Chapter 30

 

Vivian set her fork down on the plate with a hint of annoyance.

 

I looked at her with an indifferent expression, but inwardly, I thought, ‘Well, it was bound to happen.’

 

"Why have you been following me around lately?"

 

She sighed irritably as she questioned me. Her sharp gaze pierced deep into me.

 

"…"

 

I couldn't readily give her an answer.

 

Talking about the note would complicate everything.

 

Also, I couldn't tell her that unknown enemies might still be after her life—it would only stir her anxiety.

 

So instead, I replied.

 

"Following you? I haven't done anything like that."

 

Then I took a big bite of bread to block my mouth.

 

As I feigned ignorance, Vivian seemed genuinely provoked. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she retorted.

 

"Do you think I haven't noticed? You've been tailing me for almost a month...! You even barged into my class today!"

 

I shrugged and continued chewing my bread, pointing to my mouth to indicate I couldn't respond.

 

But Vivian wasn't wrong.

 

It's been a month since I received the note. That means I've been following her around for almost a month now.

 

We usually eat together, so that's one thing, but I also went into her classes to watch, and when she went for walks, I watched her from a distance.

 

At night, I loitered outside her room.

 

Sometimes I tried not to get too close, and other times I made sure not to be too far away.

 

Vivian often noticed my presence, and each time she glared at me irritably.

 

Each time, I pretended not to notice and ignored her gaze.

 

"So you're just going to play dumb?"

 

She narrowed her eyes as she questioned me.

 

Realizing it was getting hard to keep denying, I came up with a different excuse.

 

Without meeting her eyes, I said.

 

"I'm just bored. Thought I'd watch you."

 

"…"

 

"I heard you're learning some weird dance lately. You're really terrible at it."

 

I deliberately chuckled, trying to change the subject in a playful tone.

 

Of course, watching Vivian learn to dance was amusing—she was clumsy like a beginner.

 

Vivian's face turned red at my mockery.

 

Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth.

 

It seemed my joke had really gotten on her nerves.

 

...Maybe that's why she told me to stop following her.

 

"…"

 

Contrary to my expectation that she'd lash out, Vivian's gaze wavered for a moment.

 

She blinked and started looking down at the floor, and I could see her eyes reddening.

 

"Huh?"

 

Realizing she was about to cry before tears started falling, I quickly stood up and approached her.

 

"Hey, it was just a joke. Don't cry over something like this."

 

Smack!

 

"I'm not crying!"

 

Vivian pushed my arm away and stubbornly replied.

 

Naturally, she always showed fierce pride when it came to me.

 

Sniffling, she roughly wiped her eyes and glared at me.

 

"Anyway, stop following me. Just seeing your face annoys me to death."

 

"…I can do what I want."

 

"It's one thing to show up occasionally, but you're bothering me so much I can't focus on anything! Why do I have to show you my awkward moments every time I learn something!"

 

"…"

 

Vivian, fuming with anger, abruptly stood up.

 

She stomped loudly as she quickly left the hall.

 

A few maids hurriedly followed behind her.

 

I stared blankly in the direction Vivian had left, then sat down where she had been sitting.

 

"…Haa."

 

A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.

 

I hadn't realized it, but she must not have wanted to show her clumsy self while learning something.

 

From her perspective, she thought I was mocking her.

 

I was so focused on her safety that I missed that.

 

But how could I not be?

 

The note advised me to stay close to her, and Vivian was taking many new lessons.

 

She had just started dance lessons, and she was also learning conversation skills. And among the new lessons she's taking, there are some I don't even know about.

 

For some lessons, Vivian absolutely refused to let me in.

 

I suspect that Lady Linne has started teaching her something unusual.

 

And among these new instructors, one of them might be someone trying to harm her.

 

Because of this uncertainty, I had no choice but to stay close to her.

 

But now, everything was falling apart.

 

Contrary to my belief that if something were to happen, it would happen quickly... a month had passed in silence. As time went on, it became harder to forcibly stay by her side.

 

Could the person who gave me the note have been wrong this time?

 

Maybe the next plot targeting Vivian had already collapsed?

 

Isn't it fair to consider it over when it's been a whole month without incident?

 

I was also reaching my limit.

 

It wasn't easy to stay near someone who looked at me with such hostile eyes.

 

I clicked my tongue and thought to myself.

 

‘Fine, then I won't either. Why should I protect someone who doesn't want me around?’

 

"…"

 

That's what I thought, but an uneasy feeling lingered in my chest.

 

But I shook my head again.

 

It's been a month... There shouldn’t be any problem.

 

I can't keep watching her like this forever. Considering our relationship, it's a miracle that I've been able to stick around for a month.

 

I stood up from my seat. The maids remaining in the hall finally began to clear the table.

 

Normally, I would have followed Vivian, but today, for the first time in a while, I turned toward the Penal Unit.

 

***

 

A new command structure had been established in the Penal Unit.

 

Several among the boy soldiers were appointed to act as officers.

 

As Burger had requested of Vivian back then, the boy soldiers who killed the hobgoblins became those officers.

 

Accordingly, under the name "Kylo's Unit," I now had 50 boy soldiers to manage.

 

But managing was just a word; they all lived as they used to, so there wasn't much change in daily life.

 

Maybe it would become meaningful when we go out for the next battle or something.

 

In a few more months, it would be a full year since I came here.

 

Perhaps because of that, or maybe because I gained recognition during the last expedition, or because I became an officer, the boy soldiers no longer treated me with hostility as before.

 

"Hey, Kylo! Want to come gamble with us?"

 

Yanes, who had also become an officer like me, called out to me.

 

Yanes was an 18-year-old man, less than a year away from adulthood. Naturally, his body was more like an adult than a child, and a brown beard was beginning to grow.

 

I waved my hand and passed by them. And headed straight to my room.

 

As expected, inside were Balon, Willas, and Martin.

 

They were two years older than me at 17, and they already had an adult demeanor.

 

I had been growing lately too, but I seemed far from catching up to them.

 

Balon, who had recently lost weight and could no longer be called fat, greeted me cheerfully.

 

"Kylo, you're back early for a change?"

 

"Just wanted to rest today."

 

After saying that and exchanging greetings, I lay down on my bed.

 

My head was muddled from the conversation with Vivian.

 

Then Balon, Willas, and Martin went back to their conversation, chatting away. Their talk seemed much lighter.

 

"I'm telling you, this is definite, right?" Willas said with a sly grin.

 

"No, you're just seeing what you want to see. I think it's a bit vague to call it a signal," Martin clicked his tongue.

 

"If you're a man, you should go for it when you get such signals, immediately!" Balon poked Willas in the back.

 

Listening to their conversation, I realized they were debating whether a maid was trying to seduce Willas or not.

 

She kept making eye contact from afar, and when they met up close, she smiled at him. Willas said that was a kind of signal.

 

"Hey, Kylo. What do you think? Let's hear the noble's esteemed opinion," Willas, seeming frustrated with Martin, asked me.

 

Having no experience with women except Vivian, I didn't have much to say.

 

Thinking of Vivian, my head became even more tangled, and I answered absentmindedly.

 

"...If she doesn't dislike you, then there's a possibility."

 

At this, Martin nodded, muttering, "That's true..."

 

As Martin's momentum waned, Willas smiled triumphantly and said,

 

"See, I told you I was right! This might really happen! Wow... am I really going to become like Yanes?"

 

When Willas mentioned "becoming like Yanes" with that peculiar creepy expression, I couldn't hold back and asked,

 

"...What do you mean by becoming like Yanes?"

 

Willas's expression immediately returned to normal. He grinned and said,

 

"Oh, you've been out a lot lately, so you didn't know? Haven't you heard the stories about Yanes these days?"

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"That guy Yanes. They say he was with a maid in the stables. She’s supposedly six years older than him."

 

"…"

 

Hearing that, I was at a loss for words. I just lay on my bed, mulling over that fact.

 

Everyone seemed to be living their lives just fine.

 

Somehow, such things still felt like distant stories to me.

 

It's not that I wasn't interested... but it wasn't something I wanted to discuss right now.

 

Leaving the excited Willas behind, Martin said sarcastically,

 

"…Well, good luck with that."

 

Willas, even more enthused, retorted,

 

"Are you jealous? What's with your tone?"

 

"Jealous? I'm just baffled by the nonsense you're spouting. Do you even know how to court a woman?"

 

"What do I need to court? She's been giving me all the signals. All I have to do is go and seize the opportunity."

 

"That's why it's not going to work for you. Do you think it's that easy? She might give signals but still play coy. If you don't know how to approach her properly, she'll just push you away."

 

Martin's words struck a chord within me, and before I knew it, I was asking,

 

"How do you approach someone if they don't like you?"

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

Silence filled the room simultaneously. They hadn't expected me to ask.

 

Balon broke the awkward atmosphere.

 

He smirked at me and asked in a teasing voice,

 

"…Well, seems our Lord Allen has someone he fancies?"

 

"It's not like that."

 

"It's fine to have your eyes on someone, but at least talk to her first? You don't want to come off the wrong way—"

 

"—It's not like that."

 

As I denied it, Balon chuckled, and both Willas and Martin burst into laughter.

 

The room was filled with their laughter. I just tried to ignore their teasing.

 

But after the laughter died down, Balon answered seriously,

 

"…If the other person doesn't like you, you shouldn't approach."

 

His rational words felt oddly out of place.

 

Martin nodded in agreement.

 

"That's only natural."

 

"Unless you're planning something drastic, just give up," Willas added.

 

"…"

 

For some reason, their responses made me uncomfortable.

 

Without a word, I turned to face the wall, reflecting on their conversation.

 

A strange feeling seeped into me. The desire to rest and my complicated thoughts became more entangled.

 

I simply closed my eyes.

 

And tried to cut off my thoughts.

 

.

.

.

 

"Everyone, wake up!!!"

 

In the dead of night, a loud shout shook the Penal Unit.

 

Startled by the sound, I sat up abruptly.

 

In the faint moonlight, I saw Balon, Willas, and Martin also hurriedly sitting up.

 

"Wha... what's going on?"

 

Balon asked in confusion, still not fully awake.

 

But without time to find answers, we all got out of bed and stepped outside.

 

The Penal Unit was in chaos.

 

The boy soldiers were haphazardly exiting the barracks, and the main gate leading outside was already wide open.

 

I saw soldiers and maids running around frantically.

 

My heart began to race. Something serious was definitely happening. A sense of dread pressed down on me.

 

Coleman, the deputy of the Penal Unit, shouted as he looked at the bewildered boy soldiers gathering around. His voice was filled with urgency.

 

"Head to the castle!! Quickly!! Grab water and run!!"

 

At his words, the unit became even more disordered.

 

Everyone hurriedly started grabbing water containers.

 

At that moment, Yanes, the oficer, asked in a surprised yet responsible voice,

 

"W-What's happening!!"

 

Coleman shouted back,

 

"The castle is on fire!"

 

"…Ah."

 

Only then did I realize.

 

The person targeting Vivian hadn't disappeared.

 

They just couldn't do anything while I was by her side all this time.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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