I Have Time On My Side!

Nolan let out a laugh, though his hands trembled slightly as he finished dressing, adjusting the upper part of his clothes.

Despite his words, it was clear that the treatment had left him more exhausted than he wanted to admit.

Emily watched in silence as the healer gathered her things, when suddenly, the door to the room burst open.

The princess appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Nolan, Emily, and the healer immediately greeted her with slight bows of respect.

“Please, no need for that,” the princess said, waving her hand, “I came to help…”

But before she could say more, the healer stepped forward with a calm smile.

“Princess, thank you for your intention, but I’ve already finished Nolan’s treatment for today.”

The princess swallowed hard, her face tightening at the healer’s words.

She glanced at Nolan for a moment, and her hands clenched into fists, frustrated that she had arrived late.

“I see…” she murmured, her voice containing a mix of disappointment and anger.

But her frustration only grew as she noticed Emily standing beside Nolan once again, following her young knight.

Jealousy flashed in her eyes, but she maintained her posture.

While Nolan thanked the healer with a slight gesture, Emily noticed the princess signaling discreetly, indicating that she should come closer.

Emily, surprised that the princess wanted to speak to her, cautiously walked toward the royal figure, feeling the pressure of the moment.

The princess looked at her with an intensity that made her feel even smaller.

“How do you know Nolan?” the princess asked, her tone low but firm, as if trying to contain a stronger emotion.

Before Emily could process an appropriate response, Nolan’s voice rang out from across the room.

“Emily, it’s time for us to go.”

Emily felt a knot in her stomach.

If she didn’t respond to the princess, it could be considered a grave act of disrespect, and the consequences could be severe.

But at the same time, she couldn’t ignore Nolan’s call.

Caught between two fires, she decided to act quickly.

“I met him on the street, Your Highness,” she answered hastily, bowing slightly in respect before retreating back to Nolan.

‘That doesn’t tell me anything…’ Iris thought, annoyed.

When Emily reached Nolan, she exhaled a sigh of relief.

Nolan, sensing her tension, chuckled softly as they left the room together.

“No need to be so tense,” he said with a calm smile, as if the whole situation was insignificant to him.

The princess, from her spot, watched them leave.

She frowned, saying nothing more, but her gaze was filled with frustration and contained anger.

As they exited the church, the cool breeze outside greeted them.

Emily still felt the tension in the air, but she was soon interrupted when a group of children approached them with quick steps and bright eyes.

Two of them, barely reaching Emily’s shoulder, stepped forward with a mix of respect and nervousness in their eyes.

“Excuse me, sir, are you Nolan Rook?” one of the children asked in a barely audible voice, but full of reverence.

Nolan frowned for a moment, surprised by the question, but nodded gently.

“Yes, that’s me.”

The children looked at each other, surprised and excited by the confirmation.

“Did you really go to war?” asked the other child, his eyes full of wonder. “And lead a great army?”

Nolan couldn’t help but laugh at the direct question. He was surprised that someone so young would ask him that with such seriousness.

“Yes, I did,” he replied, trying not to sound too serious.

The children began jumping with excitement, unable to contain their joy.

“Mom! Look, it’s Nolan Rook! The one who went to war with Dad!” one of the children shouted, pointing to his mother, who was hurrying over.

The woman, hearing her children’s words, stopped in her tracks, a mix of surprise and disbelief on her face.

“Is that true?” she asked, her voice hesitant, looking at Nolan with eyes full of curiosity.

“Yes, it’s true,” Nolan responded, now feeling a bit uncomfortable with the attention.

But before he could say more, a group of young nobles, who had been watching from a distance, quickly approached, taking advantage of the fact that they were no longer inside the church.

They all surrounded Nolan, bombarding him with questions.

“Is it true that you’re Nolan Rook?” one asked.

“How did you always know what the enemy was going to do?” another insisted.

“Show us your magic!” others demanded impatiently.

Nolan, taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions, barely had time to respond, repeating over and over again that yes, it was him, but the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

The nobles kept insisting, some begging him to teach them magic, while others seemed more interested in how he had achieved his battlefield feats.

Suddenly, the church doors burst open, and the church staff came out to try to calm the chaos.

“Silence! You’re causing a disturbance!” the clerics shouted, but the nobles seemed unwilling to obey.

“We’re not inside the church anymore, we can ask him whatever we want!” one of the young men retorted defiantly, provoking a wave of support from the others.

Emily watched the chaos, increasingly surprised.

Everything had happened so quickly that she could barely process it.

But then, a powerful voice resonated above the crowd.

“Silence!”

The princess, standing tall and serious-faced, had come out to impose order.

Some nobles who recognized her immediately bowed in reverence, but others, who didn’t know her, murmured among themselves, wondering who she was to give them orders.

However, several church knights lined up behind the princess, and soon the others began to imitate those who had already bowed.

Even the mother with her children bowed, leaving only Nolan and Emily standing.

Emily, nervous, was about to kneel as well, but then she realized something.

Nolan was holding her hand!

The gentle but firm pressure of his hand kept her standing, something she hadn’t noticed in the midst of all the chaos.

Her cheeks flushed as she realized this small detail, but she didn’t pull her hand away.

The princess, with an authoritative voice, declared:

“I expected more respect for the country’s hero. From now on, anyone who bothers Nolan Rook will be severely punished.”

The crowd murmured restlessly, and with a gesture from the princess, people parted, creating a path for Nolan and Emily to walk towards her without further hindrance.

“It seems the rumor of your presence has spread faster than I expected…” the princess whispered, addressing Nolan with a strained smile. “It’s best if you follow me if you want to get back without further trouble.”

Nolan nodded, aware that the situation was getting out of control.

Emily, still dazed by everything that had happened, simply followed his lead.

As they moved away, everyone’s eyes remained on them, the murmurs persisting among the crowd of nobles who, until that moment, couldn’t believe they had been so close to a living legend.