Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – If I’m Going To Regret It Anyway

Silence passed for a moment, and Kaligo whipped his hand away, overflowing with regret.

As Ashia grabbed his hand, she looked a little embarrassed. “For the time being… it will be warm.”

He turned around, putting the cloak back on himself, while Ashia was tying the knot of her cloak that had been loosened again. Maybe because of his aura, there was a rush of heat on her cheeks hidden under the hood.

His hand was unfamiliar, but Ashia couldn’t easily remove it because she was also embarrassed.

Was it unpleasant? Not really, and that was confusing.

‘I think I should take the medicine.’

A small laugh broke out from her. Was it because he existed that she had a good time laughing even after the five years of marriage that she thought were unhappy, or was it because the past ten years had dulled her resentment towards him?

The image of him reaching out his hand out, and the image of herself accepting it graciously, even felt unfamiliar but somehow familiar.

‘Besides… it was likely his aura just now.’

The aura that Kaligo transferred to Ashia’s body. There was another reason why Ashia couldn’t push him away. She knew this feeling, the red energy that had entered her body, and the warmth it gave her…

‘It was you…’

That day when she fainted fighting the cold a few days ago, that energy that drove away the perpetual chill even as she didn’t ingest medicine – it was only now that she found out it was Kaligo’s aura.

“…”

She walked behind him and quietly watched Kaligo’s back as he was leading the way.

Were there any other people besides your sister? I think I heard the voice of a man.

…The doctors came and went. She probably heard that voice. It wasn’t an illusion.

She thought it was strange that Verna couldn’t answer her question while avoiding her eyes. It was definitely Kaligo’s voice that called her name ‘Renna’ in her dream-like, hazy consciousness. But that seemed impossible.

He was the person who shouldn’t have been calling her ‘Renna’ in that place and time. However…

‘…Really, that day… You were there.’

It was neither a hallucination nor a dream. He was there by Ashia’s side, at the moment she was at her weakest.

“…”

Walking across the wide shadow he cast, Asha’s eyes fluttered slightly as she looked at his back.

The conversation between the two had disappeared, including the short-lived jokes that came and went.

She diligently walked on the ankle-deep snow and finally entered the fire property area. Fire-property materials that radiated bright heat over the pure white snow made a spectacular appearance.

Ashia could definitely feel the wind blowing and the strength of the blizzards getting weaker compared to the previous area that spewed cold air.

“I think we have to decide where to spend the night…” Kaligo stopped and turned around after a while of walking silently.

“Yes, we are almost there. I have a separate place for our tent.”

“That’s a relief. If I have a seizure here, I don’t think you can handle it.”

Then Ashia responded as if it wasn’t a big deal, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. There’s magic.”

“…”

“Even if I can’t thaw your frozen body, I can carry you around.”

Kaligo raised his eyebrows. “You can’t thaw a frozen body?”

“…Uhm,” Ashia answered with an awkward smile after hesitating briefly. “I am very weak in fire-attribute magic….”

He looked down at her cloak as she spoke in a small whisper. “Then, the thermal insulation magic on the cloak is…”

“Ah, I asked Tero for that. That child also uses the fire-attribute aura.”

“…You mean that he is strong enough to transfer that aura to an object?”

Ashia nodded and followed Kaligo, who started walking again. “Yes. That’s why the Imperial Knights and the Paladins were eager to take him for themselves.”

“…”

His brows furrowed again at the name of the man she mentioned repeatedly.

The surroundings became quieter thanks to the slowly fading snow. The footsteps of the two people walking on the snow were particularly loud.

“I’m thinking of setting up our tents here.” After arriving at the barracks, Ashia took another wad of cloth from her bag and threw it to the floor. The bundles of cloth increased in volume as soon as they touched the floor.

“As for the cloak earlier… you can also adjust the size.”

“Of course. It’s not an easy class of magic.”

As Ashia shrugged her shoulders, Kaligo smiled slightly and picked up the tent that had fallen to the ground. “Can I put it up around here?”

“Ah yes! Please do that.”

Kaligo seemed very good at setting up tents. The bulky tent was spread out, and the camp was built at high speed, using large, bare, wooden posts as support.

In the blink of an eye, he had completed a structure that could withstand strong winds. “Then I’ll go get some firewood.”

“Ah yes. I will unpack everything in the tent.”

“Yes, I will be back.”

“Alright.”

He left as Ashia entered the tent. And there, she ran into a problem.

“…”

‘I made it with a specially strong fabric because it rips frequently. It’s enough space for four people, so it’s bulky and heavy but…’

One tent for up to four people.

‘It would be nice if the barracks were spacious.’

Although it was difficult to install and disassemble, it was worth being able to use the space without feeling stuffy during their stay.

Besides, Kaligo’s body wasn’t usually that big, so maybe it was better in the current situation.

There were no problems in this tent for four people. The problem was that…

‘…There’s only one set of travel bedding where up to four people can sleep.’

Travel bedding… One.

Bedding… One.

One…

“…”

The travel bedding Verna, a fabric store, had produced was a combination of a floor covering and a duvet, and it was not only soft but also waterproof, elastic, and thermal. Its materials were the finest cotton…

‘Ah! That’s not what’s important right now.’

She had thought that it wasn’t impossible to accommodate Kaligo along with herself in a four-person tent.

‘One travel bedding…’

‘Why did I ask her to make another cloak but not one more bedding?’

She instantly remembered Verna’s reaction and words.

Where will you use such a large cloak?

There is something.

For Terros?

Oh, no.

Huh… Is that so?

Verna made and sold many products for people who went on trips. Ashia needed one more cloak but Verna didn’t ask her to have another travel bedding, as a businesswoman.

Ashia laughed and said she was suspicious for no reason…

‘I didn’t say that on purpose…’

Alone in the tent, she stomped her feet and screamed silently.

 

Kaligo, who had been searching for firewood while scouting around the barracks, put the firewood he had picked up on the ground. Turning to the brightly lit barracks, he stared at the camp for a moment.

“Hmm…”

It was already dark all around. That’s why, thanks to the lamp that illuminated the inside of the barracks, he could clearly see Ashia’s shadow struggling inside.

‘Did something happen?’

After quickly making a bonfire with firewood, he rolled the tent opening and entered. “Ashia, no matter what…”

“Ah!” Ashia, surprised to find him, looked even more unusual.

“What’s the matter?”

“…That.” Her anxious eyes turned to the object on the floor. Kaligo’s gaze followed hers.

“…”

The two couldn’t take their eyes off the travel bedding spread out on the floor for a while. It was then that he realized why she was so flustered.

“There’s only one.”

“Yes, that’s right. To be precise, the bedding is spacious enough for four people.”

“Yes. It’s big enough for the two of us.”

Ashia, who was nodding her head involuntarily, hurriedly looked at him. “Yes?”

Kaligo smiled faintly as he looked at her lips, which were slightly open in surprise. “It’s a joke. Sleep comfortably. I think one of us will have to stand guard anyway.”

“Wait.” She quickly grabbed the hem of his cloak.

Kalligo turned his head and looked down at her. “…Ashia?”

“I am not a person without a conscience to let the only duke of our empire stand guard outside. What’s more, there is nothing dangerous enough for you to stand guard outside.”

“Earlier, you said I need to take medicine.”

“…That’s right.”

“…Then, there is nothing to worry about.”

“…”

Gently letting go of his cloak, Ashia looked down at the floor again. The wide bedspread once again came into her view.

There was no way for him to see her as a woman now. Besides, she said it was safer since he was taking medicine. Even if the effect of his medicine wore out and he suddenly changed and attacked her, she would just knock him off with magic.

And above all… She didn’t like the idea of Kaligo standing guard alone in the blizzard outside. Ashia tightened her fists when she thought of that. “It’s wide. I already said that four people can sleep here, so I think we can sleep on each end.”

“…”

He stared at Ashia without replying.

She was somewhat uncomfortable with his gaze and opened her mouth, turning her head away. “…Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”

Kaligo took one step closer. “You seem to think too lightly of men.”

“…”

‘What to do? Should I scare her a little more and go outside, or pretend that I can’t win over her and stay inside?’

Whichever one he chose, he was sure he would regret it – like he did in the past…

“However…”

‘If I’m going to regret it anyway…’

“I won’t refuse if it’s your will.”

Opportunities should be seized when they arrive.