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“My Lady!”
Dana, who had taken refuge, ran to me with a coat.
“If there’s a small blanket, bring it to me.”
“Blanket?”
I pointed to my side.
“To cover the prince.”
The prince, who had been sleeping since he boarded the carriage as if he had passed out, didn’t look good.
Dana covered the prince with a green checkered blanket and looked at me.
“I was worried, My Lady. There are countless people who died by the monster’s attack, but I couldn’t find you . . .”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
She let out a sigh at my words.
I still heard cries from afar.
Who had thought that such a terrible thing would happen?
While listening to the heartbreaking cries of those facing the cold bodies, I asked her.
“I’m sure the duchy’s workers were also hurt a lot, right?”
“Yes, there are some faces I know.”
Her face turned dark.
I carefully looked around to find the paladins’ whereabouts.
“The paladins were the first to withdraw after the search. I did try to find Sir Bertin, but I couldn’t see him. Since you’re in the forest, I thought he would surely join to search you.”
Dana looked curious.
I, who knew the reason Bertin left first, said nothing.
I was glad that it seemed like he avoided people’s attention and escaped safely.
Unconsciously, I touched the pendant hanging on my neck and asked again.
“You didn’t hear the news like Lord Duke returned to the capital, or Mom returning alone, right?”
“Of course. They went together so why would they return separately?”
Dana tilted her head and soon opened her eyes wide.
“Did you perhaps hear something? Don’t tell me they already . . .”
I quickly shook my head at the suspicion that appeared on her face.
“No. It’s not like that, I just think they would be in danger if the monster also appeared in another location.”
“Come on, if that’s the case, then it would have been chaos. Both of them are far away from the capital, so please don’t worry.”
Dana, who couldn’t sense my subdued tone, answered with a smile.
Beyond the carriage, I heard the horses snorting.
When I opened the small window, I saw a group of knights surrounding the carriage as if escorting it.
Orion steered his horse close to the carriage.
“It’s hard for you to sleep because the carriage is small, right? That fellow could just ride on the horse with me.”
Don’t tell me that fellow you mean is the prince that you were worried about until a moment ago and insisted on taking home?
“It’s fine. I can just take a rest after arriving in the mansion.”
“Alright, I also have told them in advance, so they must have prepared for you to rest comfortably.”
“Orion.”
“Hm?”
His ear twitched to me and he leaned his head.
“I’ve been wanting to ask since earlier.”
“Yeah.”
“That thing, why did you bring that?”
Why did you bring the sickle to the hunting ground?
Even the eyes of the knights stealing a glance at the sickle were not normal.
The way they looked with very awe-struck eyes but also filled with desire, was like . . .
Was like they wanted to possess that sickle.
“It’s your gift. I decided to keep this sickle as one with me anytime, anywhere.”
“I see.”
When did I give that as a gift to Orion?
The sickle that I obviously handed over for the gardeners was turned into a gift for Orion.
“I was surprised because you seem to be good at using that.”
His posture cutting the grass was excellent.
Sickle was different from sword, so the direction of applying force and the used muscles were different.
Orion, who had been using swords, would have put a lot of effort into learning how to use sickle.
“I guess I’m a good fit for sickle. From the first time I grabbed it, I felt that it fit well on my hand, and as I swung it, it fit even more.”
“. . .”
“I feel like I’m born to handle the sickle.”
Why would a swordsman handle the sickle, rather than his sword?
You shouldn’t have talent in that area.
I quickly changed the subject as I watched Orion telling a story when he grabbed the back neck of Lord Duke, who was far away in another territory
“I never thought the prince was your student.”
“I was only ordered by His Majesty. His reason must be that a member of the imperial family needs a teacher from the right class.”
“Still, I heard you taught him quite enthusiastically.”
Although the prince expressed that as ‘hitted until near-death’.
In addition, he even volunteered to watch over him in the duchy.
“Rather than teaching, I tormented him quite severely. I didn’t like seeing his face giving up on life when he was still at a young age.”
“. . .”
So you do realize that you tormented the prince?
“Humans being are supposed to want to live even when they are about to die just like the spies that are tortured. But that prince didn’t seem to have such a feeling when I tortured him until he get dust all over him in a rainy day . . .”
“He didn’t?”
“So I tortured him even more than when I dominate over my knight order members.”
I couldn’t imagine that as I had already heard wailing cries every time Orion held his sword in the drill hall.
I couldn’t belive he tortured him even more than that.
It’ll really be okay, right?
While I was secretly erasing my worry, Orion suddenly opened his mouth.
“My sister is amazing.”
His blue eyes gently stared at me.
“I saw him express his opinion for the first time. I couldn’t do that even after five years, but how could his eyes change after only a few hours?”
“I didn’t do anything in particular, though.”
When I mumbled, Orion stole a gaze at the prince and commented.
“It was a pity to send him back to the palace when his eyes finally changed. And because you seem strangely reluctant with the imperial family.”
I flinched hearing that.
“You seemed like you didn’t want to send him back.”
Perhaps that was an unnecessary thought.
Still, it was hard for me to feign innocence when I thought about his eyes, that sparkled for a moment, would lose its light if he returned to the palace.