Chapter 9.1
“This part definitely needs some improvement. Since it will be hanging in your room, it should be the best, whatever it is.”
“…Hey, Vernas.”
As Resena quietly clung to his body, Vernas looked down at her with a gentle expression. Resena looked up at him, who was much taller than her, and softly whispered.
“Are you close with Crown Prince Eldis? You seem to call him by his name… How close are you exactly?”
“Ah…”
Vernas replied calmly.
“I’ve known Eldis since he was born. So when we’re together, I address him without formality. And to that extent, Eldis trusts me as well. Though sometimes I don’t trust Eldis… he has absolute faith in me.”
“Ah…”
So Vernas was someone who had watched Eldis since childhood. Resena suddenly felt envious of him. And somehow relieved.
Even though Eldis would cause the destruction of the world in the ending, he had Vernas as his one pillar of support, who appeared even in the side stories. Of course, despite this, she could well understand how cornered he must have been to lead the world to destruction. Regardless, she was grateful that at least one friend had survived.
“Then Vernas, do you tell Eldis about our dates?”
Vernas gazed at Resena quietly before speaking.
“That…”
After a very slight pause of a few seconds, he said.
“He knows that you and I are meeting, but not the details.”
“Ah…!”
“But Eldis also knows that I have feelings for you, Resena. Of course, that doesn’t mean Eldis intends to interfere with me. However, we are both aware that we’re rivals to some extent.”
“Rivals…”
Resena’s cheeks flushed again. Looking at that lovely color, Vernas smiled slightly. It was truly an enchanting sight. Gently rubbing her cheek with the back of his hand, he continued.
“But I can assure you. Eldis won’t try to separate you and me under any circumstances. He’s the kind of man who would feel uncomfortable even using such methods. Because of that, he won’t use his power to prevent us from meeting.”
“Vernas…”
“So you can feel comfortable meeting with me. Of course, even if you meet with Eldis, I have no intention of commenting on it. No matter who captures your heart, I will only look at you.”
Overwhelmed by emotion, Resena couldn’t continue speaking. But as if understanding her feelings, Vernas slowly lowered his head and kissed her forehead. The warmth of his lips gently touching her skin seemed to seep into her, and Resena could only look up at him dazedly with a flushed face.
“You’re cute. Even like this.”
Vernas smiled slightly. Then he slowly pulled his lips away. Resena belatedly realized that there were other people present besides Vernas, and her face burned hot. But Vernas’s master pretended to look elsewhere, ignoring their kiss.
“Vernas… is secretly quite emotional.”
“I hear that sometimes. But Resena, you’re just as emotional as I am.”
At that, Resena smiled brightly with a reddened face.
“When you act like this, how can I not be emotional?”
“Haha.”
“It seems like Vernas knows too well how to seduce me.”
“Is that a compliment? How pleasing to hear.”
Every word from Vernas seemed to lead her into a dream. Resena quietly looked up at him and placed her finger on his lips, tapping them lightly. Watching her with a satisfied expression, Vernas wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him, and Resena rested her cheek against his firm chest.
‘My heart is pounding…’
If knowing how to make someone’s heart flutter was a skill, Vernas was certainly adept at it. Resena breathed in the subtle magnolia scent emanating from his embrace.
“Resena.”
Vernas entangled his fingers in her black hair. As he stroked it down, he said affectionately.
“Shall we pay for the items you’ve chosen? And I’ll bring the wall clock with more detailed carving. Although my master’s touch is on it, I know you’ll prefer something that has my touch on it.”
Resena nodded in agreement. Watching the two, a smile spread across Saras’s wrinkled face. He had always worried about the aloof Vernas, and he couldn’t help but be pleased that his once impenetrable disciple had brought such a lovely lady.
‘May they always be happy.’
He was glad that Vernas, who pushed people away and spent most of his time only with children, finally had someone to lean on. The old man waved to Vernas, who bowed deeply after paying. He could also see Resena bow her head, holding her hat in greeting, before leaving the store with Vernas, a smile on her face.
“Resena. Shall we go somewhere we can have a light meal next?”
“Yes! That sounds good! I was just getting a bit hungry.”
As Resena intertwined her fingers with his, he responded with a faint smile. After walking just a few steps, they saw a shipping store where they could send luggage anywhere within the imperial capital, and Vernas led Resena inside.
The elegant cursive handwriting seemed familiar to Resena, as if she had seen similar handwriting before. So when Vernas wrote the address to send the wall clock to the imperial palace, Resena quietly examined the address.
‘How fascinating.’
It wasn’t the first time she had seen the address of the Crown Prince’s palace, but seeing him write it made her newly aware that he was a senior knight trusted by Eldis. There were quite a few senior knights active in the novel, but most were killed by Tom Baker, so Resena was both surprised and grateful for Vernas’s survival.
At least it meant that Eldis had someone to lean on until the end.
‘But… even so, Eldis ends up destroying the imperial capital. In the end, one person alone couldn’t stop Eldis’s rampage.’
Thinking about Eldis like that made her feel complicated for a moment. Noticing Resena’s slightly darkened mood, Vernas reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. At that gentle touch, Resena turned toward him, and he spoke soothingly.
“Resena. What are you thinking about?”
“Well… Just thinking about Eldis for a moment.”
“…To think of another man during our date, Resena. How mischievous.”
Resena slowly shook her head.
She should tell Vernas someday. As Eldis’s friend, he’s in a position to give him good advice.
‘But will Vernas believe that I’ve regressed?’
Lorona and Renard know about her regression. And she was planning to tell Alken as well. But when she actually thought about telling Vernas, she worried he might see her as strange.
‘I don’t want to distance myself from Vernas…’
“What is it about Eldis that makes you think of him even during our date, Resena?”
Vernas narrowed his brow but looked at her with gentle eyes. Encouraged by his reaction, Resena decided to be honest for now.
‘Since Vernas is a knight, wouldn’t he know about the holy knight Irkenes’s fifth regression?’
It would be best if he reacted like Renard. Resena moved her lips hesitantly.
“Actually, I wasn’t thinking about Eldis because he’s been nice to me. I… By any chance, Vernas, do you know about holy knight Irkenes’s fifth regression?”
“Ah… If you’re referring to the incident where the deity turned back time for the fifth time so that the holy knight Irkenes could successfully seal the demon king, then yes, I know about it.”
Resena opened her lips to tell Vernas about regression.
“….”
But the words wouldn’t come out. As she began to worry about how Vernas would see her, she found herself just biting her innocent lips.
“Resena?”
When Vernas asked with a puzzled expression, Resena pressed her lips firmly together and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.”
If it were Vernas, he might believe that she had experienced regression. He’s an amazing artist who expresses his emotions through sculpture, while also being rational enough to perform his duties as a knight, so if she spoke honestly without stammering, he might believe her.
But her lips kept moving without words coming out. Seeing this, Vernas led Resena out of the shipping store.
“Was there something about Eldis you wanted to tell me?”
“….”
“If it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to tell me right now. If it’s something you need to say eventually, there will come a time when you’ll talk about it. But if you can’t speak because you don’t trust me…”
“That’s… not it.”
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