The Weight of Silence

What? Four days? I was floored by the news that I’d been unconscious for nearly a week. But on second thought, the mana used in a Warp Gate is immense, and I had taken the brunt of that energy three times in a row.

‘It’s basically the equivalent of taking three clean hits to a vital organ.’

No wonder I was coughing up blood and blacking out. Seeing Chase’s face darken as he recalled that day, I reached out and gently ruffled his hair. The reason I hadn’t realized so much time had passed when I woke up was undoubtedly because of how meticulously he had cared for me.

“Thank you. You did a great job.”

At my praise, Chase’s eyes shimmered for a moment before he broke into a shy, beaming smile. I had more questions, but he scurried off again, insisting that since I’d just woken up, I must be famished and needed something to eat.

‘His clothes… they’re still soaking wet.’

He could have at least changed before running out, but he was in such a rush that he ignored my attempts to stop him. Left alone again, I began to organize my thoughts.

‘Let’s set the agenda.’

1. Meet the White Dragon and discuss the prophecy.

2. Get a briefing from Viscount Travie about what happened while I was out.

3. And…

One more thing crossed my mind.

‘…If I can see the Black Dragon, I should meet him.’

Could I perhaps consult him about my condition? Of course, we had no prior relationship, so a conversation might be impossible. Still, I added it to my “To-Do List” as a potential goal. I was still weighing the order of operations when Chase returned.

“Since you haven’t eaten in a while, I thought something liquid would be better than solid food.”

He brought out a stew. It was a simple vegetable broth without any meat, but the vegetables were so well-cooked they looked soft enough to melt.

“Did you make this?”

“I didn’t know when you’d wake up, so I kept it ready. I didn’t do it all by myself, though. The knights helped me a lot.”

“The knights?”

I had assumed they were purely the Emperor’s men, sent on a secret mission to eliminate him. I didn’t think they’d lift a finger for Chase. Surprisingly, it seemed they hadn’t ignored his requests.

“Yes. The knights even set up a place for me to heat the wash water earlier.”

A mental question mark popped up. I had assumed he’d warmed it in a kitchen.

‘Does the Great Forest not have kitchens?’

Maybe they avoided open flames because of all the trees? I didn’t know enough about the local culture, so I let it slide.

As expected, the stew was so thoroughly simmered that the vegetables disintegrated the moment they touched my tongue. I barely had to chew; I practically drank it. Meanwhile, Chase hovered over me, busy attending to my every need.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I already ate.”

He didn’t seem to be lying. Unlike when he first left the dungeon, his complexion looked healthy. As we talked, I learned that after I collapsed, there was nowhere suitable to rest, so they pushed the carriage until they reached the Great Forest. Since there were no guest houses, they had quickly cleared out two small homes—one for me and one for Viscount Travie.

“The knights said they were used to camping, so they set up tents and are staying outside.”

“And where are you staying?”

“I…”

Chase hesitated. My brow furrowed. Was he camping out with the knights? Just as I was about to worry, he spoke in a tiny voice.

“I’m… staying here.”

Then, as if terrified I’d be angry, he started making excuses.

“I-I didn’t sleep in the bed! I just wanted to be nearby to serve you in case you woke up…”

“If you didn’t sleep in the bed, where did you sleep?”

There was only one bed in this small house. There wasn’t even a sofa. I had no idea where he could have possibly rested until he dropped the bombshell.

“Sometimes I slept sitting in the chair.”

“The chair?”

There was only one chair in the room—the one I was currently sitting in. It didn’t even have a backrest. I stared at him in disbelief, and he waved his hands dismissively.

“Sleeping in the chair was a bit hard, so after that, I just slept on the floor.”

“The floor?”

I looked down. There was a rug, but it didn’t look plush; it was just a thin piece of fabric over hard wood. Not a place for a good night’s sleep.

‘The bed isn’t even narrow. He should have just slept next to me.’

When I made a dissatisfied face at his foolishness, Chase began to panic, misreading my expression. I told him to just sleep on the bed from now on, and since we were alone, I decided to have the conversation I’d been preparing—the “just in case” talk.

“As you know, the reason we’re here in the Great Forest is to fix your situation.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t expect any trouble, but… if things don’t go well, we might have to run. I want you to be mentally prepared for that.”

“Run…?”

Chase looked stunned. It made sense; he probably expected me to say everything was going to be fine. Telling him we might become fugitives was a heavy blow.

“It’s okay. I’ll leave you in the hands of someone trustworthy.”

Because he was your only true ally. I swallowed the rest of that sentence.

I intended to ease his fears, but Chase took it entirely the wrong way. His eyes went wide and began to shake with pure agitation.

“Are you… are you throwing me away?”

“What?”

“I-I… I’m sorry!”

“For what?”

“I must have done something wrong… that’s why you’re getting rid of me, right? Because I’m a burden.”

“Chase.”

“I won’t be a burden anymore! I’ll sleep outside! Please… just don’t throw me away.”

“Chase!”

I called his name, but he was in a full-blown panic. He lunged forward and clung to me, not listening to a word I said. I could have pushed him off, but his desperate face and pleas were so heartbreaking that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Instead, I raised my hand and curled my fingers.

“Don’t throw me—OW!”

“Snap out of it.”

Thwack! A crisp sound echoed as I flicked his forehead. Chase froze, clutching his brow with a bewildered expression. I couldn’t tell if the tears in his eyes were from his panic or the sting of the flick.

“I’m not throwing you away,” I said firmly.

“But…”

His lip trembled, pouting as if he’d been wronged. I rubbed the spot I’d hit. When he moved his hand, his forehead was already turning red. I worried I’d hit him too hard, but I needed him to understand the gravity of the situation so he wouldn’t freeze up if we actually had to flee.

“I’m not abandoning you. It’s just that if my power isn’t enough to protect you, I’ll have to put you with someone who can.”

Chase still didn’t look happy, his lip staying stubbornly out.

“I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t come to that… but if it becomes unavoidable, you have to leave me.”

“…”

“Because I want you to live.”

Chase, who had been ready to protest the idea of leaving, softened instantly at those words. He didn’t look completely convinced, but he seemed to understand the sentiment.

After talking with Chase, I finally met with Viscount Travie.

“Your Highness! I am so relieved you are awake.”

“You’ve worked hard in my absence, Viscount.”

He smiled and gave me a summary of the past four days. It wasn’t much different from Chase’s version, but I asked for confirmation.

“Were there any problems?”

I expected a simple “no,” but the Viscount hesitated. A vague, awkward smile touched his lips. He looked like he was debating whether to speak or not. When I pressed him, his expression turned troubled.

“Well… if I had to say there was an issue, there was one.”

“What was it?”

“I’m just not sure if I’m the only one who felt that way…”

I wondered why he was being so cryptic. Seeing me raise an eyebrow, he looked pained and told me it would be better if I saw for myself.

I understood exactly what he meant the very next day.