49. A Stinging Feeling.
“Madam! Why didn’t you call me? If you had just pulled the rope, I would have come to get you right away!”
Julie was perplexed at the sight of Bianca entering the bedroom alone.
“Oh my goodness, you came all that way alone! It’s dangerous!”
“What ‘all that way’. Julie, don’t be so excited.”
Bianca almost cried at the sight of Julie making a scene on the short walk from the office to her bedroom, but held it back.
“But, madam, what noble lady goes out alone without a maid or escort? You must never do that again.”
“Oh my goodness. I didn’t know Julie could be this noisy. Are you okay, Madam?”
“Hailey?”
Only after Hailey, who couldn’t stand to watch anymore, stepped forward did Julie’s chatter stop.
The look of surprise on Julie’s face when she saw Hailey belatedly seemed to indicate that Julie only saw Bianca.
“Should I say that you have good concentration or that you are absent-minded?”
Hailey, who was clicking her tongue at Julie audibly, dragged Bianca to the sofa in front of the fireplace.
“Julie, go and get me a cup of tea.”
“Yes, Hailey.”
After sending Julie on an errand, Hailey deftly gathered up a lap blanket and draped it over Bianca’s lap.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“You don’t know how cold your hands are right now. Madam, please always be careful in this cold weather.”
“It was just for a moment.”
“It was just for a moment, but it was longer than usual, wasn’t it?”
Hailey knelt down in front of Bianca as if it was natural and continued talking, recalling the situation from a moment ago.
“Please consider it a danger even if it was for just a moment. You must never ignore it. I’m very worried since you haven’t adapted to the cold in the north yet, so please take care.”
“Thank you for earlier.”
She smiled at Hailey as she explained her worries in detail.
The reason Bianca’s body had become so cold was because of the argument with Elizabeth, the captain of the Sixth Citadel, whom she had met on her way back to the bedroom.
She thought she would understand if she spoke to her sharply.
But she was a proud knight.
The words of anyone other than the other knights had no effect on her.
Bianca could still hear Elizabeth’s words clearly in her ears.
“I wish you could just rest at home! You’re not a knight, so you can have such complacent thoughts.”
“Don’t be so sharp-tongued and be careful of what you say.”
“Do you know how to deal with waves? The Duke fights alone against a horde of monsters. Some of those monsters are as big as houses, and they are all waiting for an opportunity to tear him apart!”
Who doesn’t know that?
I know, that’s why I thought he should at least rest at ‘home’ from that horror.
But even that is blocked by the word ‘complacent’!
How can people be so merciless to Baloch himself?
“Ugh!”
But Bianca’s anger had no time to explode.
Elizabeth didn’t even give Bianca a chance to speak and screamed.
“The princess’s ridiculous and carefree words will kill the duke!”
Who will get killed?!
“Do you think only the Duke will die? If the Duke falls, everyone in Baloch will die.”
“Sir! Shut your mouth up.”
“No, it’s not me who should shut my mouth…!”
“You are talking about the duties of a knight in a charitable manner?”
Suddenly, Hailey interjected, her voice breaking through the hushed noise.
Bianca didn’t even know when she’d arrived, but Hailey interjected to Elizabeth’s words so naturally.
Her vision was suddenly obscured.
Bianca was quite tall in the capital.
If she didn’t wear shoes that were almost flat, she would stand out at banquet halls alone. So sometimes she would wonder if she was too tall.
But now Bianca had withdrawn that thought.
She wished she was a little taller.
Then, wouldn’t it have seemed like she was leading Hailey rather than hiding behind her?
She was so heated that her thoughts started to wander childishly.
But it seemed like Bianca wasn’t the only one who was heated.
Elizabeth confronted Hailey straight away.
“What did you just say? Hailey Armour! Charitable!”
“Captain Elizabeth Swann. What you just said is a knight’s duty. It does not mean you are doing favors to others.”
“So I shall ask you not to mention your natural duty as a flaunt.”
Hailey spoke politely to Elizabeth, who was glaring at her as if she was going to tear her apart.
“Behave like a knight. You are being unreasonable now. Who can deprive his lord of rest?”
“Hailey Armour!”
“Didn’t we promise loyalty to our lord, consideration for the weak, and unchanging devotion? I wonder if your words now bring shame to the name of a knight…”
“Why is it that Hailey Armour, of all people, bothers to interfere in this?”
“Because I am the chief maid appointed by the Duke. It is my job to organize and manage the Baloch main castle, so this is strictly my job and not an interference.”
Hailey was holding Bianca’s hand the whole time.
It was a silent plea to leave this to her.
Although it was unfortunate that she was unable to subdue Elizabeth Swann by herself, Hailey’s intervention was timely.
Bianca clearly remembered Elizabeth calling her ‘Princess’.
To Elizabeth, she was not a duchess, but a ‘Termina’.
No matter how much she spoke, it seemed like no one would want to hear.
Although she didn’t feel it in the main castle, it seemed that the resentment was spread more widely in the Baloch Territory than she thought.
Bianca decided to accept the situation.
This was not a problem that could be solved overnight; it was something that needed to be taken care of over a long period of time.
“I know you are sensitive because the Citadel has taken down, but please do not blame others.”
After giving her a final, stinging remark, Hailey walked Bianca to her bedroom.
“…Madam?”
“Huh?”
Bianca came to her senses at the sound of Hailey’s voice calling her.
I thought it took just a moment, but it seemed that I was so focused that I missed what she was saying.
“Aren’t you very upset?”
“What could I be upset about? I can guess what’s going on.”
“What?”
“I know a little about what happened during this wave. There were so many monsters that a castle collapsed and many knights were injured. It’s no wonder she is so sensitive in such a situation.”
“That is her business. It is clearly an act of insubordination to dare to call Madam ‘princess’ and speak ill of her.”
Oh, this stiff speech.
Bianca smiled faintly at the sight of Hailey speaking in a stiff tone like Elizabeth.
I thought she was okay because she faced the situation without any change in expression, but now that I look back, it seems she was quite nervous.
“I know that. It doesn’t mean what she did was good. But…”
Bianca reached over the blanket on her lap and tucked Hailey’s flowing side hair behind her ear.
“I saw a monster too.”
“…”
“I’ve come to know a little bit about how horrible it is. I’ve been so terrified of a single wyvern that I can’t stop thinking about it, but it is nothing compared to a wave. It’s natural for her to feel tense.”
“But, Madam, Elizabeth’s attitude is…”
“I’m okay. It’s fine. If there’s someone who reacts that sensitively, it makes me feel even safer, right?”
I’m okay.
As long as Baloch is safe.
“If I don’t lose anyone, I’m fine. So what if I feel a little hurt? If I don’t lose the people I care about, I’ll listen to it over and over again, even tens of thousands of times.”
“…”
Hailey, who wanted to point out Elizabeth’s attitude with the word ‘but,’ fell silent and said nothing more.
The expressions of Julie, who was preparing tea, and Rappin, who was guarding Bianca’s room, were somehow strange.
They had such indescribable expressions that it was hard for Bianca to open her mouth, as they seemed sad, angry, and happy at the same time.
“I won’t die.”
“…Yes, yes.”
Julie’s chattering words as she put down her teacup were so welcome.
“I will survive until the end and not make you sad, Madam.”
“That’s great.”
Bianca was happy to accept Julie’s oath, although she didn’t know what could be so dangerous here, the last line of defense and the stronghold of the Baloch.
***
Who would have thought that none other than Hailey Armour would come forward and blame her?
Elizabeth still couldn’t believe it.
It was like she was hiding the princess behind her back like a baby while pouring out criticisms at her, that Hailey Armour!
Was she crazy?
Elizabeth was sincere.
Once the wave preparation for each castle was over, the captains all rushed to the 7 castles to protect the Duke, and begin the defense battle.
It was truly hell back then.
Those creatures who climbed over the wall were quite difficult to deal with.
They were monsters that had the intelligence and stamina to climb over walls, as well as the hunger to do all of this.
It was absolutely horrific.
Regular knights usually move in groups of three, or four if there are new recruits.
But the captains do not.
They have skills several times greater than those of a regular knight.
If they were grouped together, their efficiency might increase, but their defensive range would be significantly reduced.
So, unless it’s a fairly large monster, the captains usually move alone.
But the captains are also human.
It meant that even the captains would get tired.
‘Lizzy! Come to your senses!’
It was Hailey Armor who held her from falling apart and made her go through that hell.
‘Lizzy! Put your sword up!’
‘Just rest for a minute behind me!’
*Elizabeth Swann POV*
I think it was during the third wave last winter.
Last year, the second and third waves occurred within three days.
Not only did I not get to check my weapons, I had to be attacked by a monster again before I could even fully recover from my fatigue.
At that time, I stepped forward, prepared to die.
Everyone was so exhausted that it was literally impossible to take care of anyone, but Hailey was happy to hide me behind her back, when I was too exhausted to even lift my sword.
I then took a breath and laughed, saying I would rest for a minute.
The green cloak standing in front of me was so vivid.
*End of Elizabeth Swann POV*
“But, you, of all people?”
Elizabeth’s eyes hardened.
She should know full well what it meant to risk their lives.
But, she, who endured that time together, said that to her?
‘Please behave like a knight.’
As if seeing her for the first time.
She was dressed in unfamiliar attire and had an unfamiliar face, but just like before, she was hiding someone behind her back.
“Ha…”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Only when Elizabeth heard Jillian’s voice did she realize that she had requested a private meeting again regarding the maintenance of the Sixth Citadel.
Everything was the same.
Two years ago, last year, and now as she spent another winter, the duke’s office had always remained the same.
She herself hadn’t changed either.
But why did everything around her change?
The captain who had willingly turned her back on her and volunteered to be the chief maid.
The seat that was supposed to be hers was taken by another woman.
And…
“Are you feeling well?”
The man who had never smiled before was smiling.
What is this stinging feeling that makes my eyes burn?
