“Yes!”
“This is the medicine, and this is the food. Share the food with Grandma, then give her the medicine. You can do that, right?”
“Got it, unnie.”
I wondered if she often took care of the people in the slums. Marie and the siblings treated each other naturally and familiarly.
“Where are you going, noona?”
“I’m just going to check the house for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
Pushing open the creaking door, Marie surveyed the house with a serious expression. From a distance, it was clear there were urgent repairs needed. Honestly, it might be better to tear it down and rebuild entirely.
I thought that with my head, but my body moved first. I was already behind her.
Her thin, white fingers, measuring the size of a rat hole, caught my attention. What was she planning with those hands?
“This place needs immediate repairs.”
Marie’s eyes widened as she turned toward me.
“…Sir Ventus.”
A fleeting shock, then a calm voice and expression as if hiding something. She took a step back. Unlike with the children, there was a clear boundary. No sense of intimacy.
I felt determined.
“By the way, Sir Ventus, what brings you here? This isn’t really a place you’d be at.”
“Oh, I followed you when you came here.”
“…Why?”
“Curiosity.”
Luke was always honest. He had nothing to hide. He found the person in front of him extremely interesting.
“Want me to help?”
It was obvious she was at a huge crossroads of choice.
Accepting his offer to help felt like facing some kind of fateful choice.
“…Sir Ventus.”
And yet, why was I nervous waiting for this answer?
“…Then, I’ll accept your help.”
“Good.”
And why did that make me so happy? I had no clue.
