“It’s actually the opposite.”

“Exactly.”

Helix nodded in agreement with the exasperated Leah.

“Don’t you two really not know?”

Janet interjected, seemingly frustrated.

“Commander Helix looks mysterious at first glance, and as for Lady Leah…”

“What about me?”

Janet glanced around cautiously.

“…Could it be because you’re Lord Ruyan’s sister?”

“…”

That made sense. When Leah remained silent, Janet added nervously.

“Well, you know, Lord Ruyan has the face of an angel from a holy painting. But he’s known for his incredible strength and being the kingdom’s best swordsman…”

“So you think that I, as his sister, must also have hidden superhuman strength?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

Leah shook her head.

“Now I see how rumors spread. To think everyone would come to such conclusions after knowing me for years.”

“H-haha… They’re probably just shocked. Don’t worry too much about it, my lady.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”

As Leah sighed, Helix made a suggestion.

“If it bothers you that much, I could demonstrate my strength.”

“Show off your strength?”

He pointed outside the carriage window.

“The servants are struggling to move that tree stump blocking the road. If I go help clear it, everyone will assume I was the one who carried people earlier.”

Leah looked outside the stopped carriage.

Just as Helix said, the servants had rolled up their sleeves and were heaving and pushing at a large tree stump.

“Oof!”

“This thing’s stuck harder than we thought! It won’t budge at all!”

Just as one of the servants was about to take off his top, a large hand suddenly covered Leah’s eyes like lightning.

“Helix?”

That wasn’t all.

Swoosh.

The curtain fixed to the carriage window was quickly drawn down. Leah was somewhat dumbfounded.

“Helix, will you open the curtain again? It’s too dark in here.”

“…No.”

Helix said.

“If you want the curtain opened, I’ll go out there and work with my shirt off.”

Is this blackmail?

‘Is this really blackmail? Helix removing his shirt to clear the stump, I’d like to see that…’

Just as Leah was unconsciously hesitating, Janet spoke up.

“Commander Helix, then all the other maids would see too, wouldn’t they?”

Her words snapped Leah back to reality.

“…Come to think of it, it’s fine if it’s a bit dark.”

Leah said while making a show of pulling the curtain even more closed.

“It’s nice to rest in darkness like this. Helix, you stay right here and recover your strength from yesterday’s exertion.”

“What are you talking about?”

Helix shook his head.

“You pushed yourself much harder than I did. I’ll stay here and make sure you’re alright.”

“…Would it be okay if I step out to get some water?”

Just as Janet, who had been caught between the two, was about to stand up unable to take it anymore-

Thud!

Janet, who had been speaking normally just a moment ago, suddenly collapsed to the side. Leah screamed in surprise.

“Janet!”

***

After examining the collapsed Janet thoroughly, Helix said.

“She’s asleep.”

“Asleep?”

Leah stared in disbelief. Janet was indeed lying on the carriage floor, breathing steadily with soft snores, looking exactly like someone in deep sleep.

Leah let out a deep sigh.

“She just dropped right in front of us, I really thought something terrible had happened. Suddenly falling asleep mid-conversation like that, could this be narcolepsy?”

“It seems more like the sleep magic hasn’t fully worn off.”

Helix’s words made Leah’s face harden.

“Then that’s an even bigger problem, isn’t it?”

If it was an aftereffect of the sleep magic, Janet might not be the only one affected.

Helix nodded gravely.

“Everyone except you and me might suffer from these symptoms.”

“S-surely not. Maybe Janet just has a unique constitution?”

That wasn’t the case.

Janet was just the beginning.

Within a few hours, one maid collapsed and fell asleep while boarding the carriage. Then during a rest break, a knight dozed off while sharpening his sword, still gripping the blade.

Those two escaped with minor bruises and scratches, but things didn’t end there.

The coachman driving Leah’s carriage fell asleep while in motion.

Neigh!

The four strong horses suddenly lost control and began to bolt.

“Kyaa!”

Leah’s body slid off her seat.

Just as she was about to hit the wall, Helix pulled her waist towards him.

Bang!

The carriage jolted upward as if hitting a rock.

Helix ducked his head and wrapped Leah tightly in his arms.

Leah was completely disoriented.

The galloping horses, the wildly shaking carriage, and even the sound of Helix’s heartbeat as he held her.

“Eek!”

A scream from beside her brought Leah somewhat back to her senses.

“Janet? Are you awake? Are you okay?”

“Y-yes, yes!”

She didn’t sound okay, but at least she didn’t seem seriously hurt.

Leah managed to turn her face away from where it had been pressed against Helix. Golden light was flashing outside the window.

‘Karai!’

After the campsite arson incident, Karai had insisted on sitting in the driver’s seat to protect Leah in case of another emergency, and now he had cast a magical barrier around the carriage.

“Karai, what’s happening?”

“My la- I mean, Lady!”

Karai answered happily despite being out of breath.

“Are you unhurt? You’re safe?”

“We’re fine here! What’s going on?”

“The coachman suddenly collapsed! I’ve put up a barrier and I’m holding on, but the horses… ugh!”

Neigh!

Crash!

The driver’s seat and carriage shook as the horses reared up.

“Oh no, what do we do? It looks like Karai can’t control the horses?”

That’s when-

“Leah!”

Ruyan rode up alongside them, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Open the door and jump over here!”

“Are you crazy?!”

Leah was horrified.

“I’ll die if I jump from here!”

Ruyan made a face like he’d been hit on the head, then rode ahead. Next to her, Janet clutched the window frame, pale-faced, and muttered.

“How… how could he even suggest jumping from here?”

“My brother sometimes doesn’t understand what normal people are capable of.”

Before she could finish speaking, they heard Karai’s scream from outside.

“My lord!”

Karai shouted.

“Lord Ruyan is blocking the path ahead!”

“What?!”

“I’ll check it out.”

Helix quickly leaned out the window to look ahead.

In that short time, Ruyan had raced ahead and was now standing there with his greatsword drawn.

“I’ll stop them here by force, Karai, you put up the barrier!”

Karai and Helix’s faces went pale, and Janet was on the verge of fainting. Leah also turned white.

‘He might be able to stop them, but it’s too dangerous.’

Helix would surely get hurt trying to protect her, and Janet, Karai, and the unconscious coachman might be thrown into the air.

“Brother, stop!”

“Don’t worry, Leah! I’ll save you the moment it stops!”

“Don’t do it! We can wait until the horses tire out!”

“What are you talking about? Do you know where these horses might run? If the carriage leaves the road, it could overturn!”

Leah was struck speechless by Ruyan’s words.

“Leah.”

Helix quietly took her hand and placed it on the window frame.

“Hold on tight here with Janet.”

“Huh?”

Helix opened the carriage door.

Before she could stop him, he was hanging onto the outside of the speeding carriage.

“Helix!”

Leah called out, leaning out the window.

The wind was blowing furiously, whipping her long hair about.

In that wind, Helix moved along the carriage’s exterior wall like an acrobat, advancing one step at a time.

Leah’s mouth went dry.

She felt that something terrible would happen if he made even one misstep.

Crash!

When the carriage bounced up after hitting something, Helix’s figure disappeared.

“Helix!!”

As she leaned further out the window, Janet desperately hugged her from behind.

“My lady! It’s dangerous!”

“Helix!”

At that moment.

“Oh! Commander Helix!”

Karai’s shout came from the driver’s seat.

“H-how did you get here?!”

“Give me the reins!”

Neigh!

With a short cry, the horses twisted their bodies and began to slow down. Leah steadied herself against the window frame with trembling arms and reached out.

“Wind!”

The summoned wind blew in the opposite direction, helping to slow down the horses and carriage.

“Well done, Leah!”

She didn’t answer and just gripped the window frame tightly.

The image of Helix vanishing before her eyes still lingered in her mind.

‘Always rushing to sacrifice himself!’

He was still the same, throwing himself into danger first whenever someone was in trouble.

‘Just thinking about something happening to him makes my hands shake!’

Leah clenched and unclenched her fists.

If only she had thought to use wind magic earlier. Then Helix wouldn’t have needed to put himself in danger… wait.

‘Why am I blaming myself?’

She had only just acquired wind magic, so it was natural that it might not come to mind immediately in such a shocking situation. In fact, thinking of it just now was already quite impressive.

Leah took a deep breath.

‘But still…’

She didn’t want to just stand by and watch.

She didn’t want to stay behind while that stubborn, firefighter-like man jumped into dangerous situations saying ‘I am a guardian.’ If she couldn’t stop him, she at least wanted to be by his side.

‘I don’t want you to just protect me while putting yourself in danger alone!’

She wished he wouldn’t get hurt. She wished neither his body nor his heart would be wounded.

If he tried to sacrifice himself alone with that distant smile like when he first tried to return to the seal, she wanted to tie up those long legs of his to keep him from going.

‘But without Helix, I’m just clumsy and uncoordinated. How can I help Helix every time? While Helix always helps me…’

For the first time, Leah disliked that Helix was a guardian. For the first time, she disliked that he only gave everything to her. The thought that he might get hurt made her feel like she had swallowed several sweet potatoes in succession.

‘Why does my chest feel so tight?’

***

They drove the carriage back to where the rest of their party was waiting.

“My lady!”

“Commander!”

The anxious companions let out sighs of relief.

It wasn’t just Leah’s coachman who had collapsed.

The clearing by the road where the party had stopped was in chaos with injured people, sleeping people, and shocked people, as knights, servants, maids, and other coachmen had also begun collapsing one after another.

“Commander, I’m so sorry!”