2. Sound

‘What on earth was that sound.’

Spica was lost in thought while fiddling with a small box.

That sound.

Strangely, it caught her ears so much that she couldn’t knock on the wall or burrow deep into the blankets to block it out, and just listened until she fell asleep.

“No matter how I listened, it didn’t seem like someone was in pain…… By the way, I couldn’t see the Commander today?”

Alkaid was someone who worked in the commander’s office from before Spica came to work.

But today, even though it had been a while since Spica arrived, the commander’s office was completely empty. The desk across from her, Dame Megrez’s seat, was the same.

‘Well, those two always move together.’

She heard they had grown up together from their territory. Perhaps because of that, Dame Megrez perfectly understood and carried out Alkaid’s commands just from his small gestures and nods, even without being able to see his expression under the helmet.

‘No, that’s not right. If he really only wears the helmet in front of me, there would be no need to display such ability.’

Once again, the helmet being placed on the desk and Alkaid’s figure passing by with his face revealed came to mind.

“Ah, ah! This isn’t the time for this. Let me just work.”

Spica knocked her head and put the box she had been touching into her bosom.

The door burst open and Talitha called for her.

“Spica. The Commander wants you to bring the guard deployment personnel and budget documents to the grand conference room.”

“Ah, yes! I’ll go right away.”

It seemed a sudden meeting had been scheduled.

That’s why Alkaid wasn’t present. Spica hurriedly gathered the documents she received and set out.

“Come back safely!”

“Yes!”

Talitha waved her hand toward Spica.

She didn’t know what conversation Alkaid and Talitha had after he removed his helmet. But after the interview, she came out of the commander’s office and showed Spica a sad and wistful smile.

〈I’ll give up, Spica. You must be happy…….〉

Since then, no one proposed to introduce men to Spica.

Alkaid also never passed by her without acknowledgment again. But Spica couldn’t shake the feeling that his attitude had become somewhat distant.

‘Ahhh. I told myself not to think like this.’

Alkaid and Spica’s relationship were that of a knight commander and his adjutant. In other words, they were only connected through work. Whatever his attitude was, there was no need to keep thinking this way about their relationship.

And an adjutant was a position that had to follow orders even if a superior gave unreasonable commands. Yet having this kind of reaction was being overly presumptuous.

Spica chewed her lips and hurried her steps even more. The building shared by the Royal Guard, First Knight Order, and Second Knight Order was approaching right in front of her.

This building, which housed the grand conference room, medical office, and where knight order fellowship events were held, was quite spacious. Spica, who had entered inside and was busily walking down the long corridor, frowned the moment she spotted someone approaching from ahead.

‘Why is Lepus here?’

The other person also discovered Spica and stopped momentarily in surprise, then immediately approached. Whether he had treated it with good potions, his face showed not even a trace of a broken nose or bruise marks.

“Spica.”

“I’m busy, so I’ll go first.”

Spica passed right by Lepus.

But he didn’t simply accept Spica’s cold behavior. He thought she was avoiding him because of the pain of heartbreak.

‘Sigh…… Dealing with a woman who has lingering feelings is the most troublesome.’

Lepus didn’t particularly want to talk to someone who had thrown a punch at him either. However, now was the time when he had to appease her heart and break up ‘properly.’

Spica, who had liked Lepus for a long time, would quickly soften when she saw his face no matter how angry she was. Knowing this fact better than anyone, he had to face her even if it meant forcing it.

But Spica had run out of the house, and when there was no way to have a conversation, they happened to meet face to face like this, so it worked out well.

Lepus chased after Spica and grabbed her arm.

“Don’t pretend to be busy and make time.”

Spica’s eyes flashed brightly. She wanted to shake off Lepus’s hand immediately, but her arms were currently full of documents.

“Please let go, Mr. Arneb?”

“……Mr. Arneb, you said?”

The corners of Lepus’s eyes trembled as he repeated Spica’s words. He only now realized he had never been called by his surname by her.

Spica frowned in disbelief. What else would she call someone who had no title and hadn’t risen to the position of judge other than ‘Mr.’?

“I don’t have time to waste on you, Mr. Arneb. I have to enter the grand conference room under the knight commander’s orders.”

“I understand you’re trying to avoid me, but you should lie with sincerity. What ordinary knight enters a meeting of knight commanders?”

“……I told you several times that I became an administrative adjutant.”

“What?”

Seeing his puzzled frown, Spica was certain. Lepus had been living while letting most of what she said go in one ear and out the other.

“Anyway, let go. It’s useless now.”

“It matters to me. If you’re a direct adjutant to a knight commander, you’ll receive a high salary, so you don’t necessarily need to get the house back.”

Spica was timing when to step on Lepus’s foot but stopped short.

It seemed the lawyers, including Father’s friend, had finished preparations and submitted the nullification application.

Lepus said stiffly.

“Withdraw it. There’s no evidence that we were going to marry anyway.”

“Don’t you know what fiancé means? I suppose you’re saying it was a verbal promise, but if you think you’ll win like that, why are you making a fuss grabbing busy people here?”

“Because persuading you is faster than having a lengthy legal battle.”

“Persuading……”

“Listen. Have you forgotten how many years I served you, your father, and your brother? When you were worried about changing your major because of your arm, I was the one who stayed by your side. I became a son and brother to the Atrain family. Even so, receiving one house as inheritance is unacceptable?”

“Would it be?”

What was he talking about.

The fact that Lepus hadn’t been faithful enough to the Atrain family members to boldly utter the word ‘service’ had already been revealed.

Moreover, since he said with his own mouth that he acted like family after receiving tuition support, talking about service was nonsensical.

‘Can’t he even remember what he said?’

Spica shook her head and turned around. Continuing to exchange words with Lepus like this was a waste of time.

However, he didn’t know how to give up. With unprecedented strong force, he grabbed Spica’s shoulder and turned her around, causing her to almost spill all the documents.

“Withdraw it. While I’m asking nicely. You might see something scary.”

Something scary. Just when Spica was about to retort asking what exactly he would show her, she hesitated for a moment. Because Spica knew far more about him than Lepus knew about her.

‘This expression…… he’s serious.’

The first thing that came to mind was her brother Heze’s face.

Whether he was trying to lay a hand on her only remaining family, Spica tensed up sharply.

Lepus realized this too. Just when he regained his composure and was about to pull her with a sneer…..

“What are you doing to my adjutant.”

An intimidating voice echoing from inside the helmet.

Even if it might be so to others, there was no more reassuring voice than this to Spica. She unknowingly let out the breath she had been holding.

Large hands wrapped around her shoulders, Lepus flowed away like water, and a solid body touched her back.

Spica looked up at Alkaid with half joy, half worry.

“Commander? What about the meeting……”

“His Highness the Crown Prince left, so it ended early.”

“I’m sorry. I should have gone quickly, but I got held up and couldn’t help it.”

What had held her up was obvious without needing to say.

Alkaid gazed at Lepus sprawled on the floor and lightly brushed Spica’s cheek.

“Same here. I should have come faster, but the Royal Guard Commander held me up and I couldn’t help it. Sorry for making you sweat like this.”

“I didn’t know I was…… sweating. Ahaha.”

Spica, who had stiffened momentarily from the unexpected contact, laughed awkwardly.

She hadn’t even run, so had she sweated? If so, it would be because she got heated up over Lepus.

Alkaid took the documents from her. The documents that had been an armful for Spica were sufficient when roughly tucked under one of his arms.

“Ah, let me carry them.”

“Since I made you walk for nothing, let me at least do this.”

Lepus stood up from the floor while glaring at the two people who seemed to have forgotten his existence.

Spica laughing like a fool like that. When was the last time he had seen such a face?

‘Damn scout…… What are you trying to do, Spica.’

Did she have feelings for her superior? Alkaid slightly tilted his helmet toward him, who was feeling displeased.

“Apologize. I didn’t know a beast-human would tremble like that.”

“Ugh……”

It was insulting, but his opponent was the heir of a ducal family, not a lower noble like Spica. Lepus ground his teeth and confirmed.

“Are you the one, Sir? The one who put ideas in Spica’s head.”

Since Lepus was also involved in the legal circle, it was natural for him to hear information that several lawyers had attached themselves to this case. The late Viscount Atrain’s friend, and people from some noble family had gathered together.