Chapter 3

“Alright, that’s enough. So, let’s hear what happened. It must be about Dario, right?”

As soon as Fierra heard Dario’s name, she felt her sorrow intensify, her breathing becoming rapid.

Fierra found herself resenting Colin for mentioning that name.

But the sadness outweighed the resentment.

“Brother.”

She called Colin softly, then gazed into the air.

It was her own way of trying to hold back the tears, even for a moment.

“He told me not to say dreadful things.”

“What?”

Colin quietly repeated her fragmented, weak sentence.

“What do you mean?”

Fierra grabbed Colin’s sleeve and sniffled loudly.

She needed more courage to tell the rest of the story.

“I asked Dario if it wasn’t about time for us to get engaged.”

“Ah.”

A small sigh escaped Colin’s lips.

“But then, he—he told me not to say such dreadful things……”

In the end, Fierra couldn’t finish her sentence, and with a strange, squeaky sound, she burst into tears.

Her muttered curses were surprisingly fierce.

“So, that’s what happened, I—that wretched……”

“Yes. I see.”

Colin kept patting Fierra’s back, trying to piece together her scattered clues.

The puzzle wasn’t difficult—it was simple enough.

Fierra had been rejected by Dario.

It was a clear situation, summed up in a single line.

When she finally managed to stop crying and wiped away the traces of sadness on her face, Colin spoke gently.

“But Fierra, where did you learn such harsh words?”

“Brother, is that really important right now?”

Fierra buried her face in her palm, claiming she was sad.

Colin saw through her little trick—it wasn’t genuine sadness, just a way to avoid his nagging—but he let it slide generously.

‘How could I scold her seeing that face?’

He sighed softly, looking at Fierra’s flushed face.

* * *

Dario stood before a sturdy wooden door, taking a short, deep breath.

He’d faced this door many times, but today it felt heavier.

Colin had called him from the Imperial Palace so suddenly, and the reason was obvious.

‘He must have heard about that day from Fierra.’

Otherwise, why would the captain of the Third Knight Order call someone from the Second Knight Order?

He actually expected to be summoned within a day, but it happened later than he’d thought, for better or worse.

Normally, Dario would have welcomed a meeting with Colin, but not today. He wasn’t scared—just uncomfortable, and more perplexed than worried.

Looking back, telling Fierra not to say dreadful things had been a bit harsh.

‘I just meant to say I wasn’t interested.’

Dario took one last deep breath and knocked on the door with the back of his hand.

“It’s me, Captain Wonton.”

“Come in.”

As soon as Colin spoke, Dario opened the door and entered, as if he’d been waiting.

“Good afternoon.”

He greeted him extra cheerfully.

“You’re here?”

Colin didn’t even take his eyes off the files, speaking as usual.

On the surface, he seemed exactly the same—diligent and busy as always.

Dario walked up to the desk and stood upright.

“You called for me?”

“Sir Dario.”

“Yes.”

“Before entering the captain’s office, you should state your affiliation and full name, not just ‘it’s me.’ Understood?”

Colin quietly admonished him.

“Yes. I’ll remember.”

At that brief, clear answer, Colin finally lifted his gaze.

Dario’s face was reflected in the deep green of his eyes.

“…Well, I suppose I’m not in a position to criticize you today. Embarrassingly, I called you here for personal reasons during your busy hours.”

There was even a hint of self-reproach in his tone.

“So, Sir Dario.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“From now on, speak comfortably.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Dario quickly changed the honorific.

Colin gave a faint smile and tossed the fountain pen he’d been gripping onto the desk.

It was a gesture oddly filled with emotion.

“You already know why I called you, don’t you?”

“More or less.”

Dario replied with an ambiguous expression, somewhere between a smile and a frown.

“She’s been crying all day, her hair a mess. She must have been deeply shocked by what you said.”

At Colin’s words, Dario immediately pictured Fierra, sniffling with tangled hair.

Was she like a wet quail? 

The thought made him feel both amused and sorry.

“I’ve been reflecting on it in my own way.”

“Reflecting, but not regretting?”

“Hmm, may I speak honestly?”

It was a question, but also a sufficient answer.

He meant he didn’t regret it.

“…Hmm.”

Colin looked at Dario in silence, then frowned lightly and closed his eyes.

“Right. You didn’t do anything wrong. It happened because Fierra got ahead of herself.”

“I believed you’d say that, Brother.”

Dario felt relieved.

It was fortunate that Colin was rational.

Rufflo Dukedom and Wonton Marquessate.

Among the members of these two families, having even one person say it wasn’t his fault was reassuring.

“Are you smiling?”

Colin, who had opened his eyes, asked in a low voice.

Dario quickly flattened his lips, having been faintly smiling.

Colin wasn’t taking his side—he just wasn’t blaming him.

Colin rolled up his sleeves with a tired look and continued.

“Anyway, as her brother, I ask you to explain things clearly and wrap it up well.”

“What explanation……”

“Explain thoroughly why you can’t or don’t want to get engaged.”

“Is more explanation really necessary after I’ve already refused?”

Colin looked at Dario with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief, as if to ask if he was serious.

“Telling her not to say dreadful things? Can that be called a refusal? Really.”

Colin clicked his tongue shortly.

“You should have drawn the line from the start.”

“Pardon?”

“You knew, didn’t you? You knew for a long time that she liked you. But you pretended not to. Because it was easier.”

“Brother, aren’t you making me out to be too much of a villain? I thought if I ignored it, she’d give up on her own.”

Colin was right—Dario had known about Fierra’s feelings for a long time.

He hadn’t realized it was deep enough for an engagement proposal, though.

“I may not care as much as you do, but I value Fierra, too. I didn’t want things to get awkward by drawing boundaries.”

“Is that how someone who cares talks?”

Colin narrowed his brow and scolded him.

“……”

Dario had nothing to say—it was contradictory even to himself.

But despite the contradiction, there was no lie in his words.

He truly cared about Fierra, and he honestly didn’t want things to become awkward by talking about such matters.

Telling her not to say dreadful things—he thought if he responded lightly, Fierra would say, ‘I was just joking!’ and let it go.

But Fierra remained serious, and the situation began to go in a direction he hadn’t wanted.

Engagement with Fierra?

Dario shook his head unconsciously. He didn’t even want to imagine or consider something that would never happen.

Someday, he’d marry someone for duty.

But that person wouldn’t be Fierra. Never.

He needed someone more rational, someone emotionally distant from him.

Colin, who had been quietly watching Dario, clasped his hands and spoke calmly.

“Anyway, I’m counting on you. She’s always listened to you more than Father, so if you explain things step by step, she’ll understand.”

“Understood.”

“Then you can leave a bit early today. I’ll inform Captain Ramil, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

“I know you must be flustered, so I’m sorry for pushing you so hard.”

Colin apologized calmly.

“It’s alright. It’s understandable. Oh, if you’re finished, may I leave now?”

“Go ahead.”

Dario gave a short bow and left the captain’s office with brisk steps.

He’d seemed tense when entering, but on leaving, he looked not just relaxed but cheerful.

“Why do I find him so unpleasant?”

Colin muttered quietly, watching Dario’s figure through the closing door.

The reason was obvious—because of his one and only younger sister.

“I still have a lot to learn.”

Colin murmured to himself, picking up the fountain pen he’d tossed aside.

Because he’d thrown it with emotion, the delicate nib was bent.

“I was quite fond of this one.”

With a discouraged look, Colin opened his desk drawer to take out a new pen.