* * *
Now that Chaser had become aware of his emotions, all he could do was sit in his office, staring blankly.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Duke. Master Raphelion wants to see you.”
“Uncle!”
A child’s voice was heard from behind the tightly closed door.
“Come in.”
When permission was given, the door opened and Tia and Raphel, Lizelle’s dedicated maid, came in.
“Uncle… Wahhh!”
When Raphel saw Chaser’s face, he started crying again.
Chaser stood up with a surprised expression when he saw Raphel crying.
“Uncle, Lizelle’s dying. Sob, sob.”
“What does he mean? Did something happen to the Lady?”
Raphel’s words, which were cutting in and out, were easy to misunderstand.
“Oh, Duke, that’s not it. Lady Wilhazelle is just feeling sick and resting for a while.”
Tia, embarrassed, quickly spoke so the Duke wouldn’t misunderstand.
Chaser walked over and picked up Raphel, who was crying in Tia’s arms.
“Wahh!”
Raphel cried and hugged Chaser’s neck, pouring out all the sadness he’d been holding in.
“Shh. It’s okay.”
A rough hand patted Raphel’s back. Raphel’s crying subsided little by little under that large, warm hand.
“Is the young lady okay?”
“Yes. She has a mild fever and is resting in her room.”
It seemed like she was out in the garden for too long yesterday and caught a cold.
Chaser, worried about Lizelle, wanted to go right away and check on her condition, but hesitated.
It was because he was worried that Wilhazelle might just bluntly ask him, as she always did, why he came.
It certainly wouldn’t have mattered until a while ago, but hearing it now seemed like it would make his heart ache.
“My Lord.”
Rohan looked at his master’s face with his lips pursed and his eyebrows raised. He immediately realized what his master was worried about.
“Speak.”
“I’ve heard that Golden Wave Flower tea is good for colds.”
Chaser looked at Rohan, unsure what he meant.
Rohan really didn’t understand him.
The Duke, an all-rounder who is good at everything and even handsome, is an idiot when it came to the opposite sex.
What on earth were his looks for if he was never going to use them?
“It’s one of the flowers growing in the garden. Please take it to the lady.”
Rohan’s suggestion was a clever way to check on her with his own eyes while also delivering flowers.
“Oh, just a moment…”
Rohan whispered to Chaser.
Chaser, listening to what Rohan had to say, looked at him with a suspicious gaze, but Rohan nodded, confident.
* * *
“Kei.”
Knight Commander Shane called Kei.
Hazen, who had just finished his shift and was trying to monitor Wilhazelle and Raphel, had no choice but to report to the knight commander.
He was in hiding at the Duke’s residence by the orders of his master and was in charge of watching over the woman and child.
However, the life of a knight belonging to the Halos family was not easy.
Every time he tried to monitor them, a new task arose.
Just yesterday, he was stopped and told to patrol the grounds.
The mansion was so large, the patrol that started in the morning did not end until late at night.
Due to the rush of work, Hazen was at the point where he felt confused about his own identity, wondering why he had even come here.
“Did you call me, Captain?”
“You will be going out on the next search.”
Shane glanced at Kei, who was bowing politely, as he gave new orders.
“Are you saying I’m joining the search party?”
“Yes, the Duke has given orders to resume the search as soon as possible.”
Shane had received orders from Chaser to resume the search in two days. The knight commander wanted to give Kei a chance to show his potential.
It was because he was still feeling bothered that he’d refused Kei’s earnest request to participate in the last carriage incident investigation.
Kei was a rookie who joined the Black Rose Knights of Halos less than a year ago.
Although he was a formal knight, most of the knights here were veterans with more than 10 years of experience, so Kei was a beginner who still had a lot to learn.
Of course, it was impossible for Kei to participate in a search party that only consisted of the most elite members.
However, Shane had seen Kei’s consistent sincerity and wanted to give him a chance.
It wouldn’t be a big problem if one more person was added to the search party that would be dispatched. He could be brought along as an assistant and learn from the other knights.
“…It’s okay.”
“Didn’t you want to go with them last time?”
Hazen’s expressionless face showed embarrassment for a moment.
Being dispatched to search for clues about the carriage incident would truly be a disaster for him.
When a knight goes out on a search, they have to spend at least a few days to several months outside the residence.
In that case, his efforts to disguise himself as Knight Kei to monitor Wilhazelle and Raphelion would have been in vain.
“Aren’t you going to answer? This is your only chance.”
The knight commander thought Kei would jump for joy, but Shane twitched his eyebrows at Kei’s lukewarm reaction.
“Are you sure you want me to participate?”
Hazen answered with a serious face.
He couldn’t go. He shouldn’t have chosen to disguise himself as a knight. He didn’t come here to become a real member of the Black Rose Knights.
“You don’t want to participate?”
Shane looked at Kei with narrowed eyes. He was very suspicious of Kei’s sudden change in attitude.
Hazen quickly realized Knight Commander Shane was suspicious of him.
Shane, who had been working as a knight for a long time, was excellent at quick thinking and had the ability to notice the slightest changes.
If he kept insisting on not going like this, his actions thus far might be found out.
Hazen had no choice but to lower his head.
“I made a mistake. I will participate.”
“Kei.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Shane stared at Kei in silence for a long time.
The sharp eyes felt like they were gazing deep into his soul.
A drop of cold sweat fell down Hazen’s spine as he tensed at the persistent look in his eyes.
“You’d better be careful.”
Hazen swallowed dryly at Shane’s meaningful words.
He couldn’t clearly understand what Shane meant. What did he need to be cautious of?
Was he telling him to be careful when conducting the search, or was he telling him to be careful because he sensed something suspicious?
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Leave.”
Hazen turned and left the room, moving cautiously until he was out of Shane’s sight.
He felt the harsh gaze following him from behind.
Hazen walked as naturally as possible and turned the corner.
When he was completely out of Shane’s sight, he let out the breath he’d been holding.
Hazen was confident that he could beat anyone in swordsmanship. He’d lived his life holding a cold sword since he was young.
However, the strong energy mixed with the aura that Shane was giving off was truly suffocating.
It was an aura of power that could overwhelm people with just his gaze.
It didn’t seem like just a rumor that Shane was the youngest man in the empire to become a knight.
“Ha…”
Hazen took a deep breath, remembering how Shane’s sharp eyes had examined him, as if he could cut him down at any moment.
Hazen didn’t think he could continue acting like a knight.
He had to let the real Kei go. He wouldn’t remember anything because of the magic anyway.
Right now, there were too many risk factors, both from Shane and for his task. He wasn’t even able to monitor his targets properly.
[Watch closely. If possible, very close.]
He remembered his master’s command and came up with another plan.
* * *
After taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor, Lizelle took a nap and felt better than before.
She still had a slight headache, but it was bearable now.
Did Raphel stop crying and play well? Lizelle lay on the bed, looked at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Three weeks have already passed since she came here.
Raphel became much brighter than when she first met him, and he seemed to have adapted to life at the Duke’s residence.
“He’ll get along just fine without me.”
It may take a few days after she leaves, but she was sure he’d get over it quickly and get along well here.
Because children are simple and easily forget things.
She would be sad if Raphel forgot her, but if he stayed strong and got along well at the residence, she would be fine.
If she were to be a little greedy, she only hoped that if they ran into each other again someday, they would be able to smile and greet each other.
“It’s Chaser.”
At that moment, the Duke’s voice was heard cutting through the silence.
Unable to face him lying down, Wilhazelle had no choice but to raise her upper body and lean against the head of the bed.
“Yes. Come on in.”
She’d wanted to rest in peace, but now…
The slightly annoyed expression on Wilhazelle’s face quickly disappeared as soon as he entered the room.
Chaser walked awkwardly toward Wilhazelle.
It was a strange gait with his right arm and right leg moving together, but at the moment, he was not in his right mind.
He’d never acted like this before, but after yesterday it became a little difficult to be normal around her.
He could only think about what Rohan had whispered to him earlier.
‘I heard that young ladies these days are attracted to respectful men’
‘I heard that young ladies these days are attracted to respectful men.’
‘I heard that young ladies these days are attracted to respectful men.’
‘I heard that young ladies these days are attracted to respectful men.’
“What are the flowers for?”
“I picked it up from the ground on my way here.”
Chaser smirked and nonchalantly held out the flower in his hand.
Rohan heard his master’s slip of the tongue through the open door and was astonished. He touched his palm to his forehead.
That’s the opposite of respectful…
