The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

48 – 12. The princess can’t sleep (5)+

1.

They ascended the hill.

The destination with Leuen was the orphanage behind the village.

“Why are we going to the orphanage…?”

Leuen, who was following a few steps behind, asked cautiously.

“Just bored.”

There wasn’t any particular reason.

Simply because Evan was bored.

Being in the room reminded him of the orphanage kids.

He hadn’t formed any attachment to those kids, but watching them laugh and chatter was quite pleasant.

“Do what you can.”

It was a phrase the sage had repeated while learning magic at the Tower of the Sage. If there’s something you can do with magic, then do it.

Anyway, he would leave in a few months.

If he could be of help to the orphanage kids in some way, he wanted to be.

“But… why am I going with you…?”

If he was going to the orphanage, Evan could go alone.

“…Because the kids like you more.”

Evan answered with a touch of aloofness.

It’s not that he’s disliked by the orphanage kids, but they would welcome Leuen more than Evan.

“And… you handle the kids better.”

At that, Leuen chuckled softly.

“That’s strange. Back in the day, Evan used to be more friendly with the kids…”

It wasn’t a teasing remark.

It slipped out unintentionally.

Realizing a beat too late that she made another verbal slip, Leuen urgently covered her mouth with both hands.

“Yeah, that’s how it was.”

Evan said calmly.

Judging by the reaction, it seemed like it wasn’t a big deal to Evan.

When Evan arrived at the orphanage, it was Leven who welcomed the children.

Initially, he had been curious about strangers when he first arrived, but once the curiosity faded, it was clear that what the children truly cherished was being cared for by those who looked after them well.

However, it wasn’t as if no one welcomed Evan.

“Prince Evan!!”

Cyril screamed with joy, rushing towards Evan with arms wide open the moment she saw him.

“At least one person is welcoming.”

Anticipating what Cyril might say, Evan immediately embraced her with one arm. Cyril naturally nestled against Evan.

Leven, who was greeting other children, glanced at Cyril.

… Envious.

To feel jealousy toward a five-year-old girl.

Nevertheless, envy is envy.

The ability to be embraced by Evan whenever she wanted was something to be envied.

Suddenly, their eyes met.

Cyril looked at Leven over Evan’s shoulder.

Round eyes curved like a crescent moon.

Is that what they call the charm of being a girl, regardless of age?

Seeing Leven, who was sending envious glances, Cyril chuckled and hugged Evan’s neck even tighter.

“Hmm?”

It must be instinctual.

The superiority of the female who claimed a good male.

Just a few days ago, the child who would cling and say, “I’m the boss!” had instantly become a rival.

“I can kiss him too!” she wanted to retort, but it wasn’t malicious, and an adult shouldn’t act childishly toward a child. Besides, she wasn’t in a position to confidently retort.

2.

What could he do for the children in the orphanage?

Despite being a grand mage who had mastered magic up to the 10th tier, nothing specific came to mind.

He had only used magic as a means for hunting until now.

It wasn’t necessarily wrong, but wanting to do something helpful for the children with those abilities felt daunting.

From the beginning of his formal magic training, he had studied and researched magic not for someone else but for himself.

… Because that’s what he could do.

Deep in thought, Evan checked everyone’s health one by one.

Naturally, they were all healthy.

They were being looked after by a priest right beside them.

If the orphanage building had been in disrepair, he would have repaired it, but in the Knights’ Order, there was no specific place that needed maintenance, given how well they managed.

Should he make a well nearby?

There was already a well in the backyard.

When he asked the priest, he was told that a magician was summoned by the Knights’ Order to create it.

There was nowhere in particular that needed Evan’s power.

Should he enchant spells for the children?

He thought about it briefly, but it would fade away with time.

“…It’s tough.”

“What is?”

Muttering to himself while watching the children play in the field, Evan was startled by Lewyn, who stood nearby, ears perked up, asking, “Is there something I can help with?”

Evan glanced at Lewyn sideways.

After a moment’s contemplation, he spoke up.

After all, at this moment, Lewyn was more helpful here. And as the head of the orphanage being managed by the Knights’ Order, if there were shortcomings, Lewyn would likely know.

“Is there a way to help the children with magic?”

“Magic…?”

“I want to do something helpful before leaving, but nothing specific comes to mind. The children are all healthy, the building is well-maintained, and it seems there’s no place where I’m needed.”

Lewyn looked around.

Because the Knights’ Order provided ample support to the orphanage children, there was no material shortage.

Materially speaking.

“I-I don’t know if I can say this, but…”

“Go ahead.”

“Do we really need to help with magic?”

Evan turned to look at Lewyn.

Lewyn, who had been looking at Evan, turned away instead, avoiding eye contact. It’s good to make eye contact, but it’s still difficult to meet someone’s eyes confidently.

“What do you mean?”

“Just playing joyfully with those children could be a huge help. Creating vivid memories that will stay in their minds would be even better.”

Levyn watched children playing with smiling faces.

For this moment, Levyn spoke confidently as Levyn, not a commander.

“And… Evan is an extraordinary person. I think he has an abundance of talents even without magic… Unlike me, who is just a sword…”

Levyn stuttered with a limited vocabulary.

Her words, free from pretense or flattery, were sincere.

Evan suddenly recalled the words of the sage.

Do what you can do.

He now realized it wasn’t limited to magic.

“Is that so?”

“Yes… Evan is amazing!”

Levyn began listing every remarkable aspect of Evan, to the point of making the listener uncomfortable.

She praised each detail as if worshiping, genuinely feeling the awe.

“…And just giving someone like me a chance for redemption shows how great Evan is. Even if you call him a saint…”

“Enough.”

“Yes.”

Levyn closed her mouth with a nod.

“Okay, I get it.”

He confirmed through her words.

The sage’s advice wasn’t limited to magic.

And it also revealed how sincerely this woman next to him admired him.

It wasn’t affection born from guilt or sin, though that might be a part of it, but purely liking him.

No matter how much of a villain she might be, you couldn’t argue with pure emotions.

“You’re amazing too.”

“…Huh?”

Levyn blinked, wondering if she had misheard.

“Even fighting on the front lines, leading the knights, and taking responsibility as a commander… Of course, the reasons might not be laughable, but… Still, calling it amazing is the right thing to say.”

With simple praise, Levyn felt her eyes welling up with warmth.

She bowed deeply.

Her throat felt choked up.

A heavy weight, like a stone, settled in her chest.

How extravagant these compliments were.

Even though Evan didn’t deserve the praise, he gave it.

It felt like a brief return to that moment.

To that time she wished to go back to.

“Are you going to cry again?”

Leven couldn’t answer.

Opening her mouth now seemed likely to unleash tears.

Someone might even wag their tongue at Evan, calling him a fool.

Even in a relationship tinged with affection, giving a chance for reconciliation to the woman who had ruined one’s life, resenting her every day, was more than enough.

If you ask why, Evan’s response would likely be:

‘Because it’s more convenient.’

You can ignore it.

You can hate it.

Nevertheless, Leven had committed a mistake that could warrant such feelings.

But harboring those emotions continuously meant ongoing emotional damage.

So, he offered an opportunity for Leven to apologize.

Was it because he had seen her past?

Because he witnessed her regret and despair?

No.

His pain outweighed hers.

He managed to pull himself together and be here through sheer luck.

If he hadn’t met the sage back then, he might still be living like a beggar, or he was almost certain of it.

In hindsight, he overcame it and became a sage.

In this situation, continuing to harbor negative emotions towards Leven would become a weakness, preventing him from leading a peaceful life in the future.

In the end, giving Leven a chance could also be seen as an investment in himself.

To make life easier.

Leven called Evan a saint in moments like these.

But it was a selfish choice.

“I know you’re trying, so don’t cry.”

“Ugh…”

Léwen bit down on her lower lip.

Blood oozed out from how hard she bit.

Even so, the hot emotions overflowing from her eyes couldn’t be stopped.

Rain dripped steadily onto the grass field.

“But keep trying harder.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“…”

“When we part ways this time, let’s smile.”

“…Yes.”

It was a summer day with three months left until the farewell.