“……”
He looked at me intently for a moment and then let out a smile.
“If it turns out that there’s nothing wrong with me ‘today,’ wouldn’t you consider getting engaged to me?”
“…That should be true?”
“But since the engagement is not ‘yet’ confirmed, I don’t think it’s exactly a lie to say that I’m courting you, Captain.”
“……”
In my past life, there was a saying, ‘the way you say it matters’. But Ludger……
It was definitely a bit of an awkward situation. It would be funny if I firmly said that there was nothing between us, and then just a few days later, the engagement news came out.
If Ludger really was courting me at this point and I eventually accepted him, then the timeline would roughly fit.
“Ultimately, since these annoying people have been dealt with, I think it’s a good thing for Captain as well.”
“…Well, that’s true, but…”
“It seemed like Lady Serphenne was unnecessarily very interested in other people’s relationships. So, I figured she would disappear right away.”
“……”
‘Annoying,’ ‘Bothersome’……
The sub-male lead’s view of the female lead, whom he could have fallen for, was incredibly cold. Where did the original work go wrong for it to end up like this….
There was no point in pondering a question with no clear answer. Therefore, I decided to get to the main point.
“By the way… you didn’t actually come to see me for work, did you…”
“Oh, that part’s true. As Captain knows, the Imperial Relics and Treasure Management Office did a preliminary inspection of the artifacts in Melshas City this time. I returned today to check them again.”
“I see……”
“Actually, I didn’t specifically request a knight, and just said any would do as an escort. But Sir Lan Meyflora told me you’d be returning from your patrol soon, so you should come with me.”
‘Lan Meyflora….’
Perhaps, because of the mistaken idea that we were dating, she had orchestrated this romantic scenario for us, the couple. I clenched my teeth.
“So, when I came out onto the main road thinking you would be around, I saw you right away. That’s how it happened.”
“… I see.”
“Anyway, I heard you were planning to inspect the previous routes as well.”
“That’s correct. Let’s go then.”
Since it was a place I was going to anyway, it would be strange not to head there together, given that our destination was the same.
I turned around, feeling a bit relieved.
“By the way, is it really okay for you to show yourself so directly? If today’s event is a trap, the other side will probably be eager to figure out your identity.”
“On the contrary, it would be more suspicious if I didn’t show up, given my usual behavior. You know that, Captain.”
“… True.”
Ludger was a very hands-on commander, often going undercover and conducting inspections himself.
For someone like him, it would be natural to personally check the underground waterways in an incident like this.
“You didn’t seem like bringing anyone with you.”
“Yeah. I didn’t want the hassle, so I told them not to come. I was just thinking of bringing one technician along. Besides, the area is heavily guarded, so there shouldn’t be any safety concerns.”
As he spoke, he moved gracefully through the crowd. The people moved aside like the Red Sea parting, making a way for him.
People on both sides, regardless of gender, were increasingly seen staring at his face in a daze.
After all, a handsome man dressed beautifully, how could they not be captivated?
His appearance alone was enough to make heads turn.
Could he possibly get any more handsome?
I smiled to myself as I made my way to the underground waterways. Ludger opened the entrance, and we entered inside as if it were second nature.
After checking the condition inside for any issues, I teased him as I recalled the day we first visited the place together.
“Come to think of it, you didn’t disguise yourself today. You could have come as Mark Baker.”
“Honestly…. I did think about that…”
“….?”
Ludger hesitated for a moment before looking down at me, offering a slightly awkward smile.
“I couldn’t bear Derrek’s nagging. He insisted I dress up since I’ll be meeting you.”
“Huh? What does meeting me have to do with not being in disguise?”
“Well, a man like me who is courting a lady like Clara, who might become my fiancée, I ought to make a good impression, right?”
I flinched. Bringing up the engagement again while looking this handsome… that’s cheating.
“Could you add ‘supposedly courting’ to that sentence?”
“Well, no matter how hard I try to make a good impression, it’s useless. Captain doesn’t like silver hair.”
“… How long are you going to hold onto that!”
Ludger laughed heartily. Despite my annoyance, I couldn’t deny how striking he looked even when laughing.
“Nevertheless, I think your hair color suits you beautifully.”
“……”
“It blends with the scenery well, truly beautiful.”
Even though I knew he was just casually flattering me, my heart skipped a beat for a moment.
I muttered under my breath, covering my flushed cheek with the back of my hand.
“… I don’t dislike silver hair, so stop teasing me.”
“I’m not teasing, I’m being sincere.”
“I understand, stop teasing me….”
“Mm.”
I focused my mind to avoid getting distracted by Ludger’s meaningless compliments. Hmm… There was nothing unusual. I didn’t even sense the presence of a demonic creature, not even a bat.
‘Hmm, as expected, when I need to focus, it’s best to calm my Spirit.’
As I lowered my hand to steady my nerves, Ludger chuckled and added.
“Well, anyway, I’m glad we could meet like this. Even if we couldn’t meet in person, I had something I wanted to give you.”
“Something to give me?”
“Yeah.”
Ludger reached into his sleek bag he was carrying. The thing he brought out was long and had an unusual shape, so at first glance, I thought it was some sort of magical tool for measurement…..
But my eyes nearly popped out of its sockets as he pulled the whole thing out.
“Is that… a sword?”
“Yes.”
“……!”
Before I knew it, I had accepted the sword Ludger was offering, still in its sheath.
“Try it out. It’s something you’ll be using often, Captain, so if it doesn’t suit you, it’s useless.”
I cautiously grabbed the hilt and drew the sword from its sheath.
The silver, elegant surface of the blade gleamed as it reflected the dim light of the underground waterways.
Just by holding it, I could tell without a doubt. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
A high-quality sword, forged so solidly that it couldn’t even be compared to the swords I had wielded until now.
Unconsciously, I swung my arm and traced the sword’s trajectory through the air.
As I intended, the sword moved without a single error, creating graceful curves with every swing.
It felt as if my body and the sword had become one.
I was so absorbed in its craftsmanship that I lost track of everything else.
“This… is an extraordinary weapon.”
As I sheathed the blade, I voiced my awe.
“That’s a relief. Do you like it?”
“Of course… it’s incredible.”
“Then I hope you use it well.”
Ludger smiled gently. It was a smile that conveyed the joy of being satisfied with giving me the sword as a gift.
“Ha, but I can’t possibly accept such a valuable item…”
“Think of it as my wish for your fingers to stay unharmed, Captain.”
“……”
It seemed that the memory of the cheap sword I used before, which had its blade break and injured my hand, left quite an impact on him.
“Hmm, but it’s just too much to accept all of a sudden…”
“Consider it as a pre-engagement gift.”
Ludger looked deeply into my eyes.
“If the engagement doesn’t work out… you can return it to me.”
“……”
“But if it works out, I would prefer you see it as a more practical gift than a ring that would interfere with your work, and use it well.”
A hand slowly approached and tucked my hair behind my ear. It was the side of my hair that had fallen out of place while I was testing the sword.
As I flinched at the slightly ticklish sensation, my gaze landed at his slowly withdrawing hand.
On Ludger’s ring finger, there was still… a red ring.
“Let’s get out of here. It’s too stuffy to stay here much longer.”
“Yes.”
Ludger turned and began walking towards the exit. As I was following behind, I couldn’t see his expression.
‘I’m not sure if it’s just my feeling….’
It seemed like he deliberately avoided talking about the engagement for too long and cut it short.
Even though I was suspicious of Ludger, I still trusted him.
My head was telling me to stay cautious, in case he really did turn out to be a villain today…. but the engagement seemed inevitable.
In reality, his innocence would likely be proven, and our engagement would probably go through as planned.
The engagement, which I had left in a ‘pending’ state, now felt like it was suddenly approaching me.
* * *
After visiting a few other routes, before I knew it, an hour had quickly passed.
Ludger checked his pocket watch and turned to me.
“Since everything I needed to check in a hurry has been confirmed without any issues, I’ll be heading back.”
“Yes. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“It is I who should be thanking you. May the blessings of God be upon your shoulders today.”
“……May you also be blessed with good fortune, Young Duke.”
“Do you trust me enough to wish me luck like this?”
“It’s fifty-fifty.”
“Haha.”
It seemed like Ludger, too, treated it as a meaningless joke, as he only laughed at my response.
“Even if it’s just half, since Young Duke gave me a sword as a gift, it’s only proper to wish you good fortune.”
“Proper?”
“……Could you please extend your arm for a moment?”
