TMLHGCFTV 39

Chapter 39

“No.”

I instinctively pulled my hand behind my back, but that only made it more obvious.

Kael grabbed my wrist. Before I even had a chance to pull away, my sleeve was pushed up, revealing the deep blue bruise beneath the torchlight.

“Rosana.”

His voice brushed against my ear, gentle and soothing. Kael knew exactly what effect his appearance and presence had on people, and he had no qualms about using it when necessary. His eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Who did this?”

His gentle voice somehow made me feel as though I should start acting spoiled in front of him.

“Some strange man followed me…”

Only after I told him everything did I finally shut my mouth. I had thought it was such a trivial matter that there was no need to mention it. Yet somehow, I had completely let my guard down in front of Kael.

I didn’t understand myself.

Did I really think Kael would protect me?

Well, that wasn’t exactly unreasonable. Wasn’t he the strongest person in the entire world?

“But nothing happened. He ran away with his tail between his legs.”

“What did he look like?”

“He had short hair and a scar near his eye. He also had a square jaw, and I think he got a bruise.”

I left out the part about how he’d gotten the bruise because of me.

As though he’d heard everything he wanted to know, Kael released my wrist. But before letting go, he slowly ran his thumb over the bruised area.

“You’ll need to put some medicine on that.”

“For something like this, just putting some saliva on it will—”

“Lady Rosana.”

Kael was definitely a wizard when it came to his voice.

The moment his voice dropped, my entire body stiffened. It felt as though he might shout, Come into my house right now!

A shiver ran through me.

“I’ll put medicine on it.”

Kael let out a faint sigh before speaking.

“I’ll have two knights accompany you. Go back to my house.”

“Huh?”

My eyes widened.

No, this wasn’t good!

What if Seraphine misunderstood?

And what had I done so wrong that he was practically imprisoning me?

Were we really that close?

Wasn’t this supposed to be nothing more than comradeship?

“You need to apply medicine. I doubt you have anything suitable with you.”

I swallowed the words that had been about to burst out.

There was probably no need to overreact.

With Kael practically pushing me along, I had no choice but to head down the cliff first.

I could have avoided getting caught.

How on earth had he recognized me?

My disguise had been pretty much perfect.

Kael watched Rosana’s back as she was practically driven down the cliff, then ran a hand through his hair.

He didn’t understand why his insides were boiling like this.

Rosana was troublesome enough on her own, but this entire situation irritated him even more.

Kael called for Millers.

“Millers.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Find the culprit based on the Lady’s testimony.”

“Yes.”

Millers bowed his head.

Seeing the aura flickering around Kael, he didn’t dare add another word.

Millers swallowed hard.

“Make sure the man receives the appropriate punishment under Imperial law.”

Millers looked up sharply.

Under Imperial law?

Then that man would be sentenced to castration.

He had attempted to harm a member of the expedition and sexually assault a noblewoman.

Millers swallowed again.

Right now, Kael was acting like a mother bird protecting an injured chick.

He probably wasn’t even aware that he was behaving that way.

Millers could swear that the young lady was anything but meek. There was no doubt that the man had already been thoroughly beaten by Rosana.

Kael must have known that too…

Or did he?

Millers swallowed hard once more.

It was because he could sense the thick murderous intent lingering beneath Kael’s cold expression.

Kael genuinely wanted to kill that man.

Millers didn’t know when the change had begun, but it was obvious that Kael was giving Rosana a great deal.

Not just his sword, either.

Something much heavier.

Kael slowly steadied his breathing.

Light spilled through the window.

The knights guarding the door were the same ones who had descended the mountain with Rosana earlier.

Which meant Rosana must be inside as well.

Kael rubbed a hand over his face.

Irritation and anger with no clear source kept rising inside him.

Rosana always treated everything as though it were no big deal.

Kael had never once thought her optimistic personality would become a problem.

But Rosana was just as lenient with herself as she was with others.

Even when it came to danger that threatened her.

According to Millers, the man had testified with slurred speech that the bruise on his jaw and his broken arm were both Rosana’s doing.

Kael knew Rosana would have punished him.

She was exactly the kind of person who would have done so without hesitation.

She knew better than anyone how to repay others in equal measure.

Even so, Kael couldn’t stand it.

He couldn’t stand the fact that Rosana had been in danger while he wasn’t there.

He didn’t know when this feeling had begun.

But even so, he wanted to kill the man.

Suppressing all those emotions, Kael opened the door.

Rosana was calmly drinking tea while talking with Register.

Kael stopped for a moment.

“Oh, Your Highness!”

Rosana smiled brightly.

Her smile was even brighter than the lamps illuminating the room.

Register bowed his head.

“I was just hearing about today’s harvest from Lady Rosana. And she also gave me these shoes as a gift.”

Register pointed toward the sack.

Kael felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Come to think of it, Rosana had become quite close with his aides.

In the past, she hadn’t even exchanged a word with his attendants.

Ever since joining the expedition, Rosana had been revealing herself openly, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

As though this was her true self.

Rosana was always shining.

She naturally drew people’s attention toward herself.

Even the sensitive Millers, and Register, who was always the first to worry, seemed to soften in Rosana’s presence.

For some reason, all those changes irritated Kael.

Kael hardened his expression as he entered.

“Sir Register.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Millers should be waiting for you. Go back and discuss it with him.”

Register rose from his seat and bowed.

Then he exchanged a brief glance with Rosana.

That familiarity irritated Kael too.

Only after Register left did Kael sit beside Rosana.

As though she’d been waiting for him, she immediately began chattering.

“Did I tell you I had a present for you too, Your Highness?”

Rosana spoke cheerfully as she pulled something out.

“It’s a new sword. It’s not as good as the one you gave me, but they said this one is a fine sword too. Even I could tell it wasn’t an ordinary weapon.”

Kael examined the sword Rosana handed him.

He could tell she was telling the truth simply from its substantial weight, the patterns engraved on it, and the atmosphere surrounding the blade.

Rosana added with a pleased expression,

“Since you gave me a sword, I thought you would need a new one.”

“…Thank you.”

Kael suppressed a dry laugh.

He wanted to ask if she’d really gone all the way there just to buy something like this.

And yet, somehow, he was pleased by something so trivial.

He didn’t understand himself.

Even so, Kael found himself smiling along with Rosana.

Having his emotions swayed by another person was an unfamiliar experience.

But he didn’t dislike that unfamiliarity.

Kael found himself wanting to be shaken a little more.

He wanted to be swayed by Rosana a little more.