Chapter 47 -

 As if responding to my thoughts, Leon licked my hand with his damp tongue. The ticklish sensation made me laugh uncontrollably.

"He's really cute."

"He's just a big kid."

Though Amon spoke with a feigned sigh, his words brimmed with undeniable affection.

As I patted Leon’s face for a while, a small ornament attached to the rein's ring caught my eye.

‘What’s this?’

The ornament, crafted with a blue gemstone, dangled like a keychain. The gemstone itself sparkled luxuriously, but the surrounding silver looked rough and unpolished as if someone unskilled had made it by hand.

"Sir Spencer, what is this?"

"Pardon?"

Amon, sitting on the grass, stood and approached me.

"What are you referring to?"

"This ornament. Did you make it yourself?"

"Ah..."

I thought he’d answer casually, but for some reason, Amon avoided my gaze with an uncomfortable expression.

"I didn’t make it. It was a gift."

"A gift?"

My eyes turned back to the ornament. Now that I thought about it, the blue gemstone strongly resembled Amon's eyes. It was obvious that this had been crafted with Amon in mind.

A small pang pricked somewhere in my chest. Who could it be? Who cherished Amon this much?

"…Who gave it to you?"

I knew it was a personal question, but I couldn’t suppress the urge. Amon cleared his throat and averted his eyes.

"…That’s a secret."

Huh?

"We should head down. It might get dangerous after dark."

With that, he lifted me onto the saddle as if he were deliberately changing the subject.

Had Amon ever kept secrets from me like this before? Especially about something so trivial?

"Hey—"

"We’re heading out. Hold on tight."

Before I could press further, Amon took the reins. Leon began galloping swiftly, and I instinctively closed my eyes.

Even amid the fear of descending the cliff, the curiosity wouldn’t leave my mind. The handcrafted ornament, full of care, his reluctance to talk about it, and his insistence that it was a secret—everything gnawed at me.

Why did the contents of Selena’s report suddenly come to mind? The part about nobles marrying relatively young and how remaining unmarried was especially frowned upon for high-ranking nobles.

‘No way… could Amon be married?’

No, that couldn’t be true. Amon lived in the knights’ quarters instead of going home. Someone with a wife wouldn’t do that. Besides, the books I had skimmed about Amon during my earlier investigations never mentioned a marriage.

‘Then, a lover?’

This… this seemed plausible. Come to think of it, I’d never discussed such topics with Amon before.

It made sense in hindsight. We hadn’t known each other for long, and our relationship had begun with a singular purpose: to uncover the real culprit. It wasn’t as if he was obligated to tell me about a lover.

But then why did I feel this pang of disappointment?

‘I thought we were close...’

I realized I had assumed we were much closer than we actually were. In this world, I’d considered Amon the only person I could trust. But now I saw I knew almost nothing about his personal life.

I didn’t even know anything about his family. Julia was an only child and lived alone after losing her parents, but Amon was the second son of the Duke of Spencer.

‘I don’t even know where the Spencer estate is.’

I had been under some serious misconceptions. In this world, Amon was my closest and most reliable companion.

‘But am I the same to him?’

He still had family. He had comrades, and undoubtedly, there were precious people in his life he hadn’t mentioned to me—people with far more shared memories than we had.

A stark realization dawned on me. We were two people temporarily bound by a contract and a shared goal—nothing more, nothing less—a relationship that would end as soon as we found the true culprit.

I was the only one unaware of this reality.

Over the next week, I trained in horseback riding.

Since Amon didn’t have enough time to guide me alone, Carlyle, Marvin, and Eloise alternated in helping me. It was during this training that I discovered the Blue Knight Order had its own dedicated training ground.

The training ground, located some distance from the Order’s main building, was quite expansive. It seemed the knights had been using it frequently without my knowledge.

“You’re getting pretty good, milady!”

Marvin, who had been practicing swordsmanship, shouted as I circled the training ground on horseback.

"Impressive, isn’t it?"

I waved confidently, and Marvin gave me a thumbs-up. Feeling cocky, I held the reins with one hand and made another lap, spotting Amon waiting for me in the distance.

I hurriedly rode toward him.

"Sir Spencer!"

"You seem to have grown quite comfortable with the horse. Riding one-handed, no less."

"…How long have you been watching?"

"Since the part where you looked impressive."

Embarrassment flushed my cheeks at his teasing remark.

"What brings you here? Are you here to help with my training?"

"No. It’s been a week, hasn’t it? It’s about time we set off."

"Really?"

I quickly dismounted, excitement lighting up my face.

"Yes, I’ve handled all the urgent matters, and Eloise will oversee the rest. We can leave as soon as we’re ready."

My face lit up even more.

"Then are we leaving today?"

He smiled as he replied, "After some light preparations, we’ll depart tomorrow morning."

The next morning, unable to contain my excitement, I woke at sunrise.

After changing into the training outfit I’d borrowed from Eloise, I slung a light backpack over my shoulders. As Amon had advised, I packed only the bare essentials.

"Good morning, lady."

When I reached the stables, Amon was already there, brushing Leon’s mane. I walked over and patted Leon.

"Hand me your bag."

Amon strapped my bag to Leon’s side.

"There are plenty of villages along the way, so we’ll buy what we need as we go. We’ll pace ourselves and take breaks when required."

"Understood!"

I nodded eagerly.

"Alright, then…"

Suddenly, Amon’s hand gripped my waist. Before I could even react, he lifted me effortlessly onto the saddle.

The horse shifted beneath me, and I felt Amon’s arms wrap around me from both sides. I blinked in surprise and turned to look at him.

"Sir Spencer."

"Yes?"

"I can ride on my own now, you know."

"…Ah, right?"

"I’ve been training for a whole week!"

Amon’s face turned a deep shade of red.

The week of training had paid off more than expected—or perhaps the previous cliffside ride had simply been too terrifying.

Our journey began peacefully. Amon, of course, handled Leon with expert ease, while I did my best to assist. Before long, I found myself enjoying the scenery, occasionally taking the reins when Amon was occupied.

We galloped down quiet country paths, through bustling towns, along mountain trails, and beside rivers.

Whenever possible, we stayed in villages overnight. But when unavoidable, we camped in the wilderness, where Amon skillfully set up our sleeping arrangements—a glimpse into the investigative methods of the knights.

It felt like a spontaneous getaway. Following a predetermined route with no other worries was unexpectedly liberating.

All I needed to concern myself with was eating and sleeping. The simplicity of day-to-day survival left little room for brooding thoughts.

Of course, the nightmares persisted. Now, I alternated between two recurring dreams: one of killing Russell, and another of Julia’s childhood.

Each time I woke, the former left me seething with anger, while the latter filled me with tears. Neither was what you’d call a pleasant dream.

The voice hadn’t returned, perhaps because Pamilla was gone. Maybe I would never hear it again.

Whenever the hopelessness crept in, Leon’s damp tongue on my hand or the thought of tomorrow’s meals helped stave it off.

And so, five days passed.

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