The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 62

Chapter 62: An Elated Heart, Carelessness, and an Unexpected Visitor

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The sun had long since passed its zenith, and the shadows of the mountains had begun to stretch out. The creaking of the wagon echoed faintly along the dry road. The boards of the driver’s seat had absorbed the sunlight and grown lukewarm, and the sweat that traveled along the reins dried on his knuckles, only to seep out again.

In the end, they left the abandoned village of Zaxon just as the time was edging into early afternoon. Even after that, they couldn’t let go of each other in bed, indulging in love as if continuing from last night, and before they realized it, it was nearly noon. Then they hurriedly prepared and ate a combined breakfast-and-lunch meal and moved on to the laundry. When Lloyd tried to wash the sheets in an effort to finish the laundry as quickly as possible—

“S-s-stop! You can’t do that!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll do that myself! Please take care of these instead!”

The sheets were suddenly snatched away from him, and a different bundle of laundry was shoved into his hands.

“Uh… Why?”

“T-that’s… Honestly, Lloyd, I don’t know you anymore!”

For some reason, he ended up getting scolded. As for the reason, he finally understood it when he secretly glanced at her, blushing furiously as she scrubbed the sheets. In short… A faint pale crimson had bled into the white fabric. Realizing that made him feel embarrassed as well, and at the same time, a sense of guilt welled up inside him.

Could it be that she had felt pain last night—no, even this morning? She hadn’t shown any sign of it, so he had sought her without noticing at all. Even so, asking about it at this time would probably just earn him another scolding. Despite such trouble, they somehow finished the laundry. They were about to head into town right away, but this time Lusha timidly proposed.

“Um… I’d like to take a bath.”

The sweat they had shed from last night into this morning seemed to be bothering her no matter what. Naturally, Lloyd could only nod. He knew all too well that both of them had been drenched in sweat.

Incidentally… It didn’t come to them bathing together. They met each other’s eyes at the entrance of the bathhouse shed, exchanged slightly awkward smiles, and took turns using the hot water.

Why was it that, even though he’d never thought anything of it before, just the sound of the bathhouse door closing and the splash of water made his chest feel oddly restless? While pondering that question, he finished getting ready, finally tied up the horse, and left the ruins of Zaxon village behind.

Beside the driver’s seat, as usual, Lusha was sitting.

…No, calling it “as usual” felt wrong. The distance between them was far too close. Lusha leaned in until their bodies nearly touched, and the pale blue-green eyes peeking at him looked damp with an indescribable color.

Get a grip, me! It’s not like this is the first time we’ve sat side by side!

Lloyd lectured himself internally. But what traveled across his sweaty palm wasn’t just the feel of the reins. The weight resting lightly against his shoulder, the way her silver-white hair brushed his sleeve when it swayed in the wind… The white skin he had seen beneath the white morning light kept resurfacing in his mind with vivid immediacy.

“Uh, hey… Isn’t it cramped? I think it’d be more comfortable in the back. You could stretch your legs more.”

He asked, pretending nothing was bothering him, and Lusha gave a small shake of her head.

“Not at all. It’s perfectly comfortable.”

She smiled radiantly, as if to say she saw right through his thoughts, and leaned her weight against him. That gesture was oddly innocent, yet the faint blush coloring her cheeks couldn’t be explained by innocence alone.

“I-is that so? Well, if that’s the case, I don’t mind.”

Saying that, Lloyd cleared his throat once and tightened the reins slightly.

…Was Lusha always this alluring?

He stole a sideways glance at her and found himself thinking that. Lusha was, if anything, naturally absentminded, and because of that, her charm had always been her natural charm and innocence. Yet it felt as though, overnight, a strange sensuality had been added to those qualities. Because of her casual gestures and expressions, his heart ended up racing no matter when or where.

Perhaps that was because, unlike Lloyd, who still wasn’t used to this changed relationship, Lusha had already grown accustomed to it. In short, when it came to romance, she was more mature and had more nerve than him. It made him think anew that he needed to work on himself as well.

Carried along by the rocking of the wagon, they crossed a hill, passed through fields, and eventually the outskirts of Gluteridge came into view. Low wooden fences and watchtowers. An old stone bridge spanning a small stream. With the market day being tomorrow, the road was quiet, and freight wagons were sparse. Just before entering town, a guard signaled lightly to them, and Lloyd raised his right hand in response, as usual.

The sun, just before evening, brushed the walls of the town at an angle, turning only half of the signboard letters white. When they reached the front of the Barmasty Trading Company, he slowed the horse and steered toward the hitching post at the edge of the street. The fittings were the familiar, angular iron ones. Lloyd wrapped the reins around the post, checked the knot, then lightly stroked the horse’s cheek. The horse snorted softly.

“Good work. Have some water and take it easy.”

Leaving those words for the horse that worked for them day after day, he climbed down from the driver’s seat. Normally, Lusha would land on the ground in sync with him, and they would head toward the trading company side by side. Today should have been no exception…Or so he thought.

But when he stood before the company’s door, Lloyd glanced to his side and felt an unexpected pounding in his chest. The modest curve of lips visible beneath her hood. Last night and this morning, the countless times he had touched them, pressed them together, the breaths that had spilled from them, the faint, glossy voices that had escaped—everything surged back into his mind at once. The warmth he had felt beneath the beige dress she was wearing now, and the smoothness of her skin clinging to the pads of his fingers.

What am I, an idiot!? Calm down. I’m here to talk about work.

He scolded himself and put on a calm front. This was bad. Completely, utterly not normal. His thoughts were overflowing with distractions. No. Just looking at Lusha made those distractions spill out whether he wanted them to or not. Still, that probably meant just how special his bond with her was to Lloyd. He had never, in all his life, been so deeply connected with someone before.

“Lloyd…? Is something wrong?”

A puzzled voice. Pale blue-green eyes peeked out from within the hood. His heart leapt even harder.

“N-no. It’s nothing.”

Even as he said it, he could tell his voice had gone slightly high. She looked at Lloyd suspiciously.

“…It feels like you’re thinking about something naughty, Lloyd.”

“W-what!? N-n-no, that’s not—”

He denied it reflexively. He could feel the back of his ears growing hot. When he tried to create some distance and stepped back half a step, his back hit the door, and the old hinges creaked. How did she know? Did saint skills include mind reading or something? That was terrifying.

“Oh, honestly, Lloyd. I’m just joking.”

Lusha suddenly burst into giggles, her shoulders shaking. It seemed she had only been teasing him. And yet, because she’d hit so close to the mark, not a single word of rebuttal came to his lips.

Ah, damn it. I’m done for today… Let’s just get the reward and go home.

Letting out a self-mocking sigh, he tried to switch gears and reached for the door handle. At that moment… He was made painfully aware of just how giddy he had been, and how much his guard had dropped. Lloyd hadn’t even noticed the presence standing behind them.

“…So you finally show yourself, ‘handyman.’ Or should I say Lloyd Valt, former member of the Hero’s party?”

A woman’s voice stabbed into his back. It was a clear, carrying voice and one that sounded familiar. Reflexively, he reached for the magic sword at his waist and spun around.

“Who are you—eh!?”

There stood someone he had never expected to see. The moment he caught sight of the two figures in his vision, Lloyd’s eyes widened.

“I guess it paid off to keep watch, huh. And wow, Lloyd, you really were with a woman. That’s a surprise~”

Another, brighter voice overlapped. The flippant tone only made the muscles along his spine tense further. Two women emerged from the shadow of an awning on the opposite side of the street. There was no mistaking them.

“Why are you two…?”

Beside the flustered Lloyd, Lusha slightly shrugged her shoulders and held the edge of her hood with her fingers. Standing before them were a beautiful blue-haired female mage and a green-haired female healer who still carried a hint of youth. They were none other than Elena Luibel and Fran Arcury, his former companions from the Hero’s party.

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