Chapter 22: Cure

Chapter 22: Cure

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The dawn broke, casting away the shadows of the night as the sun's radiance unfurled across the land, touching every nook with its warmth.

Amidst this emerging light, a quaint medieval town gradually came into view.

Through its heart, a procession made its way; at its core, a band of knights marched, their demeanor seasoned and commanding. Among them, a young knight walked, his strides matching those of his more experienced counterparts.

At the centre of their formation, a carriage rolled along, its occupant a blonde woman of notable presence.

As she peered out of the window, her hair danced in the gentle breeze. Her eyes, reminiscent of emerald depths, were adrift in a sea of profound contemplation.

"..."

Inside her head, she thought about what Alfonso went through just to save her maid and the commoner.

"I should apologize..."

Valentina muttered to herself, her jaw clenched.

|"Don't you dare say that in front of me, aren't you at least ashamed of yourself? You're arrogant and disgusting!!! Probably much more disgusting.

A person like you will never have someone love you because of how much of a disappointment you are. You're here for me? Don't make me laugh. You're too weak to even protect me."|

As she reflected on her words during that heated encounter, the memory of her outburst weighed heavily on her conscience. She couldn't shake the guilt that lingered from her harsh treatment of him on that particular day.

Perhaps it was that drive that made him do such reckless things because of this Valentina saw it as her responsibility.

If he is truly trying to change like what Christine is telling her and the actions he has shown so far.

"I should also thank him"

Valentina reminded herself.

In the midst of this, a young orange-headed knight lingered nearby, his gaze fixed on Valentina.

"Hey, Kevin"

Tap! Tap!

The unexpected tap on his shoulder made him swivel around "Yes?" he inquired.

"I heard you bested a grandmaster in combat," a fellow knight remarked, his features suggesting he was in his late twenties.

"Um..." Kevin nodded, memories of the encounter flooding back to him.

"You must have had it rough, huh? including how you dealt with that idiotic young lord's nonsense, the fact that he is weaker than the young lady..." the knight remarked with a snort before continuing, "That guy's a complete waste, honestly!"

Kevin then chuckled at the knight's blunt assessment and leaned in to hear more.

"He's always got it out for you, that Alfonso...

Ugh! I'd love to give him a good smack too. I heard he just stood there while you lot were fighting off those assassins. Pathetic!"

The knight's mocking whisper carried a hint of disdain.

Rumors about Alfonso had been swirling wildly, fueled in part by Kevin's own embellishments. He hadn't anticipated the extent to which his half-truths would spread. Yet, despite the gossip, he felt no urge to set the record straight. Admitting the truth would only bring shame and embarrassment. So, he chose instead to bask in the admiration his fabricated tales garnered.

As he walked, his gaze inadvertently met that of the girl he had been observing earlier. To his surprise, her emerald eyes were fixed intently upon him—No, to his direction.

"What did you say?" Valentina's voice cut through the silence.

A full day had passed since the incident, and all that had reached Valentina's ears were whispers painting Alfonso in the harshest of lights.

With a frown creasing her brow, she couldn't shake the anger bubbling within her. How dare people speak without knowing the truth!

The rumors around Alfonso were twisted. She ignored these kinds of words that circulated around Alfonso before but because of how far the truth the rumors about him were. She couldn't help but get annoyed.

They said that Alfonso was a burden who just watched when in fact he was the one who was hurt the most for protecting her maid—He had also played a pivotal role in thwarting the assassin she fought. Without his intervention, Valentina was sure that her injuries might have been far graver.

She wanted to know who was the source of these vile rumors, the coward who dared to sow such falsehoods.

However, despite trying to calm herself down, her anger refused to be caged. With a breath that barely restrained her fury, her lips parted, ready to unleash her thoughts.

"What did you say?" Valentina repeated, her voice crackling with anger. But the knight remained silent, his response overtaken by Kevin's interjection.

"My Lady, pay no mind to the words of this knight. He's merely stating the truth."

"???"

Upon Kevin's answer, Valentina's expression turned darker.

Within moments, with a sharp gesture, Valentina commanded her entourage to halt the carriage.

Valentina had long brushed aside the whispers surrounding Alfonso's past, knowing all too well the truth behind the rumors. She harbored a deep-seated hatred for him, refusing to let herself be affected. Yet, the sight of him being treated so unjustly this time stirred something within her.

After all he had done, only a heartless ingrate would fail to appreciate him!

Moments later, a figure emerged atop the carriage, with Valentina's maid, Christine, casting a worried glance her way. It's not like Valentina will get hurt falling because she is already ranked Master anyway. So Christine didn't stop her from going to the top.

"Everyone!" Valentina's voice rang out, commanding the attention of the knights gathered around her, their curiosity piqued.

"Should anyone dare to breathe another word of those vile rumors concerning Alfonso within these walls... you shall find yourself exiled from our family, with no recourse for support!" Her tone carried the weight of authority.

With a solemn gaze, Valentina pressed on. "These twisted fabrications... you have besmirched the honor of our house by spreading such baseless tales. Do any of you comprehend the true circumstances of Alfonso's injury?" She paused, drawing in a deep breath.

"It was not the savage attack of a beast that left him wounded, but rather his valiant defense of my maid."

Valentina's hands tightened into fists. "Who wouldn't be outraged by the deplorable treatment he receives after risking his life for my maid?" she remarked, her voice carrying a hint of indignation.

"Truly, only an ungrateful wretch!"

As the words fell from her lips, the surrounding knights fell into a stunned silence. Witnessing Valentina's staunch defense of the lord they deemed insignificant left them speechless.

Yet, they couldn't shake the feeling that Valentina wouldn't stoop so low if her claims were untrue. Her audacity to threaten them with abolishment, even going so far as to assert her dominance, lent weight to her words. After all, the Valentina they knew had never wielded her status to command or coerce.

Amidst the tension, Kevin remained silent but visibly tense, his jaw clenched tight.

‹ Why defend him when you've professed to despise him? › he silently mused.

‹ Merely for the sake of a lowly maid? › he continued, biting his lips.

As Kevin delved into his thoughts,

"Kevin..." Valentina suddenly called out his name and looked at him with her cold eyes.

"You disappoint me." She added.

In an instant, all knights looked at Kevin as murmurs filled the area.

"—What's going on?"

"—Wasn't Kevin the one who told those stories?"

"—Truly? That's hard to believe..."

"..."

In the midst of this, Kevin could only curse inside as he clenched his fist. The cold stare of Valentina remained etched in his mind.

‹ She never looked at me that way... ›

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After Valentina was done speaking, she quickly ordered the knight to move forward, toward Alfonso's place.

She called out Kevin earlier because she harbored a suspicion that he was the instigator of the ordeal. The absence of any mention of his flee had already struck her as conspicuous, though she refrained from jumping to conclusions outright.

Yet, witnessing his reaction to her revelation, she couldn't deny the truth any longer. Painfully admitting it to herself, it became clear—Kevin was indeed responsible. Valentina hadn't anticipated such disgraceful action from him.

Gently, Valentina rested her head against Christine's shoulder, lost in thought.

‹ Could it be that I was mistaken? Did I misjudge them both? › she wondered silently.

She had assumed Alfonso would be the one to flee when the assassins attacked. Yet, it turned out to be the very knight she had placed her trust in.

These doubts swirled inside her, and as memories of their time in the Bestial's Forest came flooding back, her brow creased in contemplation. She could hear Alfonso's warning echo in her mind: | "You should be wary of that knight of yours." |

‹ Was there something I overlooked, something he could see that I couldn't? Is there a deeper reason for his constant disdain toward Kevin? › The questions echoed silently in the mind of the blonde girl. Yet, with no clear answers forthcoming, she could only dwell on speculation. With a resigned shrug, she pushed aside the troubling thoughts, choosing instead to focus on the present.

Shortly thereafter, she blinked, only to find herself engulfed once more in the labyrinth of her thoughts.

| "My Lady... What if, perchance, you had perished in that instant? What anguish would have gripped your father's heart? What actions might he have taken?" |

Christine's probing inquiry replayed like flickering images in Valentina's mind, prompting her to ponder the question anew.

Because she went back to save Christine with no plan, Valentina understood how her maid saw her actions as reckless.

‹ I just don't want to see my father sad... But... Are my morals more important than my father's?›

After asking this though, she could not help but bite her lips in frustration as she felt confused.

"Mother, what would you have done?" she murmured, her gaze drifting toward the window.

‹ I hope Father doesn't use this as a reason to stop me from hunting... ›

However, in that contemplative silence, her eyes caught a glimpse of a figure, one she faintly recognized, slipping into a dilapidated house in the distance.

"Hm? Auburn hair..."

Valentina's eyebrows knitted together in a moment of curiosity, trying to place the familiar stranger. But the effort seemed too taxing, her mind weary from the constant whirl of thoughts, and so, she let the curiosity fade, shrugged, and turned her attention away.

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After arriving in front of a house, Valentina quickly exited from her luxurious carriage.

—Clomp!

With the sound of her feet touching the ground, in front of her, the knight quickly lined up for her.

Proceeding, three knights and one maid followed behind her, which included Kevin, and her maid—Christine.

As she got closer to the simple-looking house, she was greeted with the presence of a little red-headed girl holding onto a pipe.

"A child?"

Valentina silently whispered, but she quickly grasped that the woman must just be tiny, or else she wouldn't be smoking at such a young age.

Because of her slightly pointy ear, ‹ Maybe she is a dwarf... Or mixed › the blonde head speculated.

"..."

Shrugging her thoughts away, Valentina Continued.

"I'm here to check Alfonso's condition"

However, the redhead only stared at her. Not responding to her.

"..."

Yet, Valentina disregarded her and moved forward toward the door. Only when she moved did Analeigh also greet her.

"Welcome! Young Lady. The young lord is inside resting"

In response, Valentina just nodded at her. In the midst of this, however, Analeigh wearing a smile on her face silently cursed inside her head at Valentina for calling her a child earlier.

‹ Me a child??? Motherfucker! If you weren't a noble I wouldn't be kissing your ass ›

The blonde girl of course didn't notice Analeigh, she was more focused in front of the door.

In a rush. Analeigh then opened the door for her, Valentina in no time went inside with only her maid this time, Kevin left guarding the door. In no time, another door greeted Valentina and Christine, leading to what seemed like Alfonso's location.

The blonde girl then walked toward the door and as she was about to knock,

"How is Christine, the little commoner, and Valentina?" Behind the door, Valentina heard Alfonso mention their well-being and Mary suddenly retorting.

"Don't you care about your own well-being? About the injuries you sustained? I feared... I feared you were at death's door!

Her voice was shaky and on the verge of crying.

But then... After a few more words came out of Mary's mouth, Alfonso's voice resounded.

"I... I'm..."

What followed shook Valentina and Christine. Even though it was not loud, it was enough for the two to hear the weak muffled cries behind the door.

"I'm sorry..."

Valentina always thought that Alfonso could never shed a tear, given his consistently aloof demeanor and arrogant manner.

Was he even what she always envisioned him to be?

With these uncertainties weighing heavily on her mind, Valentina could only cast her gaze downward, reflecting on Kevin's portrayal of him.

As she was lost in her thoughts, the door suddenly swung open making her panic.

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Inside a tiny wooden house.

"Dad..."

A girl's voice could be heard, her hair the hue of auburn.

Her gaze cast down.

"I'm awfully sorry I didn't bring home any earnings today. Somethin' just happened..."

She then stood up from her seat.

"I'll make us some supper now, Daddy."

A lot of things had happened, and her shoulders had long slumped as she moved with heavy steps to cook her father's soup.

Arianna just wanted to forget what had happened momentarily.

It was her first time seeing someone killed in front of her eyes. How a handsome noble had also just saved her, she could not help but think she must have been dreaming.

Why were these things even happening to her? Arianna's young mind could not immediately comprehend.

Even when she was still at Analeigh's house, where she watched Alfonso get treated, Arianna was confused and constantly worried, especially for her father. So when she was given the opportunity to go out, she immediately took the chance to check on her father.

Even though she was curious about Alfonso's past, she was more concerned for her father.

Tiptoeing to the small pantry in the corner of the kitchen, Arianna pulls out a small sack of potatoes and onions, both staples that her parents had taught her were easy to work with. She then dragged a wooden stool to the counter so she could reach everything she needed.

With careful movements, the little girl started to peel the potatoes using an old, dull knife, being extra cautious to keep her fingers away from the blade. The peels fell in uneven strips onto the wooden table, which she periodically swept into a small pile with her hand.

As she set up a small fire pit outside their wooden house, the man inside the house, weakly lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes.

"..."

His gaze was hazy.

Slowly, he turned his head to see the door where the sounds were coming from.

"..."

There he could see his daughter balancing a makeshift pot rack over the flames, ensuring its stability with the aid of rocks.

‹ Arianna... My daughter... ›

The frail man whispered in his head. His eyes are slightly drooping.

However, his eyes then caught the sight of the old knife on top of the kitchen table.

‹ Maybe if I... just ended it... she wouldn't have to bear the weight of a burden like me anymore... ›

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Living my life on Earth has never been easy. I always wore a mask, a mask that continuously saved me.

I'm someone who, instead of panicking, would distract myself by working or finding immediate solutions to my problems.

And that's exactly how I coped with being suddenly thrust into this fucking game.

At some point, I'm glad I'm still alive because it's a miracle that I am after living such a sinful past and dying in a car crash. After all, most isekai'd people die from truck-kun.

I also found myself pondering why I existed in this world, but I swiftly banished those thoughts, as if they were unwelcome intruders. It was as though this world had always been my home, even though the answers to my questions remained elusive.

It's a query akin to 'why am I here?'

But, being able to adapt quickly in this world probably affected my thinking because of how Alfonso's body affects my decisions sometimes. No, most of the time.

And maybe because of how it affected me so much, I have become complacent. I got too comfortable just because I had the system helping me grow stronger.

I'm completely aware that I almost died because of such a small error on my part.

How could I forget such a crucial thing? I could easily die in this world even without the main character and the heroines reaching for my neck.

So much for being cautious; I forgot that catastrophes and unexpected things might happen.

‹ I should list everything that happens in the plot... Even the tiniest details. ›

Having sorted out my thoughts, I stood up from my place.

To be exact, from the bed where I had just pathetically cried while Mary patted my head.

Having come back to my senses, I felt so embarrassed that I just wanted to bury my head out of shame because of how I cried like a baby.

I'm a grown-ass man inside, if someone knew this I'd consider killing myself.

"..."

Swiftly fixing my wrinkled clothes, Mary also finally stood up. Her eyes were quite red from just having finished crying. No, more like, she was still wiping her tears away.

"I think you need to rest a little more my Lord"

My maid shared but—

"Mary"

I deemed it unnecessary since the system had already facilitated my recovery, significantly aiding in my complete healing.

In response to calling her, Mary approached and spoke, "What is it, My Lord?" while gazing into my eyes.

Amidst this, I took a handkerchief from my pocket and delicately wiped the tears from her eyes. Since she was only five feet five inches tall, I could easily reach her face.

Her eyes briefly widened, but I paid no heed.

"T-Thank you my lord" Mary's voice trembled.

[ + 50 Enhanced by Mary: How she perceives your image ]

Soon, I turned my back, "You mentioned that Arianna was the one who guided you here?" I questioned while fixing my hair.

"Yes, My Lord"

I then solemnly nodded.

"She saved my life so it's only right I reward her" I uttered. But as I was about to open the door, suddenly, I realized—

‹ Why the fuck are Valentina's and Christine's statuses appearing? Behind the door??? ›

With a flush of embarrassment, I thought, ‹ Did they perhaps hear my disgraceful cry... Us...? Oh... Fuck...›

Since there was nothing I could do, I suppressed my shame but that feeling didn't last long when I heard the system pop up.

[ + 20 Enhanced by Mary: How she perceives your image ] ]

[ + 50 Enhanced by Valentina: How she perceives your image ]

[ + 50 Enhanced by Christine: How she perceives your image ]

Chuckling inwardly, I slowly opened the door and returned to my usual aloof and cold demeanour. I knew for sure that not a speck of tear as evidence was visible.

My visage, as always, exuded that of dignity.

When suddenly—

"Alfonso, it is a relief to see you recovering swiftly," Valentina declared, her voice carrying a blend of relief and formality.

She paused for a moment before continuing, bowing deeply, "I'm here because I must apologize for my harsh words during our previous encounter. It was entirely my fault, and I regret any distress it may have caused you."

As Valentina stepped back, Christine moved forward, executing a respectful bow as well.

"My apologies as well, Young Lord, for my shortcomings as a servant and for any disrespect I may have inadvertently shown."

Together, they both expressed their gratitude, "We are deeply thankful for your actions... Truly..."

Left speechless by their sudden confessions.

‹ The fuck? Well... I guess it's understandable since I risked my life... ›

I quietly uttered to myself.

But I soon shook my head after I grasped their sudden change because of my actions. However, I still felt uncomfortable from their sudden politeness, yet an undeniable warm feeling inside my heart surged when I saw the two apologize.

‹ Alfonso... This body... ›

I speculated, the source of my sudden sense of fulfillment that I achieved something...

Perhaps pride...

Despite feeling such emotions, I remained indifferent as I continued to contemplate what I must do next.

Raising my hands with deliberate grace, I motioned for them to cease, my tone measured and composed. "There is no need for concern over past events," I stated coolly.

Transitioning to a more authoritative demeanor, I inquired, "Now, may I ask if either of you has sighted Arianna?"