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Chapter 29
Calvin, who was a head taller than me, shook his head with a sullen look.
Even the corners of his eyes and shoulders drooped with guilt.
“I should have gone with you, sister. But I was so blinded by the thought of giving the flower crown to Maryna that I let you go to such a dangerous place alone…”
Well, that was only because I absolutely had to win that prize.
“Maryna has been rude to you so many times, and yet you never blamed her. And even today, you went out of your way to help me…”
In his red eyes that lingered on my neck was a glimmer of sorrow.
“You’ve been kind to her just because I liked her… So at least for today, you’re my best lady.”
It seemed he had completely misunderstood the situation, but instead of denying it, I just smiled.
That made tears well up in Calvin’s eyes.
“Thank you.”
It surprised me — not only because it was the first time he’d said something like that, but also because I was proud of him.
So I pulled him into a hug.
When our family was accused of treason and taken to the scaffold, Calvin hadn’t been spared either.
The Crown Prince never missed a chance to kill off even one of his rivals.
Though my brother had always taken Maryna’s side, when he faced death as a traitor, he’d said:
“It’s not your fault, sister.”
He’d comforted me instead. That memory left a deep weight on my heart.
“Thank you for saying that, my dear brother.”
“I’m sorry, sister. From now on, I’ll protect you.”
Calvin hugged me back, and as we reaffirmed our bond, a dark shadow approached.
“Roa, Cal.”
The heavy voice belonged to our parents, who had been watching from the stands throughout the hunting tournament.
When we returned home, chaos erupted.
“Who were they?! Were they from the Kingdom? The Duchy? Or one of our rivals?!”
My father, upon seeing the marks on my neck, became so enraged he began breaking the furniture in the house, vowing to find the assassin through every contact he had.
“Oh my heavens—my daughter! What is this on my precious daughter’s neck?!”
My mother, no less distraught, started breaking things as well, until she nearly fainted while clutching her own neck.
“I’m fine. Really. It doesn’t even hurt—it’s just a mark. It’ll fade with time.”
The pain wasn’t even worth mentioning, but my words did little to calm them.
“Roa! You must learn to value your own body more!”
“Yes, my lovely daughter. What use is winning that silly hunting contest now?”
I turned to Cassie, my maid, and asked if it looked that bad.
“Is that even a question, my lady?!”
Even Cassie looked ready to faint, so I sneaked a glance at the mirror.
Hmm. The skin was a bit blackened and bruised.
Calvin’s face was even more tragic than mine as he followed me everywhere, mumbling,
“I’m sorry, sister. I’ll protect you. I’ll protect you…”
“You need treatment and rest,”
Father concluded sternly.
“Fetch the family physician.”
They treated me as though I were on my deathbed — laying me down and heating the room to sweltering warmth despite the pleasant weather.
“Get some rest now.”
And so it was decided that I would remain at the mansion and recuperate until I was fully healed.
But… I don’t have much time left.
At least I could be grateful that I had a capable secretary to act as my hands and feet.
“My lady.”
Ted, who had come up from the territory not long ago, approached with a worried expression.
“Ted, how is the investigation on Blue Bird going? Any progress?”
“They’re a crafty bunch, my lady. We’ve yet to achieve any tangible results. My apologies.”
“Then brace yourself from now on.”
“Pardon?”
I gave the puzzled secretary some good news.
“The Imperial Family and the Duke of Lisianthus are about to stir things up.”
“Ah…!”
When the Imperial Family — not just a mere marquis family — starts digging, Blue Bird will be in turmoil, leaving plenty of openings for us.
Ted quickly understood and gave a sharp grin.
“My injury was their doing too, so make sure your investigation is thorough.”
I said it lightly, but the secretary’s smile faded at once.
“Don’t tell me… Did they discover that I’m working for you? And this was revenge?”
“I don’t think so. The attacker said it wasn’t the leader’s order. But the man who grabbed my throat — he could use magic.”
A magician, yet he chose to attack physically — strange indeed.
“Acting on his own, then…”
Ted asked for the full details, frowning when I described how the man had strangled me, yet he calmly listened until the end.
“I’ll uncover everything about those bastards, I swear it.”
“Oh, Mr. Secretary! Are you making the lady work when she’s injured?”
Cassie, who had come in with my medicine, glared at Ted.
“No, that’s not—”
“I didn’t take you for that kind of man! How could you burden our poor lady when she’s sick!”
Ted, who was usually all smiles, left the room flustered and defeated, and I was left to endure Cassie’s scolding.
“My lady, you don’t look well at all. Are you really going to keep working like this?”
“Cassie, I’m tired.”
At those words, my loyal maid jumped in fright and immediately backed off.
Since we had decided not to receive any visitors for a week, the next day was, for once, calm and peaceful — something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“It’s so peaceful, it’s actually scary.”
Because peace usually came right before Maryna caused another scandal or before the Crown Prince accused our family of treason.
Of course, only a couple of months had passed since my return, so I wanted to believe I wouldn’t die yet…
But premonitions like that are never wrong.
Meanwhile—
Having returned late to the knights’ encampment after searching the hunting grounds,
Lexian threw off his gloves, his anger barely contained.
“Rosia Levian — what on earth are you thinking?!”
The image of her neck, bruised and darkened, seared itself into his mind.
Even when she was on the brink of death, she’d been more worried about a silver fox than herself.
That reckless indifference infuriated him.
And worse — she’d charged straight toward a mage radiating ominous, corrupted mana.
With that frail body of hers, what did she think she could possibly do?
“What if you had died…”
Lexian raked his fingers through his hair in frustration and sat down.
He tried to focus on the reports before him, but not a single word would stick.
Why did you do that? Why interfere with my mission?!
Rosia’s anguished shout still echoed in his ears.
The woman who was always smiling so politely had lost her composure and screamed at him — the memory unsettled him deeply.
Just because you’re a Sword Master doesn’t mean you can’t die! You can die, too!
How had she even known he was a Sword Master?
She’d claimed she could tell by seeing his sword aura, but she’d said it too naturally, as if she had always known.
The only person aware of his status as a Sword Master was the Emperor himself.
Had the Emperor told the Marquis of Levian? No — that wasn’t his way.
The Emperor would never reveal such a secret, knowing it would prompt other noble families to cozy up to House Lisianthus.
Even if the Emperor had told the Empress, there was nearly zero chance that the Empress would share it with Rosia.
Don’t ever do that again. Don’t interfere in my matters. Don’t risk your life like that!
And yet, despite knowing what he was, she’d worried for him — terrified that he might die.
Was the man with the dark mana truly powerful enough to kill even a Sword Master?
Or was there another reason behind her words?
If Rosia had somehow known that the man’s power rivaled his own, that meant she possessed some kind of extraordinary perception — something beyond ordinary human capability.
You mustn’t die for me. Please… don’t die in front of me again…
She had said it like someone who had already watched him die before,
her voice breaking with grief as she pushed him away.
“Rosia Levian… you’re strange.”
She’d suddenly appeared, boldly asked him to dance, grown closer — only to pull away again.
And yet, watching her do so made his heart stir.
“Maybe I’m the strange one for feeling this way.”
At first, it had only been her hair that caught his eye,
but somewhere along the way, Rosia had taken root in his thoughts.
He kept trying to help her, to spare her from trouble, but her insistence on keeping her distance left him oddly hurt.
He knew it was irrational.
“Still… it feels like I’ve known you for a very long time.”
Like the sword he’d wielded since childhood — familiar, worn, and perfectly fitted to his hand.
He should have found such an unfamiliar emotion unsettling, yet he found himself welcoming it instead.
He wanted to get closer to Rosia.
He wanted to be someone important to her.
He wanted her never to be in pain again.
Was it, as she said, simply the affection of an older brother?
He couldn’t define the confusing emotions churning within him,
but one thing he was certain of —
he would never allow her to be in danger again.
Lexian reviewed the interim report the vice-commander had compiled, then began drafting his own report for the Emperor.
He would record that Rosia had faced the assassin together with her brother Calvin —
to preserve her honor.
But before that, there was something he needed to do first.
