“So, because of me, you…?”

“I’ll explain in detail when we get there. If we keep them here, it looks like this place will turn into a waterway.”

Currently, when Sikar talks about “them,” he refers to Hersia and Aaron. The two were still clinging to each other and crying.

As soon as I agreed, Sikar picked me up and said, “Because you’re badly limping. It’s better not to put you down. Besides, you probably won’t listen even if I tell you to.”

Already too shocked and feeling dizzy, I had no intention of making any unnecessary comments, especially since I couldn’t walk alone due to the carriage.

However, as Sikar carried me out onto the terrace, it was still dizzying even though I was in his arms because of the people staring at us.

Sikar immediately noticed my discomfort with the gazes of the people and said, “You don’t have to receive everyone’s attention one by one. Turn your head towards me.”

As Sikar said, I immediately buried my face in his chest. It felt much better to avoid people’s gazes that way.

Although I could hear murmurs of surprise and gossip, no one dared to ask Sikar what had happened.

They were asking what had happened to Hersia and Aaron, who were following us, and why they were like that.

As the voices of the people gradually became distant and it soon became quiet, a chilly air was felt.

Slightly turning my head, I could see that we were leaving the palace and heading towards the carriage.

Whether it was because of the faint streetlights in the dark alley or not, it felt a bit refreshing to step out from under the bright chandelier a while ago.

“Now I can walk with my own…”

“We’re here.”

Although he said we had arrived, we had to walk for a while longer until we reached the carriage.

Upon reaching the front of the carriage, Sikar let me down. Even though his arms might have been sore from carrying me all the way here, he seemed perfectly fine.

Whether he genuinely looked fine or pretended to be fine, I couldn’t tell.

“Was it not heavy to carry me here all the way? Is your arm okay…?”

“Extend your hands.”

When he asked if my arm was okay, why suddenly ask me to extend my hands?

I followed his command and extended my hands. Then, he grabbed my hands, turned them in a direction where the palms could see the sky, and raised his sword, which he always carried around his waist, above my hands.

I couldn’t withstand the hefty weight of the sword even for a moment.

The sword soon dropped with a thud, and Sikar quickly caught it with his hand.

I looked at him with a stunned face, but Sikar, looking down at me with arrogant eyes, said, “I carry this thing around my waist all day long. So bringing you here is nothing. Funny.”

“Well, that’s enough.”

“First, let’s go home.”

“What about Lady Vika? She hasn’t come yet.”
“When Vika arrives, who will handle the aftermath? Vika will tell the king that I left first, then she will neatly wrap up the aftermath and return.”

‘Even though she’ll probably complain a lot about it.’

“She’ll probably complain a lot about being asked to do something troublesome.”

‘As expected.’

“You must be disappointed that your efforts in practicing dance were in vain.”

“Not at all. I don’t know how fortunate it is not to dance.”

“But don’t forget what you learned. Someday, you’ll find a use for it.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”

‘After going through all that effort, I can’t forget.’

“Now, let’s get on the carriage.”

As Sikar and I got on the carriage, as if it had been waiting, the carriage started to move energetically.

On the way back to the mansion, my mind continued to replay the events of assassins falling one by one, and Sikar’s words kept echoing.

“No matter if they’re assassins, you would be surprised to see people die in front of you.”

In the original work, Sikar was a character who mercilessly dealt with all the assassins without a moment’s hesitation, someone for whom mercy was nearly impossible to find.

However, Sikar, who used to be like that, went as far as having Vika put the assassins to sleep, afraid that I would be surprised.

Even if I don’t know much about elemental magic, I know that putting five people to sleep at once is not an easy task. Especially elite warriors like assassins.

Moreover, it was unlikely that Vika would easily agree. Surely, he could have just killed them. Why bother with putting them to sleep? I would have found it annoying to hear that explanation just once.

Nevertheless, he persuaded Vika, or rather, more likely threatened her. Anyway, Sikar made Vika put the assassins to sleep, an action uncharacteristic of Sikar.

No, Sikar would never have taken such action, especially not for someone else.

‘If Sikar has such a considerate personality, was I mistaken from the beginning?’

No. If he had a considerate personality, he wouldn’t have bargained with me holding a knife. He was never such a person.

In that case, maybe…

‘Could Sikar, by any chance, like me…?’

Now that I think about it, he seemed to treat me a bit better than usual.