For Your Failed Unrequited Love

“How arrogant! Why didn’t you show up at the award ceremony?”

“There’s a rumor that you’re a foreigner. This is obviously a disregard for our Kingdom of Bertha!”

“Masked writer? What kind of mysticism is that?”

Kingdom of Bertha, in front of a publishing house.

Several reporters spat out words with red faces.

They were angry because of a novelist. The novelist was “Reinhart,” who became famous for selling as many as 1 million books not only in Bertha, the country of art, but also in the neighboring country, Beros.

Unlike his fame, he was receiving public attention because nothing was known about him, including his face, real name, and origin.

However, something happened that caused the residents of Bertha to become angry with the famous author. It all started when Reinhart won the “Bertha Literature Award,” which is famous not only for Bertha but also on the whole continent.

People were surprised. It was rumored that Reinhart was a foreigner, not a Bertha native. In addition, it was the first time that the Bertha Literature Award was awarded to a foreigner who was not a native citizen.

Many Berthians, who are proud of their own literature, did not like this.

But after a while, it even added fuel to the Berthians’ anger. Reinhart, the arrogant writer, did not attend the awards ceremony for fear of revealing his identity.

“Will you maintain that mysticism even if you die soon?”

The reporters clenched their teeth.

I’ll definitely tell the world who that arrogant writer is.

Their eyes were blazing.

***

Meanwhile, there was an awkward atmosphere in the president’s office of the publishing company.

A man standing by the window with a cloak over his head looked out of the window through the curtains. There was a crowd of angry people outside.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Writer.”

Glenn, the president of the publishing company who was sitting on the sofa, rose from his seat with a troubled smile.

“The Berthians’ pride in art is well known on the continent, that’s why. But people’s attention is bound to shift from one place to another in search of something more interesting. It’ll calm down over time.”

However, seeing the expressions of the angry people, it seemed that it would be a long time before their anger calmed down.

Reinhart took his eyes off the window and sat in front of his boss. He sighed and took off his cloak.

Soon, a handsome man with bright blond hair like the sun and bright blue eyes showed his face.

Adrian sighed and slowly leaned his back on the sofa.

He started writing novels a few years ago and became a famous writer at once. Now, he was traveling all over the continent and writing various articles.

He didn’t know that his book would receive so much attention. He was surprised by people’s interest. It was just amazing.

But it was also burdensome. All he wanted was to live quietly and do what he wanted, and not be talked about by many people.

So the only people who knew who he was were the president and staff of the publishing company. Even his family didn’t know he was writing.

Thinking about numerous problems, Adrian eventually picked up a question and asked the boss.

“How will go back today?”

He stayed in a hotel in the city for a long time. However, at this rate, he would not be able to return and would have been locked in the president’s office.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll put a bodyguard on you.”

Soon Glenn rose from his seat and opened the door, and a man appeared. It was a man with black hair and amber eyes.

“I’m Rei, who will escort the writer from today onwards.”

But the moment he saw him, Adrian looked a little suspicious.

He was very small for a man. Looking at his small size, it seemed that Adrian would have to protect him.

Rei, the escort, walked in with a creaking gait after standing at the door with a strained expression. For some reason, the moment he saw Adrian, his face began to flush.

“Oh, hello… Ugh!”

The creaking bothered him, but the man even twisted his feet and fell to the ground. He immediately leaped to his feet and bowed to Adrian.

“I’m s, sorry!”

Adrian became increasingly anxious. The boss, who noticed his mind, smiled awkwardly and scolded Rei.

“Hey! Do it right!”

Then he explained it to Adrian, too.

“Don’t worry, writer! This guy looks like he’s got a screw loose, but he’s the best in this city! No problem at all!”

But it looks like there’s a lot of trouble…….

Rei was still scratching the back of his head without even raising his red face properly.

Adrian looked at him with anxious eyes and was forced to rise from his seat.

***

“Can you handle it alone when there are so many people?”

The first floor of a publishing house. Adrian asked Rei as he listened to the commotion of onlookers and reporters at the door. Rei immediately nodded.

“Yes, I’m going to use bait!”

“Bait?”

Adrian wondered, but Rei beckoned someone nearby. A man, who was waiting on the first floor, rushed to them. He was a man as tall as Adrian.

“I’m going to have him cover his face, and then go outside pretending to be Mr. Reinhart.”

“Will it work?”

“Of course. Everyone is excited anyway, so if one person follows, the others will follow in a rush too. In the meantime, we can get out the back door.”

Rei opened the publishing company door after keeping Adrian hidden nearby. Soon a tremendous buzz and voices rushed in.

“Hey, it’s Reinhart!”

Someone shouted, pointing to the bait decorated like Reinhart. Then everyone looked at him at once.

The bait was sent out, and people flocked around it. Before they knew it, the poor bait was buried in the crowd..

“Now, now, Mr. Reinhart. Let’s get out of the back door!”

Rei hurried along the corridor with Adrian.

The two sneaked out the back door. Fortunately, there was no one in the back alley.

“Where are you staying? I’ll take you there.”

Rei asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to. I’ll take care of it.”

“No, we don’t know when or where the reporters will be. I’ll take you there!”

Rei spoke emphatically with his amber eyes shining bright, hidden in his black hair.

When he first met him, he didn’t notice it because he had a red face, but when he looked closely, even this man’s skin was smooth and white. No matter how hard he looked, he looked out of place as an escort.

“Then I’d like to go to the Bertha Central Hotel.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility and take you home safely.”

Soon Rei began to take the lead.

It wasn’t long before Adrian found out how fortunate he was that Rei accompanied him. Some suspicious men who seemed to be reporters appeared behind wooden chests piled up in the alley.

Adrian pulled the cape and hid his face deeper.

“I knew this would happen.”

“The fact that there is a secret door in this publisher’s building was information that only we knew.”

Reporters approached and said a word. Reporters were burning with determination to find out the identity of the “writer Reinhart.”

“Stay back.”

Rei told Adrian.

Adrian wondered if he could do this. No matter how he looked at it, this man’s physique didn’t seem to be able to deal with those reporters all at once.

“Why don’t we just run away to the other side?”

“You can’t be too relieved!”

Rei stepped forward, waving at the reporters. The insolent gesture made the reporters seem to be heated. Reporters who forgot their duty rushed straight to Rei, throwing out pens and notebooks.

This isn’t it by any means.

He couldn’t let him fight alone.

Just as Adrian was about to step forward to help him.

Suddenly Rei jumped high into the air.

Adrian had no choice but to look at what happened in front of him the next moment with surprised eyes.

The boss’s statement that his skills are the best in this city was true.

Despite his small figure, Rei was quick, skilled, and error-free.

He didn’t even pull out the sword he was wearing around his waist, dealing with five journalists.

Then, dirty filth spilled on Rei. A reporter threw a food trash can in the corner of the alley at Rei.

Rei was covered in filth in an instant, but without any bewilderment, he rushed straight to the reporter.

“Ugh…!”

The reporter who was kicked by Rei’s foot fell down and groaned.

“Come on, let’s go!”

Rei turned around and shouted at Adrian, who was watching him blankly.

***

As promised, Rei left all the reporters behind and drove Adrian to the front of the hotel room.

People passing through the hallway avoided Rei with glances or frowns. There was now an unbearable stench coming from Rei, who was covered in filth.

“Then go in now.”

“Wait a minute.”

Adrian caught Rei trying to go back.

“Go wash up.”

“What?”

Rei asked back with a dazed face at Adrian’s suggestion.

“You were covered in dirt because of me earlier. Wouldn’t it be hard to go back like this? Wash and change in my room. I’ll give you my clothes.”

Rei’s face suddenly began to turn red at the words.

“Yes, i, it’s okay! I can go home and wash up!”

Rei stepped back. Adrian grabbed him by the wrist.

“You smell pretty bad. If you go back like that, your family will be surprised.”

“N, no family! Let me go!”

“I can’t let you go like this!”

Rei, who had been struggling for a long time in front of the room, finally cried out with a red face as if he was about to burst.

“Hey, how can a woman…… Wash up in the room of a stranger?”