Chapter 86
Natasha burst out of the greenhouse.
Dale, who came out with her, shouted loudly.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
At those words, people stopped what they were doing and headed for the armory.
Thanks to their orderly movements, within just a few minutes, everyone was armed and took their positions.
Natasha climbed up the wall and looked outside.
The cold wind sharply brushed against Natasha’s face, but she didn’t blink and stared straight ahead.
As she faintly saw the shape of a person, Natasha gestured.
Then, the guard next to her blew the horn.
With a sound so loud it made her ears ring, the gate began to move. As the gate fully opened, the figures that had appeared small were gradually becoming clearer.
“Close the gate immediately after everyone comes in.”
After giving the order to the guard, Natasha descended from the wall.
As Natasha approached those who had entered through the gate, the horn sounded again, and the gate closed.
“Harnen, you must not fall asleep. Do you understand?”
And unexpectedly, there was Philome.
‘I thought she would be inside.’
In such an urgent situation, Natasha hadn’t had the presence of mind to check on Philome and Liazell. However, she had assumed that Philome would have safely taken refuge inside the castle with Liazell. Natasha wanted that too.
Although Liazell was a transcendent being and skilled for her age, she was only 10 years old. Philome had also distanced herself from swords, and having them there would only be a hindrance.
Philome continued to wake Harnen with a calm expression.
“Stay alert, Harnen!”
Philome was examining Harnen’s injury as he clutched his abdomen, pale and in shock.
“Quickly, bring clean gauze and water!”
Philome shouted and, upon spotting Natasha, felt relieved.
“Lady Natasha.”
“Philome, step aside. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Knowing that Natasha was more skilled than herself, Philome immediately got up from her spot.
As Philome had been applying pressure to the wound, blood gushed out as soon as she removed her hand, but Natasha calmly tore Harnen’s clothing.
In the meantime, a knight brought gauze and water, allowing Natasha to quickly finish the treatment.
As she wrapped the bandage, Natasha asked, “Philome, where are Theo and Kaien?”
“They both went straight to the tower. It seems they went to check if the monster was chasing after us.”
“Have you heard what happened?”
“I heard briefly from the Duke. Harnen was attacked by a monster.”
“The wound isn’t severe; it’s just a scratch, so his life isn’t in danger. You can rest easy, Philome.”
At Natasha’s words, Philome finally let out the breath she had been holding. She exhaled through her trembling lips and slowly closed and opened her eyes.
The mention of the monster had frozen Philome in place. Her mind was chaotic, and it wasn’t until everyone had evacuated the greenhouse that she regained her composure.
In that short time, she thought about what she could do.
There was nothing.
Philome wasn’t skilled in healing, didn’t possess any special abilities, and lacked the leadership to organize the situation.
However, she didn’t want to just wait in a safe place and watch.
Philome had left Liazell in the care of Sophia and Jake. Although she wasn’t a doctor, she thought she could manage basic first aid, like stopping bleeding or applying a bandage, in case of injuries.
Waiting for Philome was Harnen, who was barely dismounting with Kaien’s support. Harnen’s clothes were soaked in blood, and his complexion was pale.
As Philome recalled the first time she met Harnen, she focused all her energy on saving him.
Hearing that Harnen was now safe, her tension finally eased.
“Dale, move Sir Harnen to the infirmary.”
“Yes, Lady Natasha.”
At Dale’s gesture, the knights approached and carefully lifted Harnen into the castle.
“Lady Natasha, Lady Philome.”
Before they could catch their breath, Gio approached.
Since Gio had also gone to the snowy plains, Philome urgently asked, “Gio! What in the world happened?”
“I came to explain to you both.”
So, the situation was as follows.
Along with Theodore, Kaien, Harnen, and Gio, four other knights had headed to the snowy plains.
Suddenly, Gio’s heat stone malfunctioned, and Harnen summoned a fire spirit to dispel the cold.
Before long, a tremendous noise came from below the snowy plains, and three monsters appeared around Harnen, at which point he was injured.
Fortunately, Theodore and Kaien were nearby, so they dealt with it right away, but since checking Harnen’s injury was the priority, they had no choice but to leave one monster behind.
“Were there any other injured people?”
“There were none. Only Sir Harnen was hurt.”
“Then where did the other monsters go? Didn’t they follow you?”
“At first, they did chase after us, but they soon gave up and disappeared.”
“That’s a relief…”
Natasha let out a sigh of relief.
Of course, it was important to determine where the monster had gone, but it was better than having it pursue them all the way.
“Theodore and the Duke are likely checking to see if any monsters are nearby at the tower right now. They won’t come down until at least dawn tomorrow, so you two should go inside.”
“Alright, Lady Natasha, the residents must have been quite startled. How about we deploy only the minimum personnel and head back?”
Natasha nodded after glancing back at Philome.
“That sounds like a good idea. Philome, you should go in quickly. I’ll tidy up and come in afterward.”
Knowing that she had nothing left to do, Philome didn’t refuse and headed straight for the castle.
Before entering, Philome gazed at the castle walls where Kaien would be, then turned away.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Kaien watched the sun rise in the distance.
For the first time since climbing the tower, his gaze shifted from the direction of the snowy plains.
With each blink, fatigue washed over him, but Kaien remained steady.
Monsters primarily moved at night, so he could feel relief as the sun began to rise. He tried not to relax until the sun fully revealed itself, then finally closed his eyes.
After swallowing dryly, he turned his body.
Just like when he ascended the tower, he leaped down with aura at his feet and landed quietly on the ground.
“Kaien.”
“Father.”
Theodore, who had also descended from the tower, had a pale face.
“Fortunately, it seems the monster hasn’t come this way.”
“We should have killed the monster.”
“No. If we had wasted time, Sir Harnen could have been in danger. It was the right choice.”
Theodore patted Kaien on the shoulder.
“You must be tired, so rest.”
“Yes, you should rest too, Father.”
They parted ways, but Kaien headed not to his bedroom but to the office.
Kaien was planning to send a letter to Sebastian to call in more knights from the Duke’s family in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, he needed to report the situation to the Crown Prince as well.
As he slowly organized his thoughts, releasing a sigh mixed with fatigue, Kaien opened the door to the office and froze.
Philome was curled up on the sofa, sound asleep.
He almost called her name in joy but quickly shut his mouth, not wanting to wake her. Instead, he approached quietly, erasing his presence.
Thanks to the heat stone, the room was not cold, but Kaien removed his cloak and draped it over Philome’s body.
She stirred slightly but did not wake up, indicating she was deeply asleep. He grasped the back of the sofa with one hand and rested the other on the armrest.
Philome, completely engulfed in his shadow, was blissfully unaware of it as she slumbered peacefully.
Kaien gazed down at her for a long time. Her naturally tousled golden-brown hair looked so soft that just looking at it evoked a tactile sensation, and her tightly shut eyes were framed by long eyelashes.
He knew very well how beautifully they shone and how happy they made him when they reflected him.
Thinking of himself reflected in Philome’s eyes brought a smile to his face, even if it was just an imagined scenario.
