Chapter 286
Chapter 286
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 286
Chapter Title: Isabelle the Golden Knight - Her Gaze (6)
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***
“Ugh…”
The sudden sound startled everyone in the infirmary.
“Karite!?”
Cheon-seong, who was closest, rushed to her side, just as Karite’s eyes fluttered open.
“……”
Karite blinked blankly, the scene before her a blur.
A full day had passed before she regained consciousness. Though her mind was still foggy, she could clearly make out Cheon-seong's face.
“…Han Cheon-seong?”
As she called his name in a daze, Cheon-seong carefully nodded.
“Yes, it’s me, Karite. How… how are you feeling? Are you okay?”
Karite merely stared at him, dazed, even as he asked. Instead of answering, she brought a hand to her chest.
*Slide.*
As her hand rested over her heart, she was overcome with an indescribable feeling.
It felt like a dream.
An unreal one.
A faint memory surfaced through the haze.
She and Han Cheon-seong had confronted the apostle. She even remembered that they had managed to execute it in the end. But after that, nothing.
‘How… am I still alive?’
At that moment, when she thought it was all over. The chilling sensation of something unknown piercing her chest, however, was vivid.
But here she was, alive. And she could see Han Cheon-seong again.
“Karite, don’t think about anything else right now. Just focus on resting…”
She just stared at Han Cheon-seong as he continued to speak, nodding vacantly.
She couldn't comprehend her current reality, but she was overwhelmed with a sense of relief.
The reality that she was alive… that she could see him again. She was simply grateful for this miraculous reality.
*Click.*
Just as Karite was composing herself, her gaze etching Han Cheon-seong’s face into her memory, Adelia approached and spoke softly.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Cadet Karite needs to rest now. I'm sorry, but could you please step aside for a moment?”
Cheon-seong glanced at Karite before moving away.
*Shwk!*
Immediately after, Adelia drew the curtain between the beds and began asking Karite various questions about her condition.
How was she feeling, were her senses intact—she carefully went down the list of things to check.
Karite simply repeated that she was fine, her voice tight with frustration. After a moment, Adelia let out an awkward laugh and took a breath.
“It must be overwhelming to be asked so many questions as soon as you wake up. I know you’re confused, Cadet Karite, but we need to continue your treatment. I’ll explain everything later when you’re ready.”
“…Yes. I understand.”
Karite agreed with Adelia’s words without the slightest objection.
Even then, her gaze remained unfocused.
It felt as if she were facing an unreal reality, her senses detached and floating. After the curtain was drawn, she simply stared at the spot where Cheon-seong had been.
*Rustle, rustle.*
Adelia began to remove Karite’s clothes one layer at a time, soon revealing her pale skin.
“Pardon me for a moment.”
Placing her hands carefully on Karite’s body, Adelia manifested her power.
—!
As a warm light enveloped her hands, Adelia spoke with even greater caution.
“To be honest, treating you before you regained consciousness could have led to complications. So, we’ll begin the proper treatment now. It’s going to be very painful, but you must endure it. You can’t lose consciousness.”
And so, in her dazed state, Karite was about to…
be met with a very real pain.
…….
A short time passed after Adelia and Karite were hidden behind the curtain in the infirmary.
Soon, Karite's pained moans began to echo.
The chilling sounds sent a hush over the infirmary, the atmosphere instantly growing heavy.
Everyone reacted differently.
Leonhardt stopped his meditation, letting out nothing more than a worried sigh, while Isabelle calmly gazed toward the curtained-off area.
And Cheon-seong…
“……”
He could only stare at the curtain before him, unable to do anything.
He couldn’t let out a worried sigh, nor could he maintain his composure and simply watch.
With every pained moan from Karite, his heart grew heavier.
“What… happened here?”
As Isabelle, who had been observing the situation, spoke cautiously, Cheon-seong was finally able to tear his gaze from the curtain.
“Right after we encountered the apostle yesterday, the cadet in there, Karite, was gravely injured. They said she narrowly pulled through, but her treatment isn’t over yet.”
“A victim of yesterday’s incident… I see.”
“Yes. You could say that.”
As Cheon-seong replied in a subdued voice, Isabelle gave a slight nod.
And that was all.
Isabelle didn't ask any more questions, nor did she try to find out more.
“…”
At that moment, he was grateful for her small act of consideration, and it made him realize something.
—that from now on, he shouldn't rashly try to accompany anyone.
***
*Ugh…!*
*Hah… Hah…*
*Nngh!*
The sounds of stifled pain and Karite’s ragged breaths repeatedly filled the infirmary.
The atmosphere had grown completely somber, and Isabelle’s mood couldn’t help but sink with it.
Still, the situation itself didn’t strike her as particularly strange.
“……”
Feeling pain while one’s wounds are treated. To her, that was perfectly natural.
As a Golden Knight who constantly faced danger while protecting the imperial family, it was a frequent occurrence.
Moreover, she knew that the powers of healers or priests were not omnipotent.
*Hah…*
Even as a weak gasp, as if a peak had been passed, came from beyond the curtain, she accepted it calmly.
It was just another reminder.
‘It’s not safe.’
The current Empire was not safe.
Not even at the academy, filled with talented individuals, which had suffered a disaster like yesterday’s.
With that thought, she found herself looking at the man before her again.
“…”
A considerable amount of time had passed, yet he remained silent.
But in that time, his gaze had completely changed.
Until now, when he looked at me, there had been a cautious and gentle air about him.
But now, his eyes were cold and his aura had settled, making him seem like an entirely different person.
It was a shift in demeanor that shouldn't be possible for someone his age.
‘Is this his true nature?’
People show different sides of themselves depending on the situation. And one’s true character often reveals itself in unexpected circumstances like this.
“Are you very worried right now?”
“…Ah, yes.”
When I spoke softly, he simply affirmed with a nod, and I continued in a placid tone.
“From what I can hear, those aren't the sounds of someone who can't bear the pain. It sounds like she's enduring it.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. That’s what I hear.”
I offered that small comfort and left it at that.
I was only telling him what I perceived.
Saying anything more would be meaningless. It was a matter for the one in pain and those connected to her to understand, not for a third party like myself to comment on.
“…Thank you.”
When he expressed his gratitude, I shook my head and, without thinking, asked.
“Are you, by any chance, her lover?”
Seeing him so worried, it didn't feel like he held just ordinary feelings for her.
It had to be something born from a personal affection.
But was my question unexpected?
“……”
Seeing the man stare at me blankly, I belatedly added.
“If I’ve asked a difficult question, I apologize.”
Perhaps I had been too insensitive in front of someone worried about another.
“No… It’s fine.”
A cautious reply. Then, with a faint sigh, he gave a slight nod.
It was an affirmation.
He was openly admitting that he and the woman in pain were lovers. I, too, nodded calmly, not thinking poorly of their relationship.
“Sir Isabelle.”
“Yes.”
“…May I ask for some of your personal time later?”
At his next words, I paused before answering, looking at him.
“It’s just that, once my body is back to normal, I would like to request to spar with you. If you’re going to dedicate your time to being my guard… I would be grateful if you could extend your generosity a little further.”
As he calmly stated his request, I finally nodded.
“Yes. That much is fine.”
I could clearly feel the emotions dwelling in the man’s eyes.
…Guilt, self-reproach, anger, fervor, and longing.
Emotions that shouldn't mix were strangely jumbled together in his gaze.
And I understood why.
*Glance.*
My eyes shifted slightly toward the curtained-off space, and a small smile escaped my lips.
‘Not bad.’
The look in the eyes of a man who wants to become stronger for the person he loves, for his desire to protect someone…
There was something about it that made me see him in a better light.