Episode 6
“So that’s what I’m saying! Dead people don’t talk! We need to interrogate him and find who’s behind this!”
The knight commander stared at the assassin’s lifeless body, finally snapping out of it. He grabbed his head in frustration, muttering to himself.
Cedric pulled his sword free using the assassin’s shoulder as leverage. Hot liquid splashed across both Cedric’s and Arne’s faces once again.
“What happened to the other one?” Cedric asked.
“We’re chasing him, but it’s not easy. This one used drugs. Many of the knights are showing paralysis symptoms, so it’s slowing us down—”
Only then did the knight commander notice the woman in Cedric’s arms—the one Cedric was personally covering her eyes for. For a man who didn’t even flinch at assassins, he completely froze.
“The delay is… uh…”
When Cedric wrapped Arne fully in one arm, only the back of her head was visible. The knight commander could only open and close his mouth, unable to speak.
‘Sir Cedric… with a woman?’
The knights who arrived one after another reacted the same way.
“Commander, one escaped. The other was seen heading this way— uh…”
“C-com”
“Uh… um…”
The huge northern knights, built like bears, all malfunctioned at once, making confused noises like drunken bears caught stealing fruit wine.
“So loud,” Cedric said coldly.
“Handle this. Everything that happened tonight is confidential.”
After tossing the assassin’s body to the knight commander, Cedric shut the bedroom door. The commander and knights stood there blankly, staring at the closed door.
The moment he confirmed the door was tightly shut, Cedric looked down at the small head in his arms.
“Lady, are you alright?”
Arne carefully looked up at him and slowly nodded.
“I know recovery comes first, but let me ask one thing. That jar—did you know it was paralysis poison?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know?”
She couldn’t say you told me in my previous life, so she chose a safer excuse.
“During the Great Monster War, the Duke of Ronia’s family handled medical support and drug development. I assisted them, so I know most medicines and poisons. Paralysis poison was widely used back then.”
In truth, she had been trained far beyond that as Ronia’s secret knight—but she didn’t say it.
“…I see.”
After staring at her quietly for a moment, Cedric picked her up and continued.
“I’ll place a secrecy order on everything tonight. I’ll also send a letter saying you accidentally entered the duchy due to mana runaway, encountered assassins, were seriously injured, and lost consciousness—so you received treatment and returned. That should protect your honor. What do you think?”
“…That’s fine. But please send the letter later. I want to explain today’s events to Duke Ronia myself.”
“As you wish.”
After laying her on the bed, Cedric nodded.
“At dawn, you’ll see a physician. I promised already, but if a noble lady—not an assassin—dies in the duke’s residence, it could cause conflict between families.”
“I understand.”
“And next time… don’t do that.”
Arne blinked, trying to understand what he meant. His voice sounded as if he were forcefully holding back anger.
‘Is he angry because he had to kill instead of capture?’
Cedric pulled out another blanket and tucked it up to her chin.
“You’re not from Renigrad. If you get dragged into this and lose your life, it’d be too unfair. This is Renigrad’s karma.”
Her red eyes widened in surprise. Cedric tightened his grip on the blanket and pulled it up just below her lips.
“And tonight, I’ll stand guard. The assassin hasn’t been caught yet, and you may need emergency treatment again.”
Arne peeked her face out from the overly raised blanket and rolled her red eyes.
“Does emergency treatment require physical contact? Like earlier… when you were holding me?”
Her clear, innocent eyes caught Cedric off guard. He paused.
“…It’s not widely known, but my mother was an elf. I can use spirit mana. I never learned it properly, but when I touch someone and sincerely wish for their recovery, it works.”
“So… you were praying for me to be okay?”
“…Yes.”
“…Thank you.”
Her emotions showed plainly on her face. Just that alone made her eyes curve happily, and for some reason, it hurt to look at.
“No one has ever prayed for me not to be in pain before.”
Cedric couldn’t look away from her faint smile.
“Then… do we just sleep holding hands?”
Her red eyes blinked as she shyly stretched one hand toward him.
“Not now. Only if you become critical.”
“Oh… okay.”
For some reason, Cedric felt like he shouldn’t take that hand. He felt like he needed to leave the room immediately.
“Sleep.”
“What about you, Sir Cedric?”
“I’ll sleep too.”
He pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down, crossing his legs.
“You’re sleeping on a chair?”
“That’s… more comfortable.”
“Then I’ll take the chair.”
“Sleep.”
“Yes.”
Arne glanced at him, sitting there watching her with his head tilted. There was no way she could sleep comfortably. He’d even been injured because of her.
“Is your wound okay?”
“I’m healing it with spirit mana. Don’t worry.”
“If you sleep like that, won’t the wound reopen?”
“Lady.”
“Yes?”
“I was rolling around battlefields every day until recently. Sleeping like this during missions is normal.”
His gaze settled on her.
“And unlike you—pretty but walking corpse—my body is different. So stop talking.”
He grabbed her hand.
“Your mana drops every time you speak.”
“Oh.”
Embarrassed, Arne blinked. Her mana core, which should have been purple, was pale.
“…What if I let go in my sleep? Will I die?”
“I won’t let go. Sleep without worry.”
“…Okay.”
Her face heated up, and she pulled the blanket higher. The exhaustion finally dragged her into sleep.
Cedric watched her breathe softly.
‘She sleeps well.’
She was far too defenseless. Cedric chuckled.
‘Is this how naïve young noble ladies are?’
But not completely. Her calm threats disguised as requests, her handling of poison—those weren’t naïve.
When Arne kicked the blanket off in her sleep, Cedric smiled and tucked it back up to her chin.
Strange. She doesn’t look like the rumors.’
She kicked it off again, sweating from a nightmare.
Seeing the marks his hands had left on her thin neck, Cedric flinched.
‘She’s so thin.’
Her body was covered in mana-runaway markings—like a knight covered in scars.
‘She needs to eat better.’
Pity stirred. Too much pity. Because he’d seen a fragile truth hidden behind her boldness.
‘She’s just someone I’ll never see again after treatment tomorrow.’
Just a fleeting feeling. Like summer heat. Gone by morning.
Cedric closed his eyes.
But he forgot one thing.
She had never once behaved the way he expected.
Despite worrying about letting go in her sleep, Arne suddenly yanked his hand hard enough to pull Cedric right on top of her.
Then she wrapped both arms tightly around his neck—as if she could never let go.
“This lady really.”
Cedric frowned, but couldn’t get angry.
Arne clung to him, tears pouring from her eyes, silently sobbing like someone who had lost the most precious thing in the world.
“Vivian!”
