For a while, Cloud stared fixedly at Psyche, who seemed to freeze.
He wore an expression at a momentary loss for words.
Since he started gaining fame as a mercenary, the nobles would sometimes entrust me with some tasks.
However, whether he didn't want to give the impression that he was asking for help from a mere mercenary, or whether the nobles never revealed themselves, he had never met a noble in person.
Most often, they send employers or riders to discuss the job and provide an advance payment.
Therefore, he rarely met or saw nobles in person.
If she was a duchess, she would have a high status even among the nobility.
It was hard to believe that such a high-ranking noble would be in front of him wearing such clothes.
It was clear to everyone that the current situation was not typical.
Psyche seemed to have some problems, but Claude wasn't one to ask about them.
'First of all, getting out of here was the priority...'
He turned his gaze away from Psyche and looked towards where the Duke and Alejandro were.
“Are you really sure?”
Alexandro asked the old man who was kneeling in front of him.
The old man could not bring himself to associate the woman in the dress with Psyche, and was begging not to be killed without cause.
Even if he thought about Saiki calmly, he couldn't help but beg for his life in panic.
"Yes! Yes! That's right! I don't know anything."
“Hmm...”
Alexandro looked puzzled.
This was because Clint's expression became increasingly stiff.
In a place like this, one can only assume the worst scenario.
What if... she encountered a gang of thieves on her way back to her homeland and died?
Alexandro did not want to imagine this terrible situation and shook his head.
Then he quickly approached Clint.
“Maybe I've already arrived.”
He deliberately tried not to provoke Clint and spoke positively.
“…,”
Clint remained silent for a while.
He looked around quietly and slowly opened his mouth.
"I have a bad feeling. Look deep. There might be people hiding."
“…,”
“Or maybe she fainted from surprise… If she was left alone in this forest, her life would be in danger. The night forest is very cold.”
He tried to act calm, but he was clearly agitated.
He didn't use the term "Master" explicitly, but it was clear who he was referring to without asking.
Alexandro nodded.
"concept."
After dealing with the bandit gang, the knights began to gather where they were standing.
“You, you, and you. Look deeper in this direction. I will check the surrounding area if there are any fallen people. Follow me.”
“Understood!”
"concept!"
The knights' voices echoed loudly in the night forest.
Ultimately, the direction Alexandro headed was where Psyche was.
Fortunately, when it seemed that they had overcome this obstacle, the search began again!
Moreover, even the child, who had been quiet for a while, now had a face that looked like it was going to cry at any moment.
It seems that Saiki knew that she was not the child's mother...
As she looked alternately at Alejandro facing that way and the child with a troubled expression, she shook her feet nervously.
Watching her, Cloud seemed determined to suddenly leave Saiki and walked through the forest.
"wow…!"
When she was about to call him again, she closed her mouth, fearing that her voice would be heard for no reason.
Cloud deliberately exaggerated his movements to attract everyone's attention.
Alexandro shouted loudly, when he saw him coming out of the forest, addressing Clint:
"Sir! There are people here again!"
Alexandro took Cloud with him, and headed back towards the Duke.
With the wind caused by Cloud's departure, Psyche sighed in relief once again.
The ambient noise might have made the baby cry again, but she remained sitting, holding the baby and trying to console him by rocking.
It seemed as if it was time to start getting hungry.
What should I do... There is nothing to feed him...
With a troubled face, she looked at the child and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
If her baby had been born right, it would have been about this size.
“My child...”
She managed to hold back the tears that threatened to fall violently.
She avoided looking at the child, turning her head towards Cloud, as if she did not want to cry unnecessarily.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Thank God! I thought I was going to die here without moving!”
Cloud approached Clint and deliberately raised his voice, attracting everyone's attention.
Perhaps this was Saiki's consideration.
He didn't know anything else, but he felt that she was in trouble and he didn't want the Duke to know he was there.
Well…
If he had informed the Duke of her existence, there would have been different rewards…
He was not someone who sought such things.
If he had been after honor or wealth, he would not have chosen the profession of “mercenary.”
Perhaps he could have become a knight instead.
Above all, there were two things bothering him.
First, the image of Psyche, throwing herself at the child as if her life depended on it, made a deep impression on him.
She seemed to hate people in general, sitting in the carriage without showing any affection to anyone. It was unexpected to see her throwing herself at the child.
And the look in her eyes as she stared at the child...
For Cloud, this suggested that she had another story to tell.
And secondly…
He did not want to betray anyone of the same origin.
In fact, he was from Alistair's area himself.
He too moved to another place because survival in the area where the Lord disappeared became difficult.
Meanwhile, strange rumors were spreading among the residents of the area.
Rumors spread that Saiki, who had remained in the area as deputy master due to the Bon family's interference, had disappeared as if she had been sold to the nobles.
No one knew if he was the Duke.
But at that time, no one blamed Saeki. They were almost aware of her suffering. Instead, the Boone family nobility became the subject of harsh criticism.
Maybe he didn't want to betray her, since she was the one who could have become his mistress.
Cloud laughed brightly, scratched the back of his head, then opened his mouth again.
“Oh… I really owe you my life! Thank you!”
When he raised his voice too loudly, Clint frowned.
Alexandro quickly intervened and asked: “Were you riding the carriage by chance?”
"Oh, yeah! I was riding in the carriage on my way to Alistair County, and suddenly, bang! The bandits attacked, you know?"
Well, it seems the bandits don't have a keen eye. What could they steal from a vehicle like this? Right, nobles?”
He laughed hard, mocking the bandits.
"Show."
As Cloud continued to make noise, Alexandro quickly raised his hand to stop him.
“Did you by chance see a silver-haired woman among those riding in the carriage?”
“Silver-haired woman…?”
As if struck dumb by the question, Cloud widened his eyes, rubbed his chin, and made a thoughtful gesture.
“If her hair was silver… she would have caught attention even if she just sat there… Hmm. I don’t think a woman like that existed.”
He even distorted his words to the point of creating a spectacle.
“As expected...is this true?”
Alexandro sighed in disappointment.
“What should we do?”
Clint asked as he clenched his fist and looked around.
With a worried expression, Clint raised his head and opened his mouth.
“It seems that the lady is not here. Let us leave immediately.”
Clint was in a hurry.
If Saiki wasn't here, all he could think about was leaving quickly to catch up with her.
He may miss her, or he may never meet her. In different ways, his nerves were on edge.
Alexandro pointed to the knights.
“Understood. Let’s get going right away. What about you? Since we’re heading to Alistair’s area, will you accompany us? It might be dangerous alone.”
Cloud laughed again and replied:
“No, thank you very much for thinking of me, but I have a place to visit. Maybe those thieves will be more careful now, I got rid of them a while ago.”
“…I understand. In that case, we will say goodbye. Please, ride with us for a while.”
Alexandro pointed to the knight standing next to him and asked him to lend Cloud a horse.
عندما استلم كلاود زمام الأمور من الفارس، غادر كلينت المكان بسرعة دون أن يهز رأسه أو يبتسم عند وداع كلاود.
After all the knights he led had left, Cloud carefully took his steps only after making sure that no one was visible.
Alexandro's words seemed well-rehearsed, as the horse under his control followed him obediently.
The sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground echoed clearly on that dry night.
After listening to the annoying sound, he headed towards the place where Psyche and the child were.
As he approached Saiki, he heard a voice that seemed to be crying softly.
"… I wonder."
He quickened his steps with a worried expression.
Even though he didn't spend much time with the Duke and Saiki, this place was still a forest.
It was a place where anything could happen without it looking weird.
He hoped his thoughts were wrong.
But as he approached Saiki, the sound of suppressed crying became clearer.
In the end, he ran. He quickly pushed aside the tall grass.
there…..