Chapter 45
“Master?”
“Ah.”
Feeling a line of cold sweat run down, Eslyn quickly added an excuse. Fortunately, she was skilled at hiding her emotions.
“I was afraid the pursuers might come after me again, so I hired this man as a guard. He told me he used to be a palace knight.”
“Ah, I see.”
Tebet muttered as he sipped the tea in front of him.
“……”
Even the sound of Jex’s eyes rolling seemed audible in the silence.
Eslyn turned toward Jex with a smooth smile.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves properly yet, have we?”
“Huh?”
“I’m Eslyn Rosebell.”
“W-what? Rose what?”
His face grew increasingly pale.
“I used to work as a palace maid, and due to certain circumstances, I ended up here.”
Trying to escape the situation quickly, Eslyn continued in a rush:
“Before that, I was a maid at the House of Duke Ripherius. I believe the reason I’m here is… probably because I had a very close relationship with the Duke.”
Apparently pleased with the explanation, Tebet smiled like a well-fed lion.
“……”
“……”
“…Excuse me?”
The knight’s mind hit overload.
While Tebet washed and changed, Eslyn slowly explained the situation to Jex.
‘That’s why I can’t reveal my identity to Lord Tebet yet.’
‘Master…’
‘Once I recover my memories, I’ll tell him everything. Just cooperate with me until then, Sir Jex.’
‘I don’t quite understand why you’re going this far, but…’
‘Because right now, we can’t afford to make Duke Ripherius our enemy.’
Her blue eyes carried a trace of sorrow, and Jex had no choice but to silently nod in agreement.
The three of them had a simple meal with the food Jex had brought from the village.
Afterward, they took a look around the cottage. Dense trees and lush greenery filled the forest, and the scenery barely changed no matter how far they walked.
“Would you mind showing me that wrist now?”
Tebet asked as he set down his tea. Maybe because they’d been walking in the woods earlier, he still smelled of trees and grass.
He wore one of Jex’s old tunics. Though the fabric was rough and peasant-like, it surprisingly suited him. Despite being Jex’s size, the clothes fit him almost as if tailored.
“My wrist? Why?”
Eslyn tilted her head.
Tebet stared intently at her, watching her casually lift her teacup to her lips.
“Your movements seem strained. That must mean it hurts quite a bit.”
“It’s fine…”
“Say ‘I’m fine’ one more time, and I’ll personally feed you every meal and drink from now on.”
He smiled sweetly. His tone was gentle, but there was something about it that made it impossible to object.
“…Now that you mention it, that doesn’t sound so bad.”
With a sheepish grin, Eslyn quickly offered her wrist.
She thought she’d hidden it well. She had been drinking with her right hand, after all.
She felt a little embarrassed. Jex, who had been standing nearby, gave her a worried look.
“I saw some pain-relieving herbs in the woods earlier. We should apply some of those.”
“Alright.”
Eslyn responded obediently.
“I’ll boil some water to prepare it.”
Jex turned quickly and headed to the kitchen.
“Bring the medicine and fresh bandages from the village as well.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Once Jex left, only Tebet and Eslyn remained by the fireplace.
Night fell quickly in the deep forest. Just moments ago the sunset painted the sky, but now the blue darkness had crept in.
“You need further treatment too, Lord Tebet.”
“I’m fine.”
Tebet lit the lamp. The thin material of his tunic tightened and loosened with his slightest movements.
Eslyn remembered the terrible scar across his torso.
“But your wound was serious.”
“I really am fine. My body is well-trained, and being a Ripherius, I heal faster than most.”
Eslyn fell silent.
Ripherius…
Known as the hereditary monster-slayers, members of the Ripherius bloodline were born with stronger physiques than normal. But that only made her worry more.
“And yet you collapsed so badly you couldn’t even regain consciousness. That wasn’t just any injury.”
“Ah, well, that was partly because of the wound…”
He scratched his chin awkwardly.
“…But mostly, it was due to a lack of rest. I haven’t really slept in weeks.”
“Why… lack of rest…”
Eslyn stopped mid-sentence, her lips tightening.
She had a good guess as to why he hadn’t slept in weeks.
He had ended a grueling war at a breakneck pace and then rode nonstop.
‘Because he heard I disappeared.’
A pang of guilt bloomed in her chest.
“I did rush a bit to find you, yes.”
Tebet offered a painted-on smile.
“But that’s not your fault. So don’t make that face.”
It was like he could read her thoughts. A sigh escaped her lips.
Tebet studied her expression carefully. The yellow lamplight cast shadows across her pale face.
Drawn to the light, Tebet suddenly reached out his hand.
“Ah…”
Eslyn’s brows furrowed.
He had touched the side of her neck, where a sharp pain radiated.
“You said you weren’t hurt anywhere else.”
“I didn’t know…”
“Are you sure you’re really getting proper treatment?”
“It’s just a small cut.”
It had been hidden by her hair and really was minor. She simply hadn’t noticed it.
Still, Tebet frowned in dissatisfaction. He muttered something under his breath, like, “Those bastards are all useless.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Eslyn peeked at her neck in a small mirror lying nearby.
At that moment, Jex returned, arms full.
“I brought the medicine and bandages. …Are you hurt?”
He looked at them with concern. Tebet snatched the items from him almost aggressively and added a cold glance for good measure.
“Bring a clean towel and some hot water too.”
“Y-yes, Your Grace.”
Jex hurried back toward the kitchen.
Tebet clicked his tongue and stood up. He sat beside Eslyn and effortlessly rotated her chair to face him.
“Hold your hair for a moment.”
He moved her hair away from her neck. Eslyn was startled by how close his face suddenly was, her eyes darting nervously.
“I’ll do it myself.”
“Even if it hurts, bear with it a little.”
He acted as if he hadn’t heard her. His firm hand touched her tender neck.
“……”
Eslyn held her breath, afraid he might hear her pounding heart.
The ointment felt cold, and his hand moved slowly as he rubbed it in. Her senses grew sharper. Even his breath near her ear sounded loud.
“Don’t move.”
Tebet instinctively held her in place as she kept trying to pull away.
One hand wrapped around her shoulder, the other treated her wound.
‘His face is too… close.’
His thick brows knit in concentration, his half-lowered eyes, his sharp nose and clenched jaw…
Eslyn finally closed her eyes tightly.
“It’s my fault.”
His low voice came soon after.
Tebet straightened up after carefully taping the small bandage over the ointment. The strong scent around him faded.
“I never meant to push you like this…”
His tone was somber, prompting Eslyn to open her eyes.
The lamplight hit only one side of his face, leaving the other half in darkness. It made his expression seem deeply conflicted.
“Lord…?”
Instead of replying, he looked down at her wrist, at the scratches on her clothes, and finally back at her neck.
“I’m sorry.”
He spoke in a low voice. There was something painful in it, and Eslyn instinctively shook her head.
“You don’t need to apologize…”
“And yet, even so…”
His eyes, which had been scanning her wounds, suddenly met hers.
“Even so, I can never give you up.”
It was more of a vow than a confession.
His hand gripped her shoulder tighter.
Eslyn gazed silently at his face.
“So please forgive me.”
Forgive… what?
Eslyn wondered.
And in that moment, she realized Tebet’s apology wasn’t about pushing her into fleeing when she lost her memory.
There was something deeper… something unspoken.
What could it be? What was he asking forgiveness for?
“Please… forgive me, Eslyn.”
What kind of sin had placed such a guilty look on his face?
