Chapter 21
‘You scared me.’
For a second, Lucy thought he was choking her.
When she came to her senses, she realized he was only holding her chin.
His armored fingers had brushed against her neck, making her think he had grabbed her throat.
She slowly looked up at Edward.
Unlike usual, he wasn’t wearing his relaxed smile.
He was staring down at her with a completely expressionless face.
Seeing that face made her feel a little hurt.
‘I helped you, and you’re still mad at me.’
But what could she say?
She was the one in the weaker position. Her life depended on Edward’s unpredictable moods.
Lucy quietly hid both her fear and disappointment.
Then, with her chin still firmly held, she smiled innocently.
“W-What’s wrong?”
Edward stared at Lucy and tilted his head.
Without realizing it, the hand holding her chin slowly moved to cup her cheek.
A strange feeling stirred inside him.
It felt both good and bad at the same time.
‘This tiny thing actually dared…’
She had boldly interfered in his business.
And even if it had only been to attack the count…
She had kept praising Count Moro.
‘…Right in front of me, she admired another man like that.’
The compliments she showered on the count…
The innocent smile she gave him…
For some reason, they irritated him.
But…
The image of her tiny white back standing bravely in front of him, as if protecting him, also stayed in his mind.
And she had even patted his armor, completely covered in monster blood.
‘She’s so small, yet she has no fear.’
Most people secretly feared him after a battle.
They praised him with words.
But when they saw him covered in monster blood…
Or watched dragon scales appear on his body from the excitement of battle…
Their eyes always held both admiration and disgust.
The nobles outside had been exactly the same.
They called him a great hero.
But deep down, they were uncomfortable around him.
Yet for some reason…
This woman simply walked up to him as if she were used to such things.
Even now, she showed no fear of the monster blood covering him.
The only thing she seemed concerned about…
Was his mood.
As if Edward’s feelings were the only thing she needed to worry about.
“…”
Without thinking, Edward squeezed her cheek a little.
Her soft cheek was pressed in, making her lips stick out like a duck’s beak.
Come to think of it…
Kissing those lips had felt nice.
His eyes naturally settled on them.
“Becau… those peopl… are trea… treating Master… like he’s… easy to take advantage of…”
“Easy to take advantage of?”
“N-No! I don’t mean you’re actually weak…”
Even with both cheeks squashed, Lucy kept talking.
She was trying to explain herself.
‘He’s probably angry because I interfered.’
Knowing Edward’s personality, it wasn’t hard to guess.
He could smile playfully one moment…
Then suddenly become ice cold the next.
Her survival instincts made her flatter him automatically.
“You… worked so hard… and got covered… in monster blood…”
She deliberately looked at his blood-soaked armor with pitiful eyes.
‘But seriously…’
Those people hadn’t done anything.
Why were they complaining to the person who fought for them?
Without realizing it, her flattery became sincere.
It reminded her of how hard her sisters must have fought against monsters.
“It’s… unfair.”
As she said that, she suddenly felt bitter.
‘You’re no different, Lucy.’
She remembered the dream she’d had last night.
The dream where her past self trembled inside the shelter, waiting for a hero.
And Edward appeared before her.
Of course, afterward he had said he wanted to see how useful she really was and…
‘…Let’s skip that part.’
Still…
She had been expecting something from Edward too.
She had wanted him to become her hero.
Even though she already knew what kind of treatment heroes really received.
‘Maybe he doesn’t even like being a hero.’
Especially when people only repaid him with cruel words.
Of course…
Edward himself didn’t seem to care.
If anything, he looked more bothered by what Lucy was saying now than by the people outside blaming him.
“Unfair?”
“Yes…”
The hand squeezing her cheeks finally let go.
Edward silently gestured for her to continue.
Lucy nodded enthusiastically.
“Our Duke… I mean, Master…”
“Even if you’re a little…”
“…Okay, a lot…”
“…mean when you talk…”
“…”
“You’re still…”
“…very generous.”
“…”
“Honestly, you’re such a hardworking person.”
“You even force yourself to accept purification you don’t even want…”
She glanced around awkwardly.
Back then, Sephina had purified him.
Now…
Lucy herself was the one doing it.
If she wasn’t careful, she’d dig her own grave.
Still, what she said next came from the heart.
“But just because you’re a hero…”
“…”
“…doesn’t mean other people’s mistakes become your fault.”
“…”
“They shout that they love you…”
“They cheer for you…”
“…”
“But the moment something bad happens…”
“…they blame everything on you.”
“None of what you do is something you have to do.”
Lucy spoke firmly.
“That’s unfair.”
Edward remained completely still while she finished speaking.
Then…
He quietly smiled.
Unfair.
It was a word he had never thought about before.
After all…
“You’re in pain? You were born incomplete in the first place.”
“Be grateful you even have the chance to become a perfect hero.”
“Repay the kindness you’ve received.”
“Act like a hero.”
“Accept sacrifice as something natural.”
The strict face of the previous Duke, whip in hand, flashed through Edward’s mind.
The reason Edward never doubted his own perfection…
Was because of that man.
It wasn’t simple arrogance.
‘That perfectionist shaped me exactly as he wanted.’
‘How could I possibly not be perfect?’
The thought carried a trace of bitterness.
Life became much easier after the previous Duke died.
He could insult nobles…
Throw them around…
No one could stop him.
But several lessons remained carved into his bones.
That heroes should naturally accept criticism.
That they should never waste time making excuses.
‘Annoying.’
Edward blinked slowly.
Until now…
Those lessons had felt so natural that he had never even considered questioning them.
Yet because of one tiny mouse…
He had suddenly become aware of them.
Another thought crossed his mind.
This little mouse…
‘She really likes me a lot.’
She looked so timid.
Yet she had stepped forward in front of everyone to defend him.
And what Edward himself had always accepted as natural…
She sincerely believed was unfair.
She treasures me this much?
The quiet irritation inside him completely melted away.
‘I was planning to throw her away once her holy power ran out.’
‘But she keeps doing such adorable things.’
How could he coldly discard her after this?
Normally…
He had never felt guilty about abandoning anyone once they stopped being useful.
Meanwhile, Lucy was still passionately talking.
“Did anyone ask you to do all this for them?!”
“I agree!”
“Eek!”
Lucy jumped in surprise as another voice suddenly interrupted.
She turned around.
Tepe had somehow followed them inside the inn.
His fists were clenched tightly.
“Exactly, Your Grace.”
“Those people always act like they left everything to you.”
Lucy immediately nodded.
“That’s right!”
“They sleep peacefully in safe places.”
“Do they even realize why they’re able to do that?”
“I completely agree!”
“They shout they love you…”
“Then suddenly it’s ‘How could you?'”
Even Gorgo, who was usually calm, silently nodded instead of stopping them.
Tepe turned toward Lucy.
The suspicion that had filled his eyes before was completely gone.
“Hey.”
“I owe you an apology.”
“I thought you were a suspicious little rat…”
“…No, a baby mouse.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t think I wanted to know that.”
“It turns out…”
“…you’re one of the few people with a proper head on your shoulders.”
“That was a compliment, right?”
“Listening to you before, I thought you were just some con artist.”
“Ahem.”
“But now…”
“…I think we might actually get along better than I expected.”
As Tepe reached out to place a hand on Lucy’s shoulderā
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
Edward instantly pulled Lucy toward himself.
Then he looked at Tepe with cold, emotionless eyes.
