CH 54

“S-sir Ian. I think you misunderstood.”

I decided to calm Ian down for now, but he didn’t respond.

Ian examined Elliott from head to toe. His eyes looked at him as if he were perusing a department store catalogue.

Then he said something unexpected.

“Does this kid make you think of your ex?”

“I’m not a kid.”

Elliot was irritated before I was, and Ian furrowed his brow in response to his words.

Ian sneered and raised the corners of his mouth.

“What age are you?”

“…… I am 18 this year.”

“You little boy.”

Ian gave an oblique smile.

Even after washing my eyes, I couldn’t see the face of the faithful apostle of God and commander of the Holy Knights. [1]

Elliot seemed to lose his cool momentarily when he saw Ian being so mean.

But the boy refused to give in as if to prove he was not the perpetrator because he is the protagonist.

“I am legally an adult. I don’t think I’m old enough to be called a kid by you, who doesn’t look much older than me.”

“A guy who’s not half my age has a mouth.”

What exactly do you mean when you say ‘half’?

I watched Ian shamelessly puff at his age with a look as if it was ridiculous.

No, this isn’t important.

I raised my right hand to correct the critical part.

“Excuse me, Sir Ian. Do you seem to have a serious misunderstanding? May I correct it?”

“What is it?”

“That’s not what I’m interested in. Why don’t you ask my opinion, and how could you misunderstand me like that by looking at it?”

I felt a little emotional when I saw Elliot as my younger brother, whom I had only known through books for a long time, but he mistook me for someone groping him.

It’s ridiculous to think about it again!

“Then why did you use your mouth to compliment a stranger’s body?”

“I never said that! I’m just admiring it from the bottom of my heart. Don’t do it, but Ian, you should also see it. You are only a complete skeleton.”

“Skeleton?”

Ian gave a crooked grin.

“Are you referring to the body of a tree branch that appears to snap at the touch of a finger?”

“Y-you’re mean!”

I looked at Elliot with astonishment at the way he spoke openly.

Elliot’s eyes were burning with rage as he stared at Ian.

“I am strong.”

“Is that so? He seems to be the king of the kids who have conquered all the back alley kids.”

“Would you like to compete?”

“The fact that you don’t know how to evaluate your opponent demonstrates that you’re a kid.”

Why……

I stared at the two in disbelief.

Why are they squabbling?

According to my plan, the two had to be teachers and disciples. Elliot, the rough gemstone, had to be pulled by Ian.

Not fighting like a gang of renegade boys!

‘Elliot said yes. Why don’t you fight when you’re on the same level?’

I looked at Ian, who was still smelling of wine, puzzled, with astonishment.

No way, are you inebriated?

‘How am I going to convince Ian?’

I was lost in my thoughts.

Take out the foresight card once more?

Although there was a risk, it seemed the safest way to get Elliot to the capital.

How long did I think about it while dealing with the backstory of the two people fighting?

“Huh!”

Elliot’s shout brought me to my senses.

A surreal scene was playing out in front of my eyes.

Elliot swung his wooden sword at Ian.

Where the hell did he get that sword? No, it’s not important.

“No!”

Don’t challenge your superiors!

I was about to intervene quickly, but I stumbled over my words.

Elliott didn’t hit Ian; he flew through the air.

“How is it?”

“It’s a total mess, not worth being evaluated.”

Ian chastised him, his arms drooping.

Then Elliot asked furiously.

“Are you picking on me for no reason?”

“Silly, I could tell you’re a chickling just by looking at the angle of your feet. Even a ten-year-old troupe will recognize that you are just a kid.”

Elliot grumbled, saying he didn’t have a problem kicking people who were picking fights even though he didn’t know the angle of his feet.

Ian let out a snort.

“The arrogant chickling is a quite useful.”

What exactly do you mean by that?

A compliment……

Is it meant as a compliment? I was perplexed as I stared at Ian blankly.

While looking down at Elliot, Ian said, 

“However, if you show me some kind of swordsmanship next time, then be prepared.”

Huh? Next time?

I quickly leaned in close to Ian and spoke in hushed tones.

“Ian. If it’s next time……”

“How come you’re so excited about it?”

Ian gave me a disapproving look.

“No, that’s not it. I was curious as to what was going on.”

“I decided to hire him as an apprentice Knights of the Cathedral.”

Ian said, made a chin flick toward Elliott.

I opened my eyes wide.

“Really?”

When did the conversation get so far when I was lost for a moment!

‘I knew it. I knew it would work out.’

Elliott was a talented male lead like in the original novel, and there was no way a person like Ian could not recognize it.

“As one would expect, Sir Ian has a keen eye.”

“Why do you seem very happy?”

“Do I? No. What do I have to be happy about? It’s just nice to see him get the opportunity.”

“Hmm.”

Ian gave me a suspicious look, but I pretended not to notice and returned a sly smile.

Ian, who had told Elliott to meet him at the inn the next morning, suddenly remembered something. 

“Ah. However, as of this time, meeting with the saintess is prohibited.”

What is this again? I looked up at Ian with puzzled eyes.

Elliot also seemed perplexed.

Ian boldly pointed out Elliot’s position.

“It’s prohibited within a two-meter radius. You’ve crossed the line now.”

“……I apologize.”

Elliot grinned as he took a few steps away from me.

Why is this person behaving like this today?

For some reason, I felt obligated to apologize for my husband’s domineering personality.

***

I was still wide awake.

I kept my gaze fixed on the dark ceiling.

I was lying on a bed in the best room of the Inn in Transcell.

Of course, it was incredibly comfortable.

It wasn’t as good as the bed in my room in the cathedral, but compared to Lee Seo-yeon’s rented room, this bed was Simmons and Ace.[2]

Even so, I was having trouble falling asleep.

‘…… Am I breathing too loudly?’

Because of the existence of a human lying next to me

‘But why do I not hear Ian breathe at all?…… You’re alive, right?’

It was worse for my heart than I had anticipated lying in the same bed as Ian.

Actually, it was the first time I’d slept in the same bed as Ian.

”The first night, I was so exhausted that I felt like I passed out.’

We then proceeded to Rycallion, eliminating the need to share a bed with Ian.

I heard a soft sigh next to me.

“Are you that uncomfortable?”

I flinched.

“Oh, no. Not at all. I was just about to fall asleep, but Ian woke me up.”

“I’m going to sleep on the floor.”

“Do not do that!”

When Ian stood up, I stood up halfway as well.

“I’ll have to get used to sleeping with someone. Sir Ian, you do realize we have to use the same bed every time we return to the cathedral, right?”

“Well, I’m afraid you’re going to die of shortness of breath now.”

“……What’s wrong with my breathing? I’m fine. Please don’t say anything and lie down again. Don’t you think you might do something awkward to me?”

Even in the dark, I could feel Ian staring at me strangely.

“Well, Sir Ian has never before shared a bed with a woman. I understand your concerns.”

“Not at all. In extreme battlefields, both men and women fall asleep in the same area.”

Ian spoke as if he had heard something ridiculous.

“So you have no experience outside of a war situation?”

“……”

Ian remained silent, staring at the ceiling.

The answer was yes.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Okay, I will take care of you. I’ll sleep in the corner. So don’t tell me you’ll sleep on the floor.”

It happened when I dragged the blanket along the edge of the bed.

A large hand unexpectedly grabbed my arm.

“You will fall again.”

“……”

My heart stopped in a split second.

When Ian touched my arm, it felt like the heat from his body was spreading throughout the rest of my body.

It’s just that; it’s just his arm.

To be this astonished is undoubtedly weird. I was aware that my already-hardened physique would not change.

There was no way Ian could not have noticed my reaction like this.

For a moment, silence passed between us.

“……Oh.”

I noticed Ian’s finger stiffening.

“Sorry. I just remember you fell three times last night.”

“No. I am sorry.”

“What are you saying?”

“I-It’s just. I’m sorry.”

Another silence followed the exchange of heartfelt apologies in the room.

We both shared the silence while lying on the edges of our beds.

And I still couldn’t sleep.

The reason was more than just Ian’s presence.

‘Pendant.’

Today is the second night with Ian.

It was also another chance to carry out Nine’s orders.

‘If I take out the pendant, the world will naturally flow in accordance with the original flow.’

Ian will be corrupted with magic, and the main couple who defeated Ian, who served as the final boss, will restore world peace.

I remembered the last phrase of the original.

<HAPPY ENDING.>

That’s right. Everything in the world would come to a happy end. Other than Ian’s tragedy.

‘However…’

I admitted with a sigh.

A happy ending based on Ian’s tragedy is not what I’m looking for.

This was my honest opinion.

‘This damn Korean Affection.'[3]

Though it has only been a little over two months, I guess I have already fallen in love with Ian.

I silently watched the ceiling.

My heartbeat was normal.

If I disobey Nine’s orders, they will almost certainly try to kill me.

As in tossing out useless toys.

I’m not quite ready to be free of Nine just yet.

If I had been concerned about my body’s safety, I would have had to remove the pendant immediately.

That was true in many ways. The natural flow of the world was disrupted by someone like me, a foreign being here.

Notes:

[1] To be fully alert and intently watch something.

[2] Simmons and Ace are bedding companies that produce mattresses and other bedding products. They produce premium beds. 

[3] Jeong(정) can even be felt toward someone you fight with constantly as a connection builds up.