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chapter 32
2021.05.22
Thesia was like a brilliant sun in Lewenheart’s heart. She pushed away all the darkness within him and filled the space entirely.
“Thesia…”
Lewenheart muttered blankly, and Thesia looked at him with a worried expression. Perhaps because he had been trapped underground, Lewenheart seemed unusually pale.
“Are you hurt, Lewenheart?”
But no answer came. Instead, he simply stared at Thesia with a vacant expression. Thesia touched Lewenheart’s head, and instantly, his pale face flushed bright red. It looked as if it might burst from just the slightest touch.
“Does he have a fever? No, that doesn’t seem to be it.”
Thesia’s worry deepened, wondering if he might have caught a cold.
“Lewenheart! Snap out of it! Oh no, he must be seriously injured!”
With that, Thesia easily lifted Lewenheart into her arms.
“I have to go. Gale, can you handle the aftermath?”
“Yes, Captain! Surely our precious healer isn’t seriously hurt, right?”
“We’ll see when I get there… I think he might have hit his head.”
Thesia answered seriously and dashed out. Lewenheart would never react this way if she hadn’t acted. Biting her lip, she pushed forward. This was all her fault. If only she hadn’t hesitated and gone to find Lewenheart at the guild! No, if she hadn’t sent him into the guild in the first place! Flames of anger blazed in Thesia’s emerald eyes. Whoever was behind this… just wait.
“I won’t let you rest easy!”
How dare anyone harm a precious healer—the one who saved Thesia from Helios!!
Thesia placed Lewenheart in the knight order’s infirmary and sighed deeply. Fortunately, there were no external injuries, but the diagnosis recommended observation for possible internal damage. Outside the infirmary, Alex was waiting for her.
“Ah, Alex. Did you wrap things up?”
“Yes, Lord Redford was of great help.”
“That’s good. I should treat Redford to a lavish dinner sometime. Did you transport the criminals?”
“Well…”
“Hmm?”
“They’re all dead.”
Alex reported everything he had seen. Thesia clenched her teeth.
“So there’s nothing left?”
“Yes. Of course, we should still check the guild and all the passages… but in cases like this, criminal organizations tend to cut off loose ends. I don’t think this route will be usable anymore.”
“I agree. Sigh… we’ll have to check the remaining documents.”
“By the way, is Lewenheart okay?”
Thesia shook her head, as if the world had collapsed around her, letting out deep sighs.
“I think… Lewenheart is badly hurt.”
“Huh?”
Just moments ago, the passing medical staff had said there was no serious problem! Alex imagined the potential international issues this could cause and considered the attitude he should take to protect Thesia.
“I think he hit his head…”
Thesia muttered gloomily, and the words hit Alex like a fatal blow. Watching her trudge away, Alex ran into the infirmary.
“No…! Please, Prince, be alright!”
While recovering, Lewenheart decided to take a break from his duties in the knight order. For some reason, usually strict Alex encouraged him to rest and recover fully before returning. However, Lewenheart’s struggle wasn’t physical.
He buried himself into the sofa, clutching the blanket the butler draped over his shoulders. For days, he had been obsessing over the same dilemma.
“What should I do…?”
He wished someone would just give him an answer. Or at least a guide for what to do in this situation… Why is there no answer in life? He thought he could finally act now that he was free from Tirana Ban, but his own heart got in the way. Why did Thesia have to appear at that moment? If it had been someone else and he had given his heart to them, it might have been even worse.
Lewenheart sipped warm cocoa as if it were water, the only comfort when the heart raced and no answer came. He buried his head in his knees, sinking into a deep depression—a man always so confident now consumed by gloom.
“I’m doomed…”
That was all he could think. Thesia… She was the most cherished sister of Emperor Helios and a formidable warrior on the battlefield. Everything around her had shaped her into a being of emotional detachment. She was indifferent to romance and love; her focus was training and combat. She knew how to wield a sword, but not how to whisper words of love. And Thesia…
“She doesn’t love me.”
Lewenheart knew how exhausting it was to love someone who did not love him back. It was like pouring water into a bottomless jar. He had endured unrequited love for a long time. In his childhood, the king and queen of Tirana Ban were all he had. His biological parents had abandoned him for personal gain. He wanted the love of the king and queen, but never received it. That unreturned love left deep scars.
He had always tried not to give his heart to anyone. Though his social skills in Tirana Ban were renowned, he never formed genuine bonds. And yet, he had given his heart to Thesia, the embodiment of indifference. He remembered her drawing hearts above her head, without realizing what it meant, her indifferent face haunting him.
“I’m truly doomed…”
He buried his head further, finding no warmth or solace in anything.
Spring Festival
The grand spectacle began. It started as a small village festival praying for a good harvest and eventually spread throughout the Estonian Empire. During the festival, people gathered around bonfires to dance and sing. On the final day, the emperor himself performed a ceremony praying for abundance, signaling the festival’s end. One of the highlights was the fireworks display. Each region had its own, but the central region’s was the most renowned.
With the crowds, the knight order took emergency duty, patrolling in shifts. The Valkyrie Knights stationed in the capital were also required to participate. Thesia had to patrol during the festival and attend various ceremonies as a semi-royal, keeping her busier than ever.
Yet, she noticed that Lewenheart was avoiding her. Despite having seen him more than a dozen times a day before, she hadn’t caught even a glimpse of his hair, and even lunch together was refused! Of course, the academy students were deployed for festival events, which explained his busyness, but could he really not even spare time for lunch? Thesia felt inexplicably hurt.
She had grown accustomed to Lewenheart always being by her side, chatting, and now his absence left a void. Just a month ago, being alone was normal, but now life without him felt awkward.
“Alex.”
“Yes?”
“I think Lewenheart is really angry with me.”
“Huh? What do you mean…? When we met recently, he didn’t say anything.”
“You met him? I haven’t seen him in a week.”
“Oh… so that’s why there are rumors of a breakup.”
“What?”
“Nothing. But why would Lewenheart be angry?”
“It must be because of the last incident. My carelessness put him in danger. And he got hurt too.”
“Hmm…”
Thesia spoke gloomily.
“Heart has every right to be angry. Honestly, can you imagine Lewenheart doing something so dangerous? He’s a prince.”
“That’s true…”
Alex agreed. Regardless of the circumstances, it was the knight order’s mistake to let him get involved. Fortunately, Lewenheart returned safely and did not wish to make it an issue, so Tirana Ban remained unaware. Even Helios had been frustrated at the time—at Alex, not Thesia. So it wasn’t surprising if Lewenheart’s feelings had shifted.
“Alex, I can’t wait!”
“What do you mean?”
“I have to go find Lewenheart. I need to apologize to him in person.”
She couldn’t bear watching him avoid her. Alex wanted them to reconcile too, as Lewenheart’s presence could halve the casualties on the battlefield.
“That’s a good idea. If necessary, I can apologize with you.”
The subordinate matched the superior perfectly—what people didn’t know about Thesia and Alex.
“What’s this?” Lewenheart felt an inexplicable chill and turned his head. Behind him was only the lab wall, yet he felt someone staring.
“Lewenheart? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, Marcia. Nothing. Where were we?”
“We were designing the shape of the fireworks. Since it’s the main attraction, we want it to be spectacular. We discussed using dragons or unicorns.”
“Right.”
“You okay these days?”
“Yes.”
Lewenheart answered firmly, shaking his head. He had to stay composed. This was why he kept his distance from Thesia—to regain control of his feelings for her.
