Chapter 45

"Haa..."

An involuntary sigh. It echoed loudly in the hollow of his heart that could not be filled.

"Haa..."

The day was still manageable. With subordinates around and the need to advance the schedule, his mind was distracted. But the night, when there was nothing to do, left him unable to stop thinking.

"Haa..."

Was she feeling lonely? Was she crying? It was cold tonight. Was she keeping warm?

"Haa"

"Jin-sama, your constant 'haa, haa, haa, haa' is so annoying! I can't sleep! Please be quiet!"

Barry, who had been under the blanket, got up irritably.

"You're so annoying, Barry. I'm thinking about Sheena."

"Here, one silver coin, please."

"Ugh!"

Barry held out his right hand. I took a silver coin from my wallet and gave it to him.

"Thank you. At this rate, Jin-sama, by the time we return to the kingdom, all the contents of your wallet will be in my pocket."

"......"

Since the day the king and queen warned me, I had been thinking about how to protect Sheena. I am aware that I depend on her too much. Just not seeing her makes me anxious and restless. Even those who approach her, whether enemies or allies, make me uneasy and I feel the need to warn them off. In such a state, how can I protect her?

Barry suggested that I physically distance myself from Sheena to think about what I could do. It was around the time we were sending troops to the border with Naris Kingdom to welcome Said and his companions. Recently, A-rank monsters had been spotted on the roads. Although there were guards from Prince Kanan to protect Said and his companions, we decided to send additional troops as a precaution. I volunteered for this mission.

The duration of the trip was about 30 days round trip. Compared to usual expeditions, it was quite short. I thought that being away from Sheena for that long would be fine. It was an important mission involving diplomacy. However,

On the first night of the journey, my body trembled with withdrawal symptoms from not seeing her. I worried that she might disappear or be taken by another man while I was away, and these anxieties kept surfacing despite my efforts to suppress them.

From the moment we met, Sheena was extraordinary. She saved my life the first time we met, and since then, she has been helping me and the kingdom. I haven't been able to repay her. Even the strained relationship with Lute, my brother, was mended thanks to her encouragement. I have been protected and helped so much that I feel ashamed.

It's difficult to become physically stronger than Sheena. Her magic is a natural talent, and no one can match her. As a man, it's embarrassing, but at this point, I can only be her shield. I thought that if I could be her emotional support, it would be enough. Fortunately, I am of royal birth and can protect her from those who would harm her. I want to protect and support her, who has been exploited and hurt by foolish people since she was young.

If I do that, maybe Sheena will stay by my side.

When I told Barry this, he laughed. He said that Jin, who is swayed by Sheena's every word and action, thinking he could be her emotional support was insane. He said that thinking he could be on equal footing with her was ridiculous. She is a true saint, and he lamented that his master was so delusional. Barry's words were as sharp as always, but they were true, and I couldn't argue.

So, what can I do? While I was struggling with this question on the way to the border with Naris Kingdom, Barry complained that I was constantly mumbling "Sheena, Sheena." It seems I was unconsciously saying her name. I was surprised to realize this, but it must be a kind of withdrawal symptom from not seeing her. Even when I was thinking about work, I was mumbling her name, and my subordinates were looking at me suspiciously.

"You realize you're saying 'Sheena, Sheena' like a broken record, right?! I'm about to go crazy from hearing her name so much. It's already freezing cold and I'm irritated, so please cut it out!"

"Understood. I'll be careful."

A few minutes later, I said it again, and Barry hit me on the back of the head. That's disrespectful!

"Alright, I've decided. From now on, every time Jin-sama says Sheena-sama's name, I'll take one silver coin. I'll definitely take it. It's compensation for me."

"Isn't that a fine?"

"You wouldn't be able to stop yourself from paying a fine. You'll definitely say it, so it's compensation. Compensation for the calluses on my ears."

In the end, I've already paid 65 silver coins. No, 66 if you count the one I just paid.

Barry, who seemed to be wide awake, made some warm tea for me.

"You're giving me a hard time. You were so excited about making progress with Kiri."

"Jin-sama, you're still holding a grudge about the silver coins? You know I'm on a losing streak."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

I know Barry is serious about Kiri. He has been subtly approaching her, but she has been rejecting him. It's not surprising.

"But why are you so serious about it? You don't seem to be half-hearted like usual."

"Jin-sama, what do you think of me?"

"A womanizer who hates women."

"What's with that contradictory evaluation?"

"It's accurate, isn't it?"

"Well, I won't deny it."

Barry is the type who doesn't refuse anyone. However, he only gets involved when necessary, such as when he needs information or when it's required by family ties. He is good-looking, a sidekick to the fourth prince, and the third son of a powerful earl. He has economic power and a promising career. He is easy to get along with for a bit of fun, and if you can bring him to marriage, you can live a comfortable life. He is popular among lower-ranking noble daughters, wealthy merchant daughters, and widows.

When women approach him, Barry is friendly on the surface, gets involved if necessary, and cleanly breaks up when it's no longer needed. He is generally kind and polite to women, but he has never truly cared for any of them. From the outside, he seems to be a playboy, but he is quite cold towards women.

"I once had a chance to be alone with Kiri on the way to Aile Street."

Kiri was so devoted to Sheena that Barry made a light-hearted joke.

"You work so hard for Sheena-sama, but you should relax a bit, right? Can I be your support?"

Barry approached Kiri with this. At that time, he had already realized Sheena's value and was intentionally getting closer to Kiri to bring her in.

"But Kiri said to me..."

"I won't be swayed. I move according to Sheena-sama's will and will do anything to protect her, even if it means using others. Just like you do."

At that time, my true identity was still unknown, and Barry and I were pretending to be adventurers. Kiri saw through this easily and even recognized Barry's loyalty.

Barry's attitude towards me, from an outsider's perspective, does not seem like that of a royal attendant. He is rude, orders me around, and is disrespectful. However, this attitude is to expose those who might harm me. He lures them with a casual attitude, gets them to reveal information, and eliminates them. He is willing to sacrifice anything to protect me. That's the kind of man he is.

So, no matter how much Barry insults me or treats me roughly, I don't mind. It's disrespectful, and it makes me angry, but I keep him around because I know he won't betray me.

Kiri saw through this easily. When my true identity was revealed in Aile Street, she was surprised, but she must have understood Barry's position.

"I thought girls were cute but stupid, strong, greedy, and only saw their own dreams. But Kiri is different."

Because he only had superficial relationships with women, his view of women was quite twisted. I can't really talk, though.

"Kiri will do anything to protect Sheena-sama. When Sheena-sama was exiled, she followed without hesitation and trained hard in the Glass Forest to protect her. She is willing to sacrifice anything to protect Sheena-sama. That's why she saw through my empty words."

He laughed lightly.

"I was moved to find someone like her. I became interested and approached her seriously. I wanted to know what kind of person Sheena-sama is, who Kiri is so devoted to protecting..."

When Sheena was asked to focus on healing the injured during the monster attack in Kailat Street, she burst into tears and refused, saying she wouldn't let anyone else die. She told us to use her to protect the people. That was a shock to me as well. Her tears and crying face were beautiful from the bottom of my heart. From that moment, I stopped deceiving myself.

I fell deeply in love with her, wanting to have her by my side.

"When I realized that Kiri was protecting a true saint, I was happy. It felt like I was recognized."

"You do the same thing. That's what she said. She must have seen that I was serious about protecting someone, just like her."

"When I realized that, I really wanted her. I thought that Kiri would understand the sacrifices I make to protect Jin-sama, and it became unbearable."

Barry's eyes were filled with a feverish light. It was as if we both realized our feelings at the same time.

"I've already laid the groundwork at home. Whether Kiri is a commoner, an orphan, or a foreigner, I will make her my wife."

If Barry has laid the groundwork, there's no escape. Poor Kiri... But it won't be that easy.

"You've only laid the groundwork. What about the crucial part?"

"Well, I'll take my time with that."

"Your words in Aile Street were fatal. You already get a lot of backlash from women, and it was about Sheena."

"What are you talking about?"

Barry looked confused, and I sighed.

"You forgot? In the adventurer's guild in Aile Street, when you found out Sheena's age, you said she was flat-chested. That was the worst thing you could have said."

I can understand Barry's tastes, but... Sheena is definitely not flat-chested. She is soft when you hug her. Recently, she has been... No, stop. I shouldn't think about it.

"Wait, what? I... I think I said something like that... Did she... hear it?"

"She must have. Kiri's expression changed in that instant."

Barry's silent scream faded into the quiet night.