“…Is he here for some business purpose?”
I asked with a slight expectation, but Sir Sein shook his head.
“I asked Duke if he was here on urgent business, but he replied that he has some personal business with Sir Clara. And when I added that you are busy, the Duke said that then he wouldn’t come up and would wait downstairs.”
“….”
He must have come here to confirm more about what happened yesterday. He succeeded in stealing the pocket watch on his second time. But he still was unwilling to trust me… even I wouldn’t trust myself if I were him.
While I was trying to suppress all my emotions and make a dejected expression, Sir Sein watched me hesitantly before adding.
“Perhaps the Duke’s personal business is….”
“….?”
“No, it’s nothing. It’s not my place to interfere….”
“…??”
Sir Sein’s hesitant response only made me more curious. Nevertheless, I couldn’t keep people standing and waiting for me forever, so I hurried to the first floor.
But as soon as I opened the door on the first floor, I almost let out a squeak but ended up coughing.
Ludger Kassen was standing in front of the carriage. His whole being was shining from head to toe as usual.
However, the reason for my awkward cough wasn’t because of his always dazzling appearance.
It was because he was holding a bouquet of crimson roses in his arms.
‘A handsome man with flowers, such a destructive image…. Ah, no. This is not the time to think about that.’
The important question was, why on earth was that man holding flowers and waiting for me?
Seeing my frozen self appearing in front of him, Ludger nodded lightly.
“Captain Clara, glad to meet you again.”
“Yes, Greetings.”
I greeted absentmindedly since my head didn’t seem to work properly for the unexpected situation. I quickly forced my head to ask the question I had been wondering.
“I heard Your Highness came to meet me. Is there something urgent?”
“Oh. Not that.”
In response to my question, Ludger tilted his head slightly and smiled with eyes closed. It was clearly a sociable smile, perfect to capture anyone’s heart. However, what it gave me was goosebumps.
“Doesn’t Sir Clara think we have something important to discuss?”
“….”
At his friendly asked question, I just wanted to pretend that I didn’t know or hear anything so that he would leave. But if I showed such a desperate attitude, my oath of yesterday would lose credibility.
“Here, please accept this.”
“…?”
“I bought it specially for you.”
My mind was in a mess so I ended up accepting the bouquet of flowers and piled them up in my arms.
“Why should I accept this…?”
“Hmm. According to our butler’s advice, when you meet a woman for personal reasons, you should give her flowers as a gift.”
“Uh, I don’t know, but isn’t that just a social etiquette?”
Ludger laughed again as I steadily tackled him despite being absent-minded.
My heart raced as soon as I saw that smile. But I think it wasn’t because I was enchanted by his smile but rather I was scared.
“Well, regardless of social etiquette, I thought the flowers would suit Sir Clara since they’re the same color as your hair. Seeing it in person, I think it doesn’t look bad.”
“….”
I didn’t particularly like or hate my orange hair, so his words didn’t impress me much. However, it still felt a bit strange to hear that he had chosen flowers that were the same color as my hair.
Quickly shaking off the strange feeling, I cleared my throat.
“Uh, yes. Thank you. So, was there any particular reason for which Young Duke came to meet me?”
“Yes.”
I was about to refuse, giving an excuse that I was extremely busy and had to do overtime. But a voice belonging to a person who wasn’t very helpful in everyday life behind me betrayed my intention.
“Captain! You can leave work first! We will lock the door to the office, so you don’t have to worry!”
“….”
At the unexpected voice, I turned around and saw three people who had come down to the first floor looking at Ludger and me sneakily.
Billy had a very joyous expression, Lionel’s eyes were shining with excitement, and Sir Sein had a look of concern as he looked back and forth between Billy and me. He seemed to be more worried that he still couldn’t leave work and was stuck instead.
“In that case, I wonder if Sir Clara can spare some time? Since it’s already time for dinner, I’d like to have a meal with Sir.”
“Yes… please.”
My eyes showed my resentment toward Billy, but what could I do? I simply gave up.
‘Do I have to get in the carriage?’
I was about to get in the carriage with that thought. But before I could step inside, Ludger elegantly extended his hand.
“….?”
“Please allow me the honor of escorting you.”
For the second time that day, goosebumps rose all over my body. He seemed to be wanting to escort me into the carriage as if I were an honorable lady belonging to noble birth.
‘No…please!’
I screamed inwardly, but knowing that it would have been extremely rude to reject the Duke’s generous offer, who had already extended his hand with the intention of escorting me, I gave in. With trembling hands, I grabbed his outstretched palm.
At that moment, a muffled exclamation of ‘Oh…!’ as if someone was amused at the strange sight rang out from behind.
Haa….
What kind of embarrassing situation is this, that also in front of my subordinates?
Even while trying to get on the carriage, Ludger lightly wrapped his arm around my waist.
While I was being flustered at the close proximity of our bodies, he half-dragged, half-pulled me inside the carriage.
I felt like I was going to die from embarrassment. I couldn’t believe such a scene was being witnessed by my subordinates.
After sitting down inside, I looked through the window and saw Lionel’s excited face. He winked at me and mouthed, ‘Do your best!’. Next to him, Billy was also waving his hands enthusiastically.
All I just wanted was to jump off the carriage and hit them both. The only normal person was Sir Sein, who nodded his head with a restless expression.
“Is there anything in particular you dislike? I made a reservation in a restaurant, but if you let me know, I can adjust the menu.”
“Ah… It’s okay. I don’t dislike anything.”
Although that was what I replied, I rather wanted to say, ‘Today I’m fasting so I can’t eat anything until the day after tomorrow’. But no word left my mouth as if my throat was dry. All I could do was follow along.
The carriage started off, and apart from the rattling sound of the wheels, both of us were quiet.
Ludger still had an amiable smile on his face as he crossed his legs and sat comfortably.
I was praying inside for him to not bring up the topic of yesterday and just forget it. However, shattering all my hopes, he asked me bluntly.
“You seemed to have returned straight from the scene yesterday, didn’t you? When I went there later, I only saw members of the Sapphire Knights.”
“Yes… Duke Kassen probably has no connection with Heilbronner, but you still knew his whereabouts.”
Ludger blinked in confusion as soon as he heard my answer. Then suddenly, he burst into laughter as if he couldn’t believe what I said.
“…That’s hilarious. So that’s what you want to believe.”
“Yes. I don’t know anything about Heilbronner or his true identity.”
“….”
My words simply meant to just forget everything as if nothing had happened yesterday.
‘But, if my dismissive attitude makes the villain say ‘That’s interesting,’ doesn’t it mean bad news for me?’
As I was trying to predict my fate with the big data of romance novels that I had accumulated over the years, Ludger suddenly leaned forward and closed the distance between us.
The scent of the roses I was holding in my arms seemed to have gotten stronger. I didn’t know if it was because I was flustered or because of the situation, I felt like my head was spinning.
“Then I guess I should keep an eye on Sir Clara to make sure whether you really continue to ‘not know’ or not.”
“…!”
“And it will be continued from now on.”
“Um, really! Really! I swore to the God of heaven that I have no intention of telling anyone.”
“Telling what?”
“Th, the fact that the Young Duke is Heilbronner….”
I quickly covered my mouth with both hands when realization dawned over me, I had fallen into his trap. The poor bouquet of roses was crushed along with my flustered movement.
“If you keep insisting that you know nothing, you’ll have to keep trying.”
“…cough.”
I put the roses aside. The poor flowers weren’t at fault so they shouldn’t be smashed in my arms.
“Does that mean that Young Duke will keep me under surveillance in the future?”
“Yes.”
“Young Duke doesn’t have to come in person….”
I realized something after saying that. Someone as cunning and careful as Ludger would not reveal his identity to anyone, even those close to him.
Therefore, he wouldn’t bother to have his subordinates keep me under surveillance lest it arose suspicion….
“Well, rather than surveillance, I think the word ‘interaction’ would be more appropriate.”
“Even if we don’t interact on a regular basis, I….”
“There’s no such thing as absolute in this world.”
“….”
“I certainly understand that Sir has no intention of revealing my identity at the moment. That could be true.”
“….”
“However, isn’t it true that people’s hearts can change at any time?”
Ludger turned his head as his gaze disappeared amidst the scenery outside the carriage that had darkened completely. The once bright sky had become gloomy at some point.
“There can arise situations when Sir might feel that selling me off would be better. Perhaps someone can tempt you in exchange for something valuable.”
“….”
“That’s why I want to lower the risk through interactions. My words previously meant exactly that. I have to make sure no temptation reaches the heart of Sir Clara.”
The fresh green eyes turned to me again. I only swallowed under his oppressing gaze, feeling somewhat anxious.
Ludger leaned back against the backrest again, but the tense atmosphere still lingered in the carriage.
‘… That’s true. Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I would never have trusted myself either.’
It was my dream to live my life quietly as an ordinary citizen, as if I didn’t exist, and not to get entangled with the original story.
However, if I were him, I wouldn’t have believed the words of the Captain of a knight order, who were instructed to capture him and was secretly interested in Heilbronner’s handiwork, that I wouldn’t reveal his identity.
‘Then… we should have some sort of exchange so that he can feel the credibility of my words.’
With that thought, I crossed my arms and changed my posture arrogantly, just like Ludger.
Well, what was the point of saving face with him now?
“Then Your Highness should pay me a price that’s enough to keep my mouth closed and not sell the Duke out.”
“…What?”
“Money. There’s no such thing as absolute in this world, but as a Captain of a incompetent and poor knight order, money is more important to me.”
“….”
“Certainly, you must be worried that I would take the money and still betray you. For that… how about setting a deadline?”
“Deadline?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and continued my explanation.
“If I’m correct on my conjecture, the Duke has no intention to make a living as the thief Heilbronner or continue this Heilbronner activities for the rest of his life. You must be thinking of continuing this act for at most a few years.”
“…!”
“If I manage to keep my oath of not revealing the true identity of Heilbronner until the end of this activity, then Your Highness would pay me a large sum of money.”
Oh, I felt like I successfully became a corrupted knight commander.
Doesn’t it feel like exaggeration? In reality, I knew the identity of the culprit long ago but hadn’t arrested him.
And this snobbish attitude of mine, valuing money over reputation must have destroyed my image in Ludger’s mind completely. But it wasn’t my job to worry about that.
‘He must be very disappointed in me.’
I raised my head as I thought that, hoping his expression would be as I had expected in my mind. But I couldn’t help but flinch for a moment seeing his expression.
Unexpectedly, Ludger was smiling as if he had found my words very interesting.
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