Kaon found himself staring at Alessia. Her face still wore a smile, but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“Hey, hey, Kaon is right here, you know.”
“Ah, what’s the big deal? When else would we get to talk about this?”
Maurice, declaring that he liked women with beautiful smiles, shared his preference even though no one asked. He joked about confessing his feelings to Alessia, only to struggle dodging Niels’ incoming fist.
“Well… I haven’t really thought about it.”
“It’s never too late. Sometimes the first thing that comes to mind is closer to the truth than overthinking it.”
“Hmm, then…”
Alessia paused as if deep in thought. Kaon found himself listening intently. It was a topic he was curious about as well, a question he had wanted to ask since Bellum but never did.
“I think I’d like someone who doesn’t stand out.”
Someone who doesn’t stand out? Kaon furrowed one eyebrow at the unexpected answer. Usually, when asked about their ideal man, people would list specific qualities.
For instance, they might say they prefer someone tall, well-built, or handsome. It could also be about wealth or personality, not just physical attributes.
“…That’s a bit vague, isn’t it?”
Maurice tilted his head, finding Alessia’s answer hard to understand.
Someone who doesn’t stand out. Did she mean someone with little presence, someone who didn’t attract attention? Or perhaps someone ordinary without any remarkable traits? Or, quite literally, someone she wouldn’t see often?
Her answer was open to interpretation, making it hard to grasp what she truly desired.
“But one thing’s clear: our young master doesn’t fit that description at all!”
The one certainty was that Kaon was far from fitting her criteria. Kaon shot a brief glare at Maurice, who had voiced his thoughts.
“Consider yourself lucky to be born a noble, Maurice.”
“My mother often tells me the same.”
“How proud you must be.”
Niels clicked his tongue in disapproval, but it wasn’t enough. Kaon decided to scrap his plan to tolerate Maurice’ chatter. He was indeed a disaster with his mouth.
‘Someone who doesn’t stand out…’
Kaon compared her criteria to himself.
In terms of presence, he was disqualified without a doubt. He had always been the center of attention wherever he went, thanks to inheriting his mother’s striking looks.
He wasn’t ordinary either. Quite the opposite. His status, appearance, and abilities were anything but average. Admitting it felt vain, but it was an undeniable fact.
Lastly, someone she wouldn’t see often… Sharing the same room made that impossible.
Ultimately, Kaon Ferdinand was far from the man Alessia Ingelos desired. The gap was as vast as heaven and earth. There was no way to fit himself into her criteria.
As Kaon contemplated how he could become less noticeable, he was startled by his own thoughts. It was like a dog throwing its own bone to play with. It was a pointless worry.
“But may I ask why you prefer such a man? I’ve asked many women this question, but you’re the first to answer like that.”
“It just seems like it would be easier to live that way.”
Alessia smiled as she spoke, though her face looked somewhat bitter.
“Well, that’s true. They say the most expensive thing is one’s appearance. I pay that price a lot myself.”
“Bullshit.”
“I’d like to brag a little more, but since the young master is here, I’ll restrain myself.”
Maurice’s words felt like he was teasing Kaon, saying, “The lady doesn’t fancy you in any way!” This left Kaon feeling annoyed, and he kicked a rolling leaf out of frustration.
***
White snowflakes fluttered in the darkening sky, resembling scattered flower petals. It was the first snowfall of the year. As he gazed at the silent, falling snow, Kaon turned his attention to the curtains. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke abruptly.
“Hey, it’s snowing.”
Niels had predicted that this winter would be particularly cold, and indeed, snow had arrived earlier than the previous year. The sight of snow decorating the black night was quite picturesque, but there was no response from the other side.
“It’s snowing right now. If you miss it, don’t blame me.”
He repeated himself, but still received no answer. It seemed she wasn’t in the room again today. He had hoped to have a conversation for the first time in a while.
Lately, Alessia often left the room in the evenings. As a result, their usual bickering had subsided.
In fact, they hadn’t had a proper conversation for a while. It wasn’t because they were fighting or ignoring each other like before; rather, an inexplicable awkwardness had settled between them.
Kaon stared at the curtains. The rustling of pages, the scratching of a quill, the faint sound of footsteps… He had grown accustomed to these small noises over the past year and a half. When Alessia wasn’t in the room, he felt strangely uneasy, as if something that should be there was missing.
It was amusing. Not only had he gone through with the engagement to Ingelos, which he had opposed so strongly, but he had also gotten used to sharing a room with her and even felt her absence. Life was indeed unpredictable.
Kaon shifted his gaze from the curtains to the window. The snowflakes, like glittering dust, blurred his vision. Just watching the scene helped clear his mind a bit.
He glanced towards the right side of the garden. Someone was walking along the path lined with plane trees.
‘…Alessia?’
Kaon’s eyes focused again. The person with transparent hair fluttering in the soft moonlight could only be Alessia. He soon noticed another person standing beside her.
‘Georgie Flemming.’
Since his defeat in the duel, Georgie Flemming had been dedicated to training. Occasionally, he would cast admiring glances at Alessia, which annoyed Kaon, but he hadn’t been as forward as before.
So Kaon hadn’t paid much attention to him recently. But now, suddenly?
As the two figures gradually disappeared into the darkness, Kaon snapped out of his thoughts and hurried out of the room.
Kaon dashed out of the building at an incredible speed, following the direction where Alessia had disappeared. The path was a single route, so it wasn’t hard to find them. Fortunately, he spotted the two not far away. Silently, he approached and hid behind a large tree trunk.
‘What is this…’
Realizing he looked like a thief sneaking into someone else’s house, he felt a pang of self-reproach. But he decided to continue being a thief. After all, this was his home. No one would arrest him for eavesdropping, and he intended to listen to what Georgie was saying and intervene if necessary.
“I have no ulterior motives.”
Hearing Georgie’s voice from the shortened distance, Kaon raised an eyebrow. The ones who claimed to have no ulterior motives were usually the most suspicious.
Humans instinctively brought up uncomfortable topics first. The saying “a guilty conscience needs no accuser” existed for a reason. No matter how much one tried to hide it, it always showed.
So, even without knowing what Georgie had said before, his insistence on having no ulterior motives was telling. It meant he was aware that what he was about to say could be seen as suspicious. That scoundrel…
“After the knighting ceremony, I will become a true knight. Last summer, you told me I would become an excellent knight. I’ve kept those words in my heart and strived to live up to them.”
Listening to him, Kaon felt exasperated. Alessia couldn’t have told him to “live as an incompetent second son and die quietly.” It was a polite remark, yet he took it to heart and made it his goal. He wasn’t in his right mind.
If Kaon had known it would come to this, he would have told Georgie, “If you’re not brain-dead, stay away from women with fiancés,” or “Abandon your impious thoughts and devote yourself to the temple.” Then, Georgie might have either gotten his head bashed in or become a priest. Kaon briefly berated his past self for not handling the situation more decisively.
“And so, I wish to present flowers to Lady Alessia.”
🍉🍉🍉
