Chapter 3.4

Ragaen Sol Adantie. He was both a hero who saved the nation and a symbol of peace. After the war with the monsters ended, humans no longer saw monsters as hunters but as prey. This human-centered peace was symbolized by none other than Ragaen.  

Even after the Great Demon War, monsters didn’t completely disappear from the continent. However, their cohesion shattered, and their numbers dwindled significantly. Yet, places like the Burmato Mountain Range and Zelita Snowfields, which had become known as monster territories, still remained.  

Despite this, the Empire of Yegahen and surrounding nations believed the era of monsters had ended, thanks to the presence of the Duke of Adantie.  

The Duke of Adantie resided in the capital. The strongest hero was leading a peaceful, quiet, and dull life. If monsters were regaining their strength somewhere and threatening humanity, the Duke wouldn’t remain in the capital. He was a hero who always stood at the forefront.  

From the days before receiving his title, Ragaen’s movements were closely watched as he stayed by the Crown Prince’s side. Stories of his exploits spread far and wide.  

The Crown Prince, Hayel, often manipulated rumors about Ragaen to reassure the people or encourage them to invest in the war. After the war, Ragaen became a symbol of peace, representing the end of the monster era.  

Two days ago, Crown Prince Hayel was stunned by Ragaen’s words.  

“You’re going where? Debius? Have you lost your mind, Duke of Adantie?”  

“……”  

“If it’s a vacation, I can give you one. Not just a week—take a whole month. But Debius? That’s out of the question.”  

Hayel, seeing Ragaen’s stubborn expression, sighed and rubbed his forehead.  

“Fine, I get it. You must feel suffocated, staying in one place after wandering everywhere for so long. But Debius?”  

Tap, tap, tap, tap. 

Hayel tapped the armrest of his chair with his index finger, deep in thought.  

Why is this obedient guy suddenly acting like this?  

Tap, tap, tap, tap. 

The rhythmic tapping stopped abruptly.  

“Now that I think about it, isn’t the youngest daughter of the Lievo family in Debius?”  

Ragaen flinched ever so slightly, but Hayel didn’t miss it.  

Oh? You said she was just a fan? That there’s nothing between you two?  

At the summer Lorus Hunting Competition, the atmosphere seemed good. Could it be that feelings arose back then?

Hayel wanted to burst into laughter immediately but held it back with all his might.  

“Don’t you have some connection with Miss Greta Lievo? You even attended the hunting competition together. How is she these days? Ah, you probably haven’t seen her since you went on the expedition right after the competition?”  

“…As I mentioned before, Miss Lievo is merely a fan of mine.”  

Hayel was immensely satisfied with the slight hesitation Ragaen showed before answering.  

“Ah, now that I think about it, Duke, have I told you this? Recently, in Debius….”  

Their gazes met.  

“There was a report that the movements of the monsters in the Zelita Snowfields have become unusual.”  

“What do you mean by unusual movements?”  

“Apparently, starting from summer, the monsters have been descending toward the castle walls, which is unprecedented since the Marquis of Debius began guarding the snowfields.”  

“……”  

“Given the sensitivity of the issue, I’ve decided to dispatch an investigation team led by Sir Nindella. Originally, they were scheduled to depart next week, but thanks to your early return from the expedition, they can leave sooner. The schedule has been adjusted for them to depart tomorrow.”  

“I too…!”  

“No. If rumors spread that you have gone to Debius, imagine how anxious the people would become.”  

Ragaen’s shoulders drooped.  

Hayel, though appearing expressionless, was well aware that Ragaen was deeply dejected.  

‘Oh, how adorable. Adorable.’  

Hayel clapped inwardly. Memories of when he first met Ragaen during their teenage years came flooding back. While Ragaen’s physical appearance was almost fully developed back then, in Hayel’s mind, he remained like a child.  

“But it’s different for Sir Sol.”  

“…Pardon?”  

“Alright! From today onward, the Duke of Adantie is on leave until the investigation team concludes its mission. Let’s say you’ve been exhausted from rushing through the summer expedition and succumbed to the heat. It’s a flimsy excuse, but everyone knows you’re sensitive to heat, so they’ll accept it. You, Duke of Adantie, will be resting in seclusion at the mansion, while Sir Sol accompanies Sir Lucas Nindella to investigate the movements of the monsters in the Zelita Snowfields.”  

Hayel bit the inside of his cheek as Ragaen’s face rapidly brightened.  

I must not laugh! Absolutely not!  

People often said the Duke of Adantie was terrifying. The heightened senses he honed for survival, the chilling aura of someone who lived by the sword, and the natural intimidation stemming from his robust physique.  

But in Hayel’s eyes, beyond that exterior, he saw a boy who was always hungry and thirsty for warmth and affection. Even a cold-blooded Crown Prince, who used every means to secure his position, couldn’t help but be softer toward the boy he had raised himself.  

Even though that boy had grown into a hairy adult nearing thirty, seeing him so innocently delighted made Hayel want to give him everything he could. It was a feeling similar to the affection he held for his much younger brother, Prince Asiel.  

In the end, Hayel handed Ragaen a candy. Ragaen, in turn, expressed his gratitude and popped it into his mouth, making Hayel burst into hearty laughter.  

Looking at Ragaen, whose cheek bulged from the candy, Hayel spoke with a voice full of amusement.  

“By the way, Duke, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”  

“Yes, please go ahead.”  

“You said Miss Lievo is merely a fan of yours.”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

“If Miss Lievo admires you purely as a hero, what about you? Do you wish to remain just the Duke of Adantie to her?”  

“……”  

Silence fell.  

Until Hayel elegantly lifted his teacup, took a sip, and set it down again, Ragaen didn’t utter a single word.  

“Ragaen. I owe you a great debt.”  

“It’s nothing, Your Highness.”  

“At the very least, I owe you as much as your right arm.”  

“……”  

“So don’t hesitate to desire anything. If you think it through and give it your all but still can’t achieve it, I’ll place it in your hands. Be honest with yourself.”  

“I don’t understand what you are trying to say, Your Highness.”  

At that response, Hayel chuckled heartily and stood up, ruffling Ragaen’s hair.  

“I’ll inform Sir Nindella about your trip to Debius, Ragaen. The investigation team is just an excuse; you can relax and enjoy the coolness of Debius.”  

“…Thank you, Your Highness.”  

With that, Hayel dismissed Ragaen.  

Not long after Ragaen left, Lucas Nindella entered the room.  

“Your Highness, why did you summon me? I’m busy.”  

“Sir Nindella.”  

“Ugh, why are you being so formal? It’s scary.”  

Lucas, who had been suddenly called before the Crown Prince, pouted his lips.  

“You’re not cute at all, so stop that and listen carefully.”  

“Your Highness, you always dislike me. Ugh. What is it?”  

“Ragaen will join the investigation team. But just leave him alone unless there’s a monster you can’t handle. If it comes to that, it means the situation is quite serious.”  

Lucas tilted his head in confusion.  

“Then why is he going?”  

“Ah, that’s what I need to explain. Hehehehehe.”  

“Your Highness, when you laugh like that, you look like a villain. Please stop.”  

“Hohohohoho….”  

Even though Lucas grimaced, after hearing Hayel’s explanation, he too joined in with a mischievous laugh.  

“Hohohoho…. That Ragaen fellow….”  

“Hohohoho. Isn’t he adorable?”  

“I’ll make sure to support him well, Your Highness. Hohohohoho.”  

“Good. Give him a little push. Hohohoho!”  

“By your command, hohoho!”  

***

Ragaen couldn’t remember Greta’s face.  

This peculiar phenomenon he experienced over the summer made him want to see Greta.  

He wanted to see Greta.  

Despite pushing all the knights on the summer expedition into hell to hurry back to the capital, Greta wasn’t there. Ragaen failed to achieve his goal.  

Since he hadn’t seen Greta, his expedition wasn’t over yet.  

He felt an urgent need to complete this important mission. No one had forced or demanded it, but still, it had to be done.  

When he met Greta, he would carefully and thoroughly examine her face so that he would never forget it and could recall Greta Lievo’s face anytime and anywhere.  

…It was embarrassing not to remember the face of the only female fan with whom he exchanged fan letters.  

The unprecedented insistence he showed to Hayel to come to Debius was because Greta was here. 

Greta was here. Right in front of him. But.  

‘D*mn it….’  

He couldn’t approach her.  

‘I can’t let her find out….’  

During the meeting the previous evening, Ragaen couldn’t take his eyes off Greta.  

No matter how much he tried to imagine and reimagine her, he could never complete the picture. Now, Greta was right before his eyes.  

While others in the room were earnestly discussing the unusual behavior of the monsters and methods of investigation, Ragaen focused solely on Greta’s face.  

For the first time, he examined her face in great detail.  

A rounded forehead. Softly curved eyebrows and long, tear-dampened lashes. Brown eyes that glinted red under the light. A small mole near her eye that was easy to miss. A cute nose, cheeks slightly flushed like flower petals, and cherry-like lips that she licked nervously.

Numerous pieces of information began to flood in rapidly.  

He recalled, recalled, and kept recalling.  

Ragaen was certain. He would never forget or fail to remember this face again.  

There was no way he could forget something so beautiful.  

It was Greta’s turn. Her small, plump lips parted, and a voice like a skylark flowed out. Every time her mouth opened, small teeth and a red tongue peeked through.  

Ragaen couldn’t take his eyes off her lips.  

The back of his neck felt hot. The tips of his ears burned. Soon, his whole body felt as if it were heating up, accompanied by an intense hunger and a terrible thirst.