Eliana (04) 016. Fiddling Fingers
Eliana couldn't tear her eyes from Kalen's face, as if it held some profound wonder. While fiddling with it endlessly like that, her gaze suddenly fell on his bare upper body.
"..."
She reached out a hand, then hesitated. After a moment of blank contemplation, Eliana cautiously stroked his body. Her eyes were drawn to the center of his chest—the spot where his heart ought to be, stained black as pitch. Thin black lines spiderwebbed out across his torso. It was a sight that made her wince instinctively.
Was it because he'd stayed by her side? If so, that meant another debt owed to Kalen. A debt she'd never repay even in a lifetime. She had no choice but to remain at his side.
Eliana fiddled around the heart area for another long while before slyly lifting her head. Exhausted as he was, Kalen showed no sign of waking.
"..."
Gulp. She swallowed once. Swish—the soft rustle of fabric against skin, and their bodies pressed together.
Thump, thump, thump. Her heart beat a little faster than before. Eliana's pupils, now perched atop Kalen's shoulder, had widened slightly too.
He didn't look particularly muscled, yet his body was firm. Eliana liked that as well. And so, another long while passed. Just as she sensed Kalen stirring and tried to pull away...
"Lady?"
His voice came from right beside her. The volume felt unfamiliar compared to her days of poor hearing, startling Eliana into jerking back.
"How..."
Fortunately, Kalen seemed focused solely on how she'd made it this far. "Can you... walk?"
She nodded faintly.
"The illness..."
"It's gone."
"Ah."
"Thanks to you, Kalen..."
She leveled her gaze with his again. "I know what your face looks like now... what your voice really sounds like... I know it all."
Eliana spoke with her eyes locked on his. "Thank you, Kalen. It's all because of you."
"I only stayed by your side."
"Mm, if that's what you say."
"Anyway, I'm relieved. I was afraid you might die, Lady."
Kalen spoke flatly, genuinely glad.
Eliana listened quietly, lost in thought. She'd once resented how much she liked him caring for her as her bodyguard. Now that things had changed, she disliked the idea of it ending there—as just protector and lady.
"...You're not going to ask what I was doing?"
The words slipped out abruptly, perhaps for that reason. Surprised at herself, Eliana blinked silently.
"Ah. Come to think of it, you were holding me—"
"Th-thankful..."
She cut him off, stuttering in a way that was unlike her. "No other meaning..."
Eliana scrambled upright and turned away. "...Probably."
She couldn't muster the courage to let him see her burning face.
The carriage set off northward once more. The difference this time: Eliana sat beside Kalen on the driver's seat.
Naturally, he'd protested, unsure if her illness was truly gone. But he couldn't refuse her wish to see the open world.
Kalen wasn't oblivious to Eliana's feelings. Still, her excuse rang hollow—her gaze fixed entirely on him. Mostly his face, sometimes his arm as he tugged the reins.
"...Did you always wear glasses?"
"No. The old man gave me his."
"Ah..."
"Mages might find staves old-fashioned, but they all wear glasses these days."
"...They suit you."
"Thank you."
Sometimes, casual chatter.
"In any case, you must ride inside when we pass through the North, Lady."
"Why...?"
"We'd be trespassing on another fief; we need permission. The family head pulled strings to simplify it, but showing your condition to other high nobles..."
"I'm not sick anymore..."
Conversations about their destination, too.
And so, the carriage carrying the two finally entered northern soil.
The people of the Claire Empire called the North thus: the coldest place, and at once the hottest.
The former for its weather, the latter for its nature. Battles raged here more than anywhere else. The blood spilled there burned as fiercely as the northern snows, they said.
Indeed, it teemed with mercenaries, knights, and combat mages. Confined to the North, it allowed peace elsewhere.
Half a day after entering northern lands...
"Halt."
Several figures appeared beyond a ridge of white peaks. At their fore stood a woman.
Imperial law held firm, but the North bowed to strength. Men typically dominated due to physical advantages. A woman with power to grant passage here was exceedingly rare.
For instance, the Hiatt Grand Duke's eldest daughter.
Kalen dismounted and spoke. "It's an honor to meet the North's young lord. I am Kalen, escort to Eliana Rakatus, third daughter of the Rakatus Duke family. We contacted you about heading to Winter Island."
As his words ended, the woman at the front raised a hand, and the tension eased.
With procedures streamlined by prior arrangements, formalities sufficed—no more pomp needed.
The woman approached Kalen slowly. Even accounting for his tall frame, she was statuesque herself. Still, he edged her out.
"Where's the Rakatus lady?"
"Sleeping inside."
Another detail they'd coordinated with Eliana. Regardless of her recovery, they'd agreed she wouldn't show herself to northerners.
"Such a sleepyhead."
The woman brushed past it. Procedures were usually strict, no exceptions—but this irregularity stemmed from the friendship between Everchan Rakatus and the North's lord.
Kalen, knowing all this, assumed it concluded and moved to remount.
"Alone?"
Had the woman not spoken up.
As Eliana's bodyguard, he couldn't ignore her.
"Yes."
"Your escort?"
"Is there a problem?"
"I'd heard, but seeing it myself... hard to believe."
"What do you mean?"
"Rakatus is on the continent's far side, crossing the North with just one guard..."
She tapped her chin with a finger. Tok, tok.
"The Rakatus Duke isn't one to be so careless. How skilled must you be to guard their lady solo?"
Kalen had taken the role due to her illness—a secret from outsiders. Even the Grand Duke might know, but not her. She'd missed the mark entirely.
Still, Kalen deemed it better to let the misunderstanding stand. Arguing facts would derail plans. And without flaunting talent, it didn't violate Blamia's advice.
"Cold one."
"I can say nothing beyond what the lady allows. Especially not to Lady Hiatt."
Hiatt. The absolute rulers of the North.
The woman of that house nodded as if it were natural. "Cleared to pass."
A resounding reply from her ranks, and the path opened.
Kalen bowed lightly and boarded. The carriage departed, leaving the lightly waving woman behind.
"Hm..."
Her gaze lingered on the shabby carriage, finger tapping her chin. Until it vanished beyond the ridge.
Winter Island. The name alone carried weight.
Anyone in the Empire had dreamed of it at least once. Those who'd seen it and returned alive all said the same: breathtaking.
The word fit Winter Island's scenery perfectly. The vast Claire continent brimmed with beauty, but a few spots stood supreme. Winter Island was one—worth the peril, unforgettable once glimpsed.
That was where Kalen and Eliana arrived.
"Haa..."
Her exhaled breath froze midair. The cold defied adaptation. Eliana bundled in pre-packed clothes and stepped down.
Crunch, crunch. Footprints marked the pristine snow. Of course, she saw it all clearly now.
Eliana turned, following a certain boy's silhouette. She could walk, but awkwardly—needing his aid.
"...Is this from dealing with that Sinat girl too?"
"Yes."
"..."
His skilled support irked her slightly, but she let it pass. Winter Island loomed near, and his familiarity stemmed from her arrival in his life.
Mindful, Kalen shortened his strides; Eliana matched, inching along.
A high plateau blanketed in flawless snow. Even the serene sunlight felt exquisite. As if closing her eyes might make it vanish.
Within that spell, Kalen and Eliana reached Winter Island.
"..."
"..."
No words passed. It was simply too beautiful for speech.
A deep gorge cleft the land, piled high with snow. The sun peeking through wasn't scorching but serene, aloof. Its chill light reflected in the crystal-clear waters flowing between, blending with the snow overhead into an unparalleled vista.
Truly breathtaking.
Gazing down, Kalen understood the epithets. If the church's elite described heaven, it must look like this.
How tragic if Eliana's sight had remained lost. He turned to her, curious about her expression.
Had her long-held wish come true? He couldn't picture her smile, but hoped she would.
Yet it differed from expectation. The gaze he met upon turning wasn't on the stunning view—but on him.
"...Can't see it?"
"Mm. I can."
Coincidence that their turns aligned? Kalen asked carefully. "Worth the wish?"
"Yes..."
Eliana stepped closer, hands behind her back, then met his eyes at point-blank range.
"...It was good. Much better than I imagined."
"I'm glad."
"Well, a bit different from my initial reason for thinking it'd be nice..."
She beamed radiantly. Reclaiming her old world, gaining a new one. At last, her wish fulfilled—the Rakatus youngest lady's bright smile harmonized with the breathtaking scene.
"I like this reason far more."
For a moment, Kalen felt his breath catch.