CH 43

“Si-Sir Ian.”

As the creaking sound was heard, I returned my gaze to Ian.

“Are we going to ride this?”

“……”

Instead of replying, Ian just stared at me.

He leaned back and said quietly.

“What’s wrong with you? You don’t seem to be in a good condition since earlier… Did you tumble out of bed and hit your head three times?”

There was no time to be offended by Ian’s words, which called my mental state into doubt. My eyes shook as I stared aimlessly at the gate.

In the original novel, the teleportation gate of the capital was destroyed due to a mana explosion. As a result, there was an episode in which the main character couple went on an elegant carriage ride.

I didn’t know when the accident occurred because it wasn’t mentioned in the original, but it doesn’t appear to have happened at this time.

“Erm, Sir Ian?”

I gave an awkward smile and raised my eyes to Ian.

“Can’t we just take a carriage?”

“What?”

Ian furrowed one eyebrow.

“Do you mean to spend two days on the street? You and I confined to a space the size of your palm?”

The voice that followed spit out the words was low enough that only I could hear it.

My body shuddered with dread. Just thinking about it was terrifying and overwhelming.

‘No wonder. This harried person devised a plan to travel far.’

Because it is customary for the bride to be uninvolved in wedding planning, it was a disaster that she left everything to Ian.

“I-I’m not sure. I think a carriage ride would be elegant and enjoyable, right?”

I smiled and looked back at Ian. 

Ian looked down at me as if he was wondering if I was serious. The manager next to him smiled and nodded.

“The saintess seems to want to spend more time alone with the commander.”

I nodded as I extended my stiff hand outstretched.

“Th-That’s right. Isn’t it romantic to travel, even if it’s just to get to our destination?”

“Since when, Madam, you had a dream like that?”

Ian retaliated angrily.

The manager only looked at us with smiling eyes, perhaps oblivious to the defiant tone.

“A-Ai. Why don’t you know how much I want to spend more time with Ian?”

[TL/N: Actually she wanted to say ‘Aish’ to express how annoyed she is in korea.]

I nearly twisted my mouth in the middle, but I kept my charming tone until the end.

“Hmm.”

Ian’s blue eyes scanned my complexion.

“What exactly is it?”

“What?”

“I asked what you were up to.”

Ian inquired, almost in whispers. When it’s just me and him who can hear.

‘Why don’t you just let it slide? You didn’t know I did it all for us!’

I blamed Ian very much inside.

‘You’ll never let it slide.’

Right. If I were you, I would never agree to change my already scheduled trip plans to a three-day schedule that is only carried by carriages.

‘Ugh… What do I do?’

If this is the case, I have to put my body inside that disc. Before the original story begins, the teleportation gate explodes. To put it another way, it took at least six months.

So it wouldn’t be surprising at all if that tragic day occurred today. Is it possible for my steel nerves to put my life in the hands of chance in this situation? I couldn’t, at the very least.

“Irene. If there is no specific reason, let’s move slowly.”

Ian has been in a hurry. I bit my lower lip and tightly shut my eyes. There was only one way that came to my mind.

“Uh, mhh.”

I touched my forehead and my body staggered.

“Saintess!?”

The manager’s baffled voice was heard.

“Are you alright?”

“Ugh, something….”

I groaned and muttered as if everyone had to listen.

Damn it.

I felt like an actress in a bad CG occult water scene. However, there was no other way. I’ll just have to do my best.

“Something… I see it.”

“Oh my goodness. The saintess began her foreknowledge.”

I heard the manager’s self-talk in dismay. The people surrounding us, who had been watching us the whole time, felt as if they were holding their breath.

“All of a sudden?”

Ian just looked at me with his brows furrowed. I ignored him and made a more serious expression.

“I can hear…..The sound of people crying and screaming. This…It’s like the hell in this world unfolded….!”

I gave a desperate performance passionately, recalling the shamans I saw in the drama.

It would have been nice f I could have rung the bell for Gut, but doing it raw was so exhausting that it felt like death. People could be heard gasping all over the place.

[TL/N: Gut is a dance in which one wishes to please God and fulfill human wishes. This is part of Korean culture that usually shamans do it. Usually, the shamans doing it literally jump in everywhere, so the performance is absolutely torturous. It all means ‘Irene is fighting without any weapons in the war.’]

“Oh my gosh.”

“What the hell is going on!”

“What do you mean crying and screaming! What will happen in this peaceful capital city?… I am scared!”

My forehead was bunched in a frown and making sure to draw the situation.

“That….two discs? Massive… Do you see the discs?”

“Discs? If it’s a disk…”

“If it’s a massive disc, it’s the teleportation gate!”

People were screaming and crying. 

That’s right. I kept continuing to describe the scene.

“From the disc…..Ugh. Smoke is rising. Ah, what happened….There are ambulances everywhere, huh, no. The stretchers come out!”

“Oh My God!”

“It’s terrible!”

“What will happen at the Teleportation Gate?”

People who were becoming frightened began to back away from the gate.

“Posse! Call the posse!”

“Nothing has happened yet,  but that’s a little…… Are you a little bit overreacting to what the Lady just said?”

“No, you don’t even know Lady Irene? She is the Saintess of foresight who appeared after fifteen years!”

“Huck, She is the reincarnation of Jasper….!”

If they were talking about Jasper, it’s the name of the Saint who had foresight ability that I read in the Book of Saints. Why is that coming out of here?

“Don’t you know? The reason Count Bernadette succeeded in opening a new vein of gold this time was thanks to that saintess!”

What? Is it all thanks to me?

“Right. I heard it too. Since Lady Cordelia wore the lucky color that the saintess had given her, Count Bernadette has been in full bloom!”

No, Isn’t that family in full bloom from the beginning?

“Is that all? Count Paras, who had been rudely suspicious of the Saintess and then had fallen out of his carriage’s wheels and rolled through the mud!”

That man… serves him right!

I touched my forehead, trying to ignore all the information coming from everyone.

“Ugh, my head again…”

As I groaned, people around me let out a sad sigh.

“Saintess, please don’t overdo it!”

“I believe you’ve already seen everything important.”

“God Elune warned us through the saintess!”

People were giddy and chatting away. With a tired expression on my face, I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief. 

‘Do I look okay?’

I think most of them fell for it. Apparently, the influence of the title Saintess of foresight seemed to be enormous.

That was because the number of Saintesses born with the power of foresight after the legendary saintess Jasper was so small hat everyone could remember it. Everyone’s reaction was ecstatic, but Ian, for some reason, was the only one who remained silent. My eyes met directly inside Ian’s blue eyes as I turned my head slightly.

“…….”

Ian was neither astonished nor made a great fuss like the others. He ​was simply staring at me.

‘You don’t believe me?’

I felt a cold sweat running down my spine. I’ve lied to Ian many times before, but this time I felt a little more pressure because I was so close to him.

“Ugh, my head….”

I staggered as if I had a headache to get away from Ian for a bit, gradually increasing the distance between us.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

Ian asked. His voice was direct, but it sounded as if he was very concerned about me. For the time being. I purposefully blinked my eyes slowly and dimly.

“No. I’m a little dizzy, but this much….I’m fine.”

“Do you feel dizzy?”

“My vision is blurry and I have a headache.”

I kept making a weak sound and a faint laugh. Ian bowed his head in my direction. He drew his lips closer to my ear. 

Flinched, My body hardened for a brief moment.

“But why? Your complexion doesn’t look any different than usual.”

I stopped breathing for a moment.

‘…..This ghost-like man.’

[TL/N: ghost-like refers to someone who knows everything without anyone telling them about it.]

Goosebumps rose up to my spine, but I couldn’t take a step back as long as I had a knife in my hand. 

I blinked slowly and looked up at Ian with a sad smile.

“I’m glad you see it that way. Dear Ian, I don’t want to make you worry….”

People surrounding us were feeling sorry for us, and sad exclamations could be heard. Ian locked his gaze on me for a few moments.

Do you really not believe it?  I was experiencing a lot of anxiety at this time.

“Manager.”

“Ye-Yes! Commander.”

The manager, whose face had become pale at hearing my prediction, responded quickly.

“What is your name?”

“Shu-Shuren.”

“All right. Shuren. Close the building at this time.”

“Ye….Yes! I understand!”

“And you there.”

A man standing by the gate, wearing a flashy robe and one-sided glasses, approached us with a bewildered look.

“Are you a mana instrument engineer from the imperial family?”

“Ye-Yes I am. Prince…… No, Sir Ian. I am afraid to tell you, but there’s nothing wrong with the mana flowing through the gate right now….”

“Call all Imperial mana instrument engineers to investigate the gate.”

“……Yes, I understand.”

The wizard gave a subtle hint that this situation was ludicrous and wrong, but he just nodded quietly.

Thousands of people rushed to carry out Ian’s two instructions.

‘The situation is becoming more serious, but if nothing is wrong, it will be extremely embarrassing.’

Fortunately, that didn’t happen.

The trip by the carriage of the original main lead couple is a great episode where the love between the two develops, even if the trivial thing is twisted, the disappearance of the teleportation gate in the capital will not change.

That way, the male lead, and heroine will be able to take a carriage ride. That’s when I started thinking about it.

“Co-Commander!”

Lucian rushed in, his face befuddled which was a rare sight. 

He rushed to front of Ian and began reporting urgently without pausing to catch his breath.

“Two battalions of knights sent to Rycalion…”

Lucian’s voice was so low and small that only Ian could hear it. But I, who was standing next to Ian, could clearly hear it.

“Annihilated.”

I opened my eyes wide. What does this mean?