Lavi quickly approached the emperor, causing a fuss as he frantically asked if he was unharmed.

“Strangely enough, not a drop spilled, so don’t worry and step aside.”

“Are you sure you’re not injured anywhere? No wounds?”

“Oh, it’s getting stuffy with you blocking my view, Lavi. I’m fine, so could you just….”

“If a single scratch were to mar your majesty’s noble body, please do not forgive me, Your Majesty!”

“No… really, I’m fine. It’s starting to feel a bit overwhelming, though.”

As the hulking man clung excessively close, the emperor was taken aback and struggled to assure him.

Meanwhile, across the table, Lady Lauren Tylen was furiously scribbling notes about the situation in her notebook, but no one paid her any mind.

After reluctantly stepping back, Lavi placed his hands on his hips and gave Sel a fierce look.

“I told you to handle this properly, didn’t I?!”

“…Pardon?”

“Me?” Sel’s eyes widened as she pointed to herself.

“If it weren’t for an amateur like you running around on the first floor, accidents like this wouldn’t happen!”

Sel merely blinked at Lavi’s absurd accusation.

There wasn’t a single scratch on the teacup, and the tea’s temperature was perfectly fine. An incident like that couldn’t have possibly happened.

“Why is someone who should be fixing weapons wandering around here with that doll-like face of yours?!”

Lavi’s loud outburst was strange, but Sel couldn’t say a word. Neither could the emperor.

“…Doll-like?”

The emperor murmured.

Though the new mercenary did have a striking appearance, it was an odd metaphor to use for a man.

Eric remained silent, watching the scene with great interest and jotting everything down.

“Perhaps that’s how Your Majesty sees him. That new mercenary is a man, Your Majesty.”

“What is this about? That much was obvious.”

“Even His Majesty thinks you look like a doll!”

That’s not what he meant at all, but the emperor hesitated, and Lavi didn’t hear it. Lavi, scowling, pointed accusingly at Sel.

“Touching a teacup with hands that handle weapons… of course, an accident would happen! Get a grip, will you?”

Normally, Sel wouldn’t have noticed it, but in his fury, the small scar cutting through Lavi’s eyebrow looked even more menacing.

Already tense in front of the emperor, the sudden mix of sadness and resentment made Sel’s eyes sting.

“You made a mistake serving tea to His Majesty, so you’re banned from working on the first floor. For the next three days, you are to stay in your room and reflect during working hours.”

“…Understood.”

Sel answered as calmly as possible, bowing deeply.

After apologizing to the emperor, Sel went upstairs, looking defeated.

Watching her retreat, Lavi turned his attention back to the emperor with a stiff expression.

“Lavirus, was that really necessary? The child doesn’t appear to have done anything wrong.”

“He made a mistake serving tea to Your Majesty. A harsher punishment should be given, but please forgive me for this leniency.”

“The teacup wasn’t even broken.”

Could a teacup really shatter like that? The emperor tilted his head as he pointed to the fragments that Eric was cleaning up.

“I apologize for the trouble, Your Majesty. I’ll take care of it right away. By the way, what did you need to ask of me?”

Lavi smiled, his eyes narrowing like crescent moons.

The emperor, bemused by this sudden display of formality, let out a chuckle.

When did that dog-like man become so polite?

“…It’s nothing. Not important.”

“Ah, then you came to see me? I am honored, Your Majesty.”

“Yes. Since I’ve seen my brother-like Lavi, I’ll be on my way now.”

The emperor slowly rose and gracefully exited the mercenary headquarters.

Lavi and Eric escorted him to the door.

As the emperor’s carriage started to roll away, he knocked on the carriage window, deep in thought. Graham, the Commander of the royal guard escorting the carriage, leaned in through the window.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“There’s a new mercenary in Lavirus’s squad, a blond one. Find out more about him.”

‘I need to know what kind of person Lavirus is so protective of.’

—

That night.

“Sel… Sel. Open the door.”

Lavi knocked on the door loudly for the tenth time. But there was no response from inside.

He knocked again, calling Sel’s name, his voice almost pleading.

Just then, the door next to Sel’s opened, revealing Eric in a silk robe, rubbing his eyes.

With his tousled brown hair and his sleeping mask pushed up, Eric loosely tied his robe, clearly just awakened.

“What on earth are you doing at this hour, Lavi?”

“I need to talk to Sel.”

“If you’re a Swordmaster, can’t you sense if a room is empty or not? Sel already went downstairs. And why wake others up… damn.”

Already grumpy from his low blood pressure, Eric cursed at the unwelcome intruder who disturbed his sleep.

“Well, Sel’s energy is hardly detectable…”

Bang! Before Lavi could finish, Eric had already slammed his door shut.

From inside, Lavi could hear Eric muttering about why “that person” didn’t come tonight to relieve him.

Lavi roamed around the building searching for Sel.

He finally found her on the first floor, where a separate, crimson-colored bar counter stocked with alcohol was set up for clients.

After work, the mercenaries usually gathered here to drink, but tonight, Sel was sitting alone.

The bottle of alcohol beside her was already empty.

Sel tilted it to pour herself the last glass.

“Sel.”

Lavi’s voice was low, with a slight tremor.

Sel, resting her elbow on the counter and supporting her chin with her hand, turned her head slightly to look at Lavi approaching from behind.

“…I came down briefly since it’s not working hours. I apologize for drinking during the period of self-restraint.”

When Sel tried to get up, Lavi quickly took the seat beside her, patting her shoulder and telling her to stay seated.

“It’s fine; I only mentioned working hours.”

“………..”

“Earlier. I thought you might have been startled.”

As he took out a new bottle of alcohol and poured it into a small glass, Lavi spoke, looking down at the shimmering liquid in the glass.

“I’m sorry.”

Though his voice was soft, it carried a weight of sincerity.

Sel sipped the alcohol from her glass and responded, “There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Commnader. It was a dangerous incident where His Majesty could have been hurt. And yes, I was the one who brought out that teacup.”

Sel’s gaze was steady as she spoke calmly.

Seated next to her, Lavi crossed his arms on the dark red counter, turning to gaze at Sel.

His pale skin reflected the counter’s light in hues of yellow and orange, and his long, large eyes, like blue lakes, shone beneath his golden hair. Each time his long lashes blinked slowly, Lavi’s eyes blinked as well.

The tip of his nose, probably flushed from the alcohol, had a reddish tint. He had a fine jawline, and his small ears had an allure that tempted him to reach out, but Lavi kept his arms crossed to resist the urge.

“…But I’d like to know the reason. No matter how I think about it, the only variable that comes to mind is you, Commander. I’m curious as to why you were angry with me.”

His red lips moved, breaking the silence.

Quickly looking away, Lavi fiddled with his glass.

“His Majesty has taken an interest in you. He may not be a greedy man, but when he sets his mind on something, he always gets it.”

“He’s similar to you, Commander.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. When you desire something, you make sure to get it as well.”

Lavi laughed softly, rubbing his forehead at Sel’s words. Ironically, he was someone who couldn’t have what he most desired.

“…You’re right. The broken teacup wasn’t your fault.”

Sel took a sip of her alcohol, letting out a bitter smile.

“At least that’s a relief. It wasn’t my fault that the cup broke.”

“I went too far earlier.”

“To be honest, I was hurt. Not only because you scolded me, but also because I didn’t understand why I was being scolded. I’ve often gone through life not knowing the reason why.”

Why she had to be poor, why she had to live hidden, why people scorned her—Sel didn’t know.

Not even why her mother had to disappear that way.

Sel drained the rest of her glass, the lime scent of the alcohol filling her mouth. The smooth flavor, contrasted with the burning sensation in her throat, dulled the ache in her chest.

Picking up the bottle of alcohol next to Lavi, Sel refilled her glass. The clear liquid quickly filled the small glass.

“I was just a bit hurt, but I don’t think badly of you, Commander. You’re a good person to me.”

She gazed into the clear liquid, raising the corners of her lips slightly.

‘Yes, you are a truly good person. From the first time we met long ago until now, you’ve been a consistently kind person.’

Sel lifted her glass and took a gulp of the clear liquid.

‘Good person.’ As Lavi repeated those words to himself, he turned his head to look at Sel.

His eyes traveled from his glass, over his fingers, up his arms and shoulders, and settled on his neck.

Sel’s slender neck revealed a straight sternocleidomastoid. He clenched his jaw as a strange tingling sensation itched his teeth.

Lavi’s gaze slowly traveled up from there until it met his eyes.

“What makes you say that? I lashed out at you earlier for no reason.”

“I’ve heard that the more powerful someone is, the harder it is for them to apologize. But you apologized to me. A high-ranking noble, a swordmaster like you… apologized to someone as insignificant as me.”

“No one is insignificant.”

The word ‘insignificant’ bothered him.

Turning his head sharply in the opposite direction, Lavi downed the rest of his alcohol in one gulp, feeling the strong spirit burn down his throat.

Sel was the one who could toss him around like a top.

The one who seized his gaze and unsettled him was always Sel. How could someone like him be insignificant?

“Don’t think of yourself that way. You have no idea how…”

As Lavi turned his head to face Sel, their gazes locked in midair.

In his clear blue eyes, his reflection filled her gaze entirely.

The image of himself reflected back at him had a foolish expression.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

His sparkling eyes, straight nose, and moist lips. Everything looked like a painting. Like an illusion.

Lavi’s face gradually leaned closer to Sel.

Startled, she leaned back, but he kept moving toward her.

And then it happened. Lavi’s large form toppled toward her.