It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 214
Even while coughing and trembling as if in convulsions, Ardin unfolded it and stamped the bottom with his seal. Using his own blood instead of ink.
‘So my method worked.’
Judging from his urgency, it was certain.
‘Thank goodness.’
Once those mana clusters were removed, Felix was no match for Ardin.
‘Vivian, you will be able to marry the Marquis of Silias.’
I needed to tell Vivian this good news too, since her ambitions would progress more smoothly.
Of course, I would tell Lionel first.
“Do you require treatment?”
“…I am fine. This much is nothing.”
Judging from how far he flew, the kick was probably harder than I thought, but if he said he was fine, then so be it.
I diverted my attention from Ardin and blew gently on the contract stamp to help it dry quickly.
“My love, here you were.”
A low, cool voice.
It sounded almost eerie, fitting his foul mood, despite the sweetness of the words themselves.
I briefly wondered what I must look like right now.
Ardin lying on the ground covered in signs of violence, and me crouched in front of him drying a contract stamp… it looked exactly like…
‘A loan shark harvesting organs?’
Ah, no…!
Even so, I waited until the stamp was fully dry, carefully folded the contract, and stood up.
“Lionel, did you come looking for me?”
Then I turned toward him and gave the brightest smile I could.
Lionel’s gaze brushed over Ardin’s bare upper body and then over the jacket tied around my waist.
When his eyes finally met mine, he smiled gently as if nothing were amiss.
“It is almost time to depart.”
“Ah… already.”
I quickly untied Halid’s jacket, dusted it off, and handed it back.
“Thank you for everything, Duke.”
Halid nodded once and accepted the jacket.
“I will support Sir Ardin and bring him back, so the two of you may return first.”
“Very well.”
Lionel accepted Halid’s offer immediately.
‘Halid… he will not hit Ardin again, right? He seems like he has a lot built up inside.’
Ardin was starting to get himself together, so it should be fine. Probably…
“On the way here I noticed the path was rough. May I carry you somewhere safer?”
“Yes!”
When Lionel bent down for me, I happily wrapped my arms around his neck.
He lifted me up in one smooth motion and began walking in long strides.
The trip here had felt long, but the way back passed in an instant.
“Lionel, I did it.”
I chattered as I told him everything, the conversation with Ardin, the healing process, and the successful completion of the contract.
“To think it is possible to overlap powers… remarkable.”
“Right? I thought it might work, but seeing it actually happen was amazing.”
As he looked down at me with warm eyes full of affection, he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Well done. This will make everything go considerably smoother.”
His words made me smile without meaning to.
It made me so happy to help Lionel even a little, when he was always so busy handling everything alone.
“We will need to repeat the same process for several days though.”
“That is troubling, you should not overexert yourself.”
“Do not worry. I can handle it.”
Using a large amount of divine power at once caused a bit of dizziness and lethargy, but unless I scraped my reserves completely to the bottom, I recovered quickly.
“I see.”
Somehow, there seemed to be laughter lingering in his voice as he answered.
“Then we can begin starting today.”
Hm? Begin what?
When I looked up at Lionel, wondering what he meant, his eyes curved in a gentle arc.
“We agreed to practice riding whenever we had time.”
“We are riding today?”
“For about an hour? Then we can slowly increase the time.”
Horseback riding for an hour…
My whole body was aching from muscle pain. Would that really be all right?
“There is no need to worry. Until you get your sense for it back, you will ride with me.”
I stared up at Lionel silently.
‘Lionel…’
Perhaps he simply wanted to ride together, like Halid and I had before.
‘At this rate, how would my riding skills ever improve.’
That thought did cross my mind, but I nodded happily.
If Lionel liked it, then of course I did too.
