Did Blake always have this kind of side to him? By the time I looked at him in amazement, he had already taken my hand and began leading me to the horse.

"Your hands are cold."

He clasped my hand which was full of burn scars and gently blew on it.

Blake didn't care about that?

'It's alright, no need.'

I mouthed the words.

"It's alright?"

I nodded quickly. He understood what I was saying.

"But you'll be cold if we ride a horse later."

Blake took off his coat and hung it on me and I waved my hands in surprise.

'I'm fine. It's cold, so you can wear it.'

"Pardon?"

This time, the sentence was complicated, so I couldn't communicate it properly just by mouthing the words. I used body language, pointing at Blake and pretending to shiver.

"I'll feel colder than you?"

Finally, he understood what I was saying. I smiled brightly and nodded.

Blake used to get cold very easily back then.

It was autumn, but the temperature in the Valley of Chaos was very low and the winds were quite strong, so it felt like early winter. It would be colder if they rode a horse.

But Blake's expression changed.

"I haven't had such worries in a long time. I was often cold when I was a kid, but only a few people knew about it."

When the curse was lifted, did his body change?

"How did you know?"

He stared at me piercingly with his crimson eyes, but I avoided his persistent gaze.

'...cold.'

"It's just because of the cold?"

I nodded quickly.

"Well, it could be..."

He slowly glanced at me and offered his coat. I couldn't refuse this time.

"Can you ride a horse?"

I learned to ride a horse before, but I didn't nod my head. That was seven years ago. Now, I had lost my voice and become unable to write. There was no guarantee that the knowledge I had at that time would remain.

"It's okay if you can't. You just have to sit in the back."

As we approached, the white white horse neighed and turned its head.

I was worried that the horse would be surprised by my appearance so I hurriedly covered the scar with my hand, but Blake immediately lifted me up and gave me a ride. Fortunately, the horse was calm.

"Josh is gentle, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

The white horse's name must be Josh. It was a cute name. Was it Blake who named him?

"Hold on."

I grasped his clothes gently.

Then Blake grabbed my hand and slid my hands around his waist.

"It's dangerous, so hold on tightly."

I nodded and held on tight around his waist. Blake smiled.

"Good job."

It was as if he were praising a child. It had always been my job to praise him, but now it had become the opposite. Somehow I felt strange.

"Also, Rose, forget their words. They're so ugly, which is why they're obsessed with other people's looks."

He heard what they said and he even fired the knights because of me.

I nodded. His appearance, atmosphere and attitude were all different from before.

But Blake was still Blake. His warm heart was the same as before. It hadn't changed a bit.

***

The Valley of Chaos was full of monsters. The group of griffins that I had seen only in books before was circling around our heads. It looked very intimidating, but Blake and other knights rode past on their horses quickly, ignoring the griffins, as if they were just pigeons.

"The road is rough so hold on tight."

My left hand was severely burned so I wasn't able to exert any force using it. I tried to clasp my slightly loosened hand firmly. However, it was difficult to concentrate. I could feel Blake's firm back muscle and abs.

His body was the same as Rakshul.

As the best swordsman in the Zelcan Empire, he had always been strong.

Blake was Rakshul's reincarnation. But the two were not the same.

Rakshul was a strong and reliable man, while Blake was beautiful and elegant. Beauty unlike a woman.

When he was young, he looked just like his beautiful mother, but he now had a beautiful appearance mixed with Tenstheon's charisma.

At first glance, his body was slender, but I could feel the muscle hidden underneath. I couldn't believe that his soft baby stomach had turned out like this.

How much effort did he put in for seven years?

It would've been nice if I had been next to him while he was training.

It was regretful that I wasted 7 years just like that.

A sudden loud roar pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up in surprise to see that there was a huge rock falling down from the mountains. It was rushing straight at us.

"Your Highness!"

I could hear the screams of the knights who were following us from behind.

I shut my eyes tightly.

It was too late. There was no way to escape the rock.

My body fell to the ground as Blake jumped off the horse and wrapped himself around my body.

At the same time, the rock dropped to the ground.

If he was just a little late, we would've been crushed to death.

"Are you alright?"

Blake immediately examined my condition.

I nodded.

I wasn't hurt at all since Blake covered me and his thick coat cushioned the fall.

But my condition wasn't the problem. I could see blood dripping from Blake's arms.

As I pointed at his arms, Blake stared at his wound and smiled.

"It's no big deal."

At first glance, his arms looked severely wounded.

There was no way he could be treated properly in a place like this.

It was all because of me.

Blake could've avoided the wound if he left me alone.

If he hadn't given me the coat, he wouldn't be hurt.

If I had the power of light, I could cure him.

I felt terribly helpless and sorry towards Blake.

"Don't cry. I'm the one who made a mistake so why are you blaming yourself?"

He comforted me with a smile as if he had read my mind.

In the meantime, blood kept flowing from his arms.

"It's alright." He lightly grabbed his injured arm with his right hand.

At that moment, a light came out of his hand and his wound began to disappear.

"Look, it's okay."

Blake showed me his arm.

The wound was healed, though there was still some blood left.

What just happened?

Did he use the power of light?

"Why are you crying?"

He wiped my tears with a handkerchief,

I shook my head and pointed at his arms.

Wiping his blood off was the priority.

"I'm okay."

The wound had healed, but the blood remained. Yet he kept saying he was okay.

He was the same as before, always pretending to be fine.

I took the handkerchief from his hands and wiped the blood off of his arms with it.

"It's rude to rob the Crown Prince's goods."

He said playfully.

"Your Highness!"

Edon and Jayden jumped over the rock and ran towards us. The huge rock had blocked the road, so they had left their horses behind.

"Don't make a fuss. It's not a big deal."

"What are you saying!? You're bleeding like this!"

Unlike Edon who was worried and looked helpless, Jayden ran hurriedly without checking Blake's condition and brought the Crown Prince's white horse back.

"Jayden! Your Highness is injured, so why are you taking care of the horse first!?"

"It's not like we can't treat him anyway."

Edon was furious when he saw Jayden lightly say that.

"It is our duty to sacrifice our lives for the Crown Prince!"

"I'd give up my life, but now's not the situation for it, right?"

"Ack, kids these days!"

Edon clucked his tongue.

He was getting old too. Before he was always relaxed, but now, he had become a boss that suffered because of these young knights.

"Edon, that's enough."

Blake said lightly and Edon reluctantly shut up.

"Jayden, how is Josh?"

"He's a little shaken but he's fine."

"That's great. If Josh had gone a little farther, it would be hard to find him."

"I'm very pleased."

Blake checked the horse's condition and looked at me again.

He scrutinized my hand. He didn't seem to care about my burn scars.

'I'm alright.'

I mouthed the words. Thanks to his protection, I didn't get hurt.

"That's great."

He smiled brightly.

His gaze was so gentle and nice that I felt like crying again.

***

After they cleared the rocks that blocked our way, we set off again.

I could see why the knights didn't dissuade the Crown Prince even when he was leading alone, and why they weren't on alert when the monster passed us.

Blake had the power of the light.

The demons wouldn't dare to approach us, and even if he was injured, he could heal himself.

Phillip had used all of his power to change the words on the curse.

Ironically, that was why the heir to the curse possessed the power of light, even though he couldn't use it directly before.

Now that his curse had been lifted, he was able to fully exert his powers.

Only one question remained to be asked.

Why didn't Ser take away Blake's power?

She hated Phillip's descendants so much.

Besides, she also said she would kill Blake first, and even gave me a sword to do it.

"We're going down. Hold on tight."

I quickly grabbed onto his waist and held him firmly.