Xerta inspected the area. Leyla stood lost in thought, her gaze fixed on my wound.
"Keith—does that hurt?" she asked.
I looked at it: the stitches had split from Regman's attack, but it didn't ache as badly as it looked.
"No, I'm fine," I said, but as Leyla stepped closer and raised her hands, a gentle light began to swirl between her palms.
The sting vanished instantly.
"Wait—hold on," I muttered, surprised.
Had she just used holy power? Sera's face mirrored my astonishment; she, too, stared at Leyla with genuine surprise.
"Leyla…"
"Are you free of pain now, Keith?" Leyla asked.
"What? What is that—"
"I can use it," Leyla said with a small smile.
While Regman trapped me, Leyla had still been able to use her holy power, even under different circumstances.
This was a relief; at least the protagonist's character development remained consistent. Given how easily she obtained her power, I wondered why Keith had to be so gravely wounded in the novel *The Way to Save Her*
Leyla had always been the center of this world; everything revolved around her from the beginning.
"Thank you, Leyla," I murmured.
Nicholas walked over, and Leyla immediately offered, "Does Your Grace need healing too?"
"Save your power," Nicholas smiled, then stood beside me. He leaned in and whispered, "Good work, Keith."
Do not tell me that he too believes I defeated Regman?
"What about the wyverns?" I tried to steer the conversation away—anything to stop Solum and Xerta from staring at me like that.
"The source has been investigated and eliminated," Xerta said, glancing at Epsilon. "Their wyvern boss seems to be taken care of…"
Everyone looked at Epsilon.
—Wait—did you beat it, Epsilon?
Epsilon crossed his arms and remained silent.
"Sir Magician defeated the remaining wyverns and took down their boss," Solum reported.
"And Rubert?" Nicholas asked.
"Rubert is resting at the castle," Solum said firmly. "Thankfully, Lady Leyla had already treated him, despite his serious injuries."
"Thank you, Lady," Nicholas replied.
"You needn't worry, Your Grace. I did what I could," Leyla answered softly.
"Are you all right?" Xerta asked Leyla, his voice carrying an unspoken weight.
"I—I'm okay," she responded with an awkward smile.
Why had the mood shifted like this while I was away? What had happened in my absence? I was curious. I understood they were husband and wife caring for each other, but still—Sera watched Leyla with a trace of curiosity.
"All right, then—let's go," Xerta decided.
We began to move. I fell in step beside Epsilon.
"Is it true you defeated the wyvern force and their leader?" I asked.
…
"Come on—don't ignore me." I nudged him with a grin.
"You could say that. It was nothing… I just did what was necessary."
"Hmph. That was incredible. You should be proud." I pushed.
Epsilon turned to meet my gaze; the wind played in his hair.
"You did well. I tracked the traces—you defeated ten wyverns at Triwheel Village. You were excellent."
I felt embarrassed and scratched the back of my head. "It was nothing… just luck."
"May that luck always be with you."
"Wait—what do you mean by that?"
Epsilon quickened his pace and walked ahead of me.
"Hey—wait! Answer me!!" I shouted after him.
===========
I am grateful you are here.
I am grateful you did not die.
I am grateful you dodged.
I am grateful you are still alive.
Don't die…
Don't die…
Stay alive…
So I can atone for my past mistakes.
-------------
Two days had passed since the wyvern attack. I was still in the North, at Helming Castle.
Epsilon had been teleporting back and forth, reporting to the Kingdom and the Magic Tower. Several mages from the tower had already stationed themselves at the border.
Nicholas had returned to the capital with Rubert, his face grave as always.Sera was being examined by healers blessed with restorative magic to ensure her condition.
Xerta, as duke, was busy rebuilding the ravaged territory.
And me? I stood before the graves of Seth and the fallen knights, staring silently at their tombstones.
"May you rest in peace."
I laid flowers and poured wine onto the soil.
"Busy?" Sera's voice came from behind me.
"No… just paying respects."
"I see… By the way, Keith, when are you returning to Hemser Estate?"
"Tomorrow."
Sera smiled at my curt reply."The plot has already gone off course. You don't need to force it back on track."
"Is this really okay?" I asked quietly.
"I was surprised Leyla still awakened her holy power in this arc," I admitted.
Recalling that this only happened after the necromancer injured Keith in the story. Although she defeated Regman in the novel, and things had changed since then, she still gained the power.
"Also, about the wyverns..."
"I suspect someone orchestrated the wyvern attack," she said, pausing. "I just don't know who." Sera fell silent, then stated, "Of course, it was him."
"Him?"
"The novel's big antagonist in TWTSH."
"You mean Cynthia?"
Sera studied my expression, then exhaled. "What? No, it's him. The worst villain ever... I mean, yeah, maybe it can be considered that…"
'Why did her answer sound so hesitant?'
"Whatever the case, Keith, be careful. If pivotal points of the plot inevitably return—like Leyla's power that cannot be altered—then so too will your death."
I understood. In the novel, Keith's death was a pivotal point, just like Leyla's awakening. No matter what, it was bound to happen.
'I see…'
Strangely, this time I wasn't as afraid as before. If death awaited me regardless, then perhaps I should try to accept it.
I smiled. "Of course, Sera. I'll be careful."
Later, I sat by the fireplace in my room, lost in thought about what lay ahead. My mind drifted back to that night—
The night after Regman's defeat.
Epsilon had been standing outside, gazing at the snowy landscape. His back looked almost sorrowful from behind.
"Epsilon." I approached, trying to keep him company.
"You're not asleep yet?"
"No." He scoffed lightly, eyes fixed on the night sky. "Beautiful."
Indeed. The northern sky was stunning—painted in shimmering colors, almost like an aurora.
"Do you miss home?" I asked with a smile.
"Home? You mean the Hemser estate?"
"Well, yeah."
He went silent, as though deep in thought. "My home isn't there."
"Oh, come on. Don't be so stubborn. You say you don't live there, yet you're always around. Admit it—you even sleep there, don't you?"
He looked momentarily puzzled, then chuckled softly. The sound made my ears prickle. "You thought I'd been sleeping here all this time? Of course not, hahaha... You're mistaken. I have my place—a house in the countryside near the Magic Tower. The only reason I'm always at the estate is that I teleported."
"What??"
"I wouldn't live with a duchess who hasn't been courted or married."
So I was wrong. But in the novel TWTSH, they really did live together. Apparently not now.
"Sorry… I guess I misunderstood."
I rubbed my head awkwardly.
"Don't apologize. My attention toward Lady Cynthia is often misunderstood—I know that."
'Misunderstood?'
No way. In the novel, it was crystal clear—he was obsessed, hopelessly in love with the villainess.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. But Epsilon, honesty is always better than lies…" I grinned.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Hehehe."
That night, the two of us simply talked under the dazzling sky. Now, staring into the fireplace, the memory played vividly in my mind.
Perhaps I was selfish. But I could no longer deny it.
Epsilon had taken root in my thoughts.
Knock, knock.
The sound at my door pulled me from my reverie. I stood and opened it.
"Keith… can we talk for a bit?"
It was Leyla, dressed in her nightgown, her hair let down.
"What is it, my lady?"
"First, may I come in?"
I hesitated. Just the two of us in my room, while Xerta wasn't here… would this cause a scandal?
"How about we talk outside instead?"
Leyla froze, lowering her gaze nervously, glancing around. "I… I'm not sure, Keith. This is very secret. We should talk in your room."
"…Alright," I finally agreed. "But not for long."
She stepped inside, and just as I moved to close the door, someone held it open.
"Leave it."
"Huh?" It was Solum, looking slightly annoyed.
"Solum?"
"I'll keep watch from a distance, but don't close the door, Keith."
Ah, he was worried about scandal too. I understood—he served Xerta loyally.
"Fine…"
I released the door, letting him handle it.
"Who was that?" Leyla asked, noticing my exchange.
"I'll just leave the door open, is that alright?" I asked.
"Y-yes… that's fine. Sorry…" She looked flustered.
I sat on a chair across from her. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Leyla looked nervous, but finally spoke. "Keith… I want you to stop being Cynthia's knight!"
Yep. I thought things wouldn't get worse, but they just did.
"Cynthia isn't good enough. You'll lose your life sooner or later."
Her eyes were deadly serious, making me tense under her golden gaze.
"Listen to me, Keith. Cynthia is behind the chaos at the church, Prometheus, even the wyverns attack. It's all her doing!"
"…"
"You must stay away from her. I'm not asking you to be my knight again—I only want you to distance yourself! At least serve as a royal knight, or become His Highness Nicholas's knight!"
That's when I saw it—fear and determination shining in Leyla's eyes. It made me unable to look away.
"Leyla… calm down first—"
"No, I can't! I saw you die!"
She suddenly covered her mouth, regret flashing in her eyes.
'Wait—what did she just say?'
Leyla quickly stood and rushed out. I rose to chase her, but Solum caught my arm."Let me handle this."
"Solum…"
He nodded and ran after her, leaving me staring at their silhouettes until they disappeared.
I no longer understood. What did Leyla mean, that she saw my death? Did she know this world was a novel? Or did she literally saw it?
My death.
"Heh… what am I even thinking…"
--------
Homecomings always come with big news — and of course, that includes mine, back to the Hemser estate.
Cynthia threw the ball. She invited the nobles and even the royal family. It seems like I returned just as something big was happening.
After that confrontation with Leyla, I decided to return — back to duty, out of the northern territory.
Back to Cynthia's arms, ugh... something like that.
The Point is, I went home.
Of course, I took Epsilon the griffin. I chose to return quietly, not bothering Duke Xerta, who's busy fixing the chaos in his lands, nor Lady Leyla, who clearly had some issue that made her really want me away from Cynthia — for reasons that are... well, you know.
I informed Joshua or rather Josh, the head butler, briefly. I also mentioned it to Solum, and I couldn't understand why he seemed so miserable about my departure; if he were a dog, his ears would have drooped in disappointment.
And now, here I am, finally arriving with Epsilon at the Hemser estate — and it's packed.A sea of people.
'Shit. I really picked the worst day to come back.'
"Lady Cynthia sure went all out with this party, huh, Epsilon." I said to him, but he looked like he was already caught up in something.
"Epsilon…" I called his name again until he finally turned to me.
"Enjoy the ball, Keith. I need to meet Lady Cynthia first." And just like that — he vanished, teleportation magic, obviously.
"Ugh… seriouslyyy…"
So I went inside, catching glimpses of bright chandeliers and violins blending with classical tunes that filled the ballroom. Of course, I tried to slip in quietly, not wanting to draw attention.
Wrong move.
"Keith!" Rodhius called my name out loud, and every head turned toward me.
'You bastard. You're the crown prince.'
"The great hero himself! You're back in this territory. I've heard of all your achievements, buddy." Rodhius threw an arm around my shoulder — and gods, I've never felt more uncomfortable.
"My mother, the Queen herself, even made time especially for you tonight. I'm honestly amazed. I heard the news — you defeated a wyvern, saved a poor child, and even killed that damn necromancer who kidnapped the duke's sister. What are you, the perfect hero?"Rodhius kept yapping, his face flushed red with alcohol.
'Should I just punch this crown prince?'
I mean, why the hell are these rumors getting more exaggerated by the day? Who's even spreading this crap?
"…I didn't do anything worthy of praise, Your Grace," I said quickly.
"Still humble as ever! Don't you remember saving my life at the church? Protecting my fiancée? Making quick decisions that saved countless people? Those are incredible feats—truly…" Rodhius leaned closer, still gripping my shoulder, still reeking of wine.
"…That was all teamwork, really. The great magician Epsilon helped."
"That's minor — he didn't do much. But you, Keith, you were brave enough to make yourself bait for Prometheus!"
Rodhius raised his wine glass. "Everyone, a toast to our proud knight — Keith!" he shouted.
And everyone raised their glasses high, cheering, "Cheers!"
'Huft... Great, now how do I find a way out of this place?'