It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 211
There was another reason I asked Halid, of all people, to accompany me.
‘I am scared to be alone with Ardin.’
What was more frightening, a wild animal or Ardin?
…In truth, both were dangerous to me, but objectively speaking, Ardin possessed far greater ability.
And Halid had more than enough physical strength to protect me from Ardin. Beasts were not even worth mentioning.
He was one of the strongest on the continent, thanks to his innate talent and the practical experience he had accumulated battling monsters in the frozen lands.
Considering the intention behind the real Vivian giving the fake Vivian the knowledge to write A Night of Entwined Serpents, that content would not have been false.
If the conversation with Ardin went poorly and he tried to use magic on me, Halid could probably stop him.
‘Lionel gets hurt too often, so… it’s a bit….’
Lionel tended to let his guard down, so if Ardin attacked him by surprise, it would be a disaster.
Yes, I could heal him, but I wanted Lionel not to be hurt in the first place. I did not want to create any reason for him to feel pain.
Maybe it was because I loved him so much? What could I do if even a single thorn pricking his finger hurt my heart unbearably?
There was one more reason I brought Halid, aside from his strength.
‘He does not pry.’
When he met my father and brother last time, there must have been many parts he could not understand.
‘No one from this world would easily believe something like infinite regression unless they experienced it firsthand.’
Even though I spoke freely in front of him without holding back, Halid never questioned anything or treated me like a madwoman.
‘It feels like he simply leaves unknown things alone.’
Perhaps Lionel and the other three regressors already knew this about Halid, which was why they spoke freely in front of him without concern.
‘So I don’t think he will interfere or ask questions about whatever I am about to do with Ardin either.’
There had been exactly one exception, when he asked every person in sight why they hid the fairy’s identity, but I was not lying to him this time, so it would be fine.
“Duke, do you perhaps know where Sir Ardin is?”
Halid turned his head and looked down at me.
“You have business with him?”
“Yes.”
Even with such a short answer, Halid did not ask further and simply changed direction.
“This way.”
Leaving the path, Halid led me toward the thickest part of the forest.
The deeper we went, the more densely the trees crowded together, until the sky was barely visible, but Halid’s steps never faltered.
‘Ugh… it stings.’
There was no path, and pushing through knee-high grass left my skin scraped everywhere. I should have worn sturdier clothes.
Following close behind Halid made it a little better at least.
“There he is.”
Saying that, Halid glanced back at me and paused.
“Are you all right?”
“What do you mean?”
Puzzled, I asked, and he hesitated, parting his lips slightly as if unsure how to phrase what he wanted to say. His eyes flicked briefly to my calves before returning quickly to my face.
“…It is nothing. Sir Ardin is just ahead.”
With that, he took off his uniform jacket and tied it around my waist.
“Uh… it drags on the ground.”
It came down to Halid’s hips, but on me it was practically a coat. Tied around my waist, the hem inevitably grazed the ground.
“It is fine. Leave it as is.”
After that, Halid drew his sword and cut down the tall grass in front as he walked, thanks to which we reached our destination without further scraping.
“Sir Ardin!”
Sensing our presence, Ardin stopped his magic training and looked at us with a startled expression.
“Duke Calitas, Lady Dilottete, what brings you here?”
“I have business with you.”
