8. Shall We Rest There for a While?

“Did you say they harmed me?”

Katya blinked in surprise and asked.

She felt inexplicably flustered by the fact that a man whose name she didn’t even know had caused such a ruckus because of her.

Where had she seen such a situation before? Ah, it was in romance novels.

A brave knight rescuing a princess trapped in a tower.

This was a scene often found in love stories.

As a question arose in her mind, Katya voiced it without hesitation.

“…Do you like me, by any chance?”

She expected him to jump and deny it, but Nikolai neither confirmed nor denied it, wearing a strange expression.

His demeanor caused Katya’s cheeks to flush with a peachy hue.

She thought romance was only possible in novels or plays.

What about the men who had proposed to her so far?

They were all after the dowry of the Smirnov family; none had ever truly loved Katya, who’s known as the Villainess of the South, and proposed out of genuine affection.

During the social season, she reluctantly attended balls at her father’s insistence, but everyone was too busy avoiding her when they saw her.

Katya herself had never been interested in real men, having never met anyone who caught her eye, so she had no experience in romance and was completely naive in this area. It was only natural for her to be flustered.

‘Why isn’t he answering? Does this man really like me?’

Nikolai seemed to be the embodiment of the male protagonist she had imagined while reading knightly tales or romance novels.

In terms of looks and physique alone, he perfectly matched her ideal type, and he was the first in her life to show romantic interest.

However, he was a resident of Padovangrad, and she was the lord’s daughter.

It was something that couldn’t happen due to their difference in status, so it was better not to start at all.

As the lord’s daughter, she couldn’t toy with the heart of an innocent and kind resident.

She didn’t want to become like those vile nobles who had affairs with commoners before or even after marriage and ended up with illegitimate children.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Katya cleared her throat.

The man clearly thought of himself as a commoner. She needed to draw a clear line before he got more involved.

“Just a warning, don’t like me.”

“……”

“I’m not someone you can handle.”

Katya rubbed the tip of her nose with her index finger and threw out the words she prepared.

Wow, I was pretty cool.

As she basked in her own line, Nikolai quietly looked down at her, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting.

“You are indeed too much, and it seems like you might overflow.”

“Right? So—”

“But how would I know if I can contain you unless I try?”

“What did you… Wait, what?”

Just as Katya realized the meaning of his words and was about to retort, Nikolai suddenly slipped his hand under her knees and lifted her up.

“W-what are you doing?”

“You said you were going home. We agreed to ride together.”

“That’s true, but why are you carrying me?”

“Your leg looks uncomfortable.”

Nikolai had already noticed that Katya, who had twisted her ankle, was unconsciously standing on one leg.

“It’s fine. I can walk on my own.”

“I’m not fine with it. How long will it take to get there while limping? It’s much faster this way.”

“I’m worried I’ll be heavy.”

Katya grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Heavy? The problem is you’re too light.”

“Are you mocking me? Or are you bragging about your strength?”

“Quite the opposite. It’s not a boast; it’s a confession. I’ve rarely carried someone as small and light as you, so I might be clumsy.”

It was the first time Nikolai had ever carried a woman.

Until now, the only people he had moved with his own two arms were injured knights, all of whom were large men, though not as large as Nikolai.

He had lifted such men with ease, but compared to them, Katya was so small and light that it was almost uncomfortable.

“What are you talking about? I’m bigger than average, you know?”

Katya retorted with a face full of disbelief.

Nikolai held back the urge to say that it was only true in the South.

Long ago, a branch of the Charmente Empire’s imperial family established the Grand Duchy of Hersen in the northeastern part of the western continent.

In the harsh land and severe cold, only the strong survived, leading to the current image of the Hersen people, who are robust regardless of age or gender.

Compared to the northern region of Hersen, the southern region, which had interacted with various countries for a long time, had relatively shorter people on average.

Even Katya, who was considered tall in the South, was like a little kid compared to the people of the North.

“This is the ‘princess carry’ position you see in hero stories. It doesn’t suit me. I’m a strong woman. I don’t need this kind of overprotection.”

“Noted that you’re strong. But no matter how strong, an injured person is still injured.”

At that moment, Nikolai stepped on a stone, causing his body to wobble for a moment.

Thanks to that, Katya inadvertently clung to Nikolai, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

Startled by her own actions, she tried to straighten up, but Nikolai spoke.

“It’s dangerous, so stay like that. Didn’t I say I might be clumsy?”

Nikolai recalled the glass menagerie his mother had given him as a child.

The small glass figurines of animals were so light that they often slipped from his little hands.

Once, he had dropped his favorite rabbit figurine.

Seeing the rabbit shatter into pieces on the floor, the young Nikolai burst into tears.

Due to the nature of finely shattered glass, it couldn’t be pieced back together.

To Nikolai now, Katya was like that glass rabbit from his childhood.

Though she seemed fine, he was walking with considerable tension.

“I won’t forget this debt!”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Katya awkwardly expressed her gratitude.

It sounded more like a threat than thanks, making Nikolai chuckle.

The warmth from her neck made Nikolai feel soft and warm up to his chest.

The scent of her skin, which he had briefly noticed when she put her arm around his shoulder, was now much stronger due to their close proximity.

The scent coming from her, whether it was soap or perfume, was pleasant. It was cozy and sweet.

Before long, Nikolai arrived at the place where the horse was stationed.

As he carefully placed Katya on the saddle, he noticed Boris and the Grand Duke’s escort knights coming late to manage the situation.

If Boris spotted him, he would surely start nagging again.

Moreover, if Boris accidentally misspoke, there was a high chance that Katya would discover his true identity.

“Y-Your Highness the Grand Duke! I was too foolish to recognize you. P-Please forgive me!”

“P-Please have m-mercy.”

People who approached him out of admiration for his appearance would always tremble in fear and change their demeanor once they realized he was the infamous ‘Bloody Grand Duke.’

He never even threatened to kill, yet they would prostrate themselves, begging for their lives.

He didn’t want to see Katya change like that.

He knew that she was comfortable with him now because she mistook him for a commoner.

He was planning to leave this place soon to visit other southern cities.

Anyway, since today would be the last time they met, he wanted to be an ordinary person, at least while escorting her home.

Having made up his mind, Nikolai climbed up behind Katya before his aide could reach them.

“Let’s go. Is it Padovangrad we’re heading to?”

“Yes.”

Nikolai reached out from behind, encircling Katya as he took hold of the reins.

Boris, who was inside the cabin paying the owner to keep quiet, belatedly glanced out the window at the sound of hooves.

By the time he hurriedly ran outside, the horse carrying the two had already left the premises.

“No, it can’t be!”

Despairing at the escape, Boris sat down on the ground.

The horse had reins, but Nikolai did not.

His heart was already pounding at the thought of him causing trouble like a runaway colt.

***

After a hurried ride, the two finally reached the boundary of the Smirnov Duchy by midnight.

Though it wasn’t Padovangrad, they were within the duchy, so even if Ivan pursued them, he couldn’t harm Katya recklessly, which was a relief.

“Can you take me to that tree over there?”

At her request, Nikolai steered the horse in that direction.

While still on the horse, Katya untied the yellow ribbon she had used to tie her hair.

She planned to hang the ribbon on the largest old tree branch as a sign to Bianca, who would depart later, indicating she had passed through safely.

Katya tried to reach up and attach the ribbon to a branch but couldn’t reach it.

Seeing this, Nikolai leaned forward slightly and snatched the ribbon from her hand.

Turning around, Katya found his face right in front of hers, and she instinctively held her breath.

“Should I tie it here?”

Nikolai asked quietly, looking down at her.

“Yes.”

After handing the reins to Katya, he reached up.

Unlike her, Nikolai easily reached the branch without any effort.

Under the moonlight, the shadow Nikolai cast enveloped her.

In the shadow that completely covered her, Katya realized anew the difference in their sizes.

As Nikolai quickly finished his task and lowered his arm to take the reins again, a raindrop fell on his face.

It started to rain.

Nikolai naturally took off his robe and covered Katya’s head with it before turning the horse around.

He intended to seek shelter from the rain at a small pavilion, a gloriette, on a hill marking the entrance to the duchy.

Upon reaching the shelter, he dismounted and tied the horse to a pillar, then lifted Katya and set her down on the ground.

Meanwhile, the rain had grown heavier. It was a downpour.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon.”

Katya murmured as she looked around, catching sight of an inn standing alone in the clearing.

“Shall we rest there for a while?”

At her innocent suggestion, Nikolai’s pupils dilated as if a magnitude 10.0 earthquake had struck.