The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 11

They rode north for several hours without rest. Leon endured the cold wind, wearing neither armor nor cloak. They finally came to a stop in the evening when they found an abandoned barn. Although the barn’s adjoining stable was somewhat damaged, there was still a bit of hay left inside.

While Leon checked the barn, Veronica found herself face-to-face with the black horse’s large eyes. Cautiously, she reached out and stroked its forehead. On the first day, it had looked so intimidating, but now, maybe because the horse had saved her life, it seemed a little different.

“You saved me today. Thank you,” she whispered softly, and the horse blinked calmly.

People always said horses were skittish animals, but this one seemed calm. Given its size, the hay they had found earlier probably wasn’t enough to fill its stomach.

Feeling like she should offer more, Veronica looked around and pulled up some scattered grass to offer it. She expected the horse to ignore her, but when it suddenly opened its huge mouth, she was so startled she almost jumped. The horse chewed the ragged grass, and almost immediately, it spat it all out as if in disdain.

Veronica stepped back, startled, then let out a soft chuckle. Hahaha, haha.

Even when she sensed Leon watching her from the barn’s doorway, she still had a faint smile on her lips. His gaze felt like he was witnessing something unexpected, and when their eyes met, Veronica, rather than feeling embarrassed, smiled like someone whose screw had come loose.

“At first, it looked big and fierce, but now it seems kind of cute. What’s its name?”

“It doesn’t have one.”

“Can I give it a name?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t name animals that are going to die.”

Her hand, which had been gently stroking the horse’s forehead, froze. The horse knew nothing, just blinking its large eyes like twinkling stars in the night sky. Veronica stood still for a moment before resting her head against the horse’s forehead.

“Nightstar. Don’t listen to such cruel things. You’re going to live a long, loved life.”

The horse pricked its ears, as if reacting to her words. See? Animals understand people’s words.

It was amusing how the words she offered as comfort were the ones she herself wanted to hear. This time, her smile was self-deprecating.

A smile is often just an easy mask to wear. When you smile, people don’t notice your real emotions; they smile back and love you for it. So she smiled more often. Sometimes men like Benjamin fell into the illusion of it, but she preferred that over revealing the sadness beneath the surface.

Whether or not Leon saw through her smile, she wasn’t sure. He simply stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her until she whispered goodnight to the horse.

***

The barn was small, and there was no way to light a fire. Leon rummaged through their supplies and pulled out hard bread and milk made from goat’s milk, which had a relatively short shelf life.

Veronica, who had settled in the corner with her bread and canteen, quietly puffed up her cheeks and ate little bites at a time. When Leon observed her, as usual, her face flushed red.

He recalled the bright smile she had shown earlier. The way her face lit up, like a misty fog clearing, was paradoxically filled with a strange sense of emptiness.

It was the second time he had seen such a smile in his life, which was why it had caught his attention. That’s all.

“Aren’t you cold?”

After finishing her meal, Veronica hesitated and pointed to the fur cloak.

“If you want, I can return it to you. You’ll need it for sleeping.”

In their haste to leave the city, she was still wrapped in his cloak. Leon glanced at her thin clothes underneath the cloak before answering gruffly.

“No need to return it. In this weather, we’ll need to share it and sleep close together if we don’t want to freeze to death.”

Outside, the snow was falling heavily. Judging by how it was piling up, it would reach ankle-deep by morning.

A snowy winter night might be cozy in front of a warm fireplace, but in this decayed barn, it was a mountain they had to overcome. Winter was deepening, no matter what was happening in the world.

The blunt declaration that they would have to sleep together made Veronica freeze. She opened and closed her mouth several times but couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She knew Leon had been riding all day, enduring the biting wind without complaint.

Soon after, Leon got up and gathered some of the scattered straw into a corner.

Their bed was a rough pile of straw, and their blanket was a single wolf-fur cloak meant for one person.

Veronica, sensing what needed to be done, got up and started stuffing torn sacks into the gaps in the walls to block the drafts. Though less wind seeped in, the biting cold still stiffened her body. The hole in the ceiling near the door couldn’t be blocked, so snow kept drifting in through it. When she finished, limping slightly, and sat down on the pile of straw, Leon knelt in front of her and grabbed her calf.

“What… what are you doing?”

He removed her shoe, and the embarrassment of exposing her bare foot to someone made her try to pull her leg back in surprise, but Leon didn’t let go of her leg.

“It doesn’t seem broken.”

“Let go! It’s not that bad—ah!”

The moment his hand touched the blue bruise on her swollen ankle, a sharp pain flared up. Her thin leg flinched under his grip. Despite her cry, Leon expressionlessly inspected her ankle before asking, “When did this happen?”

“I twisted it earlier, when I was coming down the stairs with the supplies.”

She groaned as she spoke, and his grip loosened. He stood up immediately and left the barn, carrying the cloth bag that had held the bread. Confused, Veronica sat there wondering what he was doing until he returned shortly with the bag, now filled with something round. He placed it on her swollen ankle.

“Ah.”

“It’s not the kind of injury that requires a splint. But try not to move too much.”

The cloth was cold, filled with snow. Veronica stared blankly at Leon, who was bent over, carefully tending to her small ankle. Even kneeling, he was taller than her as she sat on the pile of straw. Seeing him calmly apply the cold compress to her injury felt strange.

As the cool sensation began to ease the swelling in her ankle, Veronica unconsciously whispered, “…Thank you.”

Leon glanced up, and their eyes met in the blue moonlight streaming through the barn.

“No one’s ever done this for me before. I’m clumsy, so I’ve fallen a lot, but usually, I just endured it or took care of it myself.”

Her casual remark made Leon’s expression turn slightly strange. His icy blue eyes glimmered faintly, as if touched by the same snowflakes that fell outside. For a brief moment, a deep abyss pulsed, like a heartbeat in his gaze.

When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

The barn was silent except for the soft sound of falling snow. Leon said nothing as he removed the cloth bag from her ankle. Veronica hesitated before taking off the cloak and lying down beside him. The action was so natural, there was no time for awkwardness.

When he pulled her close, his strong, muscular leg tangled with her thin, delicate one. The cloak wasn’t long enough for Leon’s height, so the warmth wasn’t shared equally. Veronica, unsure how to react, was left feeling both warm and awkward. Her heart raced, and she felt embarrassed at the sound of her own dry swallowing.

The warmth of their bodies seemed even more intense in the cold. Veronica was startled by the impulse to snuggle closer.

This is strange. I’m sober today. I’m not out of my mind like I was yesterday.

“Oh, by the way.”

She suddenly spoke, murmuring against his chest as if remembering something.

“What if I wake up again in the middle of the night?”

She wasn’t sure how long the brain reset he had performed would last. It had worked up until now, but one instance wasn’t enough to establish a pattern.

“You won’t wake up.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’ll take care of it before bed.”

Her breath caught. Veronica instinctively tilted her head back, and through the soft moonlight, she saw Leon’s lips curve into a smirk.

“I’d rather not have a repeat of yesterday.”

The memory of what could only be described as forced contact from the previous night flooded her mind, and Veronica’s face turned bright red. Fortunately, it was dark enough to hide her embarrassment.

“That wasn’t intentional last night.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t. If it had been, it would’ve been a crime, right?”

“Speaking of crimes, you kidnapped me first. Anyway, if it happens again, I’ll wake you up and apologize properly next time.”

Her sincere promise made Leon chuckle. His low laughter made her heart pound even harder.

They weren’t getting closer. It was just that a few kind gestures had loosened the tension enough for conversation. And besides, his face—without warning—was unfairly handsome. He was too good-looking for her to see without being mentally prepared.

It felt as though her head was filled with hot water. Just as the dizziness became unbearable, Leon suddenly cupped her face. Reflexively, Veronica squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

How long did she wait? One, two, three… she must have counted to at least ten in her head. But even then, the cool lips she expected didn’t come. There were no words, either. Confused by the prolonged silence, she opened her eyes, only for Leon to seize her lips in a sudden kiss. It was as if he had been waiting for her to open her red eyes, kissing her almost vengefully, as though to get even for last night.

“…Mmph.”

By the third time, kissing felt natural. His tongue slipped inside without hesitation, delivering the warmth of his breath before retreating like a receding tide. That might have been all Leon intended, but Veronica wasn’t the same. From the moment she tasted the sweetness of his breath, everything changed.

Their lips barely parted before reconnecting again, breathing only lingering in the space between them. It was like a moth flying into a flame, her consciousness slipping away and her thoughts vanishing. Even Leon seemed slightly surprised by how naturally she responded, her body moving of its own accord.