“Understood. I’ll try to avoid fighting on the front lines as much as possible.”
She nodded.
“Let’s command in a safer manner from now on.”
Adolf Kareha spoke while glancing at an officer nearby.
Aisia turned her back after observing this scene and inquired about the situation with the soldiers.
As their journey seemed to be proceeding smoothly, she began to wonder how much longer it would take to complete this map and possibly reach the room that might contain the ‘Tears of Life.’
As night fell, they decided to camp in a relatively safe-looking spacious room.
They cleaned the hall filled with statues and pillars beforehand and set up campfires around the area to ward off any potential monster attacks.
The exhausted soldiers took brief periods of rest, and Adolf too leaned against a temporary mat, briefly catching his breath.
Aisia sat in one corner of the hall, observing Adolf through the flickering campfire light.
Although it seemed like he was asleep, the occasional faint groans indicated that his wounds had yet to fully heal.
She was tired herself, but her mind wouldn’t settle.
After much deliberation, she finally stood up and quietly approached him.
The surrounding soldiers were startled by her movement, but when she signaled for them to keep quiet, no one dared to stop her.
Even in the current atmosphere, no demon could dare interrupt the delicate moment between these young individuals.
“Should I leave him to sleep?”
She muttered softly to herself.
However, upon closely inspecting his injury, she noticed that a part of the bandage had come loose and there were traces of fresh bl**d seepage.
“I guess I need to rewrap this.”
She glanced around and found bandages and some basic medical supplies.
Then, with the gentlest touch possible, she carefully loosened the bandage to examine the wound.
“Hmm…”
In his sleep, Adolf slightly furrowed his brows in faint discomfort.
Her heart sank, but she carefully wiped the wound.
The bl**d had partly clotted, and the ointment applied by the mages had already dried.
“It’s not too serious anymore, but it needs a thorough disinfection.”
She whispered quietly, rewrapping the bandage.
She considered using more magical healing but, given the limitations, decided to take physical measures first and call for a mage if necessary.
While she was busy attending to him, Adolf slowly opened his eyes.
“Who’s there..”
“Eek..!”
Startled by his sudden awakening, Aisia lost her balance and sat back hard.
Seeing her startled expression, Kareha also jumped up, but Aisia quickly averted her gaze to the ground as she spoke.
“I was just trying to change the bandage.”
She offered a small smile.
He looked somewhat surprised.
“Ah… Princess, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you more trouble because of me.”
“Ordinarily, I might have pretended not to notice, but after everything that’s happened recently, I don’t feel quite right about it.”
She fidgeted with the bandages and avoided eye contact.
Adolf Kareha had noticed recently that Aisia had been concerned about him.
Even if it was just a whim, it was a good thing in his eyes.
“You’re… such a fool. I’ve never met anyone who takes so little care of themselves.”
“For some time now, I’ve grown accustomed to this kind of life.”
He sighed, helping the stumbled Aisia back to her feet.
“Every time I see soldiers d*e on the battlefield and others fall due to my command, I feel as if I’m wearing thin piece by piece. It feels easier to endure pain myself if it means protecting others.”
She couldn’t find words to respond to his confession.
Though he despised war, he was someone who made ruthless decisions to end it.
But she slowly began to understand that his tough choices weren’t out of obsession with victory but rather an agonizing need to prevent greater harm.
“Still, you need rest now. Everyone has their limits.”
“Yes… I agree. Thank you, for doing so much.”
After finishing the bandage, she sat down beside him.
“You came all the way here to cure me, risking your safety. And during this journey, you’ve protected me every time.”
Aisia couldn’t help but feel suspicious of his reasons for showing so much concern for her.
It wasn’t mere goodwill.
While it wasn’t usual for her to question someone she favored, it was…
“Frankly… I’m curious why. It seems inadequate to say it’s just for me, doesn’t it?”
He bowed his head slightly.
“Princess, hear me out… You’re someone I need, more than I can express.”
“Needed?” Her cheeks turned slightly pink.
“I’m not anyone special, am I?”
“No… You are already quite extraordinary.”
She felt his words ring deeply true, her heart first chilling, then warming with fiery affection.
“Do I… really matter that much to you?”
“You’re the most important person in the world to me.”
He said it plainly.
He then began recounting his observations of her since they’d started traveling together.
“In the underground ruins, when you emitted light despite your own injuries, you seemed like a legendary hero. Without you, I might have already perished. Additionally, if you hadn’t administered first aid, I would have surely died. Already, you’ve saved me multiple times.”
“I feel I owe you more debt…”
Adolf’s humble words about himself only made Aisia think that he wasn’t used to receiving praise.
She tried to laugh it off playfully, but gradually, her lips began trembling at what he was saying.
“Without you, I would have never been able to get this far.”
A subtle yet charged atmosphere enveloped the both of them.
The distance between them, once filled with hostility and hatred, was now warm and endearing.
As if an old misunderstanding and tension, once covered over by emotional barriers, were slowly blooming as feelings.
“What should we do now?”
As she softly murmured, he glanced around and confirmed all the soldiers were either asleep or had moved away.
As he took a step closer, Aisia instinctively stepped back, remembering her previous experiences, though now she was much more familiar with his proximity.
“Our time is running out, and we need to hurry…”
His gaze was softer and more tender than before.
“I’ll move more cautiously, so you won’t be frightened.”
“Who said I was scared?!”
Her cheeks flared red, and she quickly countered before letting out a sigh.
His smile reappeared at her reaction.
Rather than getting annoyed, she smiled back at him, feeling emotions too deep for words rise to her chest.
The realization that this man was sincerely treating her, and that she too genuinely cared for him, was overwhelming.
It was bittersweet and achingly tender.
‘Not that all misunderstandings have been resolved, and certainly his army’s past actions can’t be forgiven so easily. There are those who have been hurt by your past wars…’
Aisia resolved to ask Adolf Kareha’s army about their previous conduct when things were settled.
“I have many questions to ask you, but let’s save them for after everything is over.”
He nodded.
“I need to do better, quicker, to ease your concerns about me.”
“Yes! Though I’m not exactly sure why I’m saying this, anyway, be careful with your wound.
I… it’s not because I’m overly worried about you, but to find that relic or whatever, your body needs to heal first.”
She finished her sentence abruptly and then stood up.
“I’m just… going to rest a bit more.”
“Rest well, Princess.”
He replied quietly.
She turned her back to hide her embarrassment and retreated to a corner.
That night, neither could fall into deep sleep, but both lingered in a unique calm unlike previous nights.
Between them, there was no longer just sharp misunderstanding. A tender, mutual warmth seemed to fill the space.
Of course, all conflicts weren’t fully resolved. Both still harbored deep scars and a sense of guilt in their hearts.
But the small gesture of reaching out to each other certainly opened new possibilities.
The next morning, they adjusted their route and moved forward.
Adolf, thankfully, was able to walk without severe pain, and Aisia, while not directly engaging in combat, occasionally contributed with her magic to support the troop.
In this process, though they remained awkward around each other, their gazes now carried a new warmth.
“I’m still confused.”
She muttered quietly while walking.
“I hated him so much before, I couldn’t bear it, but now my heart skips a beat when he gets hurt… maybe I’ve changed too.”
She was not ready to fully acknowledge and accept these feelings right away.
She had more issues to resolve in her own heart.
Though uncertain when all of this would be fully resolved, it was clear that Adolf Kareha was no longer merely someone she hated.
By noon that day, the soldiers were gathered in a broad central hall to examine the map.
“From here, the passage seems to split into two major routes. We need to decide which way to go.”
The officer furrowed his brow in thought.
“The left path has more moisture, and the right path has unusually high heat according to reports…”
“Both options seem fraught with danger.”
Adolf examined the map and listened to the soldiers’ opinions.
Despite the pain from his injury, he calmly tried to make a decision.
“Your Highness, what do you think?”
The officer also asked Aisia.
