Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 49

Arriving at Enafork really made me feel like I was coming “home.” I hadn’t realized it while staying here, but after leaving for a while and coming back, it hit me.

 

“His Highness is in a meeting.”

 

“Oh, okay!”

 

“He’ll need to organize and report to the Imperial Family as well.”

 

“Yes.”

 

I hadn’t said a word, I’d only glanced briefly toward the barracks, but a knight approached and told me.

 

Now that I thought about it, Baslo and Arnic were nowhere to be seen either. It seemed like everyone had gone straight into a meeting as soon as we arrived.

 

『It’s okay. Come here.』

 

Before we left for Enafork, I remembered how Sihien had called out to me. He’d asked me to ride the black horse with him, but I’d turned away as if running away, so I hadn’t seen his expression. I hoped he wasn’t angry or hurt.

 

Pooooooo—.

 

At that moment, the sound of a horn tore through the deep night. Red flags fluttered to either side. Just like the two previous villages, monsters had appeared inside the Enafork fortress as well.

 

My heart dropped and I rubbed my chest. The knights who had remained at Enafork quickly formed ranks and assembled in front of the fortress gate. Those who had gone on the expedition—including Baslo and Arnic—were excluded from the battle.

 

Clop, clop.

 

But Sihien still dashed out at the head of the formation. The monster’s blood, stained on his crimson cloak, must still be there.

 

He had left the meeting and led the knights himself. He didn’t even rest, going back out as if it were only natural. I felt sorry for him. The image of him standing alone, watching the smoke as the monster corpses burned, kept overlapping in my mind.

 

Waaaaaaah.

 

As always, the knights charged through the fortress gate with a shout. Just having him at the front, I never doubted victory.

 

I just prayed he wouldn’t get hurt, that it wouldn’t be too hard for him, and closed my eyes for a moment.

 

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

 

Fortunately, before dawn, the fortress gates opened.

 

As always, Sihien was the first to appear, still radiating a powerful aura. As he dismounted his black horse, his attendant rushed over.

 

The attendant folded a white cloth and hurriedly pressed it to Sihien’s shoulder. The height difference was so great, he was practically on tiptoe.

 

Sihien held the cloth in place with one arm, looking around as if searching for someone.

 

I quickly hid behind a tree. I couldn’t say for sure why I felt the need to hide, but somehow, I just couldn’t bring myself to walk out in front of him.

 

Looks like he’s hurt.

 

The moonlight was so bright, and with the torches lit, I could see the white cloth quickly turning a deep color. He still wore an indifferent expression, as if he’d never been injured.

 

Peeking out from behind the tree, I saw him saying something to Baslo. Soon, Baslo was also looking around as if searching for someone. Afraid our eyes would meet, I hid again. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but for some reason, my heart ached near my chest.

 

I remembered those golden eyes that always sought me out whenever he returned from battle. If I went closer, he’d probably ask me to come into the barracks with him, but I worried about how it might look to others.

 

‘Isn’t it fine to kill an Epilo?’

 

‘Of course they should be punished.’

 

Even the knights who had witnessed Deloi and Okon’s situation didn’t bother to hide their hatred for Epilo. Their eyes were fixed on the fortress gate.

 

They were good people who didn’t have prejudices against slaves and were considerate, but I couldn’t predict how they’d react once Epilo was revealed.

 

But I couldn’t just do nothing out of worry. I secretly went near the Crown Prince’s barracks to watch the situation.

 

Since the small barracks Sihien had prepared for me was nearby anyway, the knights didn’t get suspicious.

 

“Physician.”

 

Growing anxious as time dragged on, I followed after the physician when I saw him come out.

 

“Physician.”

 

Maybe I whispered too quietly, but the physician finally stopped.

 

“Oh? Sez, it’s you! Where have you been?”

 

“Ah, I was in the herb room. The priest was away.”

 

“I see. His Highness seemed to be looking for you.”

 

“Um… How is His Highness?”

 

“He got cut on the shoulder. Luckily, it’s not too deep.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Don’t look so worried. It’s His Highness, after all. He’ll recover in no time.”

 

“Huh? Yes. Thank you.”

 

“No need to thank me.”

 

The physician said he’d be busy since Priest Omont was away for a while, patted my shoulder, and left. He said it so lightly, but seeing his sweat-soaked clothes reminded me of how he’d stitched up wounds before.

 

No matter how tough Sihien was, wounds would still hurt. He just didn’t show it. I remembered his face when we first met in the cave, not even groaning once, and my heart ached.

 

My body was tired, but I didn’t think I could rest in the barracks like this. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to relax until I saw the light in Sihien’s barracks go out.

 

Creeeeak.

 

Even opening the door carefully, I couldn’t completely silence the sound of the old wooden door. I practically held my breath as I slipped through the crack.

 

There were a few places I’d scoped out while keeping an eye on Princess Cesaria before. One of them was a small storage room between the Crown Prince’s barracks and mine. There were holes in the walls here and there, perfect for secretly peeking outside.

 

Sihien’s barracks were still lit. Today, he’d fought monsters in Okon village, then immediately went back into battle without rest after returning. On top of that, he was injured—he should really just turn off the light and rest. Why hadn’t he rested yet? Surely he wasn’t continuing the meeting, was he?

 

Clack.

 

The sound of a door closing snapped my eyes open. I must have dozed off without realizing it. I hurriedly pressed my eye to the hole and saw a familiar figure leaving the barracks. It was Sihien.

 

Where’s he going at this hour?

 

It was late enough for Enafork to be deeply asleep. Other than the sentries, no one was about and the surroundings were silent.

 

Where could someone who needed rest possibly be going? If he needed something, he could just call his attendant.

 

Feeling anxious, I followed his movements from hole to hole.

 

But the place he stopped was completely unexpected. I was ready to teleport if he disappeared from view.

 

He was standing right in front of the barracks where I was staying. He stood motionless in front of the door.

 

Why is he here at this hour…?

 

My breath quickened and I covered my mouth with one hand. There was no one inside at the moment. No, that wasn’t the point—why had he come here at this hour without resting? Did he have something to say?

 

Sihien raised his uninjured arm and brought it to the door as if to knock. The hand paused for a moment, then dropped again. He stood there motionless, like a statue someone had placed there.

 

Why are you standing there like that? It’s so late. You should go back to your barracks and rest. Why are you just standing there?

 

I remembered the warmth of his embrace, wrapped in his cloak in Okon village, and squeezed my eyes shut. If I opened the door right now, I felt like I could step into the warmest embrace in the world. No one would see, so maybe it would be okay. Maybe now, I could go out.

 

But I had no excuse for leaving here instead of my own barracks. If someone asked what I was doing here, I didn’t have a good answer.

 

This wasn’t why I’d come here. I just wanted to see the light go out.

 

I carefully took a deep breath in and out, then looked outside through the hole again. I hoped he would be gone by now. I bit my lip, afraid he’d notice any sound.

 

But he was still there. The only difference was that now he was leaning his back against the wall next to the door.

 

Why. Why?

 

Questions kept floating around in my head. What was he thinking, leaning against that cold wall? The longer he stood there unmoving, the louder and stronger my heart pounded.

 

On this moonlit night, I wished I could separate just the space where he and I existed. Not teleportation, but moving the entire space itself.

 

Then maybe, without thinking, I could run to him and fall into his arms.

 

Until the blue tinge of moonlight seeped through the hole, Sihien stayed there like that. My shoulders stiffened and my body grew heavy, but I couldn’t stop watching him.

 

My heart squeezed, ached, pounded, and moved on its own, leaving no room for boredom.

 

Just as when he came, he left without making a sound. Even if I’d been sleeping in the barracks, I would never have known he’d come and gone.

 

I watched, without blinking, as he slowly pushed himself off the wall and walked away.

 

Clack.

 

Until he fully returned to his own barracks and closed the door, I held my breath. In truth, something kept welling up in my throat and I had to swallow it down.

 

Why did you come all the way here… and not even knock?

 

Only then did I leave the storage room and stand where he had been. I touched the wall where he’d leaned—it still felt warm.

 

That warmth was so precious that I stood there with my hand on the wall for a long time, just as he had.

 

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

 

“The priest isn’t back yet?”

 

“No. Do you need something?”

 

“No, I just had something to ask if he was here. Thanks for your work.”

 

I’d barely slept and had come to the herb room. If I kept busy, my thoughts would fade, so I made myself work as much as possible.

 

“He’s still not back?”

 

“Yeah. He probably had to go all the way to the capital, so it’ll take time.”

 

“Wonder if that Epilo bastard is even alive.”

 

My body flinched at the word “Epilo.”

 

“If he was dead, the priest would have come back sooner, right?”

 

“Too bad.”

 

“Too bad?”

 

“Yeah, of course. It would’ve been a relief if he’d just died. Ptooey.”

 

I could hear the knights’ conversation outside the herb room. I’d been working hard, thinking about what to do next, but suddenly all the strength left my body.

 

“Hoo.”

 

I took a deep breath in and out. At that moment, I spotted a familiar figure walking from the other side of the square.

 

The one I’d watched all night—Sihien. He was walking straight this way, so it seemed his destination was the herb room.

 

“Wonder if the priest is safe.”

 

“He’s a brave one. Volunteered to take Epilo himself.”

 

“Yeah, I heard he said he knew how to take Epilo and stepped up.”

 

The knights were still talking nearby. I really didn’t want them to see me run into Sihien.

 

What should I do?

 

It would be weird to suddenly dash out of the herb room. There wasn’t another door, either. Where should I go? I felt like I had to avoid him.

 

Watching him get closer, I bit my lip in anxiety. Finally, one idea came to mind.

 

If it was “that place,” I could disappear in an instant without anyone noticing. Without hesitation, I closed my eyes and pictured that place as vividly as possible.

 

A hot sensation surged from my feet, wrapping around my whole body.