The weak, halting voice that escaped from Lucilia’s lips was desperately earnest.

Was she trying to grasp onto something?

To attract attention? Or was she simply hungry for human presence?

Whatever it was, it was enough to halt his movement toward the exit.

Aaron settled his half-raised bottom back onto the ground.

Though the sloped tent ceiling touched his head uncomfortably, he was too distracted by their momentarily locked gazes to care.

An orange glow shimmered beneath her slightly opened eyelids. The mysterious light radiated distinctly even in the darkness.

Since she possessed divine power, was she reading his mind right now?

He felt briefly uncomfortable before adopting a “whatever happens, happens” attitude.

What would she gain by reading his thoughts?

All she would find in him was awkwardness and reluctance.

If she sensed that, surely she wouldn’t try to hold him back.

Aaron asked gruffly:

“Are you feeling more lucid now?”

“I dozed off… Have I delayed you? I’ll get ready and come out right away.”

“Stay lying down. Your wound is infected and you have a fever.”

Though she tried to appear fine to avoid being a burden, such efforts only looked foolish to Aaron.

Lucilia finally covered her hot cheek with the back of her hand.

“You’re right… I thought I would get better.”

She wanted to apologize again, but feeling sorry about feeling sorry made her voice shrink.

Like rotten fruit falling to the ground, divine blessing had abandoned her, and nothing was going right.

If He was going to take everything away, why not take this useless ability too?

Aaron’s emotions clearly transmitted through his eyes.

He was displeased that their plans had been disrupted.

He was barely suppressing his anger at feeling trapped in this situation.

As these negative emotions came across, his expression looked as if he couldn’t stand being in the same space with her.

Lucilia lowered her eyes first.

“If the schedule is urgent, I can rest in the carriage.”

“No. We plan to oversee the estate for a while after reaching Tudra, so there’s no rush.”

“Then, though it’s shameless of me, I’ll lie down a bit longer. When it’s time to leave, please let me know and I’ll get up immediately.”

She couldn’t bear to face him.

However, resting now was the best way to help in multiple ways.

Rest would help her recover faster, allowing them to resume their journey.

Aaron held out a small medicine bottle.

“This is medicine to reduce fever. Once you take it, it should work quickly.”

“Thank you.”

Lucilia wiggled her fingers to receive the bottle. She wanted to move briskly, but her strength was completely drained, making it impossible to raise her arm.

It felt as if her wrist was pinned to the ground.

Despite using all her might to lift it, only her fingertips trembled slightly.

Furrowing his brow, Aaron moved closer to Lucilia.

“Haah…”

His short sigh was more severe than a sharp rebuke.

The careless way he supported her back to raise her up felt like a reproach.

Even as Lucilia groaned and pressed her forehead, suffering from a dull headache, he paid no attention.

Aaron held her with one arm and used his teeth to remove the bottle’s cork. He spat it out carelessly to the side and brought the bottle to Lucilia’s lips.

“Drink it all in one go.”

Fever reducers are made by extracting juice from the roots of medicinal herbs.

Lucilia had taken similar medicine when she had fallen ill before.

Though she was reluctant to swallow the bitter liquid, she forced it down her throat under Aaron’s imposing presence.

Her mouth filled with a bitter taste, as if an entire forest had been ground up and poured in.

The raw, pungent flavor made her want to retch. Suppressing it with all her might caused her eyes to become bloodshot.

“Now rest.”

Aaron indifferently laid down the coughing Lucilia and exited the tent.

As soon as the outside air enveloped his body, he placed his hands on his waist and exhaled with relief.

“D*mn… This is too much.”

Her warmth still lingered on his chest. He could still feel how her body had fit perfectly into his arms.

Her face, though haggard, was beautiful enough to take his breath away, which momentarily flustered him.

Despite all the talk of her being a witch or evil woman, her exceptional beauty was undeniably the finest in the kingdom.

The silver-white hair flowing along his forearm and the faint scent she emitted were perfect for transforming a sane man into a beast in heat.

Her eyes, brimming with tears as if ready to drop at the slightest touch, gleamed like precious gems.

Anyone watching might think he had just rolled around with her.

“I should never have gotten involved from the beginning.”

Aaron roughly rubbed his warm cheek with his dry hand.

Perhaps only repeatedly dousing himself with cold water would cool him down.

His irritated steps headed toward the stream.

* * *

When day fully broke, sunlight filtered through the vegetation in distinct rays.

Aaron poked at the bonfire from a spot far away from Lucilia.

While using a long stick to drag leaves and push them into the fire, he couldn’t help occasionally glancing at the tent.

Rombon’s lips itched with curiosity at his master’s interesting reaction.

Just as he was about to speak—

Aaron’s sidelong glance shot toward Rombon.

“Keep your mouth shut.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

A chill spread around them, strong enough to push back the bonfire’s heat.

Knowing he would only receive *buse if he continued sitting across from Aaron, Rombon dusted off his bottom and stood up.

“Should I go check if she’s alright?”

“She only took the medicine a short while ago. Just leave her be.”

“I’m only asking because you seem so anxious.”

Who’s anxious?

Aaron didn’t respond to Rombon’s frivolous comment.

The moment he engaged, Rombon would talk endlessly like a fish in water.

Simply ignoring Rombon, Aaron aimlessly scribbled on the ground with his stick.

It was around the time when the sun had passed its zenith and was tilting westward.

A knight stood before Aaron, who was polishing his sword blade.

“The saint—I mean, the young lord’s wife… seems to have regained her strength. Look, she’s coming out.”

Young lord’s wife?

The title sounded incredibly strange coming from someone else’s mouth.

Beyond the embarrassment, his scalp tingled and he cringed, feeling he wouldn’t be able to properly look at Lucilia, who was going to be his wife.

While he was ignoring her approach, Lucilia came near.

The toe of her small shoe pushed up to his feet.

“I wonder if I’ve rested too long.”

With all the knights’ eyes upon them, Aaron sheathed his sword.

Without needing to check individually, he knew the knights would be on guard, fearing they might be captivated by the bewitching energy emanating from the alleged witch.

Aaron excluded any personal inquiries.

He didn’t ask if she was alright or if she needed anything else.

He only acknowledged that they needed to resume their delayed journey.

“Are you ready to depart?”

“Yes.”

The sound of hooves, which had been silent, resumed and spread noisily, shaking the ground.

After confirming that Lucilia could move, Aaron didn’t approach her again until they reached Tudra.

* * *

Sometimes life strays beyond controllable boundaries.

Lucilia sensed that her plans had gone awry.

She had certainly intended to write to her father as soon as they reached Tudra to learn the details of the incident.

However, the moment she stepped out of the carriage, all her plans were thrown out of her mind.

A middle-aged woman and a man who appeared even older widened their eyes at the sight of Lucilia.

Before sending a letter to her father, she needed to first introduce herself to the people established in Tudra.

Aaron, standing at the center of it all, would be the most bewildered. So it seemed better to write the letter later.

Lucilia awkwardly smoothed her disheveled dress.

A man who appeared to be the butler glanced sideways at Lucilia while hastily bowing to Aaron.

“M-Master… you’ve returned. But who might this person be?”

“My fiancée.”

“Whose… fiancée? Has Sir Penia perhaps married in the meantime?”

Seeing Rombon snort incredulously, that didn’t seem to be the case.

This time, the middle-aged woman approached and examined Lucilia. After thoroughly scanning her features and entire body for a while, she muttered with a dazed expression:

“Moon-like hair, eyes that hold the afterglow of the setting sun, pure white clothing…”

As she listed these characteristics, the woman’s expression became increasingly dumbfounded.

The objectively deducible conclusion was colliding with reality, causing confusion.

“Um… From what I’ve heard, the kingdom’s saint has such an appearance.”

She appeared to be the saint at first glance, but why she would suddenly arrive with the Tudra knights was incomprehensible.

The head maid, trying to forcibly connect two unrelated pictures, pushed up her glasses and looked at Aaron.

Her expression asked if this was really true.

Aaron reluctantly nodded.

“That’s right.”

“By ‘that’s right,’ you mean…”

Still unable to believe it, the head maid removed her glasses and put them back on.

She tried somehow to link Lucilia and Aaron as one unit, but it just didn’t fit together.

“So this person, that is, the saint, is your f-fiancée. Whew…”

Finding it too irreverent to say aloud, she broke off midway before barely managing to move her lips again.

“You’re saying she’s your fiancée?”