Chapter 13
He’s only quick when it suits him.
I steadied my ragged breathing, forcing myself to calm down.
I clenched and unclenched my hands, and the numbness slowly began to fade. Still, my body felt heavy, like cotton soaked full of water. I didn’t want to move, but lying still made the heat spread through me instead.
That bastard Pavel—just you wait until I catch you.
Who would’ve thought that indulging him all this time would come back to bite me?
With great effort, I lifted my arm and rang the bell beside the bed hard.
Clang, clang, clang.
Only after the sound echoed several times did the door slowly open.
Marian peeked her head through the doorway, carefully watching my expression. I forced a gentle-looking smile onto my face.
“Marian, I’m not angry. But where is Pavel right now?”
Marian fidgeted, gripping and releasing the hem of her skirt with her fingers.
“Well, um…”
“I said I’m not mad. I just have something to ask.”
“He said he was too ashamed to face you, miss, and that he’d be leaving the house for a while…”
“What?!”
Startled, I jolted upright despite my heavy body.
“Leaving the house? What do you mean by that? Where did he go?”
“He didn’t say where. He only said he would write you a letter.”
Ah…
Between the shocking news and the lingering effects of the medicine, my head throbbed painfully. I curled my hand into a fist and pressed it hard against my head, but the headache wouldn’t fade, only fueling my irritation.
That little punk! Of all times to run away from home!
This was already a time when I needed to be especially cautious because of Emilia’s actions. I had to be careful about even the smallest things—yet my younger brother vanished right before my eyes for such a ridiculous reason.
I told myself it probably wasn’t anything serious. Still, the unease in my chest wouldn’t go away.
“Pavel…”
Grrrrk…
Gurgle…
Ignoring my anxiety entirely, my stomach churned loudly.
Including the time I’d been asleep, I’d gone a full day without eating. My stomach was screaming for anything at all.
“Marian…”
“Yes! I’ll bring food right away!”
She must have heard it too. Without me saying anything more, Marian rolled up her sleeves and hurried off to prepare a meal.
“Yeah… thank you.”
Right. Let’s eat first and think later. That’s how it always goes with complicated problems.
Making that excuse to myself, I lay back down.
Soon, the dishes Marian brought filled the room, and I sat up to satisfy my hunger.
Bread and soup came first, followed by all kinds of meat lined up one after another—venison, beef, lamb, pork. Then there was pasta glistening with oil, loudly asserting its presence.
It was a heavy meal to eat on an empty stomach, but my body wasn’t the type to fuss over things like that. Before I knew it, empty plates piled up, and my stomach was rounded and full.
I patted my belly a few times and lay back on the bed.
Searching for my brother immediately was unrealistic. I still couldn’t move properly, and I didn’t even know where he was.
He was the type who always kept his promises, so he would probably send a letter before long.
That meant I should take care of what I could do right now. I lifted my arm toward the ceiling and clenched and unclenched my hand. My fingers trembled, moving slowly.
“Today’s too much.”
I’ll do it tomorrow. With that thought, I closed my eyes again.
I must have slept a lot—my mouth felt dry, and my body was stiff and sore. I pushed myself upright.
Ah… it’s time to get up.
The soft feel of the blankets and the pleasant floral scent filling the room—this was the moment to shake it all off and get moving.
I moved slowly. My condition wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad enough to keep me from moving either.
After finishing my preparations at an unhurried pace, I boarded a carriage that had been prepared in advance instead of riding a horse.
The carriage moved slowly, but that gave me time to sit quietly and organize my thoughts.
First, I planned to report the situation to Alonso Vargas and then casually bring up the idea of taking a leave of absence.
Honestly, I wanted to quit outright, but there was no way Commander Alonso would agree so easily. If that was the case, I’d have to at least secure a short vacation.
I needed to find Pavel, and in a situation where I never knew when the novel’s plot might move forward, I couldn’t afford to just sit back and watch.
It wouldn’t be easy, of course. In the worst case, I might even end up crossing swords with Alonso Vargas. I’d won our last match, but since he was the strongest in the novel, I couldn’t let my guard down.
I absentmindedly touched the hilt of my sword while gazing at the scenery outside. At some point, the carriage entered the area near the castle, where people were bustling about.
The carriage slowed even more, rattling as it hit stones in the road. It was frustratingly sluggish—walking might’ve been faster.
Screeeech.
Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop.
Neigh!
The startled horse reared up, and the driver struggled to calm it down.
I half-stood and leaned my head out of the carriage.
“What’s going on?”
When I asked, the driver answered with a troubled expression.
“Well… someone suddenly jumped out in front of us…”
“What? Where is the person?”
“I don’t know. They just vanished.”
Frowning, I kicked the carriage door open and stepped out. I looked around ahead, but there was no sign of anyone injured.
Rustle.
I heard the sound of fabric brushing behind me. I immediately turned, gripping my sword’s hilt.
I was tense, wondering if this might be an enemy targeting me.
But the man in front of me looked completely harmless, holding both hands up.
“Who are you?”
The one who answered was the driver.
“Huh? Miss, he’s the person who appeared earlier.”
The man gave a slight smile.
“If I say I’m just a passerby… you probably wouldn’t believe me.”
“Of course not. Someone who sneaks up behind me without a sound, even less so.”
Ready to draw my sword at any moment, I quickly scanned him.
The fabric of his clothes, the way he stood, the aura he gave off even while standing still—he wasn’t an ordinary man.
Noticing my gaze, his blue eyes sparkled as if he were examining me in return.
“I was hoping for a more natural meeting. It’s a shame. I thought about colliding with the carriage, but it seemed like it’d hurt too much.”
He laughed as if it were a joke, making me frown even deeper.
“Why would you need to meet me naturally? Do you know me?”
“Shiona Rodriguez. Is there anyone in the Empire who doesn’t know you?”
That was true. I was fairly well-known in the Empire, so recognizing me wasn’t strange.
Still, there was something suspicious about him. A gut feeling honed by ten years of wielding a sword.
“Then tell me why you wanted to meet me.”
He took a step closer.
“To get to know you better.”
Is this guy insane?
I’d met all kinds of crazy people before, but this was a first. In a strange way, it felt refreshing.
“And why do you want to get to know me?”
“Since today is our first meeting, I thought we could start by becoming closer.”
My stare turned blank at his absurd confidence. Then he pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.
It was a small, rough-looking red stone.
“What is this?”
“A gift. I thought we’d need one if we’re going to get close. You’ll need it. Don’t refuse—just keep it.”
He expected me to accept a random stone—not even a gem—from a complete stranger?
I scoffed.
“You expect me to take this without knowing what it is?”
“It’s not harmful, so don’t worry. It’ll help you if you keep it.”
“So you’re saying I should accept this thing from someone I just met today—”
Suddenly, he grabbed the hand that was holding my sword and pulled it forward.
“I’m telling you it’ll help.”
Completely shameless. He forced my hand open, placed the stone in my palm, and grinned.
I let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Then I lifted the stone and examined it more closely. It was no bigger than a fingernail, didn’t sparkle at all, and even had scratches here and there.
Why was he giving me this? And right after meeting me, of all times?
I glanced up at him. He was still watching me, smiling as if observing a specimen.
Then, suddenly, an unexpected thought crossed my mind.
Wait—what if this isn’t the first time he’s seen me…?
Ah.
At that point, I began to piece together his identity.
The recklessness of trying to cause an accident just to meet me. The fact that he already knew about me. The impatience with which he shoved a gift at me just to get closer. The way he failed to hide his eager gaze fixed on me.
Like pieces of a puzzle snapping into place, the reason behind his bizarre behavior became clear.
This guy… is a hardcore admirer of mine.
And admittedly—no, looking again, he was actually very handsome. Dark hair with a blue sheen, strikingly vivid eyes, and a solid build that was obvious even beneath his clothes.
What a waste, though—someone who lurks around watching people from the shadows.
Still, feeling a bit sorry for him, I decided to give him a small piece of advice.
“Hey. If you’re interested, just say it honestly. Why beat around the bush? I don’t really want to get close to someone who hides and watches from afar, getting impatient.”
“Hm… then does that mean I can watch you up close instead of from afar?”
Oh?
I looked him over with interest. That sudden boldness wasn’t bad at all.
“Are you really that interested in me?”
“Of course.”
The answer came so easily that it left me momentarily speechless.
Honestly, I was tempted. Was there really any reason to turn down interest from such a handsome man?
Sure, the unnatural first meeting and his overly aggressive approach felt suspicious.
But there were all kinds of people in the world. Personal quirks deserved a certain level of tolerance.
Besides—his looks were very much my type.
I tucked the stone away and said to him,
“Fine. Then try your best.”
.