Chapter 23

***

Most of the Empire’s land was flat. The mountains were small and the roads were well paved, so it was easy for people and carriages to travel. Such easy transportation meant that the villages along paved roads were much larger. This allowed the traveling party to rest in an inn almost every night.

She watched Diederick rent an entire inn with a bag of gold coins. It was an amount that she would have fainted looking at in the past, but she had spent two months in the Grand Duke’s mansion. She was more numb towards money than she was before. But still, she wasn’t happy about spending it.

Victor, who had been dozing off the whole time, said nothing.

“Go up. I’ll get us something to eat.”

“Have someone else do that… stay with me.”

Victor grabbed her wrist.

She flushed.

‘He’s sleepy, so he’s acting silly. It doesn’t mean anything…’

It was strange to see such an elegant man like him have a pitiful expression. His pain made her weak.

“I will be back soon. Get some rest.”

She said softly to him.

He looked at her silently and finally nodded his head.

Hearing heavy footsteps approaching, she quickly asked the innkeeper for warm water and a meal.

Carlz, who was leaning on the counter, sighed.

“It’s a big deal. The monsters are troublesome, and his highness is in bad shape.”

“Did you find out why there are so many monsters?”

“I asked around, but no one knows. Even the guards don’t know.”

A large knight with an axe suddenly intervened.

“Well, it’s breeding season, isn’t it?”

“Sir Raoul.”

The axe-wielding knight, Raoul, grinned. He had a cute ponytail that swung with every movement.

“Monsters are the most troublesome in summer. That’s because they mate, so their numbers increase. And because it’s hot, they rot before they can even be buried. They’re disgusting, really.”

“Watch what you say in front of the Lady, Raoul.”

He smiled broadly at Leonard, who spoke sternly.

“What do you mean? She must have peeled more skin off of monsters than all of us combined. What are you talking about?”

“Raoul!”

Raoul laughed.

Sir Raoul was originally a mercenary. He was an illegitimate child of a baron, so he left the house as soon as he could and became a mercenary. The salary was not bad, but he said he became a knight of Morte because he wanted to fight under a strong man like the Grand Duke of Death.

Once Carlz said, “Why did he move here when the pay was good? He must have had a bounty out on him, so he had to leave.”

“Anyway, don’t worry too much. To be honest, the monsters aren’t our biggest problem, are they?”

Carlz tried to comfort her.

“No. On days like this, when his highness dozes off, it’s like we’re all in heaven.”

Amarion bowed her head sullenly.

They were correct. The Knights of Morte, who were surprisingly very weak, had a hard time dealing with Victor when he suddenly woke up.

As if reading her expression, Carlz clicked his tongue.

“Madame, we don’t want to speak to you like this either. But it’s a matter of survival for us.”

“On the battlefield, dozens of men stood guard in front of his tent. It was painful for both his highness and the Knights. We thought he was better now…”

Leonard muttered.

The knights exchanged bitter glances. It was an expression of pity towards their master.

Just in time, the innkeeper brought out a tray of bread, soup and roast pork. Saddened, she picked up the tray and carried it to the second floor.

***

Opening the door carefully, she saw Victor drying his hair with a towel. Through the gaps in his clothes, she could see his reflective wet skin.

She quickly bowed her head and set the tray down.

“Eat something, Victor.”

“I have no appetite.”

“You still have to eat.”

An intense gaze turned towards her. His expression clouded when he saw her. She had become quite withered in only a few days.

“You’re having a hard time.”

“I am okay. I sleep half the day away in my carriage.”

“I didn’t want to make you suffer like this.”

Victor’s eyes darkened. She shook her head hastily.

“It’s not your fault, Victor. Don’t apologize for something that isn’t your fault. I just want you to be able to rest. I am by your side.”

Victor hugged her tightly.

“My Marion.”

A clean soapy scent wafted from his body.

She couldn’t believe he was worrying and apologizing about something that wasn’t his fault.

She tried to focus on anything but Victor in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart.

‘His strong shoulders and neck…’

Suddenly, an idea crossed her mind.

To be honest, she didn’t really like it, but if it was for Victor…

She spoke softly.

“Victor. Aren’t you going to eat? For me?”

“Huh? Yeah… I just want to lie down with you.”

He rubbed his cheek against her neck and muttered languidly. She said, cheerfully.

“I have something to give you, so would you turn around for a moment?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Raising his head, he quickly turned around. And before he could look back, the hilt of her sword slammed into the back of his neck.

***

“How could this be?”

Victor was stunned as he ate breakfast the next day. Amarion silently swallowed her hot stew. The knights were almost in tears from laughing.

“What? Thanks to the lady, you slept well.”

“If you could call it sleeping.”

“He lost consciousness, that’s it.”

Victor glared fiercely at Carlz.

Amarion rubbed her cheeks in embarrassment.

Victor, who was knocked out, woke up after five hours. Luckily, he slept well without waking up in the middle.

She had entrusted his care to the knights and closed her eyes to sleep, and as soon as she woke up, she felt their gazes.

“I never thought that such a method existed.”

“Arthur, she can do it because she is the lady. If you did it, your head would roll.”

Amarion tried to ignore their banter as she gently asked Victor.

“Are you feeling better?”

He nodded.

“I’m getting better, it just breaks my heart.”

He tilted his beautiful almond-shaped eyes pitifully.

“I can’t believe you hit me after saying you would give me something. Is anyone else’s wife so mean?”

“Sleep is the most precious gift I can give to you.”

“Wasn’t it more like passing out?”

This time she also glared at Sir Carlz. Carlz covered his smiling lips with his fist.

As Sir Carlz had previously stated,

-“Someday, I will die for my mouth.”

Anyway, seeing how Victor had improved a little bit, she felt more at ease. Until yesterday, everyone was so exhausted that they couldn’t laugh, let alone joke, but seeing that they had the energy to make fun of her and Victor, their spirits must be high.

‘Of course, this isn’t a permanent solution…’

She silently dipped bread into her soup.

Whether he liked it or not, Victor was precious and important to her. If his ailment threatened the safety of himself and others, it was right for her to do something. That was chivalry.

She watched Victor with a smile as he joked around with his knights.

***

The journey with Victor, who had gotten a little better, continued.

He still couldn’t fall asleep properly, but he replenished his stamina by dozing off in the carriage, holding her hand. When he fell asleep, she chewed on jerky and watched over him, making sure he didn’t wake up.

Other than that, there were no issues. No more fire wolves appeared, and the hot weather cooled down as they headed north. The knights began to wear capes over leather armor, and drove their horses against the bitter wind.

The trip was less arduous than she expected. Compared to the long and cold trips she had taken, on foot, in Amari, this felt comfortable.

Diederick, the only non-combatant in the group, was good at cooking. When they camped, he mixed beef jerky with spices and vegetables to create the perfect umami beef stew. She ate three bowls by herself while she listened to the knight’s banter.

Morte’s knights were good people. They said they had followed Victor for over a decade, and they were fiercely loyal. She felt their admiration through the way they spoke about Victor.

“Even though I have traveled all over the continent, I have never found anyone stronger than his highness.”

“Did you know that he killed two hundred knights, alone, during the conquest of the Eastern Kingdom?”

“At the end of the war, just hearing his name made enemies leave the battlefield.”

“Even the lords of allied countries were afraid, so they didn’t come near our garrison.”

She nodded happily. When she heard Victor being praised, oddly, it felt like they were praising her too. Honestly, everything seemed a bit exaggerated, but these knights were weak…

Then, all of a sudden, Victor, who was discussing their next destination, laid his head on her lap with a very calm face.

“Victor?”

She looked down at him in astonishment.

Victor, lying on her thighs, brazenly closed his eyes, as if it was a natural thing for couples to do.

When she lifted her head, the sour expressions of the knights were all directed towards her.

Her face felt like it had caught on fire.

This trip had allowed her to get comfortable with the knights, but if they saw such shameful behavior, she wouldn’t be able to make eye contact with them ever again.

“Victor.”

She waved her hands in front of his face.

“If I stay like this, I think I will fall asleep.”

Unlike her, who was embarrassed and ashamed, he was lying comfortably and casually on her lap.

“You said you would put me to sleep. Right, Marion?”

He slowly opened his eyes. His smile was illuminated by the flickering light of the campfire. His features enchanted her.

Why did Victor’s face always cloud her judgment?

She almost agreed to let him do whatever he wanted, but managed to hold herself back when she heard Calz’s heartfelt voice.

“We would do anything for you. You are our master.”

***

Kofi shop is updated from chapter 25-29!