Episode 129

Peter wore a look that suggested he was vaguely guessing the identity of the vial in my hand.

“Could it be…?”

“Yes, it’s the Lisbeth cure. I’ve already used it to heal myself.”

At my words, Peter’s eyes widened.

I reached out my hand to Peter, who was still sitting on the ground.

“Take my hand. Sitting there like that doesn’t suit the Empire’s greatest knight.”

The Empire’s greatest knight.

From the moment he won the dueling tournament, Peter had been called that.

Though that glory had faded easily as his illness worsened.

Peter stared at my hand for a moment before gripping it tightly.

He stood up and spoke in a low voice.

“I’m no longer the Empire’s greatest knight. Not only does my arm not listen to me, but now even my legs barely hold me up.”

“Everything will get better now.”

I smiled as I looked at Peter’s haggard face — he must have suffered quite a lot mentally too.

Peter accepted the vial I handed him and stared down at it for a long time.

“It’s not poison, so don’t be scared.”

At my words, Peter shook his head quickly, looking startled.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, my lady. It’s just… this moment doesn’t feel real.”

I laughed at his flustered explanation.

Peter then opened the vial and drank all of its contents in one go.

It must have tasted pretty bitter, but he swallowed it down without a single change in his expression.

“How is it? You won’t feel a big change immediately. The paralyzed sensations will return gradually.”

“……”

Peter opened and closed his hand absentmindedly.

It was the arm that had been paralyzed and wouldn’t move.

“Peter, you….”

“It’s moving. My paralyzed arm, and even the legs that could barely stand — they’re moving.”

Given how far his disease had progressed, I had expected his recovery to take some time — but the results were far better than I anticipated.

Peter said in a small voice,

“My lady, you’ve saved me more than once.”

Soon, tears started falling from Peter’s eyes.

“I, Peter, no longer wish to be a knight for the Empire. I want to be a knight for you.”

“Peter……”

‘If that’s what you want, I’d be more than happy.’

He was a knight capable of fighting high-ranking monsters alone.

Having a knight who could wield sword energy as a personal guard — how reassuring would that be?

But seeing Peter’s deeply moved face, I couldn’t bring myself to say that out loud.

“Please allow me to dedicate the life you saved to serving you, my lady.”

“If that’s what you want, then by all means.”

I said, barely suppressing the smile tugging at my lips.

Just then, Theodore, who had been watching from afar, approached.

“Seems like things went well.”

“Yes.”

Peter noticed Theodore and bowed respectfully.

“Greetings to Your Highness.”

Theodore spoke with a light chuckle.

“Originally, I was planning to assign you the duty of guarding Sierra for a day…”

He turned to look at me and added,

“Seems you’ve already claimed your loyal hound.”

“Ah, well…”

‘He’s not going to scold me for snatching away a valuable member of the Imperial Guard, is he?’

But contrary to my worries, Theodore said,

“I’ll authorize his transfer from the Imperial Guard to the Drenihan Knights under my own name.”

“Really?”

“The one who polished a rough gem into a jewel wasn’t the Imperial Family, but you, Sierra.”

Theodore looked unusually pleased as he said it.

“Also, I found out today that you’ve cured Lisbeth disease…”

“You heard all that from way over there?”

It was such a far distance, people would’ve looked like little dots among tree branches, but…

“I’ve picked up a little lip-reading.”

Theodore smiled casually.

“…You read our lips. Well, it’s fine. It’s not like I was trying to hide it.”

“Unless you announce it yourself, I won’t tell anyone.”

Theodore looked at me and said,

“The reason you’re keeping your cure a secret is because of all the annoying marriage proposals, right?”

“That’s the biggest reason.”

From the moment I was designated as the next Duke of Drenihan, greedy eyes had been glued to me.

What kept me out of marriage talks so far was being a Lisbeth patient.

But if it became known that I was fully cured and perfectly healthy…

‘The worst-case scenario would be catching the Emperor’s attention.’

It was widely known that the Emperor had been searching for a crown princess lately.

Even though he knew about the budding affection between Lucion and Jenna, he didn’t seem willing to officially accept Jenna as his daughter-in-law yet.

Even if Jenna had purified Lucion’s toxins and shattered the Gem of Tears, her low birth still left a stain the Imperial Family couldn’t overlook.

If I ended up catching the Emperor’s eye, it would be an extremely troublesome situation.

The Imperial Family had long wanted to secure an alliance through marriage with the politically neutral Drenihan House.

Until now, they had stayed away because I was terminally ill.

‘But if they find out I’ve cured Lisbeth, they’ll flip their attitude overnight.’

Theodore said in a playful voice,

“But you won’t be able to hide it forever.”

“Of course.”

I let out a small sigh.

“Either way, I owe you a lot today, Your Highness. Thank you for everything.”

Theodore had, quietly and consistently, been on my side.

Until now, I thought it was just because of some fondness from our childhood…

‘But maybe that’s not the only reason after all.’

Theodore smiled and said,

“I only did what I could.”

His ears, as he said it, were noticeably red.

* * *

I was assigned a room to stay in for the night at the Imperial City.

After hearing about everything I had gone through today, Peter insisted on standing guard outside my door.

The room I was given wasn’t quite on the level of the Drenihan estate, but it was still decorated in a very classic, antique style.

I threw myself onto the bed that sat in the center of the unfamiliar room.

Now that quiet had finally settled in, the chaotic day finally felt like it was coming to an end.

Honestly, I had been scared all along.

Almost being attacked by a monster radiating a horrifying killing intent, and not knowing when or where danger might strike again.

The tension still hadn’t left me — it made my whole body stiff and tight.

“Damn it…”

I just wanted to know why. Why I was being targeted, why I had to be made a mark.

Right when tears of frustration threatened to well up in my eyes, a familiar voice drifted into my ears.

[You crying?]

“……”

[Hmm?]

After disappearing for days without a trace, this spirit popped up out of nowhere just to tease me. What was I supposed to do with him?

I let out a low sigh and said,

“I’m not crying.”

Right as I said that, I felt a warm touch gently land on top of my head.

Askan had somehow manifested his form and was now stroking my hair.

A beautiful face — so beautiful you couldn’t tell if it was male or female.

Long blue hair that was almost transparent, and silver eyes that shone brightly even in the dark.

“Is it fun, teasing me the moment you show up?”

I grumbled in a sulky voice.

[You’re sulking because I left for a while, aren’t you.]

“That’s not it, okay?”

I didn’t know why, but Askan felt kind of like an older brother with a big age gap.

Like someone I had known for a very long time.

Maybe it was because I was the reincarnation of Tias.

[Sorry for coming late. I still can’t fully exist in the human world. Even just appearing for a little while like this takes a lot of power.]

“And now you’re going to say you want to form a contract with me again, right?”

At my words, Askan replied like he’d been caught red-handed.

[You’re quick. I like that.]

“You never get tired, even after I keep refusing you.”

[When I saw the danger you were in today from the spirit realm, and couldn’t rush over to help you… the helplessness I felt was beyond words.]

His warm hand gently brushed my cheek.

[Form a contract with me, Sierra. Let me protect you from everything.]

Askan said that, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

[This time, let me be the one to protect you.]