CH 81.2

“We’re going back to the barracks now,” Louina said, interrupting her thoughts about Kyle.

“Alright. I’ll be on my way.”

Isabella greeted the doctor and the page before following Louina.

As they walked toward the barracks, Louina reached for the leather canteen around her waist and held it out.

“Thank you for helping my fellow Knights.” She said.

Isabella smiled and accepted her offer.

Louina seemed to be deep and thoughtful in contrast to her cold countenance.

“I was thirsty. Thank you, Louina.”

“Oh, that’s not water.”

Isabella’s eyes widened in surprise because she was already drinking a lot of it before the Knight told her.

Her throat felt like it was on fire, and she almost coughed a lung out.

She could smell the pungent aroma of alcohol on her breath.

“Oh, was this alcohol?”

It was more potent than what she was used to.

“That’s right. It’s a Black Knight’s tradition to drink hard liquor on the day we see blood.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

“For us, fear is poison. Our fears can only be washed away with hard liquor.”

“Oh.”

Louina took her leather canteen back from Isabella’s hand.

“You can sleep well after drinking this. Everyone is having a hard time, including you. Don’t think about anything, and sleep tight.”

Louina said calmly before drinking the alcohol from the rim of the container.

She must have been worried that Isabella couldn’t sleep well after seeing a lot of blood.

“Thank you for your concern.” She smiled gratefully.

Louina held out the leather canteen to Isabella again, urging her to take another sip.

“Drink some more.”

Isabella shook her head in refusal.

“I think I’ve had enough.”

Isabella only had two sips, but she already felt delirious.

How high is the percentage of alcohol content in Louina’s drink?

“Then,  you should go home and get some rest.”

Isabella curtsied at the Knight before staggering into Duke Kyar’s barracks.

She sat on a chair in front of a table, lowered her head, and exhaled a heavy sigh.

Was it because she was drunk that she missed Duke Kyar so much?

Was he all right?

Repressing her strong desire to run towards the dark forest and rescue him, Isabella cupped her hands around her burning cheeks.

She didn’t want to sleep not until he returned to this barracks, but it was strange how her eyelids kept getting heavy against her will.

**

Louina bowed at Duke Kyar when he returned to the barracks after midnight.

Duke Kyar relieved her of her post for the meantime, to which Louina responded with a nod before getting out of there.

When he entered the barracks, he saw Isabella sleeping on the table.

Why was she sleeping like that?

As he reached out for Isabella, he noticed his bloody uniform and paused.

He decided to change out of his dirty clothing first.

It was a long, hard day.

The magical beast who appeared in the dark forest was a problematic demon to deal with.

Other demonic beasts would die if Duke Kyar froze them for more extended periods but not this one.

Its external armor was so brutal that the Knights’ arrows just bounced off like it was nothing.

The demonic beast was giant, and Duke Kyar expected it to be slow.

Unfortunately, the monster acted swiftly.

It was a bloody struggle that lasted for ten hours, and it would have lasted longer if Duke Kyar didn’t find a small breathing hole hidden in the magical beasts’ heads.

As soon as his ice spears pierced its breathing hole, the giant monster exploded and covered him with dark red blood.

He washed himself off immediately as soon as he exited the forest but his clothes still smelled of the beast’s blood.

He quickly tossed his uniform aside, changed into a comfortable robe, and approached Isabella.

She often came to mind every time he fought the demonic beast.

The thought made him speechless that he laughed several times.

What the hell was he doing?

Maybe, the reason why he got angry at her often was that she appeared so calm.

Ever since she appeared in his life, there had never been a ‘calm’ moment in his head.

“You sleep very well, Isabella.” He said under his breath.

Observing her tranquil face while she slept made him feel guilty, somehow.

“It shouldn’t matter to me whether you sleep well or not.”

He shook his head as he recalled changing his clothes swiftly so that he could hug her and move her to bed.

Wearing a hardened expression, Duke Kyar turned around and moved toward the bed.

But within a few steps, he stopped.

After exhaling an annoyed sigh, he turned toward her for the second time and immediately reached out to give Isabella a big hug.

At that moment, her long lashes trembled before her half-lidded blue eyes looked up at him.

“This is a misunderstanding! I am simply trying to be considerate—-”

She raised her shaky hand to touch his face and he stopped moving when she lovingly caressed his cheek.

“I missed you. I really missed you a lot.”

The mournful voice caused him to stiffen as he glanced down at her.