Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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"Will you make me sad?"
Dielo's eyes trembled slightly as he asked that.
"...Ah."
It wasn't just his eyes that were trembling.
I could feel a subtle tremor in his hand that was holding mine.
The moment I realized that, Dielo smiled with a look of anguish.
It was a smile so painful that it made the viewer's heart ache.
"I'm not used to farewells, Krua."
He looked back at the sea.
"The Argenta sea… it has always brought me only farewells."
He seemed to be trying to speak calmly. But I, who had read the original story, knew.
Even though I had only read half of the original, it was enough for me to know what kind of person Dielo was.
That he had experienced many farewells at the sea.
That statement was true.
[The young Dielo sat by the sea, endlessly waiting for the knight.
It was a knight who had already died on the battlefield ten days ago, but the young Dielo was not ready to accept it.]
That's how it was described in the original story, I think.
Too cruelly for his kind heart to bear, the monsters of the Endless Sea had taken countless Argentas.
Each time, he grieved.
Not being used to farewells must mean that.
"......"
I could see his eyelashes fluttering.
In the end, I held his hand tightly with both of mine.
Only then did Dielo seem to breathe a sigh of relief.
Had he been tense until now?
He was glancing at the people behind me.
As if he had to maintain this strong and cruel ruler's facade, even because of them.
"Dielo—"
As I was about to say something to him, I belatedly noticed something strange.
His pure white shirt, blood was spreading over his arm. Not splattered, but spreading.
He had a deep wound on his arm.
"Calm down first, Dielo."
He was trying to maintain a cold atmosphere, but I could feel him breathing as if he was nervous.
I hugged his waist and patted his back. Then Dielo also embraced me tightly.
I could feel strength entering his powerless fingertips, as if trying to trap me.
Beyond his shoulder, I could see Mirta lying dead.
"......"
At first, I was definitely surprised. But as I gradually felt my heart beating calmly, I also became a little calmer.
Krua's body probably wasn't experiencing this for the first time.
"Krua..."
Dielo, who whispered my name softly, released the strength in his arm.
—Clang!
The sword he was holding collided with the gravel on the beach, making a sharp sound.
"Don't move your arm."
I said, staunching the blood from his arm with a handkerchief.
Even then, Dielo was looking at me.
With that painful smile.
As if telling me not to leave his side like so many others had done at the sea.
…How long has it been since we met?
How can he be so sentimental! Is that why he gets backstabbed!
I pressed down hard on his arm.
"Ah......!"
I could see Dielo flinching.
Even so, it was pitiful to see him trying to create a sharp atmosphere again.
I let out a short sigh.
"I promise. I won't leave suddenly."
Dielo blinked at my words.
In fact, I was planning to run away early before things got complicated after dealing with Duke Alroze.
More than anything, I was afraid I would become attached to Argenta.
Anyway, once the real Pero comes to Dielo's side, I shouldn't be here.
'I can make Pero irrelevant.'
…What did that mean?
"Really, you promise?"
Then Dielo asked.
His trembling voice even sounded plaintive. I was once again captivated by Dielo.
"I don't want to break up, Krua."
So don't act like you're going to leave someday.
The voice that whispered that was so gentle and sweet.
I rubbed my forehead.
Did I pick the wrong card?
I knew he was pure in nature, but if his mentality is shaken this much by getting rid of a traitor, how will he deal with Duke Alroze?
First of all, I needed to strengthen my partner's mentality.
"Okay. Of course, I'll be with you until Pero comes."
I whispered softly.
"And, there will be enough time to prepare for farewell. Even if Pero appears tomorrow."
I won't disappear suddenly!
Only after I said that again did Dielo show a comfortable smile as if he was relieved.
That pathetic smile… really… he was a man who aroused a protective instinct.
In novels, these kinds of guys often turn dark, so I have to soothe him well before he turns dark.
"…Lord, Madam."
As our tension seemed to ease, people cautiously approached.
Dielo was only looking at my face until Pielle came right next to him.
I pressed down hard on his wound that I was staunching.
"!"
I said to him, who was startled.
"You have to sort out the situation."
"...Ah."
Dielo slowly closed and opened his eyes.
And he pursed his lips tightly into a straight line, and said to the Argenta knights following behind Pielle.
"Erase the traces and return to Argenta!"
"Yes!"
Only then did the knights begin to move quickly.
I waited for the surroundings to become noisy enough and said to Dielo.
"But Dielo."
"Yes."
Dielo turned to look at me. His arm was still held.
In the middle of the beach where people were moving around in a daze, his gaze turned to me.
I looked at him like that and let out a short sigh.
"You need to practice acting like a bad guy a little more."
"Pardon?"
I pointed at him.
"I can see you trembling."
"…Is that so?"
Dielo smiled softly at my words.
"That smile is also a problem."
There are people who captivate people with their atmosphere.
But this person is only a little sharp in his first impression, otherwise, isn't he just a soft, fluffy pudding?
"Make a scary face."
At my words, Dielo put strength into his mouth.
Is that a scary face? It's a face that's dissatisfied with the table setting?
I guess that won't work.
"…I'll teach you."
How to act like a bad guy, how to become a sharp Monarch.
I'm not as innocent as Dielo, and at least Krua's body seems to know that well.
I can be a good teacher.
"I'm honored."
Dielo smiled brightly at my words.
Looking at his pure smile that shone brighter than the sun, the road to teaching him was more than ninety thousand miles, it was a hundred thousand miles.
On the way back.
"But how did you get hurt like this?"
The Argenta people on the 4th floor who accompanied the two were listening to the conversation between the mistress and the lord of the family.
Of course, it was the duty of the servants to pretend not to hear even if they heard, so they tried to block their ears.
"Mirta's resistance was fierce."
But Dielo's soft voice shook their minds regardless of their efforts.
I knew that he was originally acting like he had a weak nature on the outside.
But isn't he too soft? It felt like honey was dripping.
Besides.
'…The angle of the sword wound doesn't seem like it was caused by the opponent's sword.'
Most of the Argenta were swordsmen, so they couldn't help but see it.
The wound that the Madam had been treating on the Lord's arm since earlier was a wound he had inflicted with his own sword.
It must have been to act like he was weak and didn't know how to use his strength properly, as the Lord always did.
There was no way Mirta could touch the Lord, so the Argenta were sure.
Of course, there were not many people who loudly proclaimed that fact.
Because the Lord's chilling gaze was directed at them from time to time.
'Stay still.'
Like he was saying that, a gaze that was 180 degrees different from the one he gave to the Madam.
