TMKM 45

Chapter 45

She bowed her head even deeper. For now, there was no other way to express her gratitude except to bow her head in thanks.

Nyx could not see the tear marks on Tichite’s face, but he noticed the tears thick in her voice.

“Y-You’re crying?”

He jumped toward her in panic like a dog whose tail had been stepped on.

“But why are you crying when you said you were grateful?”

There was nothing easy about this woman from beginning to end. Nyx could neither wipe away her tears nor make her raise her head, so he could only fumble helplessly.

Meanwhile, Tichite wiped away her own tears. After giving a loud sniff, she boldly raised her head. Just like a child who falls and bangs her knee but gets back up without a care and brushes the dust off herself.

Then she made a spirited vow.

“I will definitely cure your illness, Commander. As you said, it may not be easy, but no matter what anyone says, I will do my best.”

Her eyes, now completely free of hesitation, looked straight at Nyx. They sparkled even more because they were wet with tears, but there was no sadness in them. They were filled with determination.

Her resolute appearance reminded him of the bold ambition of a new recruit who had just joined the army.

“So, there’s really no need to do that….”

Nyx looked troubled, wondering where she had been listening while he was talking all this time. Tichite suddenly grabbed Nyx’s hand without even realizing that it might be disrespectful.

At that, he instantly lost his words and could only move his lips silently beneath the bandages.

“When you said I don’t have to do anything, you actually meant that you didn’t want to put a burden on me, didn’t you?”

“Well… That’s not exactly wrong….”

That, too, was something Tichite found deeply touching.

I was right. He may talk like that, but he really is a warm-hearted person.

Tichite had already been in a position where she had to serve Nyx Paroa whether she liked it or not, but the more she learned about him, the less she felt inclined to lament her situation.

The man had a foul mouth and sometimes seemed to say things that hurt people. But if she looked closely, he was not without a human side. He was just, decent, and above all, kind to her.

As her positive impression of Nyx Paroa continued to grow, she began to think that she could get along well under someone like him. At the very least, he did not seem like the kind of man who would subject her to unfair abuse or sexual humiliation.

If a strong and virtuous master could guarantee her safety, there was no reason she could not serve him with all her heart.

There were many masters in the world who were far more cruel and wicked than him. Serving a kind and generous lord was undoubtedly a stroke of good fortune.

“Please trust me a little more. I’ll try my best, too. So that you can trust me more than you do now, Commander.”

She shook their joined hands with a happy expression and made a vow.

“I don’t have a sword to lay at your feet like the knights do, but I will become hands and feet as loyal as theirs.”

“…Loyal?”

Nyx was dumbfounded when he heard that word. For some reason, the woman repeated the bitter word that was causing him so much trouble.

“Yes, Commander. Loyalty. I will follow you with sincere loyalty.”

She was neither a knight nor anything of the sort, but if he would only trust her, she would prove her loyalty in her own way.

Her bold determination shook Nyx’s stunned ears.

…Loyalty? She said loyalty?

Nyx Paroa knew that word better than anyone. There were countless men around him who claimed they wanted to offer it to him, like bees swarming around a hive.

Though there had never been a female bee among them.

He had never imagined that such words would come from a woman’s mouth, so he was completely at a loss.

I really was barking up the wrong tree.

She cleanly burned away the last tiny bit of hope he had not yet managed to bury.

When the man let out a hollow laugh, the woman took it as a positive response.

“Then, please continue to take good care of me.”

When the woman drove the final nail into the coffin with a bright smile, Nyx lost every word of protest he had.

She was a woman who possessed both sweet honey and a sharp stinger. Her smiling face was unbearably cute.

After a restless night passed, the sun rose, spreading a pale white light across the sky. There were sounds of a commotion outside the door. Tichite woke up at the noise.

She quickly got dressed and went outside. And then, to her surprise, the hallway was packed with people. A crowd so dense that there was barely any room to stand blocked her path, as if some great spectacle had taken place.

Normally, at least one person would have turned to look at Tichite, but no one paid her any attention. As though no one had any interest to waste on some foreign woman, everyone’s eyes were fixed on one place.

The door to Nyx Paroa’s room.

“I told you, there’s no such person here.”

“Don’t lie to us. We saw the horse tied up in the stable. You people came here riding that horse, didn’t you?”

“I’ve never seen such a big horse in my life.”

“Is that what they call an iron horse?”

“Of course. They must be the soldiers of the Iron Horse Order who serve him.”

Jama and Milvian were clearly annoyed as they tried to control the crowd. But from the conversation Tichite overheard, neither of them seemed particularly talented at lying.

“Please tell the Duke that the minstrel from yesterday isn’t from this village.”

“He was beaten badly by some young men from another village yesterday and dragged to the temple for insulting the Sage.”

“We have nothing to do with that man. So just let us see him once before we leave.”

Tichite jumped to the wrong conclusion. She assumed that the reason farmers had followed a nobleman here and were knocking on his door demanding to see him was because they had some negative motive. Perhaps they had something to complain about or some grievance they wanted to pour out to him.

But that judgment came from not understanding the power behind Nyx Paroa’s name.

Surprisingly, the people wanted to give Nyx something.

“I baked a pie to give to the Duke.”

“This is garlic preserved in honey.”

“I brought a bottle of liquor I made last summer. Since you’re going on a long journey, I thought you might want something to drink….”

“This house runs a brewery, and our barley wine is very good.”

Each person had brought small, seemingly insignificant gifts, but things that were precious to them, and offered them to him. Very few had come empty-handed. And the gifts were not limited to food.

“Wasn’t the Duke wearing armor? I’m incredibly good at oiling armor.”

“Please give him this. I made this wool hat myself, and it’s very good quality.”

Only then did Tichite remember just how famous the man was—famous enough for songs to be sung about him.

Nyx Paroa’s reputation inspired blind devotion among the believers of Jeolmeungyo. They believed that by helping the man known as the Sword of Wolmo, they could share even a small part of the divine mission he carried on his shoulders.

“If you won’t let us meet him, then at least give him this gift.”

The people tried to stuff various things into Jama and Milvian’s arms.

“That’s enough! Taking all this stuff will only be a nuisance.”

A struggle broke out between those who wanted them to accept the gifts and those who refused. Just as Jama was arguing back and forth with a hat maker, the tightly closed door suddenly flew open.

Bang!

When the door slammed against the wall with a harsh sound, the entire crowd fell silent at once.

And finally, the man appeared.

The center of this noisy commotion.

Nyx Paroa.

“…What is it?”

Just his appearance was enough to silence the bustling crowd, and he bluntly uttered those two words.

The man’s head rose above the crowd. Because of that, everyone could look up at him.

Just as they had heard, his face was completely covered. Aside from one eye, which was sharp enough to look menacing, not a bit of his skin could be seen. His closed-off appearance only strengthened the people’s suspicions.

“Oh my! Duke! You’re Duke Paroa, aren’t you?”

The silence lasted only a moment.

The people soon turned their attention toward him and began shouting, somewhere between cheers and cries of excitement.

“We’ve been waiting since early this morning!”

“I’ve really wanted to meet you, Duke. It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Please accept this, Duke. It’s just a small token of my sincerity.”

“This too!”

“This too, Duke!”