Sena was pacing around the garden, biting his nails. He kept glancing towards the main gate.
At that moment, he saw a figure in the distance and broke into a wide smile as he ran over. It was Luna, who had been gathering information in the slums.
“How did it go?”
Luna clasped her hands together and bowed politely before reporting.
“They say many have recovered.”
“They particularly mentioned that your bandages were very effective. So they need as many as possible…”
“Yes, of course. That’s not a problem. What else?”
Sometimes Luna felt overwhelmed by Sena’s brilliance. After calming her racing heart, she continued.
“They said the Church has caught wind of it.”
“The Church?”
‘So it’s come to this.’
Sena blinked.
The plague had nothing to do with the God.
But this was the Middle Ages. In this world, people always turned to the gods when strange things happened.
Probably someone whom Garumel couldn’t control had gone to the Church.
‘Maybe they went to Ellie?’
Where would a desperate patient, suddenly afflicted, turn to seek divine intervention?
The church was mainly frequented by the nobility. Plus, the cathedral was the closest place to the slums.
Realistically, a person from the slums, seeking divine help, would go to the cathedral rather than the church.
Sena imagined Ellie meeting the patient.
Ellie was a devout girl. She might initially think it was heresy. But she would also surely think about what would happen if she reported this to the Church.
A kind girl like her wouldn’t choose to massacre all the people in the slums.
In other words, what Garumel feared wouldn’t happen. At least, not immediately.
“Whew.”
Sena sighed in relief. Whoever decided to build the cathedral near the slums deserved praise.
“Wait a minute, then-.”
Sena touched his chin as a thought occurred to him.
Could Ellie handle the Church’s bigwigs on her own?
That wouldn’t work, right? She’s probably a new priestess with few connections.
Trying to hide the plague while living with the fanatical Inquisitor Lucia was another matter entirely.
Ellie was of the same kind as him, bad at lying.
On the other hand, Lucia, being a sharp Inquisitor, would catch on quickly. At best, Ellie could hide it for 30 minutes.
So, in the current situation, the best decision Ellie could make was…
“… Does she need me?”
Sena grinned. He had no special skills but had a knack for making connections.
He should head out to meet them immediately.
“Sena?”
“Good job, Luna! Serilda is making strawberry pie inside, so go have some!”
“Wa-wait, Sena! There’s more to report… and he’s already gone.”
Luna muttered, watching the white-haired figure already moving far away.
Her Majesty was supposed to visit today.
“What is it, canary?”
Before meeting Reston, Sena mentally prepared himself.
Don’t laugh, don’t laugh. From now on, you’re the world’s greatest swordsman.
Alright, good to go. Sena approached Reston, mimicking Chris’s expression.
“Sir Reston.”
“What?”
“At the call of Justitia, it’s time for me to leave.”
“So?”
“Let me go.”
“…”
Reston sighed.
This was the ninth attempt.
“Or else I’ll use force.”
But this time the pattern was a bit different. Reston looked at Sena with a dumbfounded face.
“You?”
“Did you forget?”
Sena tilted his head, raising one corner of his mouth, eyes shining. A very mysterious atmosphere was created.
“I once blocked your sword with a hoe. That wasn’t even a fraction of my true strength. Can you handle me if I get serious, Sir?”
“I’ve heard the stories. They say you have no magic in your body.”
Flinch. Sena’s body trembled.
“How do you plan to beat me without magic? Give up, girl.”
Reston sneered at Sena with all his might.
Wow, that’s infuriating.
‘Not even worth a punch.’
Sena clenched his fists and glared at Reston.
But he lowered his fists.
It wasn’t because Reston’s forearm was the size of his head.
Being kind, he should hold back.
“What about Sylvia?”
“Are you asking me? I’m locked up with you.”
“You’re her senior. Aren’t you worried about your subordinate getting hurt?”
“There’s a flaw in your statement. Sylvia is not a junior; she’s my senior. In the Teutonic Order, I’m the youngest.”
Sena looked at Reston as if he were the most pitiful person in the world.
He looked well over thirty, yet he was below Sylvia.
“…Hey, I get the feeling you’re thinking something very rude right now. I’m in my twenties.”
Sena found that even sadder. That meant he’d look like he was in his forties in his thirties.
Anyway.
“If you catch me, you’ll have to live bald forever!”
Sena ran away, sprinting towards the main gate.
‘This time, for sure…!’
As he was about to step outside the gate…
“Could you please stay still? Do you know how annoying it is to catch a runaway cat?”
For the tenth time, Reston grabbed Sena by the back of the neck and lifted him.
After one brief struggle, Sena went limp, glaring at Reston and cursing.
“Baldy.”
“Don’t worry, it’s still dense.”
“Put me down.”
“Promise you won’t run away again. I haven’t slept for two days. Let me sleep, please.”
“Put me down.”
“Promise?”
Sena covered his ears and struggled. The exit was right there…!
He couldn’t give up now…!
Just then, a familiar voice came from a little distance away.
“Trying to escape again?”
With a face full of dissatisfaction, Sena looked up.
And when he saw who it was, his pupils shook.
Astria was walking over with an arrogant expression.
“Ah.”
Sena’s face turned hot.
‘Embarrassing…!’
This was terrible timing.
**
The strawberry pie was served.
Sena picked up his fork with a heavy heart.
Just then, Astria’s fork intercepted the strawberry pie Sena was about to eat.
She deftly picked out only the strawberries.
Sena glared at Astria, his lips twitching.
Suddenly, he remembered that even though his freedom was taken away, his title as the Empress’s personal physician was not.
“Strawberries are bad for your health.”
“…”
“If you eat that, I’ll resign.”
Astria dropped her fork from her mouth, looking annoyed.
Sena quickly stuffed Astria’s fork into his mouth.
He chewed the strawberries, glaring with fierce eyes.
“What is this? Are you asking to be devoured?”
To Astria, it seemed like a temptation.
Sena recoiled and turned his head sharply, not wanting to look at her. Really.
‘I will never forget this until the day I die.’
Astria already had over 500 strikes against her in Sena’s book.
For context, Seria, who had teased Sena for ten years, only had 450 strikes. So, this was a significant number.
“Look this way.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, I’ll take away your walking privileges too.”
“…”
When Sena didn’t respond, Astria immediately turned to Betty.
“Betty. Go to the dungeon and bring the shackles.”
Sena shouted in a voice full of resentment.
“Fine, I’ll look!”
“Hmph, you should’ve done that from the start.”
Astria, holding the strawberry pie, was about to take a bite. Sena said just one word.
“Strawberry.”
“…”
Astria’s expression, as she ate only the dough, looked utterly tasteless.
‘Serves you right.’
In truth, even diabetics can eat strawberries.
Sena was just being a bit spiteful.
‘But what has she been looking at all this time?’
Astria’s gaze was fixed above Sena’s head. Was she seeing a ghost? This golden…
Never mind. It wasn’t his concern. Sena cut the strawberry pie with a knife. Astria, sneaking glances, also removed the strawberries from her pie and spoke.
“Are you managing well?”
“Is the one who imprisoned me asking?”
Sena spoke gloomily as he drank some water.
On second thought, this was not the time to be sitting around.
‘I decided to get angry, remember?’
So why were they having a normal conversation?
Doesn’t he have any guts?
Sena couldn’t answer his own question.
It was strange. Just seeing Astria, he couldn’t get angry.
Maybe it was because it had been so long since he had last gotten angry.
…Come to think of it, he never had.
If he’d known it would come to this, he would have practiced beforehand.
“What do you plan to do?”
“About what?”
“The plague. You’re not going to do nothing, are you?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
Sena’s hand, about to eat the strawberry pie, stopped.
“Oh, really?”
“Really.”
Sena abruptly stood up from the table.
“Your Majesty is the person I hate most in the world.”
Astria froze for a moment. Her eyes slightly drooped, giving her a sad look.
‘Why does Your Majesty have that expression?’
Sena didn’t understand. That should have been his expression.
He stormed out of the dining room.
‘What’s the deal? Does she really not trust me?’
He was full of dissatisfaction. Not telling him anything was too much, wasn’t it?
He could tolerate being confined in this strange castle. Sena was used to being locked up often.
He could even accept not being sent out, though he couldn’t understand it. Maybe they were worried about sending him to the plague’s origin.
But keeping everything secret was a different issue. They could have discussed it and considered what to do.
Sena buried his face in a pillow. Chris’s words came to mind.
-‘You have a power. The power to change people.’
Maybe not, Chris.
No one can change that golden child.
-‘So if there’s anyone who can change Her Majesty’s mind, it’s you, Sena.’
-‘She may seem like that, but she’s surprisingly lonely.’
Then he recalled Astria’s sad look.
“…”
Sena slowly lifted his head.
“…This is really the last time.”
Anyway, without Astria’s permission, he couldn’t leave this castle.
Sena took a deep breath to calm his anger.
Then he went back down the stairs.
Astria was still there, eating the tasteless pie alone, looking somewhat lonely.
“Why are you here, when you said you hate me?”
“I am not a canary in a cage.”
Astria’s face remained expressionless. Few could stand before the Empress’s blank face. But Sena managed it.
“I am a skilled healer who managed to heal Your Majesty’s leg, something no one else could do. Please trust me.”
Astria stared at Sena in silence for a long time.
Sena gulped, feeling the tension.
Astria lowered her gaze. She resumed eating the strawberry-less pie as if nothing had happened.
“Prick.”
‘As expected, Astria listens to no one.’
Sena was about to despair at Astria’s response.
Astria put down her fork and spoke.
“Then convince me.”
Sena didn’t know that it was the first time in her life Astria had ever uttered the words “convince me”.
“Why it has to be you.”
