Chapter 96:The Reason She was Able To Be Where She Is Now #2

1.  

Guided by Yohan, Francia entered the estate and was able to enjoy a moment of comfort.  

She washed away the grime from her long life of wandering, tamed her wild, unkempt hair, and let the fatigue in her body melt into the soft bed…  

All of it was possible thanks to Yohan’s kindness. Considering the circumstances, such luxury was usually out of the question.  

Thus, she lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Though her nerves were still sharp from habit, the accumulated fatigue made her forget even that.  

“…Ah.”  

At some point, Francia came to her senses. She had practically passed out the moment she lay down and closed her eyes—evidence of just how drained she was.  

“Are you awake?”  

Hearing a voice beside her, Francia quickly turned her head. Yohan was calmly peeling some fruit, his expression indifferent.  

“Yes… Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to rest well.”  

“It’s kindness extended to all newcomers.”  

“Oh, is that so?”  

“Yes. Starting tomorrow, everyone has to work together.”  

Yohan handed her the peeled fruit.  

“You must be hungry. Eat this for now.”  

“Oh…”  

“It’s precious. We can’t go outside right now.”  

Biting into the small fruit, Francia savored its refreshing flavor spreading in her mouth. Yohan asked no questions and quietly continued peeling fruit.  

A silence fell between them.  

Why didn’t this man say anything?  

Francia found it strange.  

Most men couldn’t stop talking when they saw her, but this man didn’t seem particularly interested in her at all.  

Disliking the peculiar awkwardness and heavy silence, she looked at Yohan as he peeled the fruit.  

“By any chance… are you the lord of this estate?” Francia asked.  

“Yes, I am.”  

“Then, you could speak more comfortably…”  

“I wouldn’t dare to address a lady so casually.”  

The moment he said that, Francia’s body stiffened.  

Could he know who she really was? That would be a problem. Those four men had put out a bounty on her.  

The reasons varied:  

A heinous criminal, a witch, a practitioner of forbidden magic… and so on.  

Surely, he would hand her over to those men.  

‘No…!’  

Francia’s heart pounded with anxiety and unease.  

In the meantime, Yohan finished peeling the fruit and smiled lightly.  

“Well, I don’t know your name.”  

“Pardon?”  

“I’m just guessing.”  

His small, warm smile seemed to resonate with Francia’s heart.  

“Your movements, imbued with elegance, and the flow of mana around you—it was easy to deduce you’re a high-ranking noble.”  

To sense the flow of mana… Yohan was at least at the pinnacle of the highest level.  

“Then let me ask what is your name?”  

“I am…”  

Francia couldn’t speak. Her voice wouldn’t come out, as if her tongue had frozen. Her lips refused to move. She was afraid that revealing her name would cause Yohan to suddenly turn against her.  

Lying about her name… would be meaningless. Yohan already knew she was a high-ranking noble. He probably even knew she was Francia Ferbache.  

After all, she was the only high-ranking noble with hair as black as obsidian.  

“…Francia. Francia Ferbache.”  

“I see. To be honest, I already knew that.”  

As expected, Yohan had already figured it out.  

Francia lowered her gaze and asked him, her voice trembling.  

“Will you… report me to the imperial court?”  

“Report you?”  

Yohan tilted his head, looking puzzled. Then he chuckled softly and made a lighthearted remark.  

“Why would I hand over the Obsidian Saint to those lunatics? You’re far too valuable a worker.”  

“A… worker…?”  

Francia stared at Yohan, dumbfounded.  

“Healers are rare. In times like these, that ability is the most crucial asset in this territory.”  

The empire was currently being uprooted by a tyrant, and the rampaging beasts—unchecked by the overflowing calamities—outnumbered humans.  

A healer, already hard to find, was akin to a blessing from the heavens.  

“If you have nowhere else to go, stay here. You’ll be safe as long as I’m around. Oh, but you’ll have to work, of course. Most of it involves treating the sick.”  

Yohan smiled warmly. His sharp, sculpted features lit up with a refreshing smile that made Francia’s heart skip a beat for no reason.  

More than that, though, she felt at ease.  

How long had it been since she last felt this kind of comfort?  

The reason for this budding sense of peace was simple—  

He wasn’t looking at her as a woman.  

As someone who had often been the subject of men’s gazes, Francia could tell what they were thinking just from their eyes.  

And she knew Yohan didn’t harbor any romantic feelings for her.  

“Alright.”  

Francia smiled brightly and nodded.  

“I’ll become the healer of this estate.”  

2.  

After adjusting to her new environment to some extent,  

Francia followed Yohan as he toured the estate.  

Whenever Yohan appeared in the streets—  

“Lord Yohan! Good morning!”  

“The fruit looks great today.”  

“That’s because it’s from the seeds you brought us, my lord. Haha!”  

“Well, I do have a good eye for these things.”  

The estate residents greeted him warmly with smiles—  

“My lord! The meat is excellent today!”  

“Is that so? Perhaps we should hold a feast.”  

“Oh, come on, you’re joking, right?”  

“Of course.”  

With a gaze full of goodwill, he made a lighthearted joke.  

“Lord! The monsters are a bit quiet today, aren’t they?”  

“I may have pushed them back a bit yesterday.”  

“Hahaha! That’s our lord for you!”  

Even the soldiers joined in the cheerful conversation with him.  

Though she was merely walking through the territory, Francia could tell how important he was to this land and how great of a lord he was.  

“You’re quite popular.”  

“Well, it’s because I’m just that competent.”  

“Hmm, it seems so.”  

Francia smiled faintly.  

“But in this situation, is it possible to secure crops or meat? It doesn’t seem like there’s any food shortage.”  

She asked, voicing a reasonable concern.  

After all, most territories, except for those in monster-free holy nations, were facing dire circumstances.  

“Everything is self-sustained.”  

“…Is that even possible?”  

“Yes.”  

Step.  

The two walked side by side along the path.  

Not a single piece of trash was visible on the streets.  

“This territory was designed with self-sustainability in mind, thanks to my own hands. Of course, it relies on my magical power for maintenance, so without me, it would be difficult to sustain. But for now, it’s the best solution.”  

Francia listened silently to his explanation. Though she couldn’t grasp all the details due to their complexity, she could tell that Yohan’s agricultural and livestock techniques were nothing short of revolutionary.  

Of course, the reliance on his magic was a drawback, but it wasn’t a major issue. After all, without Yohan, the lord, this land would have collapsed immediately.  

“…It’s amazing.”  

Francia nodded in admiration.  

Faced with her sincere gaze, Yohan shifted the topic somewhat awkwardly.  

“…Well, enough about that. Let’s go inside.”  

Yohan guided Francia into a small building. Upon entering, she was greeted by an array of medical tools and a cozy atmosphere that embraced her.  

“This is the infirmary.”  

“Oh…”  

Francia’s red eyes sparkled. It wasn’t just the infirmary itself that pleased her. To her, who had nowhere to go, it felt like a new sanctuary.  

‘This is my new beginning…’  

Her heart, which had turned cold, began to stir once more, tickling her with a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words. Emotions swirled and intertwined, making her heart ache in a complicated way.  

“You are now the healer of Freece Territory. At least here, no one will harm you. Not even the emperor.”  

Yohan smiled gently.  

“Because I’ll make sure of it.”  

Suddenly, Francia felt her chest tighten with emotion.  

The promise that no one would harm her—  

It resonated deeply within her.  

Tears began to flow slowly from Francia’s eyes. Clutching her chest with both hands, she felt the heavy burden of pain crumble away at Yohan’s simple words.  

How much had she endured? How much emotional pain had she suffered? How long had she spent trembling in fear, unable to sleep?  

“…Why are you crying?”  

As she quietly sobbed, Yohan, at a loss for what to do, gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief embroidered with neat Rudbeckia flower petals.  

Francia looked up at him and asked,  

“Why are you being so kind to me?”  

“That’s…”  

“It’s not just because I’m a valuable worker, is it?”  

“……”  

It was true that Francia was a rare and precious talent. Not only could she use healing magic, but she was also a top-tier mage capable of purification.  

However, that alone wasn’t enough of a reason to defy the emperor’s orders and protect her. Even though the empire had fallen, Freece Territory was still under the Rozino Kingdom’s jurisdiction.  

“Do you… expect something from me?”  

That’s why Francia asked. While she could accept his actions as pure goodwill, her scars were too deep to trust such kindness at face value.  

“I don’t expect anything in particular.”  

Yohan gently wiped away the transparent tears trailing down her pale cheeks and gave her a faint smile.  

“It’s just… atonement for the consequences of my choices.”  

For some reason, his smile carried a hint of sadness.

3.

“Uh… um…”  

As usual, Francia was going about her day when Yohan came into the infirmary. She fidgeted with her fingers, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.  

“What is it?”  

Yohan asked, setting down the items he was carrying. She averted her gaze and murmured in a timid, almost inaudible voice.  

“How about… having dinner together tonight?”  

After countless hours of hesitation, she had finally mustered the courage to ask. She had spent days agonizing over whether to propose this idea. But as soon as the words left her mouth, the embarrassment overwhelmed her, and she wanted to take it back immediately.  

“I appreciate the invitation, but I’m afraid I can’t.”  

“W-what? Why not?”  

The refusal hit her unexpectedly. Francia blinked her large eyes in disbelief. Wasn’t he aware of her feelings? Had she completely misread the situation?  

“Today is a day to spend with my wife.”  

“…Your wife?”  

Thud!  

In that instant, it felt as though a massive boulder had crashed into Francia’s heart. A wife? But there had been no hint of that! How could this be? The once calm lake of her emotions now surged with enormous waves.  

“Yes. Rudbeckia Freece, the true master of this territory and my wife.”  

Rudbeckia.  

A flower like a sunflower.  

In her mind, Francia recalled the embroidery on the handkerchief she had seen earlier. The same flower. Its name was Rudbeckia, with a symbolic meaning of eternal happiness.  

“No…”  

This isn’t the time for this.  

“Wife? Wife???”  

Francia’s face turned pale in an instant.  

“Y-you were married?”  

“Yes, but it hasn’t been very long.”  

“When…?”  

“It’s been about five years, I believe.”  

Considering she was 25 and Yohan was 26 now…  

“S-so you got married at 21.”  

“Yes. It was an arranged marriage.”  

Yohan gave a bitter smile and tilted his head slightly. The emotion reflected in his eyes sank deep and low.  

“Well, it was a typical noble marriage, if you think about it. The Fritche family wanted me, and I accepted for the sake of my family. Both sides gained something from it.”  

Being born a noble, longing for love was a luxury. Francia understood that all too well.  

“Even though it was a marriage of convenience, I’ve been trying to love her. Marriage isn’t something you can spend without any romance.”  

Even so, Yohan was someone who sought romance. He was a person who took responsibility for his choices and strove for the best outcome.  

“I-I see…”  

Francia’s shoulders slumped.  

Was this what heartbreak felt like? The shock was overwhelming.  

She felt like she might die from embarrassment.  

“…Shall I make time tomorrow?”  

“N-no… haha…”  

Francia replied in a shrinking voice and laughed awkwardly.  

“It’s fine…”  

Her voice lacked strength.  

Suddenly, she felt completely drained of motivation.  

She didn’t want to do anything.  

“…Tomorrow, I can—”  

Yohan was about to continue when—

Thunk!

The infirmary door opened, and a woman entered.  

“Yohan! There you are!”  

“Rudbeckia?”  

She ran over and threw herself into Yohan’s broad chest. His solidly built body embraced her entirely like a fortress.  

“Ah…”  

Francia tried to look away, but her heart was already fixated on the two of them.  

That warmth, that sense of security, and the undeniable bond of a married couple… She envied it so deeply.  

“…..”  

Nestled in Yohan’s arms, Rudbeckia narrowed her eyes and cast a sharp gaze at Francia. Her expression was far from friendly.  

“And you are?”  

“I-I’m—”  

“She’s the new healer who just joined the estate,” Yohan interjected before Francia could finish.  

“I brought her in because she was wandering around outside.”  

“Huh?”  

“…Shall we go back?”  

“Alright.”  

As if to flaunt her title as his wife, Rudbeckia gently kissed Yohan’s cheek and smiled sweetly.  

But when her gaze shifted to Francia, her eyes turned cold.  

‘He’s mine.’  

That’s what they seemed to say.  

“….”  

Francia’s red eyes sank deeply, dark with emotion.