Chapter 21

The butler stepped forward. He was a gray-haired gentleman. He took Ragnar’s coat and cane. At first glance, the Knights were not visible.

“You don’t know how surprised I was to hear that you were suddenly inviting a young lady. So this is her.”

“Yes, make sure you treat her properly.”

Christa was elusive. She was prepared to be wrapped in a rope by the Duke’s knights, but it was the butler’s polite greeting that she received instead.

“Bjorn, the butler of the Argonod family.”

“Yes…?”

“I’ll show you around the house.”

“Well, let’s take a look around and get some tea.”

Ragnar grabbed Christa’s hand without formality. Stunned, she was caught up in him– as always.

“H, hey!”

Ragnar laughed as Christa shouted hastily.

“What, didn’t you want to see the house? That is a relic of the old royal family, and this portrait is our ancestor. The front door handle was made of the ebony of some western continent. Is that right?”

The butler Bjorn politely added flesh to his brief description.

For example, about the origin and style of marble columns that they’re passing through – a huge painting that even Christa had heard of – must have been a classicist master of painting – and the parlor tables and chairs that they’re sitting in were a series of stories that began with the history of the first Argonod.

“It’s a boring story. It’s an antique.”

Then a set of teapots, probably worth Christa’s three-year salary, comes in a trolley. An elderly woman pushed the trolley with a delicate touch, and a tea cup with a shiny gold border was placed in front of them.

“Oh, thank you.”

Christa, who still didn’t understand the current situation, just looked around with her eyes wide open. No matter how long she waited, the Duke’s knights did not invade.

“Well, you don’t look very well. Are you cold? Do you want me to bring you something to wear?”

The very elegant-looking lady came to ask after Christa in a kind voice.

‘She didn’t come here to punish me?’

When the woman beckoned, the servant and maid immediately brought the heater next to her and gave her a soft blanket.

“This tea has a relaxing effect. It will warm you up.”

Then, wouldn’t it be better to try the pastry or the caramelized ones that she said she baked herself?

“Tatiana, you’re troubling Christa.”

“Oh, Young Master brought such a beautiful girl. Then, can I stay still?”

“That name again.”

Ragnar complained in a discontented voice. The head of Argonod and the guardian of the boundary, Ragnar Argonod, is called a young master.

No wonder the tone was so funny that she laughed and burst out laughing.

“Now you’re laughing. It’s nice to see.”

Tatiana spoke with a warm face. At that moment Christa was appalled that she had loosened the tension. Nothing has been decided yet.

“Oh, no.”

The answer came out reflexively, but it was also a strange answer, so she had no choice but to bow her head again.

“Tatiana, I think Christa and I need to have a word.”

“Would you like to be alone?”

When Ragnar nodded, Tatiana led the surrounding servants with a flowing gesture. The colorful drawing room door with golden hues closed without a sound.

There were now only two people here, Ragnar and Christa. A hellish silence ensued.

‘I guess we’re starting now.’

She doesn’t know what’s starting, but Ragnar’s purpose for calling her was clear. Gradually, she could see his mouth dropping.

“Chris–”

“I have sinned to die!”

Now that this has happened, Christa has decided to take the lead. She quickly got up from her seat and turned around the long drawing room table and stood in front of Ragnar.

Now that this has happened, Christa has decided to take the lead. She quickly got up from her seat and turned around the long drawing room table and stood in front of Ragnar.

Her heart beats like crazy. But she had to.

She slipped to her knees. Her body was shaking, but she had to say this.

“As of today, I will give up my post as the 10th Commander and the post of being a Knight of the 4th Skirmishers. I left my sword because I came in a hurry, but if you give me a chance, I will return it immediately without running away. Also….”

“No, wait.”

Ragnar’s voice was imbued with embarrassment. But Christa didn’t stop talking.

“I won’t die easily because of my ability. As much as you like……. You can hit me until you feel better. But since…….”

Christa tried to say the next thing. No, she had to. ‘Since you have it, please pierce my neck with the sword you have.’

However, she kept choking up and her voice penetrated inside. Now.

“What are you talking about?”

Ragnar sprang to his feet and grabbed Christa.

“Don’t say anything weird and get up. I don’t have that hobby.”

“Ha, but.”

“Why do you keep saying that you’re going to die?”

The word Ragnar hated to hear the most in the world was that when someone says they wanted to die. He also hated it when a skinny woman said that. This woman is really getting on his nerves many times.

“Don’t you want to punish me?”

Christa slightly raises her head and rolls her big eyes. Watching it made him crazy in a word. Christa Palmaril was the only crazy woman in his life.

With them like this, they wouldn’t even notice if the world would come to an end like this.

“……for what reason?”

He asked back patiently. Because he needed to know the cause of the misunderstanding.

“I………………………………………………………… we had an inappropriate relationship……… I stole a valuable thing and even caused you injury…….”

Christa’s stuttering words scratched Ragnar’s nerves surprisingly.

“Inappropriate…… Relationship…….”

Suddenly, Ragnar, who darkened in front of her, was in front of her eyes. She was so stuffed that she couldn’t breathe. A groan popped out of her mouth.

Should she drink more tea that has the effect of relaxing the mind that Tatiana said earlier?

“I didn’t know the day would come when I would think that it would be better to hang on to the sake of responsibility because I was attacked by a Knight Commander of the Templar.”

“But, I, I…… Forcing the leader…….”

“Crista, please. I think I’d really want to die if you say more.”

She’s already fallen into the bottom of the stir, but she can’t bear to force the leader…She didn’t want to confirm the following words. No, she was afraid to check. She couldn’t even imagine how much her words would make him miserable.

“So Chris…… In Palmaril’s opinion, this relationship is forced onto the innocent Ragnar Argonod…… That’s how it was forced.”

“I, I…. I have sinned to die.”

Christa’s expression saying so was as if she was prepared to die. It was so solemn that he couldn’t find a single piece of paper to fit in.

Ragnar was stunned. It was as clear as it was that this woman’s way of thinking had jumped the path he couldn’t keep up with. When and where did it start and how did it get so tangled like this?

He had to untangle this tangled thread. However, he just couldn’t think where to start.

Christa was nervous the whole time. The longer Ragnar’s silence lasted, the more anxious she was. It would have been helpful to grasp the situation if she had been put into a dungeon suddenly.

She glanced at the refreshment table. The warm teacup still steamed, and the sweet refreshment she tasted for the first time in her life tasted so good that she wanted to put one more in her mouth.

‘Why the hell…’

Isn’t it too strange to treat a sinner like this? She couldn’t guess what the hell he was trying to say here.

But it was hard for her to ask first. In particular, whenever she saw the bandage wrapped around Ragnar’s hand, she was appalled. Therefore, there was no other way but to sit hesitantly.

“Well, yes, it’s time for a full-fledged conversation.”

The long silence was broken. Ragnar’s thoughts seemed to have finally been sorted out.

When he said so, Christa felt like her heart was about to pour out of her mouth. She quickly covered her mouth with both hands because she thought a strange sound would leak out.

Ragnar, who was staring at such a figure, slowly opened his mouth.

“Why did you want to die?”

It was a key question. Christa hesitated for a long time to answer.

“…….”

Ragnar waited for her long silence. Where in the world can she begin to explain? No, can he even understand her situation himself?

Ragnar’s eyes were immediately looking at her. She thought she should at least tell the truth. After a long silence, the answer was so.

“Because the war… …is over.”

Battlefield, that was her true salvation.

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