Chapter 116
“If we break off the engagement, there’s no reason for me to stay in this house anymore.”
It was better to leave if I wanted to neatly sort everything out.
If the engagement were broken, living next door would be impossible.
It would be awkward to see each other all the time.
It would be better to live far away if possible.
Occasionally exchanging letters with Ron and Krimu, the duke… that would be nice.
And Shebert, Britta, yes! Kauts, Debuie too…
“I have quite a lot of people to keep in touch with.”
I started counting them on my fingers, but soon stopped.
It wasn’t something to do in front of a sleeping Ron.
My head felt so cluttered.
I decided to get up and get some fresh air for a while.
Temple Prayer Room
“Hey, did you know that?”
“Know what?”
Hearing voices from a small window at the back, Ron, who had been asleep, woke up.
There was no one around.
Anne and the others were likely outside the front door to give him enough time to recover.
As Ron blinked and tried to catch his breath, the voices continued.
“They say someone’s in here.”
“Who’s in there?”
“Shh, keep your voice down. The Seed of Calamity is here.”
“What? That rumor’s true?”
Listening carefully, Ron guessed from their high-pitched voices that they were young priests who hadn’t reached adulthood.
Even though they were careful, the temple had already undergone purification several times.
So the rumors must have spread without them realizing it.
Ron tried to focus on the energy in his body, ignoring them.
But the next part of their conversation made that impossible.
“Then why did His Highness grant divine power?”
“They say it was given to purify the Seed of Calamity, and in return, someone from the Kereis lineage was sent to Loudne.”
“Loudne? No way, that monster-infested place?”
“Yeah! Isn’t it said that no one ever comes back alive from there… ugh!”
Bang!
Suddenly, the back door opened and Ron appeared, startling the young priests so much they fell to the floor.
They hadn’t expected the person they were talking about to appear so suddenly.
Ron grabbed one of them by the collar and demanded:
“Was what you just said true?”
“…I-I don’t know. P-please, spare me. I-I’ve sinned…”
“I asked if it’s true!”
At Ron’s harsh tone, the boy trembled and fainted.
Just as Ron was about to go to another fallen boy priest—
“Ron, stop!”
The voice by his ear made him freeze.
Drawing the energy inside him, Ron reverted to his youthful form and turned around.
Anne was standing there.
“Anne.”
“I thought you were asleep. What’s going on? Why are the priests here…”
Before Anne could finish, the boy priest, trembling with tears, apologized and carried away the fallen priest, disappearing.
“Ron, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Ron glanced at the spots where the priests had collapsed and continued:
“Anne, I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“As a condition for purifying me… did someone in my family go somewhere dangerous? You said it was called Loudne.”
“…!”
Seeing Anne flustered, Ron was certain.
“So it’s true. That story.”
His gaze shifted to Gurter standing behind Anne.
“Tell me the truth, master.”
“…Yes. All of it.”
Ron’s pupils trembled slightly.
It was really true.
He was shocked.
Until now, he had been elated, having his malice purified by divine power.
But it turned out it had been done at someone else’s expense.
“Who went there in my place?”
Anne hesitated, then spoke.
“…Sir Shebert went to Loudne.”
“Your brother… went?”
“…Yes. Sir Shebert decided it himself.”
Ron remembered the long conversation Anne and Shebert had on the day he first came to the temple.
That must have been when this plan was first mentioned.
He hadn’t noticed it back then.
“Me, father, and even Shebert—all of us thought your body came first. We wanted you to be fully purified before telling you… I’m sorry, Ron.”
Ron slowly approached Anne, who bowed her head deeply.
It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel hurt, but he understood.
As she said, everyone had intentionally kept it from him for his sake.
Ron hated the fact that he caused his family to worry.
Not only was he missing, but he was also the Seed of Calamity.
It felt like everyone had made difficult choices because of his cruel fate.
“…Any news from Shebert?”
“He only sent a letter saying he arrived safely.”
“And any other news?”
Anne slowly lifted her gaze to meet Ron’s.
“…According to a letter sent by the knight who followed Sir Shebert, the situation there isn’t good. The walls have been breached, and they’re struggling. That’s why he hasn’t returned yet.”
Ron’s eyelids drooped weakly.
After a moment of thought, he spoke:
“I’ll go. To that place.”
At the duke’s residence, a heavy atmosphere had settled for days.
Not only because of the bad news from Loudne, but also because Ron had decided to go there himself.
The duke naturally opposed it.
“Ron, you’re only fourteen. I cannot send you there.”
“But father, you went to the battlefield at thirteen.”
The duke glared at Gurter, who sat beside Ron.
Gurter lowered his shoulders and avoided the gaze.
“That’s not true. I was twelve. Back then, I was the most skilled and perfect boy knight in the empire.”
“….”
A moment of silence passed.
The duke continued:
“But Ron, your purification is complete now.”
“So I must go check immediately. See how much I’ve changed.”
“Ron.”
The duke pressed a hand to his smooth forehead.
His head ached.
Was his second son really that stubborn?
Well, Aria had also gone against everyone’s advice and married instead of staying with the Kereis family.
It was mother and son.
The duke looked calmly at Ron.
“Ron, is this really what you want?”
“Yes. Please let me go.”
“Very well.”
“…Really? Thank you!”
Seeing Ron finally smile, the duke lifted a hand to his chin.
“My words aren’t finished. Ron, go with Gurter. Do not take the front lines. If you can promise that, I will let you go.”
Ron wanted to argue, but he knew that from his father’s stubborn perspective, this was the most lenient decision possible, so he accepted it.
When I got the news later, I saw Ron already packing.
It was too late to stop him, so I thought of another way.
“Ron, I’m coming too.”
“…Anne. Absolutely not.”
For the first time, Ron looked completely serious and expressionless.
“Why not? If you’re coming, why can’t I! I can use teleportation to shorten the travel time. How about it?”
“Anne.”
“Oh! And since I’m a magician, I can kill the monsters in one shot! I thought it would be better for me to go myself than to just make bombs.”
But Ron shook his head firmly.
He furrowed his brows and sighed deeply.
“This time, teleportation isn’t necessary. It will take time on horseback, but the process itself will help me. I can learn the terrain with my body.”
“Oh.”
I realized it. He was thinking so maturely.
I almost praised him unconsciously but stopped myself.
Still, the thought of young Ron going to a monster-infested place worried me more than I could admit.
“All done.”
Unaware of my feelings, Ron finished packing.
Go ahead.
Brotherly love is so bittersweet.
Thinking about being apart from Ron left my heart empty and sad.
As I sulked, Ron approached and stood in front of me.
Hesitating for a moment, he finally exhaled and said:
“Hold out your hand.”
“Huh?”
I stretched out my hand, and Ron gently held it.
He looked at me softly.
A strange feeling welled up inside me.
Then Ron smiled gently and kissed the back of my hand.
“…!”
Soft, moist lips touched and left my hand.
All my senses focused on the lingering sensation.
Frozen by the sudden situation, I noticed Ron looked even more tense than me.
He was awkwardly holding my hand, checking my expression.
“…Anne, did that feel bad?”
“Huh? No!”
I pretended to be unbothered and held my head high.
This was nothing.
I knew knights often kissed a lady’s hand before leaving.
To change the mood, I exaggeratedly pinched and shook Ron’s cheek.
“Ugh, you cute Ron! Be careful and come back safe!”
“I’m not ‘cute Ron’.”
I think he meant, “I’m not cute Ron.”
“Right. Ron, there’s something you need to do before you leave.”
