DCHWT 13

“Chapter 13”

She had boldly declared she would give him a gift, but the real problem came afterward.

A gift suitable for a Grand Duke, huh…

She had rarely given or received gifts before, which made it all the more difficult.

The only person she had any kind of human relationship with had been Kendrick.

What kind of gifts did I give Kendrick…?

The gifts Maya gave Kendrick when he was alive were always practical—things he needed at the time.

They weren’t expensive, but they were essential furniture or daily necessities like a dining table or a chair—things a man living alone couldn’t do without.

After awakening as a mage, Kendrick cut ties with his family, who had treated him like a dog, and lived alone.

Kendrick had always told Maya to leave the Pendraigon family too, but it took her a long time to give up hope and let go of her lingering attachment.

That aside—

Anyway, Grand Duke Tristan Baeyarden wasn’t someone who lacked material things.

He doesn’t need a dining table or a chair.

Then Maya tried recalling the gifts she had received from Kendrick.

Armor, swords, sword sheaths…

Likewise, Kendrick had always given her things she either needed or liked.

But those kinds of gifts wouldn’t be suitable for the Grand Duke.

Why?

He probably already has everything.

With the Grand Duke’s family and the knight order being so well-equipped, it was hard to imagine there was anything he lacked.

So what should I give him?

Screw it, she thought.

Since they’d meet anyway, she could just ask what he needed.

It’s best to give something he actually needs, after all.

Having resolved her dilemma, Maya headed off to training with a clear mind.

***

At dawn, after returning to his original form, Tristan received an unexpected visitor.

It was someone he normally wouldn’t have met, but who had shown up after a long time.

It just so happened that he had regained his original appearance at the right moment.

“Greetings, Your Grace. I didn’t expect to be granted an audience this early in the morning. Thank you.”

The visitor asked for Maya as soon as he arrived, so Tristan had to meet with him first.

The only people he knew as Maya Pendraigon’s acquaintances were her family—but they couldn’t be considered human.

From the moment Maya came to this place, she had become his person, so he couldn’t let her handle this alone.

Tristan quietly observed the man sitting before him.

He was another figure he hadn’t seen in a long time—after Maya Pendraigon.

“I’m Kendrick Archisia.”

His lips curled into a smile, but his gaze remained sharp.

His stern demeanor sharply contrasted with his golden hair and warm emerald eyes.

He seemed like the complete opposite of Maya Pendraigon, which made it surprising to hear they were close friends.

“I’m the close friend of the lady you’re to… (he bit down hard) marry. I was shocked by the sudden news and came to see if something was wrong. I beg your pardon if I’ve acted rudely.”

His words were polite, but there was a subtle edge to them.

Tristan silently observed him.

Was it okay to let this man and Maya Pendraigon meet?

For now, he had already sent a servant to fetch Maya, who would be finishing her morning training.

“Instead, would you allow me to assist in the upcoming monster subjugation as a mage?”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Kendrick’s proposal instantly shifted the atmosphere in the room.

He knows about the monsters.

The monsters had suddenly appeared late at night, utterly devastating a village deep in the Shirak Mountains before vanishing.

Knight Commander Alec had pursued them but returned empty-handed.

Subsequent investigations had only revealed that the monster was massive—like a mountain.

They had sent requests for reinforcements to the Mage Tower and the Imperial Palace just a day ago, uncertain of what might happen.

No replies had come yet.

And yet, here stood a mage, before they’d even received a response. Was this really the Mage Tower’s doing?

“Did the Mage Tower send you?”

“No. I simply overheard a conversation between the Tower and the Imperial Knights.”

Important matters wouldn’t be discussed out in the open, especially between the Mage Tower and the Imperial Knights.

Kendrick had come here on purpose.

Why?

Was there something he wanted from the north?

Or did he have other motives?

Kendrick revealed his intentions honestly.

“I needed a reason for my rude intrusion. And I confirmed that northern guests had arrived.”

Kendrick understood that to stay at the Grand Duke’s fortress in the north, he needed a valid reason.

Overhearing their call for reinforcements had given him the perfect excuse.

More than anything, he couldn’t stand by while Maya was somewhere dangerous.

Two birds with one stone—he could see Maya and keep her safe.

“I may be part of the Mage Tower, but they don’t dictate all of my opinions.”

He was implying that his personal views sometimes clashed with those of the Tower and the Empire.

But Kendrick was sincere.

Maya had always been the most important person to him.

Tristan held his head, which throbbed from a dull headache.

In the end, they’re not going to help us, are they?

Neither the Mage Tower nor the Empire welcomed the steadily growing power of the north.

They were always suspicious of the Grand Duchy’s intentions and constantly tried to undermine them.

It was natural to be cautious, and Tristan believed he could earn their trust through loyalty.

But the generations of disregard had pushed his patience to its limit.

How much longer could he endure?

I can’t even control my own body…

He sighed heavily, overwhelmed with self-doubt, before changing the subject, reminded of Kendrick’s presence.

“You say you’re her close friend. You must truly be close.”

Anyone who would go against the Empire and the Mage Tower just to see Maya had to be sincere.

“Ah yes, close. Very much so.”

Was it his imagination, or had the intensity in Kendrick’s expression finally softened?

“When do you think I can see Maya?”

Maya.

Hearing her name so naturally spoken felt strange.

Hearing someone call her by name so familiarly made Tristan question why he and Maya, as a married couple, only used each other’s surnames.

She’ll be representing us in public affairs too.

Everyone knew Maya Pendraigon and Tristan Baeyarden’s relationship was still new.

To prevent others from suspecting that their marriage was just a contract, maybe they needed to use more familiar terms of address.

No—since we’ll eventually divorce, maybe it’s better to maintain some distance.

But they did need to appear close for the next six months.

…And honestly, he wanted to hear her say Tristan again.

She had said it a few times early on, but then stopped—and he found himself missing it.

Without a sound, Tristan let Maya’s name roll silently in his mouth.

Maya.

He should ask her about it directly.

Having made up his mind, Tristan looked for a clock.

He knew where every clock in the fortress was, so his gaze moved with ease.

“She’s probably still training. I’ll send someone to inform her.”

At the same time, he calculated how much longer he could remain in this form.

He had returned to his true form around five in the morning. Maya’s training would end in about thirty minutes.

With buffer time, he would start reverting to his childlike form in about an hour.

“I see. Then I’ll wait. Morning training mustn’t be interrupted.”

“A wise choice. I’ll take my leave after breakfast—I still have some matters to attend to.”

After breakfast, it would be time for him to disappear again.

When was the last time he’d had a conversation like this with someone?

Though it gave him a sense of liberation, the familiar despair returned soon after.

He was used to being alone.

***

After Alec had finally yielded, Maya was now free to come and go from the training grounds.

In fact, people seemed to avoid her.

Fine by me.

Still, before she left, she needed to squeeze out whatever information she could from the knight order.

She had already checked the outdoor training grounds yesterday, so today she turned to the indoor ones.

Unlike the open outdoor space, the indoor training hall consisted of individual rooms.

Interesting—they even cover theory here.

Each room had books on swordsmanship, and wooden dummies for practice, along with wooden swords.

It was a perfectly isolated space for individual training.

You could strike a dummy or read up on sword techniques.

It’ll be useful when I awaken later.

If she ever needed to train while talking with White Dragon (Baekryong), this would be the perfect setup.

After warming up with some stretches, it felt nostalgic to grip a wooden sword again.

As Maya swung at the dummy, her thoughts drifted once more.

Today’s the last day I’ll think about the gift.

One dilemma per day.

Today was the gift. Tomorrow, she’d worry about the monster.

So, what should I do?

Just as she finished her training and came outside, a familiar face waved at her.

“Maya!”

Seeing Kendrick wave at her, Maya momentarily lost her words.

It’s Kendrick.

The real, living Kendrick was waving at her.