TINOT 36

Chapter: 36

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

Diarmuid lifted the cloth placed beside the bed and gently wiped the sweat gathered on Lisithea’s forehead as he asked.

Seeing the expression on his face—clearly startled by the news—made her think that it didn’t really matter how many physicians had examined her.

Moreover, these days he was so busy that he barely had time to sleep.

His secluded life had ended because of his engagement to her.

She felt sorry that he had wasted such precious time over something that wasn’t even important.

“I’ve caused you unnecessary worry. It’s really nothing.”

Frowning slightly at one eye, he lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Lisithea’s.

“How could this be nothing? Please don’t say things like that. Unless you want to make me into an inadequate husband….”

She hesitated, unsure what to say.

At that moment, Ryan, who had been standing behind Diarmuid, suddenly dropped flat to the floor.

“This is all because I made an unreasonable request of the young lady. Please give me the punishment I deserve.”

Thinking Lisithea’s seizure was his fault, Ryan asked to be punished.

Diarmuid silently watched the knight who had grown up like a brother to him, then turned to look at Lisithea leaning against the bed.

Her face was far paler than usual, and her limp body looked as if it might collapse at any moment.

“…Ryan, I don’t think that’s something I should decide. Let’s talk about it again after Lisithea has recovered.”

“Yes. I will remain in self-reflection.”

Ryan lowered his head even further, so that only the crown of his head was visible.

“Sir Ryan, there’s no need for that.”

“……”

“It was my own decision to spar with you. So the responsibility lies with me. Surely you’re not trying to say you should be blamed for not stopping me.”

Although Lisithea had not yet married, she was destined to become the Grand Duchess.

Ryan, as her escort knight, could not restrict her actions.

“N-no, of course not. I spoke thoughtlessly.”

Startled by Lisithea’s point, Ryan hurriedly denied it.

“You heard her. Get up. Don’t make Lisithea uncomfortable for no reason.”

Diarmuid helped Ryan up with a small laugh, then asked in a playful tone,

“So, who won?”

Ryan lowered his head awkwardly, but Wilhelmina quickly cut in.

“Well, it was so intense that it’s hard to say who actually won or lost….”

“I lost.”

Grinding his teeth at Wilhelmina’s teasing, Ryan reluctantly announced the result.

“Calling it simply ‘losing’ feels a bit dishonest though….”

“I lost badly.”

“It wasn’t really something you could label as winning or losing….”

“I was completely instructed one-sidedly! It reminded me of when I first learned swordsmanship and my master fought me with only one hand! If my master were still alive, he’d probably tell me not to reveal I ever learned from him because it’s too embarrassing!”

Ryan rattled off his own humiliations in one breath so Wilhelmina couldn’t interrupt again, then glared at her angrily.

“Really? It was that impressive?”

Diarmuid responded with apparent admiration.

Lisithea thought he was exaggerating on purpose to ease the stiff atmosphere, but Diarmuid’s admiration was genuine.

During their first meeting, he had seen how she dealt with the assassin, so he had already guessed her skills were remarkable.

But this exceeded his expectations by far.

Ryan was an outstanding knight even among the elite Cassius Knights.

If he had been incompetent in the first place, he would never have been assigned as Lisithea’s guard.

The fact that she handled Ryan as if he were a child was astonishing.

“Yes, she was so dazzling that it felt like I was staring directly at the sun. Her level was so far beyond reach that I couldn’t even begin to measure it.”

“Well, someone at your level probably couldn’t understand it. You’re not particularly outstanding as a swordsman.”

When Wilhelmina made a big fuss, Ryan immediately snapped back.

‘What is with that embarrassing flattery….’

Unlike Lisithea, who felt dumbfounded, Diarmuid listened with satisfaction as the two of them competed in nonsense.

Among them, Wilhelmina’s flattery sounded especially sweet to him, and Diarmuid soon came up with a suggestion she would like.

“Then shall we hold a celebratory banquet?”

“That sounds wonderful. A good day deserves good wine.”

Wilhelmina immediately took the bait and smacked her lips in delight.

But her sweet dream didn’t last long.

“Your Highness, I will stand guard with Wilhelmina that day.”

Ryan quickly interrupted, as if it were his turn.

“What? Are you crazy? Do it by yourself, you lunatic!”

“You already forgot about half a year ago when you got drunk and burned the captain’s beard?”

Luckily the burning beard had been cut off quickly; otherwise they might have ended up holding the knight commander’s funeral at the banquet.

“Ah, that did happen. Unfortunately, I think we should follow Ryan’s opinion this time.”

Diarmuid patted Wilhelmina’s shoulder as if comforting her.

Wilhelmina closed her eyes in despair and muttered,

“Ah, that drowning ghost….”

“That’s not it, Wilhelmina. I’m sacrificing myself for your sake.”

“Accept your comrade’s sacrifice happily, Wilhelmina.”

When Diarmuid joined Ryan in teasing her, Wilhelmina shot him a sidelong glance.

“Even you, Your Highness?”

“What can I do? I promised the knight commander I’d keep you from drinking until his beard grows back.”

Diarmuid shrugged.

Wilhelmina let out a deep sigh and bowed exaggeratedly.

“Yes, yes. This sinner will take her leave.”

“Where are you going? Our post today is here.”

Ryan asked in confusion.

Wilhelmina kicked his shin and turned away.

“Idiot. Guard the door. Don’t disturb the newlyweds.”

“Ah! My apologies!”

Only then did Ryan seem to realize, and he hurriedly followed Wilhelmina out with a flushed face.

Bang.

The door closed with a somewhat frivolous sound.

“Honestly….”

Watching the two disappear, Diarmuid muttered quietly to himself.

A gentle smile lingered at the corner of his lips.

To the people here, his smiles and affection were almost like something shared among them.

Being reminded of that every time wasn’t particularly pleasant.

“…You must be very close with them.”

“Ah.”

Letting out a soft exclamation, he sat on the edge of the bed. One side of it dipped slightly.

“Ryan practically grew up with me like a brother. And Wilhelmina… it’s been about eight years since we started spending time together? There weren’t many people my age around, so we became like friends. Though I don’t know if they see it the same way.”

The bond formed over years of time was something Lisithea had never experienced even once.

And it would be impossible for her to build such a relationship in the future.

She simply didn’t have that much time left.

She didn’t want to desire something she could never have and ruin the little time she had left.

“I heard Sir Ryan is engaged to Sir Hilda?”

Maintaining a fairly calm expression, Lisithea brought up a suitable topic.

“That’s right. Did he trouble you by any chance? Ryan tends to lose control whenever Hilda’s name comes up.”

“We didn’t talk that long.”

“That’s a relief. If it seems like it might happen next time, run away immediately.”

It was exactly the kind of peaceful solution Diarmuid would suggest.

“Time really flew by. When did it get this late?”

He muttered while looking out the window.

Before they realized it, the sun had begun to set, and a deep crimson sunset poured through the window.

It was the same color as Diarmuid’s eyes.

The red glow spread across Lisithea’s face.

His thumb gently rubbed beneath her eyes, now tinted red by the sunset.

Soon he withdrew his hand and looked down at his clean fingers, smiling faintly for reasons unknown.

“I’ve kept a tired person for too long. Get some good rest.”

He stood up after briefly kissing Lisithea’s forehead, but then chuckled softly when he saw his sleeve firmly held.

Shaking his sleeve, which felt noticeably heavier now, Diarmuid asked,

“Hmm? Should I stay longer?”

She liked how he treated the hint of reluctance she showed as if it were his own.

The more his kindness piled up, the harder it became for her to control her impulses.

“The sword you gave me… I heard it was something left behind by Crown Princess Rueira. Is it really alright for me to use something like that?”

When Lisithea collapsed coughing up blood in the training ground, Ryan had picked up the sword amid the panicked people.

“Wilhelmina, take this sword.”

“Is the sword really the issue right now?”

“It’s a relic of Her Highness Rueira.”

That was when she learned the sword Diarmuid had given her was his mother’s keepsake.

With what kind of feelings had he given something like that to her?

His gaze toward the sword on the table seemed distant, as if recalling old memories.

Diarmuid’s hand gently stroked Lisithea’s palm.

“If my mother were alive, she would surely have tried to give you something even better.”

Lisithea wondered about the affection that allowed him to say such words without hesitation.

Was his kindness a seed planted by Crown Princess Rueira?

“It may not be the finest sword in the world, but it’s very precious to me. I hope you’ll accept it. Even if it doesn’t suit your hand, it’s fine if you simply keep it.”

“It’s an excellent sword. So much so that I’m worried whether it’s really alright for someone like me to wield it.”

“Really? Then that’s a relief. Since something I cherished has found a fitting owner, Mother would be happy too.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. She would have welcomed you spending time with me even more than I would.”

Hearing his words, Lisithea pictured the image of Crown Princess Rueira preserved in her portrait.

A proud and dignified royal with golden-tinted red hair.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t imagine anything beyond that.

It was difficult to picture in detail someone who had died before she was even born.

“I’m much better now, but when I was young it was hard to control the magic inside me, so my body was weak. She was someone who wanted to do many things with her child, so even though she didn’t say it, she must have felt disappointed.”

Diarmuid faintly smiled as he pointed to his hair.

It was so pale in color that sometimes it felt as though it were made purely of light.