Side Story: I Like You, Captain! (Part 2)

#1. An Incident on Someone Else’s Birthday

In the garden lined with various statues, Livri was looking around the statues with sparkling eyes.

Destiny, love! How beautiful those words were!

Determined to find her destined half, she searched diligently.

In fact, the reason she had brought Lena to this party was the same. She wanted to find her own half and also help Lena find hers.

At first, Lena followed Livri’s lead, looking around eagerly, but she soon grew tired and slowed down.

‘It’s really hard to find anything.’

It was amazing that couples had found each other through these pendants, considering how difficult it was to find them.

As she pretended to search the bushes and leaned against a tree, she noticed something sparkling behind the tree.

“Oh?”

As she got closer, the hidden object became clearly visible.

“There really is one…”

Lena picked up the pendant and approached Livri, thinking she might hide it somewhere Livri could find it.

After all, she had Alhendore, but Livri seemed eager to find her destined partner this time.

“Liv, how’s it going? Found anything?”

“No, not at all! What about you, Lena? Found anything?”

“Oh? No, I haven’t found anything either.”

Quickly hiding the pendant inside her sleeve, Lena walked past the statue Livri was searching and approached the next statue.

She intended to place the pendant under the statue for Livri to find.

‘Livri will be happy, right?’

Lena placed the comma-shaped pendant under the statue and quickly moved to the nearby bushes to avoid being noticed by Livri.

As she waited in the bushes, she soon heard Livri’s excited voice.

“Wow, I found it! Lena, I found it!”

“Really?”

Approaching Livri, who was twirling around with the pendant, Lena felt a sense of pride. But…

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

The pendant in Livri’s hand was not the one Lena had hidden but a half-egg-shaped pendant.

“Wow, you really found one! Congratulations, Liv!”

“Thank you, Lena! I’ll help you find yours too. Let’s search together!”

That’s okay. I already have mine.

Accidentally, both of them ended up with pendants and returned to the party, chatting happily.

The traditional way was for men with matching pendants to approach women wearing them.

Lena, dragged to the center of the ballroom by Livri, danced until she was exhausted by the third dance and sneaked out.

She sat on a sofa at the edge of the party, sipping sparkling wine.

Despite her small frame, Livri seemed to have endless energy, dancing with various partners without rest.

“Ah, it’s a bit hot.”

Feeling warm after just a few sips, she stepped out onto the terrace to get some fresh air. The cool breeze felt pleasant as it ruffled her golden hair.

“Ah, this is nice…”

Despite her father’s opposition, she was having a surprisingly good day.

Maybe Livri had noticed how exhausted she looked lately and suggested spending time together? If so, it was a very successful plan.

As Lena marveled at her cousin’s insight, she heard a voice nearby that shouldn’t have been there.

“Can’t take my eyes off you for a second.”

“Huh?”

Captain?

Lena looked around for the source of the voice. She didn’t have to search hard; she met eyes with him standing on the adjacent terrace.

“Captain, what are you doing here? Where is His Highness?”

Each knight captain was supposed to stay by their master’s side. 

Moreover, wasn’t the Crown Prince the main host of this party? The Red Knight Captain shouldn’t be here.

“That idiot went inside.”

Alhendore, who had called the Crown Prince an idiot, confidently crossed the terrace to where Lena was.

With a disgruntled touch, he lightly lifted the pendant hanging around Lena’s neck. She thought he wasn’t interested in such events, but it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.

“Which destined partner are you waiting for, my little lady?”

Only then did Lena realize she had a pendant around her neck and rolled her eyes. She never imagined she would meet Alhendore here.

“Oh, um… you, Captain!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Of course! Who else but you could be my destined partner?”

Sweating nervously, Lena pointed outside with her finger.

“Now, you should go find my other half, right?”

Watching her antics, Alhendore tilted his head slightly and then smiled.

“Is there a need to search? I am your destiny.”

“What?”

Alhendore pulled out a pendant from his jacket pocket that matched Lena’s.

Had Lena found the one the Crown Prince had thrown away? Was there really something to this?

Staring blankly at the pendant in his hand, Lena puffed up her cheeks.

“I hate you, Captain! You’re the one who cheated first.”

“Cheated? Isn’t that too harsh?”

“Then why did you find that pendant? Were you waiting for some destined partner?”

“I was waiting. Isn’t my destiny you?”

“Well! I… uh…”

Come to think of it, that makes sense.

Finding her nodding seriously, Alhendore laughed heartily, shaking his shoulders.

Indeed, his little lady was quite quirky.

Boom!

Crackle, crackle—!

“Huh?”

“Hmm, seems like it started.”

As the festival night deepened, special fireworks made by the magic tower filled the sky. Various colorful fireworks adorned the sky brilliantly.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful!”

Approaching the terrace railing, Lena looked up at the colorful night sky with a blush. Alhendore, who had been watching her intently, gently patted her small golden hair.

“You’re prettier.”

“What?”

At the moment when a huge firework burst, her ears turned red with embarrassment. Alhendore seemed unaffected by making such embarrassing statements.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, he hugged her and pressed his lips to hers. Sucking her lower lip deeply, he pulled away and met her gaze.

“Lena.”

“Yes?”

His eyes, looking down at her, burned as brightly as the fireworks in the sky.

Alhendore, who had his arm around her waist, suddenly released her and took a step back.

Why is he backing off so easily today?

As she looked at him in confusion, he suddenly knelt on one knee and pulled out a small box from his pocket.

“Lena Leshuriel.”

“Oh, oh…”

The fireworks bursting in the sky pounded loudly in her chest.

“Every moment of mine has been only you.”

“…”

“Lena, will you marry me?”

Lena blushed, not expecting him to propose at this moment. She never thought he would confess so seriously and formally.

Blinking, she looked at the box he held out.

Without urging her, he quietly waited, his demeanor overlapping with the image of him waiting solely for her all this time.

Lena looked at him for a long moment before smiling brightly.

“Yes…”

In an instant, Alhendore rose and wrapped his arms around her waist. The ensuing kiss was more persistent than ever, swallowing her lips deeply.

***

The party concluded, and the Crown Prince returned to his palace. Rumor had it that he was accompanied by a blonde woman.

The thought of her cousin, who had left early claiming she had matters to attend to, crossed her mind.

‘Well, I have things to do too.’

Waving to Livri, who for some reason was blushing, Lena welcomed the off-duty Alhendore.

Strolling through the bustling night market, which was most lively in the late hours, Lena admired the ring on her finger. It was a simple silver ring with a blue gem, identical to the one he wore.

‘Just like Captain’s.’

Smiling bashfully, she looked at the ring. Suddenly, a blue particle of light flickered within the gem.

‘Huh?’

Squinting at the gem, Lena tilted her head. 

Could it be… 

She asked him just in case.

“Is this a magic tool too?”

“Yes.”

“Wow…”

As expected of a wealthy man. Receiving an engagement ring that was also a magic tool. She might be the only one in the empire to have such a thing. Nodding seriously, she listened as he spoke.

“I made it so you can call me whenever you’re in danger.”

Alhendore said, staring ahead. He seemed to still be mindful of the kidnapping incident from the past.

Holding his hand tightly, Lena walked with a blooming smile.

‘Do you know?’

That even when she was alone and scared in the land of monsters, and when she was saddened by her former fiancé’s affairs, he was always there by her side. Always gazing only at her and worrying only about her.

Meeting his gaze, she shouted energetically.

“I’m okay. Whose aide am I?”

“Before that, you are my one and only lover.”

“Oof…”

He really had a talent for catching her off guard. Blushing, Lena looked around as if sightseeing. Her eyes fell upon a familiar shop.

“Oh, over there?”

It was the dessert shop where the incident with Galverd had occurred.

‘So, its name was Alteya.’

She had been too distracted to even know the shop’s name.

“Why there?”

“Ah.”

Momentarily pausing at his question, Lena hesitated. If she mentioned Galverd again, Alhendore might get jealous and go wild.

Feeling a sudden pain between her legs, Lena hurriedly made up an excuse.

“I, I went there with Livri before, but it was too crowded to eat anything.”

“Hmm, really?”

Alhendore looked at her suspiciously, but Lena shouted boldly.

“Yes, of course.”

She thought he would let it go naturally that day…

But the next morning, Lena was utterly shocked.

“You crazy man!”

A mountain of boxes was piled up in front of the Red Knight Order’s headquarters. All from the dessert shop Alteya she had mentioned the day before.

“I bought out today’s entire stock.”

“How am I supposed to eat all that!”

“Eat each one while thinking of me.”

“Ah…”

“From now on, every time you see that shop, you’ll think of today. Got it?”

“Ah, yes…”

He smiled brightly. 

Was it just my imagination, or did that smile seem a bit sinister?

‘Hmm… but it is delicious.’

Lena munched on Alteya’s special apple pie, feeling pleasantly warm. There was so much that she thought she should send some to Livri.

Snuggled in Alhendore’s arms on his lounge sofa, Lena indulged in the sweet taste.

“Is it good?”

“Yes!”

“What does it taste like?”

“Curious?”

“Yes.”

Lena held the pie up to his mouth. Offering him a bite, but despite his curiosity, he seemed uninterested in the pie.

Skipping the apple pie entirely, Alhendore pressed his tongue into her mouth.

“Mmm, mmm…!”

Thus began a deep and sweet kiss.