“Pardon?”
Before Ariella could comprehend his words, something unbelievable happened.
The hair that could only be seen by tilting her head back suddenly fell down, revealing her black crown.
At the same time, a finger, bare of gloves, brushed against her ankle, which was barely covered by her skirt.
Nobert Ashbon, who never lost his dignity even before the Emperor, knelt before her.
“You’ve swollen quite a bit.”
He willingly tended to her ankle, which was dirty with dust.
“Are you really going to go looking for your escort in this state?”
Faced with such an unreal sight, Ariella couldn’t even get angry or shout. Instead, her loyal maid Amira stepped forward.
“How dare you touch her?! Take your hands off her this instant!”
In her rage, Amira seemed to forget that the person she was pointing at was Nobert Ashbon, the fourth heir to the throne of Bingham and the lord of the Ashbon Duchy.
Even the bravest knights would cower before Nobert, but here was Amira, ready to shout as if she would physically remove his hand.
It was an act that could easily lead to punishment for noble disrespect, but instead of pointing out Amira’s rudeness, Nobert simply stepped back quietly.
His large hand, which could easily wrap around Ariella’s ankle, withdrew without hesitation. However, his knee remained firmly on the ground.
“Russell.”
“Yes, here.”
At Nobert’s call, a knight who appeared to be of mixed heritage approached and handed over two small round containers. Upon opening one, a sharp smell hit her nose.
“This is an ointment that works well for sprains. You should apply it quickly.”
Is he really going to apply that directly to my ankle? Ariella gasped.
Fortunately, he handed the ointment over to Amira.
However, Ariella couldn’t shake the feeling that if Amira hadn’t just scolded him, her imagination might have become a reality.
“And this is for scrapes. Apply it to your palms and knees.”
Looking down at his words, she noticed that her palms and knees were indeed scraped and slightly bleeding.
When did that happen? Ariella swallowed the words that bubbled up like a treasure trove and nodded.
“Yes, I’ll use it well.”
She briefly wondered if he had given her some strange medicine instead of ointment, but that seemed unlikely.
“So now, please get up quickly.”
Nobert complied once again. He was so different from the countless rumors she had heard.
Amira glanced at him while applying the ointment to Ariella’s ankle.
Soon, a cool and refreshing sensation enveloped her skin. Whether the ointment truly worked for sprains, it certainly felt less painful after applying it.
“Lady Ariella!”
Just as Amira was applying a generous amount of ointment to Ariella’s ankle, Adam returned with Ashbon’s knights. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be seriously injured.
“Are you alright! Oh no, your ankle…!”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious. More importantly, are you alright? It looks like you’re bleeding on your arm…”
“It’s just a shallow scratch. Thanks to the knights arriving at the right time, I wasn’t harmed. I was worried, but… they really were Ashbon’s knights.”
Adam glanced up at Nobert as if he couldn’t believe it. The idol of all knights, Nobert Ashbon, was really here. Even after hearing the knights’ explanations on the way back, it was astonishing.
However, now was not the time to admire the presence of an idol.
She noticed Amira applying ointment to Ariella’s palm. The noble lady’s hand was showing raw skin, red and exposed.
“I’m sorry, my lady. It’s all my fault.”
Adam, with his head bowed deeply, trembled his clenched fist.
To think he had brought such people as companions. A wave of self-loathing and guilt washed over him.
If it hadn’t been for the help of the Duke of Ashbon, Ariella might have truly died, and the thought filled him with terror.
“I have captured and bound two of the three traitors, Alphy and Jayden… No, it’s all my fault for not suspecting their betrayal. I can’t wash away the sin of putting the lady in danger. If I must be punished, I will accept it, and if I must give up my knighthood, I will do so.”
“Lord Adam, please lift your head. It was I who suggested we go, knowing it was a trap, and it was also I who let my guard down. You fought to protect someone like me.”
Adam, with his lips tightly pressed together, looked downcast. I tried to comfort his drooping shoulders with a gentle pat, but it seemed that was not enough to lift his spirits.
“The ones who will pay for their sins will not be you, but those who truly committed the wrongs. So please, cast aside any unnecessary guilt.”
Ariella briefly turned her gaze towards Nobert. It was because of the comforting words he had given her, saying she bore no fault or responsibility.
