Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 85

That made Ehit’s recent behavior make sense.

Thinking I was someone who would die soon, he must have felt concerned. No matter how cold he was, he had at least that much humanity.

Or maybe he felt a sense of kinship, thinking I was in the same situation as himself.

What was certain was that, either way, it wasn’t love or anything like it.

I submerged my face deep into the water. Warmth spread around me.

‘Anyway, now that he knows it was a misunderstanding……. he won’t worry anymore.’

He wouldn’t give up his days off to follow me around, and he wouldn’t sit close to me trying to meet my eyes.

The hot water covering even the tip of my nose started to feel suffocating. I came back out of the tub and let out a breath.

‘Come to think of it, in the original story, around this time Ehit would have gone to the north.’

Then we’d be apart anyway. Whether Ehit followed me around or not.

‘That works out well.’

I’ll just focus on saving money like crazy in the meantime.

That’s probably the best thing for my life.

Probably.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Are you going, Colonel?”

Ridel, sitting with her chin propped on one hand, looked at the man seated across from her.

The fresh, cheerful expression she had worn at the medical center a few days ago was nowhere to be seen—only a stiff, serious face remained.

Even in the capital, rumors about Ehit Cloyden were well known, so Ridel had heard of him too.

A man with abilities perfectly suited to being a soldier.

Someone with no disqualifications whatsoever to rise to the highest position below the imperial family—the most perfect man currently alive in the empire.

When she first heard that, she laughed, wondering how anyone could dare attach the word “most” to perfection.

But after seeing him in person, she changed her mind.

Ehit Cloyden is the most perfect man in the empire!

‘Of course, as a subordinate and colleague, and as an outstanding talent of the empire.’

To be able to work with someone of a similar rank and age.

For Ridel, that alone was good news.

She had worked with plenty of people holding the rank of colonel or higher.

But they were all at least ten years older, treating her either like a child subordinate or like an entirely different kind of being.

‘Admirals, people around that age—they all know exactly what they want, are individualistic, and don’t feel any sense of belonging to the workplace, right?’

She had heard that line more than thirty times.

But now, being able to work directly under a colonel close to her age!

That was one of the reasons Ridel had been excited to come to Belachen.

And there was one more reason she was excited.

In truth, to maintain her charismatic, iron-chewing image, she told no one—but she had a hobby of reading romance novels.

She went crazy for those kinds of stories, but since everyone around her was older, she was always starving for sweet stories happening nearby.

“Please give me a moment to think.”

And this man! This man seemed to have a story like that!

Right now, Ridel was asking whether he would participate in the pirate suppression operation in the northern strait.

It meant being away from Belachen for several weeks, but based on the image she’d heard of him, Ehit Cloyden participating should have been a given.

So why wasn’t he immediately saying he would go? Why was he hesitating like that?

‘Because of his fiancée, of course!’

Dapflen Aileta—the interesting, lovely person she had seen at the medical center recently.

The moment Ridel saw how Ehit looked at Dapflen, she knew.

That was not the gaze of a soldier.

This story was going somewhere!

He sometimes had a light in his eyes when looking at Ridel too, but that was a completely different kind of light.

If what he showed her was clear admiration toward a capable superior, then what he showed Dapflen was…….

‘Clearly love.’

“Admiral.”

“Yes. Think it over carefully and decide.”

“I won’t go.”

“…Make sure you talk it over—what did you say?”

“I will not go north.”

A troubled look crossed Ridel’s face. She hadn’t expected such a quick answer.

“Is it because of your fiancée?”

When Ridel asked outright, Ehit stayed silent for a moment, delaying his answer.

She had heard he was someone who kept personal matters strictly separate from work, so even if that were true, surely he wouldn’t say so……

“That’s correct.”

“What?”

“It’s because of my fiancée.”

Were the rumors about Ehit false?

Or was his fiancée so special that she outweighed all those rumors?

Interest bloomed wildly in Ridel’s heart, but logically, she could only worry about his decision.

After all, Ehit was an extremely important asset to the navy, and clearly someone needed for the northern operation.

“Can’t you spend time with your fiancée after the suppression mission?”

For a brief instant, something crossed Ehit’s face. It was only for a moment, but it was unmistakably painful.

He buried that expression beneath a calm face and replied evenly.

“There is no time for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know it’s only proper to answer questions directly, but please don’t ask any further.”

Ridel wasn’t so rigid as to pry into every detail after hearing that.

More importantly, there was a bigger issue right now…….

“So you really won’t go?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

That was the problem.

“I’ll take my leave.”

Watching Ehit’s back as he left, Ridel clutched her head in frustration.

It seemed that man had no intention of changing his decision.

Unless his fiancée went north with him, that is.

“Are you going, Dapflen?”

Inside the medical center’s office.

Oliver asked while skewering a marshmallow and popping it into his mouth.

“Give me five more minutes to think.”

“I’d understand even if you took longer.”

Oliver was asking whether I would go to the battle in the northern strait.

Since it was a major battle, they needed many healers, and a request for support had come to Belachen’s medical center.

“So you’re saying the pay is really—at least five times a healer’s normal salary, right?”

“You keep double-checking that part, but yes. You can’t ignore pay like that.”

Five times……. That’s hard to ignore.

It was a much easier way to save money than constantly traveling to remote areas for house calls.

“So that’s why you’re hesitating, Dapflen?”

“……Yes.”

That, and also—

‘Ehit will probably go too.’

The northern strait battle definitely appeared in the original story.

It happened shortly before meeting Ridel, so the timing matched now. And Ehit had participated in that battle too.

‘Well, it’s not like I’m going because Ehit is.’

Right. Even if I go, it’s not because of him. They’re paying five times the salary. Five times!

Honestly, there’s no reason not to go.

“You know it’s dangerous, considering the pay, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

But still, five times the pay…….

‘How would Ehit react if he found out I was going? Would he be surprised?’

While thinking about the money, my thoughts had drifted to Ehit without me realizing.

Even for me, it was a bit awkward how everything led back to him. Maybe deciding to break off the engagement was making me emotionally unsettled.

I’m going north anyway to earn money for breaking off the engagement, so why does it matter whether the person I’m breaking it off with goes or not?

‘……It’s because of his face.’

I won’t be able to see him anymore, and even in the empire, a face like that isn’t common.

I just want to look at it a bit more before I can’t anymore.

It’s not because my feelings for Ehit are deepening. It’s just his face.

“So, Dapflen. Have you decided?”

“Yes.”

I finished my final round of thinking.

I took a deep breath and answered.

“I’ll go. To the north.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

I ran into Ehit that night inside the mansion.

I had come out of my room to tell him about going north, and that’s when I spotted him.

He happened to be right in front of my room, as if he was on his way somewhere.

“I was just passing by.”

Ehit spoke first, clearing his throat once.

“Where were you going?”

“Just taking a walk.”

Taking a walk inside the mansion?

Well, the Cloyden mansion in Belachen was quite large, so it wasn’t that strange.

“Then walk with me. I was actually looking for you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I have something to tell you.”

We started walking together.

From the hallway where my room was, to the attic on the top floor of the mansion, and then we stopped briefly in the garden.

“There are people like that who come to the medical center.”

“People who demand to be treated right away?”

“Yes. Like you.”

“I wasn’t like that.”

“That’s strange. Ehit Cloyden was exactly like that. Are you sure you’re Ehit?”

Strangely enough, after spending a few days together, I felt more comfortable around him.

Considering that my sense of danger toward him had actually grown stronger, that was unexpected.

Maybe it was just that spending time with Ehit was fairly enjoyable.

“I also have something to say.”

Ehit stopped walking and spoke.

“I don’t know how you’ll take this. But I’ll say it anyway……. Please don’t think too deeply about it.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“You should speak first. Didn’t you have something you wanted to say?”

“Well, um, yes.”

After hesitating a little, I lightly poked Ehit and said,

“I think I know what you’re going to say.”

He was going to say he was leaving for the north.

“You won’t know.”

“Want to see if I can guess?”

“Go ahead.”

“You’re going to say you’re leaving for the north, right?”

At my words, Ehit let out a relaxed laugh. Then, just as he called out “Dapflen,” about to say something—

I flashed a triumphant smile and shouted,

“I’m going too! To the north!”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I volunteered! I’m going as a healer!”

But the moment he heard that, Ehit’s expression sharply darkened.

“…….”

Why is he reacting like that?