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Chapter 40
If he lost his focus now, he would be devoured by the sword without a second thought. But Helbern couldn’t allow that.
“If I become just a piece of metal, how could I hold my lover’s hand?!”
“What about a warm embrace?”
“A kiss of love?!”
He couldn’t become a sword that couldn’t even feel the warmth of his beloved.
“Ughhh!”
With that force, Helbern, who had been at the brink of being consumed, miraculously opened his eyes.
“Heh… heh…”
The pain remained, but the hand that had been almost eaten had returned to normal, gripping the blood-red sword. Though numb, his fingers—from thumb to pinky—moved at his will.
“…I can still use my hand, heh…”
At the edge of a faint, spreading smile, a single tear fell.
He had survived!
“…Helbern?”
In front of his reborn self stood his elder brother, Nikolai.
Nikolai scanned him like he was looking at a monster, then swallowed his breath.
“To think it got to this state… Could a few holy knights really nearly kill a Swordmaster?”
He covered his mouth and muttered in a serious tone.
“You don’t seem fully recovered yet. Go inside and rest.”
Nikolai secretly felt relieved about Helbern’s poor condition. Since the knights had just left the castle gate, even the fastest Helbern would struggle to catch up with them.
“Brother, I feel… strange.”
When Nikolai turned, Helbern let out a hoarse, cracked voice.
Nikolai turned back to look at his younger brother.
“Holy knights are said to use strange magic. Your body must have taken a hit.”
“That woman… the one the rogue brought… she’s still in the mansion, right?”
At the sudden question about Halara, Nikolai’s face stiffened. Could it be that he’d already heard that she had sent a letter?
“Why are you looking for her, Helbern?”
“I have business with her.”
“What kind of business? Why go as far as to chase Nilsson for it?”
Nikolai’s expression tensed. He had wanted to confront Helbern after hearing that Helbern had stopped Nilsson, who had just woken up, but had refrained because the knights had to be sent again.
But now that Helbern had brought it up, he couldn’t ignore it.
“She has a strange power. She used it to throw me, and my ribs got damaged.”
“She… did that to you?”
Nikolai pictured Halara: small, frail, with large eyes. Apart from her pretty face, she seemed like a delicate girl.
“It was a sensation I’d never felt in my life. Didn’t you feel it, brother?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I did!”
If it were that kind of energy, a knight superior to Helbern like Nikolai would have noticed it first.
Yet, there had been nothing.
“Helbern, have you been drinking lately?”
“What are you talking about? Me, a rogue? Why would I drink something to weaken my muscles?”
“Then rest. Swordsmanship doesn’t improve by training recklessly.”
“Are you saying I’m crazy? I just barely survived because of that woman!”
No one believed him, and Helbern felt frustrated to the point of suffocation.
“I can’t wait… I have to go to that woman and see how she—”
“Stop.”
Nikolai grabbed Helbern as he tried to leave in search of her.
“I told you to go rest.”
The grip on his arm was strong enough to crush bone. Normally, Helbern would have been pinned under that force.
“Huh? Doesn’t feel like anything at all.”
Helbern shrugged off Nikolai’s grip effortlessly.
“Whoa… did I just beat you, brother!?”
“Helbern.”
“Wow… what’s happening to me? Am I… changed!?”
Nikolai, stunned, tried to stop him again, but Helbern shook off his hand once more.
“What did you do?”
“Do? I did nothing.”
“Helbern, did you… take some kind of elixir?”
Nikolai’s face turned icy.
“What nonsense!!”
“Seriously, my brothers just can’t leave me alone.”
I exhaled deeply and trudged back to the annex.
I had won the fight against Dotchef.
In the end, I exploited his weakness by blowing into his ear, weakening him enough to escape his grasp.
I didn’t know if he was worried about me or teasing me, but thankfully I didn’t have to see the physician.
“He’s so strong… and I still have to awaken him?”
The body that had held me felt like a solid boulder. I couldn’t even imagine how powerful he would become if he awakened to 7-star level.
“Phew. But I need to find a way.”
I needed that power to prevent destruction.
I had given Helbern the Blood Sword; for Dotchef, I needed to find an even finer blade.
He had mostly recovered, so training would soon resume.
“Little Lady, are you alright? Your face looks pale.”
As I entered the annex, Mei, anxiously waiting for me, approached.
“Mei, I missed you.”
“Did your stomach hurt badly? Shall I call the physician?”
“No! Don’t ever call the physician. A little rest will be enough.”
Mei examined me with a worried expression, then nodded in understanding.
“The food you prepared was greatly enjoyed by the Lady and the young master.”
“I see… that’s a relief. Was the atmosphere alright?”
“Well, the young master left early, but he finished all the food. When the empty dishes were brought away, the maid in charge of washing asked if they had pre-washed the dishes.”
The dinner seemed to have ended well.
By the way, Dotchef, after seeing me flee, had said:
“Don’t overdo it. If you collapse, I’ll make you stay in the physician’s room for real.”
I couldn’t tell if it was concern or a threat, but he had been overprotective since before. I didn’t think he was really worried about me. Did I appear reckless to him?
“I am small, after all… that’s true.”
From Dotchef’s tall perspective, I must have looked like a tiny, fragile child. With no visible muscles, it was understandable.
Even I thought Halara, with her light frame and no heavy makeup, could be blown away by the wind.
Inside, though, I was tough enough to handle 100 kimchi pots.
Moreover, Junel was nowhere in sight. He had likely gone to find the Blood Sword since I refused to retrieve it from Helbern myself.
“Still, if Junel went, Helbern should be safe.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or cry, but at least I felt relieved.
“Little Lady!”
As soon as I entered the annex, the maids approached me.
“What pasta did you make for lunch today?”
“It was really delicious. I usually avoid vegetables in the stew, but this I ate all of. If vegetables taste like this, I’ll eat them every day!”
The japchae pasta I made today seemed popular.
“Please make it again next time!”
“Of course.”
Next, I planned to experiment with glass noodles.
Behind the maids, a shadow passed, and Francesca appeared in a black dress.
“Duchess…?”
“Who did you just say you made something for?”
She had appeared in the annex. The maids immediately bowed deeply, and Mei followed. I also bowed, but Francesca stopped me.
“You don’t need to bow. Don’t bend at the waist from now on. It’ll hurt your stomach.”
“My stomach?”
The idea that bending would hurt my stomach seemed unusual.
Instead of answering, Francesca asked about our previous conversation.
“I heard you prepared meals for these children. Is that true?”
Uh!
The maids gasped. They seemed offended that I had prepared meals for maids beneath me.
“Yes. I did.”
I was confident, as I did not consider the maids inferior.
“Sorry, my lady.”
“We committed a grave offense, my lady. Please forgive us.”
Mei stepped forward and asked for forgiveness.
“They all told me not to touch it, but I wanted to show my skill and used the kitchen as I pleased. Sharing delicious food makes it taste even better.”
“You weren’t brought here just to prepare meals for the maids.”
Francesca said sternly.
“Please forgive me, my lady! I won’t ask the Little Lady to cook again.”
“No. Let me do it. If I hadn’t joined the Duke’s household, I would have run a small business. Cooking is my only joy. So please, allow me to cook freely for anyone I wish in the future.”
I had no reason to remain like a doll here. I would try for Dotchef, but I needed my own healing time.
Francesca’s expression didn’t change.
At least, it seemed she would slap me with a pasta plate if I dared to cook for the maids again.
“One condition,” she unexpectedly said.
“Teach me how to cook as well.”
