Chapter 21
“That scared me.”
For a moment, Lucy thought she was being strangled.
When she came to her senses, she realized Edward was only holding her chin.
The armor covering his fingers had touched her neck, making her think he had grabbed her throat.
Lucy slowly looked up at Edward.
Unlike usual, when he always looked relaxed, he was staring down at her with a completely expressionless face.
For some reason, seeing that face made her feel a little disappointed.
‘I even helped him, and he’s still angry.’
But what could she say?
Her life depended on Edward’s changing moods.
Lucy quietly hid both her fear and disappointment.
Then, with her chin still firmly held, she smiled harmlessly.
“W-Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
Edward stared at Lucy and slowly tilted his head.
Without realizing it, the hand holding her chin gradually moved up to her cheek.
An indescribable feeling stirred inside his chest.
It felt both unpleasant…
And pleasant at the same time.
‘How dare this little thing.’
She had boldly stepped in and interfered with his business.
She had even praised Count Moro over and over.
‘…Right in front of me, she looked at another man like that.’
The words she had spoken while flattering the Count…
The innocent smile she had shown him…
For some reason, they irritated Edward.
But…
The image of her small white back, standing proudly in front of him as if protecting him, also remained in his mind.
And she had repeatedly patted his armor, even though it was covered in the blood of monsters that everyone else avoided.
‘She’s so small… yet she has no fear.’
Other people were always secretly afraid of Edward after a battle.
They praised and admired him with their mouths.
But whenever they saw monster blood dripping from him…
Or watched dragon scales appear on his body because of the lingering effects of battle…
Their eyes always held both admiration…
And disgust.
The nobles from earlier had been the same.
They called him a great hero.
Yet they still looked at him with hidden discomfort.
So why…
Had this woman calmly walked over and stood beside him as though she was used to such things?
Even now, she showed no fear of the monster blood covering him.
The only thing Edward could sense…
Was that she was carefully watching his mood.
…As though the only thing she needed to worry about…
Was Edward himself.
“……”
Without realizing it, Edward squeezed her cheek.
Her soft cheek was pressed flat, making her lips stick out like a duck’s beak.
Come to think of it…
Those lips had felt nice when he kissed them.
His eyes unconsciously settled on them.
“Wha’s why. Those peopwe awe tweating you wike… wike you awe easy to push awound….”
“Easy to push around?”
“N-No… I don’t mean you awe actuawwy weak….”
Even with both cheeks being squeezed, making her words unclear, Lucy kept talking.
She was trying her best to explain herself.
‘He’s probably angry because I interfered.’
Knowing Edward’s personality well, it wasn’t difficult to guess.
One moment he could smile playfully…
The next, his face could become ice cold.
Without thinking, Lucy’s survival instincts made her flatter him.
“You’ve wowked so hawd… and now you’we covewed in monstew bwood wike this….”
She deliberately looked at his blood-soaked armor with sympathetic eyes.
‘But seriously…’
What had those people even done…
To criticize the person who fought for them?
Without realizing it, her flattery became sincere.
It made her wonder if her older sisters had also suffered like this while hunting monsters.
“It’s… not faiw.”
As she said those words, bitterness filled her heart.
‘You’re not any different either, Lucy.’
She remembered the dream she had last night.
The dream where her past self had been trembling inside the shelter, waiting for a hero.
And Edward had appeared before her.
Of course, afterward he had wanted to test how useful she was by doing…
‘…Let’s skip that part.’
Anyway…
She had also unknowingly depended on Edward.
She had wanted him…
To become her hero.
Even though she already knew how heroes were usually treated.
‘He might not even like being a hero.’
Especially when all he received was criticism like this.
When she looked up again, however…
Edward didn’t seem to care very much.
In fact…
He looked more bothered by Lucy’s words…
Than by the blame the people outside had thrown at him.
“Not fair?”
“Yes. I mean—”
Puff!
At last, her face was released.
Edward had removed his hand, silently telling her to continue.
Lucy nodded eagerly.
“Our Duke… I mean, Master… even if the things you say awe a wittle… no, a wot mean…”
“……”
“You’re actuawwy so kind… no… so… so genewous.”
“……”
“Honestly, you’re such a hawd-wowking pewson. You even fowce youwsewf to accept puwification when you don’t even want it….”
As she said that, her eyes shifted slightly.
Sepina had done the purification before.
Now…
Lucy was the one doing it.
If she wasn’t careful, she could easily dig her own grave.
Still…
Everything she said afterward came from the heart.
“Just because you’re a hero… does that mean other people’s mistakes become your fault too?”
“……”
“They run to you when they like you. They shout that they love you.”
“……”
“But the moment something bad happens to them, they blame everything on you.”
“The work you do was never something you were obligated to do.”
Lucy looked at him with determined eyes.
“That’s not fair.”
Edward stood perfectly still as he watched Lucy finish speaking.
Then…
He quietly laughed.
Not fair.
It was a word he had never thought about before.
Because—
“You’re in pain? You were imperfect from the beginning.”
“Be grateful that you can become the perfect hero. Repay that kindness.”
“Act like a hero. Learn to think sacrifice is only natural.”
The cold face of the previous Duke, holding a whip, flashed through Edward’s mind.
The reason Edward never doubted his own perfection…
Was because of that man.
It wasn’t simple arrogance.
‘That perfectionist personally shaped me this way.’
How could he possibly not be perfect?
The thought was half mocking.
Life had become easier after the previous Duke died.
Edward could freely insult nobles now.
He could even throw them around if he wished.
But some lessons had been carved too deeply into him.
Being blamed while acting as a hero should be considered normal.
Never make unnecessary excuses.
‘How unpleasant.’
Edward slowly blinked.
Before today…
Those teachings had seemed so natural that he had never even thought they were unpleasant.
Yet now…
Just because this tiny little mouse had said those words…
He finally realized it.
At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.
This little mouse…
‘She really likes me a lot.’
She looked timid.
Yet she had stepped forward in front of everyone to defend him.
Even more than that…
She truly believed something Edward had always accepted as normal…
Was unfair.
He hadn’t realized…
She treasured him this much.
The unpleasant feeling quietly melted away.
‘I planned to throw her away once her holy power weakened.’
But she kept doing such adorable things.
At this rate…
Throwing her away without hesitation would become difficult.
In truth…
No matter who it was, Edward had never felt guilty about discarding someone when it was efficient.
Meanwhile, Lucy was still passionately speaking.
“Did you leave everything to the Duke?! Did you really leave everything to him?!”
“…I agree!”
“Eek!”
Lucy turned around in surprise when another voice suddenly interrupted.
Tepe had followed them into the inn.
His fists were tightly clenched, and his face was full of emotion.
“That’s right, Your Grace. Those people always act as if they’ve left everything to you.”
Lucy immediately nodded.
“…Exactly! That’s right!”
“What do they think is the reason they can sleep peacefully in a safe place?”
“I agree! They said they loved you! How can love change so easily?!”
Even Gorgo, who was usually calm, simply nodded instead of stopping them.
Then Tepe looked at Lucy.
The dissatisfaction that had been in his eyes earlier had completely disappeared.
“Hey, girl. I apologize for thinking you were a suspicious little mouse… no… a baby mouse.”
“Huh? I didn’t really want to know that.”
“It turns out you’re one of the rare people with a proper head on your shoulders.”
“That… was a compliment, right?”
“From the way you talked, I thought you might be a scammer.”
“A-Ahem!”
“But it seems you’ll actually get along with him quite—”
Tepe reached out to place a hand on Lucy’s shoulder.
Whoosh.
“Ah!”
In one swift movement, Edward pulled Lucy over to his side.
Then he looked at Tepe with cold, emotionless eyes.
