IYWHM Chapter 91

Cobi? With wide-open eyes, Kisa carefully examined the unfamiliar man again.

If her memory was correct, that was certainly the name of the person who Seyard had been close with during his time at Pavela Monastery.

The one who worked as an errand boy there and then fled after being caught stealing medicine from the pharmacy for personal profit.

“Oh, long time no see, Seyard.”

The man with sunken eyes answered Seyard’s question with a somewhat awkward expression.

It really was Cobi.

“What on earth happened to you all this time?”

Seyard looked Cobi over with concerned eyes.

“Why do you look like this? I couldn’t recognize you at first.”

“Haha, I’m in quite a state, aren’t I?”

The hand that embarrassedly touched his greasy hair was skeletal.

“After parting ways with you like that, I had some troubles. Naturally, I couldn’t return to my hometown, and having nowhere to go, I wandered from place to place until…”

As he spoke, emotions seemed to overwhelm him, and Cobi began to sniffle.

“I’ve had nothing but a dirty piece of bread to eat for days. Because of other guys’ territorial attitudes, I couldn’t even rest properly in one place.”

Stumbling over his words, he suddenly clasped his hands together and looked at Seyard with desperate eyes.

“But when I thought it was truly the end for me, I remembered you. You’ve become really famous, haven’t you? Everyone on the streets talks about you.”

“Cobi.”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t by your side when you needed me, and now I shamelessly come looking for you! I’ll apologize a hundred times! I can get on my knees! You can even spit on me if you want!”

“Calm down, Cobi.”

Seyard patted the shoulder of his visibly anxious friend with a steady hand.

“I’m not asking for any of that from you. I’m not particularly angry with you either.”

At that gentle voice, Cobi’s eyes wavered greatly.

“Re-really? You’re really not angry?”

“Yes.”

“But I left you and—”

“Yes, you left me and Pavela Monastery. Honestly, I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed about you stealing medicine and running away. It was outright theft after all.”

“Huh? Oh, right.”

“Of course, I think you should properly pay for your crimes. But separately from that, as a friend, I’ve been worried about you all this time. And if you’re currently in trouble, I’m willing to help.”

“Seyard…”

Cobi grabbed Seyard’s hand on his shoulder tightly and sobbed repeatedly, saying thank you.

“How can I ever repay this kindness? Even historical saints wouldn’t be as merciful as you.”

“Don’t mention it between us. Anyway, it’s a bit awkward to continue our conversation here. Shall we move somewhere else?”

Seyard looked around as he said this.

Being on a main street adjacent to the department store, there were many onlookers watching and whispering about them.

Indeed, it was a shocking sight to see the famous Duke of Hillan not only warmly greeting a beggar but also touching him without hesitation.

Seyard turned to Kisa and apologized.

“Kisa, I’m sorry, but would you mind taking the carriage back to the residence first?”

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to talk more with this friend. Ah, I forgot to introduce you. This is Cobi, whom I mentioned before. We often spent time together at Pavela Monastery.”

Kisa hurriedly greeted Cobi.

“Hello, I’m Kisa Vansfelt. I’m Seyard’s fiancée, and we’re getting married soon.”

It was the first time she was meeting someone who could be called his friend, so she felt a bit shy, and having barely interacted with people of Cobi’s social class before, she was also nervous.

“Oh, so you’re the one I’ve heard about in rumors…”

Looking at Kisa, Cobi narrowed his eyes and licked his lips.

“You’re as beautiful as they say. Seyard really has good taste. Compared to the women in Bonzmos, you’re not even in the same—”

“Cobi.”

Seeing Kisa’s expression darken, Seyard quickly cut off his words.

“Kisa needs to go now. I’ll listen to the rest of your story all you want.”

“Huh? Um, okay.”

“Kisa, please go to the carriage now. I’m sorry I can’t escort you.”

“That’s fine. But if I take the carriage, what will you two do?”

Since Seyard and Kisa had come to the department store together, there was naturally only one carriage.

“It’s alright. We can take a hired carriage.”

Soon, at Seyard’s instruction, the attendants who had been accompanying them split into two groups.

Kisa headed toward the Hillan family carriage they had arrived in, escorted by one group.

“Then I’ll see you next time, my Kisa.”

Before parting, Seyard gave his customary polite and sweet farewell, and Cobi standing beside him looked at him with curious eyes.

“How should I put it? You’ve changed your vibe? Is this what they mean by ‘position makes the man’? Why, in the past…”

As the carriage departed, Cobi’s amused voice scattered in the wind.

What was he like in the past?

Kisa gazed out the window wistfully, but the two men were already too far away.

Come to think of it, the Seyard described by the monks at Pavela Monastery did seem to have a more free-spirited impression compared to now.

Perhaps that’s what it meant for the position of Duke to be such a heavy burden.

“I’m curious too.”

Kisa wanted to know more about Seyard Hillan, the man she loved.

What he was like at the monastery, how he spent his time, what games he enjoyed as a child, and even if he had foods he disliked in the past, unlike now.

She wanted to know everything, even the mundane details that might make one yawn.

But she didn’t want to be considered a nuisance to him.

She couldn’t interfere with Seyard’s reunion with a friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

‘Cobi.’

To be honest, even from their brief encounter, he left an unpleasant impression.

There was something unsettling about his gaze, and she didn’t appreciate him putting down the women of Bonzmos while complimenting her.

“Well, he is Seyard’s friend after all…”

As Seyard had explained before, he might have various flaws, but he probably wasn’t fundamentally evil.

And if given the opportunity, she would like to hear stories about Seyard later.

Since Cobi had apparently frequented places like gambling dens with him, there was a high probability he knew aspects of Seyard that the monks were unaware of.

‘But is that too much to ask?’

After all, Cobi was a thief.

If Seyard advised him to turn himself in and face the consequences for his crime, he wouldn’t have the leisure to leisurely tell Kisa stories from the past.

“Maybe things will work out smoothly?”

In fact, for simple theft, there were numerous cases where perpetrators weren’t punished if the victim was willing to let it go.

From what she had heard, the monks at Pavela Monastery had been quite resentful of Cobi, but he had Seyard by his side now.

If the Duke of Hillan mediated, there was a high chance the monastery would view Cobi’s crime more leniently.

Seyard had said earlier that Cobi should formally pay for his crimes, so even if he didn’t make it disappear entirely, he might arrange for him to receive only a light punishment.

Above all…

“Seyard looked genuinely happy.”

Kisa had clearly seen the expression he wore the moment he recognized Cobi.

Seyard had been smiling with great satisfaction, as if he had finally found something he had been searching for a long time.

Considering his personality of rarely showing his emotions beyond a certain level, it was a notable reaction.

It was immediately apparent how special a friend Cobi was to Seyard.

So it was highly likely that he would do his utmost to improve Cobi’s situation.

‘But.’

Reflecting on what had just happened, a memory came to mind.

“I’m sorry for breaking my promise and running away back then…”

What exactly did those words that Cobi said to Seyard mean?

“By running away, he meant leaving the monastery after his theft was discovered, right?”

Wasn’t it because he fled alone that only Seyard, who had been close to Cobi, received negative attention from others?

“Then what does breaking a promise mean?”

Kisa tilted her head briefly, then clapped her hands as it dawned on her.

“That’s right, he had arranged to meet but didn’t show up at the meeting place.”

Because of that, Seyard had left the monastery without permission to go to another region, and by an incredible coincidence, was even suspected of murdering his own brother.

“Hmm.”

While Cobi probably didn’t know these intimate details, he had plenty of reasons to feel apologetic toward Seyard.

Kisa sighed deeply, as she still found Cobi to be quite disagreeable.

Even so, she had no intention of interfering in Seyard’s friendships, and she still wanted to have a conversation with Cobi at some point.

Kisa really wanted to know more about Seyard.

How about the three of them having a meal together sometime?

Thinking that she should suggest this to Seyard, Kisa lifted the corners of her mouth.

The thought of possibly learning about different aspects of him made her feel excited.

However, two days later, when Kisa visited the Duke of Hillan’s residence, she had to face a result contrary to her expectations.

“I’m sorry, Kisa. That won’t be possible.”

Seyard said with a troubled face.

“Cobi left the capital. Just yesterday.”