The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies - Chapter 142



141 – Daphnis (03)

142.

“Ah, Miss…”

The sound was so loud.

Mars, who had been standing anxiously in front of the door, hurriedly approached Daphnis.

Daphnis gritted her teeth and wiped away the tears that flowed freely.

She spoke in a voice that was infinitely harder than usual.

“Mars. How many of those tasks are there?”

“At least two weeks’ worth, easily…”

“Get ready. We’ll start right away.”

“…Understood.”

“And…”

Daphnis paused for a moment and looked out the window with bloodshot eyes.

Time had passed more than expected, and before long, the sunlight was shining brightly.

Daphnis stared at it blankly, with a sad expression.

“Please send someone to deliver the message. If you go to the main street of Mland City, you’ll find a nobleman named Kalen waiting. Just look for the most handsome person there.”

“…”

“Tell him I’ll definitely go. Ask him to wait a little longer. I’m really sorry and selfish, but… no matter what happens, I’ll go, so please wait.”

“…Understood. I’ll prepare right away.”

With those words, Daphnis headed to the office without hesitation.

Those who wake up from a happy dream want to return to that dream once more.

Knowing that it can’t happen in reality, they still can’t let go of it.

That dream was,

sweeter than a chocolate dessert.

“…”

Only the silent stillness of the night lingered.

Looking at the pocket watch on the desk, it was close to 2 o’clock.

Of course, it wasn’t 2 PM.

It was 2 AM.

Not only the young ladies of the main street, but even the places that were open would be closed.

Daphnis stared blankly at it, then looked at the pile of papers stacked on the desk.

Finished.

The amount that should have taken two weeks to complete was finished in just a few hours.

That alone was enough to prove Daphnis’s talent.

It was clear that she was not as insignificant as she had said.

But paradoxically, it was too late.

She had asked him to wait.

She had said she would go no matter what.

…She really wanted to go.

Expecting Kalen to wait until this hour was impossible.

A very mean and selfish hope.

Maybe she shouldn’t have asked him to wait.

Daphnis held her throbbing head and groped for her coat.

Mars, who was helping with the work beside her, urgently tried to stop her.

“Ah, miss… You can’t go out now.”

“…Mars.”

“Please think logically, miss… Who would wait until this hour just because they were asked to wait…”

“No. I have to check. The young master might have passed away, but…”

I must go.

In the end, Daphnis put on her coat.

Mars, who couldn’t let Daphnis go alone, finally sat in the coachman’s seat.

“Haa… Haa…”

There was no light to be found.

Only the moonlight quietly shone down on the street.

In that dark street, a girl was walking desperately.

Her fist, raised to her chest, seemed to be burning with longing.

With eyes more desperate than that, she searched for someone.

In fact, the girl knew.

She knew there was no way he would still be there.

She had broken the promise.

That too, on the morning of the day.

Thinking about the time, Kallen would have already been waiting on the street by then.

He made her take a futile step, selfishly asking her to wait.

But she couldn’t go in the end.

What use would it be to come close to dawn?

So this was Daphnis’s own apology.

The happiness she had barely found for herself.

The guilt of abandoning it welled up.

That familiar disgust might have been directed at herself.

After wandering the streets for a long time, Daphnis stopped as if frozen in one place.

“…”

Click…

Click…

Her breath quickened, and her hands trembled.

What she saw was something that couldn’t possibly exist.

Daphnis kept telling herself it was an illusion.

But her body moved towards it on its own.

There, she found a boy.

“Mas…ter…?”

The one she liked.

He, in his neat uniform.

Arms crossed, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

This was something that could never happen.

No, she wished it wasn’t true.

As Mars said, who would wait until this hour?

Just because of a single request, one that wasn’t even delivered in person.

Daphnis’s eyes trembled as if in a spasm.

She forced her equally trembling hand to touch the boy’s cheek as he leaned against the wall.

It was cold.

As if he had been waiting here for a very long time.

His closed eyes showed clear signs of fatigue.

It was at that moment when Daphnis was caressing Kalen’s cheek.

“…Daphnis?”

“…”

She flinched.

He had only called her name.

But Daphnis shrank back severely.

The boy blinked a few times, looked around, and then nodded calmly.

“Is there something you want to do?”

“…”

Daphnis slowly looked at Kalen.

Her eyes were trembling violently, as if in great surprise.

“Why… did you wait…”

Words wouldn’t come out properly.

As if something indescribable was pressing down on his throat.

A pitiful sound kept escaping.

Kallen quietly watched Daphnis like that.

He spoke as if reciting an obvious fact.

“You asked me to wait.”

“…”

“So I waited.”

“I… I… sob…”

For some reason, that calm voice was so warm.

It made Daphnis’s heart ache.

If only he had blamed or gotten angry.

Daphnis would have gladly accepted it.

But Kallen didn’t do that.

Even though he had waited for such a long time.

Even though Daphnis couldn’t come in the end.

“I couldn’t… sob… keep the promise… sob, sob… why… my lord… sob…”

“Daphnis.”

“Sob… hic, sob…”

“Daphnis, you kept the promise.”

Unable to look at Kallen.

Daphnis, who was wiping away the endlessly flowing tears with his head bowed,

Hesitated at Kallen’s words.

Kallen looked at Daphnis like that and spoke in a slightly softer voice.

As if offering comfort, as if saying he didn’t blame Daphnis.

“Now. You came.”

“…”

“So…”

Kallen slowly, and gently cupped Daphnis’s cheek.

He lifted Daphnis’s head to face him and rubbed his cheek and eyes as if to erase the tear marks.

“Don’t cry. You said you were happy. Then you should smile.”

“…Hic…”

“The Daphnis I called beautiful is someone who smiles beautifully.”

“Sorry… I’m sorry… Hic… It was hard… I said I would come, sob, I said I would definitely come… Hic… But it seems I can’t… There’s too much I have to do… Hic…”

Daphnis was tormented by that warmth.

She ended up leaning into Kallen.

Her body instinctively sought the boy’s embrace.

Relying on his kindness, she couldn’t stop her tears.

Daphnis, who was held by Kallen, buried her face in his chest.

Kallen was a bit flustered, but soon he gently stroked Daphnis’s back.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Sob, I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay.”

“Liar… Liar…”

Daphnis, hiccuping, barely managed to calm down.

It was the moment when the darkness of the night slightly faded.

*

“…Hic. …Hic.”

“Are you feeling a bit better now?”

“…I’m okay.”

Sniffle.

Still not completely calm.

Daphnis, with her ears tinged red, lowered her head and accepted the glass of water Kallen handed her.

Sip.

Daphnis sipped it like fragrant tea.

She took a breath and regained her composure.

The exclusive inn of Ecclesia.

With the thought that she had been coming here often lately, Kallen sat next to Daphnis.

The kind person who had brought Daphnis was sent back to the family.

At first, he said it was not possible, but somehow, recognizing Kallen, he changed his mind and left.

The Le Carlin family deals with information, so do they even know about him?

Kallen shook off his thoughts and offered his shoulder to Daphnis, who was drawing closer.

With her head resting on his shoulder, Daphnis seemed to feel a bit better.

How much time had passed like that?

Daphnis whispered quietly.

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“Master…”

“Yes.”

“If you found out that everything you’ve done so far was actually meaningless… how do you think you would feel…?”

With her head still resting on Kallen’s shoulder.

Looking ahead, Daphnis asked weakly.

Kallen, thinking that her question might be related to the unstable appearance she had shown, answered carefully.

“Nothing is meaningless.”

“But…”

“If you really did nothing, then maybe. But if you worked hard at something, nothing is meaningless.”

“…”

There was no response from Daphnis.

She seemed to be pondering Kallen’s words.

After a moment of hesitation, Kallen spoke cautiously.

“Daphnis.”

“…Yes, Master…”

“May I do what I want tomorrow?”

“…Tomorrow?”

“There is still one last day left.”

A week.

The last day of the week that Kallen and Daphnis had agreed to meet.

Kallen was now asking for that day.

Did he want to do something?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Daphnis replied.

“Alright… tomorrow, yes. Tomorrow, as you wish…”

“Thank you.”

There was still one day left.

That fact was the last comfort that kept Daphnis’s heart from collapsing.