I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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Chapter 6

Lost in thought, I was mindlessly grinding herbs when Didi looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“……Mir? Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. All done. Let me take a look at the wound. Please lift your shirt.”

Snapping back to reality, I waved my hands. Didi, hesitating slightly, slowly lifted his shirt.

The wound was on the left side of his abdomen. Fortunately, none of his organs were damaged, but it was still deep. I scanned the wound and clicked my tongue.

“It might be easier if you just take it off completely. Please remove your clothes.”

Casually urging him to strip made Didi’s expression change weirdly.

“Do I really need to undress you?”

When I shot him a look that said, “What are you waiting for?”, he let out a chuckle.

“You’re the only one who has survived saying that to me.”

“It’s quite an honor.”

After my casual response, Didi chuckled again and began to unbutton his shirt.

As his long, beautiful fingers undid the buttons, I found myself becoming momentarily speechless once the last button was undone, revealing his sculpted body hidden beneath the large shirt.

Seeing his bare skin left me at a loss for words.

“……With that face, having a body like that is quite unfair.”

A beautiful man lying vulnerably on the bed, clad only in a blood-soaked shirt, with long eyelashes fluttering as he looked down… it felt like I was committing a sin just by looking.

The perfectly crafted muscles of his upper body, his abs seemingly painted on—compared to my skinny body with just muscles stuck on, Didi’s physique looked like a sculpture.

‘He’s a patient.’

Gathering my swirling thoughts, I tried to carry on the treatment calmly.

To be precise, I tried to proceed calmly.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel strange thanks to the firm body I had to touch when examining the wound, and Didi’s peculiar gaze directed at me.

‘Why is he looking at me like that?’

Humans are weak to visual stimuli. Feeling the temptation of evil, I picked up a bandage.

“Please sit up. I’ll wrap the bandage for you.”

At my words, Didi lifted his upper body. The shirt that was precariously draped over his shoulders slipped down.

‘Just in case it makes him uncomfortable.’

Though I couldn’t help but steal glances at his exposed wide shoulders, I didn’t want to offend him. I tried hard not to look as I unrolled the bandage.

“Excuse me.”

I wrapped my arms around Didi’s waist. To wrap the bandage around his large body, I practically had to hug him.

‘Don’t get flustered. He’s a patient.’

In the stillness of the night, a mature man and woman were awkwardly embracing on the bed, making the air in the cabin decidedly strange. I discovered that Didi had a vanilla scent that constantly tickled my nose.

‘This is so awkward…’

I sighed internally. I’ve always struggled with awkwardness and strange atmospheres. I preferred everything neat and orderly; I had zero immunity to a situation like this, all fuzzy and unclear.

“……So far, I’ve divided the looks people have given me into three types.”

Didi, gazing intently at me, spoke with a cynical expression.

“First, there are those who look at me with awe, expecting more than I’m capable of. Second, there are those who look at me with hatred, just waiting for me to make a mistake. Third…”

I looked up at him in irritation, startled by the fiery gaze intensely directed at me, and our eyes locked.

His calm blue eyes bore into mine, filled with a cynical and dark glint that told me tales of his life. Didi stared right into my soul.

“……The gaze of desire, seeking something from me.”

His voice, tinged with despair, pierced through me.

‘Nobles and commoners are similar after all.’

How laughable, then, that from this aristocratic man, whom I thought would have no idea of the dirty back alleys, I felt a sense of kinship.

“Among all those I’ve met so far, there hasn’t been anyone who doesn’t belong to one of these three categories. They all have their intentions written in their eyes, so reading their feelings was easy.”

Didi’s large hand gently grasped my chin.

I found myself being pulled towards him without any means to resist. My hand brushed against the bed, but my position leaned forward, landing me squarely against his chest.

His piercing blue eyes dissected me, almost as if they intended to explore my very being.

“However, I see nothing in your eyes. I can’t tell what you desire.”

‘Of course, I want nothing.’

Feeling a bit frustrated, I bit my lip, and Didi tilted his head slightly. His soft brown hair brushed against my face, and a sweet aroma wafted in.

“I’ll ask you again.”

His seductive red lips parted mere inches from my face.

“Why did you save me? What do you want?”

Didi’s eyes were filled only with distrust.

‘……He’s had it rough.’

I furrowed my brow, realizing how hard his life must have been.

Sure, it was a suspicious situation. A stranger saves him from an assassin and treats his wounds without asking for anything in return. It would be strange not to suspect my intentions, especially since I was a mercenary named Mir.

I sighed and slowly opened my mouth.

“Honestly, I never hoped for anything, but if I said I wanted something, would you give it to me?”

Didi smirked cynically.

“If you’re the Sword Master, then surely you could pressure me into giving you what you want.”

‘Oh, this guy.’

I gently brushed his hand away from my chin and stood up. Ignoring his penetrating gaze, I began rummaging through the drawer.

“You just happened to be lucky. You met the Sword Master who hates to see blood.”

I tossed the large shirt toward Didi. It was the biggest size from my collection; it was so big on me it felt like a blanket, but it might be a bit small for him.

“So don’t talk nonsense and change into some clothes.”

Didi caught the shirt, and after changing, he put it on, albeit a bit snugly.

“……Right. The mercenary Mir…… was called a hero. A hero who saves people from monsters, the Sword of Calamity, the King of Mercenaries. Those are the names they call you.”

Didi’s face remained expressionless as he looked at me.

“But I don’t believe in heroes. There’s no way kindness exists without a price.”

He spoke as if he had never experienced a selfless act before, which made me a bit sad.

“Are you planning to remain silent until the end?”

I sighed softly. The reason I wasn’t responding was simple.

‘Because there’s no reason.’

Yes, there was no reason. I helped him because he looked like he was in danger. What kind of ulterior motive could there be in that? Just a small act of kindness, nothing more.

But it seemed he couldn’t accept my lack of an answer, forcing me to open my mouth.

“Indeed, Mir is often called that.”

I met Didi’s gaze directly.

“But I am not a hero.”

I wasn’t anything grand like a hero. Upon my declaration, Didi frowned.

“Then your intention is…”

“What I did for you was something any human should have done, not something a hero would do.”

I knew that many people live their lives ignoring such acts. Those who value their own safety over another’s life are everywhere.

‘Nothing should come before a human’s life. Never forget that.’

Yet, under my own standards, that was what humans were to me. Under the judgment I applied to myself, I held life above everything else.

“……In the end, you’re saying you saved me without a reason.”

Didi’s eyes sharpened, his voice cold and steady, questioning me like a sinner. He was radiating a chilling skepticism.

“Unfortunately, that’s what I’m trying to convey.”

I shrugged casually. Didi’s expression froze in disbelief.

“You don’t believe me.”

“Then don’t believe me.”

“What?”

As I slowly washed the mortar I used for grinding herbs, I could see Didi gritting his teeth.

“Just tell me what you want already!”

There’s a price for everything. I had no intention of denying that truth.

I just wanted to show this man, who seemed to have been tricked all his life, a bit of pure kindness at least once.

“I want nothing.”

“Didn’t you just say you don’t believe me?!”

“Then why are you telling me not to believe you?”

The same tired argument kept going back and forth. Didi’s vibrant blue eyes reflected confusion and uncertainty. His human distrust and cynical light resembled someone I knew.

Me.

“Go on, don’t believe me. Worry about what I might want, feel uneasy about my kindness. Stay here until you can move on your own, carry doubts till the end, and then leave this cabin on your own two feet. Once you safely return home, perhaps then you can trust me.”

Didi’s blue eyes rippled, like a huge stone being thrown into a lake.

“Now, please get some sleep. A patient needs plenty of rest.”

“……Why?”

‘You’re quite troublesome.’

I clicked my tongue as I walked toward Didi, bending over until our faces were almost touching. I stopped just before we connected and poked his forehead with my finger. Didi’s body leaned back gently and collapsed weakly back onto the bed.

“Do living people need a reason to help other living beings?”

I grinned slightly. That was it, just an act of kindness without any conditions.

In an instant, I could see Didi’s eyes glazing over, his thoughts becoming hazy.

“So please sleep now. I’ll take a nap too.”

I tucked the blanket around Didi up to his chin. For some reason, he didn’t immediately pull the blanket away, only doing so after a long while.

“……You’re really a strange person.”

His voice was thick, like he was trying to wake up from sleep. The blush on his pale skin was obvious.

‘What’s up with this guy?’

I squinted slightly. In an instant, Didi, filled with distrust and coldness, began to exude a strange aura.

‘Is he really that sleepy?’

The curtain of night was thick, deepening into the night. I felt I had kept the patient for too long and stood up.

“I’ll sleep somewhere else, so please rest comfortably.”

“Wait, are you leaving?”

A somewhat cold hand touched my wrist. Didi held onto me desperately, getting into an awkward position.

“I’ll sleep in another place and return early in the morning.”

He seemed worried I was abandoning him. Didi’s expression shifted from confusion to one of determination as he grabbed my hand.

“Don’t go.”

‘What?’

Even with my somewhat condescending expression, his gaze was unwavering.

“Why?”

He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

“I’m scared.”

“……Huh?”

“I’m scared to be alone.”

Seeing Didi’s boldness transforming into vulnerability made my brow furrow uncontrollably. He didn’t seem scared at all.

“Are you really going to leave? Are you afraid that wild beasts might come out?”

With a pouty expression, he grasped my hand tightly.

‘It doesn’t really matter to me…’

I eyed him with suspicion. His sharp gaze turned pitiably forlorn.

“Will you leave me behind and just go?”

The beauty of his expression was powerful.

‘Actually… it is worrying to leave a patient alone.’

My resolve weakened, and I rolled my eyes. To be honest, it was simply that I wanted to avoid making Didi uncomfortable; I could sleep anywhere. I sighed deeply.

“I’ll sleep in the chair.”

Didi’s face brightened. His expression was so radiant it nearly blinded me, so I turned my gaze away slightly. He patted the bed eagerly.

“Though you could sleep in bed with me.”

“Nonsense.”

I firmly dismissed his offer and moved to switch off the light next to the door. The lights illuminating the cabin dimmed. Only the soft moonlight bathed the cabin.

Even in the darkness, I easily returned to my seat in the chair. I could feel Didi’s movements as he shifted in bed.

“Shushu, are you there?”

“I am.”

I found myself locked in my gaze with Didi’s glowing blue eyes, shining like a nocturnal beast’s in the darkness. His hand groped around.

“Do you need something?”

His hand hesitated in the air before it turned toward me. Didi’s hand neared my face.

“Hand.”

“Hand?”

I softly asked, surprised, and a muffled laugh escaped him.

“Could you hold my hand?”

As I got used to the darkness, his eyes focused clearly on me. Didi’s eyes bent into a pretty curve.

“Because I’m scared.”

He didn’t look scared at all—he looked rather pleased. Despite how absurd and impossible to understand this was.

“You’re a coward, Didi.”

Without a second thought, I took his hand, driven by a fleeting impulse.

His small hand, rough with calluses from wounds, met my perfectly unmarred large hand.

‘A little bit…

Maybe I missed the warmth of another person.

The warmth radiating from our hands wasn’t bad at all.

“Goodnight, Shushu.”

He turned to face me, nestling into my side and whispering softly. I smiled faintly.

“You too, sleep well, Didi.”

With that, I closed my eyes.

And when I opened them again, Didi was gone.