The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 88

“…Leon?”

She realized something was wrong when he stopped kissing her. Veronica, catching her breath, met his sharp red eyes staring down at her. As his focused gaze bore into her, it slowly shifted downward.

“Croix…”

He murmured. Only then did Veronica recall that the sacred artifact of the church still hung around her neck.

“Oh, this is something from the Holy See… Don’t tell me, you get help from this necklace?”

“A little.”

Leon replied softly, furrowing his brow briefly. He seemed to be in serious pain. Yet, compared to how he had looked initially, the fact that he had his eyes open at all was a miracle. Leon glanced around the tent as if assessing the situation before lowering his gaze back to her.

“Why are you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask you. If you hadn’t gotten yourself injured so dramatically, I wouldn’t have had to come all the way to the wall…”

Flustered by the recent events, she blurted out a complaint but fell silent as the memory of entering the tent surfaced. She had genuinely thought he was going to die. Even recalling it felt like a nightmare.

Overcome with emotion, she found herself unable to continue, and Leon, watching her quietly, reached out to touch her cheek.

“What? Did you think I was going to die?”

“You don’t understand. It’s not just that I thought you would die—you really almost did.”

“I won’t die. Didn’t I tell you last time? I still have things to say and things to give you.”

Then why didn’t her unease fade? Even as she looked at him alive and breathing, her heart continued to race as if anticipating disaster. It felt like the moment the mirror shattered, or when a bird flew into the window. Her anxiety wouldn’t settle.

“What is it you have to say?”

“Later. I’ll tell you later.”

Leon’s tired voice responded as he rested his head against her neck. Though he appeared intact, his breathing remained uneven. Veronica widened her eyes when she noticed his back convulsing. She inhaled sharply, intending to call for a medic, but Leon whispered before she could act.

“Don’t call anyone. During recovery, doctors can’t help anyway.”

“But still…”

“If you’re worried, just stay here. Like you said, it seems the Croix is helping me.”

Relief and anxiety crashed over her simultaneously. How fickle the human heart was, accommodating both emotions so readily. While it was fortunate the necklace had proven useful despite her different intentions for wearing it, Leon seemed far from being in good shape. In fact, his restrained demeanor made it seem as though her presence only intensified his struggle to suppress his agony.

Veronica anxiously bit her lip before impulsively wrapping her arms around his neck. Outside, the rain continued to pour.

“I remembered.”

His hoarse voice, bearing the distinct tone of a sick man, came from where he rested against her neck.

“When it was that I left you alone.”

At first, she couldn’t understand the sudden shift in topic. But as he continued, his meaning became increasingly clear.

“It was when I left the Holy See, and we stayed at the inn together.”

“……”

“I didn’t wake you before leaving in the morning because I wanted you to sleep more. That’s all. I didn’t think it would upset you.”

His calm explanation left Veronica speechless. She couldn’t believe that someone who had just escaped death was talking about something as trivial as morning routines. Clearly, what she had said earlier had weighed on him. That morning, before he left for breakfast, Veronica had told him she’d assumed he was gone for good. She had mentioned that he always left her alone.

“I’m sorry.”

Leon apologized quietly, once again, as if he never tired of saying those words.

Sorry. Veronica repeated the word in her mind, having heard it from him countless times. Somehow, each time she heard it, her heart ached. As she closed her eyes, the heavy scent of rain made her nose sting.

“When I was a child, during prayers at the monastery, other kids would only confess the sins they remembered. But I would always ask for forgiveness for the ones I couldn’t remember, too. It scared me, the thought that I might unknowingly commit a sin.”

“……”

“It’s the same with you. That’s why you’re always on my mind.”

His hand wove through her hair. His long fingers, scarred and rough, moved gently through the strands. Veronica had always admired his hands. The masculine veins and the scars—she loved every part of them.

“Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know.”

Veronica covered her puffy eyes with the back of her hand, though she couldn’t hide the tears streaming down her face. Even so…

There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to ask where he’d found her letter, why he carried it with him, and why he continued to risk everything despite knowing the danger of the holy sword.

But she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She feared that if she did, this perfect moment would shatter into pieces. Such fragile and beautiful moments deserve to remain undisturbed.

As the rain continued to fall, its sound echoed over the settled stillness. In that strangely tranquil atmosphere, sleep slowly overtook them.

***

Shuffle, shuffle—the shallow slumber was broken by the sound of squelching footsteps. At dawn, when soldiers began to stir, the clinking of several suits of armor stopped directly in front of the tent.

“If you’re awake, please come out. Sir Oscar Berg requests an audience.”

Through the slightly parted tent flap, the voice of a soldier standing guard outside drifted in. Veronica, who had barely opened her bleary eyes, snapped to full alertness at the mention of a familiar name.

…Oscar? Did he leave the wall to come here?

Just as she was about to sit up in surprise, Leon’s strong arm pulled her back. Unable to fully rise, she collapsed back onto the bed. A low voice brushed against her ear.

“Hand me the painkillers.”

His tone was slow but cold. The startled Veronica hesitated, glancing toward the tent. In response, Leon tightened his arm like a snake around her waist, drawing her closer to his chest. 

Considering the size difference between them, it would have been quicker for him to reach out himself. However, that thought vanished the moment Veronica felt something firm press against her through their close proximity. Her face turned red as she stammered desperately.

“Then let me go. I can’t reach the table from here, and you should get up to take it properly anyway.”

“How did I take it yesterday?”

“Yesterday…. I had no other choice, so I gave it to you by mouth.”

The memory of the spilled medicine and damp sheets resurfaced, making her throat dry. Desire is like a well, she thought. The deeper you dig, the more it wells up, and once you’ve fallen in, it’s hard to climb out.

“Ah.”

Leon stretched out his arm toward the table, easily grabbing the painkiller bottle. It made her wonder why he’d even asked for help.

Bringing the bottle to his lips, he asked nonchalantly, “Do you dislike it today?”

What woman could ever say no to him? Veronica let out a small laugh. Even though she knew he had a purpose beyond taking the medicine, she opened her mouth as if under a spell.

“Mm.”

The moment the liquid touched her tongue, Leon cupped her face and turned it toward him. The bottle rolled off the table, forgotten, as the sound of retreating footsteps faded into the distance. No one paid attention to the noise. The only thing left was the raw and unfiltered act of consumption.

Each time he took her in, his jawline and Adam’s apple moved rhythmically. Should she be doing this with someone who was in pain? Just as she was thinking that, the predatory kiss finally ended. Gasping for breath, Veronica stared at him with a flushed face before placing her hand on his forehead.

As expected.

“You’re burning up with a fever, yet you still have the energy for this?”

“If I didn’t, you’d leave.”

“What do you mean?”

Leon didn’t answer, but she wasn’t foolish. His sharp demeanor was clearly directed toward Oscar, and he didn’t seem inclined to hide it.

Feeling uneasy, she blurted out, “If you need a woman, wouldn’t it be better to find someone who will live a long life?”

It was a probing statement, not an attempt to push him away.

“If we grow too attached, we’ll only hurt each other.”

“Veronica.”

Whatever she had been about to say next was silenced by the sound of her name. As their eyes met, Leon looked at her directly and said, “I’m not interested in any other woman.”

Heart to heart, the impact was instantaneous.

Veronica kept her mouth shut, her trembling eyes looking up at him. As she watched his crooked yet strikingly handsome smile, she wondered silently:

Then, do you really like me?

If not for the pained expression that suddenly crossed Leon’s face, she might have voiced the question aloud. Overwhelmed by a fresh wave of internal agony, he groaned and buried his head against her side.

“Wait here. I’ll get more painkillers and something to eat.”

Veronica hurriedly rose from the bed and spoke as she prepared to leave. The painkiller bottle had been emptied moments ago. She needed to fetch food, fever medicine, and fresh water for him to wash with—things she should have done earlier had she known how unwell he truly was. She rushed out of the tent.

“Where are you going?”

Before she had taken more than a few steps, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. Turning, she saw the apprentice knight who had followed her from the Holy See. It seemed he had kept watch outside the tent throughout the night, fulfilling his duty to monitor her.

“Ah, Sir Berg has woken up, but we’re out of painkillers.”

“Woken up? What do you mean? No, I’ll fetch the supplies. Please don’t leave the tent.”

“You don’t have to go to such lengths. I have no intention of running away. Where could I even go?”

“That’s not what I meant. The Deputy Commander asked you to stay by his side until the end. He wanted someone to be with him as much as possible.”

His youthful face was set with determination, firm and resolute. At that moment, Veronica realized who he truly wanted to help. The knight who had burned himself out defending the city. The Red Knight once beloved by Kart.