The whereabouts of the heart (10)
The sky that looked like it might rain at any moment yesterday cleared up the next day.
The fog that used to hang over us every morning was nowhere to be seen today. The cold had also eased considerably.
'But why is it so late...'
There was no news from the knights who had been expected to leave for two days.
I bit my lip as I looked out the window.
'Did something happen?'
No matter how thoroughly you prepare for battle, unexpected things often happen.
Even though I saw the effectiveness of the anti-monster herb with my own eyes, I couldn't shake off my anxiety.
Could it be that the Knights' feet were tied because something unexpected happened? Could it be that the number of monsters was much greater than expected?
'I hope you're not hurt.'
All sorts of negative thoughts followed one after another. Eventually, I began to imagine Ian or Kalit getting hurt.
Unable to bear the feeling of anxiety, I paced around the bedroom.
It would have been a little better if I had someone to talk to.
Unfortunately, Vivian was sent to Hugh, and Nadia was sent to the GoIden Tree, so no one was there.
Should I call another employee and go to Rahon? As I was thinking about that, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The person who opened the door and came in was Rahon.
He asked me as I stood there blankly in the middle of the bedroom.
"Why are you standing there?"
"Ah... I was just thinking for a moment..."
"What are you thinking about?"
"..."
Rajon clicked his tongue slightly and grabbed my hand...
"I knew you'd be like this. Are you worried about the Knights?"
"Yes."
"It's not over just by killing the monster. Because of the contamination issue, we have to burn the corpse and clean up the rest. If we do all that, it could easily take a day or two."
"I know, too."
"Still feeling anxious?"
"..."
As I hesitated and couldn't answer, Rahon pulled me towards him.
"Let's go out."
"Where?"
"When you keep having distracting thoughts, the best thing to do is to get some fresh air. Let's go out and ride a horse."
"Nadia hasn't come yet. I'll just stay in the bedroom."
"Why are you looking for Nadia when I'm here? Let's go."
"Oh!"
Rahon grabbed my hand tightly.
Then, he lifted me up in his arms like a Princess while I was staggering under the force and carried me out of the bedroom.
As the two of us appeared in the hallway, the employees stopped and bowed their heads. Without realizing it, I patted Rahon on the shoulder.
"Ra, Rahon! Please come down quickly!"
"Why, if I give you a lift you'll go back to your bedroom and dig in the ground?"
"Please come down and speak! What if someone sees you?"
"No one is watching."
Lie!
So are those employees who are staring at me with rabbit eyes, not people but dolls?
"Yes, I'm going to ride a horse. So please let me walk!"
"Hey, I'm going down the stairs right now, so stay still. If I misstep, we'll both end up in the hole."
"Ah..."
Tails came into view from one floor below, looking up at us with his mouth wide open.
I covered my face with both hands.
I thought the embarrassment would go away if I didn't see it, but it didn't. My face quickly turned red.
Rahon let me down only after I went out in front of the castle.
I grumbled to myself and reached out to the stable keeper to ask him for a horse. He quickly held out his arm.
I grabbed his sturdy arm and pinched it with all my might.
"Ugh!"
He screamed and jumped.
Huh, without even feeling sick.
How could it hurt when I couldn't even pinch the muscle properly because it was so tight?
"Don't joke around. I know it doesn't hurt."
"Oh, I got caught."
How shameless is the fact that answers so indifferently? I couldn't help but laugh because it was so shocking.
He just stared at me, smiling faintly.
In the meantime, the stable keeper came in, leading a white horse. Rahon tapped my crown.
"Let's go."
Rahon put me on the horse first and then climbed on his back.
"Hey!"
The white horse kicked the ground and started to run.
The wind swept us away quickly.
It was cool rather than cold. I leaned my back against Rahon's chest and quietly closed my eyes.
My five senses became more accurate.
The smell of damp earth, the smell of burning wood, the sound of horse hooves, and the sound of Rahon's heart beating quickly.
"..."
When I opened my eyes again, a wide field spread out before my eyes.
I feel like my stuffy chest has been cleared. At this moment, even the negative thoughts that had been sticking to me seemed to have disappeared.
As we crossed the fields and entered the trail, Rahon pulled on the reins.
The white horse that had been galloping quickly slowed down and walked slowly.
The leisurely clatter of horse hooves put my mind at ease.
"Isn't it cool?"
"Yes, it's really good that I came out."
"Look at that."
He playfully poked my crown with the tip of his chin. He seems like an uncle trying to cheer up his niece who is upset.
I was smiling faintly, and his voice tickled my ears.
"You have a tendency to try to solve everything yourself. Don't do that. When you have problems that can't be solved, leave them to someone else."
"That's a bit. I have to take care of my own business."
"Is that your problem? It's other people's problem too. But why are you the only one suffering? What are you going to do if you get another headache?"
"Hmm..."
"It's okay to lean on them a little more. If it's hard, it's hard. If it's painful, you can complain and scream. No one will say anything to you."
The soft voice seems to warm my heart.
'You told me not to cross the line.'
I felt grateful and happy for him to try to cheer me up whenever I looked anxious.
From some point on, whenever I'm with Rahon, I feel like I'm standing under the shade of a large maple tree on a hot midsummer day.
Before I knew it, Rahon had become someone who gave me both relief and comfort.
"Rahon..."
Thank you.
Before I could finish speaking, water droplets fell from the sky.
"Huh? It's raining?"
"Hey, come here."
Rahon hurriedly took off his coat, put it on my head, and rode his horse.
Luckily, there was a small shelter in the middle of the trail. We left the horse outside and went into the shelter alone to avoid the rain.
"It's raining. If you wait a little, it'll stop soon. Are you cold?"
"I'm fine. Rahon, please put on your coat quickly."
"Don't you know I won't be able to use my powers for a while? Just wear It because it'll be a headache if you catch a cold."
"Still..."
"I am strong against the cold."
'Prison was much colder than this,' Rahon whispered as he took my hand.
At that moment, raindrops began to drip down my forehead and clung to my eyelashes.
I closed my eyes reflexively. As I was about to wipe the rainwater off with my sleeve since I didn't have a handkerchief, Rahon grabbed my wrist.
"Don't rub it. You might hurt your eyes."
"If you have a handkerchief, could you lend me one?"
"...I'll clean it for you."
"Yes?"
"Don't open your eyes."
"Ah, yes..."
Rahon cupped my cheek with his hand and slowly wiped it away.
"...?"
It seemed like all the moisture had been wiped off, but he didn't take his hand off. Silence fell on the small shelter.
"Why?"
"..."
Unable to bear the awkwardness, I slowly opened my eyes. Rahon was looking down at me with his mouth tightly shut.
"Rahon, why..."
"...The rain stopped."
Already? Before I could even check outside, Rahon had me, who was feeling flustered, on a horse. Until we reached the castle, Rahon didn't say a word. I don't know why he suddenly became so depressed.
'What did I do wrong? Should I ask?'
While we were thinking about it, a carriage approached us.
When the distance became sufficiently close, the window opened wide and someone's face suddenly popped out.
"Miss!"
"Nadia?"
It was Nadia who had been sent on an errand to the Golden Tree. She must have just finished work and was on her way back.
"Sir, wait a minute! Please stop for a moment!"
Nadia screamed and banged on the carriage wall, and the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Rahon also stopped his horse as soon as he noticed. In the meantime, Nadia jumped down from the carriage, ran to me, and immediately grabbed my hand.
"Miss, the knights who went to Oakwood passed through the outer wall a little while ago!"
"...Really?"
"Yes, the city is in an uproar because everyone is coming to pick you up. Are you going too, young lady?"
If we calculate the time it took Nadia to get to the castle, the knights will soon arrive at the inner castle.
I took Nadia's hand.
"Let's go, I want to go too."
"Please come down and hold my hand."
I got into the carriage with Nadia.
I was so excited that I didn't realize that Rahon was left alone.
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