SWST 50

Chapter 50

“Alright. Have you tried the tea I gave you?”
After politely asking Helbern, I quickly changed my clothes and went to meet Francesca, who had summoned me.
Originally, the plan had been to leave the family safely with Helbern, but since Francesca suddenly requested a meeting, I had to stay here.

The faint scent of rooibos tea had been drifting to my nose since earlier.
“Yes. I drank it gratefully.”
“It’s caffeine-free, so you can drink it even at night without worry. If it’s not enough, tell me. I’ll bring more for you.”
I nodded absentmindedly, because her tone had softened.
“Thank you.”

She smiled gently as she savored her tea. She even handed me a three-tiered afternoon tea dessert, popped a macaron into her mouth herself, and hummed happily.
I awkwardly followed her, putting a macaron into my own mouth. The rich sweetness spread luxuriously.

By the way…
“So, what did you want to see me about…?”
“The onion pickles I made last time. They were really delicious.”
“Oh, yes. They’re well-fermented, right?”
“Yeah. I thought they’d be too spicy to eat, since the skins were so strong, but surprisingly, not a bit of heat. They were sweet and salty, just like you said, and went perfectly with meat.”

Francesca started talking a lot.
So she had remembered making me peel the onions.
“I’ll make them for you from now on.”
I felt a pang of guilt—recently, I hadn’t seen someone cry so bitterly.
“It’s alright. You’ll start to feel heavy soon, so be careful.”

Hm?
“Feeling heavy”?
I looked down at my stomach. I thought maybe I had gained a little weight since I had been indulging myself while trusting Halara’s slim, slender body.
But my waist was still just a handful, too small to say I had gained weight.

At that moment, my mother-in-law’s voice flashed through my mind:

“Once you’re married, if you let yourself spread out, the man will abandon you. You must always wear makeup and uncomfortable clothes in front of your husband.”

I didn’t know which country’s law she followed, but she always demanded perfection from me.
Meanwhile, your son—he’s not even forty, yet his waist has reached forty inches! I should’ve shouted that at the time…!

“So, really, what is it you wanted to say…?”
“Have you been to the garden?”
I was about to stand up, wanting to leave the topic of trauma behind, but Francesca cut me off again.
“Yes, I went with Mr. Dochev last time.”
“With Dochev? Dochev went to the garden? That’s surprising.”
Her eyes widened. She seemed to want to say more but, for some reason, stopped herself.

“Did you want to tell me something?”
This time, I didn’t miss the opportunity. It might have sounded rude, but I was genuinely curious why she had called me.
“Uh… no.”
“Huh? Then why…?”
“I just—can’t I call you?”
“Eh?”

I was the one caught off guard.
“To enjoy tea together… and… talk.”
“…Ah.”
“I only have a son.”
She shrugged, hiding her face behind her teacup.
Then she muttered:
“My friends… it’s hard to see them after they get married.”

Slurp… slurp…
She drank her tea for a long while.
For some reason, I had no immediate reply.
It reminded me of the Francesca I had always thought of as a mother-in-law figure, looking at me like she was seeing the past version of me—the me who had no time to be cared for because of family responsibilities.

“Please call me often.”
I couldn’t refuse her request.
“Really?”
She finally put down her teacup. She seemed embarrassed, cleared her throat softly.
“Yes.”

Even though Francesca, who had ignored Dochev, made me uncomfortable, I could do this small thing for her.
“Or come to the annex. I’ll make you something delicious.”
Francesca smiled, her eyes forming a crescent. Her usually furrowed brow relaxed, and soft wrinkles appeared around her eyes. For a moment, she looked so beautiful that I unconsciously opened my mouth.
“I’ll definitely come.”
“…Yes.”
“I don’t want you to struggle, so I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

Francesca seemed as sensitive to my physical discomfort as Dochev. For some reason, I considered it a kind of family courtesy and nodded.
“Halara, about the kimchi you made last time… could you give me the recipe?”
“If you want, I can make it for you.”
“I’ll make a lot, so I just need the recipe. You can taste it later.”

Her tone had risen.
“So you prefer kimchi to onion pickles. The spice really whets the appetite, huh?”
“The truth is, Dochev said he liked the cabbage more than the onion pickles… so I made it for him too.”
She added this shyly.
So she had presented the food to Dochev.
‘I didn’t expect her to share it with Dochev.’
I smiled faintly, feeling that Francesca had thought of him.

“I’ll help you in every way I can.”
If we’re making a lot… a good idea came to mind.
“May I bring someone to help make the kimchi? I know someone skilled at cooking.”
I’ll bring Michelle.

Meanwhile, in the market…

“Damn… where is this place? That damn house!”
For an hour, Helbern had been wandering around the market.
Helbern was terrible with directions.
“Ugh! Why is this map so complicated?”
In truth, his poor sense of direction was romantic—he dreamt of getting lost and meeting a woman, falling in love.
But instead of a fateful encounter, following the map barely brought him to the crowded market, where it was almost impossible to move.

Helbern unfolded the map again in a narrow alley.
The route seemed wrong.
Which made sense—he couldn’t tell east from west.
“I’m starving.”
He clutched his hungry stomach.

Indeed, blood swords and his “blood energy” were on a completely different level than normal swordsmanship. They consumed a lot of energy from both muscle and blood.
“Soon I’ll lose all my precious muscles…”

He scanned the market with his eyes.
It sold all sorts of food.
People picked up meat and snacks with their bare hands and wiped their hands on their trousers, chattering with the shopkeepers.
“Ugh.”

Though Helbern often ate with knights in the training ground, he was born into high nobility. He had no tolerance for unhygienic market food.
“There’s no decent place around…”

He hurriedly left the market, thinking he needed something to eat.
Sniff sniff. A delicious smell wafted in the air.
Helbern used his blood sword as a staff and moved toward the source.

Smoke rose from the small chimney of a house among trees.
It wasn’t a shop, but his mind—muscle-made though it was—knew that with money, anything could be eaten.
The door was slightly open.
Even if it wasn’t, he would have forced it open anyway.
“Hey there…”

Helbern squeezed his large frame through the small door.
“Eh?!”
The man in a white robe held someone captive.
“Save me!”
“I’m starving.”

It seemed the meal was still in preparation—the chopping board still had vegetables on it.
Helbern ground his teeth.
“Damn it. I’m starving and this guy’s annoying.”

He drew his sword.
“If you attack, it would not be wise.”
Then, from somewhere within the white robe, a heavy voice echoed.
It was human-like, yet not entirely human, giving off an unpleasant feeling.
Where had he heard it before?
It didn’t matter—his brain couldn’t process it right now.

“You’d better disappear. This strongest swordsman is very hungry.”

The moment he finished speaking, a short blast scattered.
Helbern’s blood sword collided head-on with the man’s blade.
Bang!
The red aura of blood and silver light collided.
A sharp, unpleasant energy surged back through the swords.
An absolute, faintly glowing barrier radiated from the opponent’s blade.

“…Hah.”
The bored, annoyed expression was gone. He looked like a child who had just discovered a new toy—no hostility or caution remained.
“…You’ll regret this.”

The opponent stepped back, readjusting his grip on the sword.
The previously expressionless face now showed clear wariness.
He realized that the blood sword’s aura was abnormally intense.
Helbern slowly lifted his sword, holding it as if to inspect it in the light.
The red threads of blood seemed alive, flowing.

Finally, he squinted and muttered:
“Oh… smells like that knight I saw at the border.”
A twisted smile crept across his lips—hard to tell whether it was admiration or joy.

“I don’t know how you crawled in here, but…”
He pressed lightly on the floor with his toes, leaning his body forward.
Blood energy swirled, and red aura rippled around him.

“Shall we test the limits of my ultimate power?”