Save Me

10. That Word Lingering In My ears.

 

“Ah, I’ve been acting so grumpy.”

Blatt muttered, scratching the back of his head.

As if these words were embarrassing, Blatt’s neck was already bright red.

“Well, I understand.”

Jillian smiled lightly as he put on the military gear provided in the preparation room.

“We were supposed to get married next spring, but I ended up pushing it forward.”

“Oh, it’s definitely not because of that.”

“Okay, okay, let’s say it isn’t.”

Unlike Blatt, the leader of the 7th Fortress, who claimed his innocence with a lump in his throat, Jillian seemed unable to hold back his laughter the entire time.

“Can’t you understand? That was what really happened.”

The situation was like this.

When Jillian arrived in the Northern Territory with the princess who had become the Lady of the North, Blatt discovered four groups of monsters.

This was a situation in which Duke Gillian had to step forward.

But, the problem was this.

Jillian had just returned with a new bride.

But even though he was considered the second-best knight in the North after Jillian, facing a monster was always daunting.

However, there was not one group of monsters, but four groups.

This was no ordinary surprise.

Fortunately, they were of a small species, but Blatt was well aware that the a moment of arrogance could swallow up the entire Northern Territory.

So he sent a messenger, but before Jillian crossed the 6th fortress and reached the 7th fortress, the swarm of monsters surrounding the fortress all retreated, as if they had received a call from someone.

He couldn’t believe it even when he saw it with own eyes.

Even when their comrades died right next to it, and even when it became the last one, the monster never retreated.

However, they went away like an a reversed tide.

Who on earth would believe this?

Thanks to this, Blatt ended up being completely grumpy towards the newly married duke.

He was now desperately claiming his innocence, but in fact, he didn’t think the duke would believe him.

“No, they were really surrounding the fortress.”

“Okay, okay.”

In just a moment, Jillian was fully dressed in her attire and was inserting a dagger into the harness on his leg with familiar movement.

Steadily.

He inserted each dagger in their respective place.

Normally, he used a long sword when dealing with monsters, so there was no need for a harness or dagger.

So that’s……

Blatt, who was desperately claiming his innocence, opened his eyes wide.

“Would you like to hunt?”

“Huh.”

Jillian picked up the bow as if it were natural.

Hunting?

I may be saying things that you don’t believe, but didn’t I say that a monster came rushing in?

Even if you don’t believe that it’s four groups, and even if you don’t believe that they retreated on their own, you have to believe that a monster came out!

“Didn’t you hear that a swarm of monsters came a while ago? You can summon a knight to the barracks now and ask him.”

I could even accept being perceived as a lair!

However, this time too, Jillian responded with a light tone of ‘I believe’ and began to gather arrowheads.

“Do you really believe it? Then why are you preparing for hunting? Who doesn’t know that after a group of monsters pass by, there are always leftovers hanging around?”

You didn’t believe a word I said, did you?

“No, and whether there is a monster or not, who is hunting at this time of night? Isn’t that absurd?”

Blatt huffed, but only for a moment.

“It’s not like our hunting can be interrupted by just a few animals. Come on.”

Ans so Jillian did not go hunting alone.¹That poor thing😂.

 

***

 

“Can’t you walk a little slower?”

Blatt chased after Jillian, who was running away with his long legs, with all his might.

He had been standing guard a little while ago, but he couldn’t understand how he ended up hunting in the middle of the night.

“Be quiet. Are you planning to wake up all the beasts?”

“Huh, huh, duke, why on earth are you hunting at this time of night? Don’t have to hurry back to the Duke’s castle…”

Suddenly, Blatt’s mouth, which had been grumbling, closed tightly.

It thought that it was a good thing that the young duke, who was indifferent to everything, got married, but he suddenly realised who the bride was.

“It’s okay to just rest in my place. It’s not like I would mind.”

Sak.

Blatt whispered to Jillian, who was hiding behind a tree.

“Shh.”

Jillian put his index finger in front of his lips, then as if he was aiming for something, he immediately fired an arrow.

There was a sharp sound of something cutting through the wind, followed by the sound of something thick being pierced.

The surrounding area was quiet.

The arrow pierced the pray.

It died in a single shot.

This was something he was used to, but even Blatt was startled when Jillian picked up his prey.

“This……!”

“What do you think? Is this pretty enough?”

“No, no, isn’t this a Giant rabbit.”

A Giant Rabbit was a small, relatively cute-looking monster with white fur that was shaped like a rabbit’s, but much larger.

That’s is what it looks like until it opens its mouth, of course.

A Giant Rabbit was about the size of a small bear, and when it opened its mouth that was twice as big as that of a bear’s, you can see its mouth that was filled with four layers of sharp teeth.

Once bitten, nothing could withstand it.

It was an annoying type that you should never be engaged with in close combat.

“Who said I don’t believe you?”

Jillian held up the limp Giant Rabbit.

After the group of monsters passed by, a Giant Rabbit would be found in the place that they passed through which is a strong indicator for their presence.

It only looked like a rabbit, but its body was large and heavy, so its movements were slow.

However, compared to its slow movements, it has a good bite force, and even if you don’t actively attack it, it will attack first when it catches sight of you, so it was not an easy opponent.

However, this guy managed to catch it only after one arrow shot.

Normally an arrow wouldn’t even get stuck in the fur.

But he caught that thing with an arrow?

“You used only an arrow to catch that Giant Rabbit? No, was that even an arrow?”

“I tied a dagger to the end of the arrow.”

Jillian answered kindly, but he still wasn’t convinced.

“He can kill a giant rabbit with a dagger, is that even possible? Is there any different if it was an arrow or a dagger? Is this a skill that other ‘humans’ can also use?”

While Blatt muttered, lost in his mind at the incredible sight, Jillian hunted two more.

When three giant rabbits were piled up, they were about the size of an adult man.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

Was he quite angry at having a private meeting with the Emperor?

Well, having the princess as his wife would of course anger him.

Blatt asked cautiously.

But his answer was unexpected.

“Wouldn’t it be bad if my wife caught a cold?”

What?

It was a statement as incomprehensible as that of a horde of monsters that had disappeared by themselves.

 

***

 

Even though I rode my horse as fast as I could, the moon was very slanted when I returned to the main castle from the 7th Fortress.

Jillian handed over the reins to the knight who greeted him and walked straight into the main castle.

Even though he tried to come back quickly, it was too late.

“What about your wife?”

Jillian asked a question as he took off his frozen coat from the snow and handed it to Hailey.

Hailey naturally accepted the frozen clothes Jillian handed her and assisted him.

“She is sleeping.”

“What about her meals?”

“She ate only a bite.”

“Didn’t she have dinner?”

“She just wanted a bath. She also refused to let me serve her and prepared herself for bed alone.”

It was then that the corners of Gillian’s eyes, which had been loose, narrowed.

“Didn’t I tell you to serve her without fail?”

Hailey quietly bowed her head as she felt his cold gaze that did not have a shred of warmth.

“I thought it would be more rude to force her.”

“Who made that decision?”

“I dared to guess what the madam would feel like.”

Jillian’s fierce eyes lost some of their strength.

“This is Baloch territory. I thought she might have been more comfortable being alone.”

Jillian was silent for a long time, as if lost in thought.

Crack.

Jillian, who was trying to untie the frozen harness with force, burst into laughter at the sight of Hailey naturally holding out her hand.

“Aren’t you even angry?”

“That’s not possible.”

Hailey grinned.

It was a genuine laugh that did not convey the slightest hint of discomfort.

Jillian muttered as if sighing at the sight of her.

“I took out my anger on you for no reason. I’m sorry Hailey.”

“It is nothing, Duke.”

“No, it was just a pointless anger outburst when I heard that she was sleeping alone.”

It felt like I am making an excuse.

Jillian, who was rubbing his face, added ‘I’m sorry’ one more time and lightly gave a chin gesture.

“There’s giant rabbits outside. Would three be enough?”

“I think it’s enough.”

Hayley bowed silently and left immediately.

Jillian, who was alone, stood frozen for a moment, but quickly moved when his frozen clothes began to thaw and a fishy smell wafted out.

It took 30 minutes for him to wash off the giant rabbit smell and return to his clean-cut appearance.

Bianca was already asleep.

However, the pace at which he climbed the stairs became faster and faster, and in the end, Jillian jumped up four stairs at once.

‘Bye.’

It was because of the greeting that had been lingering in his head for a while.

A greeting from Bianca, who said she had been abandoned.

‘Bye‘

It sounded like she was asking me to come back, so I was impatient.

“Ha..”

Because Jillian couldn’t control his facial expressions, he couldn’t open the door right away even when he arrived in front of the bedroom.

How long had it been since then?

I felt calm only after my body, which had been warmed by the hot bath water, cooled down.

Creak.

The bedroom door opened with the sound of a lock turning.

A warm breeze reminiscent of midsummer enveloped him through the opened door, but Jillian’s frozen face did not soften.

……What was this?

Jillian didn’t quite understand what he was seeing.

“Madam?”

His voice was tight and sounded hoarse.

“Madam?”

“Bianca!”

Jillian ran straight to pick up Bianca, who had fallen to the floor.

“Bianca? Bianca!”

The light body, which was uncontrollably fragile, became limp and swayed as he shook it.

Jillian got goosebumps at the sight of Bianca with her white neck hanging down.

“Bianca! Open your eyes!”

Jillian screamed.

However, Bianca’s closed eyes did not open.

Her skin was not so white anymore but had become bluish.

A slender, motionless body.

And an inaudible heartbeat.

Jillian hysterically put his head against Bianca’s chest.

A terrible cold seeped down the cheek that was touching Bianca.

A chill that was hard to believe it was coming from a living person.

“Ahh….”

It was at that moment that his golden eyes became wide open.

 

***

TL:

It felt really good to know that Jillian was a really kind person not just a fabricate, I look forward to the rest of the story more.

What do you think?