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Chapter: 20
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Really? If you say so.”
At my words, he let out a breath as if he found me unbelievable, but he didn’t bother adding anything else.
With our brief conversation over, silence settled over the room once more. Keeping my smile, I closed my eyes and murmured,
“Good night.”
Just as I expected, no reply came back. Even so, I drifted off to sleep feeling more at ease than I had in a long time.
A week had already passed since the wedding.
Aside from getting to know the servants of the estate through countless conversations, nothing much had happened. My days had been peaceful to the point of being boring.
“May, where’s Evan right now?”
While leisurely enjoying tea in the garden, I turned to May, who was standing beside me.
“I saw him training with the other knights at the practice grounds earlier.”
“Really?”
I set my teacup down and fell into thought for a moment.
Ever since we had agreed to share the same bed, nothing had really changed between us.
As the hero who had led the war to victory, Evan was so busy that even several bodies wouldn’t have been enough to keep up with his schedule.
By the time I woke up each morning, he had already left. Even before I went to bed, he was still occupied with work.
“Maybe I’ll go watch the training.”
I suddenly became curious about how a man with such a terrifying reputation actually trained.
I only intended to quietly watch for a while before leaving, so I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way.
Filled with curiosity, I left the room and headed toward the training grounds.
“Waaaah!”
As I got closer, deafening cheers erupted into the sky.
What’s going on?
Exchangeing puzzled glances with May, I walked closer.
The reason for the knights’ excitement became obvious in an instant.
“Squads One and Two, prepare to fire! Release!”
At the knight’s command, countless arrows shot through the air like rain toward a single target.
Standing at the very center of that storm was none other than Evan.
With emotionless eyes, he calmly surveyed the dozens of arrows flying toward him before swinging his sword.
The blade flashed with incredible speed, cutting down arrow after arrow.
The few he couldn’t cut apart, he effortlessly avoided by twisting his body, weaving across the training ground.
“How is that even possible? I still can’t believe it every time I see it.”
“That’s because you didn’t see the Duke on the battlefield during the war. He was even more incredible back then!”
The excited voices of the knights reached my ears.
“Oh my goodness! My lady, did you see that? I’d only heard rumors, but he’s practically flying!”
Even May gasped in admiration, her eyes sparkling.
Everyone at the training grounds watched Evan with excitement.
Everyone except me.
“Squad Three! Fire!”
“…No.”
The moment I saw another wave of arrows slicing through the sky, my breathing suddenly became ragged.
The enthusiastic cheers of the knights transformed into the battle cries of the rebels who had stormed the Imperial Palace that day.
The arrowheads raining down seemed coated in deadly poison.
“My lady? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
May noticed something was wrong and called out to me.
But I couldn’t answer.
Staring blankly at the endless barrage of arrows, I suddenly pushed through the crowd of knights and ran onto the training grounds as if possessed.
“My lady! It’s dangerous!”
I heard May scream behind me, but I couldn’t stop.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my body had already moved on its own.
“Evan!”
Running until I was out of breath, I threw my arms around him and held him tightly.
“No… You can’t die.”
“What is…?”
In the middle of swinging his sword, Evan froze in shock as I suddenly leaped into his arms.
“What are you doing? That’s dangerous… My lady… are you crying?”
Only after hearing his words did I realize tears were streaming down my face.
But my reason had already slipped beyond my control.
Still clinging tightly to him, I could only repeat the same words like a spell.
“No… Don’t tell me to go on alone. Don’t die.”
“Who’s dying? I’m perfectly alive, so don’t send me off already.”
Listening to my incoherent muttering, Evan let out an exasperated sigh before speaking.
Oddly enough, hearing his blunt tone reassured me.
The moment relief washed over me, even more tears spilled down my cheeks.
“I-I’m sorry… Hic…”
“W-What? No, I wasn’t trying to be that harsh…”
Seeing me cry even harder because of what he’d said, Evan looked completely flustered.
Unsure what to do, he simply stared down at me in his arms.
Then, as though he had finally made up his mind, he slowly lowered his awkwardly raised arms and gently began patting my back.
His hand moved completely out of rhythm.
It was so clumsy and awkward that it felt as though he had never comforted someone like this before.
How much time had passed?
“Ah!”
Watching me continue to sob, Evan suddenly tossed his sword aside and effortlessly lifted me into his arms.
The unexpected action startled me so much that my tears stopped instantly.
Still carrying me, Evan walked toward the gathered knights.
When he reached the edge of the training grounds, he casually spoke.
“What are you all staring at? Resume training on your own until I get back.”
“…Yes, sir!”
The knights, who had all been whispering while watching us, immediately scattered back to their positions.
Once they were gone, only May remained.
Evan turned his gaze toward her.
“Could you bring some water?”
“Y-Yes! Right away!”
May hurried back toward the mansion.
Once again, only the two of us were left.
Evan looked around as if searching for something before taking his outer coat, which had been hanging nearby, and spreading it over the grass.
“There aren’t any chairs on the training grounds. Please sit here for now.”
He carefully set me down on the coat before crouching in front of me.
“Have you cried it all out now?”
“Yes… I’m sorry. I interrupted your training…”
Lowering my head, I apologized.
Not only had I interrupted training that had been going perfectly, I’d suddenly thrown myself into his arms and burst into tears.
He must think I was completely out of my mind.
Feeling guilty, I quietly waited for his response.
But no matter how long I waited, he didn’t answer.
When I finally looked up—
“Are you afraid of bows?”
After a long silence, that was the question he asked.
It was completely unexpected.
I thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Yes.”
“If you’re so terrified that it makes you cry, then why did you run in here? Those were training arrows, so you weren’t hurt. If they’d been real arrows, you wouldn’t be sitting here unharmed.”
Frowning in confusion, Evan looked at me.
“I thought you were going to get hurt.”
“…Don’t tell me you did all that because of me?”
When I nodded again, Evan wore the expression of someone who had just been hit over the head.
“You said… when you promised to protect me… that you meant it.”
Of course, if that situation had been real, I probably wouldn’t have been able to protect him at all.
I’d most likely have been shot full of arrows right alongside him.
Thinking I’d only caused trouble for everyone, I kept my head lowered.
Then—
“Never thought I’d live long enough to hear someone say they’d protect me.”
After staring at me with a stiff expression for a long moment, Evan finally murmured those words with a faint smile that was almost like a sigh.
The moment I saw him smile, I froze, staring blankly.
It’s my first time seeing him smile.
It was closer to a wry chuckle than a genuine smile, but since I’d only ever seen him expressionless or frowning, it completely changed the impression he gave.
“Why are you laughing? I really could protect you!”
“Well… all right.”
When I puffed up in protest, he raised an eyebrow and nodded.
He clearly didn’t believe me.
It sounded more like he was simply humoring me than actually taking my words seriously.
