I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 70

After settling in, Diana immediately busied herself with preparing a meal for the knights who would return by sundown.

She made a simple stew with meat and various vegetables, sliced up large baguettes into bite-sized pieces, and smoked tender cuts of wild boar. The dishes were modest, yet preparing them for so many people was no small task.

“You look exhausted.”

Diana’s arms trembled from stirring the large pot of stew without rest. As bubbles began rising to the surface, signaling it was finally coming to a boil, she took a moment to breathe.

Joel, who had been watching her, spoke up.

“I can’t afford to complain about being tired, not with Sir Krantz around.”

Joel had been injured before Ersivan and the others had even arrived.

Since he couldn’t join the battle, he should have been resting. Instead, he had insisted on helping however he could, even with bandages wrapped tightly around his arm.

Now, he was standing beside Diana, cutting up baguettes with a careful hand.

“Honestly, having you do this work feels like a disgrace in itself.”

“If I planned on just sitting around doing nothing, I wouldn’t have insisted on coming in the first place.”

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. It’s an honor, truly.”

Joel smiled as he handed her a cup of tea. It was chamomile, with ice floating on top, and had a faint citrusy sweetness.

Diana, in turn, encouraged him to take a break as well.

The two sat in companionable silence, watching the stew bubble.

“How is His Grace doing?”

“On the surface, he seems fine. But no one really knows, do they?”

“Haha, His Grace does hate making people worry about him.”

Was it an admirable trait or just sheer stubbornness?

Diana let out a quiet sigh.

“Still, he’s barely recovered, and yet he throws himself into another battle like this…”

Joel nodded as if he understood completely.

“His Grace takes the subjugation of monsters very seriously. It might be difficult to accept, but I hope you can understand him.”

“What choice do I have but to understand?”

Hearing her resigned tone, Joel merely smiled knowingly.

He didn’t say it aloud, but if Diana truly wished it, Ersivan would abandon his convictions in an instant.

Yet, Joel had also played a role in reinforcing those convictions. And so, rather than speak the truth, he chose to remain silent.

“Why is His Grace so devoted to these missions?”

Joel hesitated.

Diana recalled something he had mentioned in passing before.

“His Grace always stops by the slums after a subjugation mission. I believe he goes there to help someone.”

And yet, back then, Joel had brushed over the details.

Now, Diana was hoping for a clearer answer.

“At first, it was because of someone.”

Joel’s voice was measured.

“I don’t know the full story, but it seemed like he was looking for a particular person.”

“You mean… he traveled around without knowing where they were? Just blindly searching?”

“Yes. He didn’t want to involve others, so he searched alone.”

“And this person—were they living in the slums?”

“That was the assumption, yes. That’s how I came to serve him. Since I was the only one aware of his mission, I helped him search. But after years of effort, he finally gave up.”

Joel thought back to that day.

It had been the last time Ersivan set foot in the slums.

On that day, he returned empty-handed, his efforts yielding nothing.

“I suppose this is the end.”

“But, Your Grace, are you alright?”

“What else can I do? No amount of self-blame will change reality.”

“…”

“Now, all I have left to rely on is that wretched prophecy.”

Joel had sensed, instinctively, that questioning any further would be a mistake.

So he had remained silent.

“His Grace truly felt that loss?”

Diana found it hard to believe.

Ersivan was always so composed, so untouchable. The thought of him carrying a deep sorrow was difficult to imagine.

But Joel had seen it.

His lord’s face, usually unreadable, had held an unfamiliar sadness.

Ersivan had never shed tears, but he had learned how to grieve without them.

Diana clenched her hands.

“He went to such lengths for one person…”

This wasn’t part of the original story.

She had read Ersivan’s tale. Nowhere did it mention him searching for someone in the slums.

Even if he had been looking for his mother, it made no sense for him to search in such a place. Even a deposed empress wouldn’t be found living in poverty.

“Do you know what connection that person had with him?”

Joel flinched.

“What?”

“He must have cared about them deeply to search so desperately. Were they… a lover?”

“Absolutely not!”

Joel’s voice shot up.

His loud denial echoed inside the quiet tent.

Diana blinked in surprise.

She had simply made a neutral observation, but Joel reacted as if he had something to prove.

Realization struck her.

“So the person he was looking for was a woman.”

Unlike her, who spoke as if it was merely a passing thought, Joel looked like he wanted to drop dead.

He could feel cold sweat trickling down his back.

Come to think of it, Diana had never assumed the missing person was a woman.

Joel had reacted entirely on his own.

“No, that’s not—I mean…”

His panicked stammering only confirmed her suspicions.

Joel found himself utterly speechless, struggling to find the right words. The playful tone in his voice vanished, replaced by a heavy seriousness.

It felt as if his head was about to explode. He had always scoffed at Anthony’s warnings about his loose lips, but today, for the first time, he had to admit—she was absolutely right.

“Forgive my boldness, but they were most likely nothing more than acquaintances. His Grace only ever mentioned that he had once been indebted to her…!”

“What was your relationship with her?”

“That? Well… do you think she was my lover?”

“Was she not?”

“If we had been that close, I wouldn’t have been left in the dark like this. No, she was… someone who helped me greatly, nothing more.”

“…”

“I never dared to hold romantic feelings for her—she was far too distant for that.”

Joel’s memories of that conversation left him feeling a sharp pang of guilt.

Technically, they weren’t lying.

But reality had a way of allowing small, well-placed lies to serve a greater purpose.

So, for the sake of his master, Joel chose to lie.

More than protecting his own neck, he was lying for the sake of the lady before him.

“But what I can say for certain is that His Grace is sincere about you now!”

Joel’s urgency only grew.

He must have misread the situation, assuming Diana would be hurt by the revelation.

Given that their marriage appeared to be on good terms, it was reasonable for him to assume she’d be affected by this.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“But…”

“Oh, and I’m saying this as the truth.”

She flashed him a subtle smile, and Joel, suddenly flushed, nodded vigorously.

A second later, he began coughing as if he had swallowed a bug.

“Well then, shall we get back to work?”

Diana set her empty cup on the chair’s edge and stood up.

She stretched her stiff body and offered Joel a hand.

Using his uninjured arm to grasp hers for support, he quickly got to his feet and shuffled toward the baguette pile.

Humming a soft tune, Diana resumed her work, but her mind was elsewhere.

When her singing abruptly stopped, Joel felt a slight sense of disappointment and turned to look at her.

She was resting her chin on her hand, a deep furrow forming between her brows.

Unable to ignore it, he hesitantly asked,

“Is something troubling you, my lady?”

“It’s just… I feel like the stew is lacking something.”

She peered into the pot, stirring it gently with the ladle.

There didn’t seem to be enough ingredients floating to the surface.

Maybe they had just sunk to the bottom? She stirred a little deeper, but the difference was negligible.

Joel, now standing beside her, took a look as well.

Sure enough, the portions were far too meager.

“If we serve this as is, the knights won’t be satisfied. We need more meat.”

“Perhaps the quartermaster miscalculated our provisions. Unfortunately, it’ll be difficult to find more right now.”

“Is there really no way?”

Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Joel scratched the back of his head.

“Well… we could go down to the market and buy more.”

But there was a problem.

With his injury, he couldn’t ride properly.

And if both of them left, no one would be around to tend to the food.

“Then I’ll go get it.”

“You, my lady? Absolutely not!”

“What other option do we have?”

“We knights can handle missing one decent meal! The outside world is far too dangerous for you to go alone.”

“It’s just a quick trip to the nearest town, not a dangerous expedition. I won’t allow the knights to go hungry just because of my safety.”

“But—”

“I’ll take full responsibility. Can I trust you to finish the meal preparations while I’m gone?”

Faced with her firm resolve, Joel had no choice but to sigh in defeat.

He imagined his comrades fighting on the front lines, exhausted and in need of proper sustenance.

“Fine. If that’s your decision… but please be careful.”

“Then, could you prepare a horse for me? If I go myself, the stable hands will just try to stop me.”

“Of course. Do you have a particular horse in mind?”

“Yes. It’s a white one with deep blue eyes. Ah, if you mention the name to the stable master, he should recognize it right away.”

Diana hesitated for a moment before revealing the name.

She had deliberately kept it secret, unsure if she should share it.

But Joel was trustworthy enough… right?

“The horse’s name is Dian.”

Joel blinked.

“Dian…?”

His movements became mechanical, as if his brain had momentarily shut down.

Seeing him frozen in place, Diana tilted her head in confusion.

And then—

“My lady! How do you know that name?!”

“What do you mean? Why are you acting so strangely?”

“That name… Dian! That was the name of the person His Grace was searching for!”

Joel’s eyes widened as he stared at her.

For a moment, Diana’s mind went completely blank.

Then, all at once, memories flooded back.

“Could you tell me what she looked like?”

“Well… I don’t know what face she wears now, but…”

“…”

“She would have been called Dian.”

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