If she had known what I was thinking at that moment, this little squirrel would have bolted in shock.
Just as she had in the original story.
Failing to completely obtain everything about a person—having even the slightest bit slip through one's fingers...
...truly made one impatient and anxious.
“…I am not angry.”
I tried my best to respond as nonchalantly as possible, hiding my boiling inner thoughts. Then, I pulled Rose into an embrace.
“I understand what you mean. But you must tell me.”
Because I wanted to know everything about you.
“Because I need to know what happened to you.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Even at Rose’s obedient answer, the surging in my chest did not subside.
Thud.
I buried my head in Rose’s shoulder as if collapsing.
Thump, thump.
I closed my eyes as I listened to Rose’s heartbeat.
I felt myself becoming infinitely violent, only to then calm down infinitely peacefully.
I had often mocked those who acted like madmen suffering from delusional jealousy, but I had almost done the exact same thing just a moment ago.
Even if it was just in my imagination.
“Your Grace, by any chance...”
Rose’s voice lightly echoed through my body.
“Are you going to speak separately with Sir Matthias?”
“I’m thinking about it.”
“Please don’t punish or scold him.”
At the unexpected words, I lifted my head and gazed at Rose.
“Why?”
“Given his personality, he’ll probably think I tattled to Your Grace, and he’ll look at me with even more disapproval.”
“I can’t deny that.”
It was a highly probable guess.
No matter what I had said, Matthias would only hide his dissatisfaction when I was looking; his ill feelings toward Rose would probably remain.
That emotional rift would eventually lead to bad results.
“But I can’t just leave him be.”
“Is the Sir Matthias you saw someone who would go against Your Grace’s wishes?”
Rose’s point was sharp. After slowly recalling the time I had spent with the guy, I answered.
“No.”
Looking at Rose’s faintly smiling face, I continued.
“He is stubborn, but he is not a bad guy at heart.”
“Then trust the knight—no, trust me and wait a little.”
Rose said with a spirited tone, clenching her fists.
“I’ll try to handle it myself for now. If it gets to be too much for me, I’ll tell you then.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m your knight, so I should at least do this much. I will win!”
Rose’s face, smiling brightly as she told me to just trust her, was excessively lovely.
Tap.
I closed my eyes as I brought my forehead to Rose’s. Because I felt like I would become weird if I kept looking at that face.
“I shall do as you wish.”
“…Yes.”
Rose answered shyly in a small voice.
“Shall we go to sleep now?”
I carried Rose and headed toward the bed. She made no indication of displeasure, seemingly now accustomed to being carried by me.
Shuffle.
As I set Rose down on the bed, she checked the bed and paused for a moment.
“Uh… the bed is a bit…”
“Cramped?”
I chuckled as I also climbed onto the bed. My shadow crawled slowly over Rose’s body, eventually engulfing it completely.
“It’s a bed I used alone, so it can’t be helped.”
It was cramped for two people, but I didn’t care. No, rather, I liked it.
“And of all things, there’s only one pillow.”
I lay down, stretching one arm across the bed. Then, with my other arm, I gently pulled Rose down.
“Ah.”
Rose’s body stiffened rigidly as she unexpectedly ended up resting on my arm. Looking closely, her face was also quite flushed.
“Can’t we just sleep like this?”
“Your Grace, would it not be fine for me to just sleep on the floor…?”
Squeeze.
Instead of answering, I wrapped my arm around Rose’s body and tightened my grip.
“—!”
Rose instinctively raised both arms and wrapped them around my upper body. Her small, soft palms lightly touched my chest.
Thump.
My heart beat lightly, and heat began to spread once again.
It was fine when I touched Rose without hesitation, but when she touched me, my body reacted first like this.
It was truly an unfair situation.
“Do not smell me. It tickles.”
“I haven’t done that…?”
Rose’s face as she asked back was utterly innocent.
If she knew what had happened while she was asleep before, she would probably faint.
I had a strong urge to tease her, but—
“It’s fine if you don’t know.”
I chuckled, wrapping it up. Because I felt I wouldn’t be able to stop once I started.
“…….”
Rose moved her lips slightly for a moment. Soon, her eyelids slowly closed.
“Good night, Your Grace.”
“Alright.”
I, too, closed my eyes a little later.
A night like any other, yet not exactly the same as before, was passing by.
**
The next morning.
Rose checked her side as soon as she opened her eyes.
‘Ah… he’s not here.’
She felt a bit empty without him, who had always stroked her hair out of her face. Without his solid body heat that used to envelop her entire body, it felt slightly cold.
“Helena.”
Helena, who was folding laundry on the other side, turned around at Rose’s call.
“My Lady, you’re awake?”
“What of His Grace?”
“He went out at dawn. Has it been a few hours now?”
“Why didn’t he wake me.”
Helena shrugged.
“The master told me to leave you alone. He told me not to wake you until you were up.”
“I see.”
Helena approached and began attending to Rose. Seeing the dress in Helena’s hands, Rose shook her head.
“I would like to wear something a bit more practical and plain today.”
In this dreary mine, her dress was far too conspicuous.
She didn’t want to look like a naive noblewoman sightseeing at someone’s precious workplace, a place where people risked their lives to defend.
“Hmm. Then the only option is my clothes. The material is rough, and it’ll be uncomfortable for you to wear them, My Lady.”
“But I don’t mind, so please lend them to me.”
“Why? Are you going to go running around here?”
Rose pondered for a moment on how to explain.
Since arriving here yesterday, she occasionally felt a sudden chill in her chest and a tightness at the back of her head. In truth, passing out in sleep yesterday was also partly because her nerves had been on edge the entire time.
‘If not yesterday, then today?’
She had a premonition that some kind of accident was going to happen. In fact, in her past life, she had to hear this news at Schmaichel Castle.
But explaining this to Helena was difficult. How could she possibly say she already knew about it because she had experienced it once before?
“Just in case. Besides, dresses get dirty easily around here, don’t they?”
“That’s true.”
Helena eventually agreed and lent her going-out clothes to Rose.
“If you throw this robe over it, it won’t be noticeable from the outside.”
“Thank you.”
Rose smoothed down the winter robe Dane had given her. Because it was the first gift he had ever given her, she cherished it deeply.
Having finished preparing, the two stepped out of the watchtower together.
“Hello.”
“Good morning.”
The knights and miners who spotted the two greeted them warmly.
“His Grace went to inspect the new Gallery 13.”
They offered the information first without even being asked.
Clatter, clatter.
Carts filled with magic stones busily crossed the wooden rails. In the distance, a massive waterwheel kept turning, and the blast furnace and smelter spewed pitch-black smoke.
It was a peaceful and lively scene. There was no sign that anything was going to happen.
‘Is it going to be okay…….’
Perhaps the accident she experienced in her past life wouldn’t happen in this one. And she had made all the preparations she could.
Only then did Rose feel a little relieved.
“What are you going to do now, My Lady?”
It was right as she was about to answer Helena’s question.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A clamorous bell rang out, loud enough to make one’s heart drop to their stomach.
“Emergency!”
“They’re coming!”
Urgent screams echoed from afar.
“There!”
Following that, someone pointed at the sky.
Screech! Screech!
A flock of pitch-black birds was flying in, crying out raucously.
“Those are…”
“Crows?”
Rose and Helena muttered, almost groaning.
Their appearance was definitely that of crows. However, they were two or three times larger than normal crows.
Screech!
Their sharp beaks and the tips of their massive talons looked sharp enough to tear a person to shreds.
“Helena.”
Rose urgently grabbed Helena’s arm.
“Let’s return to the watchtower.”
“Good idea. I don’t have the confidence to fight and win against monsters like that.”
Helena nodded, stepping forward to shield Rose. She was holding a weapon, drawn without anyone noticing when.
“Don’t leave my side.”
Helena and Rose moved carefully so as not to attract the attention of the monster crows.
Screech! Screech!
The monster crows closed in in an instant, blotting out the sky.
They began circling the sky, aiming for their appetizing prey on the ground—namely, the magic stones.
“Hurry up!”
The miners, seemingly familiar with situations like this, moved swiftly.
Clang!
They hurriedly moved the carts containing the magic stones to a safe location, and
“This way!”
The miners directing the way held Velvet Wisp lanterns. Around them, armed knights hovered protectively.
Screech!
The monster crows let out fierce cries upon seeing the blue lanterns.
Perhaps truly hating that blue light, they didn’t carelessly swoop down despite the abundance of large magic stones.
Screech!
Among them, one particularly large crow began to descend.
“Ugh!”
“It’s coming!”
Its goal was to snatch the magic stones out of the people’s hands.
However.
Swish!
An arrow flew from somewhere, piercing its throat. It was an accurate and sharp strike.
Screeech!
The creature seemed to freeze in midair for a moment,
Screech, screech!
Then staggered, trying its best to keep flying. Eventually, unable to hold on, it began to fall.
Of all places, it was near where Helena and Rose were.
Thud!
The monster crow’s body crashed onto a cart. The cart collapsed with a crash, sending the rocks inside flying up.
“—!”
Rose’s face turned pale.
She saw a massive boulder flying toward her. It was already too late to dodge.
“My Lady!”
Helena hurriedly stepped in front of Rose.
At that moment.
Clang!
A shield that suddenly appeared deflected the rock’s trajectory.
Crash!
The ricocheted rock smashed against the wall with a loud boom.
“Haah……”
Rose shuddered at the sight.
Imagining what would have happened if she had been hit by that rock made her hair stand on end.
“Ow, my arm.”
The person who had protected the two with his shield—Matthias—looked back. Seeing Rose unscathed, he briefly wore a relieved expression.
Then, as if he hadn’t just done that, he spoke with a sullen expression.
“You don’t have to thank me.”