CH 3

Isabelle looked at Riggs, who looked at her dumbfounded. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re so weird. Is it something you’d love so much, being without your parents?”

“It’s not like that. I’m glad to be your friend, Riggs.”

“Friend?”

Riggs blinked and bit back as if he had heard a foreign language.

“…Are you happy about that?”

“Yes, you ignored me until now, but now you don’t. You even answer me.”

Of course, the happiness came from the expectation that the baby deer might tell her where the precious mushrooms are, but Isabelle did not show it. Instead, she looked at Riggs, who chewed on what he heard and muttered “friend…”. He’s not as nervous as he was before, but he’s still uneasy. Isabelle’s got more work ahead of her to break Riggs’ boundaries.

“But why are you here, Riggs? It’s far from the town. Is your house nearby?”

“…I was running away.”

“Running away? Why?”

Maybe the one she helped was a baby swindler, not a baby deer. Isabelle was nervous for a while, but soon she could see that he was not lying.

In the distance, a group of armed men could be seen looking for something under the moonlight. The way one scrawls the bushes with his spear was threatening enough to make her feel numb. 

It’s not a knight’s uniform. They’re not the men from the village self-defense force.

The spears that they’re carrying were engraved with complicated patterns, but just in time the moonlight was covered by clouds so she couldn’t see it. But the words that were spoken softly enough to be heard only by the other parties were unfamiliar.

“I’m sure his legs are paralyzed, he must be around here. Find him.”

People with spears approached at a rapid pace. She felt Riggs’ body shrink reflexively. Isabelle pondered for a moment and fiddled with her long, stretched necklace.

“Isabelle, cherish this necklace and remember you should never use magic.”

The saints always warned that magic should not be used recklessly. But she first needed to worry about saving Riggs, who was so anxious he was on the verge of collapsing. Isabelle decided to break the words of St. Maria, which was as good as the law.

“It’s all right, Riggs. I’ll protect you.”

Isabelle mouthed silently, and moved her fingertips to raise the winds just before the moonlight revealed her friend. The wind turned at a moment’s notice and swung in the direction Isabelle had intended.

“Let’s go to the side where the sound came from.”

The men nodded in response. Riggs and Isabelle held their breath until they disappeared. It was Riggs who opened his mouth first.

“What did you just do?”

“What?”

“You activated wind magic.”

“I don’t know. I’ve been doing this since I first started using magic.”

Riggs nodded even though it wasn’t the answer he wanted. The people who were chasing him seemed to have disappeared to a faraway place, so he seemed to be more relaxed. He was exhausted. He made his way through the bushes and sat on the ground. The tight-fitting shirt, jacket, and shorts, which seemed to be customized, were all disheveled.

The clothes that Riggs wears look very expensive…

Despite the low moonlight, Isabelle fiddled with the white dress she wore while looking at the glossy fabrics.

There was no contamination from her using magic, but it takes a toll; The feeling of something being taken away was never pleasant.

“Riggs, why are you being chased by people like that?”

“……”

Riggs shut his mouth like a clam. 

Isabelle was so frustrated she felt like she was about to burst. She began to speculate. It’s not like he is the only son of a noble in the wealthy upper class. 

“Are you an actor? You’re not an acrobat in a circus? You’re not wearing your own clothes, are you?”

Riggs nodded as if he was thinking for a moment. Isabelle smiled, proud to have gotten him to respond once again.

“So, Riggs, is there anything I can do to help you?”

If he wanted to, she was going to secretly return to the temple and bring him herbs, warm tea, and a large loaf of bread, but Riggs asked an unexpected question.

“Why are you trying to help me? It could have been dangerous earlier.”

“That’s…”

You’re like a baby deer that will tell me where the precious mushrooms are. If she answered like that, it seemed that Riggs would rise up and move away while fuming. Isabelle pondered and came up with a good reason.

“We’re friends now. The ladies said that friends should love each other.”

“…love?”

“Yeah. Hugging and patting each other.”

The saints also taught her to love her enemy, but Isabelle had no intention of doing so. She was the type to only listen to the lessons that were necessary. 

Riggs folded his arms and was briefly lost in thought. She was so curious what he was thinking.

“If you hug and pat me, I’ll get love?”

“Yes, I feel so good when I get stroked after being held tightly.”

Although it was not by her parents, she remembered being filled with happiness while lying on the lap of the saints while being stroked randomly when she was young. On the other hand, Riggs said he had never received such affection, even when his parents were alive. It felt very unfair to have such happy memories to herself and only because her parents were absent. Isabelle then spreaded her arms wide.

“Come here.”

“No, I don’t want to…”

Riggs swallowed his response because Isabelle quickly held him in her arms and patted him on the back. His stiffness, which was like  stone, gradually relaxed from her warmth. Isabelle gently stroked his hair as the saints did to her. She didn’t know if it was supposed to be fun even though he was trying so hard to run away, but it was fun to pet Riggs’ curly hair. It felt like she got a younger brother because he was so small.

I can see why the ladies put me on their lap and stroked me.

Even though they just met each other, she felt a sense of closeness. Isabelle smiled and whispered to Riggs.

“How do you feel?”

“…..”

“Do you get what love feels like?”

Without being able to face her comfortably, Riggs nodded his head. She could feel his body’s pulse and breathing in her arms. She held him for a long time.

***

Isabelle, who had been talking to Riggs in the bushes for most of the night, stood up and reached out to him. 

“Let’s go to the temple. You’ll be fine if you hide in my room. It’s so cold here because of the dew.”

Riggs was pretty tired from running away. He felt cold and hungry. So he wanted to rest right away, but he couldn’t.

“…no temple.”

“Why? All the ladies will welcome you. You’re the first friend I brought. Wouldn’t it be better to rest by a warm fire?”

Riggs shook his head; he could never go in there. Isabelle did not know why he was stubbornly refusing.

“Then I’ll bring something to eat. Wait here.”

In an hour when it gets completely bright, and the saints will wake up so she wanted to bring something from the kitchen before then.

Isabelle opened the kitchen door and froze on the spot. St. Maria’s folded her arms and looked at her with scary eyes.

“Isabelle, where have you been this early in the morning?”

“Eh, St. Maria…”

“Do you know how surprised I was that you weren’t in the bedroom? Are you hurt?”

She, who usually would have been more strict, eased her anger quickly and looked at her body. Isabelle’s eyes were full of worry that Riggs will get caught.

“That’s…”

“Have you been to town by any chance?”

“Eh, that’s not it! I was near the temple!”

“I’m glad to hear that. I heard there was a problem with the Duke of Cardiago’s return procession, so I was worried if you had anything to do with it.”

Isabelle felt proud that she had not done what St. Maria had feared. Though she was scolded lightly while explaining what happened in the bushes, in the end St. Maria praised her for helping people.

“So where is he right now? Why didn’t you bring him to the temple?”

“He doesn’t want to come inside, so I’m going to bring him some bread and warm tea.”

“The people of the Duchy of Cardiago don’t like the temple very much. Let’s get him something to eat.”

St. Maria boiled soup with shredded potatoes in a blink of an eye and put it on a tray with bread. Isabelle walked carefully ahead and approached the bush where Riggs hide. Whatever had happened in the meantime, it made Riggs to be on high alert again.

“Riggs, it’s okay. This is Maria, the St. Maria… Holy Lady?”

Clang.

The tray fell to the floor and made a loud noise. The soup splashed all over St. Maria’s clothes.

“Isabelle, come here.”

Isabelle had seen St. Maria’s expression just now. She looked like this when she explained all kinds of evil things such as demons, death, darkness, etc.

Riggs was also surprisingly wary of St. Maria. In the tense confrontation, Isabelle alone looked at the tray that had fallen to the floor.

“It’s a waste of soup… It was really delicious when I tasted it earlier.”

“…..”

“…..”

After she looked at the spilled soup and bread with a sad look, she looked up and felt something that she couldn’t explain.

After a long time, it was Riggs who first broke the silence.

“Isabelle, give me another hug and I’ll go home.”

“Huh?”

“…can’t do it?”

Isabelle was surprised that Riggs called her name first, not about being asked for a hug. She could feel the stinging gaze of the St. Maria, but she hugged Riggs anyway and didn’t forget to pat him on the back.

“Riggs, come visit again next time. But today you go home and get some rest, okay?”

Riggs nodded as he tightened his arms to stay a little warmer. Isabelle was overcome with pride that she had done something good. She could not see the stunned St. Maria who could not speak.