The Person Who Stays by Your Side at Your Hardest Moment #6
Emil walked out of Alon Ricgard's office with a satisfied smile on his face.
Perfect. The best possible outcome.
The sword Alon had drawn had only slashed through the rope binding Emil before stopping.
It was true that he had been a little scared, but he had expected it.
Alon wasn't the kind of man with that much guts, and his loyalty to the royal family ran too deep for him to ignore talk of the curse.
But the most delightful fact of all was that Leni had run across the Iredain castle barefoot just to find him.
She must have sensed what was happening and burst out of the room she hadn't left for years in order to save Emil from Alon.
That fact alone filled his heart with joy.
The fact that the prickly young lady had stepped forward and acted for his sake.
If it had been Daisy, maybe, but Leni of all people.
It seemed Emil had earned far more of Leni's favor than he had realized.
And that was a pleasant miscalculation.
“Ah, my lady!”
The sight of Leni walking out of the office was even colder and more frosty than usual.
Had she exchanged harsh words with Alon Ricgard?
But the moment she saw Emil, her expression softened slightly as she answered.
“Oh… Priest. Weren’t you going back?”
“I was waiting for you, my lady. I couldn’t possibly let you return alone.”
“You didn’t have to…”
“What do you mean, I didn’t have to? Just look at how you’re dressed.”
Leni quietly looked down at herself.
She was wearing nothing but a thin chemise—in other words, she was practically in her underwear. Good heavens. She wasn’t even wearing proper shoes, so her feet were bare, and because she had run all the way here, scrapes and cuts covered her skin.
Only then did Leni seem to realize it; she wrapped her arms around herself and curled up as if trying to hide.
“…I came out in a hurry. That’s why.”
“Haha, next time please come a little more slowly.”
“That’s not what I—”
“I know.”
Emil took off his outer robe and draped it over her.
On the small-statured Leni, the robe looked more like a cloak or a full-length mantle.
Emil settled the robe over her shoulders and gave them a light pat as he spoke.
“I know everything. You came because you were worried about me, didn’t you? Thanks to you, I’m still alive, my lady.”
Emil smiled gently.
Leni clutched the robe around her shoulders tightly, her eyes sharpening as she asked,
“…What did Lord Alon do to you, Priest?”
“It was nothing. He simply refused to believe that the curse could be cured. It was fortunate that you arrived when you did.”
Emil shrugged once as if it truly meant nothing.
Leni opened her mouth to reply, but just then the sound of footsteps approached.
When they turned their heads, a familiar face appeared.
“Lady Cately?”
“Oh my, Emil. What brings you here…”
Cately had called out to him in a sticky, sweet voice, but the moment she spotted Leni her expression changed and she corrected herself.
“Emil… Priest. Goodness, I thought you were alone. Why is this child here? And dressed like that… wearing only a tunic?”
“Ah, I was just escorting the young lady after we paid a visit to the lord. As for my robe… the lady seemed cold, so I gave it to her.”
“Oh… I see.”
The eyes with which Cately looked at Leni had gone ice-cold. That was hardly the gaze one should direct at a child.
Cately spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
“I heard she often causes trouble for you, Priest Emil. Are you all right? If you’d like, I could suggest to Alon that we find you another—”
“No, that won’t be necessary, my lady. It seems the servants’ gossip has been exaggerated. Besides, the lord has already made his decision, hasn’t he?”
“…Oh, has he?”
Cately frowned, clearly displeased with the answer. Then she shot Leni a sidelong glare.
“And this child still doesn’t speak, does she? You must have such a hard time, Priest Emil. Taking care of a girl who keeps her mouth shut with that sullen expression all day.”
“Well, they do say silence is a virtue.”
Her gaze toward Leni was filled with cold contempt, disgust, and other negative emotions.
A woman who could look at a mere child with such eyes.
It made his stomach churn.
“And my lady, if you have any questions, please ask the young lady directly. It’s not pleasant to treat someone standing right in front of you as if they weren’t there.”
Cately looked startled at his words.
She clearly hadn’t expected Emil to take Leni’s side. Flustered, she stammered as she continued.
“I… see. I’m sorry, child. I didn’t mean to ignore you. What was your name again?”
Leni kept her lips pressed tightly together.
Her brow furrowed.
She was irritated by the obvious intent behind the question—Cately knew her name perfectly well.
“My lady, the young lady is—”
“My name is Leni.”
Leni surprised even Emil.
Though her voice was small, it was clear, and she had answered using polite speech.
Cately almost frowned again but quickly forced a smile instead.
“Yes, that was your name. Very well, Leni. Is there anything uncomfortable about living with Priest Emil?”
Leni stared quietly at Cately for a moment.
Should he step in?
But Leni spoke first.
“No. I love Priest Emil, so every single day I spend with him is incredibly happy.”
Good heavens. Dear God. What did she just say?
Leni had spoken with a perfectly straight face, not even blinking.
Cately couldn’t hide her bewilderment; confusion flickered in her eyes.
“I… I see…”
She looked at the child with eyes full of venom.
But she soon regained her cold gaze and spoke to Leni as if admonishing her.
“That is such a childish answer, dear. Unfortunately, priests cannot marry. They cannot even take lovers. No matter what feelings you may harbor, you and Priest Emil can never be together.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just having the priest by my side is enough to make me happy. I don’t wish for marriage or dating or anything like that.”
Leni added with an expressionless face,
“If there is a woman who does wish for such things, then surely God would curse her. Don’t you think so?”
This was insane.
Who would have thought that beneath Leni’s usually quiet tongue lay a blade sharp as poisoned steel, dripping with mockery?
Cately’s face turned bright red at Leni’s words.
She looked as if she might slap the girl across the cheek at any moment, her expression turning vicious.
“My lady Leni certainly knows how to joke. You’re making my wife uncomfortable. That’s enough of your jests, young lady.”
He had no choice but to intervene.
Leni tilted her head slightly—as if to say it hadn’t been a joke at all—and closed her mouth.
“My lady, Leni sometimes makes jokes like this. You were surprised, weren’t you?”
“Oh my… how surprising. But one must learn to distinguish between jokes that should be told and those that should not. That one was simply unacceptable.”
“Yes, I will make sure to teach her properly.”
“Good. Yes…”
Cately looked as if she had swallowed something filthy. She muttered half-formed words and turned away.
“Then… I’ll be going. Have a good day, Priest.”
“My lady, didn’t you have business with Priest Emil? I thought that was why you came.”
Leni cut in from the side.
Damn it. Just when had this young lady started enjoying mockery so much? Once again, he had no choice but to interrupt her.
“My lady, it is not polite to interrupt before the other person has finished speaking. You must be more careful.”
She probably wouldn’t go that far, but at this rate Cately might actually try to rip Leni’s tongue out.
Leni nodded without a word.
“…!”
Cately glared at Leni, unable to say anything more, before finally turning and walking away with sharp, clicking footsteps.
Once Cately had left, Leni glanced sideways at Emil. She seemed to be waiting for him to speak.
Emil let out a sigh.
“Lady Leni… why did you do that?”
“She kept glaring at me.”
“I know that. But you didn’t have to speak that way. It’s never good to make enemies unnecessarily.”
“…I’m sorry, Priest.”
Leni quietly accepted the rebuke.
“As long as you understand. Let’s head back now.”
“Okay… but, Priest.”
Leni suddenly seemed about to ask something.
What could she want to say?
It was rare for her, but she hesitated for a moment, rolling the question around in her mouth before finally speaking.
“Were you upset by what I said?”
At those words, he almost let out a helpless laugh.
There was no need for a long answer to this.
Emil replied immediately.
“No.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. If you like me, my lady, then I can only be happy about it.”
Leni bit her lip lightly, then whispered in a small voice.
“Liar.”
Emil let out a soft chuckle.
“Ah, you really don’t believe a word I say, do you? What must I do to earn your trust?”
“…I don’t believe you. Because you’re a liar, Priest.”
Leni shook her head.
Without hesitation, Emil stepped forward, grabbed her legs, and lifted her into his arms.
Leni let out a small shriek.
“W-what are you doing… Priest?”
“You’re barefoot, aren’t you? I should help so your feet don’t hurt.”
Emil supported her legs and back with both arms, lifting her up. In other words, exactly the way a groom carries his bride at a wedding.
Leni covered her reddened face with both hands and kept letting out tiny, embarrassed cries.
“Ah, ugh, Priest. Put me down! Please.”
“My lady, if you keep making so much noise, everyone will see us like this.”
“Ugh… ah, Priest.”
Emil couldn’t hold back his laughter and chuckled merrily. She really was weak to bold advances.
Still holding her in his arms, Emil whispered into her ear.
“Now will you believe what I say?”
“Ugh, I believe you. I’ll believe you, Priest. So please put me down…”
Not a chance.
Emil carried Leni all the way across Iredain castle to her room.
The servants’ eyes widened as they stared at the pair, and Leni—her usual expressionless face completely shattered—grew even more embarrassed.
But Emil simply smiled and kept walking.
If you play a prank on an adult, you have to be punished.
This was nothing but discipline. Absolutely.
Emil laughed brightly as he carried Leni through the halls of Iredain castle.