Chapter 23. A Relationship Where We Protect Each Other

I once heard something. There are many knights who imbue their swords with energy, but knights who emit golden light are difficult to find even two in an era.

They said that when you deeply understand your sword, imbue it with energy, and become one with it, golden light emanates from the sword.

‘That light is surrounding my body.’

Elena was having the special experience of being enveloped by that light she had only heard about. She couldn’t take her eyes off the rare sight of rocks turning to powder upon touching the light.

‘So Alix’s skill was at this level.’

His power had been hidden behind his status as Grand Duke.

‘Or perhaps he deliberately concealed it.’

It must be one of the two.

Whatever the case, he had told her to stay by his side and protected her. When he said he wasn’t trusting her but trusting himself, this is what he meant.

“That was really dangerous. Thank you.”

Elena exhaled a long sigh in Rudfelix’s arms. Having survived a near-death experience, her body went limp and her breathing became elongated.

“I wasn’t the one who protected you.”

Rudfelix looked down at Elena while still holding his sword glowing with golden light. As he stared intently at her eyes, he used his other hand to lift her chin.

“Look up.”

Elena obediently tilted her head back and looked up, her eyes widening in surprise.

The rocks above seemed to have been frightened in advance, changing direction from above her head to the side. It wasn’t the effect of the paper, and they hadn’t brought a mage along.

Elena thought she knew what this amazing phenomenon was.

‘It’s like how rocks swerved around Roina.’

She wondered why it was happening above her head. Rudfelix, who had explosively exerted himself to close the considerable distance in an instant, was breathing roughly from the aftermath but didn’t take his eyes off Elena.

“Elena.”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Alix. I mean, I don’t really understand what this is either.”

It could be that the rocks were swerving because of Rudfelix, but she hadn’t considered that initially. Elena knew better than anyone that such things didn’t happen to him.

“That’s not it. Elena. Your eyes……”

Rudfelix kept staring at Elena’s eyes.

“The color has changed.”

“Ah……”

Elena immediately understood what he meant.

“That’s……”

She realized her eye color had changed when Rudfelix mentioned it.

In the past, her eye color would occasionally change, so there were times when she would check in the mirror every morning.

Back then, she would examine her eyes closely out of curiosity, but after becoming an aide, she had completely forgotten about it.

That her eye color changed very rarely, though she didn’t know when.

Elena smiled awkwardly and lightly touched her eyelid.

“Is it okay for me to know?”

“It doesn’t have to be a secret. However, hardly anyone knows about it.”

“Then come into my arms.”

“What?”

Was he saying that if she wanted to hide her eye color, she should embrace him?

When Elena showed a somewhat perplexed expression, Rudfelix lowered his sword. The golden light instantly disappeared, and the soldiers appeared.

Seeing their murmuring reactions, Elena quietly grabbed the hem of Rudfelix’s clothes. Not completely embracing him but just barely covering herself, Rudfelix stepped forward and pressed close to her.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just show my eyes at this point?’

She felt embarrassed to be seen embracing him right after such a dangerous situation had ended. Elena then tightly closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Rudfelix’s chest.

‘I almost died, so what does it matter what others think?’

Perhaps it was normal to be embraced when emotions were running high.

Rudfelix’s arm slipped under her buttocks and lifted her up.

“When we return, I’ll hear your explanation right away, and don’t think about leaving my arms now.”

“You’re going to carry me around?”

“I’m too anxious to let go.”

The accident had happened in that brief moment when he had distanced himself from Elena. Rudfelix didn’t want to experience that again. So he intended to carry Elena around.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Rudfelix turned around and organized the chaotic scene. The knights quickly cleaned up the surroundings according to his command.

Traces of rolled boulders were everywhere, but thanks to Elena, there were no casualties. Because of that, they could muster strength they didn’t know they had.

Elena turned her head slightly from within Rudfelix’s arms.

‘I’m glad Roina is safe too.’

She hadn’t used paper to save Roina who had been left alone. Not because she wanted her to die, but because she had great faith in her. As expected, although there were traces of boulders having rolled around Roina, she hadn’t been harmed at all.

If she hadn’t been watching Roina, she might have thought she had just been lucky to survive.

“Miss Roina.”

Roina, who was standing as if in a daze, looked at the knight who had come to get her.

“Please come this way.”

Roina took the knight’s outstretched hand and slowly looked around.

People who had escaped death were either crying with relief or joyfully holding hands with those next to them.

No one had died, and that included her. As she recognized this fact, Roina’s legs immediately gave way and she staggered. The knight beside her urgently tried to catch her, but Suharto was faster.

He grabbed Roina’s arm, preventing her from falling.

“Are you alright?”

Roina, with her pale face, slowly raised her head. Her unfocused eyes were looking not at Suharto but at Elena.

They had both faced equally dangerous situations. However, while no one had tried to save her until the boulder was about to roll over her head, Elena’s experience was different.

Moreover, the Grand Duke had rushed to her, not afraid of the risk of being crushed by the rocks.

He had drawn his sword and embraced Elena’s body.

‘It was love.’

She had witnessed a scene of someone willing to sacrifice their life to save the person they loved.

Compared to that, she was…

“I thought something had gone wrong and my heart almost stopped.”

Roina gave a pitiful smile at Suharto’s gentle voice. Why had she only now realized that his voice directed at her contained no emotion?

“Heaven helped you.”

Suharto, who attributed Roina’s survival to coincidence by comparing it to heaven, firmly held her hand.

“Don’t let go of me now.”

After taking care of Roina like that, Suharto turned around to issue more orders, unaware of the look in her eyes.

He had no intention of stopping their entry into the valley.

“Gather the scattered soldiers and regroup. We’re going back in.”

“But the soldiers are frightened.”

Suharto frowned at the knight’s words.

“Are you going to disobey my orders?”

“Your Highness, this is too much.”

The knight bowed his head to Suharto, willing to be punished if it meant saving lives.

“You want to take responsibility for disobeying orders?”

“Isn’t there someone who should take responsibility first?”

Suharto, who had raised his eyes at the sudden interjection, paused. Rudfelix was approaching with Elena in his arms.

Although Rudfelix didn’t give off a sharp atmosphere as he held his lover tightly in his arms, his eyes were incredibly fierce.

“Your incorrect orders almost caused casualties. Since Your Highness took the overall command authority, you should take responsibility for that.”

“Grand Duke, the matter isn’t over yet. If this succeeds, then demonstrably……”

“Accept volunteers to enter the valley. If only those people enter the valley again, I won’t stop them.”

Suharto, upset at Rudfelix’s firm words, turned his head first. Think I can’t handle it if you say to accept volunteers?

“I, Suharto Habis, Crown Prince of the Empire, ask. Those who wish to become heroes by entering the valley with me, step forward.”

Emphasizing his status as Crown Prince, Suharto confidently called out. However, the atmosphere was flowing differently than he had expected.

Everyone was just looking at each other, with no one stepping forward. Hiding his embarrassment, Suharto spoke even louder.

“I know where the safe places are. So if you follow me, you won’t die.”

“Almost died……”

“……no more going in……”

Parts of the soldiers’ whispers reached Suharto.

“Grand Duke, will you block my path like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you afraid I might solve the problem by breaking through that valley, so you’re not providing soldiers?”

Suharto blamed Rudfelix entirely for the soldiers not stepping forward. He accused him of making the soldiers reluctant because he disliked the idea.

“From the beginning, when I asked for volunteers, do you mean to humiliate me like this?”

Rudfelix listened to Suharto’s words with his mouth shut. He listened silently despite the possibility that he might be accused of driving the Crown Prince into the valley of death if this continued.

‘What a petty person.’

Elena cursed Suharto’s selfishness as he grabbed onto Rudfelix’s words and twisted them. She had come along knowing that his plan would fail from the beginning, but Suharto was trying to put all the blame on Rudfelix.

“Don’t be swayed by those words.”