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Chapter 66 Part 3 – A little happiness and the prelude to the tragedy.

Wendell has the blood of the previous Lord Wilhelm flowing in his veins and is the star of hope for the three old warriors.
They could not afford to lose him at any cost.

「…… Which means that we can’t go on a rampage thoughtlessly. But still, what a piece of garbage. It makes me feel sick.」

The black-bearded Bobby sunk into silence and looked like he’s about to burst out into flames.
Seeing that, the brown-bearded Bill tapped him on the shoulder and tried to calm him down.

「I don’t mind being suspected of being one of the witches’ companions. But please, please treat Rona …… Please save her.」

Wendell, who had remained silent up to that point, determinedly looked up and said so.
Staring at those eyes of his, Marielle smiled.

「You have good eyes. It makes sense that those old men would dote on you. Boys put their body on the line to protect girls. There is no need for logic or calculation to do that. Foolish men like that make women’s hearts tremble. Please don’t forget to be mindful and I hope that you will become a man like those old men there.」

At Marielle’s unexpected words of praise, the black-bearded Bobby and the brown-bearded Bill grunted and turned away. Their faces were as flushed as if they had gotten dead drunk. It’s like the reaction of an innocent boy.

「…… Well, if I think about it calmly, there’s no way she could survive being tortured by Matthew. This girl is not a witch. No, I don’t care even if she is recognized as a witch.」

Marielle took a breath to suppress her intense emotions and continued talking.

「…… I actually feel the same way as you guys. The one who got hit in the neighboring town was the hostess of an inn, an acquaintance of mine. When I was penniless, she bought me food. She treated me well like a daughter because she didn’t have children. She was a gentle, kind person, but they threw her into the river and just because she floated in the river, they said that she was definitely a witch. Isn’t it so ridiculous? Once she sank, she would drown to death. Of course anyone will swim desperately in that situation. It was said that she was hung from a ladder and burned alive over a bonfire. That person did not give in to Matthew’s torture as he tried to fabricate the next witch and she denied being a witch until the very end. She endured all that and took a small revenge.」

Marielle recalled her memories with the hostess in the past and tears welled up in the corner of her eyes.

「What a remarkable, brave lady ……」

The black-bearded Bobby and the brown-bearded Bill forgot their indignation and offered a silent prayer for the hero of the town.
After that, they told Marielle anxiously.

「Be careful, Marielle. Your treatment techniques from the ‘Lawless Crew’ are too excellent. You could become a prey for the witch hunt.」

Marielle laughed brightly.

「Thanks for worrying about me. But you guys also came to me for my healing skills. The doctors in town can’t handle this girl’s wounds. Besides, I want to be like the hostess. I hope that someday when I pass away, I will be able to meet the true god with pride. Now, let’s get started before it’s too late.」

Even as she spoke, Marielle kept her hands on Rona’s chest.
She had been searching Rona’s blood flow for a long time, trying to find a way to cure her.
After some time, she nodded and raised her head.

「…… I sensed the blood flow. But I need to strengthen the heartbeat and stop the bleeding, both at the same time. I’m stumped. It would require an ability at the level of the head of the ‘Lawless Crew’ to do something like this …… It’s too much for a dropout, but fuck that, women are ballsy. I’m going to go a little rough. And before that …… young master.」

「Y-Yes.」

Wendel got startled when Marielle suddenly called out to him.
Marielle smiled at those wide-open red eyes.

「If you don’t mind, please hold this girl’s hand and encourage her. You don’t have to say it out loud, just wish her well. Romance has always been the best cure for girls. This treatment is difficult. If she is on the brink …… that miraculous push will surely be the deciding factor. It’s just a woman’s intuition, though.」

「…… If you’re okay with me, then I’ll do it ……」

Without any hesitation, Wendell got down on one knee beside Rona.

Rona was whimpering in pain, as if she were wandering inside a nightmare.
Wendell tidied the frayed hairs that stuck to Rona’s forehead and fixed the rose hair ornament that was about to slip out of place.
He wiped the tears from the corners of Rona’s eyes with his fingertips.

「Rona ……」

His heart was gripped by a sense of pity that made himself feel perplexed.
What kind of gaze do the gentle, courageous eyes that are currently hidden under the eyelids have?
In order to protect the people important to her, she must have chosen to hurt herself and cried secretly.

How can he encourage her?
Should he tell her to hang in there?
Or should he tell her not to be defeated?

Rona and Wendell had just met.
The conversation they had on the bridge was very brief.
He only knew that her name was Rona and that she had younger brothers.
Because Rona fainted immediately after that.

But Wendell could sense her feelings.
Rona was very hurt.
She was like a little bird with broken wings.
She was cornered to the point that she wanted to commit suicide.

And yet, she didn’t care about her own sad fate and was only worried about her younger brothers.
She cried that she had hurt them.
Wendell understood that she must have stifled her heart and lied to her younger brothers in order to protect them.
Rona was hurt because of her kindness and yet she still blamed herself.
What a noble and strong soul, he thought.

「If you have nowhere else to go, would you like to come work at my place? I’ll also arrange a place for you to live together with your younger brothers.」

At that time, the words came out naturally.
Wendell had been shunned by all his relatives except his grandfather.
That’s why he was dazzled by Rona’s willingness to give up her life in order to protect her younger brothers.
Even in the depths of the earth, her soul was more precious than the wings of a great falcon soaring in the sky.
For that reason, she bears more wounds in her heart and body than other people.
He felt like he had to protect her.

Beneath the winter sky, tears spilled from Rona’s eyes.

「…… I can’t believe it. Why are you so kind to a stranger like me …… But if those words are true, I could die happily.」

Said Rona as she cried.

She would give such a reaction to a trivial suggestion ……
Just what kind of harsh fate has Rona suffered?
The thought made him sad.
He wanted to continuously stroke Rona’s hair.

You are not dirty.
After all, you have such a noble soul.

He strongly wished that Rona would be rewarded.

「…… It must have been hard for you. But everyone has the right to be happy. I pray that from now on you will shed tears of joy, instead of sadness.」

He couldn’t help but pray so.

Yes. That is what Wendell wished for Rona on the snowy bridge.