The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 92

A daughter killing her father. She stared blankly at the scene of the depraved imperial family.

The emperor’s feeble limbs flailed as he gasped, but Johanna, drenched in blood, did not stop. She continued to stab with the dagger until the knights forcibly dragged her away.

Blood, tragedy, catastrophe, and yet again, blood.

Her blazing red eyes clashed horribly with the deep blue dress. Johanna struggled in the very image she had always despised. The way she twisted her limbs reminded Veronica of the dance she once performed with thorns embedded in her skin.

Divine punishment.

“…Ah.”

The moment she felt a faint exhilaration stirring in the depths of her chest, Veronica clamped her mouth shut.

This was the worst. A wave of self-loathing made her stomach churn. To find joy in another’s misfortune—since when had she become this kind of person?

“Veronica!”

At that moment, Joachim threw a sand-colored rope down from above. Around the same time, the imperial knights stormed into the banquet hall. The nobles, trembling and collapsed on the ground, were placed under the knights’ protection. The high-ranking nobles who had not assimilated… Wait a moment, why had the princess assimilated?

The emperor and the nobles did not fear the Bahamut’s eyes. The holy power flowing in the blood of the founding families protected them. There had never been a single recorded case of someone with holy power assimilating. The nobles who had hurled themselves off the railing as if committing suicide—they must have been those who had bought their titles rather than being part of the founding families.

If that were the case…

A chilling realization made her hair stand on end.

“She’s not the emperor’s daughter….”

Veronica slowly lowered her sword as she watched the knights descend into the arena.

Seeing another’s deficiency was always uncomfortable. She chose not to dwell on why the princess, consumed by murderous intent, had chosen the emperor as her first victim.

Villains are made. The greatest punishment is to hate them without knowing their story.

***

“To find the same person always at the center of controversy—it’s quite amusing.”

“I went there precisely because I expected something like this might happen. I even sent word to you in advance in case there was an issue.”

“Whether you predicted it or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you abandoned the camp as you pleased and still failed to prevent the disaster. It’s astonishing how closely your actions resemble someone else’s. Were you taught to behave this way?”

Veronica bit her lip. She was furious that Philip had insulted Leon as well, but the cold, piercing atmosphere left no room for rebuttal. Philip continued in an icy tone.

“With the current state of turmoil, His Majesty the Emperor has passed away. Do you have any idea what kind of uproar this will cause once the citizens hear of it? The events of today will be classified for the time being, so do not speak of them to anyone. If you truly wished to advocate for migration to the wilderness, you should have at least maintained your position as a rallying point for the people.”

“How do you know…”

“Take her away.”

Philip, having vented all his anger, cut her off mercilessly. Veronica wanted to ask how he knew about the wilderness, but she doubted he would answer even if she did. With no other choice, she turned away, and Joachim gently draped a blanket over her shoulders before carefully guiding her away.

Outside, a fine drizzle was falling. The thought of going to Leon reminded her of their earlier argument, and Veronica let her shoulders slump.

“Hey, Joachim. Ignoring a fight and pretending it never happened—is that impossible?”

Joachim, walking beside her with wet footsteps, tilted his head and asked back, “With whom?”

“Just… anyone.”

“Well, I suppose you could ignore it, but that would only be a temporary solution. What needs to happen will happen.”

So it was like that, after all. She walked with her head lowered in disappointment. Then, suddenly recalling something from earlier, she asked, “Oh, right. What was that thing about the necklace?”

“That… well, it’s nothing. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Despite his long hesitation, Joachim gave a lackluster answer. Veronica glanced at his blue eyes before stopping in front of Leon’s tent. She didn’t press further—her mind was occupied elsewhere.

Is Leon okay?

She couldn’t stop worrying about leaving him behind earlier with a high fever.

Staring at the flickering light filtering through the tent fabric, Veronica muttered dryly, “That’s a relief. Anyway, thanks for everything today. See you tomorrow.”

After nodding to the knights who had accompanied her, she quickly lifted the tent flap with slightly hurried hands. The sight of the empty bed made her heart plummet, but before she could panic, she turned her head toward the source of a faint presence and froze in place.

“……”

Drip, drip. Water dripped from his damp hair. His black tunic clung to his arms, his upper body left bare.

As their eyes met, Veronica found herself unable to look away, as if caught in an invisible force. His deep crimson eyes fixated on her before slowly trailing downward. It wasn’t the first time, but Leon’s blatant gaze had a way of making people tense.

How long had she been standing there?

She opened her mouth to speak—

But he beat her to it.

“You sure took your time thinking.”

While Veronica stood awkwardly, Leon casually finished dressing. Now that she saw him properly, it seemed he wasn’t in the middle of washing but had already finished and was putting on his clothes.

His usual voice carried no trace of their earlier quarrel, as if it had never happened. Only then did Veronica shake off her awkwardness and rush toward him, bombarding him with questions.

“Is it really okay for you to be up already? Has your fever gone down? Is it alright to wash with cold water?”

“Yes, no, yes.”

Leon answered playfully and let out a chuckle. Veronica frowned, trying to match the sequence of her questions with his answers.

“Your fever hasn’t even gone down. How can you just pour cold water over yourself? You could’ve just dampened a towel and wiped down the necessary areas.”

“It felt unpleasant, so I didn’t want to.”

“Still.”

“Enough. If you keep going, I might mistake this for concern.”

“It is concern.”

“For someone who’s supposedly concerned, you sure took your time.”

Leon’s words carried weight, and as he spoke, he naturally cupped her face in his hands. Whether it was from just having washed or because of his fever, his long, straight fingers felt cold against her skin. He also smelled good.

As he silently gazed at her, her cheeks flushed. Then, in a low voice, he asked, “What happened?”

It was the kind of voice that made her want to tell him everything. Veronica parted her lips but then closed them again, looking up at him. He had changed his clothes before she arrived, yet he had immediately sensed something had happened. That alone was remarkable. Or maybe what was truly surprising was how she felt. As if she had returned home.

Strange. Really… strange.

“…The Deputy Commander told me not to say anything.”

Veronica muttered while avoiding his gaze. Leon let out a dry laugh.

“Of course. The Wittelsbachs might as well adopt that as their family motto. ‘If the citizens find out, there will be unrest.’ ‘For now, this information is classified.’ ‘Be mindful of your words and actions to prevent misinformation.’”

His voice was lower and deeper than Philip’s, yet it aligned so closely with what Philip had said earlier that Veronica couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It didn’t fit the situation at all, so she had tried to hold it in, but the more she did, the more her lips twitched involuntarily.

Leon stared at her face, watching her laugh, until she became self-conscious. Their gazes intertwined, the laughter faded, and when he finally lowered his head—

“Mm.”

The kiss came naturally. Her heels lifted, and before she knew it, she had grabbed onto his clothes. It was a soft kiss, not deep, but enough to make her hands tighten. Her breath hitched, and her mind grew dizzy.

When she leaned back in search of air, Leon pulled away slightly and whispered, “Tell me. Philip’s ‘classified information’ is meant for the citizens.”

She knew he was right, yet she still hesitated. Seeing this, Leon dropped his gaze to her lips before slowly straightening his posture. As if giving her time to think, he loosened his sword belt at his waist. As he lifted the weight of his sword, it felt like the burden in her heart was lifting as well.

“I thought you’d never come back.”

Leon suddenly spoke. Veronica flinched and looked up at him. His cold, resolute expression remained unchanged, making her wonder if she had misheard, but of course, she hadn’t. It was simply natural for him to say so.

“This camp is full of knights with holy power. I have nothing left to offer you now. I am not your only option. You can replace me anytime. And unlike me, they have never hurt you.”

His words from the morning echoed in her mind, tightening around her lungs. He cared. Not just her—he was thinking about it, too.

Ignoring it would only be a temporary fix.

“I want to stay by your side.”

The words slipped from her lips on impulse, and as they did, Leon’s hand, which had been setting his sword aside, froze midair. Feeling her stomach twist with nerves, Veronica continued as calmly as she could.

“Did you know? The person you meet at the end of your life becomes your family.”

She wasn’t good with words. But she hoped this reached him. She didn’t want him to be sad anymore.

“Family isn’t something that can be replaced. Even if they hurt you. Even if they have nothing to give.”

Slowly, he turned his head toward her. His face was unreadable—no, it was an expression she had never seen before. The loneliest, most famished eyes she had ever encountered.

“You are irreplaceable.”

A person can push someone into hell, and a person can also save someone from it.

“I’m not going anywhere. I will stay in Kart until the very end.”

Veronica spoke the words that had once saved her. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Those were the very words Leon had whispered to her in that desolate snowy land.

He must have remembered, because his crimson eyes widened before darkening completely. It was unclear whether the sword slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor came first, or if he had kissed her first, or if she had wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him first.

One thing was certain—

Today, the Bahamut had not attacked her. If someone had to kill the ‘First,’ it had to be her, the only one who could make it through the Bahamut’s army. In other words, it was suicide. The assimilation would lead her to death.

Please, let this fragile warmth last a little longer before that day comes.