# 20
---
Dana climbed the rugged mountain covered with dirt and moss.
And it's all just for him.
At that moment, Edwin felt as if everything around him was slowing down.
The air around him, and time itf... as if they had all stopped for Dana.
Her every gentle movement was engraved in his eyes. As if a single spotlight was illuminating an actress on a dark stage. There was no one in his eyes but Dana.
‘……Is this a dream?’
Dana rushed into his embrace. She hugged him with all her strength.
Soon a soft warmth touched his chest. It was her cheek.
“Edwin, are you okay?”
Dana asked as she straddled his waist, then raised her head. Her blue eyes, wet with tears, fell directly on him.
fine? What good do you mean?
The warmth was so overwhelming that it made him unable to think clearly.
Edwin answered, staring at her mesmerized.
“……Yes, I’m fine.”
“Let me see.”
Dana's hand touched his face. Because of that, she moved away from him a little, and Edwin felt a huge loss.
He surrounded her waist with his strong arms. When he felt her warmth again, he felt completely satisfied.
Dana, who was so busy worrying about him, didn't even notice that she was stuck in his arms.
She screamed, her face on the verge of tears.
“What if something bad happens to you and you follow them here so dangerously!”
“I thought I might die from anxiety! I was afraid something would happen to you...”
“You were worried about me?”
"naturally!"
With this honest answer, Edwin's heart squeezed hard. He had never felt so satisfied in his life.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He hugged Dana closer to his chest. Then he started patting the back of her head slowly.
Thanks to that, she couldn't see his features.
“Don't worry. I'm fine.”
At that moment, the knights who had fought the monster with him descended.
“What are you doing there, Commander…….”
Before they could finish speaking, Edwin's murderous gaze pierced them. As soon as they saw Dana, they immediately silenced themves.
Dana raised her head again and asked.
“It was said that he was a high-class monster……! Weren’t you afraid?”
Then Edwin threw back his sword. Fraken's marks were still stuck on his blade. Fortunately, Dana didn't notice that.
One of the smart knights quickly picked up the sword and hid it.
Edwin lowered his eyelids as he said.
“Oh, I was terrified.”
There was silence at the same moment. Did they hear correctly?
Did what was said now actually come from the leader……?
That leader who had just recently been riding the back of the monster and brutally attacking it.
The commander with the best swordsmanship, surpassing even the palace knights.
“Argh!” One of them almost vomited at Edwin's pretense.
Moreover, what is this poor representation?
Dana turned away from him angrily, with signs of displeasure evident on her face.
Then she shouted towards the Rune Knights standing behind him.
“How do you take a weak and ordinary person with you! What if something bad happens to him?!”
Weak... what...?
The knights opened their mouths and began to blink in amazement.
In the face of their inaction, Dana could not contain herf from anger.
“Edwin is not like you! He doesn’t even know how to fight, so how is he going to deal with a magical beast?!”
“...Really different, yeah.”
One of the knights scratched his head in response.
Every time in training, he faced dozens of knights alone... the difference between them was huge.
“That's all you have to say?”
She'd heard that Rune Knights were eccentric, but she didn't expect it to come to this.
The knights looked at each other in confusion, while Dana became increasingly angry.
“We…sorry…?”
“We made a mistake…?”
Dana eyed them sharply.
“If Edwin gets hurt, I will file a formal protest, just know this!”
Then she walked back towards Edwin. And he couldn't take his eyes off her.
To see her defending him like this was something that fascinated his heart.
As soon as she approached, he quickly hid his facial expressions.
“Can you walk?”
I asked him worriedly, and he answered in a weak voice.
“I was terrified... Maybe if you calmed me down a little, I would be okay.”
Dana quickly took off her gloves, then sat next to him, patting his back gently.
Edwin took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulders.
As Dana returned to his embrace, a gentle smile spread across his face.
The knights who watched the entire scene felt nauseous. Four of them even started vomiting already.
But Edwin paid no attention to them, and turned to Dana and said.
“Why don’t we get down from here? I want to rest.”
“Yes, let's get down.”
And so the two descended the mountain hand in hand, leaving Edwin's sword, Dana's helmet and gloves lying behind them.
***
Dana and Edwin went straight to a doctor.
“He recently encountered a high-class magical beast. Please check him carefully.”
"What? How did that happen?"
“The Rune Knights apparently asked him to do so.”
“Those crazy idiots!”
Even the doctor couldn't help himf and shook his head, pitying Edwin.
"First, he should drink water. He's probably dehydrated."
Immediately, Dana left the room to look for water.
“Are you seriously injured anywhere?”
"no."
In fact, he didn't need treatment at all. But the doctor's face began to frown as he examined Edwin's solid body.
Then he asked him carefully.
“Um... just a passing question...”
“Come on.”
“Are you really an administrator at the Ministry of Magic? Your appearance and build are closer to that of a knight...”
In fact, he didn't look like any ordinary knight, his sturdy body alone was enough to serve as an emperor's bodyguard. Edwin smiled, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“You're a really funny person.”
'I'm not kidding you...'
But because of the hidden awe that was radiating from him, the doctor could only smile nervously.
Then Dana came back carrying the water, and immediately the pressing aura surrounding Edwin disappeared.
'Was I imagining?'
The doctor asked, shaking his head in confusion.
“The patient is fine. But he might be startled, so it’s best for him to rest for a while.”
Dana checked several times that he was okay before her mind calmed down.
“You heard? You should rest today. The chores are simple, I can finish them on my own.”
Today she had the task of getting the knights' comments about the potions, in case there were any side effects.
But since the safety of the doses has already been proven, hardly anyone comes.
It was just a routine task.
'Hmm… but I don't want to.'
Edwin didn't want to be away from Dana even for a moment.
He raised his hand to his chest, as if trying to calm his pounding heart.
“Senpai… I was so shocked.”
“This is why you should rest.”
“But if someone was next to me comforting me, it would be better.”
He said it seriously, not without hope.
“If I stay alone, the scene will come back to me repeatedly.”
“When he patted me a while ago, I felt very comfortable.”
At those last words, Dana couldn't help but give up. What is most important now is for Edwin to regain his stability.
"Okay, just sit next to me. I'll do the work."
“Yes, I'll go take a shower then.”
The dust stuck to his white shirt. Dana nodded.
“Quickly wash up, then let’s eat together.”
"Good."
Edwin turned around, smiling broadly.
Dana kept watching him. His keen sense made him know full well that she was looking at him.
He hid his excitement and tried to walk with calm steps.
But his appearance seemed unusually weak, which made Dana exhale anxiously.
‘His excessive kindness will hurt him in the end.’
He didn't know how to refuse the knights' request...
For some reason, Dana felt sorry for Edwin