~Chapter 39~
The moment Diana finished speaking, Cedric jumped back onto his horse.
He rode hard in the direction Diana had come from, and before long, he saw Eileen. Someone was holding her down, about to attack her.
“Eileen!”
His desperate cry rang out, but the distance between them was too far.
Cedric hesitated for only a moment. The method he was about to use was dangerous. He had practiced it countless times and even used it in real battles, but one small mistake could hurt Eileen.
But there’s no choice…
There was none.
Why does she always have to be so stubborn?
If she didn’t want to see him, she could’ve taken any of the house knights with her—or at least told Cassel. Why go out alone and put herself in such danger?
Cedric steadied his breathing, drew his dagger, and balanced himself on his horse. Then he threw it straight at the attacker.
“…Got him.”
The man holding Eileen collapsed, the dagger buried deep. Cedric let out the breath he had been holding.
Eileen swayed unsteadily, barely keeping her balance.
“Eileen!”
He jumped down from his horse and ran to her at full speed. Relief washed over him, but once his racing heart began to calm, frustration bubbled up in its place.
The attacker was dead. With no target for his anger, it turned toward Eileen instead.
“…Are you crazy? Why would you go out alone? If you knew where Diana was, you should’ve told me.”
It had been a matter of seconds. If he had arrived even a little later, Eileen wouldn’t be standing here. Just thinking about that chilled his blood.
“I didn’t know something like this would happen.”
Unlike Cedric’s trembling voice, Eileen stayed calm as always. Her face was composed as she looked down at the dead man, not a flicker of fear.
“That’s not the point… Next time, don’t ever go out alone. I’ve told you before—keep guards with you.”
“You’re the one who confidently told me the duke’s castle was completely safe.”
“Yes, but outside the castle it might not be.”
“Then you’d better tell that to Diana too.”
Eileen’s eyes shifted past his shoulder, cutting their argument short. A group carrying bright torches was approaching. Among them, a girl with long blond hair stood out.
“Cedric! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Diana rushed to his side, clinging to him nervously. When her eyes darted to the corpse on the ground, Cedric quickly stepped in front of it.
“Don’t look. It’s nothing you should see.”
“That person… is dead, right?”
“Yes. We’ll take care of it. What about the other one?”
That last question was directed at the knights.
“We’re still chasing him.”
“Still?”
“The darkness makes it hard to see. But it’ll be the same for him. Once morning comes, we should find him.”
“Or he’ll freeze or starve before then.”
“It’s surprising that someone dared to hire assassins so openly.”
“…It means either someone hasn’t come to their senses yet—or they’re incredibly stupid.”
Listening to the knights, Eileen fell into thought. Now that the shock had passed, she remembered something strange: the attacker’s behavior.
It felt like… he was after me, not Cedric.
Everyone else naturally assumed the assassins were targeting Cedric, and she and Diana had simply gotten caught up in it. But Eileen wasn’t so sure. The thought lingered, unsettling.
“Ce—”
She was about to call him to share her doubts, but when she looked at Cedric, the words died on her lips.
“…Why did you go that far out?”
“It’s my secret spot.”
“I told you not to wander so far from the castle.”
“Nothing bad ever happened before.”
“And it’s pure luck it didn’t.”
Cedric’s hand rested firmly on Diana’s shoulder as he scolded her, while Diana pouted, clutching his sleeve in protest. Even so, there was a familiar warmth between them.
“Don’t run off on your own.”
“Then stop ordering me around. You said even when you become the duke, you wouldn’t act like a duke with me.”
“It’s not an order, it’s a request, Diana.”
“…Fine.”
Watching them together, Eileen could picture the future so clearly. When she left, Diana would naturally take her place beside Cedric. The two of them looked like they’d be happy together.
Whether it actually happened or not, it was obvious there was no place for her in that picture.
…I’m jealous.
She was a little envious of Diana. To have someone who would always shield you, no matter what—that was something Eileen had never known. Diana didn’t even realize how fortunate she was. That ignorance itself was enviable.
“…Ah.”
Just as Eileen was about to step back and leave them be, she gasped in pain. It was a small sound, but Cedric caught it instantly.
He had been about to finish his lecture to Diana, telling her to finally grow up, but his head snapped toward Eileen.
“Eileen.”
Diana stared blankly as Cedric left her side without hesitation and rushed to Eileen. She was used to being first in his priorities, and being pushed aside stung.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. Try walking.”
“…I can’t.”
Anxious, Cedric quickly lifted her into his arms.
“Cedric!”
She cried out, startled, but he ignored her, carefully checking her injured ankle before placing her on his horse.
“You can’t just do that out of nowhere.”
“What, did you plan to walk back like this?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then it’s settled. Even if you don’t like it, we’re riding together.”
At first, Diana had thought Cedric’s care for Eileen was only because she was his fiancée.
But that’s not it at all.
She prided herself on knowing Cedric best. And she knew—if something didn’t matter to him, he wouldn’t bother. He wouldn’t worry about whether Eileen was sitting comfortably in the saddle, or check her ankle more than once.
“You seem to get hurt often.”
“Not really. Since the ducal ball, this is the first time. And back then it was just because the shoes didn’t fit.”
“Still.”
“That makes it only twice.”
“Twice is a lot.”
“…Do you realize how ridiculous you sound right now?”
Eileen and Cedric slipped easily into their own private world, trading words only they seemed to understand.
And that—more than anything—made Diana uneasy.
It felt like Cedric was building a new family with Eileen, one she had no place in. That fear made her voice sharper than she intended.
“Cedric. What about me?”
“Dan. Take care of Diana.”
Cedric finally turned to a knight, as if only just remembering her.
“My lady, let’s go.”
The knight offered his hand to Diana. Cedric’s behavior—choosing Eileen first—seemed natural to everyone.
At that moment, Diana’s eyes met Eileen’s. Her own were filled with turmoil, but Eileen’s green eyes remained calm, steady.
If only there had been scorn, mockery, or even a hint of laughter there. Then Diana could’ve hated her freely.
I’m not your enemy, Diana.
But now, after everything, it was hard to keep forcing herself to be hostile. Especially since Eileen had saved her today.
She even got hurt for me.
And since Eileen showed no sign of boasting about it, Diana couldn’t bring herself to cling to Cedric in front of her.
“…Let’s hurry back.”
In the end, Diana turned her head away from them and accepted the knight’s hand. What lingered in her chest was something close to shame.
Admitting it was another matter entirely.
***
Eileen sat on the horse, feeling Cedric’s warmth at her back. She glanced down at his hand holding the reins and absentmindedly laid her own on top. Warm, as expected.
He adjusted his seat, then spoke from above her head.
“Why? Do you feel like you’ll fall off?”
As he slipped one arm naturally around her waist, the warmth grew stronger.
“No. I’m fine.”
“Your voice doesn’t sound fine.”
“That’s just because I’m still angry at you.”
Her words carried a sting, and Cedric flinched as if truly wounded.
But after a long silence, he muttered in a sulky tone:
“I’m angry too, you know.”
His grumbling sounded more like complaint than real anger, but it was still absurd.
After all that had happened, was he really in any position to be angry with her?
