WFMW 62

Chapter 62 When Did You Sink In Like This

April 25, 2024

The first thing Nelly did after getting drunk on beer was to rip off the hood she’d been wearing.

“Ugh, it’s hot!”

“Nelly!”

Startled, Grisha called her name loudly and pulled the hood back over her head. Cedar clicked his tongue.

“She’s drunk.”

His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.

Since the subjugation battle would soon end and she’d go to the academy to inherit her family estate, it wasn’t a big problem if someone from the Azure Dragon Order noticed who she was.

What was a problem was if someone from another order—or worse, a noble—saw and word reached Diana Periway.

Still, I’d better make it clear no one should talk about my wife.

Mumbling that she was hot, Nelly collapsed face-down on the dining table. Looking flustered, Grisha stood up.

“I should take her to her room. Please show me the way.”

“Mmgh.”

Nelly groaned, shaking off Grisha’s hand as if his touch were a nuisance.

But when he kept holding her arm to steady her, she finally sat up.

And then her bleary eyes turned—not to Grisha—but straight to Cedar.

“Cedar.”

Her small hand reached out and wrapped around his thick forearm like a teddy bear.

Since she was so small and slender, the sight wasn’t even strange.

Seeing Nelly instinctively seek out Cedar in her drunken haze, Grisha’s face twisted in displeasure.

He tried to pull her toward him.

“Come here.”

“No!”

The more he tried, the tighter she clung to Cedar’s arm, mumbling stubbornly.

Finally, Cedar let out a long sigh and stood.

“I’ll take her.”

He’d carried her to her room a few times before, so the motion came naturally. And for Nelly, being in Cedar’s arms seemed just as natural.

As if she’d finally found the perfect pillow, she buried her forehead against his shoulder and snuggled in close.

“……”

Grisha looked displeased but said nothing more. Cedar walked toward the room where Nelly was staying.

Because dinner was still ongoing, the corridors of the castle were silent. Most of the attendants were in the dining hall helping with service, so it was no surprise.

As he walked quietly, his footsteps soundless as usual, Nelly squirmed faintly in his arms, letting out a small groan.

Cedar stopped and gently patted her back, sighing.

He’d thought she was eating better than when she’d first awoken from her coma, but her body still felt light enough to lift easily with one arm.

His brow furrowed unconsciously, and he muttered a small scolding.

“Are you eating properly?”

“Mmm.”

It was unclear if it was an answer or just sleep-talking.

Cedar gave a faint smile and lightly pinched her cheek.

“Don’t lie. The moment I stop watching, you leave food on your plate again.”

“Uuuh.”

Even half-asleep and drunk, she somehow sensed the gentle scolding and wriggled in protest.

Then she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

The unexpected closeness made Cedar freeze in place.

And then came the sweetest kind of drunken rambling imaginable.

“Cedar, I like you.”

“……!”

Cedar forgot to breathe, stunned.

If Nelly hadn’t smiled dreamily and murmured again, he might have stayed frozen there for a long time.

“Your smell makes me feel calm… it’s weird…”

At that, Cedar finally let out the breath he’d been holding.

Ah. She meant she likes the smell.

Leaving out the object of a sentence could be this dangerous. He almost had a heart attack.

Cedar was deeply relieved that this hopeless drunk wouldn’t be able to hear how hard his heart was pounding.

Even a dull woman would notice his feelings if she could hear that heartbeat.

Let’s just get her to bed quickly.

If he kept hearing sweet nonsense like that, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep his composure.

Cedar quickened his steps.

The room was ordinary. Even without lighting a candle, his night vision was sharp enough to see clearly.

It wasn’t difficult to lay her down on the bed—except for one small problem.

Nelly refused to let go of his neck.

“You need to lie down.”

“No. It’s cold.”

Even as he leaned over her, pressing her gently onto the bed, her hands locked behind his neck wouldn’t budge.

Cedar clicked his tongue in mild exasperation.

“You’re surprisingly clingy, my lady.”

“Hee…”

He stayed bent awkwardly over her for a moment, her arms still loosely around him.

After a while, the strength in her grip gradually faded. Her back and head sank into the bed, sleep overcoming her.

Soon she was completely asleep, her hands falling away from his neck.

Still, Cedar lingered for a moment, close enough to hear the soft rhythm of her heartbeat.

“…I’m used to being by your side now.”

He hadn’t planned for things to turn out like this.

When did my heart start sinking so deep?

It hadn’t taken long for her to capture him—maybe a month, or even just a week.

[Who are you?]

Maybe it had happened the moment she opened her eyes.

From the next day, the monster hunt began in earnest.

The knights kindly explained how such hunts worked to Grisha and me, since we didn’t know much about them.

“The Azure Dragon Order will start driving the monsters east from here. We’ll rotate in a circular formation, like a windmill, gradually tightening the encirclement to herd them deeper into the forest.”

The reason the Marquis of Bowser’s territory had been chosen as the base was that the vast forest beyond it was one of the main sites of monster appearances.

If monsters only appeared in specific forests, wouldn’t it be easy to wipe them out completely?

Maybe there was a reason that wasn’t possible—but since I still didn’t know much about monsters, I held my tongue.

Instead, I asked about the operation itself.

“What if a monster doubles back and attacks the knights leading the front?”

“To prevent that, the rear guard is always heavily fortified. You don’t have to worry.”

That included us as well.

Because monsters driven from other directions could circle back and attack from behind, the strongest knights guarded the rear, and naturally, Grisha and I were positioned in the center of the formation.

That, however, presented a problem.

“The issue is with the mages’ movement,” a knight said, frowning. “Carriages can’t run in the forest, and neither of you can ride, can you?”

Neither Grisha nor I knew how to ride a horse.

We could learn, but honestly, expecting beginners to gallop through mountain paths was unrealistic.

And this was a battle formation—mere trotting wouldn’t cut it.

The knight rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Then you’ll each have to ride with a knight who’s skilled at horseback.”

That was, indeed, the only option.

And besides, I thought, I have my own goal for this expedition.

Naturally, my eyes went to Cedar at the front of the group.

“Cedar.”

Before coming here, he had promised to show me a monster up close. The best place for that wasn’t the middle of the formation.

Come on, you promised!

If I had to ride with someone, it was obvious who it should be.

Whether by contract or not, he was my husband—and the person I was closest to here.

But instead of reaching out a hand to help me mount, Cedar turned his head sharply away.

He’s avoiding my eyes again!

Yesterday, he swore he wasn’t—but he clearly was now, even after our eyes met directly.

I bit back my frustration.

He’s probably just focused on leading the unit. Before the monsters show up, there’s no need to carry me around. He said he wasn’t upset, and he’s not the kind to contradict himself… I shouldn’t overthink it.

I came up with every excuse to defend him, but still, my lips jutted out.

…Even so, this time I’m the one who’s hurt.

I didn’t know why, but my heart felt heavy—more than I expected.

Then, the one who extended a hand to me wasn’t Cedar, but the elf knight, Jacques.

“I’ll escort you, my lady.”

“Thank you, Sir Jacques.”

It wasn’t Cedar’s fault, so I couldn’t take it out on someone else.

I quietly let Jacques help me onto the horse.

“Please sit here. I’ll steer from behind, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Sir Jacques, aren’t you a healer? Why are you joining the monster drive?”

“There could be serious injuries in the field. It’s best to have a healer close by. Of course, I won’t be at the front lines.”

“But I wanted to see the monsters…”

Did that mean I wouldn’t get to see any? I sighed, disappointed. Jacques blinked in surprise.

“I’ve heard mages are curious, but this is fascinating. Even though facing a monster could kill you, you still want to see one?”

All discoveries come with risk, I thought, shrugging.

“Thanks to the mages before me who took those risks to study elves and record them, I was able to recognize you, Sir Jacques. If it’s for the sake of future generations, it’s worth it.”

“Ah, true. Compared to us elves, humans have terribly short lives. It’s understandable you’d think so far ahead.”

His comment made my cheeks warm.

To be honest, I wasn’t that noble-minded.

“Actually, it’s not that grand. I’m just genuinely curious about monsters.”

As we chatted quietly, the knights finished their formation—and the hunt began to move forward.