Ah, the knights. Alessia glanced at her injured left arm. It seemed someone had changed her bandages while she slept, as the ones that had been bloodstained early in the morning were now clean.
“Is Lewick okay?”
“Thanks to someone covering for him, he’s fine. Though the person who did the covering ended up with a wrecked arm.”
Kaon clicked his tongue and glanced at her arm. His bright blue-gray eyes quickly clouded over. She could tell what he was thinking without him needing to say it.
Alessia wanted to tell him not to worry, that she was fine, but the words stuck in her throat. She still wasn’t used to someone being concerned about her.
Especially when Kaon looked at her like that, it made her feel uneasy and strange. She wished he would stop, but at the same time, she feared seeing the hurt look on his face if she told him to. It was ironic, given how easily she had hurt others in the past under the pretense of keeping her distance.
When it came to Kaon Ferdinand, she always felt this way. She had contradictory feelings she couldn’t easily understand.
Sometimes, she found his childish behavior pathetic, but when she thought about how he had grown up in an environment where honesty and freedom were safe, she envied him.
It was ridiculous how she found herself glancing in the mirror more often, worried about how she looked, even though she knew that time could change everything. She wanted him to forget her completely and move on, yet at the same time, she hoped he would remember her occasionally.
‘Like, there was that strange girl back then.’
‘What’s the point? I can’t stay here forever anyway.’
Alessia habitually mocked herself for such thoughts. Nothing had changed. Kaon Ferdinand had just learned one more of her secrets. The future wouldn’t change anyway.
No matter how much she wanted to put down roots in Ferdinand, it was impossible. She had no reason or power to stay, as everything she had was given by Ingelos.
Would Ferdinand accept her once she shed the name of Ingelos? No, they wouldn’t. In fact, if it was revealed that she couldn’t use magic, she might even be dragged to court.
Alessia shook off the absurd thoughts and asked instead, “That was the first time something like that happened, right?”
“Yes, it was the first.”
Even without detailed explanation, Kaon understood what she meant and continued.
“As you’ve seen quite a bit, you know that monsters usually lack any sense of reason. When they’re hungry, they eat. When they see something moving, they want to attack it. But the monsters we saw that day…”
Kaon paused, as if recalling the events of that day. Alessia also thought back to that day.
In the year and a half she had been in Ferdinand, patrolling almost every day, this was the first time something like that had happened.
Though the forest was always filled with the aura of death, the patrols were routine, and Alessia had come to realize that everyone was familiar with the danger. The knights of Ferdinand were adept at handling sudden monster attacks. They were specialized in achieving maximum efficiency with minimal personnel, led by elite knights.
But that day was different. The scenes were gruesome and brutal. The knights were clearly shaken.
“They used their brains to outsmart us.”
“…Yes, it seemed that way.”
The monsters had changed. Normally, they would charge at humans with murderous intent, but that day, they gathered beasts and used them. They observed the outcomes of their actions as if they were watching an experiment. Then, they intervened at what they deemed the right moment.
Although their fighting style hadn’t changed much, it was unsettling. The monsters had undoubtedly evolved. Whether it was evolution or growth, the important thing was that they might not be able to fight as they had before.
“We might need to consult the Mage Tower.”
Kaon mused quietly, lost in thought. He didn’t seem thrilled about the idea. According to Maurice, the Mage Tower demanded outrageous conditions whenever they sought its cooperation.
Maurice often grumbled, “Honestly, if we can’t handle it, it’ll become a problem for the whole kingdom. Where do they get that confidence?”
Alessia suspected that they really thought that way. mages generally had that tendency. They believed that since they possessed power beyond that of ordinary humans, they could solve any problem if they set their minds to it. It was an extremely arrogant notion.
‘Even though they’re getting weaker.’
It was laughable how they pretended otherwise, even while struggling internally to find someone worthy to support.
‘…Not that I’m one to talk.’
Of course, she wasn’t in any position to criticize, being someone who couldn’t even be called a weak mage. Thinking about it made her feel as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her chest. Whenever she thought about mages, the label of failure clung to her like an invisible shackle.
To escape this oppression, she needed to flee Ingelos as soon as possible. If she could run away to a place beyond their reach and live in hiding forever, she might eventually find freedom.
For that, she needed to buy time. Alessia steeled herself, trying to regain her focus despite her injuries and the recent events.
‘Less than a year left by next summer…’
Recalling the date Richard had mentioned, Alessia turned her head to the right and froze. Her eyes widened in shock as her pupils dilated.
“…It’s gone.”
“What’s gone? Did you drink all the water already? Want more?”
Kaon’s words didn’t register. Alessia stared blankly at her right hand.
“The ring.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The ring is gone.”
The ring that should have been on her index finger was missing.
***
Alessia immediately threw off the blanket and frantically searched the area. She checked her bedside, under the blanket, and even lifted her dress, but the ring was nowhere to be found.
“Hey, if you move suddenly like that…!”
“Ah!”
In her panic, Alessia tried to get out of bed, putting weight on her injured left arm, and cried out in pain. Kaon quickly approached and steadied her by holding her shoulders, preventing her from falling forward.
The sudden pressure on her injured arm caused a sharp pain, but Alessia, without time to feel the pain, grabbed Kaon’s arm. Surprised by her sudden movement, Kaon almost pulled back but held his ground, worried she might fall.
“The ring is gone. Did anyone touch me while I was lying here? Did someone take my ring?”
“They did touch you. You had to be washed. Not by me, though. I didn’t go in. The maids washed you. Wait a moment. It’s possible they took it off to keep it from getting wet since it’s a valuable ring.”
Hearing this, Alessia released Kaon weakly. She saw him pull the bell cord to summon someone immediately.
‘How could I lose it?’
Her vision darkened, and her mind went blank. How could she have lost the ring? How could she have not noticed until now? She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it.
The ring was as precious as her life. Without it, she was nothing. It was the most valuable thing Ingelos had given her and the only precious item she possessed. The ring allowed her to pretend to be a mage, despite being unable to sense or summon magic herself.
“Hey.”
“……”
Alessia didn’t hear Kaon calling her and stared blankly at the blanket.
She had lost the ring.
If the maids knew nothing, if they hadn’t set the ring aside, what would she do? Would Richard give her another if she told him? No, he wouldn’t. He’d call her back to Ingelos, saying he knew this would happen. Then she would have to walk back into hell on her own.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t live like that again. In Ferdinand, she had learned how to live like a human being. She realized, albeit belatedly, how sharing joy and comforting others in their sorrow could make life so much richer.
So she could never go back. She didn’t want to. She’d rather die than go back to that life.
“Get a grip!”
At that moment, Kaon shouted to get her attention. Instinctively, she turned her gaze to see the boy gritting his teeth and glaring at her with fiery eyes.
“The medicine you took… Even seasoned knights wouldn’t be able to stay awake after taking it. The doctor said your wounds were so severe that you wouldn’t be able to endure the treatment without such a strong painkiller.”
Kaon shouted in frustration.
“The doctor has been practicing in Ferdinand for over 30 years. Do you think you’re the first knight to be attacked by a monster? He gave you the strongest medicine because you were that badly hurt!”
She had a rough idea. Even when she was awake, it felt like she wasn’t truly conscious, and she was in a daze all day with blurry memories. She figured it must have been some pretty strong medicine.
“…What does that matter?”
“What?”
Still, she should have remembered. No matter how out of it she was, there were things she shouldn’t forget.
Why had she risked her life to save the knight? Conscience? Compassion? Sympathy? No. It was to stay in Ferdinand a bit more comfortably. Even in that brief moment, she had calculated the situation.
But without the ring, she couldn’t do that. Everything would be in vain.
“How long do you think I can avoid going on inspections? Once I recover, people will find it strange if I don’t go out. But without that, I’m nothing. You, of all people, should know that.”
Kaon’s eyes wavered. Just as Alessia was about to muster the strength to get out of bed again.
“Young Master, it’s Lily. May I come in?”
“Yes, come in.”
Lily knocked on the door at just the right moment. When Kaon responded, she entered and was startled to see Alessia awake, but then she quickly brightened.
“Miss! Are you feeling a bit better? Are you hungry? Just wait a moment. I’ll get you some food…”
“No, Lily. That can wait. Have you seen my ring? The ruby one with the big stone.”
“Are you talking about the ring you always wear?”
Lily, pondering the sudden question for a moment, asked back. It seemed she remembered the ring. A faint glimmer of hope appeared on Alessia’s face.
“Yes, that’s the one. Have you seen it? I heard you washed me. Did you set it aside then?”
🍉🍉🍉
