MWC Chapter 31

31. I Will Protect You.

 

Crash!

Adelen flinched at the loud commotion outside.

It had been a while since the last raid.

Rakalt had hidden Adelen and the baby in the dressing room before drawing his sword and stepping outside.

Adelen hugged the baby tightly, patting his back soothingly.

“It’s okay, little one. Everything will be alright…”

“Awua? Naa?”

To her astonishment, the baby was far calmer than she was, looking up at her with bright eyes and even breaking into a smile.

Occasionally, he glanced toward the source of the loud noises, but his interest never lasted long.

His boldness persisted even as he grew. Any ordinary child would have burst into tears in such a situation, but this little one simply smiled.

And so, it was Adelen who cried instead.

“Ugh… I’m so scared…!”¹Get your self together girl 🤭. You’ve gotta save some face in front of the baby.

No matter how many times she faced an attack, it was always terrifying.

Though she was supposed to protect the baby, she found herself relying on his warmth to steady her nerves.

“I’m sorry, little one… I’m such a useless kidnapper…”

This wasn’t the first time Adelen had blamed herself.

Initially, her only focus was on caring for the baby, but after two or three consecutive raids, she began questioning her actions.

‘This child… Even if he returns to his kingdom, he has no parents waiting for him.’

Rakalt had pointed this out when Adelen wavered under the weight of her guilt.

If the baby were taken by Morn, who knew what kind of life awaited him?

Even if his uncle, General Kias, took him in, there was no guarantee he’d be cared for properly.

As a man of war, Kias might not even feel any attachment to the prince.

In the worst case, the child could end up being used as a pawn, caught in a web of exploitation.

Though she didn’t fully trust Rakalt’s words, Adelen chose to believe in her own efforts.

She knew she was doing her best for the baby.

“It’s over. You can come out now.”

A familiar knight’s voice called through the door after the noise outside died down.

“Th-The bodies…?”

“They’re all cleaned up.”

“The blood too?”

“Yeah, it’s all wiped… Oh, wait, the table leg over there. Oh, yeah. Now it’s all cleaned.”

The area around the table was taken care of.

Adelen swallowed back tears and opened the door.

The cleaning was being finalized, and the windows were opened for ventilation. There was no sign of the fierce battle that had taken place moments ago. Yet the faint smell of blood lingered, and the atmosphere remained unsettled.

Adelen took a deep breath to calm her trembling chest and began searching for her master with her eyes.

“Master.”

“Hold on.”

Rakalt, who had been listening to the knight’s report, glanced at Adelen and raised his palm.

The signal to stay back halted Adelen’s steps.

Rakalt rolled up his sleeve. His quick movements were almost too fast to follow, but Adelen distinctly saw the bloodstain at the cuff.

“You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

Adelen’s brows furrowed.

She stepped closer, concern for her master’s injuries overriding her unease about the bloody garment.

“The smell of blood is still…”

“The smell doesn’t bother me anymore.”

Adelen replied, her pale face belying her words.

Her lips were pressed together firmly, but her trembling eyes betrayed her anxiety.

“You look like you’re about to faint.”

Rakalt braced himself to catch both Adelen and the baby if needed as he observed her closely.

“I’m fine. It’s not like I’m the one injured.”

Despite her words, her tear-streaked face, resembling rain-streaked glass, lacked much conviction.

Still, Rakalt felt oddly compelled to respect her determination.

Adelen sniffled and began examining Rakalt’s body closely.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m not.”

“You say that, but you always get hurt.”

There had been multiple occasions when Rakalt was unaware of his own injuries, which Adelen had spotted.

They were minor scratches that wouldn’t even be considered wounds on a battlefield.

Rakalt often didn’t feel them until Adelen pointed them out, her face pale with worry.

After several such instances, she stopped merely worrying and began scolding him with an intensity he had never experienced, even from his mother or nursemaids.

Watching Adelen scrutinize him like this now, Rakalt let out a small laugh.

Was this loyalty or meddling? 

Considering how quickly she had grown attached to an enemy crown prince, caring for him like he was her own, it seemed more like meddling.

“We’ll take our leave now,” said the knights who had finished cleaning up.

They had sent the most blood-soaked ones out first and left the relatively presentable ones to tidy up.

“Thank you for your hard work. Please be careful on your way back.”

Adelen said, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.

Rakalt found it baffling. Why thank people for merely doing their job?

“You must have your hands full worrying about everyone else.”

Rakalt remarked sharply, almost without thinking.

“Excuse me?”

Adelen turned to him with wide eyes. And Rakalt took the chance to scold her.

“Instead of worrying about others, worry about yourself first. Take care of yourself.”

“Oh…”

Adelen blushed.

“I’m sorry. I guess it’s a habit I picked up from looking after my younger siblings.”

“Did that orphanage teacher of yours also teach you to be foolishly kind and prioritize others over yourself?”

“Not exactly…”

Adelen mumbled, her lips pouting slightly. She felt as if she were being scolded, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

She had never been reprimanded for looking out for others before, so this was unfamiliar territory.

And foolishly kind?

“I’m not foolishly kind. I only care for the people I want to care for. That’s why I don’t bother with Morn’s assassins, isn’t it?”

If she were truly a fool, she would have cried over even the assassins, feeling sorry for them.

She would have spouted nonsense like, ‘Can’t we find a peaceful solution without killing them?!’

But Adelen wasn’t like the kind princesses in fairy tales. She valued her own safety and her homeland more than the lives of those assassins.

“But why do they keep attacking us the same way? It’s like they’re sending them to die knowing it won’t work.”

Adelen’s observation was surprisingly sharp.

Rakalt looked at her with renewed interest.

She might seem naïve at times, but she was no fool.

“They’re not all coming from one person. That’s why their tactics vary.”

“Not from one person…?”

“Morn doesn’t have a central authority right now. Whoever secures the crown prince essentially becomes king. So they’re too busy fighting each other.”

“Oh…”

Adelen looked down at the baby in her arms, her expression conflicted.

Even the hands extended to ‘rescue’ him weren’t truly for his sake.

Born into royalty, yet with no one to rely on—his circumstances weren’t so different from her own.

Unconsciously, Adelen hugged the baby tightly.

“Does that mean the attacks will continue?”

“Who knows? We’ll have to wait and see. But they’re nothing to worry about.”

Despite dismissing the attacks, Rakalt’s eyes gleamed with determination.

When he had first met the king, he thought the assaults would cease entirely. But human greed for power was more relentless than he had anticipated.

The world wasn’t full of people like this foolishly earnest maid standing before him.

“Protecting someone like you is nothing. So don’t worry about anything.”

It was a general’s duty to protect his allies.

Adelen, too, was someone under his care—a foolish maid who had become his responsibility.

No matter who dared to attack, Rakalt silently vowed to ensure that Adelen, at least, would never be harmed.