165 – Scene 165# Protection
*
“Wendy… .”
Seeing Tristan’s puzzled expression, Wendy felt sorry for her.
It wasn’t enough to shout at his owner, and even grabbed his wrist at will.
I couldn’t have known how rude that was!
“Oh, sorry, sorry… Hick?!”
Wendy, who quickly tried to let go of Tristan’s wrist, was caught by him this time.
“Surprisingly, you also know how to say something funny.”
“That, that… .”
“Wendy. How old are you this year?”
“Yes? That… . 1, 12 years old… .”
“yes. you are a child.”
“… !”
The moment Tristan told her that she was a child, Wendy unknowingly burst into tears.
“I-I’ve grown a lot now! Big for a 12 year old… !”
“It’s a child.”
“I can wear high heels now… ! Joe, even if it’s a little hard to walk… If you practice hard… !”
“I am still a child.”
“I can protect the Count! I can help the Count!”
“No matter how many times you fight, Wendy, you are a child.”
Tristan continued to deny it.
Then, beyond resentment, a sorrowful heart welled up in Wendy’s heart.
Wendy actually knew.
Why are you in such a hurry?
Why did you want to be acknowledged by him like this?
Always protected by Tristan.
Even on the stairs of the library, after learning that you are of the hero’s lineage, even after entering school… . And when she fell into the demon realm, it was Tristan who saved Wendy’s life.
So when the emperor told her to kill Tristan, Wendy made up her mind.
I will protect Tristan no matter what.
I won’t be protected like a child anymore.
It didn’t matter if it was against the emperor of this country.
Even if it was to go against the fate given to the hero. Even if it means receiving a terrible curse from God. Even if everyone hates you…
It would be nice if I could repay Tristan’s kindness.
That’s why Wendy, who was denied by him, couldn’t help but feel more sad than ever.
“Black… . Then how do I… . How can I make the Count not look at me as a child… ?”
I tried not to cry, but the tears came out again.
The more I look like this, the more I look like a child… . The tears that burst once did not even think to stop.
Then, Tristan held out his hand.
A hand on her cheek wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Wendy.”
“Huh… .”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. Age has nothing to do with protecting me.”
“Yes… ?”
Wendy, who swallowed her tears, looked at Tristan.
“Haven’t you already told me? When my heart stopped, wasn’t it you who saved me?”
“Ha, but that wouldn’t have been possible without the therapists… .”
“yes. But I wouldn’t have been able to open my eyes forever without you.”
His expression was grim as usual, but Wendy could tell.
The kindness in his voice.
“Even as a child you saved me.”
“… … sniff.”
“The people around me didn’t support me because they were adults, but… . You have done something that is difficult even for an adult to do. You can be proud of that.”
“really… . really… ? Did I really help the Count… ?”
“yes.”
“Everything, I’m glad… . black… .”
The Count didn’t care from the beginning.
That fact made Wendy feel comforted.
The nervousness I had felt until now began to disappear like melting snow.
Tristan asked Wendy, who was constantly wiping away tears.
“Come to think of it, it was too late to repay you. Do you want something?”
“Oh no! It’s okay! What a reward! Since I’m the count’s maid, I just did the obvious thing… !”
Wendy desperately shook her hand.
But Tristan shook his head.
“no. It can’t be. The credit for saving the life of the head of the Ruelbert family is by no means small. Especially since you’ve been a lot of help so far, it’s only right to repay you.”
“Hick?! It’s really okay! The Count has already given a lot… . Poetry, even my family reaped it… !”
“yes. It seemed like you would say so. If so, I will do as I please today.”
“Hyat?!”
Tristan gently tugged at Wendy’s wrist and placed her on her lap.
Wendy couldn’t hide her embarrassment at what happened so suddenly.
“Bae, Count… ?”
“I thought it would make you feel like a princess.”
“… !”
At that time, Wendy’s face flushed as she recalled thinking it was a dream and being fooled by Tristan.
“Uh, forget about that… !”
“Are you ordering me? princess.”
“Ugh… .”
With her wrists held, she was not even allowed to completely cover her face.
Covering her face with her other hand, Wendy glanced at Tristan’s face.
He looked at her reaction and asked with interest.
“Why are you hiding your face?”
“I’m ashamed… .”
“If you are a princess, be proud like a princess.”
“I-I am not a princess… .”
“Clean your hands.”
“… … Ooh.”
I knew at least that there would be no further objection.
I was so ashamed… . I was embarrassed and wanted to hide, but I removed my hand from covering my face.
I closed my eyes tightly.
It was unbearable to think of the Count looking at his face, which had been ruined from crying, up close.
Wendy heard Tristan’s soft voice.
“Did Helga care?”
“… !”
I felt like I was being lied to.
Was it that obvious?
When Wendy opened her eyes, Tristan was calmly waiting for an answer.
“that is… . Heh, Miss Helga is tall and has pretty legs… . Because I’m mature… . But compared to him, I’m too childish to be by the count’s side… .”
“I don’t care if you are short. Even if you don’t wear high heels, they will look straight at you… .”
He felt Tristan’s hand on Wendy’s head.
“Hahm… .”
“Because you are a child, you can pamper me.”
“It’s a pampering… . No, don’t make fun of me… .”
“Are you ordering again? princess.”
“Hick?! Oh no! Please play! It’s okay to play around… !”
“I’ve never seen a timid princess like you.”
“Hey… . Somehow, the princess I thought was not like this… .”
“Even a princess cannot command me. But… .”
“… !”
Tristan lightly kissed the back of Wendy’s hand.
“I know how to treat a princess.”
“Ha ha… .”
Wendy, who is not good at everything, had bandages all over her hands. But Tristan didn’t mind at all and kissed him.
“Bae, Count… .”
“Did it hurt from touching the wound?”
“Oh no! It’s not that, my hands are messed up… . What the Count’s mouth can reach… .”
“Does not matter. It’s proof of your hard work, so there’s no need to be ashamed.”
“Heeep?!”
I was startled and almost hiccupped.
Tristan’s lips touched the back of Wendy’s hand again. It was a completely different feeling than when I had been kissed on the forehead the other day.
At first glance, the kiss seems like a childhood joke.
However, Tristan carefully kissed Wendy’s hand as if it were a precious treasure, as if he were really courteous to a princess.
Wendy felt her heart beat faster than ever.
At the same time, a strange courage welled up in his heart.
“I, uh… ! Pear, Count!”
“… ?”
“In fact… Actually, there was something I really wanted to do… .”
“Tell me.”
“that is… .”
Wendy swallowed.
I know it’s really rude, but… .
I knew that a mere servant shouldn’t ask his master like this, but… .
As for Tristan… . It seemed that the Count would listen for some reason… .
“Now, if it’s fine for a moment, can I be held in the count’s arms… !?”
“… … .”
“Gye, I’m not asking you to continue, no, even until you get off the carriage… . Oh no, even for 10 seconds… . Or even 5 seconds is fine!”
“… I don’t think that’s something a princess would do.”
“That, right? Isn’t that a bit too? I’m sorry… .”
“no. Does not matter. There might be a princess like you somewhere.”
Tristan spread his arms out and hugged Wendy.
“ah… .”
I didn’t know it when I was in the infirmary the other day, but his arms were quite wide.
It was to the point of hugging Wendy’s petite body tightly.
It was cozy.
“Ehehehe… .”
A smile leaked out without my knowledge.
Tristan’s hand ran down her back.
That hand is so kind, it’s very… . I was relieved.
“Cut your eyes.”
“Yeah… .”
Wendy quietly closed her eyes in his arms.
And muttered in a small, barely audible voice.
“It’s okay if the Count doesn’t protect me all the time… .”
“… Is that so?”
When I buried my face in his chest, I could smell the sunlight coming from the blankets I had spread out on a sunny day.
In the midst of drowsiness, Wendy thought.
After all, I want to become an adult quickly… .
But at this moment, I felt really fortunate that I was a child.
If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have felt his arms so wide.
“Now I will protect the Count… .”
“… … .”
Instead of answering, Tristan stroked her hair slowly.
Feeling his gentle touch, Wendy fell into a cozy sleep in his arms.