IATAOTHKG | CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 16

Kalif’s request made her laugh because it reminded her of the past.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you got up on the bed, sir?”

“……”

“I’ll rub your back.”

Kalif groaned as he sat up.

His large body fell onto the bed, and the springs squeaked.

“Lie on your stomach.”

Meyna pushed the pillow to the right spot.

Kalif obediently rested his cheek on the pillow and lay down.

As always, he was shirtless.

“I should at least thank you for wearing pants today.”

“You’re too kind.”

Hearing his playful tone, Meyna rolled up the sleeves of her pajamas.

Then she carefully placed her palm on his back.

It was broad and muscular, filled with solid strength.

“You must’ve been upset today. You worked hard keeping up with everyone’s mood.”

She began to gently stroke his back as she spoke.

“In the old days, you would’ve flipped the table by now.”

“You told me not to.”

Kalif muttered in a tone that sounded almost resentful.

“I told you many times. You can’t afford to offend Marquis Beririch. He’s close to the Emperor.”

It was true she’d said that, but hearing how he was humiliated at the banquet made her feel unbearably sorry.

“You’ll feel better after some sleep, right?”

“I don’t know. I mixed 30-year-old wine with strong whiskey and drank several glasses.”

“That must’ve been tough.”

“The waves of Lenox? Feels like there’s a storm in my stomach.”

Every time he spoke, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

There wasn’t much else she could do, so Meyna did her best to massage his back.

She could feel every rough scar beneath her hand.

“At least you have two days off starting tomorrow. Try to rest.”

“That’s it?”

Her attempt at comfort got a bitter reply.

“What else?”

At her response, a short, hollow laugh escaped between his teeth.

The sharp smell of alcohol filled the room.

“So I’m just a machine that hunts monsters and runs a guild now.”

“……”

“You’ve changed, Miss Winslet.”

He sounded as if joking, but the hurt was obvious in every word.

A heavy silence followed.

Yes, she had changed.

Meyna couldn’t deny it.

Seven years ago—

He was a third-year knight then, swearing at reporters, smashing things whenever a sponsor annoyed him, and flipping tables after drinking too much.

And Meyna, just starting as his aide, wasn’t the same either.

“I used to wait outside the tavern, nervous every time you met with reporters.”

That wasn’t all.

If he seemed tired after a hunt or too drunk, Meyna would bow to anyone—reporters, nobles, sponsors—to get him out safely.

Then, once home, when he said he felt like throwing up, she would rub his back and say,

“I’m a noble too, but nobles can be nasty. Especially the old ones. All they have is their title, and they act superior.

They’re just jealous of you because you’re doing well.”

Seeing her angrier than he was gave Kalif quiet comfort.

Yeah. An orphan with no one in the world.

A Holy Knight who could cut through monsters but didn’t know which knife to use for steak.

At least someone cared about him.

He’d picked the right aide.

He might’ve said it in clumsy ways like,

“If you betray me and work for another guy, I’ll kill you,”

but the truth was—

She was the reason he’d made it this far.

“I did change,” Meyna said in a calm tone.

“Time has passed.”

“……”

“People all change.”

Kalif nodded quietly.

After a moment, he said,

“But your touch feels the same.”

Meyna smiled faintly.

***

The next morning, Meyna got up early and brought Kalif breakfast with hangover medicine.

Thankfully, he seemed recovered.

“I’ll leave your hair down.”

“Okay.”

He wore a light-blue shirt, a dark-gray suit, and left his hair naturally down.

“Hmm.”

Meyna stepped back to inspect him.

Despite his rough job, he looked like an actor.

His relaxed expression made his perfect features stand out even more.

“Now, just the tie left.”

She laid out several ties on the bed and chose a gray one to match the suit.

“That one looks better.”

Kalif pointed to a pink striped tie.

“Oh no, Lord Lenox.”

Meyna looked horrified.

Among Kalif’s flaws, his fashion sense ranked near the top.

He wouldn’t admit it, though.

One time, when she was too busy to help him pick clothes, he’d shown up to an event proudly wearing a blue shirt, brown jacket, and mustard pants—

only for a noble’s child to ask, “Mister clown, can you make me a balloon?”

He’d lost a bit of confidence after that, which was a relief.

“I like pink these days.”

“The colors don’t match at all.”

“Pink.”

“Why be stubborn when you don’t care about clothes?”

“I have my own taste.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yeah, fine, I don’t. Just saying.”

“We need to leave soon.”

“Alright, alright.”

Kalif grumbled.

Meyna grabbed his collar firmly and pulled him closer.

“Really now.”

He chuckled and bent down a little.

Ignoring him, Meyna tied the perfect knot, cleaned the room, and hurried out.

“Hurry up!”

Her slightly flustered tone made him laugh again.

***

〈La Rundel Town〉

The familiar wooden sign announced their arrival.

Meyna leaned out the window, heart pounding.

“Phew… haa.”

She exhaled slowly and breathed in deeply again.

The scent of fresh grass filled her lungs like mint-colored air.

The fragrance of flowers, ripe fruit, and sweet desserts—the smell of home.

Tears welled up at the familiar scent.

“We’ve arrived,” the coachman said.

Before Kalif could open the door, Meyna jumped out of the carriage.

The broad stone path led straight to the Winslet estate.

With both hands full of gifts, she walked ahead.

“Calm down,” Kalif said, matching her pace and taking the luggage from her hands.

“They’ll be so surprised since we didn’t tell them, right?”

Seeing her flushed cheeks, Kalif smiled quietly and nodded.

As they passed the neatly paved path, a vast garden opened up.

Even before spring, the greenery was lush.

A gardener was trimming the branches.

Snip, snip—each sound dropped leaves and twigs to the ground.

Nearby, a middle-aged couple worked on fixing the wooden fence with a hammer and chisel.

“At this rate, we should just replace it with iron!” the man complained, sweating.

“Wood looks prettier. Stop whining and hammer the nails,” the woman replied firmly.

Meyna giggled.

Kalif and Meyna stopped walking. The three people turned their heads.

The first to recognize Meyna was the woman with emerald hair tied back.

Despite her age, she was strikingly beautiful.

“Meyna!” she cried, dropping her chisel and running over.

“Auntie…” Meyna said, hugging her tightly.