Chapter 19

“What kind of friend gets so jealous and restless?”

“When did I?”

“If that’s friendship, then all the friends in the world are already dead—ah!”

Derkan muttered to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear, and a crumpled stack of documents came flying at his head. Though it didn’t hit him, he exaggerated a scream and twisted his body, then obediently picked up the papers from the floor.

“Stop talking nonsense and get to work if you’re here.”

“Technically, I’m still on extended leave, you know? This is illegal labor exploitation…”

“If you know that, would you hurry up and get out, please? Why are you crawling back here on parental leave? Because of you, Serenia keeps trying not to stay in the office!”

Fearing he might really get kicked out if he kept pushing, Derkan shamelessly laughed and smoothed out the crumpled papers. As he started pretending to work, Lucien still glared at him resentfully, but didn’t order him out again.

In Derkan’s mind, questions like ‘Friend? That’s a friend? Who looks at a friend like that?’ floated around, but for now, the commotion between the two died down.

“So, why did you really come back?”

“My wife took the child on a trip, and I had some things to report, so I came by.”

“You used to say you’d go crazy if you didn’t see them for even a day when you were newlyweds. Why didn’t you go with them?”

“Sometimes, she says she needs time without her husband. Haha.”

“Hmmm…”

“Anyway, what I need to report is, lately there have been rumors about a ghost ship in the city. Have you heard anything? It seems like just a rumor, but it might be worth investigating…”

Derkan started seriously talking about the ghost ship rumors circulating, but Lucien, with his chin propped up, let the words go in one ear and out the other. The idea that Derkan mistook Serenia for Lucien’s lover stuck in his mind and wouldn’t go away.

He wasn’t surprised that rumors or misunderstandings could arise when unmarried men and women acted close, but actually experiencing it felt strange. He’d thought he’d just find it ridiculous, but now that it was real…

“Why do I feel good about this?”

“Are you listening to me?”

If it was just a false rumor, he should feel bad, but instead he felt oddly pleased. He’d always thought lovers were a hassle and full of fickle emotions, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Waving Derkan off as he kept talking, Lucien fell deep into thought.

Do people always mistake close men and women for lovers?

As Lucien pondered what it meant to be lovers, he realized that everything he did with Serenia wasn’t much different from a couple’s relationship. Spending most days together was natural. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, and even sleeping together—all of it.

But Serenia was his friend…

So maybe it’s not about actions, but about feelings.

Lucien, satisfied with his conclusion, imagined Derkan would freak out if he heard such nonsense. For Lucien, whose meaningful relationships outside family all revolved around Serenia, it was an absurd but inevitable misunderstanding.

“Derkan. You’re married and have a child, but you still don’t understand love.”

“Are you saying that to me? Of all people, Commander, you’re saying that to me…?”

“With shallow insight, I get why you’d see Serenia and me as lovers. I understand. But what we have is less fickle emotion and more a sincere and loyal friendship.”

“Oh, fickle emotion! You definitely said that, right?”

“……”

“Don’t regret those words later.”

For daring to call love a fickle game in front of a married man, Lucien missed the chance to get the most accurate diagnosis of his own feelings. Unlike Lucien, Derkan—who’d successfully found love—could already see what was coming for his superior, but kept quiet.

These things are best learned firsthand, through experience and regret.

I’ just need to finish this job and get out. If I keep hanging around, I might get caught up in whatever disaster unfolds between those two.’

Derkan resolved this firmly to himself.

* * *

Seeing Derkan waving brightly, Serenia, wiping sweat with a towel, waved back. Serenia wasn’t very sociable, so she appreciated how Derkan always greeted her warmly and made conversation without awkwardness, even though they hadn’t known each other long.

When she first heard he was coming back, she’d worried she was taking his spot and felt self-conscious, but Derkan’s friendliness and kindness made her feel like he was a longtime relative. Now, Serenia felt a genuine bond with him.

Especially since Derkan was sincerely grateful that Serenia had filled the gap during his leave, she felt at ease.

“Is today’s training over?”

“Yes. Are you leaving now, Major?”

“Well, I’m on leave, so I don’t know if you can call it leaving… Haha. If you’re cleaning up, I’ll help.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“It’s an order. I also have questions about the Commander, and if we do it together, cleanup will go faster. Let’s get started.”

As Lucien’s personal aide and, in a way, Serenia’s mentor, Derkan’s playful words made it hard for her to refuse.

“I was so surprised when they put someone in my spot. All those times I begged for more staff, no one listened.”

“Really?”

“‘Can’t handle this alone?’ That was the Commander’s favorite line. I can even mimic his tone.”

Unlike the strictly disciplined Serenia, Derkan lightened the mood, joking like a friendly neighbor. By the time they finished cleaning the training ground, even reserved Serenia called him ‘Sir Derkan’ instead of ‘Major,’ her walls thoroughly broken down.

“After training, sitting here on the steps and looking out at the horizon feels great, doesn’t it?”

Following Derkan, Serenia sat on the stairs at the entrance to the training ground and watched the sunset over the horizon. Derkan voiced the same thought Serenia had had a few days before, making her stare at him in surprise.

“Haha. Guess I was right. This is the best spot for sunsets. The Commander might not get it, but for sensitive souls like us, it’s too good to miss.”

Derkan winked and held out his fist, and Serenia smiled and gently bumped her fist against his. The comfort she felt with Derkan was a little different from her closeness to Lucien. Serenia thought she was beginning to understand this familiar warmth.

“Sir Derkan, do you have a daughter?”

“Oh, has word spread that I’m a doting dad?”

“I just… thought so. You remind me of my father. Sorry if it’s presumptuous.”

“No, I like it. If my daughter grows up like you, I’d be grateful.”