The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Side Story 4

“Uncle Hugo! You saw that, right? You saw it, I got on by myself! When Le—no, when Noah gets back, you have to testify for me. Tell him I mounted the horse all on my own!”

As Veronica threw her arms up in triumph, Hugo, still drowsy, smacked his lips before responding.

“The more I look at you, the more impressed I am. You really don’t want to sell that horse? I’d offer you a good price.”

Being the ‘smart horse’ it was, Nightstar immediately understood Hugo’s words and began stomping its hooves fiercely. Veronica, who had been riding it, let out a small scream and clung desperately to its neck.

“Absolutely not! I told you yesterday, he’s not merchandise—he’s a friend!”

“Well, if you’re rejecting me twice, I suppose there’s nothing I can do… Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve had breakfast. He’s one of the rare diligent young folks these days. Yesterday, he even caught two rabbits with his bare hands and brought them over.”

Losing interest now that the sale was impossible, Hugo shifted the conversation toward Leon. As he rambled on about how capable the young man was and how he’d never have to worry about making a living, he suddenly muttered to himself,

“Since we’re at it, I wouldn’t mind some hearty meat soup for my hangover.”

“If you don’t know how to make it, I can cook it for you.”

“Really?”

“Nothing in life is free. I borrowed clothes and utensils, so standing around doing nothing feels awkward.”

Veronica finally hopped off the now-calm Nightstar and added, “Just relight the fire for me.”

Apparently quite eager for the soup, Hugo quickly poured water into a pot and started the fire again. Meanwhile, Veronica carefully shook Charlotte awake and then looked around for the last remaining person. Enzo was sitting at a distance from the campfire, staring at a carving he was working on.

Should she ask if he wanted anything for breakfast? Now that she thought about it, he was the only one she hadn’t spoken to much.

“Is that an owl?” As she approached, she crouched down beside him and spoke casually.

Enzo glanced at her before shrugging. “I’ll give you another chance to guess.”

“And what do I get if I’m right?”

“I’ll make you the owner of this piece.”

“Really?”

At the promise of a carving, Veronica’s eyes sparkled.

“A sitting cat!”

“Wrong. It has no tail.”

“Maybe it just looks that way from the front.”

Enzo chuckled and shook his head. But Veronica refused to give up.

“A southern parrot?”

“……”

“A rabbit?”

“……”

“A weird-looking hawk?”

“……”

“Hmm, no matter how I look at it, it seems like an owl… Oh! A bug!”

Of course, she wasn’t referring to the carving. In the middle of speaking, she had spotted a large centipede near her feet and screamed at the top of her lungs.

In that instant, a dagger struck the wriggling centipede, pinning it to the ground with a loud thud. Both of them froze in shock as they watched the struggling insect go still.

“It’s a barn owl.”

The unexpected answer came from behind. Turning around, Veronica widened her eyes in surprise when she saw Leon standing there. He was holding a large game bird in one hand, looking down at them with an expressionless face.

“Noah? When did you get here?”

“Around the ‘southern parrot’ guess.”

His response sounded like a joke, but as always, he showed no trace of humor. Leon glanced at the now-dead insect and nodded slightly.

“Thanks for the borrowed knife. I put it to good use. Since I caught some good prey, don’t skip breakfast.”

Then, using the hand that wasn’t holding the bird, he naturally took Veronica’s hand. Just as they were about to turn away, Enzo smiled and held out the carving.

“Aren’t you taking this? You guessed correctly.”

“I don’t…”

Leon started to decline, but the moment he met Veronica’s sparkling gaze, he fell silent. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly took the carving with both hands.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful. I’ll keep it safe no matter where I go.”

“I originally intended to give it to the first couple I met on this journey. In my hometown, we believe barn owls bring babies at night.”

“Where’s your hometown?”

“Tanbia.”

“Oh.”

Veronica let out an impressed sound before expressing her gratitude once more and turning back.

“It’s truly amazing. Can you see how the feathers are carved so precisely?”

As they walked together, she continued to admire the carving, praising the dedication of those who focus on a single craft. Leon silently listened. Having just dealt with blood, a slight tension still lingered in the air.

“But honestly, doesn’t this look more like an owl? He said it’s a barn owl, but I don’t really know the difference.”

“If it looks sharp, it’s an owl. If it has a round, gentle face, it’s a barn owl.”

Still looking ahead, Leon answered briefly. She liked how he was always diligent in responding to her idle questions, even when he seemed subdued.

“Hmm.”

Veronica made a meaningful sound before glancing up at him.

Pointing a finger at him, she playfully asked, “If it looks sharp, it’s an owl?”

“……”

“If it has a round, gentle face, it’s a barn owl.” This time, she pointed to herself, grinning shamelessly.

Leon, momentarily caught off guard, stared at her before suddenly letting out a quiet chuckle. The cold edge left by the hunt melted away, replaced by a clear, bright laugh.

Running a hand over his eyes, he muttered, “I really can’t win against you.”

“Were you trying to win?”

“No. I always lose, so why bother?”

Just as they reached the water’s edge, Leon let go of her hand and skillfully began to drain the blood from the bird. Veronica watched closely, fascinated by the process of plucking the feathers and gutting the game.

Now that she thought about it, in all the time she had traveled with him, she had never once worried about food. Maybe this was what it felt like to have someone reliable beside her. Originally, she had intended to do this work herself.

“I’ll do the cooking.”

“Why? You hate handling raw meat.”

“Yeah, I do, but I made a promise to Uncle Hugo today, and I want to do something. I can’t just sit around relying on others forever.”

Speaking with unexpected determination, Veronica met Leon’s gaze. Seeing her firm expression, he didn’t argue further and handed over the ingredients.

Though he often teased her like a child, he always respected her choices. Unlike men who pampered women to the point of making them helpless, Leon wasn’t like that. If she wanted to learn swordsmanship, he taught her. If she wanted to see how butchering was done, he didn’t stop her. 

Many people mistook restriction for care, believing it was for their loved ones’ sake, but in reality, preventing someone from doing what they wanted was just another form of control. She liked that there was none of that between them. She loved how healthy their relationship was.

“How is it?”

Veronica swallowed hard as she sat in front of the bubbling pot. As soon as she finished cooking, she had Leon taste it. He silently scooped up a spoonful of broth, took a sip, and furrowed his brows. A bad premonition struck, and her heart sank.

“Why? Is it bad?”

Was something wrong? She had spent so much time on breakfast. Had she ruined the ingredients?

“……”

“It was fine just a moment ago.”

Waiting for his answer, she couldn’t take it anymore and hurriedly took a sip herself. The rich broth coated her tongue and slid smoothly down her throat—it was delicious. There was nothing wrong with it, so why…?

When she lifted her head in confusion, she was met with Leon’s smirking face. Narrowing her eyes, Veronica ground her teeth.

“…Do you want to die?”

“Why? I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face says there’s something wrong!”

“Did you develop mind-reading skills recently?”

He looked at her with mock admiration. Irritated, Veronica grabbed a small bird bone and threw it at him. Leon effortlessly caught it, placed it down, and stood up.

“It’s so good, I’m scared we might die eating it. I’ll go get the others.”

Life with her would never be dull. That much was certain.

***

After a hearty breakfast, the group resumed their journey. At last, the Kaisenmeer-Whiteland border was just ahead. Given the times, long lines of refugees stretched as far as the eye could see. With identification practically impossible to verify, Whiteland had resorted to simply counting the number of people entering.

They were pushed along by the crowd, unable to rest, but things improved the next day. As the roads split into multiple paths, the number of refugees heading in the same direction dwindled. It was around this time that they also had to part ways with Hugo, who was heading toward the royal capital.

“If you ever come to the White Castle, look me up anytime. I’ll make a name for myself as a master blacksmith, so you can expect great things.”

The warm-hearted man left his sword to the young couple before departing. From that moment, Veronica began training again, spending daylight on horseback and nights practicing her sword swings. The lush summer landscape was perfect for sweating out her efforts. The thriving nature surrounding them was breathtaking, constantly pulling at the traveler’s heartstrings.

“People are always quick to say the world is ending, but in reality, the world remains the same. It’s just arrogant creatures like us who come and go.”

Charlotte often gazed at her homeland with wistful eyes, making such remarks. The group agreed with her sentiments.

Once, Nightstar neighed and kicked at the ground, only for them to discover a magnificent stag with grand antlers approaching. They held their breaths in awe, and Enzo muttered something about it resembling a divine beast. Leon, ever the mischievous, solemnly agreed, causing confusion, and Charlotte had to step in to correct them with an exasperated look.

When they encountered a group of traveling gypsies, Veronica had her fortune told for the first time. The old woman compared their birth dates and star alignments, concluding that the man was destined to be completely dominated by his partner. Leon scoffed at the superstition, but when Veronica pouted, he hastily changed his stance, saying it sounded plausible. His flustered reaction sent everyone into fits of laughter.

Then there were the refugees—a whole village fleeing together. Their hometown had been completely destroyed, and they were heading toward the newly opened wilderness. Leon and Veronica entrusted them with a letter to deliver, informing Sir Philip von Wittelsbach of their destination and survival. If Philip couldn’t be reached, they asked that it be given to any knight from their old order.

Even then, their journey continued. The farther north they traveled, the more they learned about each other. They loved freely, like wild creatures of the field, and laughed innocently like children. Leon especially loved resting his head on Veronica’s thigh for naps, while Veronica enjoyed pestering him to dry her wet hair. But what they both loved most was catching each other off guard with unexpected kisses, just to see the other’s flustered expression. It had become a competition to see who could surprise whom first.

If they were to recount everything, the stories would never end. The road was full of dazzling colors. One day, they even discovered an actual stream teeming with golden perch. When Charlotte pointed at the water beneath a willow tree, they burst into laughter, remembering a particular night. The moment their eyes met, Leon’s face flushed slightly, knowing they were thinking the same thing. Their shared secrets kept growing.