WCMP 29

chapter 29

The attack from the monster horde ended quickly. They immediately left the area and continued moving.

With so many monsters killed, the smell of blood had spread quite far. They couldn’t afford to linger. If they hesitated, there was a high chance another group of monsters would catch the scent and come after them.

While everyone else resumed their journey as if nothing had happened, Liely was slumped weakly against Arban’s chest.

The only reason she didn’t fall from the horse was because Arban was holding her up.

As her head bumped lightly against his chest—tap, tap—he recalled how she had looked earlier.

When she first faced the orc, she had remained stiff the entire time. And when he had tried to leave his position, she had urgently called out his name.

She had been so pale and trembling that she probably didn’t even realize she had called him by name.

For a brief moment, Arban saw his younger self reflected in her.

Not long after he had begun his training under his father’s strict guidance—

A dark, unfamiliar basement.
A monster bound in chains.
The damp, humid air.
The monster’s deafening roars echoing through the space.

And… his father’s silent gaze looking down at him.

Everything in that room had frozen him in fear.

The first monster Arban had ever faced had also been an orc.

His father, the former Grand Duke of Canelowell, had forced a sword into his rigid hand and spoken only one command:

“Cut off its head.”

His father’s orders were absolute.

The orc, bound hand and foot so it couldn’t struggle, shook its head violently. Perhaps it sensed its imminent death—its screams were horrifying.

But…

I have to kill it.

It was obvious that with his young strength, it would be difficult even to pierce the orc’s thick hide.

Yet if he failed to carry out the order, he could not guarantee his mother’s safety.

He clenched his teeth.

The day he had first resisted…

He could still vividly remember the sight of his nanny being beaten to death right before his eyes. How could he dare to defy his father?

Arban took a step forward.

The closer he came, the more violently the orc struggled.

Its screams battered his eardrums in the enclosed space.

Though its limbs were bound, he feared that if he tried to cut its neck, it might bite him—perhaps even sever his hand.

His throat went dry. Cold sweat ran down his back.

As his hand began to tingle from gripping the sword too tightly, he heard the sound of his father’s shoes behind him.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The steady sound of leather striking cold stone.

His father was growing impatient.

There’s no more time.

The orc’s cries seemed to fade, while the sound of those footsteps grew louder, dominating his senses.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

A silent pressure urging him forward.

In the end, with a face drained of all color, he raised the sword.

—

Returning from the memory, Arban looked down at Liely in his arms.

Unlike him, who had been forced to lift a sword, the young lady was safely protected.

If he had ignored her fear, the situation would have ended faster.

What she had faced and what he had once faced were clearly different.

And yet…

He hadn’t been able to pretend not to hear her call.

Because when he had once been consumed by fear as a child, he had desperately wished for someone to help him.

At least that feeling must have been the same.

For a split second, he had seen his younger self in the way she looked at him.

By the time he realized it, he was already standing by her side.

She had always been bright and lively.

But the emotion she showed then—now unfamiliar, yet once painfully familiar to him—

Fear.

The anxiety that had filled her face had faded the moment he approached her, and that sight strangely etched itself into his memory.

When he stepped closer, her already pale face looked even more drained. Without thinking, he reached out and touched her.

Her skin was cold against his palm.

Even as they continued riding, she remained quiet, leaning silently against him.

If this had been Liely from just a few hours ago, she would have been chatting endlessly with someone by now.

For some reason, her silence made his chest feel tight.

The others were clearly worried as well.

Seirin and Rix had been hovering nearby anxiously, and even Kal occasionally glanced her way.

Then a sudden gust of wind blew her hair back, tickling Arban’s neck.

Carefully, he gathered her hair and moved it to the front.

From the moment his hand brushed her hair, Liely—who had been looking at him—smiled faintly.

“Thank you.”

“…It’s nothing.”

A smile suited her far better.

—

Later, perhaps having calmed down, she began smiling again during lunch. By the afternoon, as she traveled alongside Seirin, she was chatting as usual.

Both Arban and Seirin, sharp as they were, knew she was forcing that smile—but neither pointed it out.

Toward sunset, they encountered another group of monsters.

This time, Liely seemed to have steeled herself. She even told Seirin, who stayed by her side, that she was fine and that Seirin could go fight.

Though her face remained tense, it was remarkable progress for only half a day.

Of course, Seirin didn’t take her words at face value and rush off.

In Arban’s view, Liely had strong mental resilience—especially for a noble lady.

Despite her delicate appearance, she was brave, and her courage wasn’t lacking.

Even ordinary soldiers and knights grew tense the first time they faced monsters.

Wild animals and monsters were different—the aura they emitted was entirely different.

Many were overwhelmed by that sinister presence.

And although orcs were considered low-ranking monsters, they lived in groups, which made many people frightened before they could even draw their swords.

Considering that Liely had faced a monster for the first time that very morning, her reaction was admirable.

He had even prepared himself for the possibility that she might vomit or faint.

And yet…

Despite anticipating the worst, he had still been shaken by her fear. That had been his mistake.

—

That night, Liely fell asleep almost immediately after lying down in the temporary tent, though she shifted restlessly.

Beside her, Seirin gently stroked her hair, her face full of concern.

Seirin had hardly taken her eyes off the high-born young lady all day.

What an unusual girl she was, from the very first impression.

Even if their destination was the mountain range, no one would have expected a noble lady to show up dressed in riding clothes.

She had even refused a cook and insisted on traveling without a maid.

At first, Seirin had felt uneasy.

Would this bold young lady later complain about hardship and push all the chores onto them?

After all, the noble ladies Seirin knew from high society were more than capable of such behavior.

But the young lady had proven her wrong.

Liely was a good person.

As the only daughter of Duke Robert—and with no princess currently in the empire—she was one of the highest-ranking ladies in the empire.

Yet she ate with them without hesitation and even offered to help instead of asking to be served.

Honestly, if one had to describe her bluntly, she seemed less like a noble lady and more like a warm-hearted, slightly reckless country girl.

Watching her often reminded Seirin of her younger brother, Chris.

The way she lit up, unable to sit still and always eager to talk.

The way she ran over, insisting on helping with those delicate hands—it was awkward and adorable, just like her brother.

Perhaps that was why Seirin had impulsively shared her past with her.

But she didn’t regret it at all.

Even if given the same situation again, she would act the same way.

Seirin disliked complicated, calculating relationships.

The aristocratic social world was filled with things she neither understood nor wished to.

Everything was superficial—glamorous on the outside, yet filled with people eager to tear each other apart.

That was high society.

Though Seirin preferred simple and honest relationships, that didn’t mean she was naive. Growing up as a commoner, she had needed sharp instincts to survive.

When she had unexpectedly debuted in society as Arban Canelowell’s partner, she would be lying if she said she felt no excitement.

But that small thrill vanished quickly.

She had thought she would never have to deal with noblewomen again unless her lord married.

And yet—

Where did such a girl come from?

Seirin let out a quiet chuckle.

She didn’t know why the young lady insisted on climbing this harsh mountain range with her lord.

But she had long suspected it wasn’t merely a simple mine inspection.

That was why she worried even more.

Why would someone raised so delicately willingly endure such hardship?

As her thoughts drifted further, she smiled bitterly.

When this journey ends, we may never see each other again.

Anyone with eyes could see that the young lady had feelings for her lord.

And it didn’t seem as though her lord disliked her either.

Their statuses matched well—perhaps she could even become the Grand Duchess.

But noble marriages were tangled in complex interests. It was only a slim possibility.

And by the time we return to the estate…

Her lord’s birthday banquet would soon be held.

The thought made her head ache.

She shook her head, pushing away the unwelcome guest list from her mind.

There’s already enough to worry about.

Fatigue washed over her.

Fighting two monster groups hadn’t exhausted her as much as worrying about the young lady all day had.

Seirin finally lay down beside Liely, who was now sleeping peacefully.

And Arban, who had been watching the two of them, lay down as well and closed his eyes.