Epilogue: Are You A Beast, Captain? (Part 2)

“Lena, be honest. That man is threatening you, isn’t he?”

Livri glanced suspiciously at Alhendore. Lately, Lena hadn’t been complaining about her boss, which seemed odd.

Livri had been seriously considering consulting a priest, worried that her precious Lena might have been brainwashed.

“That won’t do, Liv.”

“Tsk.”

Lena held her mischievous cousin’s hand, knowing she was having another wild thought. Livri’s transparency made her emotions easily readable.

It was then that Lena’s father, who had been silent, spoke up.

“Are you saying you want to move in before marriage to learn how to be a proper duchess?”

“Yes, Father.”

A heavy silence fell instantly.

It was shocking enough that his recently broken-off daughter had brought a man, but now she wanted to move in with him before marriage.

Lena’s father, Baron Leshuriel, had a throbbing headache with all kinds of worries.

Of all people, her partner had to be a duke. He still wished for Lena to marry into a good family and be happy. But he hadn’t expected a duke.

Duke Lengester was the legitimate son of Princess Atlantia, the current emperor’s sister.

A duke, almost akin to royalty, and a baron, nearly like a commoner. The gap was even wider than between Lena and her previous fiancé, an earl.

Isn’t that the case even now? 

She wanted to move in before marriage to learn how to be a proper duchess.

‘Ha! What nonsense.’

Of course, he knew that “bride training” was trending among noble families.

His daughter might have meant it in that way, but to the baron, it sounded like his daughter was lacking.

The baron gulped down alcohol instead of water. Then, with slightly unfocused eyes, he glared at Alhendore.

“Duke. Is my daughter so lacking?”

Even though they were sitting in the same house, at the same level, it felt as if the duke was looking down from a much higher place. The feeling of being diminished painfully pierced his heart.

Alhendore, who had been gazing steadily at the baron, bowed his head respectfully. The baron’s eyes widened at his action. The words that followed were beyond his imagination.

“How could she be lacking? It’s just my greed to see your lovely daughter even one day sooner.”

The baron blinked repeatedly, as if struck by a blow.

Though he answered the baron, Alhendore’s gaze was on Lena.

His precious daughter, who had fallen in love with the duke, smiled bashfully. That pure smile was a fragment long forgotten in his memory.

‘When was the last time I saw her smile like that?’

The day he sent his daughter off to marry a noble in the capital, she had turned back with a faint smile. Like a proper lady, modestly.

Even after joining the knights to earn a dowry, she never wielded a sword. Even on expeditions, she was a strategist, holding a quill instead of a sword.

Because, according to her, a lady’s blade should only be a knife used to cut meat.

One year passed, then two, then three. The mischievous girl who used to hang around with local mercenaries had become a refined woman.

He thought it was simply because she had reached the age to leave her father’s embrace. But perhaps she had to hide herself under restraint and control.

The baron finally realized.

‘It was all my greed.’

He could no longer lift his head out of shame. 

Were all the words and actions I thought were for Lena really for her? 

He realized it far too late.

He wished someone would erase him from this place, as he felt like he was endlessly falling.

If his wife, Lena’s mother, were sitting here instead of him, surely things would have gone differently.

“Dad.”

“Ah…”

“We will live well. So please don’t worry too much.”

Her daughter’s smile brought tears to his eyes. That one sentence felt like it forgave all his sins. The baron finally showed a warm smile.

“Yes, go ahead.”

As long as you are happy, that’s all that matters to this father.

***

Lena, stepping into Alhendore’s mansion, was in awe, constantly exclaiming. It was a grand and majestic mansion, comparable even to the imperial palace.

“Wow, as expected of a duke’s house! So wealthy!”

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes, it’s amazing!”

“You’ve already been here once.”

Not only did she come but she even went back.

Lena blushed, as if she knew the hidden implication. Alhendore, who was chuckling as if teasing her, gently stroked her soft, wheat-colored hair.

“There’s news you might like even more.”

“What is it?”

“The rabbit. I moved it to the lakeside within the mansion.”

“Our Toto! Wow, Toto must be happy.”

By the lakeside, there would be plenty of water to drink, grass to nibble on when bored, and trees to hide and rest under.

She had always felt guilty about keeping it in the Monster Subjugation Squad’s lab, but now it seemed like she had finally found a proper home for it.

“We’ll go see it tomorrow when it’s bright.”

“Yes! That sounds great.”

Following him into the mansion’s interior.

Originally, the housekeeper of the Lengester family would have guided them, but the mischievous captain personally took on the task of showing her around.

Since it was already dark, they decided to tour only the main building for now.

“What’s this place?”

“The study.”

“Oh, can I go in?”

“Of course, there’s no place in this house you can’t go.”

Where did he get such bold words?

Lena, her face flushed, opened the office door. She hurriedly moved inside, trying to hide her red face.

The office was a simple space lined with bookshelves on both sides. Lena looked around and unconsciously let out a sigh of admiration.

‘Just like the captain.’

The neatness, with everything in its place, perfectly matched his inflexible and rigid personality.

Passing by the bookshelves filled with books of various disciplines, she reached the office desk. There were numerous documents related to the knights, indicating he worked from home as well.

Seeing something familiar, she felt a moment of joy but then a fleeting sense of foreboding made her squint.

“If we get married, will you work from home too?”

For anyone else, it would be an absurd question, but the person in question was Alhendore. A man who loved work, who was utterly devoted to it. Fortunately, the captain scoffed instead of agreeing.

“Of course not. I’ll work at the knights’ headquarters and do other things at home.”

“Other things? Like what?”

“What we did before.”

Physical things, that is.

The predator, who had been leisurely watching his prey in his grasp, licked his lips.

‘Should I run?’

Instinctively searching for a weapon, Lena glanced sideways at the desk and found a small portrait.

“Huh?”

It was a portrait of the previous duke and duchess with a young boy standing between them. She lifted the frame and examined it closely. The beast that had been eyeing her body was already forgotten. This boy… he looked familiar.

‘Hmm, I don’t know.’

When would a young lady from a rural barony have seen such a noble young master? She put the portrait down and turned around. Behind her, the pouting captain greeted her.

Why was he like this again?

“Isn’t this a bit much?”

“Why?”

Alhendore, with a sullen expression, stared at her.

“Never mind.”

Following the sulking man, Lena walked quickly and tried to ask him questions.

No matter how much she leaned in, he seemed unwilling to explain. Frustrated, she ran ahead of him and pushed against his broad chest to stop him.

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Instead of answering, he responded with a nonsensical question. She felt wronged and was about to jump with frustration. Lena, who couldn’t think of anything she had done wrong, was bewildered.

“What? What did I do wrong?”

“You did wrong. A lot wrong.”

What did I do wrong? All I did was come to the mansion, tour the office, and look at a portrait.

‘Portrait?’

With a sudden realization, she clapped her hands. 

Ah, maybe that’s it?

“Wow, our captain was cute even as a child. An absolute beauty from the start! That beauty seems like a statue carved by God!”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

“Do you not know?”

“Of course, I’m asking because I don’t know.”

“Never mind.”

Alhendore dragged the clueless Lena to the innermost room on the fourth floor of the main building.

The fourth floor of the main building seemed to be where their family resided. Not only did they enter such a place without hesitation, but they also went to a room that felt particularly spacious.

“Curious?”

“Of course, wouldn’t I be?”

“I’ll tell you, so follow me quietly.”

She wondered what he was up to but followed him silently for now.

Not only was the room they entered a bedroom, but they also went deeper into the room, reaching a bathroom, and she screamed in shock.

“You pervert!”

Steam was rising from the bathtub, indicating that a bath had already been prepared. This meticulous man.

“Pervert? Where would you find a perfect pervert like me?”

“Wow…”

Her mind, which was about to go blank, snapped back. She was speechless at his shamelessness.