Thank you raw provider: Esme
As if in a strange mood, he rubbed his chin, flushed. Then, a silver ring sparkled on the ring finger of his left hand. It was too shabby to be called a wedding ring and looked like a ring full of too much history and wear and tear to simply be worn.
‘You have a lover.’
Enya thought it likely. It would be stranger if such a person didn’t have a lover.
His green eyes, hanging in the air, slowly returned to Enya. He asked cautiously,
“Have you ever gotten used to typhoons?”
“As you can see, not at all. I ran away, too, didn’t I?”
Enya swallowed the nearly melted ice and grinned.
“But… … it’s worth enduring. Thinking of what I have protected.”
“… … .”
“So you should try to hang in there, too.”
Enya lightly brushed the bitter taste clinging to the corner of her mouth with her tongue and made a toast to the air.
“To remembering what was killed and what was protected.”
“This is Helios Defert.”
Her mouth was suddenly sealed in bewilderment at his sudden self-introduction.
What, didn’t we decide not to give each other names? If you know your name, you know your identity, and if you know your identity, you create distance. At best, the garden of the night they ran to for refuge had now turned into an extension of the banquet hall. Enya said with a bitter smile,
“Oops, you ran away hard and called a typhoon.”
His eyes were stained with bewilderment and embarrassment as he continued to examine a stiff Enya.
“I’m sorry. I had no intention of making you uncomfortable.”
“No, thank you. You have nothing to apologize for.”
I really don’t know why he suddenly spoke out–but Enya decided not to wonder.
‘He was Helios Defert, after all.’
He didn’t look like he really wanted to admit it, and he didn’t look like he was being pompous at all. It wasn’t unpleasant, but there was nothing good about being involved with such a big man.
“I have to go now. Sir Defert, I admire your work. I hope you enjoy the rest of your dinner.”
“Wait… … .”
Enya’s body tilted. As she tried to stand up, he tugged at her long sleeve. He couldn’t believe what he had done, so he fixed his eyes on her sleeve.
Enya burst into laughter at his clumsiness.
“This makes me uncomfortable.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. In a hurry.”
Startled, he didn’t know what to do and removed his hand.
However, his lingering feelings dripped from his fingertips, which he could not wholly capture back.
Should I say he’s cute or rude?
‘Is this guy Helios Defert, Knight of Light and Brilliance?’
They said that he was originally a Prince, the son of the emperor and a concubine. His overall skeleton and features were identical to the emperor’s, except for the color difference. Maybe even more so than the Crown Princess.
“I just… … .”
As if he had made up his mind, his jaw tightened. His chin had a light scar as if to prove his difficult time. Because of his outstanding appearance, even that flaw matched him like a well-thought-out pattern.
“I told you my name first because I want to know your name. I want to see you again. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“If it is meant to be, we will meet again. I’m not the kind of person you’ll meet on purpose.”
“… … Ah.”
When she clearly expressed her intention to refuse, Helios gazed at Enya tenaciously with reddened eyes.
Since he didn’t know her name, he was determined to remember her by something else. Enya’s sharp chin, the dark hair scattered around her long neck, and the languidly raised eyebrows above her sharp gaze. He didn’t seem to be doing it consciously, either. Just as a hunter instinctively scans and searches its prey.
Rather than feeling displeased, it was strange, as if his eyes were heavy and he would make a dent in her.
‘He’ll catch and eat you up.’
She was about to leave before his gaze ate up to the hem of her dress when a sudden loud noise was heard.
“Captain! How can you leave Her Highness and me alone? What are you doing here… … uh?”
A dapper paladin burst out from behind the fountain. Enya, not wanting to spoil the atmosphere and wanting to finish on a good note, tried to leave quickly. However, the uninvited guest came first.
“No way… … The Archmage of the Magic Tower… … .”
The brown-haired paladin pointed his finger up and down at Enya in shock.
Her blue clothes covered her wrists to her feet, long sleeves, and going up to the top of her neck. A silver snake pattern was engraved on the back. Just like her long black hair, her cold black eyes were unmatched.
A dry sense of intimidation as if looking at something insipid. He heard that there is only one woman like this in the world.
“Aren’t you Enya Valencia, the Master of the Morgenda Mage Tower?”
“… … .”
“Who K-killed her master—gasp.”
Even if he swallowed his breath and cut off his speech, the meaning did not disappear.
Five years ago, Enya Valencia became the new owner of the Mage Tower of Morgendah after annihilating her master and the wizards under his command.
Maybe he wanted to say just that.
Enya let out a sigh of irritation and looked at the paladin who had memorized her name. A look of contempt and amazement filled his eyes.
In general, those who met Enya for the first time had conflicting views.
Either full of awe or fear.
With only two kinds of treatment.
With contempt or kindness.
When Enya looked back, she encountered Helios’ hard face. Disdain and suspicion permeated weakly in his stiffly broken expression.
The rumors about her would never be pleasant to a hero like him, so it was a natural reaction.
It was nothing surprising, but why did she feel so dirty? Because she talked too much?
Why… … .
‘What was I expecting?’
Did you think he would be different? Enya mocked herself and tossed her glass annoyedly. The glass thrown at his feet rolled wildly without breaking. Enya’s gaze moved slowly from the cup to the paladins.
“Yes, I am the Master of the Morgenda Magic Tower.”
Upon her obedient admission, Helios’ needle-like eyes became a spear and stabbed her. Yes, that was familiar. But even though she was used to it, she couldn’t help but bleed.
“But isn’t the temple also clearly under imperial law? It is very rude to call me by my first name.”
With a deepening gaze, Enya twisted the corner of her mouth into a sneer.
“Defert’s companion must have come from the west. It’s clear that he didn’t learn it because he was from the wasteland.”
She clasped her fist into a tight grip, and instantly, a magic circle rose at the feet of the paladin who called her name. The paladin also opened his holy power right away, but it was useless in front of the her mighty magic.
“Choke.”
As the paladin instantly knelt down and grabbed his neck, Helios removed her magic circle with his divine power. As if a flood fell over a fire, great power came, and the force went at once. He bent over and checked the condition of his subordinate.
“Grey, are you all right?”
“Yes—cough—Yes, yes……”
“It looks like I’ve become that 1 villainess.”
Enya looked down at them and laughed coldly.
“They call you the Knight of Light, your skills are good. But your subordinates need a bit of etiquette training.”
“I think you’re the one who needs manners.”
Helios retorted as if chewing something distasteful and spitting it out. His gaze shifted from her cup rolling at his feet to her.
“Magic tower lord, the use of magic is prohibited in the imperial palace. It wasn’t enough that you used magic but you threatened my knight.”
As if he had been betrayed, Helios stood up with a hurt frown.
Betrayal? There were no promises, Enya snorted.
“Your servant called me by my name like a friend and accused me with disrespect. How could that not be a crime?”
“My subordinate is not a servant, but a knight blessed by God.”
“Oh, really? No matter how much I look at it, it’s a servant. I guess the temple forgot and bestows blessings on anyone now.”
Touching the weak temple’s standing, Enya replied coldly.
Maybe it was because she bothered doing him a favor. Shame drove Enya into a rage she couldn’t understand. Perhaps the same was true of the other person; his cautious expression disappeared, and only a cold glare remained.
He strode in front of Enya. His bloody eyes burned as if they were going to eat her.
“I will formally hold you guilty of using magic on a paladin.”
“Boring. I’d rather be challenged to a duel. Throw the gloves. I will accept it.”
“Ah.”
With his eyes half-down, Helios smirked as he touched the tip of his glove.
“What kind of knight duels monsters? Just kill.”
In an instant, he disparaged Enya as a beast, and unlike before, his speech was smooth. A fury lit Enya for the first time in a while, but when she met his transparent green eyes, her will to fight suddenly sank.
It’s not that her anger was lifted from his flower-like appearance.
Facing such explicit contempt, she was reminded of her situation:
Alas, you are a noble paladin who forsook the imperial castle and royal family and killed the demon king to protect the country. On the other hand, I am a murderer who will go down in history.
Enya turned around, leaving her clouded mind behind.
“I told you. I’m not the kind of person you’ll meet on purpose.”
There was no bad relationship, let alone a relationship.
It was better to end the fight here. Because I’ll never see you again anyway.
Yes, I believed that.
***
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