Chapter 1.2
“After the accident? So you got hurt saving me?”
Fortunately, she was able to hear an explanation shortly afterward.
It came from Sir Forrest, who had been chattering nonstop. He was an aide working under Sir Clyde, and according to him, the situation was roughly as follows:
At the time of the village fire, they happened to be passing nearby. Sir Clyde heard someone shout, “There’s still a woman inside who hasn’t escaped!” and then disappeared. He returned later in a disheveled state, but fortunately, since they were part of the Imperial Knight Order, they were able to recover thanks to the healing powers of the Saintess and the Cardinal, whom she had seen earlier.
She also learned why she was there. As expected, they intended to send her to a private doctor after administering first aid according to her status, but Sir Clyde refused to let her go each time. As a result, she received treatment alongside him, and ten days had passed since then.
However, there was a problem. Sir Clyde, who hadn’t seemed well from the start, had become so dull that he couldn’t say anything other than her name. He would constantly check on her or stay by her side, as if she were his master, waiting for her to wake up.
Hearing the cause left her shocked. The fact that the knight, who was the pride of the Imperial family, had ended up like this while saving her was a huge shock. As she sat there, frozen with a sorrowful expression, Sir Forrest sighed heavily and spoke.
“I’m not blaming you. I’m just stating the outcome. Don’t make that face. If they notice, they’ll take it out on me again.”
“Huh…? What do you mean?”
At that moment, the door suddenly clicked open. Sure enough, Sir Clyde stood there. Sir Forrest had just chased him out to another room, but he seemed to have returned.
She saw him approach with his tall and beautiful face. Initially, his eyes brightened just by meeting hers, but as soon as he noticed her distressed expression, he frowned. He quickly rushed over, setting a chair beside her bed and alternately glared at Sir Forrest.
With a yelp, Sir Forrest was thrown to the floor in an instant. Sir Clyde had swung his long arm and pushed him aside. Then he sat close beside her and glared at his subordinate.
“See? I told you! Even when the doctor came, he was in such a state that proper treatment was difficult. If you even groaned unconsciously, he’d go wild like a mad dog! So what else could we do but call on those with holy power?”
Later, she learned that treatment with holy power wasn’t painful. It seemed that mysterious energy she felt earlier was indeed that.
Sir Forrest, looking aggrieved, sprang up from the floor and glared at Sir Clyde.
“Damn it… If only you weren’t my superior, I’d… I can’t even hit someone who got hurt. You take it all out on me! Let’s see if I let it slide once you regain your memory. Are you listening, huh?”
Sir Forrest growled, uttering words bordering on insubordination. However, perhaps due to the loss of his memory and knowledge, Sir Clyde seemed unaffected by such remarks. His expression was as calm as if he were hearing a dog barking.
“So what do we do now…? Sir Clyde, are you feeling better?”
She cautiously interjected between the two, addressing Sir Clyde. He, who had been staring intently at Sir Forrest, suddenly turned his head. His expression was now bright, as if just seeing her made him happy.
“Look at that! Look at him! He’s become a different person! I’m going crazy! I’ve served him for years, and I can count on one hand the times I’ve seen him smile. But now, look! He’s acting like a completely different person. It’s as if he’s lost something important—like charisma or dignity! What’s going to happen to our knight order now?”
Sir Forrest spoke with a tone that suggested he might start jumping up and down in frustration. While his words carried a sense of absurdity, they also conveyed the shock of seeing someone he knew change so drastically.
As his lament continued, she became more and more discouraged.
“I’m sorry. Because of me…”
At that moment, as she clenched her fists tightly on the blanket, a large hand suddenly covered the back of hers. Startled, she looked up. The owner of the hand was smiling broadly. It was Sir Clyde. Then, as if it were a habit, he called her name again,
“Hestia, Hestia.”
“See? For five days now, that’s all he’s been saying. What kind of code is it…?”
Sir Forrest shook his head with a sigh.
Code?
Puzzled by his explanation, she asked.
“It’s my name.”
“What?”
“It’s my name. Hestia… Didn’t you already know?”
At her question, he blinked as if he didn’t understand.
“I thought you investigated.”
“How could we investigate someone who’s bedridden? All we figured out was that you’re probably not a noble, based on your attire and the fact you were trying to save people. We didn’t know anything else.”
“Huh? You didn’t investigate me? Then how does he know my name?”
“Well… Maybe you introduced yourself?”
“In that fire? I was almost unconscious at that point.”
When she asked in disbelief, the other person seemed to realize something was odd and made a startled expression. Then, they asked another absurd question.
“Or could it be that you already knew each other?”
“With someone as remarkable as Sir Clyde? How could that be? I’m just a commoner. Of course, I know of Sir Clyde because he’s so famous and popular… but that’s one-sided.”
“What? That can’t be true. Then what explains his behavior?”
At that moment, Sir Forrest pointed a finger toward her side. It was aimed at Sir Clyde, who was smiling brightly. He was staring intently at her profile, completely ignoring the fact that she was talking to someone else.
“He’s acting like he’s forgotten everyone except you… What on earth is going on?”
She thought to herself,
‘That’s what I want to ask!’
The two of them looked at Sir Clyde with bewildered expressions, as if it were planned. At that moment, Sir Clyde, like a large dog, gently rested his head on her shoulder and looked up at her with sparkling eyes and a smiling mouth.
“Sigh… This is serious. He wasn’t like this before. Anyway, it might be unpleasant, but could you cooperate for a while? He’s behaving as if he won’t listen to anyone but you.”
“Unpleasant? No, not at all. On the contrary, I feel terrible knowing this happened because of me… I’m deeply sorry to him as well. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
She meant every word. Besides, the unfamiliar man leaning against her shoulder didn’t feel particularly unpleasant. Perhaps it was because of how handsome he was. Moreover, seeing him in a state where he relied only on her made her feel sorry for him. He seemed utterly broken, as if something within him had shattered. If this dazzling man had been in his normal state, he probably wouldn’t have spared a glance at someone like her.
As she gazed at his dark hair with a sympathetic expression, Sir Forrest suddenly let out a short exclamation and ran out of the room as if he had remembered something. When he returned, he was holding a small black bundle.
“You’ll need to take care of this too.”
He said, handing it over.
The bundle opened its yellow eyes and let out a soft meow. It was the cat she had rescued from the fire.
“You’re alive…!”
She smiled brightly as she took the cat into her arms. The little creature nuzzled its head against her chin as if it recognized her.
“Good grief… You’re in for a rough time, with two black things clinging to you.”
Sir Forrest muttered, shaking his head as he watched her. She responded with an awkward laugh.
And so, she came to live with Sir Lian Clyde and the black cat.