NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16
016.
Fidgeting.
Eliana couldn’t take her eyes off Kalen’s face, as if something so fascinating had gripped her attention.
After fidgeting for a while, her gaze suddenly fell on Kalen’s torso, now that he had taken off his shirt.
“…”
She hesitated to reach out.
After a brief moment of silent pondering, Eliana gently touched Kalen’s body.
Her gaze was fixed on the center of his chest.
The place roughly where his heart should be was stained dark, like midnight oil.
Moreover, thin, black lines spread across his body.
The sight made her frown naturally.
Was it because she had been by his side?
If so, it meant she owed Kalen one more debt. A debt that might never be repaid in a lifetime.
She had no choice but to stay by his side.
Having spent another considerable amount of time gently touching the area near his heart, Eliana slowly lifted her head.
Kalen showed no sign of waking, despite how tired he must have been.
“…”
A gulp of saliva passed.
Swee-,
The soft rustle of fabric brushing against his skin, and their bodies intertwined.
Thump, thump, thump,
Her heart beat faster than before.
Kalen’s shoulders tensed slightly as Eliana’s eyes widened.
Though not overly muscular, his body was firm—a trait that pleased Eliana.
That way again, again for quite some time.
Just as she thought Kalen might wake, his voice rang out nearby.
“A-Are you awake, Miss?”
Startled by the unfamiliar tone, Eliana quickly withdrew.
“How…”
Fortunately, Kalen seemed preoccupied with how he had gotten here.
“Can you… walk?”
Nod.
Eliana gave a small affirmative.
“That illness…”
“It’s gone.”
“Oh.”
“Thanks to Kalen…”
Their eyes met again.
“Now I know what your face looks like, how your voice feels…”
“Thanks, Kalen. It’s because of you.”
“Besides being by your side, there was little I could do.”
“Hmm, if you say so, then so be it.”
“At any rate, I’m relieved. I was worried about what might have happened if you had…”
Kalen said nonchalantly, though truly grateful.
Eliana listened quietly as she thought.
She never imagined she would take such delight in Kalen taking care of her as her guard. Yet, now that matters had developed this way, she didn’t want the relationship between them to be merely that of a lady and her escort.
“…Do you not wonder what I was doing?”
The abrupt question came out of nowhere.
Surprised by her own words, Eliana quietly blinked.
“Oh, you held me…”
“Th-Thank you…”
Kalen’s words were interrupted as Eliana stammered.
“Nothing else…”
Hurriedly straightening up, she turned her back.
“…Maybe.”
She couldn’t show Kalen the burning sensation on her face, the heat she could no longer bear to have him see.
*
The carriage once again set off towards the north.
The only difference was that Eliana now sat beside Kalen on the driver’s seat.
Of course, Kalen hesitated, worried if the illness was truly gone. However, her desire to see the world after regaining her sight couldn’t be denied—Kalen, who understood Eliana’s heart, could do nothing else.
Still, Eliana’s gaze lingered entirely on Kalen, mostly on his face and sometimes on his arms as he pulled the rein.
“Did you usually wear glasses?”
“No. I inherited them from my late master.”
“Ah…”
“Though wands might seem outdated for a mage, glasses are quite common.”
“…They suit you well.”
“Thank you.”
Sometimes, they exchanged casual conversation.
“Regardless, you must stay inside the carriage as we pass through the northern region. Miss.”
“Why…?”
“We must seek permission since we are entering another territory’s lands. Thanks to the Lord, the process has been simplified. However, appearing before other high-ranking nobles in your condition…”
“But I’m no longer sick…”
And they discussed their destination thus.
With two people on board, the carriage finally reached the northern lands.
In the Claire Empire, the northern region is called both the coldest and the hottest place.
The former because of the northern weather, the latter due to its fiery nature.
This region sees more battles than usual—droplets of blood flying with heat said to rival the northern snow.
Indeed, this is the place with the highest concentration of mercenaries, knights, and combat-specialized mages, though they stay within the limits of the North to let peace persist elsewhere.
Around half a day after entering the northern lands,
“Halt.”
A few figures appeared behind the white ridgeline.
The one leading them was a woman.
Although the empire’s laws exist, the North values strength. Due to inherent physical differences, men were generally the main force.
A woman with authority to grant passage was exceedingly rare.
“Please state your identity and purpose.”
For instance, the eldest daughter of the Northern Duke.
As Kalen stepped out of the carriage, he spoke.
“To the honored young lord of the North, it is our privilege. We are Eliana Lakatus, the third daughter of the Lakatus Duke’s house, and Kalen, her escort. We had informed you of our intentions to visit Winter Island.”
At the end of Kalen’s words, the woman raised her hand, easing the tension. Simplifying the administration indicated that all matters had already been discussed, thus making further formalities unnecessary.
Approaching Kalen slowly,
The woman was tall, even considering Kalen’s considerable height, but still shorter than him.
“And Miss Lakatus?”
“She is resting.”
This followed discussions with Eliana beforehand—she would remain hidden from the northern side, regardless of her recovery.
“She’s a deep sleeper.”
The woman dismissed it offhandedly.
Indeed, procedures are generally strict and unforgiving, but this unique one stemmed from the acquaintance between Duke Everchant Lakatus and the master of the North.
Expecting all matters to be resolved, Kalen was about to return to the carriage.
“Are you alone?”
If the woman in front had not suddenly addressed him, it would have ended there.
Kalen was Eliana’s escort—it wasn’t possible to ignore this woman’s words.
“Yes.”
“Alone as a guard?”
“Is there any issue?”
“I’ve heard of it, and seeing you here in person, I find it hard to believe.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lakatus is on the other side of the continent, and while traveling to the North, there’s only one guard…?”
The woman tapped her chin with her forefinger.
“Duke Lakatus isn’t usually so careless. What makes you so capable to guard Miss Lakatus alone?”
Kalen was chosen as Eliana’s bodyguard due to her illness, but this was a secret externally.
While the Duke of the North might know, it was impossible for this woman.
Having missed her mark, Kal伦 believed it best not to clarify, as investigating the truth would only cause situations that deviated from the plan. He hadn’t demonstrated any particular talent, avoiding Blamia’s advice.
“Cold.”
“I can’t say anything more besides what I already have, Lady Hiart.”
Hiart.
The house that ruled the North.
A woman of that house simply nodded without any concern.
“Permission granted.”
Behind her came a loud response, and the path opened. Kalen also bowed lightly before boarding the carriage.
With that brief wave, the carriage proceeded, leaving the woman behind.
“Hnn…”
The woman watched the humble carriage disappear behind the ridge, tapping her chin with her finger.
*
Winter Island.
Its name carried a profound allure.
Hadn’t everyone living in the empire dreamt of seeing it once?
All those who had somehow survived after visiting Winter Island told the same story.
A scenic wonder.
That’s how they described the landscapes of Winter Island.
The continent of Claire Empire was vast, filled with beautiful landscapes. Yet among them stood out the exceptionally stunning.
The northern Winter Island was undoubtedly one of them.
A place worth the risk, stunning enough to leave an indelible mark after one visit.
And Kalen and Eliana had arrived at such a place.
“Haa…”
The breath of the visitor froze instantly.
A completely unmanageable cold.
Eliana stepped out of the carriage, wrapping herself in the extra clothing she had brought.
Crisp—crisp—
Footsteps imprinted on the pristine white snow, clearly visible.
Eliana redirected her gaze, chasing after the silhouette of a boy.
Though she could walk now, it was still awkward, requiring assistance.
“…Was this a setup for the person playing Synerth?”
“Yes.”
Her supporting hand felt too practiced, slightly bothering her, but she chose to let it slide; considering they were nearing Winter Island, and the reason for Kalen’s familiarity ultimately lay with herself.
Kalen shortened his stride out of consideration for Eliana, and she, too, adjusted her movements to match his.
An elevated plateau adorned with immaculately white snow.
Even the serene sunlight was breathtakingly beautiful.
It felt like closing one’s eyes might make it vanish.
Kalen and Eliana had reached Winter Island.
“…”
“…”
No words were exchanged, lost for anything to say due to its overwhelming beauty.
Deep ravines cloaked in pristine white snow.
The sun visible between them was calm, dignified, not blinding or harsh as one might imagine.
The crisp light flowed through the ravine, illuminating the water below with unmatched clarity, harmonizing with the snow above in a scene of transcendent beauty.
Indeed, it was a scenic marvel.
As Kalen gazed upon this view, he comprehended why people applied such epithets.
Church authorities often spoke of heaven—it could only resemble this scenery. If Eliana’s inability to see had remained unaddressed, it would have truly been regrettable.
Thinking this, Kalen turned his head out of curiosity for Eliana’s expression.
Had her fervently wished-for desire come true?
Though she rarely smiled, he hoped to see her do so now.
Unexpectedly, it was different from what he imagined.
When he turned to look, Eliana’s gaze wasn’t on this incredibly beautiful scene, but on Kalen himself.
“…You don’t see this?”
“Yeah. I saw it.”
At the coincidentally aligned moment of their gaze meeting, Kalen cautiously inquired.
“Did it meet the standard of your wish?”
“Yeah…”
Holding her hands behind her back, Eliana took one more step closer to Kalen as she responded. Once she reached close enough, she aligned her eyes with his.
“…It was good. Far better than I thought.”
“I’m relieved.”
“Well, it’s somewhat different from the reason I thought it would be good at first…”
Eliana smiled brightly as she said so.
Regaining the old world, acquiring a new one,
The bright smile of the youngest lady Eliana Lakatus finally achieving her long-held desire seemed to harmonize with the scenic beauty.
“I guess I like this reason much better…”
Kalen felt, just slightly…
As though his breath had paused.