Her mind finally started working properly.

There couldn’t be a male servant. This is the temple! No, is this even the temple?

Her eyes, which had been half-open and about to close again, snapped wide open.

Unfamiliar ceiling, unfamiliar bed. Did she time travel again?

“More water?”

Arsen appeared in Lydia’s panicked, looking-around vision, holding a water cup.

Fresh from washing, he approached Lydia while roughly pushing back his damp hair.

“Here, drink slowly.”

He naturally placed the water cup in Lydia’s hand. Is this really the time to just give her water?

“Did, did I sleep here?”

“Yes. Don’t you remember? That’s why I told you not to drink too much.”

Arsen nagged calmly.

Lydia groaned and held her forehead. She tried to think a little, but the headache hit first.

Still, Lydia managed to ask one polite question.

“Where did you sleep?”

“I slept in another room, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t asking because I was worried. I asked because I thought you might have slept uncomfortably in a chair because of me.”

Lydia pressed her forehead again right after finishing her words, making another ‘ugh’ sound.

“Weren’t you worried?”

He didn’t know whether to feel grateful or hurt.

Well, nothing was really clearly sorted out.

Leaving aside the jumbled thoughts in his head, Arsen decided to fill Lydia’s stomach first.

“Since you’ve already slept here, have breakfast before you go.”

“It’s fine. My portion wouldn’t be prepared anyway.”

Arsen remained silent. No way.

“Did you already order them to make my portion?”

“Of course. You’ll get motion sickness if you ride a horse in that state.”

“Tsk, you’ve spread rumors everywhere about me getting drunk and making a scene. But our operation must be successful. The rumor that I not only invaded your bedroom late at night but also took over your bed must have spread everywhere by now.”

Lydia was right. The rumor that Lydia spent the night in Arsen’s bedroom had reached the ears of every servant in the mansion before dawn faded.

By the time morning sunlight shone, it had spread from the servants’ mouths to the knight order.

Needless to say, that news had reached Randel’s ears too.

“So that’s why the commander ended training early today.”

Other knights were heard snickering, saying ‘Looks like our commander isn’t completely socially awkward after all.’

The tip of Randel’s wooden sword pointed at the straw dummy suddenly snapped.

He knew something was unusual between Lydia and Arsen.

Anyone living in the Edis mansion with eyes and ears couldn’t not know.

Lydia, who visited so frequently that the mansion’s threshold wore down day by day, and Arsen, who couldn’t bring himself to push her away.

Though Arsen said things like ‘no’ and ‘go back’ when Lydia begged for something, he was never sincere.

If Arsen had truly thought Lydia’s actions were improper, he would have banned her from entering the mansion long ago.

The fact that he didn’t meant that Arsen wasn’t bothered by Lydia’s actions.

‘Well, it’s not like I ever had hope to begin with.’

Lydia and Randel had a big difference in status from the start. Moreover, the affection Lydia showed Randel wasn’t the kind shown to the opposite s*x.

It was just feelings he’d built up on his own. He never planned to confess, never wanted to be found out.

Besides, from any angle, Arsen was more suitable as Lydia’s match than him.

Arsen was a much better man compared to Richard. If it was Arsen and not another man, he could sincerely support them.

However, apart from that, Randel couldn’t prevent the bitterness in his mouth.

“Randel, where are you going?”

“It’s hot, so I’m going to wash up.”

Even though he barely moved.

Kedrick sighed lightly as he watched Randel’s somehow drooping shoulders.

At first he was desperate to get Lydia, and now when did he become like this?

“I’m the only one troubled by being caught in the middle, just me.”

Kedrick clicked his tongue watching Randel walk away.

“You were one beat too late, man.”

This was the conclusion Kedrick reached after racking his brains.

Both Arsen and Randel liked Lydia. And of all people, he, not Lydia, knew this. What should he do?

After putting his all into thinking about someone else’s love life, and even losing sleep over it,

Kedrick came up with the word ‘first come, first served.’ If going by when they developed feelings for Lydia, Arsen was first.

Though Arsen wouldn’t admit it, the fact that he knew his secret but didn’t kill her and kept her by his side was proof that Arsen considered Lydia special.

Until then, Randel had been bristling with thorns due to the wounds he received from Lydia, so by Kedrick’s standards, Arsen was the winner.

If Lydia chose Randel, it wouldn’t matter who was the winner in Kedrick’s mind, but Lydia didn’t even know Randel had feelings for her.

“If she knew, things would have gotten complicated.”

It was probably better for Lydia to remain unaware.

Still, he couldn’t leave Randel like this.

Though Randel wouldn’t confess to Lydia by pushing past Arsen, how could he let him continue suffering internally?

He needed a definitive moment to sort out his feelings.

And that moment had to be created by Arsen.

If he made his attitude toward Lydia clear, it would surely help Randel move on.

“That’s courtesy as a Commander toward his subordinate. It’s also loyalty to a comrade who shared life and death.”

Without hesitation, Kedrick went to find Arsen.

He had just returned after feeding warm stew to Lydia, who was suffering from a hangover, and safely escorting her back to the temple on horseback.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Then, does Randel have a chance?”

Does Randel have a chance? The right answer here would be ‘yes.’ However, Arsen only moved his lips, unable to actually say yes.

The reason was simple. Because he didn’t want to give Randel a chance.

Arsen ruffled his hair randomly then smoothed it back.

Even in that simple hand movement, his complicated feelings showed through.

“No, Commander, what exactly is the problem?”

Kedrick was genuinely puzzled. As far as he was concerned, the only problem now was Randel, who couldn’t even confess and got rejected.

The only other possible problem here would be if Arsen had feelings for Lydia, but Lydia didn’t have feelings for Arsen.

However, lately Lydia openly expressed her affection for Arsen.

“When both your feelings are the same, what’s there to be complicated about? Huh?”

“They’re not the same.”

Lydia didn’t see him as a man.

He had vaguely felt it before, but the drunk Lydia delivered the killing blow last night.

Saying he was a colleague or comrade. Saying they should become closer and be friends.

If she had any romantic interest, she wouldn’t have said such things.

“Not being the same means, you have feelings but the priestess doesn’t?”

Arsen unconsciously, truly unconsciously, nodded.

“Ah, so our commander has feelings for the Priestess.”

Only after a sly smile spread across Kedrick’s face did Arsen realize what he had said.

Though he wanted to take it back, it was already spilled water. A large crease formed between Arsen’s brows.

“Was admitting that one thing so difficult? You know it’s useless to deny it now, right? Just accept it and try to do well with Priestess Lydia.”

“Do I look like I have time for romance right now?”

“Since when does romance have a right time? You do it when your eyes meet.”

Arsen had to keep quiet at the implied explanation that Kedrick had more dating experience.

“Priestess Lydia seems like a good match for you, Commander. She already knows all your secrets, so you don’t need to hide and date.”

That’s not the problem, Kedrick.

Arsen just shook his head in frustration. He wanted to shout that Lydia was just pretending to like him, that it was all an operation to deceive them.

“Come to think of it, the operation succeeded.”

Arsen muttered to himself. Even Kedrick was completely fooled, so it was fair to say all the people in the borderlands were deceived.

“No, what are you mumbling about? Commander, I clearly told you it’s time to sort out your position. Don’t regret it later when things become awkward with Randel.”

Whether Kedrick wanted to give Arsen time to think alone, or he just had other things to do, he left on his own.

“Sorting out my position.”

He thought he had already finished sorting out his position, but apparently not.

There was a way to carry out the operation without becoming awkward with Randel.

Tell him the truth and ask for his cooperation.

Then Randel could confess to Lydia after the operation ended, or try to win Lydia’s affection away from others’ eyes.

However, this method couldn’t be used.

Because he didn’t want to.

He absolutely didn’t want to. Arsen buried his face in both hands.

He thought he could rebuild the wall Lydia had torn down, but was that a delusion?

It seemed even the remaining shape of the wall had crumbled to pieces.

Like a sand castle, impossible to rebuild.