Chapter 6.2

Lian cut off Forrest’s complaints sharply. Then he uncrossed his arms and pointed upwards with one finger. It was above the underground city.

“Soon, a butcher shop above us will be robbed. The thief will cause a lot of injuries swinging his knife around as he escapes. He’ll ride a prepared horse to the outskirts and cause more trouble there. Unfortunately, several people in the square will get caught up in it.”

Forrest narrowed his eyes at the explanation. It was clearly a list of ‘things that hadn’t happened yet.’ It wasn’t information he had stumbled upon or learned by chance.

“The thief will come near the shop where Hestia works. Deal with it before that happens.”

“What are you talking about? What kind of detailed delusion is this—”

Forrest’s eyes widened in disbelief. Just then, they heard someone running towards them. One of the subordinates hurried over to report.

“There’s trouble! A nearby shop was just robbed. The owner was seriously injured, and the thief is swinging a knife around, saying he’ll fight his way out! Since we’re here, we should go help immediately. Can we go?”

Forrest looked at Lian in shock. Everything Lian had just said was coming true, and Forrest couldn’t believe it. But Lian’s face showed he didn’t care.

“What are you doing? Go quickly.”

“What about you, Deputy Commander?”

“I’m not fully recovered yet. I don’t even have a sword.”

He had no intention of getting involved. He reiterated his earlier instructions.

“Handle it neatly. If the thief gets on a horse, you’re out. You know Ronald won’t miss this chance.”

“Damn it. Fine…”

Forrest gestured for the subordinates to go ahead and then replied to Lian.

“I’ll finish this first and then head to the villa.”

“Alright.”

Lian nodded, and Forrest sighed before hurrying off.

A sense of relief spread across Lian’s face as he turned away.

That evening, Forrest visited the villa despite the late hour. He shamelessly claimed he was bored and said, “Pie would be nice,” knowing full well that it was a time-consuming dish. Hestia, however, excused herself to quickly prepare tea and desserts.

The conversation that had been interrupted in the morning resumed then.

Fortunately, Forrest seemed to have managed the incident well, as Lian had instructed, and he didn’t forget to report it.

“It was exactly as you said, Deputy Commander. It was a robbery at the butcher shop, and the thief had a horse ready to escape. Of course, we caught him before he could get away and put him in jail.”

“That’s what I heard. I went to the square myself and saw nothing happened.”

Lian replied nonchalantly from across the table.

“How did you know that? Did you gain some strange ability after being healed by holy power?”

“Think of it as something like that.”

Lian answered briefly and added his own words.

“But it’s not all-powerful. The events I know about are limited.”

“Limited?”

“The important thing is that you must prevent the incidents I tell you about in advance. I’ll make sure it’s noticeable enough that you and the knights can take the credit. I can’t use you all for free.”

He glanced at Forrest with a look that asked if he would accept the terms.

“You mean guarding Miss Hestia.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s not hard to spare a few men. But why do we need to prevent these incidents?”

Lian fell silent and looked down. A ring on his finger caught Forrest’s attention. It was an unusual accessory for a knight, as it could interfere with wearing gauntlets or handling a sword. But Lian had decided not to care about such things anymore.

“The reason is…”

He spoke slowly, pausing before continuing.

“It’s the only way to keep Hestia from dying.”

“What…?”

When Lian looked up, Forrest seemed to think he’d heard another crazy statement. But gradually, his expression shifted from shock to anxiousness, leaning towards trust.

Lian continued calmly.

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s how it is. Understand it as me knowing these things in advance. Only the person involved can truly get it.”

“What…? So, are you saying it’s like foresight? Shouldn’t we inform His Eminence, the Cardinal, or something?”

“Ha. Are you suggesting I quit being a knight and become a clergyman? Sorry, but I’m already married.”

Lian chuckled at the absurdity of Forrest’s suggestion.

“No, I mean such a remarkable ability should be used for greater causes.”

“Why should I? As long as I can protect Hestia, that’s enough for me.”

Forrest clicked his tongue at Lian’s obsession with his wife. But he quickly understood when Lian added more.

“And I can only predict events related to Hestia. There are some things I can’t prevent on my own, so I need your help. It’s the safest and most reliable way.”

“Only events related to Miss Hestia? That sounds like… you’re saying she’ll inevitably get caught up in accidents.”

“…”

The silence that followed was enough for Forrest to understand it as confirmation. What kind of ability was this? Flustered, he asked cautiously.

“Then… you want to prevent those accidents in advance?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, you don’t need to attach conditions like credit or rewards. I’ll help you regardless. I thought it was something else.”

Forrest’s answer was straightforward. Hestia was not only the wife of his respected superior but also someone he now considered a personal acquaintance. If it was a matter of life and death, he was more than willing to help. 

The things he had heard were, of course, unbelievable, but he had witnessed them with his own eyes earlier today. He couldn’t help but trust him.

“Still, why did you phrase it like a threat? That’s disappointing.”

“I need to offer compensation to avoid any complications. I don’t trust people.”

“Don’t trust people? That’s rich coming from you. How did you even get married with that attitude?”

If Lian truly didn’t trust anyone, he wouldn’t have gotten married, nor would he be making this secret request to Forrest. Knowing Lian’s habitual distrust, Forrest assumed this was just another one of those cases.

“Either way, it’s fascinating. Why can you only see events related to Miss Hestia? Are your memories being restored alongside this?”

“I’ve regained most of my memories about myself. The problem is Hestia.”

Forrest tilted his head at that, adding, “It’s fortunate that you can see them in advance, I suppose.” But his expression wasn’t bright.

“If it were me… I’d hate it. You’re saying you see your wife getting caught up in accidents.”

Lian didn’t seem inclined to share his feelings. He remained silent for a moment before quietly advising, 

“So make sure nothing bad happens.”

At that, Forrest slyly asked, 

“Do you happen to see my future? If so, maybe I could benefit from it too.”

“No. I’m not interested.”

“That’s harsh! So, when do these visions appear? In dreams? Naps? Or randomly?”

“Not right now. I’ll send a messenger bird to the training grounds tomorrow morning. You can check for new information then.”

“So it doesn’t appear instantly.”

At that moment, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Judging by the hurried steps, it seemed Hestia was approaching. The two men, as if on cue, closed their mouths and didn’t continue the conversation.

Lian immediately stood up and opened the door to greet her.

“Ta-da! Cherry pie and tea! I happened to have some pre-made.”

She said with a bright smile, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place.

Lian took the tray from her hands, his gaze never leaving her as she walked over to the sofa. He didn’t take his eyes off her for even a moment.

Watching Lian Clyde’s behavior, Forrest fell into thought. It seemed his superior truly had no interest in anything or anyone other than her. No matter how he had gained such a strange ability, Forrest hoped it would be used for the good of both of them.

After happily devouring the tea and pie Hestia had prepared, Forrest muttered to himself, “Helping isn’t that hard,” and stuffed the last piece into his mouth. He then gave Lian a small nod and left the villa.

“Hes, are you going to feed the birds?” 

Lian asked.

“Yes. These are leftover bread crumbs… It’s better to share them than throw them away.”

“Then leave it. I’ll do it in the morning.”

“No, that’ll just trouble you, Lian. I can quickly—”

Before she could finish, Lian leaned in and kissed her on the lips. At the same time, he gently took the bag of bread crumbs from her hand. When he pulled back, he wrapped an arm around her waist and said softly, 

“No. Spend time with me instead. You came home late today, didn’t you? Hmm?”

He rested his forehead against hers, speaking in a tone that sounded like a gentle plea.