Chapter 3.5

She had run so far.

In the distance, she saw lights.  

And a flag fluttering in the night wind, bearing the emblem of an eagle. It was the mercenary group Lyla belonged to.  

“What’s that? Isn’t that Lyle?”  

“Oh, oh! It is! It’s Lyle!”  

“Lyle! You’re alive?”  

Two mercenaries who spotted her jumped to their feet.  

Bwoooo—!  

The sound of a horn echoed, and soon other mercenaries gathered around.  

Even after reaching the camp, Lyla refused to let go of Kadis.  

The mercenaries surrounded her, chattering excitedly, but none of their words registered.  

The only sound that existed in the world was the breathing of the child in her arms.  

His warm breaths thawed the icy nape of her neck.  

The boy remained quietly nestled in her embrace.  

When Lyla gently stroked his back, he responded by wrapping his arms around her neck.  

Words weren’t needed. The warmth they shared was enough to confirm that they were safe.  

‘Brother, I did it, didn’t I?’  

Lyla tilted her head toward the sky, as if speaking to her deceased brother, Lyle.  

‘I wasn’t as perfect as you, but I protected this child. I’m sorry for blaming you for leaving me first.’  

Lyla closed her eyes.  

A single snowflake landed on her dirt-streaked cheek.  

Then the snow began to fall heavily.  

She had worried about the snow during their escape, but now it seemed breathtakingly beautiful. She was grateful to be alive to see it.  

That day, the snow covered the world in white.  

Even her soul, which she had believed would remain forever shrouded in darkness.  

It felt as though it, too, had been cleansed.  

***

“Ugh…”  

Lyla groaned as she opened her eyes.  

She was in a lodging.  

The moment she had let go of Kadis, relief and exhaustion had overwhelmed her, and she had fainted.  

“You’ve hit the jackpot.”  

“Do you know who the child you saved is? He’s the Duke’s son.”  

The mercenaries wasted no time talking as soon as Lyla woke up.  

She listened absentmindedly, first checking her clothing. Thankfully, it seemed they had only treated her visible injuries while she slept. The bandages wrapped around her chest were untouched.  

Relieved, Lyla pulled the blanket over herself before sitting up.  

One of the mercenaries grabbed her head with one hand and ruffled her hair roughly.  

“You’re amazing, kid!”  

“I-I didn’t do anything at all.”  

Lyla answered with an awkward smile.  

“You little rascal~! Playing humble, are we?”  

“Right. ‘Didn’t do anything,’ you say! Do you even realize what an incredible thing you’ve done?”  

“Exactly, exactly.”  

Even the mercenaries who usually looked down on Lyla chimed in one by one. Their expressions now carried a newfound respect.  

Once again, Lyla found herself at a loss for words. She ran her fingers through her now-messy hair, which had been ruffled by the mercenaries, when a thought suddenly struck her.  

“Ah! The bandits have gone to raid the vault. Only a manageable number remain, ones we can easily handle with our forces. I can guide you—”  

“That’s enough. Leave the rest to us and return to the village to rest.”  

The commanding officer interrupted Lyla mid-sentence, having appeared unnoticed.  

“But—”  

“You’ve done more than enough.”  

The commanding officer placed a hand atop Lyla’s head.  

The weight of that gesture caused her chest to tighten with emotion.  

For a fleeting moment, the face of her late father overlapped with the commanding officer’s. How wonderful it would have been to receive such acknowledgment from her father as well.  

“Sniff, sob, sniffle… sob…”  

Lyla lowered her head and let out a quiet sob. Then, like a fool, she began to laugh softly.  

She cried and laughed at the same time. Perhaps the ordeal she had just gone through had scrambled her mind. But no one chastised her for it.  

It was at that moment, as the atmosphere grew warm and comforting, that—  

“What’s so funny that you’re grinning like that?”  

Kadis entered, pulling back the tent flap.  

Without warning, he raised his right hand and pointed directly at Lyla.  

“That one is coming with me to the Ducal Residence.”  

The mercenaries whispered among themselves, speculating that she was about to receive a reward. Some even whistled in envy, making jokes about how lucky she was.  

It wasn’t until the commanding officer issued a stern warning to behave that the room fell silent.  

“I need to hold him accountable for the crime of laying hands on my noble self, the Young Master of the Duchy.”  

Kadis clenched his pointing hand into a fist, a sly smirk playing on his lips. His words drained the color from the mercenaries’ faces.  

“Y-you… what did you…?”  

“Didn’t he rescue the Young Master?”  

The mercenaries who had been friendly with Lyla began to inch away from her, their expressions turning wary.  

Pathetic fools.  

The commanding officer clicked his tongue in disapproval at his subordinates before stepping forward and bowing respectfully to Kadis, who was young enough to be his grandchild.  

“Honorable Young Master, Lyle is one of my subordinates. If he has committed an offense, I will take his punishment in his place.”  

“C-commander…?!”  

Lyla’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.  

She had always thought of the commanding officer as a stern and intimidating man. Clearly, not just anyone could hold such a high position. However, she was only a temporary member of the group. There was no reason for the commanding officer to take responsibility for her actions.  

“No, Commander. There’s no need for you to—”  

“What’s the point of punishing you in his place?”  

Kadis cut Lyla off, his expression one of exasperation.  

“He’s the one who survived and told me to punish him himself. Hey, isn’t that what you said? Or am I wrong?”  

“…Yes, yes. That’s what I said.”  

“Ha! What a masochist. I’ll make sure you regret it.”  

Kadis grinned wickedly, smacking his palm with his fist. The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed ominously, like the crunch of a predator devouring its prey.  

‘It’s unavoidable.’  

Lyla resigned herself to her fate.  

No matter the circumstances, laying hands on the Young Master of the Duke was a grave offense. She could only blame her own reckless actions in the past.  

“Get ready immediately. I hate waiting around.”  

With that, Kadis turned sharply on his heel and issued his command.