Chapter 3.4

“All those rumors about you not being interested in women were nonsense. You’re so quick with your hands.”

Rizle grumbled, blaming those who had spread such rumors. She had only been curious and tried to do something slightly risqué, but she had awakened the beast in Heizen, who had been pretending to be reserved. If she had known this would happen, if people hadn’t spread those stories, she wouldn’t have provoked him so carelessly. She would have prepared herself more.

Leaning against Heizen for support, Rizle lowered her gaze to check on his still-er*ect manhood, which hadn’t cl*maxed. She wanted to get back at him for making her lose control so easily. But at the same time, she had a feeling that touching it would only make things worse for her.

‘What should I do?’

While she hesitated, Heizen properly adjusted his trousers and fastened his belt. Now that it was out of sight, Rizle felt a pang of regret. But it was too late to undo it.

“Don’t worry. I won’t use this before the wedding.”

Just as she was contemplating another opportunity, Heizen dropped a bombshell. Rizle was left speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

After planting a light kiss on her forehead, Heizen left the room. As he strode out quickly, his expression was a mix of excitement and relief.

He had only intended to kiss her. He hadn’t planned to go any further. But for a moment, he had lost control. He had nearly revealed the filthy desires he had been suppressing and hiding from her.

If Rizle ever found out what kind of thoughts he harbored about her, she would surely be horrified. She might even call off the engagement, saying she couldn’t marry such a dreadful man.

He had gone through so much to win Rizle Thruella. Such a thing could never happen.

***

Heizen had lost his parents early and was entrusted to his relatives.

His natural strength and large build were useful for helping with chores, even at a young age. However, his unsociable nature made it difficult for him to stay long in one place. Because of this, Heizen spent his childhood moving from one relative’s house to another.

At first, he tried to avoid being sent away again. But the result was always the same, so at some point, he began to see no value in forming relationships with others.

This attitude remained even when he became a knight’s squire by chance. He believed his master could abandon him at any time and take on a new squire.

However, the knight did not abandon him. Instead, his master helped him become a knight under the service of the Thruella Marquisate.

“Thank you for not giving up on someone as difficult and unlikable as me.”

Heizen’s gratitude was sincere. His master, however, burst into loud laughter upon hearing it. Calling him an amusing fellow, his master laughed so hard that Heizen felt embarrassed.

It was the first time anyone had ever called him amusing.

“There’s no one as steady as you. You’ve never acted like a child, even when you were young. In that sense, you’re right about lacking charm.”

His master denied being particularly broad-minded. Heizen thought his master was just being modest. To Heizen, his master was a deeply grateful figure who had given him a place to settle when he would have otherwise wandered endlessly.

He had hoped his master would live a long life, but unfortunately, his master fell ill and passed away a year after Heizen became a knight.

Perhaps it was around that time that the expectations for Heizen within the knightly order began to fade.

In truth, those expectations had been placed on him by his master. Once his master was gone, they naturally disappeared as well.

If Heizen had worked to prove his abilities even after his master’s death, things might have been different. But Heizen had no desire to stand out.

During his time moving between relatives’ homes, he had learned that standing out only invited jealousy and resentment, leaving him with no good memories.

So, Heizen chose to live quietly and diligently, steering clear of gambling, women, or any distractions, focusing solely on his duties. This was how Heizen lived his life.

“Black Rock.”

Someone had given him this nickname, saying he lived like a lifeless rock. Since he neither liked nor disliked the name, he let it be, and before long, all his colleagues began calling him that.

“Sir Heizen.”

One day, Sir Rey (a woman knight) called out to him. Having been called “Black Rock” for so long, Heizen didn’t even realize she was addressing him.

“Black Rock!”

When she called out again, Heizen finally turned to look at her. He thought it had been as long since he had seen her face as it had been since someone had called his name.

This was because their duties were fundamentally different.

While Heizen was assigned to guard the castle or patrol the northern borders to watch for enemies or monsters, Sir Rey often served as a bodyguard for the Thruella family, particularly the youngest daughter, Rizle.

Given that the Marquis entrusted his cherished daughter to her, it was clear how much he trusted Sir Rey. Though there were those who occasionally vied for her position, the honor remained hers for now.

“Do you have any special plans this winter?”

“I’ll be standing guard and patrolling as usual.”

As if she had expected this response, Sir Rey smiled and got straight to the point.

“This year, Miss Rizle will be spending three months on holiday in Kabakia. Normally, I would accompany her, but due to certain circumstances, I cannot leave Troskan.”

She was asking Heizen to take her place as Rizle’s bodyguard. She even added that she had already obtained the Marquis’ approval.

The fact that the Marquis knew who he was surprised Heizen. Considering the Marquis of Thruella commanded the second-largest number of knights after the King of Loen, Heizen had assumed someone like him, with such a faint presence, wouldn’t even register in the Marquis’ memory.

“Did the Marquis personally choose me?”

“I was the one who decided to entrust this task to you, Sir Heizen.”

As expected. Heizen nodded in understanding. Then he asked her another question.

“Why did you choose me to guard Miss Rizle? I’m sure there are many others eager to volunteer.”

Even someone like Heizen, who rarely participated in conversations, was aware of how many openly talked about wanting to guard Rizle. At this, Sir Rey let out a sigh and smiled wryly.

“Do you know why they’re so eager to guard her?”

Heizen replied that he didn’t know.

“It’s because Miss Rizle is beautiful.”

Their intentions were obvious. Even those who claimed otherwise or pretended to be indifferent were hardly trustworthy. However, Sir Rey believed that someone like Heizen, who remained as unshaken as a rock regardless of external stimuli, would neither fall for Rizle nor attempt any foolish behavior.

Judging by his expression, which seemed to say, “What does beauty have to do with guarding someone?” she felt reassured that she had chosen the right person.

“Guarding Miss Rizle isn’t particularly difficult. You just need to keep an eye on her impulsive actions.”

For instance, she might suddenly take off her shoes and step into a lake while walking along its edge. Or she might stare at a horse attached to a carriage and then climb onto it to ride.

With the Marchioness absent, Rizle’s behavior had become even more unpredictable.

“… Should I stop her from doing dangerous things?”

Lacking confidence, Heizen asked hesitantly. Sir Rey laughed and shook her head. Rizle’s maid, Mary, would likely cry and beg her to stop.

There was only one thing Sir Rey wanted to ask of Heizen.

“Do not take your eyes off her. If you let your guard down, you might lose sight of her, so be vigilant.”

Sir Rey was relieved that Heizen had taken on the task. She believed it was unlikely that someone like “Black Rock” would fall for Rizle.

However, a few days later, when Heizen met Rizle to formally introduce himself, Sir Rey’s prediction was proven wrong.

“You must be the knight Sir Rey mentioned. Your name is… Heizen, right? Sir Heizen?”

Although she had seen him a few times in passing, she had never looked closely at his face. That was her mistake.

When Heizen looked directly at Rizle’s face, his eyes widened for a moment. He felt strange sweat forming on his hands. Having never experienced anything like this before, he couldn’t properly understand his feelings.

He assumed it was just nerves from being assigned such an important task like guarding her. Or perhaps he had an unknown condition where he broke into a cold sweat when encountering someone excessively beautiful.

“Are you not Sir Heizen?”

When Heizen froze and didn’t respond, Rizle leaned over and whispered to Sir Rey.

“Yes, that’s correct.” 

Heizen finally replied, regaining his composure. If Sir Rey noticed his unease, she might remove him from the assignment. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared if he were excluded.

But for some reason, Heizen didn’t want anyone else to take this job. Despite his extreme nervousness, he felt that he absolutely had to do it himself.

Without fully realizing his own feelings, Heizen instinctively made up his mind.