“Are you thinking of Sir Akkard right now?”
How did you know that? Damia looked at Lessid with an astonished gaze that even she herself was not aware of. A troubled expression flashed across Lessid’s face when he saw it.
“I’m sorry if it’s an rude question,”
said Lessid, clenching his molars. But he continued to ask:
“Do you have feelings for Sir Akkard? Damia?”
Damia didn’t answer that question. As if she didn’t know how to respond, she sighed and rubbed her temple with a tired look.
“I don’t think it’s the time to talk about this.”
Saying so wearily, Damia pulled the blanket up, wrapped it around herself, and got up from the table.
Her actions spoke volumes.
“Let’s go inside before it gets colder.”
Damia turned her back and went into her villa, her slender shoulders weakly drooping. Lessid watched her back silently.
He was smart, so it wasn’t too difficult to infer the inaudible answer.
“Oh dear.”
Lessid, who was left behind, asked himself with a sad smile, Is it just him? With a loud noise from somewhere, it seemed as if something was collapsing.
Lessid, who had been listening to this, soon realized. It was the sound of his deep, unrequited love coming to an end. He couldn’t even confess.
***
The underground passageways of the High Temple were dark, like an old fortress. The smell of the sewer coming from below and the moisture of the dirty water droplets falling from above made people dismal.
Their disheveled bodies didn’t even feel uncomfortable anymore. Everyone was exhausted because they kept moving even when they could only close their eyes for respite.
In particular, it was too much for Owen, who was in his mid-fifties. Fortunately, he was used to wandering long distances due to his job, so he could barely hold on and endure.
“Heh heh, heh… … .”
Owen leaned against the wall and wiped the sweat running down his chin with the back of his hand. His stamina was slowly reaching its limit, and his vision grew blurry.
And at times like this, as usual, a young man’s low, rich voice was heard.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Even though he was half-drenched in the gutter, Akkard was still dashing. Rather, the slightly dirty and tired appearance added to an air of mysterious wildness.
“Be careful that the patch on your neck doesn’t come off with sweat.”
Akkard, who gave such advice, silently watched and looked down at his pale face. Owen felt a strange aura of intimidation in his large body.
Then Akkard suddenly crouched down and offered his back.
“We have to move a little more, so get up.”
He didn’t know how many times he had already taken care of him. Owen, unconsciously due to his burdened conscience, waved his hand and declined.
“No, it’s fine. I can still walk… only… … .”
As he spoke, he had already picked up Owen as easily as if he were a paper doll. Owen wrapped his arms around his muscular neck and blushed in surprise.
“I have no shame to accept your help every time. I was quite confident in my stamina…..but I’m really sorry.”
“No, didn’t the Count take the risk of being our own guide? If it wasn’t for you, we would never have found this underground passage.”
Akkard’s voice, while carrying an adult man on his back, was still calm, as if he was simply wading through knee-deep water.
Witnessing this, Owen muttered, overwhelmed by a sense of Akkard’s trustworthiness and his own dependency.
“Still, now you’re even carrying me. I don’t have the confidence to face you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Isn’t Priest Calix also being carried?”
As Akkard said, Calix, who sensed the direction of his twin sister, was already exhausted. He was tired by the first day, weak from years of starving himself to look like a woman.
Thanks to this, two of Akkard’s elite subordinates took turns carrying him. Even so, Calix faithfully played the role of a ‘compass’ even in the midst of his exhaustion. He woke himself up by biting his tongue several times to save his sister.
Thanks to Calix’s constant direction, it wasn’t too tricky for Owen to find the way. It’s just that his body couldn’t keep up.
“Then I’d rather be carried by one of your subordinates at the very least… … .”
Owen mumbled while looking around. He also knew Akkard Valerian’s importance, so he was embarrassed to keep being carried on his back.
But when Akkard heard that, he laughed unexpectedly.
“No, how can I leave the Count in the hands of others?”
“Are you thinking of Sir Akkard right now?”
How did you know that? Damia looked at Lessid with an astonished gaze that even she herself was not aware of. A troubled expression flashed across Lessid’s face when he saw it.
“I’m sorry if it’s an rude question,”
said Lessid, clenching his molars. But he continued to ask:
“Do you have feelings for Sir Akkard? Damia?”
Damia didn’t answer that question. As if she didn’t know how to respond, she sighed and rubbed her temple with a tired look.
“I don’t think it’s the time to talk about this.”
Saying so wearily, Damia pulled the blanket up, wrapped it around herself, and got up from the table.
Her actions spoke volumes.
“Let’s go inside before it gets colder.”
Damia turned her back and went into her villa, her slender shoulders weakly drooping. Lessid watched her back silently.
He was smart, so it wasn’t too difficult to infer the inaudible answer.
“Oh dear.”
Lessid, who was left behind, asked himself with a sad smile, Is it just him? With a loud noise from somewhere, it seemed as if something was collapsing.
Lessid, who had been listening to this, soon realized. It was the sound of his deep, unrequited love coming to an end. He couldn’t even confess.
***
The underground passageways of the High Temple were dark, like an old fortress. The smell of the sewer coming from below and the moisture of the dirty water droplets falling from above made people dismal.
Their disheveled bodies didn’t even feel uncomfortable anymore. Everyone was exhausted because they kept moving even when they could only close their eyes for respite.
In particular, it was too much for Owen, who was in his mid-fifties. Fortunately, he was used to wandering long distances due to his job, so he could barely hold on and endure.
“Heh heh, heh… … .”
Owen leaned against the wall and wiped the sweat running down his chin with the back of his hand. His stamina was slowly reaching its limit, and his vision grew blurry.
And at times like this, as usual, a young man’s low, rich voice was heard.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Even though he was half-drenched in the gutter, Akkard was still dashing. Rather, the slightly dirty and tired appearance added to an air of mysterious wildness.
“Be careful that the patch on your neck doesn’t come off with sweat.”
Akkard, who gave such advice, silently watched and looked down at his pale face. Owen felt a strange aura of intimidation in his large body.
Then Akkard suddenly crouched down and offered his back.
“We have to move a little more, so get up.”
He didn’t know how many times he had already taken care of him. Owen, unconsciously due to his burdened conscience, waved his hand and declined.
“No, it’s fine. I can still walk… only… … .”
As he spoke, he had already picked up Owen as easily as if he were a paper doll. Owen wrapped his arms around his muscular neck and blushed in surprise.
“I have no shame to accept your help every time. I was quite confident in my stamina…..but I’m really sorry.”
“No, didn’t the Count take the risk of being our own guide? If it wasn’t for you, we would never have found this underground passage.”
Akkard’s voice, while carrying an adult man on his back, was still calm, as if he was simply wading through knee-deep water.
Witnessing this, Owen muttered, overwhelmed by a sense of Akkard’s trustworthiness and his own dependency.
“Still, now you’re even carrying me. I don’t have the confidence to face you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Isn’t Priest Calix also being carried?”
As Akkard said, Calix, who sensed the direction of his twin sister, was already exhausted. He was tired by the first day, weak from years of starving himself to look like a woman.
Thanks to this, two of Akkard’s elite subordinates took turns carrying him. Even so, Calix faithfully played the role of a ‘compass’ even in the midst of his exhaustion. He woke himself up by biting his tongue several times to save his sister.
Thanks to Calix’s constant direction, it wasn’t too tricky for Owen to find the way. It’s just that his body couldn’t keep up.
“Then I’d rather be carried by one of your subordinates at the very least… … .”
Owen mumbled while looking around. He also knew Akkard Valerian’s importance, so he was embarrassed to keep being carried on his back.
But when Akkard heard that, he laughed unexpectedly.
“No, how can I leave the Count in the hands of others?”
