Clink-clack—

Only the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground resonated on the quiet road. Akkard and Damia were both lost in thought.

Now out of a crisis, Damia’s complicated situation that she had to deal with came to mind and confused her. In particular, Damia’s father occupied her heart the most.

Her father seemed very tired and distressed. After only a few months, he had aged rapidly, perhaps because his work was hard. Although he tried to marry Damia as Cesare wanted because of the influence of drugs…..he was probably sincere when he said he wanted her to live in peace.

When she thought of her father, the tip of my nose started to run. Damia tried not to sniffle and took a deep breath. She calmly opened her mouth.

“Sir Akkard.”

“Yes.”

“Regarding our conversation the other day······ I mean, when we were talking about drug addiction—Is there an antidote?”

It was dangerous—such a question threatened the wall she built up to keep her emotions at bay. She almost cried, her voice almost cracking as she asked. Damia never wanted to show tears outside of bed. Especially in front of Akkard.

Sometimes some things could be understood without words. Damia had slept with him only twice, but Damia had vaguely noticed such a fact in the back of her; the fact that many women’s hearts must have broken and shattered before this man’s beauty and indifference.

Akkard Valerian was a man who seemed to have been molded from the tears of countless women. And Damia didn’t want to be one of them.

Fortunately, Akkard readily answered the question before she became more emotional.

“A cure? Of course there is.”

“……really? Then can I get some? How long do we have to wait to make it?”

At the good news, Damia hung on to the hope without even realizing it.

Since there weren’t such drugs in the north, it’s antidote and treatment was unfamiliar.

Akkard, who had an idea why she was asking this question, inquired in a soft voice.

“It seems Count Primula was drugged. Am I right?”

“……Yes.”

Damia choked up.

In order not to shed tears, she stared up at the sky.

Fortunately, Akkard did not notice her emotional change. It was because her answer was so short that it was hard to tell, and Damia was sitting behind him, so there was no way to know what expression she was making.

“If it’s the same thing as the neurological drugs that have recently spread to the South, it’s not just a simple antidote. It has to be an antidote mixed with holy water made in the High Temple.”

“Made in the High Temple……?”

“Yes. Fortunately, Lessid Perry knows how to make it. If I contact him today, I’ll bring it to you within a few days. Don’t worry too much.”

Damia let out a sigh of deep relief. When the problem that had troubled her the most was solved, the tension all over her body was loosened.

So she leaned her forehead, clinging more tightly to Akkard’s back without realizing it.

“Hmm.”

Akkard smiled with a satisfied countenance. Sometimes there are things that can be known through actions and facial expressions without words. He could feel Damia’s vigilance against him gradually softening little by little from her trivial actions.

“Umm…”

Damia felt her eyelids gradually getting heavier. The horse saddle, which swayed consistently, strangely resembled a cradle. Akkard’s body, sitting in front of her, was very strong and warm, so against it her eyes started to close on their own.

“If you’re sleepy, take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Just as Akkard said that, Damia closed her eyes, losing the fight against her exhaustion. She fell asleep in less than a minute.

“Damia.”

“……..”