Became the Escort Knight of the Villain in the Romance Novel

23 – Winter (1)

It was a pure white sky.

It was still blue, but shattered pieces of clouds fell and colored the world white.

Even the faded flowers are now white, and what remains are trees and ground that have lost their color and look lonely.

The warm wind that always enveloped the body disappeared and a chill remained in its place.

The season when life, which has blossomed so far, hides into the ground for the time when it is born again.

People call it winter.

The trees that were each colored colorfully no longer exist.

Now, I barely covered my naked body with the piled up snow, and just endured the winter like that.

In the season dyed in gray and white, those cold colors, I was spending this time busier than anything else.

The sword in my hand trembles.

The sweat flowing from the hand holding the hilt of the sword kept making the sword slippery, so all the nerves were focused on each movement.

Forward stabbing, the sensation of consuming a lot of stamina just by swinging it seemed to convey a different pleasure to the whole body than before.

“You seem to be working very hard. His attitude has changed dramatically.”

Sir Chris looked at me like that and opened his mouth with a satisfied smile.

To say his attitude had changed, he certainly didn’t know.

Since the last prom, I’ve been training harder than usual.

Until now, training was considered just a routine,

Now, I wondered if it would be okay to put a little sincerity into the training.

Because the people I have to fight in the future will never be able to deal with them at the current level.

The prince, when I remembered him, my face slowly began to darken.

Perhaps, at the time Yeoju appeared, she reached the level of being a master.

Expert, his own level was not that low. But can she face an unexpected foe?

Probably impossible.

I knew how difficult it was to become a master.

In the first place, he also knew that the level that Evan Fried had reached was a level that no one could reach even if they spent their whole lives polishing and polishing.

So, I couldn’t give up that talent so easily.

The fact that she acknowledged me as her escort knight eased her heart, but it also added weight to her shoulders.

Her responsibility given to her, to protect her from any danger.

It was also a responsibility that I, the possessed chair, did not have to keep, but I couldn’t let go of it easily anymore.

Aren’t you already deeply entangled in her?

My whole body was wet with sweat and heavy. Like water-soaked cotton, the extremely heavy body exhaled white steam.

One step, another step. It was only when she felt the pain as if grabbing and tearing her lungs and her breath rose to the bottom of her chin that she finally let go of the grip on the sword.

Seeing the cold frozen ground melting in the heat radiating from his body, he laughed involuntarily.

How many times have you been so absorbed in something? Maybe my childhood was the last.

The last time I was genuinely praised by others.

As I recalled the old memories for a while, my taste was bitter. It was a memory I didn’t have to remember.

Isn’t it a memory that has nothing to do with it now? No, at least it was a memory that I don’t have to recall now.

I had no intention of letting old memories bind me forever.

She gently closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them again to the cold air filling her lungs.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a desolate scene unlike before, but I rather liked the silence that the desolateness gave.

This quietness, this cold silence that can only be felt in winter in nature, slowly cooled my overheated heart.

“Your expression is very straight.”

As I turned my head at the gruff voice coming from behind, Sir Chris grinned and patted my back hard. How hard did I have to knock on my back? As she slightly frowned at the momentary pain, Sir Chris opened his mouth with a big smile.

“Isn’t the swearing-in ceremony coming soon? It’s already happening like this, time flies.”

“…I will. Was it summer That I became an escort knight.”

“I don’t know how he won the lady’s heart, but he looks much better now. Both you and the lady are clearly different from before.”

Hearing that, he nodded his head, then tilted his head in a sudden question.

I’m different from before, what the heck does that mean?

However, I couldn’t ask him outright, so I looked at Sir Chris who was holding his shoulder and smiled.

“Am I a little different from before?”

“Yes, it looked like I was going to die right before I even brought up the escort driver. To be honest, I was nervous when I went to pick you up that day. If this guy opens the door, he might be dead.

“…Death.”

My eyes narrow at those words. It looked like he would die right away, what kind of life had Evan been living before this?

However, those thoughts quickly dissipated. It was because I could hear light footsteps stepping on the fallen leaves in the distance.

“Chief, are you here?”

It’s a voice I always hear, but why does it make me feel better when I hear that voice?

After catching my breath for a while, I answered loudly, and then Lopena came quickly and poked her head.

“Wow, you sweat a lot.”

“I worked a little hard today. But, why am I suddenly?”

“The lady is looking for it.”

Is Irene looking for me? However, no matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing for her to find me, so I looked at Sir Chris with a questioning expression.

“Okay. I’m not sure either. See if you have something urgent to do.”

“But you didn’t usually find it during training.”

As Sir Chris said, is there something urgent?

Stared at Pena for a moment, then she nodded her head and moved on with her steps.

Wouldn’t it be possible to find out if you go there?

#

When I walk down the hall, I realize that the atmosphere has changed a lot from before.

The ladies-in-waiting’s gazes, which were awkward at first, have become quite friendly now, and even Lopena, who was next to me like this, was uncomfortable with me at first. She

Compared to the other ladies-in-waiting, of course, she became close with her quickly.

At that time, this hallway felt so desolate, but now the atmosphere is comfortable.

Just like coming home. It was such a bliss to have a place to return to in the end no matter how hard things were.

Come to think of it, it seems that she hasn’t even thought about going back to her original world lately.

Maybe it was after the last ball. Since then, Irene’s attitude has also changed a lot.

I can no longer find the bleak gaze he used to send me from time to time.

Although it felt awkward to be the image of her sometimes smiling and rubbing her eyes saying she was sleepy.

Still, it will be much better than before, when he was expressionless.

“Oh, where are you going?”

“Rize, I told you not to touch my hair!”

Rizeger, who approached before I knew it, stroked Pena’s hair and asked me, and Lopena pouted her lips in her anger.

It looked like an angry cat hissing, so Pena turned her head away as she smiled.

I mean, you’re so sulky.

“I was on my way to the lady. She’s training, but she seems to have some urgent business.”

“Is that so? She didn’t specifically call us. Then go quickly I still need to wipe off my sweat, so I wear this.”

As Rize took the towel she gave her and wiped away her sweat, she clapped her hands and patted her, as if remembering something about her, then opened her mouth again.

“Oh, that’s right. I put the letter on the desk in your room. There were only three of them today.”

“…Three cans.”

It’s much better than before. When I laughed bitterly, Rize covered her mouth, wondering what was so good about it, and she chuckled.

Since she went to the ball, the letters that came once or twice a week had been coming in several times a day, and she had honestly given up on it for a long time.

She gave up writing replies, and just read a little and tossed the rest of the unsealed letters into the trash can.

She shrugged her shoulders once, brushing off her thoughts. She wasn’t here when she was doing this.

Rize must have noticed that too, and now she pushed us away, saying she had to go too.

“Seriously, I don’t know why you treat me like a child.”

“Um, sure.”

Honestly, how many people would look at Lopena and not treat her like a child.

But I couldn’t say that to her face, so I just agreed with Lopena and walked down the aisle.

After I said that, Lofena smiled and looked at me, as if she felt relieved again.

“But you are training very hard these days?”

“Anyway, the swearing-in ceremony is coming soon. I used to be a little lazy.”

Maybe it was because I had a goal. Since he became Irene’s escort knight, shouldn’t he at least become a knight at a level capable of subduing the crown prince?

To be honest, it might have been a vague goal, but I felt like I could do anything if I had at least one goal like that.

Furthermore, the swearing-in ceremony was a hunting event.

There was probably a pretty high chance of me going to the hunting festival, and if I prepared like this, there was a high chance that it would come to fruition at that time.

Eventually, when they reached Irene’s door, Lopena knocked on her door and opened her mouth slightly.

“My lady, this is Lopena.”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and what I saw inside was Irene sipping tea.

Looking at her face, which seemed much more relaxed than before, somehow made her feel at ease, so she looked at Irene and lowered her head slightly.

“I’m here. Sorry for calling you during training.”

“It’s okay. It was time to finish soon anyway.”

When I said that, Irene smiled and put the teacup down. A rose planted on one side of her window caught my eye.

She stared blankly at the rose for a moment, and Irene looked at me like that and she continued her words.

“Why are you standing so blankly? I called her because she has something to say, so she sits in the front here.”

Maybe it’s because of the small sofa in front of her desk, her exhaustion from swinging her sword.

It wasn’t even a very soft sofa, but when my fatigued body touched the sofa, it just felt soft like a cloud.

As I brushed her face, hiding the expression of her momentary drowsiness, Irene looked at me and carefully pursed her lips.

“Looks tough.”

“It’s not that hard. She’s just been a little lazy.”

“Please take it easy. There is no need to overdo it, is it?”

I looked blankly at the eyes that were looking at me worriedly, then smiled lightly.

Why is it so awkward that she cares about me?

When those blue eyes shimmered warmly, my face became hot for no reason, and I involuntarily swallowed my breath.

I felt the worry contained in his eyes towards himself was very funny.

Even when we first met, she was the kind of person who was so bruised just because she called her a young lady.

Isn’t there nothing like miasma or thorns left in the way you treat yourself now?

After a while, Irene asked me various things. Stories related to everyday life.

Is there any dishonest among the ladies-in-waiting, and what is the attitude of the knights in the duke’s residence?

As we talked about such things, time passed by quickly, and the tea in front of me quickly cooled down.

However, the profound scent does not disappear.

Although I couldn’t feel the strange sensation of warming my body as the tea cooled down, the scent of the expensive Darjeeling still lingered in my mouth.

When I close my eyes gently, it feels like I am tasting that green again in this desolate winter, and just as I was closing my eyes like that, Irene opened her mouth.

“By the way, it’s time to hunt soon, right?”

“Yes, the hunt is in two weeks now.”

When she nodded at those words, Irene looked at me gently.

I wondered if I could hunt something in the winter, but since this is a fantasy world, it must be because there are many animals that are fine even in the cold weather.

Tack-

The teacup Irene was holding was set down on her plate, and then she looked at me and opened her mouth.

“I’ll probably be busier after the hunting festival. I’ll always follow you to the events that will take place after the ceremony, and now that you’ll officially become an escort knight after the ordination ceremony is over. It’s hard to relax like now.” Is.”

“…I am determined.”

Isn’t that why you’re working so hard right now?

Perhaps after the ordination ceremony, there will be no substitute for Sir Chris like now.

I was well aware that there was not much time left to spend leisurely time in the garden eating cookies.

However, I couldn’t figure out why she was bringing up such a story, so I just quietly sipped her tea while glancing at Irene.

“…Honestly, I still feel sorry for taking you to the prom like that the other day.”

“I’m fine. I was a little surprised at the time anyway, but I didn’t feel anything special.”

I clapped her hand and said she didn’t have to be sorry, but she shook her head and went on with her words.

“I said it at the time, but it was a choice that was only on my impulse. So I wanted to apologize and give you something… But I can’t think of anything in particular.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Really.”

“So let’s go out with me. Just like the day I first met you.”

“…Yes?”

At those words, I stared blankly at Irene.

Dani suddenly left. I slightly frowned at her, and Irene smiled and opened her mouth again.

“Your last remaining space, can I be with you?”

Once again, the corner of the mouth draws a soft arc.

Whenever I see her smile, it feels like her mind goes completely white for some reason.

I just blankly nodded her head.

Seriously, isn’t it against the law to laugh like that?