Episode 13. An Uncomfortable Accompaniment

‘How did this even happen…’

Hereis looked down at Brienne’s small head nestled against him. He hadn’t been able to break her stubbornness and ended up taking her along, but he had a feeling Shiloh would stab him with a sword once they returned.

“If you’re really going, then hurry! If Shiloh finds out, he’ll never let us go!”

He hadn’t even had time to think it over, and by the time Shiloh noticed something suspicious and came running, they were already on their way.

He couldn’t tell whether he had kidnapped Brienne or she had kidnapped him.

“Young Marquis Shiloh must think I’m a kidnapper.”

When he broke the silence, Brienne, who had been keeping her lips tightly shut, glanced back.

“…Would that be such a bad thing?”

“It wouldn’t be ideal. Especially after being rejected by Lady Ford.”

Hereis studied Brienne’s face carefully. He thought she was still angry, but on closer inspection, she seemed more nervous than mad.

Though both were riding the same horse and feeling tense, the emotions behind that tension were clearly different. Wanting to lessen her discomfort, Hereis leaned back a little.

“I wonder if the Young Marquis will kill me when we return.”

“Don’t worry about that. I haven’t told Shiloh anything yet. Besides… I didn’t consider what you said to me a confession at all.”

Brienne murmured while turning her gaze forward again. Hereis noticed her shoulders trembling slightly.

“…Were you very shocked?”

Thinking about it, it was understandable. When they passed the flooded village, Brienne couldn’t take her eyes off the scene. He wondered what she had been thinking.

There was a huge difference between hearing about disasters and seeing them with your own eyes. Bringing her along just to avoid her resentment now felt selfish.

“A bit… I was surprised. It’s the village closest to the estate, and I used to go there often. The rooftops were always so beautiful.”

“……”

“It’s no longer a village anymore, though,” Brienne murmured bitterly.

Hereis gripped the reins tightly. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault that you were so shocked.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. How could the rain be your fault?”

Brienne let out a faint, incredulous laugh. She fidgeted with the jacket covering her head and then spoke firmly.

“And I should be the one apologizing. I misunderstood you.”

“About what?”

“Just… everything.”

She shrugged her shoulders. A brief silence followed, but this man no longer felt as unpleasant as before.

When she first heard from the servant that he had left, she thought he was being unnecessarily nosy and burdensome. His lightheartedness had always seemed suspicious.

But now she was grateful for that lightness. If he had also been gloomy, it would’ve felt like attending a funeral.

Brienne glanced back slightly and asked, “…Do you think my father will be okay?”

Her cautious voice was swallowed up by the sound of rain.

Without hesitation, Hereis answered, “He’ll be fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes, because he has to be.”

Meeting her light green eyes, Hereis gave a reassuring smile. Even if his words turned out to be a lie, he didn’t want to be honest right now.

Saying he didn’t know, or trying to offer vague comfort, wouldn’t ease her fear.

“Thank you.”

At her words, Brienne smiled slightly. He wanted to tell her that riding a horse in this kind of weather was dangerous and she should face forward, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“You’re truly kind, Young Duke.”

“……”

“Ah, once we go down this hill, we should be there! Since they were checking the low-lying areas in order, this is the only one left aside from the village we saw earlier.”

Even that faint smile left him breathless. Her scent and warm presence, which he had tried not to notice, crashed over him like a wave.

Without warning, something in his chest twisted tight.

***

“Hey, come to your senses.”

Tap, tap tap. Faint light seeped through the tightly shut eyelids. As a hand relentlessly slapped his cheek, Damon Ford blinked a few times.

He remembered being swept away by the current just as he caught the falling child, yet now his body lay on uneven ground. Amid the continuing downpour, a man’s voice could be heard.

“Oh, hey! You’re coming around? You were too reckless. You almost died right there, you know?”

“Ah, the child… ugh!”

When he hurried to rise, a pain that felt like his sternum had snapped surged through him, making it hard to breathe. As Damon’s body tilted again, the man crouching nearby firmly supported his back.

“Whoa there, easy! We’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Th-thank you… the child, ugh, is he safe?”

Clutching the man’s solid arm, the Marquis of Ford grimaced. Only when the man jerked his chin toward the rear did the clustered people come into Damon’s view.

Including the child he had caught, there were at least ten of them.

“Mister!”

The child, eyes wide upon seeing Damon awaken, ran over with tears streaming down.

“Ahjussi[1]… thank you so much for saving me.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the one who saved you, brat.”

Before Damon could say anything, the man smirked mischievously and flicked the child’s forehead. The child pouted, clutching their forehead.

“I already thanked you earlier too, Ahjussi…!”

At that, the man opened his mouth wide and touched his chin with a rather shocked expression. Then he pointed to Damon and mumbled, “Ahjussi…? Me? You’re saying both me and this guy look like ‘ahjussi’ to you?”

“Yes!”

The child nodded vigorously and darted back into the crowd. Damon found himself studying the man’s face.

‘He looks about Shiloh’s age… No wonder a child might find him scary.’

Curly black hair, thick eyebrows, tanned skin. Slanted eyes and a strong-featured face. Broad shoulders, tall stature—everything about him was large.

Still mumbling “Can’t believe I’m an ‘ahjussi’…” the man drew Damon’s bewildered question.

“Did you save me? What happened exactly?”

“…Hm? Ah, lucky timing. You were swept down this hill! I managed to save the kid, but you… you were too heavy to pull out.”

The man’s expression seemed to darken slightly at the word “ahjussi,” but Damon quietly waited for him to continue.

“So I swam and got you out. You weren’t breathing, probably drank too much water, so I had to give you a ‘direct’ one too.”

The man winked while gesturing to his lips with two fingers. Damon shuddered at the goosebumps.

Seeing that, the man frowned hard. “What, you think I wanted to do it? Who’d want to kiss an old guy?”

“N-No, you misunderstood… I apologize.”

“Tch, whatever! Judging by how horrified you are over a little joke, you must be fine now. So how about we talk? Judging by your clothes, you’re no commoner. Are you a noble?”

The man stood up abruptly and wrung out his soaked clothes. Droplets splashed across Damon’s face, but the man seemed entirely unconcerned.

“Would be great if you’re a noble. We’re looking for a shelter, you see.”

Shelter.

Damon, staring blankly, wiped the water from his face and looked around.

“Do you know exactly where we are?”

“Well, I’m not from around here… Hey, Russel!”

The man called out loudly. A gray-haired man who had been standing back approached immediately.

“You called?”

“This ‘Ahjussi’ is asking where we are.”

“Hmm, on the map… this should be one of the hills near Luman Square.”

The gray-haired man, Russel, pulled a piece of parchment from his coat and wiped it off. The other man glanced at it and clicked his tongue.

“Ugh, damn. You’re the only person in the world who could read a map with all the ink smudged.”

“I’ve memorized most of it.”

Luman Square… As Damon murmured while listening to their exchange, the man turned his eyes sharply toward him. Damon extended his hand first.

“Good thing you’re looking for a noble. I’m Damon Ford.”

“…Ford? You’re the lord here?”

The man’s brown eyes briefly glinted darkly, then a cheerful smile spread across his once-blunt face.

“Wow! Didn’t expect to save the lord. What an honor. Oh, I’m, uh… call me Zen. Just Zen.”

Damon had already suspected the man’s casual tone wasn’t coincidental. Even after revealing his title, the man’s attitude didn’t change. But Damon felt no need to demand formality from the one who saved his life.

“Alright then, Lord Ahjussi. How about showing us the way?”

With a booming voice that pierced the rain, the man reached out his veined hand and pulled Damon to his feet.

***

[1] “Ahjussi” (아저씨) is a Korean term used to address a middle-aged man.