Chapter 27

The restaurant on Baton Street 13, was filled with library staff. The tables were laden with plenty of liquor and wine, along with appetizers and dishes. All the staff were relieving the stress accumulated from preparing for the event here.

“So you got rejected by Sir Costance?”

“Yes, very clearly!”

Julia was drinking as she talked about confessing to Sir Costance. Her seniors, who heard her story, felt sorry for Julia.

“Is that why he didn’t come to the library today?”

“Sir Costance didn’t come?”

The topic of the gathering shifted to Sir Costance.

“It would have been nice if he had attended this gathering…”

“Tsk, that’s easy for you to say.”

A staff member from the administration department sitting across responded. He was a 30-year-old bachelor who occasionally greeted them in the hallway.

“What do you mean?”

“If that happened, the librarians would have had an even harder time. There were already too many people due to the event.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t you know that just seeing Sir Costance’s face gives us strength?”

“I don’t get it. I think the men working in the library, like me, aren’t too fond of that Constance or Costance or whatever.”

Perhaps he was drunk, as the man was excessively candid.

“Yes. I understand.”

The librarians sitting in front couldn’t hide their discomfort and quickly cut off the conversation.

Vivi cautiously ate the appetizers. Time seemed to pass slowly today. Had it only been an hour? The gathering showed no signs of ending.

“Miss Ferren, your wine glass has been empty for a while. Shall I pour you some?”

“No, thank you.”

The men sitting across from her showed interest in her.

“Your effort is commendable, Vivi. Don’t be swayed. They’re just trying to find a chance to talk to you.”

The senior sitting next to her whispered. Vivi smiled awkwardly.

Vivi had stayed for an hour, now, it was time to leave. If she mentioned having personal matters or not feeling well, the director would understand.

“Attention, everyone!”

The director tapped a wine glass with a fork. All eyes turned to her.

“Thank you for your hard work preparing for the event! I want to give a round of applause to Julia and Vivi, who led the promotion using the much-talked-about Sir Costance as a model!”

The director looked at her and Julia. Applause erupted from the staff. Julia downed her drink in response, but Vivi did not.

“……”

She felt the staff’s gaze. It seemed they were waiting for her to drink like Julia. In the end, she filled her mouth with the wine from her glass.

“Applause!”

Perhaps it was strong wine, as the intoxication hit her quickly. Vivi missed the chance to leave.

“Uh, Director!”

As she looked for another opportunity, a man sitting across abruptly stood up. People watched him with interest. He was a young man working in the library’s management office.

“What’s the matter?”

“I want to make a confession!”

The man’s gaze was fixed on Vivi.

What is this uneasy feeling?

“Miss Vivi Ferren! I’ve secretly liked you for a long time!”

……Ah.

“Please go on a date with me!”

“……Um, well.”

“If you don’t drink the wine, I’ll take it as a yes to the date. If you drink it all, I’ll take it as a rejection.”

She felt the urge to pour the wine over his flushed face. This was really the worst.

“Why on earth are you doing that?”

Julia, sitting next to her, booed and gave a thumbs-down. Other colleagues also criticized the man who made the public confession.

But the man was unfazed and filled Vivi’s wine glass to the brim.

“Vivi, don’t drink it.”

“Yeah, Vivi!”

Other librarians glared at the man and spoke. But she hated leaving things ambiguous like this. She swallowed and drank the wine without hesitation.

“Wow! Vivi.”

“You’re amazing, Vivi.”

Clang!

As she placed the empty glass down, the man’s face fell.

“I really hate these kinds of date requests.”

“……”

“Of course, I’ll reject the date.”

* * *

Vivi walked on wobbly legs.

Ugh.

As expected, it took her two hours to slip away from the gathering.

The night sky was dark, and the streets under the lights were dim and quiet. Even the shops with lights on were tidying up and drawing their blinds.

She had drunk too much. Swept up in the atmosphere, she couldn’t help but drink. She recalled the face of the staff member who had been on the verge of tears after being rejected.

‘……I really hate this.’

She looked up at the night sky. There were many stars tonight.

‘I want to see them soon.’

Both the cat and Sir Costance.

Baton Street 5

Before she knew it, she had reached Baton Street 5.

It was the street Sir Costance mentioned. There were small houses for officers nearby, and among them, a charming two-story house with a wine-colored roof caught her eye.

Was this where Sir Costance lived?

She had said she’d come, but she was nervous. She walked up to the door and hesitated to ring the bell.

‘Okay. Let’s ring it.’

If she weren’t drunk, she would have hesitated more. She pressed the bell.

There was a clattering sound inside, and then the door swung open.

“Ah!”

“……Vivi?”

Sir Costance appeared.

“Meow!”

“This little one again…! Vivi, I’m sorry.”

She craned her neck to look inside the house. In the neat interior, the lively kitten was scratching and touching everything as it roamed around.

“Sir, the cat…”

“Oh, darn it.”

This time, as the cat tried to scratch the wall, Sir Costance hurriedly stopped it.

“Sir… May I come in?”

“Of course!”

At his answer, she entered the house. As the door closed, his scent filled the air.

The house was cozier and warmer than she expected. In the entrance, there was a two-person sofa and a small TV, and inside, there seemed to be a study room and a bedroom.

“From outside, it looks like a two-story house…”

“Oh, that’s a different house. The owner of that house has been away for long-term training.”

“I see.”

“It’s a house for fleet officers, so there’s not much to see.”

“But it’s a lovely house.”

Opposite the living room was a small kitchen. It seemed Sir Costance cooked for himself, as the food ingredients and spices were neatly arranged.

“Sorry for the commotion, Vivi.”

He returned with the cat in his arms and spoke to her.

“I’m sorry for being late.”

“……Did you drink?”

He looked intently at her face and asked. She touched her flushed cheeks with her hand.

“Oh, is it obvious?”

“Yes.”

“I had no choice but to drink.”

“No choice.”

“Yes, people kept offering drinks.”

“If all the library staff were there, that means the men were there too.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“……”

Her gaze was caught by the kitten.

The fluffy kitten wagged its tail, which was so adorable. Vivi spread her arms wide toward the cat. The aloof kitten ignored her and turned its head to the side.

“Meow.”

The cat burrowed deeper into Sir Costance’s arms, as if to show off.

“What a cheeky little thing… Oh.”

“Vivi!”

She lost her balance trying to see the cat’s face. Sir Costance urgently caught her with his other hand.

“……Sorry, I think I drank too much.”

“You’re not good with alcohol, are you?”

He said, as if scolding her.

“I really had no choice.”

“Were you forced?”

“No, not that… The atmosphere was just like that. Suddenly, someone asked me out on a date in front of everyone. I was so flustered that I gulped down the wine.”

“What a shameless guy.”

“Yes. A shameless guy…”

She absentmindedly repeated his words and looked up.

His face was stiff. His voice was calm, but his expression was not. She stopped her actions at the sight of his seemingly angry eyes.

“So, what happened to the date request?”

He asked bluntly.

“……I, of course, rejected it. He said I could reject it if I drank all the wine, so I did.”

“How many people have asked you out, Vivi? You’re quite drunk.”

“Not that many…”

His fingers touched her cheek. The cold sensation made her eyes widen. In contrast, he seemed unfazed even after touching her cheek, clicking his tongue.

“See, your face is hot.”

But it felt like her face got hotter because he touched it.

“Those guys have no manners. Forcing a woman they like to drink. Are you close with them? Do you see them often at work?”

“Just a few greetings now and then.”

“They might act shamelessly again. From tomorrow, I’ll go to the library right after work. Since the base is close to the library, I’ll drop by during breaks too.”

As he spoke, her intoxication seemed to fade.

He didn’t seem to realize what he was saying. He belatedly noticed her staring at him and hesitated. His face flushed with heat, just like hers.

“……I’m just worried.”

“……”

“It’s an officer’s duty to protect citizens.”

He seemed more like a police officer than a soldier. At that moment, the kitten cried out, perhaps hungry.

“It seems it’s time to feed it milk.”

“Yes…”

“Would you mind holding it for a moment?”

“Yes, yes.”

He placed the cat in her arms and headed to the kitchen. Holding the kitten, she sat on the living room sofa to cool her flushed face.

Come to think of it, this was Sir Costance’s house. Even though there was a cat, it was just the two of them.