You Died –
Chapter 047………………………………….
I greeted the morning with wide-open eyes.
Cardin’s voice swirled in my head, making me wonder if this was all just a dream.
I worried and doubted whether, by any chance, he might have feelings for me.
Even though I knew I shouldn’t feel that way, my heart honestly fluttered with excitement.
At the voices I heard outside, I reminded myself of the tasks I had to complete today and tried to calm my racing heart.
Rising from the bed, I prepared breakfast with the water the knights had brought.
After changing my clothes and stepping outside, a familiar knight from the Grand Duke’s household was waiting for me.
“Saint!”
“Sir Knight? Were you waiting for me?”
“Ah, yes! I am Leon of the Ferdian Knights. Please, call me Leon freely!”
I glanced around and asked in a soft voice:
“Are you all right?”
Leon nodded vigorously.
“Thanks to your healing, Saint, I’m perfectly fine. Thank you.”
He looked younger than me, probably around Amy’s age.
Maybe that’s why I smiled unconsciously.
“That’s a relief.”
“You are the savior of my life, Saint.”
“I only did what I had to do.”
“That’s not true. Nothing in this world is owed! I will repay this debt for the rest of my life.”
“You said the same thing to my lord too, didn’t you?”
Leon turned sharply toward Nox, who was walking toward us, and said:
“Of course, I will repay my lord for a lifetime too!”
“Your dying to repay me is what helps, actually.”
Leon made a deflating sound at Nox’s words.
“Saint, shall we go eat?”
I chuckled as I looked at the two of them.
“Shall we?”
“Yes. Everything is ready now.”
“All right, let’s go.”
“Ah! Saint! I’ll make sure to get your meal ready in advance!”
Leon spoke cheerfully and ran toward where breakfast was being prepared. Seeing him, I smiled, and Nox began speaking as he guided me.
“Leon is a former mercenary from the capital. He had a rough ending with the others he worked with there, so he came north. My lord found him, bleeding and near death, and brought him into the knight order.”
Listening to Nox, I nodded slightly, smiling to myself.
“Truly befitting the Grand Duke.”
When he stopped walking, I stopped too and looked up at him.
“Deputy Commander?”
It felt strange on my tongue. It wasn’t just him; sometimes when I greeted the Grand Duke’s knights, I almost spoke too casually without realizing it.
Nox looked at me intently before reluctantly speaking.
“Ah, no. Let’s go.”
“All right, let’s go.”
Looking around for the Melissa Paladin Order, I found Nox answering my curiosity.
“They went to the village with the other knights.”
Now that I think about it, about half of the Ferdian Knights and Nicholas Kingdom knights were also missing.
“The Paladins are helping with recovery efforts.”
“I see.”
The damage in the village I had seen with my own eyes was quite severe.
Though it wasn’t a large village, the destroyed homes left people without shelter, causing considerable hardship. Recovery would also take quite some time.
“Deputy Commander.”
“Yes, Saint.”
“Do the villagers plan to stay here?”
He pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
Apparently, they still didn’t feel ready to reintegrate with other people.
Raymond and Cardin had also chosen to respect their decision and help with recovery efforts.
“Ah, some wanted to go to Ferdian territory as well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The injured ones said they wanted to go to Ferdian territory.”
“That’s a relief. In Ferdian territory, they won’t regret it.”
“The weather there is different from here, so they might regret it.”
“They’ll like it.”
“…Saint, you speak with certainty. Even my lord wasn’t so sure.”
“Where good people gather, it’s naturally warm.”
Even though the place I often went to check on the vassals in the north was cold, it was lively. Remembering the sounds of the vassals’ laughter and cries, I was certain.
It would still be warm.
“Well, if nothing unusual happens, they will go with us. It’s comforting to hear you say that, Saint.”
“The Grand Duke is a good lord; they’ll adapt well.”
“Saint!”
Leon waved my portion of the food toward me.
Nox and I resumed walking.
Sitting with them for the meal, I felt peace just from listening to the surrounding conversation.
Of course, my heart ached when I remembered those who had died in the life I had shared with them.
“When people hear that Saint joined this pilgrimage, the Grand Duke’s household will get excited again.”
I tilted my head, and Nox nudged a knight’s side with his elbow.
“The Grand Duke’s household?”
When I repeated it, Leon, sitting next to me, spoke for the knight who had kept silent.
“When news spread that my lord danced during the first pilgrimage, it was quite lively too. Ah! Of course, in a good way!”
“Leon.”
Leon pouted slightly at Nox, who was giving him a warning glance because he was watching me.
“Isn’t it true? It was the first time I saw the lady smile so brightly along with the steward.”
Hearing about those I missed, I smiled bitterly for a moment.
I was curious about the well-being of those who had kept me warm in the north despite the cold, but I swallowed it in the end.
“Saint.”
“Yes, Leon?”
“Did… my lord really ask you to dance first?”
Even his expression resembled Amy waiting for me at the temple, and a small smile escaped me.
“Leon, choose your words carefully when speaking to Saint.”
Leon’s shoulders drooped, looking dejected. I recalled the banquet hall.
‘Grand Duke.’
‘Yes, Saint.’
‘Are you very busy now?’
‘Why do you ask that?’
‘…I like the music that’s playing. If you’re not too busy, would you grant me the honor of spending some time with you?’
‘It might look better if I were the one to request it.’
“Saint.”
A voice came from behind, and I turned my head, unable to answer Leon.
It was Cardin.
The knights were startled and momentarily closed their mouths.
“Ah, Grand Duke.”
“Have you finished your meal?”
“Yes. Have you, Your Highness?”
“….”
“When you’re done, we’ll depart.”
“Understood. The Paladin Commander asked me to deliver this.”
I stood and took the small piece of paper he handed me.
He seemed to know what it contained. I looked down at the note.
In an instant, the smile on my face vanished.
“Is something wrong?”
Nox asked, and I shook my head.
“No, everyone enjoy your meal.”
Clutching the note, I quickly left the center.
“It seems the temple leaders are coming.”
The emotion that had unconsciously risen inside me quickly cooled.
Were they coming to see the current state of Cardin and me with their own eyes?
Did Alec, assuming I was asleep, ask them to deliver it to Cardin?
I had barely found peace, and yet, just the fact that someone from Fabiban was coming made my hands sweat.
It was as if reminding me of a privilege I had not been granted.
