Chapter 130
Enoch, who had been quietly poking at the firewood, raised his eyebrows as if displeased, then quietly reached out and covered my eyes.
“Margaret, your face will wear out. Don’t stare like that.”
How exactly was I staring? Even the mature and gentlemanly Enoch sometimes became childish like a kid.
“It’s a misunderstanding. After spending days without a fire, I was just happy to see it…”
At Diego’s reply, I slyly removed Enoch’s hand from my eyes.
Then, I saw Diego’s face, gazing at the bonfire with a look of deep emotion. It seemed he hadn’t been able to make a fire while traveling with Luzef.
“Wait, can’t you make a fire?”
“I’ve never actually started one myself.”
Come to think of it, Yuanna’s group had said they couldn’t start fires and had been surviving on embers they’d found by chance.
“Don’t you do it when you go out for Monster subjugation or war?”
At my question, he scratched his cheek with a troubled expression, then glanced at Enoch.
“I haven’t been dispatched to war since I was promoted to Imperial Guard Commander, and making fires during Monster subjugation was the responsibility of the adjutants. I did it a few times when I was a trainee knight, but I can’t even remember now.”
After saying that, Diego closed his mouth and looked around, as if he was embarrassed even by his own words.
“I’m sorry. I will learn diligently by your side from now on, Miss.”
“I didn’t say I’d teach you.”
“You don’t have to teach me. I’ll learn by watching.”
“I don’t like being bothered.”
“If I’m a nuisance, I’ll watch from a distance without being noticed.”
“Watching secretly is a bit scary.”
“…Did you want me to disappear? I’m sorry. I’m not perceptive.”
Then, Diego suddenly covered his face with his hands, looking distressed.
He was usually someone who didn’t show his emotions or reveal his inner thoughts, so this was quite disconcerting. It seemed he’d had a very hard time being stranded with only Luzef.
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Then, please, just allow me to watch quietly.”
At Diego’s words, I eventually waved my hand, telling him to do as he pleased.
Meanwhile, Enoch handed me a flat stone as I squatted in front of the bonfire. Then, as if caring for a pregnant wife, he carefully helped me sit down.
I looked at Enoch’s noble face, then put aside my thoughts and turned to Diego.
“By the way, I heard that only The Saintess and the Crown Prince are left on the Southern Island. Will they be alright?”
“That is a very unfortunate thing, but it doesn’t seem like Margaret you need to worry.”
At Enoch’s words, I turned to look at him, speechless. Enoch was sitting there with an expression that showed he had no interest in Asdal or Yuanna.
Seriously, you guys. How can you act like you don’t care? Yuanna has the Key. The reason we stayed with her on the Southern Island was because of that problematic Key.
Besides, we’re supposed to be looking for Yuanna according to Zenas’s words. So she absolutely had to be safe.
Diego, who had been watching the situation, quietly opened his mouth.
“I don’t know about the Crown Prince. But The Saintess will survive.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“She said she was confident in surviving. And she’s actually excellent at running away and hiding.”
Was it because she came from the back alleys and had a strong survival instinct? I somewhat understood Diego’s words.
Sss-
Then, I heard Eunji’s tongue flicking. The creature, who had been wandering around Kaiden and Luzef, had returned to me.
The creature, circling around my feet, looked up at me with a cute tilt of its head.
Cough. Diego suddenly coughed dryly. He covered his mouth with a flushed face and looked at Eunji.
‘…That’s right, Diego likes cute things.’
Eunji wasn’t just cute, but the cutest in the universe, so it seemed like Diego would be unable to resist.
But, when he saw Eunji on the Southern Island, he didn’t react this way. Had he been holding back his desire to adore it all this time?
Certainly, unlike before, Diego’s face was much more relaxed. On the Southern Island, he had been constantly tense, and it was hard to find any expression on his face.
“I didn’t expect to meet you here again.”
Diego muttered, looking at Eunji. It was as if he had reunited with the unrequited love of the century.
“I have Imprint on me, so of course I’d be with me. Why so surprised?”
“I see…”
When I glanced at Diego, Eunji seemed puzzled and looked at Diego, following my gaze.
Diego’s face became even redder than before as he looked at Eunji. He hesitated, looking at Eunji with a shy expression, then carefully reached out his hand towards Eunji. But Eunji wouldn’t have a hand to offer.
‘Could this guy think Eunji is a dog right now?’
As expected, Eunji glanced at Diego’s outstretched palm, then looked at Diego again, tilting its head.
Diego, who was flustered with a reddened face, froze in surprise when he met my eyes. Then, he ran a hand over his face with an expression of self-loathing.
“I’m sorry. I know this appearance doesn’t seem trustworthy as a knight. That’s why I tried my best not to show it when I was with The Saintess. But… it’s hard. It’s hard to resist seeing something cute. I apologize for showing such an unsightly display.”
I moved my lips as I listened to Diego’s words, then closed them again.
There were so many things to point out that I didn’t know where to start.
At that moment, Luzef, who had pulled me away from Kaiden, sat down next to me.
Then, Kaiden, not wanting to be outdone, squeezed between Luzef and me and took a seat.
As I sighed with a tired face, Enoch suddenly picked me up and sat me on one of his knees. I was startled and wrapped my arms around his neck, looking at his face, which was now close to mine.
“Fucking hell, that’s cheating. I want to sit here too.”
Kaiden, who was watching the scene, plopped down on Enoch’s other knee. Then, he brazenly leaned against me and hugged me.
Luzef looked at Kaiden’s actions with disgust and sat far away from us.
“Move your body if you don’t want to get hurt, Lord.”
Enoch glared at Kaiden’s back and muttered in a menacing voice, but Kaiden only snorted. I, who was sandwiched in between, said with a tired face.
“Both of you, move.”
Kaiden obediently got up from his seat, and Enoch quietly let me go.
I calmly brushed off my clothes and stood up. Luzef, who had been watching us quietly, said to me.
“Miss. I think I’m the most normal one here. If you need my help, please tell me. I will dedicate myself to serving you so that you are not uncomfortable.”
Luzef looked up at me with the eyes of a devout believer.
‘Serve’? I think you’re the weirdest one.
Still, Luzef seemed safer than Enoch and Kaiden, so I quietly sat down next to him. Luzef puffed out his chest as if to show off to Enoch and Kaiden and stuck close to me.
After watching Diego, who was having a staring contest with Eunji, I quietly shifted my gaze to the bonfire. Luzef asked me a question.
“What are you going to do now? Are you going to where The Saintess is, or are you going to look for the place with the star mark?”
At Luzef’s question, Kaiden, who was sitting quietly next to Enoch, answered.
“We’ve already been there.”
“What? You’ve already been there?”
Diego also gave his attention to us, surprised by Luzef’s exclamation.
Kaiden explained to them in order what had happened to us in the meantime.
Luzef and Diego, who were surprised after hearing the story, asked various questions, but Enoch answered them all.
Thanks to that, I was spared the trouble of having to speak, and I quietly stroked Eunji, who was sitting on my lap.
“We’re going to meet The Saintess, and we’re going to get supplies on the way.”
“We need to prepare thoroughly.”
Luzef nodded with a determined face after hearing my words.
\ \ *
Diego and Luzef hadn’t eaten properly, but it seemed their need for sleep was stronger than their appetite.
The two of them seemed to just be settling down in front of the cave, but at some point, they were leaning against each other and asleep.
“They must have been really tired.”
I was squatting in front of the two of them, muttering to myself, when Enoch followed me and stood next to me, looking down at Diego and Luzef.
Kaiden, who had been rummaging through the bag Luzef had brought, took out a first aid kit.
“I thought he was going to throw it away because the bag was heavy, but he insisted on carrying it around. Thankfully, all the medicine is still there.”
Kaiden opened the first aid kit and looked at the contents, then said to me. He seemed to be admiring Luzef for some reason. Had they bonded while fighting?
“Let’s sleep too.”
At Kaiden’s words, Enoch scanned the surroundings with a composed face and picked up his longsword.
“One person has to stand guard, so two people should lie down first.”
At that moment, Diego, who I thought was asleep, opened his eyes groggily with a haggard face. Then, he hurriedly got up from his seat.
As a result, even Luzef, who had been leaning against him, woke up in surprise and opened his eyes with difficulty.
“I’ll stand guard.”
Diego’s appearance, standing awkwardly without even opening his eyes properly, looked somewhat pathetic.
However, none of us told him not to. Diego looked around, then opened his mouth in a low voice.
“I’m shameless, but I want to repay you for taking me in.”
I tilted my head, puzzled by those words.
“When did we say we were taking you in?”