Cassius first calmed down his startled horse and then dealt with the thugs who were trying to harm him.
Then, suddenly, there was a loud sound, and the thugs collapsed.
Bang―!
A thunderous noise, as if something had fallen from a great height, shook the surroundings, unless it was something else.
Cassius realized that the sound was coming from the direction Walter was heading and pulled on the reins. It was because something suddenly occurred to him.
『 No, it can’t be.』
He raced at full speed and arrived at the scene of the accident.
An overturned carriage, terrified horses, and one man lying on the ground.
“What is this…? Walter!”
Cassius helped Walter up from the ground.
“…No…isy…”
Fortunately, he had a tough body, and it didn’t look like even a needle could pierce him, so he was still conscious.
“What about Edith?”
“Is it time for you to worry about others…? I’ll look for her.”
Seeing that Walter was looking for Edith first, Cassius realized that Walter had only bruises and was not seriously injured, so he quickly looked around.
The thug who had been driving the carriage with a mask covering his face appeared to have fallen off the horse and died instantly.
Cassius removed the blood-soaked mask and clicked his tongue.
『 I knew it was Geoffrey.』
The blood that was dripping from Geoffrey’s head spilled all over the ground, and it was genuinely terrifying.
The mark left by a carriage was so colossal that Cassius couldn’t believe it was made with just one axe.
『 I’ve only seen this once during swordsmanship practice before.』
Back then, Walter, who had been pushed to the limit by rigorous training, swung his sword, and the blade reached a distant tree far beyond where the blade could not reach.
Cassius had read in books that genius knights only appeared in a few generations and could perform such unconventional attacks using their aura.
『 How arrogant. You’re doing what your teacher can’t teach you.』
Cassius wanted to take a closer look at the huge mark that Walter had carved into the ground, but he couldn’t do that now.
“Lady Edith, it’s Cassius!”
“Umph…umph!”
As expected, her desperate voice came from inside the carriage compartment.
Thanks to Walter, who had skillfully severed the connection between the carriage and the horses, the carriage compartment did not suffer any significant damage.
Cassius, acting on behalf of the dizzy Walter, found and rescued Edith.
When he removed the gag, Edith got out of the carriage, breathing heavily.
She had intended to express her gratitude, but when she saw the gigantic sword mark on the ground, she lost her words.
“I don’t think this is a carriage mark.”
“That guy made it. As you can see, it wouldn’t be good if it was discovered, so we need to erase it quickly.”
Cassius pointed at Walter with his chin and then began to diligently rub his feet against the ground to erase the mark left by the axe.
It would be problematic if it were revealed that a stableman had created something like this with some unknown power, whether he was an aura user or not.
“Walter, once you receive thanks from the lady, leave here quickly. I’ll take credit for your merits.”
“…”
Walter frowned slightly, but his injuries weren’t severe enough for him not to realize that Cassius was worried about him.
“Thank you, Walter. But your body…”
Seeing Edith tear up as she examined him, all messed up, he had the immature thought that it would be worth going through this trouble a few more times.
At the same time, when he saw the marks left on Edith’s body, he felt uncomfortable.
In his heart, he wanted to bring the man who had already died back to life and give him a good beating.
How dare this gambler…
Walter was gritting his teeth, trying to find the axe he had dropped somewhere.
However, when he saw Edith anxiously examining him, he realized that he couldn’t afford to look like a scoundrel.
“If you stay here as if Cassius has saved you, people will come.”
Walter lightly brushed the dust off Edith’s arms and left.
While Walter forced his still-injured body to move as he left the scene, Cassius took out the axe deeply embedded in the ground and struck the carriage several times, making it look as if he had broken the joint of the carriage.
When the knights arrived a few minutes later, all traces of Walter’s strange powers had already disappeared.
──────────✿◦•
“Thanks to Cassius’s appropriate handling, it seems that both the baby and Lady Edith are safe.”
Eugene said after checking Edith’s pulse.
Sophia, who had been anxious that something might go wrong with the baby due to all the commotion, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Oh my, Edith… What a relief. What kind of commotion is this at a pregnancy celebration party?!”
“Yeah… How’s Vivian?”
“She has some bruises on her legs, but she’ll recover quickly.”
Sophia left the room, grumbling about how all this fuss was because of a mere commoner gambler.
Edith asked Eugene for something as he was packing his medicine bag.
“I think my muscles are a bit strained. Could you give me some ointment for that?”
“Of course, I’ll provide you with plenty of herbal oil. It’s suitable for bruises and muscle strains so that you can apply it generously all over your body.”
Eugene brought out four bottles of herbal oil, explaining that they contain natural ingredients that are safe to use while pregnant.
After he left, Edith put one bottle of herbal oil into a drawer.
『 I need to take care of Vivian when she comes.』
Although Sophia had assured her that Vivian’s examination results were fine, she still wanted to give her medicine.
『 Is Walter alright? He probably didn’t even get a medical examination.』
Because he risked his life to stop the carriage, Edith only suffered minor bruises.
However, as he jumped off his galloping horse and rolled onto the dirt, it seemed like he was not in good physical shape.
She thought having someone give him a bottle of the herbal oil would be a good idea.
Edith, having made up her mind, headed to the hallway to find a suitable servant.
It was already late, and most of them had retired to their quarters, but fortunately, Cassius, who had just finished reporting to Sophia, was passing by.
“Cassius! Can you give this to Walter?”
Upon hearing this, he seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.
“I will take you there safely, so how about if M’lady delivers it yourself?”
Edith nodded at Cassius after confirming that he was a very capable person and even had a good sense of combat.
『 I also have something to talk about with Walter anyway.』
With Cassius’ guidance, she was able to reach a cabin beyond the stables.
“I’ll take a moment to look around. Please go inside.”
Cassius kindly gestured towards the locked door, which he quickly unlocked and held open for her.
Edith cautiously entered before speaking.
“Walter, are you inside?”
Walter, who had been lying down inside, thinking that the visitor was Cassius, suddenly rushed out, making a loud noise.
“What brings you here, M’lady?”
“I have something to discuss, so may I come in? I’ve also brought some medicine.”
Edith asked Walter to light the lamp and then awkwardly made him sit on the bed.
She sat next to him and examined his injuries.
Earlier, he pretended like nothing had happened, but now she could see that his arm was a mess from being swept across the ground.
“It seems like your face is the only thing that’s fine.”
Walter responded playfully to her words.
“I think you mentioned last time that you would take a look at my body as well.”
“… You know it’s not like that. What about your back and shoulders?”
“There’s no need to worry that much.”
“Really?”
Knowing that it couldn’t be that simple, Edith gently pressed his back and shoulders. Then his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“See? I’ll apply some ointment. You’ll get better faster in a few days if you use it rather than not applying.”
Edith urged him to take off his shirt. Dealing with injuries like these was something she had done as part of her profession for years, so she didn’t have trouble doing it when needed.
“…”
But looking at Walter’s body felt different. She became acutely aware that she was looking at the naked body of a man, not a patient.
He had broader shoulders and back than any man she had ever seen in her life.
Despite knowing that she should examine his injuries and bruises first, her eyes were drawn to his well-defined muscles, more vivid than those in a textbook.
Without realizing it, she unconsciously placed her hand on his back.
Then, she was suddenly surprised that she had done such a thing.
“I-I’m applying the me-medicine.”
Edith, who made an excuse before he could ask, quickly tried to open the bottle of herbal oil.
But no matter how hard she tried, the cork wouldn’t come out, and Walter ended up snatching it from her.
“I think if you work at a clinic for a long time, you will be able to apply medicine without opening the cap.”
Walter lightly opened the cork of the herb oil.
Edith’s face turned red when his coquettish tone made it seem like he knew the real reason why she touched his back.
She strongly wanted to change the subject before getting tangled up in an embarrassing conversation.
“The gambler named Geoffrey said something strange before he kidnapped me. He claimed that I am pregnant with your child and not the Viscount’s child.”
As she smelled the herbal scent, Edith could barely concentrate on the medical practice.
She continued, not noticing that Walter’s lips were pressed together because of her touch.
“It sounded like he believed the Viscount had taken me to have your child.”
“…”
Walter was somewhat dumbfounded.
He was diligently listening to the information Edith was providing, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find the words to respond, especially while she was tending to his injuries so tenderly.
Is she aware of what she’s saying while teasing a vigorous man like this?
“Well, I guess you think the stork will bring the baby or something.”
Edith wanted to argue back.
“I’m not a kid, and I even took the medical entrance exam, for heaven’s sake.”
“You talk as if you know nothing about how babies are made.”
“What do you mean? I’ve read the sex and reproduction section over 40 times, even though it’s not even within the scope of the exam.”
“…?”
Walter was once again perplexed because of what she said.
Why did she read so much about that part in particular?
It was only then that Edith realized what she had said and regretted it.
She felt like if she avoided making eye contact, he would persistently tease her, so she thought it would be better to speak confidently.
“…I have desires too.”
The moment she said that, Walter felt a strong impulse that he had never felt before.
If she had desires, he thought he could fulfill them.
Until a moment ago, his whole body had been sore and aching as he rolled on the dirty ground, but now only one part of his body felt that way.
His heart was pounding so hard that it felt unbearable, but as he regained his senses, he gently caressed Edith’s cheek, closing the distance between them.
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
