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Chapter 29
Kalid frowned slightly at the two people teasing him—
but even he couldn’t hide the small smile forming on his lips.
“You two don’t really know Kalid. He actually worries a lot. And he keeps telling me not to do things all the time.”
“Oh my, hoho.”
“That’s right, Madam Mary was your nanny, right? Was Kalid like this when he was young too? Hmm… No, don’t do that!”
Irene furrowed her brows and copied Kalid’s serious expression perfectly.
At that—
Madam Mary and Sebastian burst into laughter.
Even the knights standing stiffly nearby couldn’t hold it in.
They tried not to laugh too loudly because of Kalid—
but the gloomy atmosphere finally lifted.
“…It seems like everyone hasn’t been to the training grounds for a while. Shall we check how hard you’ve been training?”
“Kalid, what training grounds?! You just recovered! You shouldn’t push yourself like that!”
“Ha—.”
Kalid was speechless.
As a descendant of the strong wolf tribe, his body recovered quickly.
He was already in good enough condition to go to war and return victorious.
Yet—
Irene treated him like a weak puppy.
If anything—
he thought she was the one who needed care.
He was about to say something—
but stopped when he felt a small hand holding his.
“I know you’re strong, Kalid… but I’m still worried. Just for a while, okay?”
“…Alright.”
Kalid closed his mouth and held her hand tightly.
The warm energy flowing into him—
made him smile softly, like a satisfied beast.
“Um… excuse me for interrupting, but here are the documents you requested.”
Henry appeared, looking pale, holding a stack of papers.
While Kalid checked them—
Irene looked at Henry with a friendly expression.
She remembered how he fainted before.
She felt a little guilty—
and wanted to ask if he was okay.
But—
Henry’s eyes stayed fixed on the documents in Kalid’s hands.
Irene tried to get his attention—
moving slightly this way and that—
but instead,
his face only turned even paler.
“Hmm… yes. This should be enough. Good work.”
Kalid nodded and handed the documents back.
“Yes. Then I will proceed accordingly.”
Henry quickly grabbed them—
and ran off without even looking back.
“Haha. It seems the aide is still afraid of Lady Irene.”
“Ah… so that’s why he was acting strange. He’s always been a bit timid. Don’t worry about it.”
“…But I still feel bad.”
“I already explained everything. He understands. He just needs time. He’ll get used to it soon, so don’t worry.”
Kalid gently comforted Irene.
“For now, it would be best if Irene is introduced as a traveler from the distant Kingdom of Apennia. A noble lady who encountered trouble during her journey—and happened to save me. That way, she can stay here until she prepares to leave.”
“Yes, I will inform the servants.”
Some people had already started questioning Irene’s identity—
but Kalid had prepared for that.
He had Henry create official records for her background.
“And one more thing. Make sure no one speaks about Irene’s ability.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Of course, something like that couldn’t be hidden forever.
But they needed time.
“…Hmm. But will people believe it?”
“Even if they doubt it, it won’t be easy to confirm.”
“Yes. The Kingdom of Apennia is very closed off, so it’s not well known in the Empire. It won’t be easy to investigate.”
“That’s good then. But how do you know about such a place, Kalid?”
“…Because of a certain old man. Strange personality, but kind… and very knowledgeable.”
“Wait… is that an insult or a compliment?”
“Since he helped me this time… let’s call it a compliment.”
“Pfft. What is that?”
Kalid smirked and held out his hand.
“Ah, I almost forgot. While you stay here, your name is Irene Renatus.”
“Renatus?”
“Yes. It’s that old man’s surname. But he’s the only one left in that family, so he won’t care.”
“Alright. Sounds fine.”
Irene naturally took his hand.
That day—
Kalid walked around the castle with her,
introducing her to everyone.
For Irene—
who had always wandered as a ghost—
this felt completely different.
She was excited.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Irene Renatus. I’ll be staying here for a while. Please take care of me.”
The name still felt unfamiliar—
but for the first time,
she truly felt like she belonged in this world.
“My third life… is finally starting properly!”
Her smile spread from her lips—
to her cheeks—
to her eyes.
She could barely hold it back.
Kalid watched her happily bouncing with excitement—
and smiled.
“She’s just like Whitey.”
Her joyful, lively behavior reminded him of before.
“Kalid, I want to meet everyone in the castle and the knights too. I want to thank them… and honestly, I feel a bit sorry.”
“For what?”
“When I was Whitey, they were all scared of me. And they protected this place while you were gone.”
“…I see.”
As the two walked away together—
the servants watched them closely.
Their curiosity about Irene grew.
And that curiosity—
mixed with admiration for her bravery—
slowly turned into goodwill.
Then—
one servant witnessed something.
And soon—
rumors began to spread quietly through the castle.
It started on an ordinary day.
A maid accidentally dropped a handkerchief—
and went to retrieve it late at night on the fourth floor.
That was the problem.
And—
on that same night—
Kalid and Irene went to the bedroom early.
As she passed by the door—
she heard voices from inside.
“Ah—Kalid… slowly…”
“Shh… it’s okay.”
“…!!”
The maid ran away immediately—
but she couldn’t stop her imagination.
That one story—
quickly spread through the entire castle.
Sebastian tried to control the rumors—
but in the quiet northern lands,
such gossip spread easily.
The good thing—
most people reacted positively to Irene.
Though—
not everyone trusted her.
But regardless of the rumors—
Kalid continued to visit Irene every night.
“Ah—wait, Kalid… that’s too fast!”
On a moonlit night—
soft white light filled the room.
Kalid, his black hair shining under the moonlight,
focused intensely,
sweat forming on his forehead.
“Alright… I’ll go slower.”
He held Irene’s wrist gently.
She was breathing heavily in front of him.
“Why have you been so rushed lately? Did something happen?”
“…No. Nothing happened.”
“That’s not true. Something feels off.”
“…Nothing.”
The golden mana surrounding them slowly faded.
Unlike before—
Kalid could now control his mana.
And Irene—
could properly use her healing power.
They had learned it—
through exchanging mana every night.
Seeing Kalid’s slightly sulky expression—
Irene thought back over the past few days.
Since waking up—
she had been resting and recovering.
Though honestly—
she felt better than ever.
But because everyone worried about her—
she had stayed in bed longer.
After that—
she had only been busy adjusting to life here.
“…Then why is he acting like this?”
Irene narrowed her eyes,
feeling suspicious.
