Chapter 4.3

“I’m here.”

“I’m here too, Mother.”

“Oh, you’ve arrived? The house is a bit chaotic, isn’t it? I’m sorry, Lucas.”

“No problem. A bustling house is a good sign, isn’t it? For Wendy.”

Lucas glanced at Wendy.

At that moment, Wendy was unpacking a gift, and though she paused at Lucas’s words, she soon naturally set the wrapping paper aside and smiled at him.

“Are you here for dinner?”

“Yes. I’m planning to impose a bit. Was there a gift you liked?”

“Well, I haven’t seen them all yet. And even if I like them, it’s a bit…”

Liking the gift doesn’t mean liking the sender.

Awkwardly speaking, Wendy picked up another gift box. Checking gifts sent by other men in front of Lucas didn’t feel comfortable.

It was understandable since the gifts clearly symbolized courtship, and she couldn’t like or dislike them in front of a former crush. So Wendy focused solely on the gifts.

Jayden, seemingly displeased, sat roughly beside Wendy, causing the sofa to bounce.

“Do you like it?”

“I’ll pass on the argument, brother.”

Jayden snatched the card from Wendy’s hand.

Startled, Wendy glared at Jayden, but he frowned upon reading the sender’s name.

“James Finet? He’s a drunkard, forget it.”

He tossed the card away.

Jayden’s harshness towards the gentlemen courting Wendy was familiar. Thus, Wendy responded reluctantly rather than surprised.

“Do you know him?”

He didn’t seem like a drunkard.

He was a tall man, neatly dressed in a suit, with refined manners and speech.

“I’ve run into him a few times at the Gentleman’s Club. He looks decent, but he changes once he’s had enough to drink.”

“Hmm.”

“Am I right, Lucas?”

Seeing Wendy’s disbelief, Jayden sought Lucas’s support.

“Oh, that guy.”

Lucas’s tone was devoid of any warmth.

Only then did Wendy stop checking the gift on her lap and set it down on the floor.

“Do you believe Lucas but not me?”

“You only talk about the flaws.”

“It’s all for your sake. Do you think investigating these men is easy?”

“Jayden, this time I have no choice but to side with Wendy.”

“But Mother.”

“If what you say is true, there wouldn’t be a single decent man in the Adlen Kingdom.”

Unless he were a God.

The Countess lightly declared, and Jayden grinned.

“There is one. Your son.”

“How can you say that yourself?”

Wendy shook her head in disbelief.

“Well, Jayden, hearing that, it’s clear there are no decent men in the Adlen Kingdom.”

“Ugh.”

Jayden flinched his shoulders but crossed his arms, dissatisfied. Wendy teased him, while the Countess tried to mediate the squabbling siblings. Lucas often watched this familiar scene with a gentle smile.

Today, however, it didn’t feel as familiar. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason, so Lucas sat quietly.

“Oh, by the way, Ryan has returned. Did you meet him?”

“Ryan? You mean Ryan Serandon?”

“Yes, that Ryan. Red hair and a good impression.”

“He recently finished his voyage and returned. I briefly met him last week. Why do you ask about him suddenly?”

“I met him at the banquet the day before yesterday. It’s been a while since he returned to the capital, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, this time the voyage was quite long.”

Ryan was a friend Jayden met at the cathedral when he was a child. 

After entering the Naval Academy, their relationship naturally became distant compared to childhood, and since the Navy often leaves the capital for extended voyages, their chances to meet further decreased.

However, their friendship didn’t fade. Like childhood friends, they remained comfortable even after long intervals. They occasionally met, and Ryan also visited the Earl Rosewood’s residence to greet them.

“I don’t really remember.”

“How can you say that? Ryan made you cry so much.”

“Did he?”

At the banquet, Ryan greeted her warmly, but Wendy’s memory was hazy.

In the past, when Karen entered adolescence and stopped playing with her, young Wendy followed Jayden around. However, the boys were too lively to care for young Wendy, who couldn’t play ball or climb trees.

Thus, Jayden and Ryan mischievously left Wendy behind to play.

Even after Ryan was commissioned and returned from long voyages to visit the Earl Rosewood’s residence, Wendy showed little interest, barely acknowledging him.

“Are you close with him too, Lucas?”

“Thanks to Jayden, somewhat.”

“What kind of person is he?”

“Well, let’s see.”

During their academy days, Jayden introduced Lucas to Ryan, and they often spent time together. Whenever Ryan returned from a voyage, he visited Jayden, so Lucas saw him each time and maintained a moderate friendship with him.

Moreover, Ryan was the son of the unit commander, Count Serandon, who was the superior of Lucas and Jayden, so they had to see each other both publicly and privately.

“Ryan is rather noisy. He’s similar to Jayden.”

Both Jayden and Ryan enjoyed jokes and pranks, loved energetic sports, and liked socializing with friends.

But they weren’t excessive. Ryan, despite the numerous incidents in the Navy due to long voyages, maintained an exemplary lifestyle and knew how to keep his limits.

If not, Lucas, with his strict nature, would have cut ties with Ryan long ago. Jayden would have fought with Ryan to reform him.

“Ryan was as mischievous as Jayden when he was young, but he’s matured. He’s quite different from you.”

“Ha, Mother. Ryan is the same. He was just acting modest in front of you.”

Jayden protested indignantly.

Wendy, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked.

“So, will you meet often now? He said he wouldn’t go on a voyage for a while.”

“Meet often? Once a year is enough. That’s how it’s always been. I met him last week, so next year is fine.”

“Oh dear. I was glad to see him after so long, so I invited Ryan to dinner on Saturday evening.”

The Countess sighed, tilting her face slightly. Her expression showed regret, but the truth was evident in her crooked smile.

“But he’s not coming to see you, so you shouldn’t be uncomfortable, Jayden.”

“Then who is he coming to see?”

At that moment, Lucas’s gaze turned to Wendy.

But Wendy was absorbed in organizing the gift boxes in front of her as if she hadn’t heard anything.

***

“Hey, Jayden. Lucas.”

A man wearing a white naval uniform instead of a black army uniform opened the door to their shared office.

Tall like Jayden, with a solid build and a slimly fitting naval uniform, he walked in with a confident stride as if it were his own office. With a white naval cap tucked between his bent arm and side, he smiled warmly at Jayden and Lucas.

His naturally tousled red hair didn’t quite match the neat uniform, but his lively smile eased the subtle discord.

“The commander’s office is at the end of the hallway, Ryan Serandon.”

Jayden replied nonchalantly without lifting his head, his expression annoyed.

But Ryan was undeterred and approached Jayden’s desk with natural ease.

“I see my father enough at home. And why would the Navy meet the Army commander? It’s not wartime.”

“Then what brings you here?”

“I came to see you, Jayden.”

Ryan grinned and snatched the pen from Jayden’s hand. Forced to pause his work, Jayden finally looked up.

“Did I lend you money?”

“Don’t you think you borrowed from me?”

Ryan cheekily retorted, and Jayden frowned in displeasure. The smiling face was particularly irritating today for a good reason. A guy who was fine seeing once or twice a year had been appearing frequently in his view lately.

As Lucas assessed, Ryan was similar in many ways, making him a compatible friend to pass time enjoyably.

But knowing Ryan’s ulterior motives for today’s unannounced visit made Jayden not welcome him at all.

“Wendy has become prettier.”

So, he’s being upfront about it, huh?

Jayden leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and glared at Ryan. At the same time, Lucas, who had been focusing on work and letting Jayden chat away with Ryan, stopped his pen at the edge of the document.

“Our Wendy was always pretty. And stay out of it.”

Jayden glared sharply, but Ryan pretended not to hear.

“She was cute as a child, although I mostly remember her crying.”

“You made her cry most of the time.”

“That’s not for you to say. You were an accomplice. But Wendy doesn’t remember, fortunately. Ah, last time Wendy…”

“Get to the point.”

Jayden abruptly cut him off. He had no time to chat with a guy harboring intentions towards his sister during work.

“Let me warm up.”

“What’s so important that you’re wasting my precious time?”

“Because I’m shy.”

“Get lost.”

“Alright, alright.”

Nevertheless, Ryan hesitated, touching his chin for a moment. Whether embarrassed or shy, he hesitated to speak, prompting Jayden to straighten his slouched back. He seemed ready to throw Ryan out if he didn’t speak immediately.

“I want to get along well with Wendy.”

“What, are you crazy?”

Jayden instantly spat out harsh words and stood up abruptly.

Lucas’s pen, which had paused waiting for Ryan’s words, scratched across the paper with a scraping sound. Tsk. Lucas clicked his tongue and sighed. Making a mistake with just one sentence left. He could cross it out and move on, but such blemishes were unacceptable to Lucas’s nature.