The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 8

“Why, the area protected by the Southern Holy Knights. Thanks to them, the roads have been safe for two years. As for Bayern, it’s a port city, so it’s a problem with the sea route.”

The innkeeper spoke seriously as he handed over a plate of oatmeal with his large hands. Leon fell silent, lost in thought. Was Bayern truly attacked from the sea?

It was Leon who had taken a ship in an attempt to outrun “it.” Yet once again, he had been too late. He had never encountered Bahamut on the sea route. How should he understand this situation?

Steam rose from the plain oatmeal. He stared at it for a while, and just as he lifted the spoon—

“I’ll have the same, please.”

A chair scraped loudly as a woman pulled it out and sat next to him. Her short, neatly combed hair was still wet, as if she had washed up immediately after waking. She lowered her gaze to hide her red eyes, which contrasted with her black hair, but the innkeeper didn’t seem to notice. It was unlikely he’d ever imagine the “assimilated one” walking around in plain sight.

“The same goes for the alcohol?” the innkeeper asked, eyeing Leon’s glass.

Veronica shook her head in disbelief. As the innkeeper went to the kitchen to fetch more bread, she awkwardly muttered, “Are you secretly an addict? The church always says not to drink.”

“They said not to get drunk, not that we couldn’t drink.”

“Heresy.”

Leon chuckled lightly at her careless remark.

Despite their seemingly relaxed conversation, there was a dense tension between them. Veronica lowered her eyes slightly, recalling the vivid memories of the previous night.

Last night, she had begged him for salvation.

That was probably why the first thing she did when she woke up was scrub her lips clean. As if doing so would erase the intimate moments from the night before. But the result was the opposite.

The more she scrubbed, the more the redness stood out, as if she were polishing stained glass. He had helped her, and now she couldn’t deny it. For a mayfly to become human, it must rely on its god.

“You applied the ointment.”

The low voice startled her, making her eyes widen. Veronica stared straight ahead, unable to look at him. She could feel his gaze on her neck.

For some reason, it felt embarrassing. It was just a wound, and her neck wasn’t an especially private area. Yet, under his gaze, she felt as if she were naked. She couldn’t remember ever being this vulnerable around a man.

In reality, Veronica had her fair share of male friends, but Leon was different from her peers. If anything, he seemed more… mature.

“It’s still there.”

Leon’s eyes lowered as he casually tapped her finger resting on the table.

Veronica stared down at her hand, still stiff, with white ointment powder smeared on her fingertips. She couldn’t even think to wipe it off. Right next to hers was Leon’s hand, veins visible under the skin.

She might have kept staring if the middle-aged woman in a headscarf hadn’t interrupted by placing a plate of oatmeal and bread in front of her.

“Ah, young love.”

With a clink, the utensils were set down. The woman smiled warmly at Veronica, as if she understood everything. Startled, Veronica waved her hands in denial.

“It’s not like that!”

“Well, if it’s not that, then maybe you’re a couple eloping because your parents disapprove?”

“Close enough.” Leon chuckled as he pulled a napkin from the tray.

Veronica shot him a glare, incredulous. Close enough? Did he mean because he kidnapped me in the middle of the night?

Leon, unfazed by her reaction, began wiping the ointment from her fingers. His casual tenderness sent a jolt through her.

Ah, here it is again. That strange feeling. Just like when he told her to apply ointment last night, or when she found the clothes on the bed in the morning. He was confusing her, making her feel conflicted.

“Oh dear, well then, don’t go too far for the sake of your parents. My daughter is about your age, married and living in Kart. I miss her so much it hurts.”

The woman glanced at a portrait on a nearby shelf. In the picture, a short-haired girl with a pale face smiled brightly among a sea of red flowers. She resembled Veronica in some ways. No wonder the woman had been so kind from the start—she was reminded of her own daughter.

The mention of parents caused a lump to rise in Veronica’s throat. Why? It was nothing special. Just a passing remark. But she had to hold back.

And she did, for the most part. But she couldn’t stop her eyes from reddening. The woman’s warm smile faltered.

“Oh dear, are you alright, miss?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine. It’s just… I haven’t seen my parents in a long time.”

Veronica mumbled awkwardly, fumbling for an excuse. In this case, she was referring to her mother. Her father had always been different from most parents. He wasn’t affectionate; in fact, he was rather indifferent. Ever since her mother passed away when Veronica was ten.

He found his daughter’s need for affection burdensome and couldn’t bear to look at her, as she reminded him of his deceased wife. The more he distanced himself, the more the young Veronica craved attention and love.

Perhaps that’s why she had thrown herself into dancing. When she danced, people looked at only her. They adored her. That’s why Veronica had always been especially weak when it came to kindness. She’d give anything for even the smallest act of tenderness. Her childhood friends said it was because she had an affection deficiency.

Although she forced a smile, the woman seemed more concerned by her strained demeanor.

“There’s no such thing as tears without reason. If you try to hold them in, you’ll end up hurting yourself. Even if it doesn’t show right away, wounds can leave scars. Later, you might start crying for no apparent reason, even in the middle of an unrelated conversation.”

Her caring gaze was kind and maternal. For a moment, Veronica felt envious of the woman in the portrait she had never met.

“This is when your husband should be there for you.”

The woman, still worried, directed a word toward Leon as well. He nonchalantly replied with a lie, saying he would be. The woman, seemingly satisfied, handed them several yellow winter fruits before leaving. Veronica absentmindedly fiddled with the round, cute fruits, then suddenly held one out.

It wasn’t because she felt at ease. She couldn’t let her guard down, nor should she. But at least for now, he had helped her last night.

“Let’s share this.”

Leon, who had been gazing out the window after finishing his meal, slowly turned to look at her. Veronica tensed. She wondered if he would mock her for what happened last night, but to her surprise, he silently accepted the fruit.

She held her breath as their fingers brushed lightly.

Snow. Outside the small, prison-like window, the snow fell quietly, piling up.

***

Leon bought dried and smoked meat and various grains from the innkeeper. He wasn’t sparing any money because he knew that soon, material wealth would lose its value—whether it was gold, silver, or the brightest diamonds.

In a few weeks, the people of the north wouldn’t trade their food for gold bars.

Feeling the cold wind pick up, Leon lit the cigarette the innkeeper had given him. The man had introduced it as if it were some new, exotic thing, but having spent time in the south, Leon wasn’t impressed.

As he exhaled smoke, he looked up at the tall, newly built walls rising above the low buildings.

What a pointless effort.

He only had a moment to reflect on the false hope that was piling up before the inn’s door creaked open behind him. Veronica, dressed in only a single layer, shivered as she cautiously approached, hugging her shoulders against the cold.

“Well, I overheard inside that refugees are gathering in the central square.”

Though she tried to appear nonchalant, she spoke her mind directly. Leon focused on her wet hair and trembling shoulders.

“So?”

“I was thinking of going. Maybe I’ll see someone I know. And I could hear about what’s happened since.”

Her eyes gleamed with barely concealed hope and anticipation.

Leon twisted his lips into a smirk. Had he really been kind enough for her to think she could make requests like this? It annoyed him how quickly her defenses had crumbled.

When he threw away the long-burning cigarette, it melted a perfect circle in the snow. He crushed it underfoot as he turned to face her.

“Are you looking for someone?”

The moment his shadow fell over her, Veronica’s breath visibly quickened. White puffs of air escaped her mouth as her shoulders shrank further. Yet her gaze remained steady.

Leon found her defiant stare intriguing. She knew she needed him. She understood that as long as she followed certain conditions, she wouldn’t be killed.

But even she hadn’t expected what happened next. Her eyes widened in surprise as a black knight’s cloak, lined with wolf fur, was draped over her trembling shoulders.

Veronica’s eyes wavered uncertainly. As Leon fastened the cloak for her, her unsteady gaze wandered over his impassive face until it was caught by his unwavering stare. White breaths melted between them as they looked at each other. Leon tilted his head slightly.

“The problem is, why should I trust you? What if you meet someone you know there and decide to run away?”

He recalled the name she had muttered in her sleep.

Benjamin, was it? Maybe she wasn’t letting her guard down but was just pretending to be innocent.

At the mention of running away, Veronica seemed to snap out of her daze, frowning slightly. She glanced down at the cloak now covering her and denied it calmly.

“I won’t run away.”

“Sorry, but I don’t believe you.”

“Do you just not have faith in people?”

“That’s why I believe in God.”

Her eyes narrowed briefly at his wordplay, and then, on impulse, she blurted out, “If you don’t trust me, then why don’t you just come with me?”

She startled herself with her own words.

What was she thinking? Why would he come with her to meet her acquaintances?

The thick cloak must have clouded her judgment. Heading to the crowded square filled with refugees was a hassle, and Veronica couldn’t even imagine Leon standing beside her, introducing himself to her friends.

She hurriedly added, “No, I just said that…”

A woman’s bloodcurdling scream pierced the street, cutting off her thoughts. Veronica froze in shock. The sound had been abruptly cut off, as if someone had snuffed it out mid-scream.

Almost simultaneously, Leon pulled her behind him just as a headless woman’s body was thrown into the street from the alley.