Chapter 4.1 – Was It Really a Mistake… Or Not?

“Did you not sleep last night? Your face looks really tired today.”

“Ah, I just had a lot on my mind.”

Daphne answered weakly, rubbing her sore eyes and letting out a sigh. It was all because of the book she had been given.

Her impression after staying up all night to finish it was that the reason the Madam gave her bodyguard steak was quite reasonable. She couldn’t explain the details, but it was certainly an engrossing novel.

Her eyes ached as if they might fall out from lack of sleep, and her fatigue hadn’t lifted, but she had no regrets. She’d gained so much knowledge from it. Although, she wasn’t sure if it could really be called “knowledge.”

“Well, if that’s the case, that’s good…”

Hailey trailed off, sounding unconvinced, and turned her attention to the mountain of health check records for the junior knights.

Time had passed surprisingly quickly. The seemingly endless procedures were finally over, and both the Imperial Knights’ competency exam and the induction ceremony had finished smoothly without any problems.

She thought she might finally be able to catch her breath, but what ended up in their hands was a single cup of coffee and a mountain of paperwork.

Not only did they have to update the records for the new junior knights, but also revise all the existing knights’ files, so even ten hands wouldn’t have been enough.

“Ugh, I really don’t want to do this!”

Hailey yelled, ruffling her hair, her outburst echoing through the infirmary. Daphne didn’t even have the energy to open her mouth, so she stayed silent.

Maybe she took the silence as agreement, because Hailey, looking more exhausted than when she’d arrived at work, spoke with a determined expression.

“Daphne, there’s something I’ve been thinking about. Want to hear it?”

Even though Daphne hadn’t nodded, it seemed Hailey had never intended to wait for an answer. She whispered quietly,

“How about a drink tonight?”

She cracked her fingers and made a clicking sound with her tongue. Daphne wondered how serious the issue must be for her to look like that, but the sudden sense of anticlimax made her let out a hollow laugh and shake her head.

Knock, knock.

Just then, Evan appeared, his hair half-wet as if he’d just showered. It was the first time she’d seen him in casual clothes rather than his uniform, so he looked a little unfamiliar.

“Is something wrong?”

Hailey stood up at the unexpected visitor and glanced at Daphne.

“Uh, I, I have business with Sir Grey.”

“With Daphne? Why?”

“It’s a little hard to explain…”

Evan looked so flustered that Hailey turned her gaze back to Daphne. Even with that questioning look, Daphne quietly tidied up her desk.

“Is today your day off, Sir Clyde?”

It was painfully obvious what Hailey was thinking as she looked between Evan and Daphne, then smiled meaningfully.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

It was a short answer that could have sounded curt, but for some reason, Hailey grinned and stood up.

“That’s great! We were planning to leave work early and have a drink, too. Want to join us? I know a good place!”

“I…”

Evan glanced at Daphne. His gaze was as if he was asking for permission, so Daphne nodded. As if she’d been waiting, Hailey linked her arm with Daphne’s and shouted loudly,

“Great! Let’s go before it gets too late!”

* * *

As they walked down the darkening street, the only sound was the low call of a bird. Hailey looked at Evan’s shadow, which was much longer than her own. There was another round shadow on his shoulder.

She glanced up at Daphne, who was sleeping on Evan’s back, drunk, then turned her gaze forward again and asked quietly,

“By the way, how did you get permission to stay out overnight? They usually don’t let junior knights do that easily.”

“I said my parents were visiting.”

“Oh, is that really okay?”

“They told me to use that excuse whenever I needed.”

He looked a bit embarrassed even as he said it, and averted his eyes. Since he said so himself, there was nothing more to say.

“But, Sir Clyde, aren’t you uncomfortable with me?”

“Is there something that makes you uncomfortable, Sir Watson?”

“No, not really… I mean, Daphne and I are just medical officers in the knights, but we’re commoners. And you’re the third son of Earl Clyde.”

“Ah, in that sense.”

His eyes became a bit mysterious. Hailey thought the conversation might trail off awkwardly, but Evan pointed to the ID badge at his waist and spoke up.

“I don’t really care. The family will go to my eldest brother anyway, so all I’ll have left is this.”

Then he added, “Well, I might get a few scraps of land. Still, all the good stuff will be my brother’s,” and laughed self-deprecatingly.

Looking back on everything he’d said and done so far, Hailey realized she’d been worrying for nothing. She looked up at him and made up her mind.

She was going to help these two get together properly.

Hailey glanced at Daphne, sleeping on Evan’s back. Daphne usually didn’t drink, but maybe she’d been more stressed at work than she realized, because she’d drunk much faster than usual and ended up like this.

‘That question she asked before was definitely odd.’

Hailey could still clearly remember the look on Daphne’s face when she’d asked if there were people who could only get aroused when someone was watching. And if her guess was right, the person Daphne was interested in was probably Evan Clyde, who was carrying her right now.

It wasn’t exactly pleasant to have learned about someone else’s intimate preferences by accident, but she was still glad to see some change in Daphne’s life, which had always just been work and home.

‘I never expected her partner to be someone with exhibitionist tendencies, though.’

Hailey glanced up at Evan again. His looks didn’t fit the word “exhibitionist” at all, but the world was wide and full of all kinds of people. Assuming someone’s preferences based on their looks was just a prejudice.

While Hailey was steadily building up her own misunderstandings about Evan, they arrived at Daphne’s house before she knew it. Hailey fished through Daphne’s bag for her keys and opened the door, watching Evan carefully carry Daphne inside before closing the door.

“Sir Watson?”

Evan’s voice calling her name came from beyond the door. But Hailey hurried away without answering.

“Sir Watson?!”

He called again after her. She was tempted to watch what happened next, but she told herself it was the mature thing to do to leave.

‘Daphne does get a little rowdy when she drinks, but at worst it’ll just be something like that. Anyway, if things go well, it won’t be a problem!’

Feeling excited for tomorrow, Hailey walked away with a light step.

* * *

Evan found himself in a dire situation.

“Ugh…”

“Uh, Sir Grey? Are you awake?”

But there was no answer. Judging that she hadn’t sobered up yet, Evan carefully stepped further inside. He couldn’t just leave her on the cold floor after coming all this way.

With one arm firmly supporting her hips, he tried to open the door he assumed led to the bedroom.

“Mm…”

Daphne groaned and tightened her arms around his neck. Evan had to grit his teeth as her soft arms squeezed his throat.

“Sir Grey, um, we’re here. Please sleep in your bed. I didn’t come in on my own—Sir Watson helped me.”

Whether she heard him or not, Evan kept mumbling as he opened the door. Thankfully, it was the bedroom. The small bed, just big enough for one person, still showed clear traces of her having left for work.

“…Hup.”

In one corner of the bed was a small scrap of cloth he recognized all too well. Realizing it was her underwear made cold sweat run down his back.

Thinking he’d seen something he shouldn’t have, Evan did his best to pretend not to notice as he tried to lay Daphne on the bed.

“…Sir Grey?”

How could such strength come from such a small body? Evan couldn’t help but wonder. But he didn’t have long to dwell on that thought, because Daphne’s legs wrapped around him tightly, holding him in place so he couldn’t move. He was frozen stiff, unable to do anything.

He had never seen this kind of drunken behavior before. Thanks to inheriting his father’s iron constitution, the sons of Earl Clyde rarely ever got drunk, no matter how much they drank.

Frankly, it would have been better if she’d just burst into tears. Having her chest pressed against his back, making his body react, was much worse.

He might have grown up among rough sailors, but he was still a noble’s son. Evan, who had received thorough lessons in etiquette, tried to steady his trembling voice.

“Sir Grey, please wake up.”

If she were the type to wake up at just that, she would have already done so. Daphne didn’t budge. Instead, she buried her nose in the nape of his neck and breathed slowly.