Chapter 62

62

I fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“I’m not at all a beautiful and radiant person…”

“…Are you joking? You don’t look in the mirror?”

Charlotte frowned as if she truly couldn’t understand, leaving me speechless.

I fidgeted, feeling embarrassed, and pondered what to say.

Then, I recalled a story and tentatively brought it up.

“…I think you’re the one who’s amazing. Someone as strong-willed and determined as you can thrive anywhere.”

Charlotte seemed to realize my intention and paused. She bit her lip and looked as if she might cry. I just smiled, feeling apologetic.

“I’m sorry I can’t be with you more.”

“….”

“If I were healthy….”

“Please don’t say that, Miss.”

Charlotte shook her head vigorously. Her eyes, which met mine, were brimming with tears.

“No one knows what the future holds. Who knows? They might discover a mysterious elixir in the Eastern Continent… They say such things really exist there.”

“….”

I smiled bitterly and looked at Charlotte. Even if such a miraculous drug existed in the Eastern Continent, it wouldn’t be easy to obtain. Besides, many stories about the Eastern Continent were exaggerated. Tales of people living for over a hundred years, or using mysterious powers to fly on swords… they were all unbelievable.

So, even if there were such a powerful drug, it would likely be half exaggeration and half truth. It might only improve one’s health slightly, not dramatically. That’s probably what would happen in reality.

But I didn’t want to crush Charlotte’s hope, so I simply said,

“Let’s go to the Eastern Continent and see if such a drug really exists. Thank you, Charlotte.”

Charlotte, with a choked expression, suddenly hugged me. I tightly held a stone in my hands to prevent it from falling to the ground. …It was warm. Both the stone and Charlotte’s body heat.

“….”

…For some reason, I felt like crying too. If Charlotte hadn’t been there, what kind of life would I be living now? I didn’t even want to imagine it. I had received so much help from her, and she had become a significant part of my life.

When I first met Charlotte at Everett Castle, I never thought our bond would become so deep.

…Fate was truly mysterious and grateful. I felt my eyes welling up. I held back my tears and spoke.

“Charlotte, because you’re here….”

…I was about to say how fortunate I was, a phrase I had repeated countless times.

Clunk!

Squeak!

The carriage jolted violently, and the wheels screeched as it came to an abrupt stop.

Thanks to Charlotte holding me, I almost didn’t hit my head on the wall.

Charlotte and I stared at each other, bewildered. We had no time to think about what was happening. Shouts and the sound of weapons clashing filled the air.

“…Bandits….”

They had definitely appeared.

Whizz!

Thud!

“Screeech!”

At that moment, a spear flew in and pierced the front seat through the carriage wall. …If I had been sitting there… the thought was terrifying.

“Miss, let’s get out!”

The carriage was no longer safe. Another spear could fly in at any moment. Charlotte and I quickly exited. The problem was that the outside was also dangerous. Arrows were flying everywhere, and mercenaries and bandits were engaged in a fierce battle.

“Miss, this way!”

Charlotte quickly led me behind a rock. The nearby bushes were thick, so we could hide well. …But if someone had already seen us, it would be useless.

However, we had no other choice but to stay as quiet as possible.

Fortunately, the bandits were preoccupied with the mercenaries. The mercenaries, though outnumbered, were not outmatched in skill. There were about 50, maybe 60 bandits, while the mercenaries numbered only 17. Despite this, the mercenaries were holding their ground. But as a few of them started to get injured, the situation became precarious.

‘This isn’t good. At this rate….’

Then,

“There! There are women hiding over there!”

One of the bandits pointed at us and shouted. A nearby bandit quickly approached us.

Before his hand could reach me, Charlotte stepped in front of me protectively. The bandit grabbed her by the neck. Without thinking, I lunged forward and grabbed his arm.

“Let go! You insolent—”

“Ah, no, Miss…!”

“Miss?”

The bandit tilted his head and threw Charlotte to the ground. She rolled and coughed as she hit the ground. As I rushed to her, a rough hand grabbed my hair and pulled.

“Ugh…!”

“Hey… This is a real catch? She’s so pretty? A lady? A noble?”

“Y-You… Cough, bastard! Do you know who she is?! Get your hands off her!”

Charlotte, struggling to her feet, lunged at the bandit. The bandit sneered and raised his leg as if to kick her.

Right then,

Whizz!

Thud!

An arrow flew in and hit the bandit’s forehead. The hand that had grabbed my hair went limp. I quickly freed myself and ran to Charlotte.

A heavy thud echoed behind us. The bandit, struck by the arrow, fell dead to the ground.

“Ah, Miss, that scum dared to grab your hair…!”

“I’m fine, really. Please calm down, Charlotte.”

Even though the bandit was dead, Charlotte trembled and glared at him. I tried to soothe her and looked around. The tide had turned.

The same golden-tipped arrows that had killed the bandit who had grabbed me now pierced dozens of bandits. …That wasn’t all. I could feel the power of a spirit enveloping the area. It was a gentle yet powerful force. Realizing something was wrong, a few bandits began to retreat.

But a golden wind swept in from somewhere, moving the arrows freely and taking the lives of the remaining bandits.

The bodies of the bandits piled up on the mountain path. Everyone stood in shock, watching the scene. The golden wind slowly stopped in the air.

The wind took the form of a mysterious bird, something that shouldn’t exist in this world. Someone, staring in amazement, shouted,

“It’s a spirit!”

Others began to murmur.

“A spirit…?”

“A spirit? Really?”

“Can’t you see? What else could it be!”

…And I felt a sense of familiarity with the golden spirit. A wind spirit, and golden… Could it be…?

At that moment, the spirit turned to look at me. …It seemed to smile slightly at me.

The spirit, flapping its golden wings, flew toward me. Charlotte, startled or not, the spirit circled me and made a strange sound.

Then, it stopped in front of me, and from the small whirlwind it created, someone walked out. Recognizing the person, I widened my eyes.

It was none other than Jean Della Cruz.

“…Prince Della Cruz?”

“Um… Yes, that’s right. That was my spirit… I can move around using my spirit’s power, but only to places I remember. Anyway, it’s fortunate. I’m glad the Duchess of Valentina is safe.”

Jean smiled and extended his hand to me. I stared at it blankly before cautiously reaching out.

As I took his hand and stood up, Jean smiled more brightly and asked,

“So, what are you doing here? This area is dangerous, with many criminals hiding nearby… And they don’t look like knights….”

“….”

I was very conflicted about how to explain. If I told the truth, he was a high-ranking noble. If I lied… I felt guilty to the person who had saved us.

In the end, what came out of my mouth was completely off the mark.

“It’s just… something that happened….”

“…Something that happened…?”

“….”

Jean seemed to be trying to understand what I meant. When I didn’t say anything, he decided not to press further and changed the subject.

“Well, anyway, I have a cabin nearby. Why don’t we go there and rest? We can treat the injured there. I’ll contact the Valentina family—”

“No.”

I suddenly looked up and interrupted Jean. Our eyes met, and he flinched. I shook my head firmly and repeated,

“No. Don’t contact Valentina… or Everett.”