Chapter 42

The only ones going to the village were Dion and me. As we entered the forest, tall trees came into view. It was fascinating to watch Dion navigate the winding paths through the unspoiled forest.

How is he finding his way without even looking at a map?

Seated in front of Dion, who moved effortlessly through the forest, I asked a question that had been bothering me.

“What did Sir Adrian say to you?”

“It’s nothing important.”

“But it was a precaution, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t I know about it too?”

I was curious about what Adrian had said when he called Dion over. There was a brief silence. Cutting through the eerie rustling of leaves in the wind, Dion’s voice finally reached me.

“…He told me not to pity the villagers.”

Dion’s words were completely unexpected. That’s not a precaution about the plague.

“Don’t pity them…?”

“That’s all I can tell you.”

I mulled over Dion’s words. This game was not user-friendly. Players had to piece together clues themselves if they needed information. Since I hadn’t seen any spoilers, it was up to me to figure it out.

Although I liked the process of deduction, there weren’t enough clues this time. When I’d received a clue about Orias’ sister, at least he had told me directly. This time, all I had was “Don’t pity the villagers.”

Leaning against Dion, who refused to say more, I gazed at the dense trees around us. I had no idea how Dion was finding his way, but to me, everything looked the same. The monotonous scenery seemed to enhance my concentration.

I could think more clearly.

There must be clues. Even though the game was unkind, it always provided hints. There were a few pieces of information that could serve as clues.

The first was ‘Adrian’s Request.’ He had asked me to cure the plague in the village. This request was essential to progressing with both Dion and Adrian.

Blinking slowly, I contemplated.

Dion was going to the village with me, so his route could take place there. But Adrian wasn’t accompanying me, yet this was still a mandatory event for his route.

Pushing aside my doubts, I continued to think.

The second clue: Adrian’s unusual precaution to “not pity the villagers.”

Aren’t villagers suffering from a plague naturally deserving of pity?

Hmm, this is bothering me.

I couldn’t understand why Adrian had said such a thing. It felt as though Adrian knew the villagers personally. But how could he know about them just from the documents I’d reviewed?

If Adrian is a noble, how does he know about such a small village…?

As if struck by lightning, a sudden realization froze my thoughts. Straightening my posture, I turned to Dion.

My sudden movement caused the horse to shift. Dion raised his voice, catching me just before I could fall.

“You shouldn’t move so suddenly.”

“Dion. Sir Adrian…”

“Yes?”

“Sir Adrian isn’t a noble, is he?”

Dion frowned but nodded in confirmation. The fact that Adrian wasn’t a noble wasn’t a secret. So, was his background not a secret either?

I pressed Dion further.

“The village we’re heading to now—is it where Sir Adrian used to live?”

“How did you…?”

Dion blinked in surprise at my question. Seeing his reaction, I pieced together the information I had gathered.

The third clue: the village we were heading to was where Adrian lived before he entered the palace.

“Saintess, how did you know that?”

“You said Sir Adrian told you not to pity the villagers. That means Adrian must know something about them.”

“How can you be so sure with just that much information?”

“It’s not just that. You’ve mentioned before that Sir Adrian doesn’t try to socialize, whether officially or personally. So, isn’t it strange that someone like that would give a specific warning about the villagers? For someone who avoids even palace interactions to know and give a warning about the situation in a small village—it doesn’t make sense.”

Dion’s eyes widened as he listened to me speak.

“You said you wanted to get closer to Sir Adrian, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must have seen him when he first entered the palace.”

“…That’s true.”

Smiling confidently, I spoke decisively, “I know you’re a kind person. You must have seen Sir Adrian as someone pitiable.”

“How do you know that? Have you been investigating me?”

“No, I noticed the scars on Sir Adrian’s hands.”

“Oh.”

<You have independently gathered information about Dion and Adrian!>

• Dion’s affection has significantly increased!
• Your understanding of Adrian has improved.
• Information about Adrian has been unlocked!

<‘Adrian’s Disposition’ has been revealed.>

• Disposition: [Good+]: Complete events in alignment with this disposition.

<A new event has been added to ‘Adrian’s Request.’>

• Objective: Collect Adrian’s journal from ‘The Village Where Adrian Lived.’
• Task: Collect ‘Adrian’s Journal Fragments’ (0/3)
• Upon completion, Adrian’s affection will significantly increase.

I was sure that Adrian had endured hardships based on the scars I had seen on his hands. As a scribe, his hands were covered in scars—marks of hardship. Perhaps he had even been mistreated in that village.

Even for someone as composed as Adrian, accepting past trauma must have been difficult.

That’s why he unconsciously crumpled the documents. I remembered the crumpled edges of the papers and nodded in understanding.

Dion spoke in an impressed tone, “You’re more…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

More what? Did he think I was clueless just because I came here for some R-19 content? Sure, I came here for fun, but still…!

“Since there’s no point hiding it, I’ll tell you. Adrian told me to be cautious of the villagers. Saintess, you should remain vigilant too.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Still fuming at Dion’s attitude, I nodded at his following words.

***

I rested my head against Dion’s chest, nodding off. My thighs hurt from the horse’s movements, but the quietness made me drowsy. Dion didn’t talk much, only occasionally tensing up.

Rubbing my head against his firm chest, I noticed Dion stiffen and smirked mischievously.

In the past, he would’ve pushed my head away, but now he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

“Dion, how long until we reach the village?”

“About five more hours should be enough.”

Hmm, is that so?

I checked the remaining time based on his response. We still had about 15 hours left. It seemed like there’d be enough time to take a break. Of course, resting wasn’t my real goal. Exercise was.

Recalling the purpose of entering this game, I pressed my body closer to Dion. Now that his affection level had increased, wouldn’t he give in if I seduced him?

It had been way too long. I was starting to forget this was an R-19 game.

As our lower bodies pressed together, I felt Dion hold his breath. Swinging my dangling leg backward, I brushed it against his calf.

Though my breathing quickened as well, I kept my excitement hidden and subtly rubbed against him. Heat rose from behind us, steadily spreading. The warmth emanating from Dion’s body enveloped me entirely, and his heart pounded like crazy.

I could feel his heart racing through the vibrations against my head. Satisfied, I let out a soft, breathy sigh.

“Mm…”

A languid voice, similar to sleep-talking, escaped my lips. I began to feel the sensation I had been waiting for, originating from the closeness of our thighs.

Something started prodding near my hips. Dion hurriedly shifted backward, but it was already obvious.

“Dion?”

Feigning ignorance, I looked at him and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

Dion glared at me with heated eyes, biting his lip. The veins on the back of his hand, gripping the reins, bulged prominently. His bloodshot eyes glimmered as he abruptly jumped off the horse.

Huh? Why did he jump down?

Contrary to my expectation that he might touch me, Dion tied the reins to a nearby tree after dismounting. Watching him fully secure the reins, I extended my hand.

Ah, so he plans to do it after getting off. That makes sense. It’s safer to do it off the horse.

I’m all for it. Seeing Dion’s lower half tense up when I reached out, I pretended not to notice and spoke, “Taking a little break, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll get down too—”

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

Dion spoke in a muffled tone. His words, spoken through gritted teeth, were slurred and hard to understand. Frowning, I looked at him. Avoiding my gaze, Dion muttered.

“Just wait here for a moment.”

“Wait, Dion?”

“It’s a trained horse, so it won’t cause any trouble. Stay still and don’t move.”

Ignoring my outstretched hand, Dion turned and walked away. His hurried steps soon took him out of sight.

“Dion! At least help me get down! Ah!”

As I shouted after Dion, the horse shifted slightly beneath me. Gripping the saddle tightly, I watched Dion disappear into the trees.

As he had said, the horse was surprisingly docile for its size. However, riding it alone was a separate matter. The height was dizzying, making it terrifying to dismount on my own.

“Dion!”

Trembling with fear, I called out to Dion, but he didn’t return.

“Hey!”

You’re supposed to help me get down! Besides, don’t you need me to help calm yourself down?

Fuming at Dion’s incomprehensible behavior, I stroked the horse’s neck to soothe my frustration. It stood still, patiently carrying me.

Dion eventually returned after quite some time. When I glared sharply at him, he avoided my eyes as he untied the reins and mounted the horse.

“Where did you go? You should’ve helped me down! Do you know how scared I was?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I told you I can’t ride horses. I can’t even get down on my own…”

Even when I slipped into informal speech, he didn’t react and only apologized. As I continued scolding him, Dion avoided answering and gripped the reins. As his hand brushed against my arm, I noticed it was slightly damp. Stopping my complaints, I looked at Dion’s right hand. His palm was faintly red, as though chafed. Narrowing my eyes, I glanced at his sleeve.

The once-neat sleeve was stained a dark color.

“Did you wash your hands?”

“…Yes.”

When I turned to ask, Dion avoided my gaze and answered curtly. As my eyes roamed over him, I spotted a handkerchief sticking out of his uniform pocket.

“Oh, that’s the handkerchief I borrowed a while ago.”

It was the handkerchief I had borrowed at the fountain when I first met Dion in the Holy Kingdom. Recognizing the familiar item, I spoke with excitement. Upon hearing me, Dion flushed red and hastily stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket.

Fumbling clumsily, Dion shoved the handkerchief deep into his pocket and spurred the horse forward without a word.

“Ugh.”

Caught off guard by the sudden movement, I nearly bit my tongue and looked ahead, thinking to myself.

This game really stays true to its R-19 nature.

Even when I wasn’t watching, it diligently adhered to its adult-rated theme. Sighing regretfully, I couldn’t help but speculate about what Dion had just done.

If he was going to do it, wouldn’t it have been better if we’d done it together?