Chapter 11
Acting on impulse, I had slumped behind a bush to hide, and suddenly a nervous laugh escaped me.
‘Who would ever believe that I’m sitting here like this?’
Here I was—the one who, arrogantly upright at the pinnacle of high society, was called an evil woman by everyone—being led by orphanage children to slump behind a bush and hide.
Would these unexpected situations continue to happen whenever I’m around Leandros?
Suppressing my laughter at the absurdity, I heard a rustling sound, as if someone was approaching.
“Oh my, it seems I have company.”
I looked up to see Milla calmly watching me.
Her eyes, now composed, quickly scanned me as if assessing something, the earlier emotion settled.
“May I hide beside you?”
‘Here?’
It was just a game, just pretend play, so doing it sloppily might have been fine—but the Milla I knew wasn’t that type.
‘Grace, this is a gift. Lately, among my friends, it’s popular to keep a friendship diary together.’
‘Popular, huh? You know this is mostly a game for kids in their early teens, right?’
‘B-But I’ve never done something like this before! I really want to do it with Grace!’
Before her sacred power awakened, she had been frail and unable to make proper friends. Now, she seemed to want to make up for that lost childhood, showing a slightly childish and cute side.
‘Hmm.’
Her suspicious behavior made me curious about her intentions.
I nodded for her to join, and she smoothed her dress and gently sat next to me.
“Did I surprise you by coming here?”
Watching her carefully, she seemed to feel my gaze. She tucked her hair behind her ear and turned to me.
“A little. I didn’t expect you to come to me first. You seemed quite startled earlier.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
When I had pointed out the gossip, her smile had briefly faltered, but she quickly adjusted and returned to her earlier expression.
“This is my first time experiencing something like this, so I was very surprised.”
She quickly collected herself, and somehow, the expression didn’t feel like her usual self.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Even though we are both candidates and supposed to compete, I don’t want to be hostile toward you. In fact, I want to grow closer.”
There was a sense of awkwardness, like wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit.
I had known Milla before my first regression, but after that, we hadn’t interacted directly. Based on what I’d heard, she had always been consistent.
That’s why the awkwardness I sensed now felt unusual. Her actions weren’t natural.
Hiding my unease, I gave a faint smile and continued the conversation.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So, could you forgive my earlier rudeness?”
Her attempt to erase her mistake amused me, but since she didn’t seem hostile, I chose to respond gently.
“Of course.”
I smiled, and her expression stiffened.
Seeing that she needed a moment to adjust, I blinked once, giving her a chance.
“I hope to spend more precious moments like this with you in the future.”
She spoke with the composure she had finally regained, and I followed her smile without revealing my thoughts.
“I’m glad you said that.”
Milla and I laughed together, facing each other.
I wondered what thoughts lay beneath her picture-perfect expression.
It was clear that not all of her words were entirely sincere.
“Ah! We’ve been found!”
Maintaining our laughter, I heard a distant, disappointed cry.
I raised my head slightly and met the round, wide eyes of a child grumbling nearby. The child silently mouthed something, as if shouting without sound.
‘What’s that?’
Squinting to understand the lips, I heard a familiar voice from behind.
“There you are.”
Startled, I turned to see Leandros.
‘Weren’t you over there just now?’
I watched him in surprise as the child from earlier ran over to us.
“Hey! I told you to hide!”
“Oh.”
Finally understanding, I reacted sheepishly, and a small laugh came from beside me.
When our eyes met, Leandros averted his gaze as if pretending not to notice.
‘Where did Milla go?’
Unlike me, she must have quickly understood the child’s words and slipped away, disappearing from sight.
“I’ll go find the others, then.”
It seemed that both Milla and Leandros took the game seriously.
I sat against a large tree with the child I had just tagged, quietly watching the game.
“Found you!”
“Ah, let’s run!”
“Ah! ‘It’ is coming!”
“No one’s hiding here! Nobody! Ah, don’t come!”
The wind brushed my cheek, the sunlight above warmed me, and the green leaves swayed, full of life. The laughter of children filled the air.
‘So peaceful.’
A feeling I had never experienced during my regressions washed over me.
‘And here I am, thinking this in the temple.’
The hide-and-seek game had naturally evolved into a chase.
The child who had chattered beside me disappeared into the group, leaving me alone. I slowly closed my eyes.
‘Maybe it’s because of the nightmares lately; I haven’t been sleeping well.’
The sunlight streaming down made my eyes a little heavy, but I wanted to feel this warmth a bit longer, so I stayed still.
How long had I stayed like that?
A cloud passed over the sun, casting a shadow. I relaxed the furrowed lines on my forehead, preparing to rest.
“Shh.”
“Shhh.”
Whispering voices sounded close.
Startled, I opened my eyes and found several pairs of eyes staring at me.
“Ah, I woke you!”
“Sorry, sister!”
“You were like Sleeping Beauty! I want to sleep like a princess too!”
Blinking in confusion, I sensed another gaze and slowly lifted my head.
Leandros stood in front of me, awkwardly holding up his hand.
I stared at his large hand, shielding me from the sun, and he smiled embarrassedly, lowering it behind his back.
“I wanted to block the sun for you, sorry for waking you.”
“I was asleep?”
In disbelief, I asked instinctively.
Having insomnia, the idea of falling asleep in an unfamiliar place had never even crossed my mind.
“You’re not feeling well. I shouldn’t have brought you here. It’s better to go back and rest.”
Despite his worried, apologetic face, I looked up at him in a daze. He cautiously extended his hand toward me.
“I’ll help you up.”
‘I don’t understand.’
How could a man with such a kind heart treat someone he once tried to kill so gently?
‘But it’s not unpleasant.’
I slowly took his hand.
His long, elegant hand held mine carefully, as if touching a precious treasure.
The calluses told of his hours of sword training, but the feeling was comforting, not unpleasant.
“Thank you, Leandros.”
For the first time, I comfortably spoke his name.
His eyes widened, then he beamed. Seeing that expression, I knew my impulse was worth it, without regret.
Perhaps the relics were creating a bond between us, making me feel this at ease.
“Are you leaving already?”
An interrupter shattered our private moment.
Milla had approached with the children, her eyes briefly glancing at our joined hands before looking away.
“I wanted to get closer to you, Ladyship. It’s a shame you’re leaving.”
Her smile didn’t match the hostility in her eyes.
“Oh! The temple regularly organizes volunteer work in the slums, and there’s one planned in two days. If you like, Ladyship, you could come too.”
I wondered at her sudden friendliness, but her true intentions quickly became clear.
“Of course, it might be a big change from where you live, but if you want to become a saint, this should be okay, right?”
‘What is she plotting?’
I released Leandros’ hand and looked carefully at her, trying to read her intention.
Smiling, I mirrored her grin.
No matter how elaborate her plans, I didn’t mind.
“Sure. Let’s go together.”
After all, I had planned to visit the slums soon anyway.
“The slums are people’s homes too; there’s no reason not to go.”
I wasn’t one to avoid a challenge.
