Chapter 204: Side story 16. Lovesick (End)

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***

“Good night. Your Highness.”

Linon mouthed the words quietly and disappeared. It was inevitable because Seria was sleeping inside the bedroom.

Lesche, who handed all the papers to Linon, returned to the bedroom.

Contrary to the desire to be locked up in the bedroom with Seria all day, he had daily agendas to deal with.

As a result, when it was time for Seria to go to sleep, Lesche checked the documents in the bedroom.

Linon had come to the front of the bedroom to collect the finished documents.

Lesche took off his gown and lay down next to Seria. As he watched her with the back of his hand on her cheek, he suddenly saw the circlet necklace hanging from her neck.

Lesche stretched out his hand, feeling that his throat was tickling because of the cold metal. In fact, Lesche did not like this circlet very much. Because Seria often used this circlet to go to the world of the guardian.

He didn’t want to go back to how he felt every time he saw her not waking up.

On the one hand he couldn’t forget a place called the world of Tuban.

Especially since it was the place where Seria had died.

Lesche slowly stroked Seria’s cheek with the back of his hand, reflecting on the past.

Seria was a story he didn’t know.

***

“Lesche.”

Seria’s face was wet.

“Can you die without me?”

A voice full of water.

“You always say I’m cruel to you. Who is really cruel now?”

Seria took Lesche’s hand as she walked, and she never stopped. He couldn’t take his eyes off her back. It looked like someone had nailed it shut.

The back that seemed to disappear somewhere.

He now knew that he would not be with her anymore.

After walking for a very long time, Seria arrived at the missing time, from a certain point on, she could no longer walk. Her body did not move.

“…Lesche.”

Seria looked back at Lesche and bit her lip. He was terribly saddened by the tears that flowed nonstop from her eyes.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Seria let go of Lesche’s hand and started running. A flash of white light afflicted the retina. Lesche’s eyes, standing alone on the spot, turned to the other side very slowly.

It was Lesche Berg at this time.

***

“What about Stern?”

At Lesche’s question, Alliot pointed straight to the left.

“She’s over there.”

There was only one Stern on the continent. Without her, it could not proceed with the subjugation of the beasts, and the number of beasts in this continent was growing immensely.

The day that Stern’s legacy ceased would be the day this continent would be destroyed. 

Grand Duke Berg, who took on the duty of a watchman, always lived with such a thought.

Magi was so strong that the advance team had to press the helmets made from the constellation gold. The reason why Lesche was on the dangerous advance team even with the status of Grand Duke Berg was simple.

As fast as possible, as efficiently as possible. Let’s finish this damn monster subjugation battle because  he wanted to end this sickening battle with the demons.

It’s not about taking life lightly. However, Alliot, who went with Lesche every time, had a slightly different idea.

The high-ranking lord had nothing to protect personally.

Because all Lesche had was obligations and duties. It was a word Alliot couldn’t dare to say.

The sword, which was strangely boring while slaughtering the demons without hesitation, stopped at some point. This was because the number of demons that burst out was much larger than expected in the Great Battle. It was such a big error that the temple staff in charge of the forecast were punished.

That time when Lesche Berg had a foreboding that the beast would bite his neck.

Kang!

When they received instructions, the paladins jumped out and beat the beasts. It was almost simultaneous. A woman grabbed Lesche’s wrist and quickly pulled him behind her.

He couldn’t have known the woman. She was Stern.

Seria Stern.

Green hair like midsummer scattered in front of his eyes. Stern blinked her eyes as she looked back at Lesche, who had been frozen in an unexpected situation.

“Are you okay? Don’t die, sir.”

Then, without hesitation, she dropped his hand and walked away.

“Your Highness! Are you okay? Your Highness?”

For a long time, Lesche couldn’t take his eyes off Seria’s back.

Oddly enough, since Lesche was born until now he had never heard of anyone telling him not to die. Not from his family and definitely not from his subordinates.

Berg. Don’t die.

Who would dare to say something like that?

Lecshe, lying on the bed, looked at his wrist.

Stern was a special existence that maintained the temperature of the constellation gold armor within a 5km radius.

Therefore, it was purely Lesche Berg’s misunderstanding that the wrist held by Seria Stern felt warm at that moment.

It must be an illusion…

Every time the other knights looked at Stern as if possessed, he thought they were fools, but before he knew it, Lesche was doing the same thing as those idiots.

Seria Stern. The fact that the woman’s hair color was so unusual was strange.

He saw her everywhere. He kept staring at her. She kept showing up with her green hair like a fresh midsummer.

After that, Lesche did something similar a couple of more times. If there was anything different from before, it was that he deliberately planned a situation where he was near Stern while fighting the demons.

Stern, who clearly knew nothing, to be precise, Seria Stern, who was clearly not interested in each and every knight, told them not to injure himself or die, as always. Hearing such kind words, Lesche felt suffocated.

Even when the words weren’t directed at him.

Seria Stern.

He filled his hunger with that name for a while.

And yet, why was he getting more and more hungry?

“Your Highness. I heard you’re losing sleep.”

Linon looked up and said. It was a day when Stern helped Berg in the subjugation.

“If it’s because of Stern, wouldn’t it be better to pay tribute? Prepare a lot of expensive jewels and relics.”

“Jewels or relics?”

“Yes. Stern liked jewels and relics.”

“…Okay.”

A few days later, Linon was speechless as he watched Lesche leave for the Great Temple. It was because of the jewels and relics that Lesche carried.

Berg’s Circlet.

A family heirloom of the Grand Duke that had been passed down for generations.

“I didn’t think you would pick the heirloom…”

What family would give the heirloom as a gift all of a sudden? Moreover, he was not able to calculate profit and loss well because of his tender heart for Stern.

In a country where there were many families who only say thank you.

Above all, as Linon knew that Grand Duke Berg gave that circlet to a woman would only have one meaning.

A proposal of marriage.

‘Ah… His Highness is in love with Stern.’

It was only then that Linon realized that Lesche was suffering from lovesickness.

‘He said he had no interest in women.’

He had high standards…..

The Grand Duke did not just look at anyone, so Stern must have caught his eyes. He had no intention of having children, but he did not speak out. Such a problem was not important to the man who had been carrying the heirloom.

After some time Stern accepted the Grand Duke’s proposal.

“Don’t make fun of me and give me an honest answer as to the real reason for wanting to get married, Grand Duke…”

“I do not know.”

Lesche looked at Seria’s surroundings with eyes as if to sweep. It was too quiet for Stern, the envy of all knights, to live. Emotions were at the forefront, but the truth was…

“The purpose of Berg is to protect you.”

Every time I think of you.

“You look so lonely.”

It was so hard that it was difficult to breathe every time.

Even Berg’s doctor was unaware of the fact that Stern’s strong divine power was making Lesche’s body full of burn marks.

Lesche had no intention of breaking the marriage, even as he bandaged his arm himself.

Seria Stern.

Even before she promised to marry him, and even after her promise, Lesche couldn’t understand why he couldn’t sleep.

After he’s married, would he be able to sleep properly then?

After the marriage, he had to show her these burn marks, who should he do? She might be scared and run away.

Although Stern’s ceremonial hall, which he had prepared hard in Berg, ended in blood without anyone entering.

It was the day that Lesche vomited blood in the Demon Subjugation Battle.

“Lesche!”

Just before he took his last breath, he looked at Seria, who was running towards him in that short time.

What would he do when she cries like that?

He had a thought. Her blurred face formed on his chest.

There was a problem with the boundaries, and reinforcements could not enter this place. No one would be able to protect her, but that was fine. Seria was only Stern, and she once told him her secret that she had her ‘Guardian of Stern’.

Seria read Lesche’s expression quite well.

Thanks to that, he also found out without difficulty that Seria was paying more attention to his well-being than he had thought. So, that must be why she told him that secret.

But that face with a smile, saying that it was a bit scary because the guardian looked like a giant dragon.

Now it was just a blurred face.

He wished the guardian could wipe some of her tears.

Seria’s divine power had barely grasped the soul of Lesche, and he thought of those thoughts in a short time.

After hearing the priests say that Stern was stricken with lovesickness, he felt as if he had been beaten in the head for a moment. Seria liked his appearance so he thought it would be a good idea if her guardian had his face.

A corpse would rot anyway.

Because it would be better for the guardian to look like him (Lesche) than a scary dragon. So Seria wouldn’t be scared.

His hands couldn’t move any more. His vision gradually darkened. In that short time, it was the last wish that Lesche had. (*That’s why Tuban had Lesche’s face.)

***

“Seria.”

As I was leaning against the window of the study, I looked back. When did he come in?

“Lesche.”

Just then, a strong wind blew through the open window and ruffled her hair. I tucked my hair behind my ears and smiled.

“Isn’t it cold?”

At this time other nobles wear short-sleeved dresses… But instead of saying that, I just replied.

“It’s not cold.”

Lecshe, holding my shoulders, bowed his head and kissed me. His strong arm hugged my back before I knew it. I took a deep breath in Lesche’s arms.

His hand gently caressed my stomach. There were times when I felt strange when I saw my stomach slowly inflate, but Lesche touched my stomach occasionally to see if it wasn’t the case.

Suddenly, a question I had asked before came to mind.

Why did Lesche marry me in the past when I couldn’t even have children? Was it because he didn’t care about the heir?

“Why don’t you talk about the past these days?”

At the same time, I was surprised when Lesche spoke his words as if he had read my mind. I said bluntly.

“I thought you were so attached to me that you wanted to marry me, but it’s not.”

Lesche lowered his head and burst into laughter. He asked.

“You really think so?”

“No?”

“It wasn’t like that.”

I widened my eyes at the unexpected answer. Was there something I didn’t know?

“Then? Why?”

“I saw something then.”

“What was it?”

When I asked with a pounding heart, Lesche looked at me with tenderness. Then.

“Lesche?”

He turned around and left. I followed him with puzzlement.

We were in a hallway in an instant.

“Are you busy?”

“I’m not busy. But I’m pleased that you have something you’re curious about.”

“What? No! Tell me!”

Lecshe looked at me and smiled faintly.

“No.”

“Lesche!”

“It’s fun to have you chase me.”

Unbelievable. I stopped on the spot. it didn’t matter, Lesche kept getting farther away, and I fell into a realistic question as to whether I would be able to hear his answer today if I kept following him.

‘But what did he see? I’m curious.’

I blinked my eyes when I thought it would be good to follow. Then Lesche came back and frowned.

“Why didn’t you follow me? Are you mad?”

‘I wasn’t.’

“No.”

“You’re mad because I didn’t tell you.”

“The doctor said that’s what happens when I’m pregnant.”

As I said that, I couldn’t even put strength in my eyes. It was the right time to stare at him, but I couldn’t do it. I reached for Lesche’s face with a smile that unavoidably rose.

“Can’t you tell me?”

Instead of answering, Lesche smiled and hugged me. He was silent for a moment. 

“You are always like this.”

“You still like me.”

Lesche, who was staring at me, chuckled.

“Yes. I feel like I’m going crazy because I like it.”

Laughter flowed out. I put both my hands on Lesche’s chest. The sound of his heart beating spread through my palms. Feelings like this sometimes, unannounced, and often so painfully. The fact that this man was still alive.

Lesche took me to the garden. In the afternoon in the warm sunlight.

“Tell me quickly.”

“What can I tell you?”

“Everything.”

“Yes.”

Then suddenly the wind blew. The wind swept through the silver leaves and green hair fluttered gently.

Lesche’s hand ran through my hair. “I feel it every time, but your hair looks like midsummer.”

“It’s just green, does it look like that?”

“Yes.”

A smile that spread softly enough to tickle my chest.

“I think this is what it feels like to catch summer.”

Lecshe’s warmth spread slowly through our joined hands.

We were where we were today because he never failed to catch me. So I, too, held on to Lesche as best I could. There were still so many seasons that we would spend together. 

Lesche Berg. The man I loved so much. In the meantime, I loved the smile of this man.

It was such a smile that I would never forget for the rest of my life.

***

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