The Cowardly Young Lady and the Escort Knight

Chapter 6: Still Dark First Day (1)

Dining hall, music room, ballroom, courtyard, etc. After the Tutor told the maid about various places, she took Cecilia and left the spot, holding one of her hands and supporting her waist as before.

Patrick stood there, blankly watching the two people leaving. He was more concerned about Cecilia, who was clinging to the Tutor, than the Tutor's back, which was full of triumph. Her already small shoulders seemed even smaller somehow.

In addition, her steps seemed heavier than before. The moment Patrick recognized this, it felt like a pile of stones was falling on a corner of his heart.

"Escort Knight."

A voice calling him. When he turned his head, a maid with freckles all over her nose and cheeks was gazing up at him. The maid, who seemed to be named Jenny, spoke casually as if she didn't know anything about the conflict that had just happened.

"Shouldn't we be leaving now?"

"...Yes."

When he nodded, the maid turned and started walking first. It was in the completely opposite direction from Cecilia. Before following the maid, Patrick turned his head again and looked at Cecilia. Her back, which now looked really small because of the distance. The occasional slight tilting of her body was unsettling, and especially the fact that the Tutor was attached to her was very unpleasant.

'It was not enough.'

He wanted to separate her from the presence that made him nervous just by being together, but he failed miserably. Since there was no one to stop him from talking, it would surely be revealed that he had hurt his foot because of Cecilia. Maybe the Tutor would even tell her that he had slapped him. Then he would hesitate not only to take a step but also to move his arm.

Besides, just now, the Tutor used force to make her answer. Now that they were back at the residence, there would be no one else but the two of them. With no one watching, he would literally scold her strictly.

But no matter how worried he was, it wouldn't help her at all. Patrick took a deep breath, hardened his heart, and looked at her back with strength.

'Cheer up, Lady Cecilia!'

After cheering her on strongly in his heart, he nodded slightly towards her. Then, he approached the maid who was standing a little away.

"I'm sorry. I'm really okay now."

"Yes. Oh, I forgot to ask, is the same speed as before okay?"

"Yes, it's okay."

The maid started walking again after hearing his answer. Patrick moved his throbbing foot and followed behind her. Vowing to be Cecilia's strength next time.

The Mage seemed to be in a pretty remote place. He walked along the hallway, went down the stairs to the hall, and then walked along another hallway. Then he turned the corner and walked straight along the road again and again.

'It's really damn far.'

He was walking very slowly compared to usual, and the maid who was guiding the way was just walking without saying anything, so it felt even further. Complaining inwardly that he was going to get wrinkles on his forehead, he diligently followed the maid who was walking a little ahead of him.

Standing in front of the door they arrived at, the maid turned to him and opened her mouth.

"This is the Mage's lab and residence. Visitation is only possible between 10 PM and 2 PM the next day."

"That's unusual. To wake up late at night and be active until a little after lunch."

Ten o'clock at night is the time when almost everyone is asleep. Was he indirectly expressing that he would not receive anyone's visit? The maid shrugged at Patrick, who was staring blankly.

"Right? The Mage said that almost all Mages live like that. I've never seen another Mage, so I'm not sure if it's true."

After speaking, the maid grabbed the large iron ring on the door and knocked exactly three times, bang, bang, bang. Then the door opened outward right away! There was no sound of footsteps from inside, and no sound of unlocking the lock! Patrick blinked with wide eyes.

"It opened... by itself...?"

"Yes. If it's visiting hours and you're inside, it opens like this."

If he was absent, it would not open, and if the visiting hours had passed, no matter how hard you knocked on the door, no sound would be heard. But so far, that door has never not opened even once. The maid said that and opened the door wide, gesturing him to go inside. Instead of saying thank you, Patrick bowed slightly and slowly stepped inside the door. After looking around lightly, he tilted his head slightly.

'Isn't this just a clinic?'

A drying rack with various medicinal herbs, shelves with various potions, a fireplace and a large pot on the inside wall... And even the fact that there were several beds in one corner of the room was exactly the same as the clinic in the barracks. Even the fact that there was a staircase leading to the upper floor was the same!

'A little disappointing.'

He thought that the room where the Mage was would be full of all sorts of mysterious items, but other than the entrance door that opened by itself when the conditions were met, there was nothing particularly unusual. At least a bottle containing a strangely shaped creature...

"I don't handle things like that."

"......!"

Patrick was startled and turned his head at the voice that suddenly came from the side. Then, wasn't there a black face floating right in front of him!

"Peek-a-boo!"

"......?!"

His heart was tightening and his fingertips were getting chilly. His throat was already frozen, and not even a scream came out. Patrick was overwhelmed from head to toe by the fear brought on by the unidentified existence. According to the instinct that came out of the frozen reason,

Pow—!

He immediately drew his sword and slammed it with his elbow!

"Kyaheuk!"

Then the guy let out an extremely thin dying breath and fell down with a thud, sliding far ahead. The existence, which was no different from a black mass, trembled on the floor, then drooped down and did not move. He just hit it reflexively because he was surprised. It ended too helplessly for the existence of fear. Patrick turned his head and looked back, dumbfounded.

The maid who closed the entrance door and came in was blinking at him with a completely blank face. Soon, those eyes were seen heading to the black mass sprawled on the floor far ahead. The maid blinked about twice as it was,

"Kyaaaaaa! Mage!!"

She screamed in a pale voice! Patrick felt goosebumps in another sense. It was because he heard a very terrifying word in the maid's scream. In this situation, it could not but be a more terrifying word than the curse of death. Exactly,

It was Mage.

The existence that he was startled and reflexively hit was the owner of this room!

'I made a mistake!!'

Patrick felt cold sweat flowing all over his body and hurried to the Mage. He didn't cut him with a sword, so he wouldn't have died. Perhaps it ended with a broken nose, but that fact does not give any comfort. There is a problem with inflicting injury itself. The Mage is one of the executives of the castle. If it becomes known that he has injured such a person, he will surely be held accountable. No matter how unavoidable the incident was, and even if the Mage himself brought about the misfortune, Patrick would be given a disciplinary action, whether small or large.

It's very unfair, but that's the power of the class. There is only one way to avoid him. It's just begging the Mage for forgiveness to death!

"Are you okay, Mage?!"

He called out loudly and approached, but the Mage did not move until he approached and lowered himself. If his face was visible, he would have been able to know his condition right away, but for some reason, the Mage was covering his face with a black mask. Maybe he's hiding his face for personal reasons. But now is not the time to worry about that! Even if he receives a separate punishment for him, he should first look at his face and figure out his condition. Patrick hardened his resolve and reached out to the mask. Then, the hand that was lying on the floor grabbed his wrist and made a strange noise, wasn't he showing his face!

"Hieuk?!"

Patrick leaked a scream that he couldn't even swallow. Feeling his spine freezing,

Bang—!

He ended up headbutting him as it was.

Thud.

The Mage fell down again helplessly, and another heavy silence fell in the room.

"......"

He committed it not once but twice. Even consecutively. It is still an unavoidable and accidental accident, but it will never look that way to a third party.

'I'm doomed.'

Patrick's ears, which were completely frozen by the thought, heard the maid muttering while trembling.

"He, he killed him...!!"

"That's not true!!"

After denying it with all his might, Patrick tried to use his head, which was not working well due to the shock.

'I have to think! First of all, what should I do...! Ah, that's right!'

First of all, he needs to lie down in a comfortable place. But no matter how much he looked around the room, he couldn't see a sofa. Should he go upstairs?

'But usually the upper floor is a living space!'

In other words, it is no different from trespassing into another person's house. Moreover, this is the Mage's residence. If you rashly enter a personal space, you may see something you shouldn't see. A mirror, a crystal ball, or you might be trapped in a small bottle and not be able to get out!

'But I can't leave him like this...!'

After a short but deep conflict, Patrick decided to take the risk. Unavoidable or not, it was none other than himself who knocked down the Mage. In order to increase the possibility of a smooth resolution, he must do as much as he can! Patrick, determined to die, picked up the Mage. Because that much weight was placed on his foot, he felt a sharp pain, but that was also something he had to endure. Enduring the flashing in front of his eyes, the maid blocked him with a pale face as he headed for the stairs.

"W-wait a minute, Escort Knight, where are you going?!"

"Upstairs...! I have to let the Mage lie down...!"

"Yes? No, why are you going upstairs!"

The maid opened her eyes wide as if they were about to pop out, pointing to his side.

"There's a bed over there!"

"Ah."

He had completely forgotten. Patrick, who turned around to look at the bed he had glanced at just a little while ago. Soon, he remembered what kind of determination he had made just before, and embarrassment began to rush in.

"Ah, thank you for letting me know!"

After speaking in a slightly overturned voice, Patrick headed to the bed almost running, forgetting the pain in his foot. And after carefully laying down the Mage, he wiped the sweat off his face, which had turned red for various reasons.

'Now I have to look at his face.'

When he groped the mask with his hand, it seemed to be a form that fixed the straps on both ends to the back. Then, the first thing to do is to take off the hood. Patrick flipped the black hood without hesitation. Accordingly, hair with a light blue tinge was revealed, but now there is no time to turn his eyes to that strange color. Immediately after that, he untied the string tied on the back of his head and took off the black mask that was completely covering his face.

Skin that is so white that it is pale, long eyelashes, slightly parted lips. No matter where you look, she is a beautiful woman. If it weren't for the reddish bump on her forehead and the red river flowing from her nose, which had fallen sharply. The maid looked down at the face and muttered in a creeping voice.

"I knew it, she's dead...!!"

"That is absolutely not true!!"

"That's right, that's right, she's still alive. Unfortunately."

The voice that suddenly rang out rudely added to Patrick's words.