The rattling of the cheap carriage continued. Lexion, drenched in cold sweat and groaning, suddenly opened his eyes.
Inside the carriage, only the sounds of horse hooves and the creaking wheels could be heard.
Through his hazy vision, Lexion saw Ashid. The child was asleep under a blanket across from him. When he shifted slightly, he realized that a thick blanket had been draped over him as well.
“Are you awake?”
Only she was sitting up, watching over him. In her hand was the handkerchief she had been using to wipe away his sweat.
What exactly was this situation? Blinking in confusion, he met the eyes of Milena, who was gazing down at him.
“Milena…?”
“Go back to sleep. We still have a long way to go.”
“Ah, uh…”
His parched lips parted and closed several times before he finally shut his mouth. He had just realized where he was lying. He had always deliberately initiated physical contact with women, but a lap pillow…
“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
“No…”
“You seem to have a fever.”
Lexion’s face turned as red as fire. He tried to avert his gaze from the heat spreading across his face, but unfortunately, he turned his head towards her instead.
Leaving the Grand Duke’s castle had undone Hubert’s spell on him. His exposed ear, peeking through his silky silver hair, was flushed red. His wandering crimson eyes darted away before he ultimately closed them to escape this situation.
“You do realize you were reckless, don’t you?”
Her calm tone made him slowly open his eyes again. After a brief silence, he spoke, and she let out a sigh, as if dealing with a stubborn child. Despite his size, she saw similarities between him and Ashid.
“Yes, well. It would have been better if you had left in one piece. Your body and clothes are in tatters.”
“Are you worried?”
As if speaking to himself, he murmured the question. In response, she gently brushed back his sweat-drenched silver hair.
Lexion flinched at her casual touch.
“Of course, I worry. How could I not? You seem to forget, but even if this is just a formal arrangement, we are still husband and wife. Even strangers would worry if they saw someone this injured. Let alone if my own husband got hurt? Of course, I’d be worried.”
My husband.
The words were warm and fuzzy. A faint smile played on his face, which had previously been full of pain.
She swept back her golden hair and wiped the sweat from his exposed forehead.
The moonlight streaming softly through the window illuminated her delicate features and golden hair, making them glow a pale white. Even without any expression, there was an undeniable elegance to her.
He could only stare blankly, captivated by the beauty of this quiet moment. And when he saw the concern subtly reflected in her otherwise emotionless face, a strange shiver ran through him. His chest ached.
“I’m sorry.”
Was that why? The words of apology slipped out before he could stop them. His low, hoarse voice carried with his breath.
“Sorry for making you worry.”
An apology? If Gerard, who was on the driver’s seat, had heard that, he would have been shocked beyond belief.
Milena, touched by his sincerity, spoke softly so as not to wake Ashid.
“You don’t have to apologize. Thanks to you, we got out of there safely. And I was glad to be able to help you. A marriage is about equality, isn’t it? There’s no rule that says only one side should bear all the burdens. So don’t think about anything and just rest.”
“…Alright.”
“Our time together may be short, but since we’ve formed this bond, let’s do our best for the next year.”
“…Alright.”
Her gentle, even voice sounded like a lullaby. Sleep overtook him again, and he closed his eyes.
“But… did you find what you were looking for?”
“…?”
Did he answer? He wasn’t sure. In his drowsy state, all he remembered was instinctively turning his aching body toward her warmth and burying himself in her embrace.
For the first time in a long while, his insomnia-ridden nights were replaced by peaceful sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in an inn.
The deserted mountain inn, standing in an empty landscape outside the Luxen region, was a hideout his guild had established for escaping from the Grand Duchy.
“You’re awake.”
In the dimly lit room, a shadowy figure loomed over him. His eyes sharpened like a honed blade.
“What are you doing here?”
“Why do you think?”
Recognizing the figure, Lexion clicked his tongue and sat up. Displeased, he watched as the man lit a candle.
“Gerard sent an urgent message saying you were in critical condition, so I rushed over.”
As he raised himself halfway, he realized that his body had completely healed. Though white bandages wrapped around his chest and abdomen, the minor wounds had all vanished.
“Judging by your condition, it seems you were injured by magic. Did you fight the Grand Duke? No, wait. Perhaps you were the one being overwhelmed?”
The middle-aged man, now illuminated by the candlelight, smirked. He was none other than Hector, the physician of House Silbert.
Tch. Lexion cursed under his breath. Gerard had contacted Hector? He’d have to reprimand him later for this unnecessary move.
“But, young master, you’ve certainly found some valuable people.”
Lexion frowned at the cryptic remark, and the man, a descendant of a prestigious mage lineage, continued speaking.
“One will be of great help to the lord, and the other to you. It couldn’t have worked out better. Well done.”
One must be referring to Ashid, and the other to Milena. But how did he know?
Lexion narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but Hector simply chuckled.
“My abilities surpass yours, young master. How could I not notice? And besides, it seems you haven’t fully grasped the power of the young lady who came with you.”
“Not fully grasped? Me?”
“What do you mean?”
“That young lady possesses an overwhelming amount of divine power—enough to suppress your own magic.”
At the unexpected revelation, Lexion’s crimson eyes flickered with bewilderment.
“What nonsense.”
Enough divine power to suppress his magic? Was he suggesting she was a saint?
“You’re mistaken. Milena is not just a ‘young lady.’ She is my wife. Address her as ‘young madam.’ And if she had vast divine power, I would have noticed during our wedding vows. She only has magic. The only peculiarity is that it’s white.”
Hector, arms crossed over his massive forearms, laughed heartily.
“Haha! So you really did get married? Gerard was making it sound like a joke. I thought you’d stay a bachelor forever, wandering around aimlessly past thirty.”
The middle-aged man’s laughter echoed in the room. Lexion, with a stiff expression, raised a hand in a gesture for him to get to the point.
“Hmm, how should I put it? If she merely had divine power, the temple would have noticed long ago. Those zealots are obsessed with it, and they would have dragged her to the temple if they knew. But the young madam…”
Lexion’s sharp gaze warned him about the choice of words. Hector begrudgingly corrected himself.
“…The young madam’s body contains both magic and divine power. Regular magic is black, but hers is nearly white because of this fusion.”
A power so pure that it could subdue even Lexion’s raging magic… Even Hector, with all his years of experience, had never seen anything like it.
When he had arrived, he had seen the young lady holding onto Lexion’s hand. Or rather, Lexion, even in his sleep, clinging to her hand as if refusing to let go.
His injuries from magic had been severe, yet his sleeping expression had never looked so peaceful.
If he were to diagnose it as a physician…
It was like a fierce black beast, always baring its fangs, now lying meekly at the feet of a divine being, wagging its tail.
“She had quite the fierce look in her eyes,” Hector mused to himself with amusement.
He had always worried about the troublemaking young master.
But now…
“Our young master has finally met his match.”
With a knowing grin, Hector watched as Lexion, lost in thought, muttered to himself.
“Milena… has divine power?”
