As I turned my head in surprise once more, I saw a now familiar face.
A graceful jawline, delicate lips on top of that, a soft nose bridge⌠âŚ
His hair was as white as snow, and beneath it were beautiful blue eyes that drew attention.
Eyes like jewels with the color of the refreshing clear blue sky.
Of course, it was Zion. He was over there a while ago.
Uwaa, when did you get here without a sound? I calmed my rapidly beating heart and opened my mouth.
âWhat are you talking about? I just got here.â
âYouâre not good at lying.â
âNo? Iâm really good at it, me.â
I, who was pouting like a child, soon coughed in vain because I felt skeptical about what I was doing.
Anyway, peeping and eavesdropping were wrong, so I had to apologize.
âI didnât listen to it because I wanted to. Of course, I didnât watch it because I wanted to see it. Really, I happened to pass byâŚâŚ.â
ââŚâŚ.â
âExcuse me? Sir? Are you listening?â
But the other person didnât even pretend to hear what I was trying to apologize for.
He looked down with eyes that didnât know if he was spacing out or looking at me, and he didnât move until I called him several times.
No, to be exact, he took off his outerwear right away.
He pulled out all the buttons that were fastened neatly without a hitch, and lowered his coat to his forearm at a speed that was neither slow nor fastâŚâŚ.
âWhat, what are you doing?â
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I was a little flustered and asked, even stuttering.
But he took off his clothes without answering until the end and swung them around.
Where? Over my shoulder.
His coat, which fell over his shoulders, was a little cool, even though he was wearing it and should have been warm.
Without saying anything at the touch, I looked down at the clothes in a daze, and a voice came from above.
âYour clothes are a mess. Youâd better put it on.â
âAhhâŚâŚ. Th, thank you?â
It certainly was. Just like he said, my clothes were so messy that they were close to rags.
The sleeves that covered the shoulders were all torn, and the hem of the skirt was torn back and forth without measuring when it was stuck to Bradley.
Zion, on the other hand, was very neat. Iâm an aristocrat, but itâs to the extent that Zion looks more like an aristocrat.
I was embarrassed and rubbed my cheek, but Zion spoke to me.
âI heard you dislocated your shoulder. Are you okay now?â
âAh, oh yes. Iâm totally fine. Look, haha!â
Zion shook his head resolutely as I tried to forcefully move my arm that was fixed awkwardly.
âDonât do that. But the neckâŚ.â
A white finger with a prominent knuckle carefully pointed to my neck.
âWhy didnât you treat your neck? From the looks of it, it looks like you only applied medicine to your knees.â
âAhâŚâŚâ
I seem to keep answering with âahâ.
Cough, I cleared my throat once more and quickly shook my head.
It was not difficult to recall the conversation between Aiden and Horaisha that I heard upon waking up.
âI heard it, but I donât think healing magic works for me.â
ââŚâŚit doesnât work?â
He asked back in an uncharacteristically surprised voice.
A little taken aback by that, I stuttered.
âYes. What, what was it called? Even the divine power doesnât work.âŚ.â
But the only thing that works is Aidenâs divine power.
Tilting my head, I recalled Aiden, and then brushed it off. Because Aiden isnât the problem right now.
It was when I put my intact arm on my waist and secretly glanced at Zion. Zion furrowed his brows in response.
âWhatâs wrong?â
â⌠⌠When the lady was hurt last time.â
âEung?â
âWhen the lady first met the half-dragon. I heard something from the Marquis after you got hurt. Since you were young, healing magic and divine power has not worked.â
âReally?â
âAt that timeâŚâ
When I heard this for the first time, I, like Zion, frowned and waited for his words.
However, Zion kept his mouth shut. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, and he soon relaxed his expression.
âNothing. Iâm glad the wound isnât too bad though.â
âWhat? Why did you stop talking? Iâm curious.â
âYou have to speak carefully. Are you going back now?â
âI was going to see Anastasia, butâŚâŚ.â
As I dragged my words, I remembered what Anastasia had just said earlier and shook my head.
âI heard sheâs busy, so I think itâs better to see her later.â
âI see.â
âBy the way, Iâm asking since I admitted that I overheardâŚâŚ.â
When I changed the topic, Zionâs eyes turned to me.
As I met his eyes, I remembered someone. A man with a different impression and personality than me, but with the same hair and eye color.
âWere you with Reden today? I heard what Diwen was saying about Marquis.â
âYes.â
âBut according to Diwen, uhâŚâŚ. I donât think Redenâs here, yet.â
I tapped the floor with my toes for no reason.
I was worried about how angry he would be if he knew what happened to me today, so I hope he didnât know if possibleâŚâŚ.
On the other hand, I was dissatisfied that Zion came, not him.
âTch, his sister got hurt, but he didnât come.â
After spitting out the words I couldnât contain, I immediately realized how childish I had spoken and lowered my head.
A deathlike silence hung around.
Feeling that the silence was suffocating, I regretted saying it for nothing.
If Zion wasnât in front of me, I might have hit my head a few times with my normal hand.
In the end, I managed to raise my head while laughing clumsily in order to somehow manage this atmosphere.
Zion was still looking down at me.
âOf course, itâs best not to come! It gives me a headache just thinking about how much Reden will nag me. Yes, thatâs right. Better not come!â
âLady.â
âYes, yes?â
âIâm sorry.â
ââŚâŚYes?â
Zion, who spoke respectfully, apologized politely.
It was really so baffling that I forgot to even blink.
Why are you apologizing?
No matter how much I searched in my head, I couldnât understand it. I tried to open my mouth, but Zion was one step faster.
âActually, I knew the young lady was attending the concert.â
ââŚâŚ.â
âAnd even though I had many opportunities to tell the Marquis about it, I didnât.â
ââŚâŚ.â
âIf I had informed the Marquis in advance, the lady would not have been hurt like this. At least as soon as I heard the news todayâŚâŚ. If I had told the Marquis at that time, the Marquis would have come, not me, and the ladyâŚâŚ.â
He lowered his eyes as he spoke, then stopped talking again and slowly met my gaze.
âThe lady wouldnât have been so upset with the Marquis. Iâm sorry, and donât be disappointed. He probably doesnât even know youâre involved yet. Maybe itâs only by now that the report has arrived that youâre involved.â
He muttered while checking the time, and it was still silence that greeted us after that.
In that silence, Zion lowered his head again.
He was still expressionless, but somehow I had the illusion that I could see some drooping ears from him.
Ah, how do I do this. Zion is apologizing for things he doesnât have to be sorry for because I spoke out for no reason.
In the end, I laughed out loud and slapped Zionâs arm.
âHaha! What are you talking about? What do you mean disappointmentâŚ. Even if Zion had told Reden beforehand, I would have been caught up in the same situation. And even if Reden knew I was hurt nowâŚâŚ. I donât know what heâs doing? Anyway, heâs not going to put off his workâŚâŚ.â
It was the moment when I regretted that I had grumbled in front of Zion for no reason, saying that this mouth was a problem.
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Zionâs gaze, which was staring down at me with an expressionless face, turned, and I, puzzled by it, stopped talking and looked after him.
Zionâs gaze behind my back, looking at the endâŚâŚ.
ââŚYou mean, do you think Iâm funny?â
Reden, whose clothes and hair were disheveled, stood with a face I had never seen before.
I donât know why heâs here because he must have just read the report, but one thing is for sure, heâs mad.
Naturally backing away, I grabbed Zionâs arm and stood him right in front of me.
His angry voice was immediately heard like boiling lava.
âHiding?â
âNo, you know, Reden.â
âTell me whatâs wrong with your arms.â
âNo⌠⌠so you know RedenâŚâŚ.â
âI told you not to go anywhere near Horrenne House, but youâre in the middle of it? How am I supposed to take this?â
He chuckled and threw something.
I was wondering what it was and it was a document-like piece of paper. Itâs probably the report Zion said.
âHeok. No! No, no! Just listen to me!â
âSince I said Iâm not worried, you think itâll be okay to do anything, huh? Explain to me convincingly why I had to know this news through the report, not from your mouth.â
âUghhhâŚâ
âIâm already wasting a lot of mana todayâŚâŚ. Making me teleportâŚâŚ? Speak, you wonât listen even if you die.âŚ.â
As he strode forward, muttering fearfully, I grabbed the hem of Zionâs clothes and buried my face in his back as if it were salvation.
âMarquis, calm down.â
Perhaps he felt sorry for me, but Zion talked to Reden, as he held my hand, which was clutching his clothes.
Then I couldnât hear Reden walking anymore, as if he had really calmed down.
So I put out my buried faceâŚâŚ.
â⌠⌠Did you keep your mouth shut even though you knew?â
ââŚâŚ.â
âYou repay my cooperation this way? You have to learn how to tell the truth first, you guys.â
Redenâs expression and voice were unusual, as if a calm lake was shaken by waves.
Damn, let alone calm down, World War II has begun.
TL/N: Oh boi good luck RenĂŠe
***
âReden, are you not angry anymore?â
âDo you think it will be solved like this?â
Reden, who unexpectedly said nothing to me or Zion, took me out of the palace.
Outside, the night had already turned black, and the sky was densely filled with stars.
It was such a beautiful sight to put all my complicated thoughts and confusion to rest for a moment.
âBut compared to thereâŚâ
There?
I tilted my head in surprise at what I had inadvertently thought. What do you mean there, where is that?
But before I could think any deeper, Reden beckoned.
As I looked up at his hand that came into view, he pointed somewhere with his thumb.
âIâll call for a carriage, so stay here.â
âAre we leaving already?â
âAlready? Do you know what time it is?â
âWhat time is it?â
He mentioned the time to make me have nothing to say, but when I asked him back, he frowned.
Still, he answered. It was already close to midnight.
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Itâs already been a day.
The fact made my fingertips cold, but I clenched my hands as if nothing had happened.
âBy the way, where did Reden go with Zion today?â
âI think Iâm the one who should do the questioning, not you.â
âWas the guest of Reden who came this morning Zion by any chance?â
âAre you interested? Why are you prying?â
âAnd how did you come right away as soon as you got the report? Were you nearby?â
At my constant questioning, Reden looked at me with irritation and then sighed lightly and I laughed.
I know that the sigh means youâll answer.
âI was in another area for a while. I have something to look into. My guest who came at the same time as yours in the morning is Sir Glass. Now that I see it, your guest must have been Lord Fergus.â
âHaha.â
âAs soon as I received the report, I came right away⌠I used magic. I couldnât finish my work thanks to you, so at least pretend to be sorry to me.â
He flicked his finger on my forehead with a furious look and turned his back.
As he said earlier, it seemed that he was going to call for a carriage.
Canât you call the carriage a little later and stay with me until midnight?
It was an impulsive thought. And grabbing Redenâs hand, too, was impulsive.
TL/N: PS. Weâre getting some juicy juicy Diwenâs POV next chapter!