Epilogue: Are You A Beast, Captain? (Part 1)

Inside the carriage, where they sat facing each other, Alhendore repeatedly wiped his face with his hands.

“Ha…”

“Nervous?”

“Yes, it’s driving me crazy.”

“It’s okay, they’re all good people.”

“They’ve already labeled me as a tyrannical boss.”

“Hmm.”

Lena, who was the original cause of him being labeled as a tyrannical boss, cleared her throat and avoided his gaze.

Alhendore pouted for a moment before looking at her lovingly. Then, as usual, he let out a long sigh.

“Ha…”

Even rubbing his clasped hands together didn’t ease his tension.

On the day Lena’s father, Baron Leshuriel, found out about their relationship, Lena received a stern scolding from her father. He told her that if all they were going to do was play around in a relationship, they should end it early.

In response, Lena declared her engagement to him.

And now, she was on her way to Earl Canabella’s mansion, holding his hand.

Just before the carriage carrying the two of them departed for the Earl’s mansion, they received news that Baron Leshuriel, who had just arrived from the countryside, had already reached there.

The purpose was to make a simple greeting before starting the full-scale wedding preparations. However, they knew that the underlying intent was to oppose their marriage.

‘Not that I’m particularly worried.’

Lena watched him sweating profusely in front of her.

The fact that her father, along with Earl Canabella and his wife, would be present made the pressure seem enormous.

Seeing the usually composed captain so nervous was quite amusing to her.

“I really can’t take this.”

“I’ll be right by your side.”

“That’s so reassuring it brings tears to my eyes.”

“Oh, why!”

Alhendore pinched and stretched her puffed-up cheeks. Her cheeks stretched like a squirrel’s food pouch, looking quite adorable.

“Oh, stop it!”

“You’re so cute.”

“You’re mean.”

“What, me?”

He suddenly leaned in closer. As she leaned back in surprise, he persistently followed her.

“C-Captain. Why are you doing this? We’re about to meet my families.”

“What did I do?”

“You haven’t done it yet, but you’re going to.”

She stared blankly at the captain, who smiled with his eyes curved. His eyes, drawing a beautiful curve, were irresistibly seductive.

‘This man is using his beauty!’

He suddenly captured her lips, intertwining his tongue with hers. The invader quickly explored every corner of her mouth.

“Mm…”

Their excited breaths filled the running carriage with a subtle tension.

***

As the carriage approached the Earl’s mansion, Alhendore seemed more relaxed, but Lena grew increasingly anxious, scrutinizing his entire appearance.

Through the open front of his uniform jacket, his white dress shirt was visible.

The buttons, struggling to contain his untidy physique, seemed ready to burst at any moment.

‘Good, very desirable.’

Lena wiped her mouth unnecessarily and checked the light green cufflinks on his sleeves one last time. They suited him perfectly, just as she had thought.

“Ugh…”

“What now?”

Alhendore raised an eyebrow as Lena, who had been smiling happily, suddenly frowned.

Why, indeed. Lena held her throbbing head and shook it. Every time she saw it, she was reminded of that butterfly-shaped hairpin.

Despite knowing she didn’t like it, he had insisted on giving it to her. His stubbornness was infuriating.

Scratching the back of her head irritably, her fingers pricked against the hairpin holding her hair together.

“Ouch!”

This stupid butterfly had unnecessarily large wings.

“Goodness.”

Alhendore looked at Lena, who had puffed her cheeks, as if he were admiring a cute squirrel.

‘When did my little kitten grow up like this?’

He remembered her face, red from the cold and sorrow of midwinter, growling with wary eyes.

She had been so small and fragile back then.

“Do you want this?”

He found some hard candies in his pocket and handed them to the child. The child, who blinked her round eyes, took the yellowish candy and teared up.

“Waaah!!”

“Is it not good?”

He didn’t particularly like the taste either. He used to eat it as a stimulant during all-night studies. The sour taste was enough to make his hair stand on end.

“Waaah!!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Even as he comforted the sobbing child, the boy who chuckled lost her trust. The child, glaring at him with mistrustful eyes, was so adorable.

“Aren’t you cold? Come inside.”

“No!”

“My servant is looking for your house, so wait a bit.”

“No!”

“Why don’t you want that?”

A faint smile appeared on the boy’s lips as he patted the child’s head. He wondered if this was how it felt to have a little sister.

Children of this age he met in social circles were very afraid of him.

The boy, who had been exceptional from the start, already boasted a completed beauty. His unapproachable appearance made his already cold impression even more daunting.

With sharp eyes and a natural air of authority, he made others bow their heads without doing anything.

Though he didn’t do anything to bully anyone, his mere presence made people lower their heads.

But to Lena, who had grown up among rough mercenaries, he was just a pretty boy. The boy, unaware of her circumstances, found her fascinating.

It was fun to watch her. He wanted to talk to her and spend more time with her.

“What’s your name?”

“Lena.”

“I’m Alhendore. Alhendore Lengester.”

“Ar, Hedore?”

“No, Alhendore.”

“Arhetore?”

“Al.”

“Ar!”

“…Fine, call me whatever you want.”

Wiping away the child’s dried tears, he experienced giving up for the first time in his life. Born as the heir to a dukedom, he had never lacked anything, making this a new experience.

But he didn’t dislike it.

“By the way, where is your house?”

Alhendore muttered with a sigh. Finding the home of a small child was not easy.

No wonder, given that there were no children with light brown hair and green eyes among the nobles in the capital. Besides…

“Kof said not to follow strangers. He said they’d kidnap me and tear out my organs.”

“Who tells a child such things…”

“Kof did…”

“Who is Kof?”

“Mom’s friend! He said he fell in love with Mom when she hung him upside down and threw him into the sea.”

“…”

The child’s background didn’t seem to fit that of a noble. Yet, the clothes she wore were high-end.

Madame Yallier’s work. It was a popular outfit among the noble children in the capital, hard to get even for most nobles.

Considering various possibilities, he muttered quietly. The child smiled brightly at his muttering.

“Are you a relative?”

“I came to visit Auntie!”

“Ah.”

That made sense.

Changing the direction of his search, he soon found the child’s home. When he handed the child over to the Countess of Canabella, the child, who had grown attached to him, smiled brightly.

“Brother Ar, next time we meet, I’ll marry you!”

He met the daring little lady again after she had grown a bit. She was no longer a child, but still as bold as ever.

“I’m Lena Leshuriel, newly appointed as the Captain’s aide!”

Wearing a uniform and saluting, she looked like a child wearing an adult’s clothes. Her nervous stiffness made her seem quite amusing.

‘Cute.’

She was quite competent at her job. She would tackle tasks others found difficult with determination, which he liked.

She was someone he wanted to teach and nurture. To teach her more, he needed to spend more time with her.

Their time together increased, and the feelings that started with curiosity and fondness gradually turned into something darker.

Then she said she had a fiancé. Twisted feelings of childish jealousy arose.

‘So what if it’s childish?’

In the end, he was the one who stayed by her side.

Alhendore smiled in satisfaction. The little lady who had been dangling her feet in front of him smiled innocently back at him.