Saint Laila.
She was the most trusted cleric in this world, enjoying absolute support and popularity among the people.
Ketron tried to avoid encountering past acquaintances who wouldn’t remember him as much as possible, but unfortunately, the positions they were standing in and the ward weren’t that far apart.
Moreover, because both of them were taller than the average in this world, her figure was clearly visible even among the crowd that had gathered to see her.
Not far away, a woman in pure white priestly robes could be seen.
Saint Laila. She was an elegant beauty with a calm aura.
A person whose appearance was eye-catching even from afar, and who had a sacred beauty that seemed holy, perhaps due to her symbolic status as a saint. Furthermore, she had a unique aura as if a halo was shining behind her.
The heroine who would have naturally been connected to Ketron under normal circumstances.
Well, there hadn’t been any serious romantic storyline between them.
“When you return, there’s a gift I’d like to receive from you.”
Laila had left these words before Ketron departed. Until then, she had shown interest in him and was quietly considered a heroine candidate, but since Ketron had never shown any scenes where he was conscious of her as a woman, she remained just a wishful character for readers.
However, that brief line made Laila a strong heroine candidate in “The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Too Well.”
“Ask for my hand when you return.” No one failed to understand those words except Ketron. This was because there hadn’t been any serious romantic atmosphere between them, and Ketron had been completely oblivious to women until then.
Still, readers could confirm in several episodes that Laila was a strong heroine candidate, so many readers expected them to end up together in the ending.
Readers were divided into Team Laila and Team Boram. Her character status had risen to the level of Boram, who until then had been the powerful and only heroine candidate.
Of course, Boram didn’t have any special relationship with Ketron either. It was just the general consensus that the beautiful colleague would naturally end up with the protagonist.
But no one expected the ending to turn out that way.
Sigh, Eddie unconsciously let out a sigh.
Boram, the beautiful dark-haired magician with a bob cut, and Saint Laila, the beautiful blonde whose hair shone like molten gold, were the two main heroine contenders in “The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Too Well.”
Well, to put it bluntly, the ending turned out the way it did, and Ketron didn’t end up with either of them. Moreover, Boram even betrayed Ketron by following Arthur, so the protagonist Ketron’s love line was seriously twisted.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Ketron had never been described as having romantic feelings for either of them.
However, what was certain was that his connection with Saint Laila was one of the many things Ketron had lost.
Eddie unconsciously glanced at Ketron’s expression. Ketron, holding bags full of vegetables and meat that Eddie had bought, showed no change in expression even when he saw Laila in the distance.
But was he really unaffected?
She too must be a part of the past he had lost.
Eddie unconsciously tugged at Ketron’s sleeve. Ketron, who had been looking at the saint in the distance, turned his gaze to Eddie who was pulling his sleeve.
As that indifferent, sunken gaze turned toward him, Eddie smiled as if he knew nothing.
“Ket, I think we’ve bought everything we need. Shall we head back?”
Eddie had bought what he wanted. He bought prepared side dishes, vegetables for salad, and even some unfamiliar fruits. This should be enough to make side dishes.
After looking down at Eddie for a moment, Ketron slowly nodded, then turned around without hesitation.
Inwardly sighing with relief, Eddie said in an excited tone,
“Next time, let’s buy a cart to bring along.”
Ketron had no reason to object, so he nodded.
In the end, that nod was a promise of a “next time” with Eddie, though he himself didn’t seem to realize it.
* * *
“…?”
It was purely by chance that Laila, who was going around the ward blessing patients, saw the two men.
One tall man with an intimidating build and presence, and another man who stood out because of his shining silver-blonde hair.
Both were seen from behind so she couldn’t confirm their faces, but somehow her gaze was drawn to them and Laila unconsciously stopped in her tracks.
Among them, the tall man with black hair caught Laila’s eye more.
For some reason, his back looked familiar. She also felt an unknown ache. As if she had gazed at that back wistfully before.
…There’s no one I know who looks like that, why do I feel this way?
Just as countless hooks began sprouting in Laila’s mind due to the strange impulse to follow that back view, someone approached her.
“Saintess.”
Laila turned her head at the voice calling her. Although she turned reflexively, the smile naturally disappeared from her face, as if the person wasn’t particularly someone who made her feel good.
A man dressed neatly appeared. He looked extremely young, but despite his appearance, he was the butler of a count’s household.
For a butler of a count’s family to be so young typically meant one of two things:
Either the butler from a family that had served as butlers for generations died early due to illness, forcing an elderly predecessor or his son to inherit the position.
Or the family’s history was short, and consequently, the history of the butler serving that family was also short.
In this case, it was the latter.
He was the butler of the hero Arthur, who had newly received his title and become the first Count Fontaine.
Arthur, Arthur Fontaine.
Her fiancé.
However, Laila’s expression turned cold when she recognized the young butler’s face.
“To think you’d come all the way here. Didn’t I clearly say I would visit personally?”
“It’s been nearly a week since you said that. The Count is feeling neglected.”
The butler’s sickening smile was utterly detestable. All eyes around were on them. He had undoubtedly deliberately chosen this timing and this place.
So that she couldn’t refuse.
The butler lowered his eyebrows as if greatly regretful and said,
“You didn’t show your face at the parade, nor did you attend the Count’s title conferment ceremony. It’s been so long since he’s seen you, it’s understandable that he feels hurt as your fiancé.”
Fiancé.
Saint Laila and Hero Arthur, or now Count Arthur Fontaine, were engaged.
Before he left, she had gently hinted that she hoped he would propose to her when he returned after defeating the Demon King. Even though she had said it indirectly, it was with nuance impossible to misunderstand.
And he had kept his promise.
He defeated the Demon King, returned, and immediately proposed to her.
But strangely, Laila wasn’t happy at all.
It was the proposal she had wanted, the return she had longed for, yet somehow, the moment she saw Arthur’s face, she was struck by the powerful thought: ‘This isn’t right.’
That thought still holds true.
It’s not that her intense feelings of love have cooled or disappeared. Those feelings still exist within her.
But as if those feelings had lost their way, they simply wandered and wandered, not flowing entirely toward Arthur.
She too couldn’t understand why she felt this way. Although she had never prayed to God for her personal matters, she had done the embarrassing thing of seeking answers from God on this issue.
But what had the deity who always listened to her said?
“Child, your heart toward the hero remains the same.”
Wasn’t that what was said? Her doubts were cleared immediately, but the uneasiness remained, and she had been postponing her promised visit to Arthur day after day.
And now he was pressuring her by sending his butler.
She sighed deeply.
“All right. I’ll visit after the relief activities are done.”
“I’ll have a carriage waiting.”
He’s even bringing the family carriage in case she might try to go elsewhere. She had postponed the visit several times, but isn’t this practically coercion?
Biting her lips several times at the rising displeasure, she forced a smile while thinking of the patients waiting for her in the ward and the numerous subjects.
“All right.”
“If you don’t visit this time—”
“That’s enough.”
Her expression hardened as she couldn’t bear the pressing voice. The butler stepped back with a gentle smile, as if he had only intended to say that much.
Fatigue settled on Laila’s face as she turned away.
She already missed the peaceful and cozy temple.