LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 207
Chapter 207
The blazing sun had gradually subsided, casting a gentle orange glow over the splendid Imperial Palace.
Whether the gardener had watered the plants recently was unclear, but the moisture-laden flora along the path sparkled in the sunlight.
“Lady Jane? Weren’t you supposed to have lunch with the Knights Order?”
I managed to calm my reddened face caused by Diego and asked Jane, who I found in the corridor, puzzled.
Though some time had passed since training ended, it hadn’t been long enough for her to finish eating and return to the Knights.
With a troubled expression, she locked eyes with me and gave an awkward smile.
“Oh, Training Officer. I was going to go, but… there’s this annoying guy who keeps bothering me.”
Jane’s hand quivered slightly, holding a translucent bag. It was easy to deduce that the contents were congee.
No child in the vicinity of the Knights would need congee to eat, so it was clearly food for a patient.
“Are you planning to go see Lady Kasia?”
Jane fidgeted with the nape of her neck. It was faintly red. She seemed a bit flustered.
“That guy doesn’t even take care of himself when he’s sick… as a teammate, I can’t help but worry. Plus, I’m kind-hearted. Haha.”
Jane laughed it off playfully, but her dull gray eyes betrayed more concern than mere camaraderie, which made me tilt my head in curiosity.
‘Does she owe Kasia something?’
I took pride in my keen observation skills, yet these tangled emotions were difficult to decipher.
“Then why not go? Lady Kasia would surely appreciate it.”
“Well, she hates showing weakness… I’m worried if I go, she’ll just end up resenting me.”
Well, if it’s Kasia, that certainly wouldn’t be surprising.
‘You came to visit me? …What a waste of time. Don’t come just to mock me for showing weakness. Just leave already.’
Considering her strangely twisted personality and her pride, I could easily imagine her saying such things. I sighed in reluctant agreement.
“But wouldn’t it be quite disheartening if no one came to visit when you’re sick?”
‘Father is gone, and Mother is in no condition to work. Is there anyone to take care of her?’
When did I become so attached? Worry for her filled my mind.
‘Even so, I don’t know her address… and I’m afraid that just going will raise her blood pressure and worsen her condition.’
As I stroked my chin, deep in thought,
Jane handed me the bag containing the congee.
“Could you please deliver this to Kasia, Training Officer?”
“Me?”
“Yes. If I go, she might not even listen and send me away, but if it’s you, she might at least glance at it.”
Jane smiled brightly.
“She really likes you, Training Officer.”
Just how much does she like me for reports about her fondness for me to be popping up everywhere?
I felt embarrassed, but my heart sank at the thought of having upset someone who cared for me so much.
“Could you tell me Lady Kasia’s address?”
In that case, I had to meet her. Even if my interest was diminishing, I wanted to figure out what was on Kasia’s mind.
When I asked with a determined voice, Jane willingly provided the address.
“Are you not going with me, Lady Jane?”
“……No, I’m fine.”
Feeling uneasy about leaving Jane behind, I subtly probed her. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before shaking her head.
“I’ve gotten used to it, but facing her rejection… is a bit difficult. So I’m fine. She’d prefer you going alone anyway.”
Hearing that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but I nodded slowly. I couldn’t forcibly drag someone who didn’t want to go.
“Please just tell her that many people care about her.”
There was a hint of loneliness in Jane’s voice.
Eventually, I agreed, holding the bag of congee as I headed to the address Jane had given me.
Kasia’s home was located north of the capital, in a neighborhood where many middle-class families lived. I reassured myself as I looked around, knowing that it was a decent area.
‘Here it is.’
I quickly found the house.
Standing at the door, I gazed at it for a moment. While it couldn’t be called large by any means, it looked cozy and neat.
Knock, knock.
“Is anyone there?”
Pausing at the door, I hesitantly knocked. As the wooden door lightly echoed, I heard a presence approaching from inside.
“Mother, are you back…?”
A hoarse voice momentarily pierced through before fading. With flushed cheeks and a haggard face, Kasia opened the door, locking eyes with mine before freezing up.
“Oh, Lady Kasia…”
“Damn it!”
Bang!
The door slammed shut right in front of me. I blinked at the firmly closed door.
‘Is this rejection…?’
Such a fierce denial had been a while since I experienced it. I stood there dazed for a moment before a commotion could be heard inside, followed by the door bursting open.
“…What do you want?”
Beyond the reopened door stood a composed Kasia.
Her disheveled black hair now looked neat, her gaunt face slightly damp, as if she had washed it. Even her pajama-like clothes had transformed into a neat white shirt.
“Uh… I came to visit.”
“…You came to visit me?”
I stared in awe at her astonishing change, holding up the bag I was carrying. Startled eyes widened in disbelief, but Kasia quickly crinkled her face in displeasure.
“I don’t need that. Did you come just to gawk at my frail state?”
The reply was almost exactly what I had expected. I stared intently at the flushed ears on Kasia.
‘She’s really not good at being honest.’
Having observed her up to this point, it would be an understatement to say that her words often contradicted her true feelings.
At first, dealing with such a person had been difficult for me, but despite her lack of verbal honesty, her physical reactions spoke volumes.
Thanks to that, I had come to grasp a good deal about what Kasia truly felt.
‘She’s happy I came to visit her.’
And so I interpreted her feelings this time.
“Still, since I came with goodwill, could you please let me in for a moment? I brought congee because I was worried you might miss a meal. Are you really going to just send me away?”
I raised the bag higher and let my expression droop. At my reaction, Kasia jumped slightly.
“No, it’s not like that…”
“Then will you let me in?”
“The house is a bit messy right now…”
“What does that matter? I don’t mind.”
Cornered by my insistence, Kasia rolled her eyes in despair and finally opened the door for me.
“This is the only time.”
She always kept her thorns raised, but once you get past them, she was like a hedgehog with soft skin.
“This place is lovely.”
Upon stepping into Kasia’s home, I expressed my admiration briefly. Admittedly, it was a tad messy, but not to the point of being dirty; it was just a normal human disorder.
What stood out the most were the weapons hanging on all the walls.
Swords, daggers, bows, spears, and more. The walls of her house looked more like a weapon shop than a home.
“My mother was a blacksmith. These are her works on display.”
Kasia spoke calmly, her voice laced with a peculiar pride. From that, it was easy to glean that she was quite proud of her mother.
‘Her skills are impressive.’
I surreptitiously observed the weapons and nodded. The finely crafted weapons were clearly the work of a skilled blacksmith, even at a glance.
“May I ask your mother’s name?”
‘In this area, I should know most blacksmiths. And someone with such skills would be no exception.’
Working as a mercenary meant you couldn’t help but hear information about weapons, even if you tried to avoid it. Therefore, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I knew nearly all the blacksmiths in the capital.
“It’s Enok.”
However, the name that reached my ears felt unfamiliar, which made me frown.
“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t recognize it. She hasn’t worked in quite a while. Your time of activity probably didn’t overlap with hers.”
Kasia replied matter-of-factly and led me to a chair at the table. Sitting down in a daze, I hurriedly stopped her as she seemed to want to bring out tea.
“Don’t bother. Just sit down; you’re not feeling well.”
“I can’t be so ill that I can’t bring out a cup of tea.”
“Oh, where do you feel unwell?”
Kasia responded sharply, seemingly ruffled by my concern, but I didn’t take it to heart and swiftly diverted the conversation.
This was a tip I had learned from spending time with Kasia. When she became sharp, it was better to not retaliate and instead change the subject.
Once I conversed freely, Kasia, like I expected, became a bit flustered and followed the new topic.
“I’m just catching a cold around this time of year. It’s not too bad, but I’m avoiding going out to prevent spreading it.”
“Oh dear, that sounds tough. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet…”
I took out the congee and offered it to Kasia. Thankfully, it hadn’t cooled down yet, so I hoped she could enjoy its warmth.
“You should eat this first. You shouldn’t skip meals when you’re sick.”
At my firm statement, Kasia seemed to have something to say but eventually sighed and picked up a spoon.
As she swept her black bob behind her ear, her pale cheeks hinted that she hadn’t been taking care of herself.
“Lady Jane asked me to deliver this and said everyone is worried about you.”
Pausing after swallowing a couple of spoonfuls of congee, Kasia froze. A short while later, her usual cool expression returned, but I noticed her eyes had changed when I mentioned Jane.
“It may sound meddlesome, but would it be possible for you to be a bit more generous toward Lady Jane? She really cares about you.”
I spoke cautiously.
I knew meddling in others’ relationships could be rude and foolish, but I wanted to address this at least once. It pained me to see Jane always working behind the scenes.
“That girl is quite popular and always loved by people.”
Kasia placed her spoon down, leaving half her congee uneaten, as she lowered her gaze.
I had thought Kasia was the type who paid no mind to relationships, yet her blue eyes looked troubled and contemplative.
“She’s just overly kind, so she’s probably worrying unnecessarily about me when I’m alone. But even if she stays with me, people who would approach her wouldn’t come, because I’d isolate her.”
Kasia turned out to be much deeper than I expected.
I was caught off guard by this new aspect of her, and as I was surprised, Kasia returned to her usual indifferent demeanor and clicked her tongue.
“So just leave me be and tell her to hang out with those who actually like her. Why am I so appealing?”
Kasia had a nonchalant kindness about her.
Though they were extreme opposites, it didn’t mean contradictions always indicated falsehood in this complex world, and Kasia was extending her kindness in her own way.
“Still, Lady Jane…”
Just as I was about to say something, I paused, sensing a presence approaching the house.
Thud, thud.
The footsteps grew louder, and instinctively, I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword at my waist.
Before long, I heard the rattling of what sounded like a locked door being opened, and someone entered.
“Um, is there a guest?”
A face that resembled Kasia closely but bore slightly wrinkled lines appeared, wearing a puzzled expression. The left arm was fitted with a prosthetic.
I knew instinctively that this person was Kasia’s mother.