“That’s not it….”
“Th, that’s right, Sir Billy. The two of them are not in a relationship. Wouldn’t it cause trouble for the parties involved if you misunderstand?”
Lan tried hard to support me, but I could roughly guess her way of thinking.
‘She also thinks we’re secretly dating… and she’s trying to cover for us…’
After watching us whispering among ourselves and my overreaction to the question about having personal connections, it was understandable that she might misunderstand and think we were in a relationship.
‘That’s not it. We’re not….’
I wiped my face and sighed deeply.
“It’s not true, so stop teasing me. Even if not for me, it’s disrespectful to Duke Kassen.”
“Yes~”
Lionel answered lightly, as he hadn’t been teasing me seriously from the beginning, and went back to work.
Billy looked relieved as he said, “Oh, it really isn’t? Sorry about that,”. Only then did he look convinced. Lan still didn’t seem entirely convinced but…. that was for now.
“Alright, everyone, get back to work. And Sir Lan, let’s just have lunch together today, you can head back after that. Don’t worry about the report; you can write it tomorrow.”
“But…!”
“It’s really okay. I don’t want to be seen as a villainous Captain who orders around her subordinate knight who hasn’t even officially started work yet.”
“… Yes. Starting tomorrow! I’ll really work hard.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
Afterwards, we had a meal at our usual restaurant on the first floor and I saw Lan off.
Now it was time to go back to work. Even though I worked hard in the morning, the paperwork didn’t diminish in the afternoon. Such was a sad routine for knights in charge of miscellaneous tasks.
“Captain, would you like some coffee?”
“Yeah. Since I lost track of time in the morning, documents are piled up, it’s better to review one more document before I go. You all can enjoy your time slowly.”
“Yes!”
Billy and Lionel chatted as they headed over to get coffee.
It might seem surprising in a place with clear hierarchical relationships to see subordinates having a break, but I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of our knights.
‘For some reason… it feels like the morning’s events were just a dream.’
I clenched and unclenched my fist.
Although I had suddenly realized the truth about black magic, my usual life hadn’t changed. It was just that another secret of Ludger’s had been added to the list of things I needed to hide.
On the contrary, the change came from the fact that the thief Heilbronner became entangled with the Ruby Knights.
‘I could use my swordsmanship more nowadays….’
The thrill of the moment desperately clashing swords, and the exhilaration enveloping my entire body.
I realized anew how much I loved the sword.
After being drafted into the Ruby Knights, there were many times I questioned whether I was truly suited to be a knight.
However, now, each day was extremely fulfilling.
‘I guess it was all thanks to Heilbronner.’
I chuckled to myself at the thought.
“…Captain.”
At that moment, true to his introverted nature, Sir Sein, who was usually averse to coffee, spoke to me as he followed me to the office.
“Oh, yes! Is there something you need to discuss? Do you need to leave early or something…?”
“No, it’s not that…”
He hesitated, glancing around before speaking with a serious expression.
“Um, regarding the matter with Young Lord Kassen…”
“Uh, ahem. What is it? Are you trying to tease me too, Sir Sein? I told you, there’s really nothing between us.”
Sir Sein shook his head as I corrected him with a bitter smile.
“I’m not doubting the Captain’s words. It must be the truth.”
“Yes…”
Then what was the reason for bringing up Ludger? I looked at him in confusion, and Sir Sein continued cautiously.
“However, we can never predict how things will turn out.”
“….”
“It’s hard for things to end well between nobles and commoners… I’m genuinely concerned.”
Some people might consider it an unwarranted intrusion, but I wasn’t really offended.
It was because Sir Sein had a genuinely worried expression on his face.
Furthermore, he wasn’t the type to meddle in others’ affairs. Yet, he went out of his way to express his concern for me.
I vaguely suspected that he might have actually experienced that ‘unfortunate end’ and was reacting more sensitively because of it.
“I understand. Why won’t I?”
“….”
“At the moment, there’s truly nothing between me and Young Lord Kassen, and I don’t think there’s any chance of it developing… But, well, as you’ve said earlier, we never know how things might turn out in the future.”
It seemed unlikely that I would have any feelings for someone like him who was not only the original story’s sub-male lead, but also the villain.
My wariness toward him had deepened even more after the black magic incident this morning.
I wasn’t foolish enough to delude myself into thinking I had become a special character like in those romance fantasy novels. Fiction was just fiction.
There was no way I would fall for a villain/antagonist/bad guy and end up with a happy ending.
A hopeless unrequited love for the villain was far from the peaceful life I desired.
“But even if I were to develop such feelings for him, there’s no way the great Ludger Kassen would ever be interested in me. That would be ridiculous.”
“No. I’m not worried about the Captain but….”
Sir Sein lowered his gaze and mumbled,
“I’m concerned because it seems Young Lord Kassen has a significant interest in you.”
“Eh…?”
Of course… there might be significant interest… given that I’m someone who could accidentally reveal his secrets.
But that’s not a romantic interest….
I gave a subtle smile.
“Maybe it’s just that we keep running into each other in a professional context, and he’s paying attention to me for that reason. There’s no need for you to worry, Sir Sein.”
“……”
Sir Sein fidgeted in his spot then bowed his head to me.
“…Um, I apologize for my presumptuous words, Captain.”
“Oh, no. It’s alright. Honestly, if I were in the opposite position, I would probably be worried too. I’m actually grateful.”
“….”
He slightly bowed his head, opened the door, and entered first. It seemed he had used up all his social energy for the day and felt a bit embarrassed.
I smiled to myself and went to my seat.
Somehow, I had become privy to many of Ludger Kassen’s secrets, but that was the extent of our relationship.
Though Ludger would likely continue his surveillance on me for a while, I believed that if I remained discreet and loyal, he would soon lose interest.
I had to avoid unnecessarily antagonizing him and ensure the story progressed naturally, as in the original work.
And make sure to have a peaceful life after all is over.
That was all I hoped for, and I believed it could be achieved
***
“…Ludger Kassen.”
“Yes….”
The subordinate knight who had submitted the report to Gustav, averted his gaze with a restless expression.
That was because Gustav’s expression was so grim.
“Okay. I’ll read the report. You can leave.”
“Yes.”
As soon as the subordinate left, Gustav quickly read through the report before tearing it apart.
The report contained detailed information about recent events around Clara and minor information about people she had interacted with.
Among them, the name ‘Ludger Kassen’ stood out.
The report stated that Ludger Kassen had taken Clara to an expensive restaurant alone, which had already become a hot topic among quick-to-judge gossipers.
There were also speculations about whether Ludger Kassen, who had seemed disinterested in women, was beginning to indulge in deviations. Rumors mixed with malicious curiosity also questioned whether this unnamed female knight might end up becoming his mistress.
“Clara as a mistress? Ha!”
Such a proud woman would never endure that kind of humiliation, he thought.
But what if it were true?
What if she had collapsed so helplessly before the power of the name of the Duke?
It was unacceptable. Clara Weyburn should belong only to Gustav Meyma.
Yet, the thought that fueled such malicious imagination kept resurfacing.
The gloves Clara had dropped on that unfortunate day when Heilbronner had robbed the Sapphire Knights.
At a glance, he could tell that it was clearly a man’s glove suitable for a high-ranking noble.
And the way Clara hurriedly put them in her cloak’s pocket as if they were precious.
These facts wove together in a chaotic manner, tightening around Gustav’s throat.
“Absolutely… unacceptable.”
He gritted his teeth and opened the drawer.
Soon, a magical letter floated up and landed in front of him.
“Yes. Indeed, this is… the best way.”
As he reviewed the ‘plan’ written in the letter, he curled his lips into a twisted smile.
Thanks