Chapter 4

In the Tyr Church, countless Holy Knights were produced, and in the Vanir Church, saints blessed by the goddess appeared intermittently.  

Perhaps it was because the image of the beautiful Saint and the powerful commander of the Holy Knight Order standing side by side was so enchanting?  

The public always wished that, whoever the commander was, he would be devoted only to the Saint while holding that position. Even if the commander was a member of the Imperial Family, the reaction was the same, so whenever the Emperor’s eldest son was chosen, the Imperial Family would find themselves in a dilemma.

For this reason, the term of the commander of the Holy Knight Order in the Tyr Church tended to be relatively short. Occasionally, some would stubbornly remain single and not step down from the position for a long time, but when a knight of outstanding ability appeared, they would quietly be replaced. Strangely enough, the citizens of the Empire had no interest in the whereabouts of the former commanders after they stepped down.

At any rate, Ian was a tragic Holy Knight who had been disgracefully expelled from his position as commander. No one could guess what secret promises or engagements might have been exchanged after that, and the Crown Prince had never mentioned anything about it to Elcia.

‘Ah… What should I do? Did I really do something wrong…? I should have emphasized two or three times that White Bunny could definitely heal the Count’s hand.’

Elcia, struggling to keep her umbrella from flipping in the wind and rain, thought over the situation again and again, but she just couldn’t understand.  

If he had someone he loved so much, why was he wasting away in this lonely old castle?

Was it because he injured his hand and couldn’t wield a sword?  

But Elcia had told him she could heal it, so why hadn’t he shown even a hint of happiness after hearing it himself?  

If he had a beloved, he wouldn’t need to return to the Church. He could go back to the Kypris Marquis family, marry, and build a happy life.

What was it that tormented him so deeply inside…

Flash—

“Count!”

As a great bolt of lightning split the sky, Elcia shrieked in surprise. It wasn’t just because she was afraid of thunder and lightning. It was because, only after facing an unstoppable natural disaster, she was struck by a sudden realization.

The one frame placed in the unmarried Count’s room, where no one else could enter.  

The elegant and beautiful woman within.  

The heartfelt words of love that couldn’t be dismissed.

And yet, why did he have to hide such a precious frame out of sight?

What kind of pain did a strong, exemplary man have to drink himself into a stupor to forget…

Could it be, perhaps…?

Elcia desperately hoped that the woman she had just thought of was not the one in the frame. It was too absurd, and from the beginning, it was a kind of love that could never be. But, as is often the case, her intuition was especially sharp when it came to bad outcomes.

Truly, unfortunately.

“Count, Count! Where are you!”

Staggering against the wind, Elcia folded her cumbersome umbrella and set out to find Ian. She ran madly through the rain, shouting again and again. By the time her throat became hoarse and rough, she finally spotted Ian, huddled pitifully beneath the crumbling ramparts.

He sat there, dazed, letting the heavy rain fall on him. Even though he clearly saw Elcia running toward him, his eyes were lifeless and unfocused. Beside him lay a half-drunk bottle of liquor, its cap closed.

“Count…!”

Elcia hurried over to Ian, who didn’t respond to her call, and opened her umbrella over his head. The sound of the rain was deafening, but between them, only silence flowed.

In the man’s intact left hand, a small brown frame was held precariously, while his disfigured right hand was hidden behind his back.

Looking down at the muddy water pooling beneath where Ian sat, Elcia apologized.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mess up your room, Count. I just wanted to clean it thoroughly.”

Elcia’s voice, now damp from giving Ian her umbrella, had grown weak. Despite her lively personality, her body was quite fragile.

“…”

“I’m truly sorry. How can I apologize?”

She asked again, her voice trembling.

“…What are you sorry for?”

Ian asked, his voice unusually clear for someone so drunk.

“Th-the frame. I moved it and set it up without your permission… I’m really sorry… I dusted it off, and since it was yours, I just wanted to place it nicely.”

As Elcia’s gaze fell on the frame, Ian hugged it to his chest, as if to hide it from her. It was as if she had come to steal it, and his defensive posture made Elcia’s heart sink. She must have hit upon a sensitive truth.

So, the woman in the frame really was precious to him? After confidently promising the Crown Prince that she would save Ian, had she carelessly inflicted another wound upon him…? Elcia felt sad and made a small excuse.

“I’m sorry for touching your things without permission… I promise I won’t touch anything again.”

Shhh—

The rain, as Seiran had said, showed no signs of stopping until tomorrow, pouring down noisily. Ian’s pants were a mess from sitting on the soaked ground, and Elcia’s robe was quickly being ruined by splashing muddy water. Yet neither of them cared about their own appearance, and they continued to face each other for a long time.

Eventually, Ian’s posture, clutching the frame, loosened a little. He looked at her with bloodshot eyes and spoke coldly.

“When the rain stops.”

“…Yes?”

“Go away, get out of my sight…! If I see you in the castle after the storm has passed, I won’t forgive you. I won’t show mercy just because you’re a woman!”

“Count…”

Her voice, exhausted from the cold, was now even softer than Ian’s.

“Ha, do you not understand? Now, I’m nothing but trash, and everyone treats me like I’m worthless.”

“No, it’s not like that…!”

“Fine. Then… Let’s do this. If you don’t promise to leave the castle, I won’t step out of my room from tomorrow. Whatever you’re plotting will all be for nothing, right? Your goal is to drag me back to the capital like a dog!”

His words, cold and sharp, cut through Elcia’s heart like knives.

“Count! No, please don’t misunderstand! I have no intention whatsoever of doing anything bad with your personal matters! His Highness the Crown Prince said so too!”

“I won’t repeat myself. Puppet Master, I told you to get out of my sight, so remember and leave soon.”

Ian’s stubbornness was absolute. From the moment Elcia first met him, and even now after her major mistake. Even if she hadn’t touched the frame, the result would have been the same.

The distance between the two was barely a foot, yet their positions were completely divided and not closing at all. Was it really so hard to open Ian’s closed heart in just one day? Seeing the sorrow on his face, Elcia dropped her umbrella and pleaded desperately.

“Please don’t do this, okay? Don’t hide away in that dark room again! Count, young Haden is so worried about you he can’t sleep right now. You care for your servants, you’re a good person! I know that!”

She grabbed Ian’s knee with trembling hands and shook it a few times, but he remained stubborn.

“…That’s none of your business. Move! Don’t talk like you know me after meeting me for the first time today! Who are you to act so high and mighty, telling me what to do?”

“Ah!”

Ian shoved Elcia away, then angrily picked up the dirty bottle and uncorked it. As Elcia coughed on the rainwater that had gotten into her mouth and turned around, it was already too late. Ian drained the rest of the liquor, grimaced, and threw the empty bottle to the ground.

“No!”

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, Ian was completely drunk and slowly collapsed to the side. Yet, he kept the frame in his left hand perfectly dry, protected from the rain. Of his uncontrollable body, only the veins in his pale hand seemed to obey him.

But as he lost consciousness, he couldn’t keep hold of the precious frame forever. As his fingers lost strength, it was about to fall to the ground. Elcia quickly caught it and tucked it into her robe’s pocket.

“C-Count!”

“Ugh…”

Compared to Elcia, Ian was much larger, so it was impossible for her to support him alone. In a panic, she left her umbrella and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him as he lay in the muddy water. He only groaned, too exhausted to even open his eyes.

What if Ian fell asleep in such a remote place?  

Terrified, Elcia shouted loudly through the rain.

“Is anyone there? Sir Seiran! Butler! Haden!”

At that moment—

“…la. My love, Kayla… Where are you? Please come back to me… You promised we would leave the Empire together when everything was over…”

From Ian’s lips, with his eyes closed, an unexpected name escaped sorrowfully. At that moment, Elcia was struck with a terrible chill and froze.

Her ominous intuition was correct.

Kayla, she was…

She was the Saint of the Vanir Church who had lost her life while accompanying Ian on the Grand Expedition.

People may wish to see the Saint and the commander of the Holy Knight Order together, but that does not mean they should love each other privately.

In the long history of both churches, there had never been a case where the Saint and the commander had formed a personal relationship.

Their meetings were always political and religious alliances, meant to comfort the faithful and prevent conflict. Even if they held hands, there must have been times when they harbored other feelings inside. However…

“C-Count?”

Ian, who believed he was holding the only frame in the world, finally let slip the secret he had hidden for so long.

“I love you, Kayla… I’ll always be yours, so please, just take me to your side where you sleep…”

“Count…!”

He called out Kayla’s name, the woman he had long dreamed of, and then lost consciousness completely. Elcia shook him several times, but he showed no sign of waking and only grew more limp. It was a crisis.

She staggered to her feet, dragged Ian’s heavy body under a makeshift tent, and then ran with all her strength to the front gate of the main building.