“Why are you acting like this? Aren’t you going to take revenge? We should use every advantage we have.”
“This time, it’s different. Even if you’re not involved with this prince, it won’t affect the plan at all.”
“I’m going to introduce uniforms in my guild, and eventually, every guild that follows.”
“And?”
“That’s why we need to secure a designer now! Before another guild snatches them up!”
Duke Luteous stopped walking and turned to face me. I met his gaze head-on.
“If we lose Louis this time, the Emperor will take him. Are you still going to say it won’t make a difference?”
“…….”
“I don’t know about you, Duke, but I absolutely refuse to compromise on anything that could even slightly help him.”
He studied my face intently before finally speaking.
“Is that the only reason?”
“What do you mean?”
“There are plenty of designers. Even if it’s not him, we can hire another famous one. You know this already, don’t you?”
“…….”
“And yet, you agreed to his ridiculous demands. That means there’s another reason.”
“Another reason?”
“For example, to fulfill your personal desires.”
My heart skipped a beat.
It felt as if he had seen straight through my lingering desire for luxury uniforms—a wish I had carried over from my past life.
Stung by his words, I unconsciously averted my gaze slightly.
“P-personal desires? I just… don’t want to lose him.”
“Does it have to be him?”
“Yes.”
“Even though there are alternatives?”
“I don’t want anyone else.”
“…Is he really that good?”
Duke Luteous asked with a sigh, as if he had realized he could no longer argue on this point.
Sensing the shift in the mood, I shrugged lightly.
“Of course. He’s the best.”
“Besides being beautiful, there’s nothing else left.”
“You must be a bit old-fashioned. These days, being pretty is everything.”
“Everything?”
“When you have no information about someone, you can’t help but rely on appearances to judge them. What you see matters that much.”
“…….”
“Shall I put it more bluntly? It’s the same reason why a handsome villain is far more popular than an ugly, kind person.”
“…….”
“Honestly, isn’t that why you were able to marry my mother, Duke?”
At the mention of Marcella, Duke Luteous clenched his teeth.
“I don’t know how such a misunderstanding happened… but Marcella didn’t love me for my looks.”
“Did you ask her directly?”
“…….”
“Then do you think your inner self is so beautiful that someone could love you for it?”
“…….”
“Just be thankful you’re handsome.”
At a loss for words, Duke Luteous closed his mouth.
“You’ll let me meet the Second Prince, right?”
“……Fine.”
With a noticeably lighter heart, I continued walking.
The path to the parking area led behind the bustling streets. It wasn’t along the main road, so it was shaded and quiet.
‘It’s nice and peaceful.’
But just as that thought crossed my mind, a group of burly, muscular men appeared across the street.
The reason I immediately pegged them as thugs was simple.
‘Are masks trending these days? I suddenly want to see that masked knight again. Even with his face covered, his handsomeness was obvious. These guys, though…’
Luteous and I stopped walking at the same time.
“Duke Luteous, Lady Astel. You’ll need to come with us for a while.”
Duke Luteous turned his head arrogantly, as if the idea of speaking to these men was beneath him.
‘Ugh, such a fussy old man.’
I stepped forward instead and asked,
“Who are you?”
“You don’t need to know that. Just stay in a safe place for a few days. If you follow our instructions, nothing bad will happen. Now, come quietly.”
‘Is their goal kidnapping? Confinement? What’s the reason behind this?’
“Sorry, but I can’t. My dad told me not to follow strangers.”
At that, Duke Luteous tilted his head slightly.
“When did I ever say that?”
“…Duke, please stay quiet.”
“Did I have another father I wasn’t aware of?”
“…Is that really what you’re curious about right now?”
“Yes, I need to know immediately.”
“That’s something parents tell their kids! You didn’t even teach me basic stuff like that, and now you’re asking me these questions like you’re proud or something?”
“Ah, I see.”
Despite my scolding, Duke Luteous merely raised an eyebrow.
Annoyed by his smug expression, I was about to let loose another rant when one of the thugs, looking flustered, interrupted.
“What are you two doing right now? Are you mocking us?”
Luteous and I nodded at the same time.
“Yeah, we’ve been ignoring you this whole time.”
“Oh, you just noticed?”
“You’re pretty slow for a henchman. Whoever your boss is, I can already tell they’re nothing special.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t rely on someone like you. I’d handle it myself. Reducing the number of people involved is the fastest route to success. Remember that.”
“I already know that.”
As Luteous and I looked like we were about to start bantering again, the thug shouted in frustration.
“Enough! Stop it right now! I can tell you’re stalling for time, but we won’t let it slide any longer. Decide now! Are you coming quietly, or do we need to spill blood first?”
I smirked and shot back,
“You guys should decide instead. Are you going to back off and walk away on your own two feet, or will you crawl away after I’ve beaten you down?”
The thug flinched before making a signal with his hand.
Soon, their group grew from three to five men.
I turned to Luteous with an annoyed look.
“Why are you walking around without any guards, Duke? This whole mess could’ve been avoided.”
“…Are you saying this is my fault?”
“Of course it is. If you had guards, we wouldn’t be dealing with these guys right now.”
“Sword Masters don’t need guards.”
“Seriously? What century are you living in? Do you still think you’re in your twenties? You’ll be walking with a cane soon enough.”
Luteous’s eyes narrowed sharply at my jab.
Ignoring his glare, I continued to grumble until I noticed something unsettling.
The group, which I thought had stopped at five, kept growing.
“Fifteen? Oh, come on. This is ridiculous. What a bunch of cowardly bastards.”
“Astel, have you stuffed a rag in your mouth? Mind your language.”
“Duke, are you really going to lecture me about manners right now?”
“Dignity isn’t something you uphold depending on the time and place.”
“So you’re saying I should keep my dignity while handling all of them by myself? Wow, must be nice to live in your world.”
“Why do you assume you’ll be handling them alone?”
I turned to look up at him. Luteous kept his gaze fixed ahead as he continued speaking.
“I may be rusty, but I’m not so pathetic that I’d hide behind a child.”
“……”
Being a Sword Master meant his combat skills were once unmatched.
But that was a long time ago—two whole decades, in fact.
And if he hadn’t been able to hold a sword all these years, he definitely hadn’t been training either.
‘It’ll be lucky if he can even show a fraction of his old skills.’
Luteous was well aware of this. Yet, his words made it clear: he wasn’t planning on sitting this one out.
‘He doesn’t want me to count him out, no matter what.’
I sighed and pressed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.
“Are you sure about this? What if you jump in and end up breaking something?”
“I was a Sword Master. I can handle opponents like this.”
“That was ages ago. You’re at the age where osteoporosis should be your biggest concern.”
“…How old do you think I am? Eighty? Ninety?”
“Either way, you can’t even hold a sword anymore. Your knees must hurt—why don’t you just sit over there and watch?”
Duke Luteous’s eyebrow twitched with irritation.
“Even back then, I didn’t need a sword to deal with people like them. I had enough strength built up to rely on my own power.”
“……”
“Ah, but someone like you, who gained hunter powers overnight, wouldn’t understand. Why don’t you go sit down and watch instead?”
“…I’m strong enough even without hunter powers, you know?”
“Then let’s see it.”
“Fine by me. I’ve been curious about a Sword Master’s skills anyway. But it’ll be boring if we just fight, so let’s make it a bet.”
“A bet?”
“Whoever takes down more of them gets to ask the other for a favor. Deal?”
“……”
“What’s wrong? Worried the gap between us will be too embarrassing for you? Alright then, I won’t use a sword either. No—should I avoid using my hands too?”
Duke Luteous spoke through clenched teeth, his voice sharp.
“You’ll… regret saying that.”
