âAh⊠uhâŠâŠ Okay, you mean itâs not a good idea to get in there, right?â
Kyrie smiled and put the cookies in Aaronâs arms.
âDonât come here either.â
âDid the Legendary Lord catch you?â
âI donât know. I donât know if he already knows, or if he is pretending not to know.â
âIf he doesnât like Noona, then it doesnât matter if I meet you?â
Aaron was absolutely right. But Kyrieâs feeling was saying that wasnât the case. Nathaniel was a little bit worse.
âWhatever it is.â
âItâs a little weird. Is the Legendary Lord strange? Or isnât it Noonaâs misunderstanding?â
âIt canât be.â
âWhy donât you give it a try, Noona?â
âTry?â
Aaron grinned.
âMaybe thereâs no problem with it!â
Aaron pulled her arm, hugged Kyrie, and jumped to the floor before Kyrie could respond. It was when MarryAnneâs reaction was slow while she was cutting a fruit.
âMiss!â
MarryAnne threw the knife that only penetrated Aaronâs afterimage.
Fortunately, the two landed safely on the floor.
âCrazy!â
Kyrie immediately flagged. Either way, Aaron put her down and raised his hands to MarryAnne, who had jumped before he knew it.
âHey, hey! Wait a minute!â
âMarryAnne will kill everyone who tries to hurt Miss!â
MarryAnne could eat Aaron with her eyes. Not only there, but birds began to flock from all over the place. The wind blew horribly, and under MarryAnneâs pumpkin pants, all kinds of dreary weapons popped out.
âBad man! You have to die!â
âWow, whoa! No! No, Iâm not trying to hurt her.âŠ! Noo, Noona, please stop her!â
Aaron cried and hid behind Kyrieâs back. Kyrie sighed and touched MarryAnne on the shoulder.
âMarryAnneâŠâŠ, itâs okay. Will you back off the birds?â
âButâŠ.â
MarryAnneâs black eyes fiercely watched Aaron. Soon, however, she looked at Kyrie with a worried look.
âMiss. Are you hurt anywhere?â
âNo, fortunately.â
âYou should tell me if you have a scratch! Then MarryAnneâŠâŠ.â
âWell, I know that MarryAnne will fix it.â
Kyrie tried to appease her. MarryAnneâs shoulders drooped. The birds that gathered in the eaves and trees of the palace and watched Aaron soon flew away. Only then did Kyrie feel safe.
âAaron.â
As Kyrie turned toward Aaron, the boy smiled coyly.
âNoona, are you okay? I think sheâs a little funny! How careful I was!â
Kyrie glanced at him a little, then turned her back and erased her expression.
âLieutenant Aaron Fitz. Are you out of your mind? Thereâs a limit to rudeness.â
âAhâŠâŠâ
Aaron was embarrassed. Her voice was so cool that the distance that had been gradually narrowed so far opened up in an instant.
âI, I mean, thatâŠÂ âŠÂ .â
âDo you think itâs right to act without asking for someoneâs consent as a human being before the guard?â
âThat, Iâm sorryâŠâŠ.â
Aaron was quickly depressed and couldnât make excuses. He bit his lips and carefully took off his helmet. Kyrieâs eyes widened when she saw Aaron taking off his helmet for the first time.
âYou, your earsâŠ.â
Aaron rubbed his right ear. He had no ears. Not only the ears, but one side of the face, including the ears, seemed to have been cut off by something very sharp.
âIs it uglyâŠâŠ?â
Kyrie could not answer. It was obvious that it was a wound. It would have happened when he faced Nathaniel before. Kyrieâs mind grew dizzy. Aaron continued.
âI justâŠItâs hard for me, my colleagues, and Noona, because of the Legend⊠Since Iâm in the same situation, I wanted to give Noona some air because you looked tired. Iâm sorryâŠâŠ.â
Tears formed in the boyâs eyes. He must have thought of his colleagues. MarryAnne still remained vigilant next to Kyrie, but Kyrie could no longer blame Aaron.
ââŠâŠNo, I see. Letâs stop, but donât let this happen again.â
âForgive me⊠Are you going toâŠ?â
âYes.â
Aaronâs face brightened quickly.
âThank you, Noona!â
He just cried and laughed in a flash. If she had a younger brother, she would have felt this way. Kyrie sighed and swept her hair away.
âYou didnât have to worry about my situation, Aaron.â
She murmured like that, and suddenly thought it had been a long time since she had felt her feet on the soil. On the flowerbeds, winter trees stood, waving dry branches. There was a bird sound somewhere, and the wind was fair.
It all felt so unfamiliar that Kyrieâs mind became distant. She didnât know what Nathaniel would do if he knew. She had to hurry back to her room after biting Aaron. Even though she knew it, her feet did not fall off.
(Q/C: She meant that she had to quickly go back after lecturing Aaron, but her feet wouldnât move.)
Aaron, who put his helmet on again, smiled lightly when he saw Kyrie like that.
âYou donât want to go back, do you?â
ââŠâŠ.â
What a bad boy the knight was. When Kyrie didnât answer, Aaron reached out in a gesture like a knight.
âAhem! Uhm, Ky, Miss Kyrie Buchanan, would you give me the honor of escorting you?â
Kyrie looked down at the boyâs hand with a confused face.
What if she grabbed it?
There was no way Nathaniel would stand still.
He might be watching from somewhere.
There was no way he didnât know this.
He couldnât leave her alone.
There was no way Nathaniel would set herself freeâŠâŠ.
With that thought, she really wanted to run away. Aaron grinned with an excited face, perhaps noticing Kyrieâs bewildered mind.
âHold on, Noona. Noona is not the Legendary Lordâs toy. Thereâs no reason for Noona to be locked up.â
Kyrie narrowed the gap. Shivering hands stopped in the air.
âEveryone is safe when Iâm here.â
âNo one can force you to sacrifice yourself.â
âYou can have everything but you cannot be full.â
âThatâs not what you really want, right?â
Kyrieâs eyes trembled harder.
âIf I go out, Iâm sure NathanielâŠâŠ.â
âStop! What do you want to do? Letâs just think about that.â
âIâŠâŠ.â
Kyrie looked up. She could see the sky. Not the ceiling. She never thought the day would come when she felt majestic while looking at the sky. But she thought it was not a big deal, but the blue color, the flock of clouds were so lovely. The cold air rattled Kyrieâs chest.
Eventually, Kyrie took Aaronâs hand. Aaron smiled broadly.
âLetâs go!â
It was surprisingly a used lounge where Aaron dragged Kyrie with his arms clapping like a frog on a rainy day. The palace or mansion usually had semi-basement space for users, but it was a space where there was no need to go except to manage the mansion.
Kyrie was seated there.
ââŠâŠ.â
They glanced at Kyrie pretending not to be the people who stopped by the lounge, and Aaron and the chef, who saw her, hung the door of the lounge and locked it.
âOh, my God! People who are precious donât usually come to this kind of place. Please understand!â
(PR note: He asks for understanding since the lounge is not prepared)
Meloni, a good-looking female chef, smiled graciously. Kyrie opened her shawl awkwardly.
âItâs okay. I apologize for coming so suddenly.â
âNo, no, no! Itâs all Aaronâs fault!â
âOh, Aunt Meloni! Itâs not!â
âDonât talk and stir it up, you punk!â
âAunt!â
Aaron, who was being used to stir the broth in exchange for bringing in a high-ranking person, squirmed inside the room.
âDonât talk nonsense to Noona! Okay!â
âOh, my God, you have a good voice.â
Meloni sat across from Kyrie with a smile. When she saw MarryAnne, who clung to Kyrie and even paid close attention to her fluffy hair, she held out a dried jerky.
âOh, sheâs cute, too. Do you want to eat this? Itâs beef. Itâs going to be spicy.â
ââŠâŠIâll eat it.â
âHave she been trainedâŠâŠ?â
Kyrie was impressed. MarryAnne was unexpectedly shy, but she was too easy on her guard. Meloni, who was smiling happily, turned to Kyrie.
âWould you like anything? Although I will always make it, whatever Miss wants to eat.â
âOh! Aunt! Iâd like the same thing too! I heard that Noona always eats expensive things. Is it true?â
âWhew, then youâre not lying. Not long ago, the truffles from LutierâŠOh, my God, thatâs right! Wait a minute. Thereâs something I made.â
âNo, Iâm fine.âŠ.â
âHuh? Donât say no. Since itâs the Royal Palace, itâs kept clean, and itâs all made of good ingredients. Especially from Fort Ducane, thereâs a lot of stuff like that.â
âNot that, but the tasteâŠâŠ.â
âCome on, give it a try.â
âAlreadyâŠ?â
Meloni offered bouillon at a surprisingly fast pace. Kyrie looked down at the bowl of water and carefully picked up the spoon. She was going to have a bite or two out of courtesy.
But, it was more delicious than she had thought. Meloni smiled softly as she looked at Kyrieâs surprised face.
âEat a lot. We always eat as much as bird feed, so itâs good for our customers to eat the leftovers, but thatâs why we get sickly thin.â
âNoona looks pretty even if sheâs sickly thin!â
(PR note: please donât.)
âYou just stir the broth well!â
âThatâs too much, Aunt!â
Meloni closed the door to the room where Aaron was. Aaron grumbled something, but she couldnât hear it.
It was cozy even though it was a hectic room with all kinds of things scattered around. Kyrie, who held the spoon, sipped bouillon in a daze, and Meloni sometimes stroked MarryAnneâs head, saying that she should give her this and that. She felt like she was in an unrealistic fairytale.
âIâm sure everyone was very hospitable at the night party, but it wasnât like now. Itâs a little moreâŠâŠ.â
Kyrieâs eyes shook. Meloni, who saw it, asked carefully.
âIt doesnât suit your taste?â
âNo, the food is very delicious. Itâs not that, IâŠâŠ.â
Kyrie couldnât find anything to say, so she struggled to open her mouth.
ââŠâŠI thought you would be reluctant with me.â
Kyrie regretted after saying it. It sounded like she was feeling too sorry for herself. But Meloni had a generous look as if she knew everything.
âMiss, life isnât that tough. Itâs not your fault, and the people who lived should live after all, right?â
A powerful and soft voice blocked Kyrie from speaking. Meloni shifted her eyes to MarryAnne and smiled happily.
âRight, kiddo?â
MarryAnne laughed as if she were really right.
âYes! You have to die of natural causes!â
ââŠâŠIs that so?â
Meloni went into the kitchen, embarrassed by MarryAnneâs unusual words. The remaining Kyrie sighed and stroked MarryAnneâs head.
âMarryAnne, letâs not use the word natural death in front of others.â
âYes! MarryAnne likes that lady! She smells good!â
MarryAnne grinned. Kyrie also smiled.
âSo do I.â
She wished this moment would last forever.
Looking at Kyrie petting herself, MarryAnne briefly wore a blank expression. The girl soon clung to Kyrie with an anxious look.
âBut not that person.â
Kyrieâs blood that was heating up in her calm landscape froze.
MarryAnneâs eyes turned to the kitchen where Meloni and Aaron were. Her black eyes quickly became fierce. MarryAnne grabbed Kyrie by the hem and whispered, keeping her eyes open in the kitchen.
âThe guard smells really bad every time he smilesâŠâŠ.â