Chapter 26
The man’s thick Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly.
“Still cold.”
The hand cupping her cheek fell away. The rough, feverish desire that had flickered across his face dissipated in an instant.
“We’ll finish the rest when morning comes. Best you sleep early tonight.”
“But—ah!”
Without her noticing, his hand slipped beneath Sharie’s knees, and in one swift motion, he lifted her up. Her long legs swayed as he strode to the bed in a single breath.
“You still need more practice.”
“There’s no need to be impatient.”
He laid her down gently on the soft mattress, tucking the blanket over her before resting his chin in his palm beside her.
“If we take one step back today, we’ll take two forward tomorrow.”
“And if tomorrow still doesn’t work?”
“Then the day after tomorrow, we’ll succeed. No need to worry in advance.”
A strong arm drew her close, blanket and all.
In the warm bedroom, wrapped in the undeniable presence of the man beside her, Sharie felt a deeper sense of security than ever before.
“Sleep well.”
Kaisa whispered gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
The next day.
A good night’s sleep had left her mind clear, but Sharie’s magic still seemed far from success.
“Lady Sharie, try to visualize the image of a flame in your mind.”
No matter how faithfully she followed the mage’s instructions, no flame—barely even a trace of heat—appeared at her fingertips.
‘Why won’t it work…?’
When she had first succeeded in healing magic, she had briefly entertained the thought that she might be a prodigious mage. This failure was all the more disappointing.
Still, she wasn’t especially downhearted.
“I’ll try a little more.”
If not today, perhaps the day after tomorrow. It was an unusually optimistic thought for her.
‘Let’s change my approach.’
What was fire?
Until now, she had always thought of it, as the textbooks said, as “one of the elements of the natural world.”
‘Too vague.’
To make the image vivid, she needed something more familiar.
‘What does “flame” feel like to me…?’
Closing her eyes, Sharie envisioned a blazing fire—shapeless energy carrying intense heat, warm and gentle light that never faded.
In the past, such warmth had felt distant and indistinct. Now, it was different. The mere sound of crackling logs in a hearth brought the image of a cozy bedroom to mind, filling her with peace.
“Lady Sharie.”
The mage’s calm voice called her back.
“Open your eyes and look at your fingertips.”
Her eyelids lifted. There, after hundreds of fruitless attempts, a faint glimmer of heat shimmered at her fingertips.
She nearly let out a cheer but held it back, taking a deep breath before reciting the spell she had studied.
“F–Fire…!”
The tiny light grew, blooming into a small red flame. It was no larger than a spark struck from flint, but it was a flame nonetheless.
“You’ve done it. Congratulations.”
The mage clapped as Sharie beamed like a child receiving her first toy.
The hard-won result after such a long struggle brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t wait to tell Kaisa after today’s lesson—thank him, and tell him it was all thanks to his encouragement.
“Now, shall we move on to the next stage?”
Life was good.
Since arriving in Barhard, her days had passed in a whirlwind, leaving her no room to fret over the distant future.
She was too busy living each day to imagine that sudden change could come so abruptly.
“A report, sir.”
But ordinary days are easily shattered.
“Urgent news from the Cedric Mountains.”
Edwin strode into the dining hall without so much as a greeting. Since witnessing the couple’s peculiar behavior, he had sworn never to set foot in the hall again—until now.
“Last night, about fifty monsters attacked a village near the mountains.”
The mischievous light usually in Edwin’s face had been replaced by stark pallor. Handing Kaisa a letter, he rattled off his report in quick succession.
“The inspection team we sent and the village militia managed to fend them off, but they’re nearly annihilated after the fight.”
The hurried scrawl of the handwriting spoke to the urgency of the situation. Kaisa’s eyes narrowed as he read.
“Something’s strange.”
The regular troops he had personally trained could each take on three trolls at once. And yet an entire first platoon—over thirty men—had struggled against just fifty trolls, even with the militia’s help. That was incomprehensible.
“I’ll have to see for myself.”
Some mysteries could only be solved firsthand.
Kaisa’s smooth brow furrowed.
“Summon the cavalry. We ride hard and fast.”
Tok. Tok.
The sound of his fingers tapping the table echoed in the dining hall—a habit of his when deep in thought. The steady rhythm stopped.
“Six hours. We depart at dawn.”
“Yes, sir.”
Edwin hurried out, already calculating the tasks ahead—alerting the cavalry, getting the blacksmith to repair damaged weapons, securing rations. Even starting immediately, the time was short.
Sharie, unaccustomed to such urgency after so long in peace, felt a cold sweat trace her back.
‘What on earth happened…?’
Noticing her tense grip on her fork, the man’s frosty demeanor softened.
“I’m sorry to startle you. Shall we continue eating?”
There was no trace of the chill in his earlier voice; his gentle smile was flawless. Yet after hearing the alarming report, she found it strange that he was trying to reassure her so completely.
Kaisa resumed his usual conversation, but Sharie couldn’t follow suit. She felt she ought to say something about the monster attack.
After some thought, all she managed was:
“Will you be all right?”
No sound advice, no clever insight—just that. She cursed her lack of eloquence.
As expected, Kaisa replied exactly as she had feared.
“Of course. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Speaking softly, he skillfully deboned a piece of fish and placed the tender meat on her plate.
“Let’s eat.”
She obeyed, but the food had lost all taste.
“Shall we rise?”
When the heavy meal ended, Kaisa stepped straight into directing the preparations for the hunt.
Once he took command, everything moved quickly. The quiet evening filled with the ringing hammer blows of the forge.
“Cavalry, assemble!”
Knights who usually stood guard in silence now marched in formation through the corridors, their heavy armor clattering with each step, all heading for the stables.
The sudden whirlwind of activity—and the looming specter of a monster attack—set Sharie’s heart racing.
“It’s late. Why aren’t you asleep?”
In contrast, Kaisa seemed calm as ever when he came to the bedroom to soothe her. But instead of his usual casual attire, he now wore insulated clothing layered beneath leather armor—a silent testament to the gravity of the situation.
‘He must be so busy.’
Checking reports, finalizing plans—he needed rest before departure. She shouldn’t be holding him here.
“I can sleep on my own, you know.”
“I know.”
Dragging a chair to her bedside, Kaisa replied matter-of-factly.
“I just want to see you asleep before I go.”
With a teasing motion, he wound her silver hair around his long, cool fingers. She was used to his cold touch now.
Since their marriage, he had always been beside her. Now, for the first time, he would be gone when she woke.
The realization left her chest oddly tight.
“Kaisa…”
She called his name softly, not even knowing what she wanted to say. His golden eyes dimmed at the sight of her damp lashes and furrowed brow.
“There’s no need to worry.”
His hand fell from her hair to grip the blanket.
Suddenly, his sharply sculpted face was closer.
“I’ll come back safely.”
His languid breath brushed her cheek.
