Chapter 9 – It’s A Misunderstanding, Captain! (Part 1)

“What is this?”

“A leave request.”

“So why are you asking for leave?”

With a conversation that seemed all too familiar, Alhendore rubbed his forehead.

“I have some business to take care of back in my hometown for a bit.”

“What kind of business?”

“Um… personal business?”

So, what exactly is that personal business?

Alhendore, with a puzzled expression, tried to recall past memories.

He remembered the letter Lena had been looking at so often lately.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

When was it?

An unknown letter had arrived for her.

He had stared at her suspiciously as she hurriedly shook her head while reading the letter.

“If it’s nothing, why hide it?”

“Hey, what am I hiding? It’s just a letter from an old friend from my hometown.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

With her confident assertion, he stared at her a bit more before eventually accepting it.

She said it was nothing important.

Yet, recently, she had been looking at that letter more often. She often seemed dazed and lost in thought as if she were in a trance.

‘Today was the strangest.’

After being dazed for so long, she suddenly became very active. Just when he thought something was up, she suddenly requested leave.

What could be in that letter? Or rather, who sent that letter?

“Ha, for now—.”

He was about to ask if the sender was a man or a woman.

Knock, knock.

With a weak knock, Ronver bowed his head. He felt like a shrimp caught in a couple’s quarrel, but he had no choice but to intrude.

“Master… the Chief wishes to speak with you for a moment.”

“Tell him I’m busy and will see him later.”

“Well, it’s just…”

“Ha, fine.”

Annoyed by Ronver’s hesitation, Alhendore frowned deeply. Just as he was about to scold him, a firm hand pushed the bony figure aside.

“What do you mean busy, you rascal?”

The Chief, who had seen this lazy disciple of his for a long time, knew him all too well. The head of the Golden Knights, who served the Emperor, confidently barged into the study of the commander of the Red Knights and settled on the wide sofa.

Marquis Artemon, the head of the Golden Knights who served the Emperor. Vershteil Artemon raised his wrinkled eyebrows.

“What were you thinking, running out of the conference hall like that, you lunatic.”

“Ha, where did you leave your dignity, leader?”

“It got worn out taking care of you, you rascal.”

Lena, who had been looking back and forth between the two, suddenly stiffened at the voice she heard.

“Are you that Sir Leshuriel?”

“Yes! I am Lena Leshuriel!”

She was very tense, but Lena couldn’t help it. The person in front of her was a close friend of the current Emperor and the only one who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Duke of Lengester.

Moreover, the current Marquis Artemon was like a grandfather figure to Alhendore. Lena straightened her shoulders as if meeting her grandfather-in-law.

The Marquis Artemon, who had been observing Lena closely, rubbed his chin.

“No wonder that rascal is crazy about you.”

“Pardon?”

“You have good hands.”

Hands hardened with calluses from long years of holding a sword. The Marquis Artemon chuckled in satisfaction and gestured to Lena.

“I’m sorry, but could you leave us for a moment?”

“Yes, of course!”

Lena saluted and prepared to leave without a moment’s hesitation. Alhendore looked at her helplessly.

“We’re not done talking yet.”

“What’s there to finish, you rascal! You are lingering like a dog that needs to go out just for a vacation request?”

“…”

Even though the study door was closed, it seemed everyone outside had heard.

Should I go? 

She was caught in the tension between the two giants, unable to decide whether to leave or stay.

“Did you say you were Sir Leshuriel?”

“Oh, yes!”

Marquis Artemon shifted his gaze to Lena, as if he had just noticed her.

“Take your leave. I, the head of the Golden Knights, will grant it.”

Lena’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected words. In all her time with the knights, she had never received such swift approval for leave.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, she bowed repeatedly. She thought she should add the head of the Golden Knights to the list of people she respected, right after Sir Ophelia.

“Thank you, Head of the Golden Knights!”

“Yes, yes. You can leave early today.”

An early dismissal right after granting leave! 

With tears in her eyes, she saluted.

“I respect you, Head of the Golden Knights!”

“Haha!”

Is this the true taste of power?

This time, Lena dashed out without looking back. It was clearly Alhendore’s fault for denying her leave for three years straight.

If she didn’t go now, she wouldn’t be able to go.Due to her learned instincts, Lena couldn’t imagine that just talking about it would get her permission.

It was only after her fluttering wheat-colored hair disappeared from sight that Alhendore rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I sent off that pitiful soul who unfortunately got caught up with such a wretch.”

“Hah, what are you talking about?”

Ignoring Marquis Artemon’s nonsense, Alhendore rummaged through his inner pocket. The pocket watch ticked away busily.

“It’s already four o’clock.”

“So what, you rascal? We haven’t even started talking yet.”

“Are you saying it’s still not over?”

“Why did you storm out of the meeting room then!”

“I told you there was something more important than that wretched meeting.”

Galverd Paraton. That vermin kidnapped my precious Lena, and you think the Crown Prince’s birthday meeting is important?

Having run out of the conference hall midway, Alhendore was now getting an earful from Marquis Artemon.

Thirty minutes turned into an hour, and then two hours, and his patience had worn thin, almost to the point of breaking through the ground.

‘This is unsettling.’

By now, Lena should have already departed in the carriage.

“-so. Are you listening to me?”

“I can’t do this.”

“What do you mean, rascal.”

“I have urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking some leave as well.”

“What?”

Ignoring whether the Chief was stunned or not, Alhendore grabbed his coat and left the knights’ headquarters. His harsh shout echoed through the corridors.

“Alhendore Lengester! You rascal!”

***

The port city of Ferdando.

Having set foot in her hometown after a long time, Lena first went to find the sender of the letter.

In the reception room of the mansion she visited to meet him, she looked around, glad to see the place again after several months.

While she was thoroughly inspecting the reception room, a man who had hurried to meet her appeared.

“Lena! How long has it been?”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it? Have you been well… Wow, you’ve been well!”

Lena smiled back at the man who was smiling at her. She was about to ask how he was doing but ended up marveling at his neat appearance.

The man, dressed in a clean suit, chuckled at her dazed reaction.

“I’ve been well.”

“You have no idea how surprised I was when I got your letter.”

“Was it something to be surprised about?”

“Of course! Someone who’s not fond of writing sent me a letter?”

“Haha!”

Duvelln Ferdando.

This man, with his dark skin and red hair, was the lord of the Ferdando region and the heir of the Earl of Ferdando, whom the Leshuriel Baron family served.

Not long ago, when Lena suddenly received a letter from Duvelln, she was taken aback. Duvelln was the young master she served and her childhood friend.

They were each other’s only friends, with narrow social circles and no romantic interests. 

Duvelln sending a letter about something as significant as his marriage? And it wasn’t an arranged marriage but a love marriage, it was unimaginable.

Lena examined him closely, dressed in his formal attire for the upcoming wedding.

‘That romance-inept young master is getting married.’

Well, I myself had a proper lover, didn’t I? 

Lena couldn’t hide her proud feelings and shrugged her shoulders.

“How are things with your fiancée? Are you getting along well?”

“Oh, yes… well, haha….”

“What’s this lukewarm reaction? Don’t tell me you’ve already fought?”

At Duvelln’s words, Lena flinched. It was something bigger than a fight, but she didn’t particularly want to inform him. It was a situation that would only complicate things unnecessarily.

“Well, not so much a fight as, well, something like that!”

Duvelln interpreted Lena’s evasive answer as her having fought with her fiancée and laughed heartily.

“Haha! Well, you get closer by fighting and making up.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“What’s with that response?”

Duvelln glared at her suspiciously at her teasing reaction. Lena shrugged and feigned indifference.

“Well, not so much a fight as, well, something like that!”

Exchanging various jokes with him, she thought she might help those busy with the wedding preparations. Little did she know that someone had hurriedly rushed over from the capital.