Chapter 8 – No Romance, Captain!  (Part 1)

A few days had passed since the incident at the inn.

It was a day no different from usual. The only special thing was that Lena was now officially seeing Alhendore.

The Crown Prince’s birthday was just around the corner. These days, with the increased commotion, the members of the five knight orders were each focusing on their respective duties.

The time when the nation becomes busy also means that security becomes lax.

Lena was assigned to patrol the bustling district of the capital today. While out in the bustling area, she stopped by a street vendor.

‘It’s still here, thank goodness.’

Among the various accessories, Lena found what she was looking for and excitedly picked them up.

It was a simple design with no special diamond-shaped pattern, which made it all the more eye-catching.

It was plain and neat, much like someone she knew.

The face lingering in her mind made her blush unconsciously. Although she ended up dating him unexpectedly, it still felt awkward.

“Are you going to give it to your lover?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes, I am.”

“Wow, your lover is lucky! Receiving gifts from such a pretty lady.”

“Really? Ha, haha. Is that so?”

“Of course! You look like someone who speaks kindly and gently.”

Hmm, not really.

“How much is this?”

Embarrassed by the gap between the owner’s imagination and reality, Lena picked up an item before more talk about her lover could continue.

Seeing the item, the shopkeeper smiled meaningfully and said,

“Indeed, you have a good eye, miss.”

It turned out that what she had casually picked up was the best-selling item these days. Only then did Lena look at the item in her hand and glare at it as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

It was the butterfly-shaped pin she had seen with Alhendore before.

‘I feel like I’m seeing the Captain even when he’s not here.’

After glaring at the butterfly-shaped pin, she paid for the item she originally intended to buy and turned to leave.

“Lots of customers today, huh?”

A man in a cloak approached the street vendor after her.

The item that Lena had glared at with displeasure caught his eye and he was quite satisfied with it.

Thinking of how she would frown and grimace when she received it made him smile.

As the man was about to tuck the item into his chest, a subordinate, who seemed to know he was there, came running.

Judging by his expression, he looked like a death row inmate about to be unjustly executed. The subordinate’s hoarse voice choked out.

“Master! What are you doing here now? Captain Bahitel, Captain Kuradin, and Captain Renassen have already arrived!”

The five knight orders symbolizing the empire had been tasked with protecting the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, Princess, and the remaining royal family members.

Among them, the captain of the Golden Knights, who protected the Emperor, was the head of the other four knight orders.

A leader and teacher who commanded and instructed each of the captains. Alhendore shrugged nonchalantly at the thought of him.

“One person hasn’t arrived yet. Why the fuss?”

“If the Chief were here, you would have been disciplined right away!”

“The Chief? He wouldn’t.”

Alhendore looked longingly at her distant, fading figure.

For some reason, he had a nagging feeling that he shouldn’t just let her go.

“Sigh, Master!”

“Tsk, I’m going, I’m going.”

He couldn’t not go. In the end, he lost sight of her. He shouldn’t have.

“What’s this?”

Lena, feeling a prickling at the back of her head, turned around and tilted her head at the usual scene. It felt like someone was persistently watching her. 

Was it just my imagination?

Since the gaze didn’t feel menacing, she decided it was just her imagination and turned back around.

‘Hmmm…’

After wandering aimlessly for a long time, her steps suddenly slowed.

‘I was enjoying being out for the first time in a while, but that’s over now.’

Lena turned into a sparsely populated alley to avoid people. She naturally hid herself in the gap between buildings and watched the street.

Someone was following her again. But this time, it felt different. The clinging sensation was as unpleasant as stepping in filth.

“What the…?! Where did she go?”

As expected, the man who had been following her hurriedly entered the alley, looking around frantically.

Just as the man’s profile passed the gap where she was hiding, Lena reached out and grabbed his collar.

“Who are you to be following me…?”

She was about to hurl a string of curses when she saw a familiar face, and she couldn’t continue speaking. No wonder the voice sounded familiar; she hadn’t expected to meet this person here.

She was incredibly unlucky. Or perhaps they were truly ill-fated. Maybe both.

Lena released the monkey caught in her grasp and dusted off her hands.

“Earl Paraton.”

“L-Leshuriel.”

His characteristic oily voice felt like it was pouring oil down her throat. She felt nauseated.

“What do you want, Earl Paraton?”

She glared at the man with an unwelcome expression. Even under her hostile gaze, Galverd didn’t seem inclined to step aside, shaking his hand.

“I, it’s been a while, Leshuriel.”

“Why were you following me? Did you trail me all the way from the knight order?”

“Following? Absolutely not! I merely stopped by the knight’s order to inquire about your whereabouts.”

Lena let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd. He had a remarkable talent for dressing up nonsense as plausible speech.

“I don’t understand why you asked about my whereabouts and then followed me to be here in front of me.”

“I’m not here to fight; I came to apologize.”

Apologize? What a joke. Do you follow people to apologize?

Lena shook her head. She wondered where the man who had shouted at the captain a few days ago had gone. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

“For what? For cheating on your fiancée? Or for saying I joined the knight order to spread my legs? Or perhaps for what happened a few days ago?”

“Ha, haha, why are you so sensitive?”

Galverd forced a laugh, his lips trembling awkwardly. In some ways, he was a truly transparent person.

“I don’t understand why you would bother to come and apologize when everything is already over.”

“Does one need a reason to apologize? I was drunk and out of my mind back then. And-.”

“I don’t need your apology.”

An apology, my foot. You can give that to a dog.

She couldn’t stand to see his irritating face any longer. Just as Lena cut off his babbling and turned sharply with a loud huff, Galverd stubbornly held onto her.

“Please, Miss Leshuriel! Can’t you at least spare a moment for a cup of tea? I am, after all, your former fiancé.”

Lena turned her head to look at Galverd.

“Why should I?”

She twisted her lips into a mocking smile. It was truly absurd.

“When did you ever spare a moment for a cup of tea with me, Lord Paraton?”

“What?”

All the contempt and humiliation she had endured while meeting Galverd surged up. Unable to hold back her anger, she lashed out at him.

“Who was it that always left me saying you were tired of waiting, that you were bored?”

“That was…”

“Did you know that in all the time I’ve known you, I’ve never even had a cup of tea with you?”

Galverd, who had been unable to properly retort, suddenly felt a surge of emotion. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and couldn’t fake a dumb smile any longer.

“Ha, Miss Leshuriel. Even if you have a crooked mouth, you should speak straight. You don’t seem to consider the time I wasted waiting for you.”

Lena didn’t avoid Galverd’s gaze as he looked at her directly. His change in attitude was no longer surprising.

Disappointment? That’s something reserved for people you have expectations of.