Chapter 167
It was the same blue light I had seen a few times before. The light that had always helped me when I was in trouble. Maybe that’s why I felt like Reno would be there.
As I passed by the neatly trimmed horn-shaped holly trees, the blue light became clearer as I got closer. It was shimmering on one of the few tall trees.
It wasn’t ridiculously high, but compared to the surrounding garden trees, it was noticeably taller, with lush leaves.
Perhaps because the lantern light didn’t reach well, there were few people around. It seemed like a good place to hide if you could climb trees.
He might really be here.
“Reno?”
“…….”
Silence. If someone were here, you’d expect to hear the faint rustling of leaves, but the tree was completely still, making me tilt my head in confusion.
Was I wrong? But the light was coming from this tree…….
“Reno?”
Is he really not here?
No response even after calling again.
Was the light deceiving me? Or was there something else here? Either way, there was something, so it must have guided me here.
After some hesitation, I gestured to Isaac.
“Lord.”
“Give me your command.”
“Can you lift me up to this tree?”
The tree was a bit tall, but with Isaac’s height, I thought I could reach near the light with his help. Climbing the tree would be difficult, but I might be able to reach the branches if I stretched.
“Shall I lift you up?”
“Yes. And could you lower your head a bit? So I can hold on.”
Isaac obediently lowered his head toward me. I wrapped my arms around his neck like I was hanging on, and his hands lifted me by the thighs.
The sudden height made me let out an involuntary sigh of amazement. Even though I had prepared myself, defying gravity always felt surprising.
“Is this height alright?”
“Hmm, no. A little higher…… Whoa!”
Even stretching my arms, I couldn’t reach the branch, let alone touch it. As I shook my head at the branch and the light, which were much higher than I thought, my body suddenly floated upward.
“Huh? What?”
My body, now free from Isaac’s grip, continued to rise. With nothing to hold onto, I wanted to flail, but I was too scared of falling, so I stiffened. Before I knew it, I was perched on the upper part of the tree.
Now that I had something to hold onto, I clung tightly to the thick branch like a lifeline.
What’s going on? How did I get up here? Did I have some hidden talent for climbing trees? No, I’ve never even touched a tree before.
And where did the light go? It was definitely shimmering around here.
As I sat there, confused and unsure what to do, a faint sigh and murmur came from above me.
“Ah, really…….”
It was too soft to make out the words, but it was definitely a human voice. Then, from between the thick, branching limbs, a faint golden head popped up.
“You could’ve just passed by.”
It was Reno.
‘So he was here after all.’
He grumbled slightly but quickly made his way over to me. As he got closer, the scent of fresh grass wafted into my nose. It was distinctly different from the smell of the tree.
“Why did you try to climb up here? It’s dangerous.”
“You’re up here too.”
“It’s different for me. And Isaac, instead of stopping you…….”
“You’re the one who used a spirit, so you shouldn’t be talking.”
Ah, so it was a spirit that lifted me up.
While I marveled at this revelation, Isaac continued to scold Reno.
“Not only did you desert your post, but you also ignored Her Highness’s call.”
“That…… I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“Huh? That’s fine, but…….”
I hesitated for a moment, then looked down at Isaac. Despite the height, he seemed close because of his tall stature. I didn’t need to raise my voice much to speak to him as usual.
“Lord, could you go back to the palace and rest first? I need to talk to Reno. I’ll return soon.”
“Understood.”
Isaac bowed his head and left. After sending him off, I stared at Reno. He seemed to avoid my gaze, as if feeling guilty.
“This is a bit scary. What do you want to talk about that you sent Isaac away…….”
“Why did you run away earlier?”
“Huh?”
“When I was asked to dance earlier. Robe—anyway, that man. You pretended to step back, but you really ran away, didn’t you?”
It was Reno’s right. Even if he had insisted, I wouldn’t have blamed him. Of course, people would still gossip…….
As I stared at Reno intently, he let out a soft laugh.
He laughed? Was there something funny about what I said?
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m just glad you didn’t remember the name of that nobleman you just saw.”
“Why is that a good thing?”
“It means he means nothing to you. You never forget what’s important, but you’re ruthless about what’s unnecessary.”
He wasn’t wrong……. Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be angry?
Reno’s words ruined the serious atmosphere I had tried to create. I didn’t know how to bring it back.
The faint light from the lanterns filtering through the gently swaying leaves illuminated Reno’s face.
And I noticed a small scab of blood on his lip. Without thinking, I grabbed his face.
“Your Highness? Why…….”
“Lord, are you hurt? There’s blood on your lip.”
“Ah, this? It’s just…….”
“You weren’t hit, were you?”
I asked, recalling the time Meliana had struck him. The thought of someone else doing the same made my heart sink.
Whoever it was, I wouldn’t let it slide this time.
As I resolved to press Reno for answers, he gently removed my hand and spoke.
“I wasn’t hit, so don’t worry.”
“You weren’t hit?”
“No.”
“Then why is this here?”
Reno’s lips pressed together tightly. It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it, but I was determined not to back down. He had been avoiding all my questions so far.
Realizing I wouldn’t let it go, Reno bit his lip.
“Do you really need to hear this?”
“Yes. It’s about you, so I want to know.”
I wouldn’t care if it were someone else. I might worry, but I wouldn’t want to know the details. But since it was Reno, I wanted to know.
“That’s unfair.”
“Huh?”
“If you say it like that, I have no choice but to tell you.”
It was too dark to see his expression clearly, but his voice seemed to tremble slightly. Was he crying……? No, probably not.
Just then, the light shone again, revealing his eyes. They looked a bit red, but there were no tears.
‘He’s not crying.’
As I sighed in relief, Reno’s voice reached me.
“I’m ashamed and pathetic.”
“Because of what others are saying?”
“Partly. I didn’t care about that before. I knew what I was getting into when I became Your Highness’s guardian.”
What does he mean, “someone like me”?
I wanted to tell him not to belittle himself like that, but Reno seemed ready to continue, so I stayed quiet.
“And honestly, I didn’t expect anything from you. I had no expectations. I told you before, so you know. But……”
“…….”
“I don’t know when it started, but I’ve become greedy.”
Greedy?
That word didn’t suit Reno. From what I’d seen, he was always detached and serene. But greedy?
“I want to be a guardian you’re not ashamed of in front of others. And like Isaac……”
Reno bit his lip, cutting himself off. I couldn’t even guess what he had been about to say.
“Like Isaac”? What about Isaac could Reno possibly envy?
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