Chapter 38

 

I approached my unit.

 

All fifty pairs of eyes followed behind me, straight onto Vivian, who was trailing behind.

 

Feeling creeped out by their stares, I said:

 

“Stop giving her the side-eye. She says you all look gross.”

 

Vivian jumped in surprise and grabbed my arm, protesting,

 

“Wh-When did I ever say that...?!”

 

But everyone must have sensed that their looks were a bit too intense because the young soldiers awkwardly turned away one by one.

 

Balon, who was closer to me than the others, stepped forward to ask the question everyone was dying to ask.

 

“S-So, Kylo... is Lady Vivian really going to be sleeping with us tonight?”

 

“She doesn’t have anywhere else to sleep, does she?”

 

“Well, that’s true, but...”

 

Balon’s eyes met Vivian’s, who was standing right behind me. He had no idea what to do—he crouched down, stepped back, gave a clumsy salute, and even scratched the back of his head.

 

I could understand why he was acting that way. When else would a mere commoner have such a close encounter with the Lord of Roctana?

 

Even though we’d all been staying in the same castle, someone like Balon wouldn’t have had many chances to stand face-to-face with Vivian Rondor. None of them would have.

 

They’d only ever seen her from afar. This was the first time they were seeing Vivian up close in such a messy, informal setting.

 

Knowing this, I raised my voice to all of them.

 

“We’re going to be together for ten days anyway, so quit acting weird and just be yourselves. If you keep this up the whole expedition, it’ll only wear you down.”

 

The boys perked up their ears at my words but then pretended otherwise.

 

Once again, Balon took the lead. He hesitated in front of me, then stuck out his hand as if offering a handshake.

 

“M-My name is Balon. I-I’ll do my best to serve you well.”

 

-Smack!

 

I slapped his hand away, irritated for no good reason.

 

Balon looked at me, then waited for Vivian’s reaction.

 

Vivian answered his gesture with a slight flinch and a timid step backward.

 

“V-Vivian Rondor...”

 

“Who wouldn’t know that?”

 

I couldn’t help but scold her awkward response.

 

Realizing her mistake, Vivian looked embarrassed.

 

Seeing Balon’s attempt, Willas darted forward.

 

“M-My name is Willas!”

 

“A-Ah, yes... l-looking forward to working with you...”

 

Everyone seemed a bit stunned by Vivian’s genuine reaction. They’d only ever received disregard or scorn from nobles before, so her demeanor must have seemed unfamiliar.

 

Just as the silence started to get awkward, all fifty boy soldiers swarmed around, each eager to imprint their names into Vivian’s memory.

 

“I-I’m Martin.”

 

“Lady Vivian! I’m Duran...!”

 

“I am...!” 

 

“Me too...!”

 

Vivian diligently responded to each of them.

 

“Ah, yes. Oh, I see... Ah, right...”

 

Leaving them to exchange introductions, I headed toward the fire blazing at the center of the camp.

 

-Swoosh...

 

But once again, I felt a tug on my clothes. Sure enough, Vivian tried to follow wherever I went.

 

Though she pretended to be fine, it seemed she was still overwhelmed by their attention. Having spent her life among the same people, suddenly mingling with a new group like this was confusing her.

 

-Swoosh.

 

I brushed Vivian’s hand off.

 

The boys in the penal unit might be rough and mischievous, but they’re not so hardened by the world that they’d try to kill their family head’s life on a whim.

 

There’d be no real problem here.

 

-Tug.

 

“Ah, yes... R-Right... yes, yes...”

 

Yet Vivian still clung to my hem as she politely replied to the soldiers. Her silent vow was clear: she wouldn’t be left alone among them.

 

I couldn’t believe it. I leaned in and whispered quietly to her.

 

“...Weren’t you the one who badmouthed me not too long ago? Now you’re tailing me like a lost puppy?”

 

Vivian whispered back, barely moving her lips:

 

“...Shut up. It’s all because of you anyway.”

 

In the end, I let her tag along and started walking again.

 

The campsite was divided into four sections. The penal unit’s mid-ranking officers had set them up at regular intervals, with the watch units assigned accordingly, keeping an eye on everyone.

 

There were several reasons for setting up camp so broadly spread out, but the biggest reason was dragons.

 

You never knew when a dragon might appear. Even though it was very unlikely, if a dragon decided to unleash its breath upon a cluster of tents, everyone would be wiped out in an instant.

 

Even a messy spread was better than being tightly packed together.

 

Anyway, we had to prepare food for all fifty people here. I approached the pot set over the central campfire.

 

“Don’t anyone touch this pot. I’m cooking tonight.”

 

I declared this to the penal unit soldiers. They each had their own reactions.

 

“What’s this? What’s the occasion?”

 

“Works for us! Make it tasty, okay?”

 

Most were positive, though a few were suspicious of my motives.

 

“...This guy’s trying to get on Lady Vivian’s good side, isn’t he…?”

 

I snorted and pointed at Vivian.

 

“Why would I bother trying to impress her? If not for her, I wouldn’t be stuck rolling around with you lot.”

 

“...You’ve got a point.”

 

The suspicious ones seemed convinced by my answer.

 

Vivian said nothing, but she understood why I was doing this. I wanted to ensure no one could slip poison into the food. The chances were practically zero, but it gave me peace of mind.

 

Martin and a few other boys brought out supplies from the wagon: potatoes, carrots, onions, and some meat that smelled a bit.

 

I checked each ingredient, sniffing them closely. If they seemed fine, I added them one by one into the boiling water.

 

Vivian crouched beside me, watching, then asked,

 

“...You know how to cook?”

 

“Sometimes we had to cook in the penal unit.”

 

“You even did things like that?”

 

“Now you see how easy your life has been compared to mine?”

 

“...”

 

It was a lighthearted question, but my retort must have hurt her feelings. But instead of storming off as I expected, Vivian stood up and placed a hand on the potatoes. She sniffed them, looking annoyed.

 

“How hard can it be? I can do it, too.”

 

She then tried to pour the entire basket of potatoes straight into the pot.

 

I hurried to stop her.

 

“Hey, hey! If you put them all in at once...!”

 

-Rumble... Plop! Plop!

 

Hearing my frantic tone, Vivian realized she’d done something wrong. She looked at me with a face that said “oops.”

 

Not just me—every boy soldier around us gaped at her.

 

For the first time, complete silence fell over the campsite, thanks to Vivian’s sudden move.

 

Vivian shrank under their gazes.

 

“...I-I mean, I thought everyone would be able to eat at least this much...”

 

I explained patiently,

 

“Everyone can eat that many, sure... if that’s all we were having. That was our supply of potatoes for the next ten days. Hurry up and fish them out.”

 

“S-Sorry...”

 

Vivian scrambled to scoop the potatoes out one by one with a ladle. After she’d retrieved about half, I checked their condition as they emerged half-cooked from the pot.

 

“That’s enough. They’re already partly boiled, so we can’t really do much else with them now. They’ll spoil faster this way.”

 

Vivian looked like a criminal awaiting judgment. She kept glancing between me and the other soldiers.

 

Willas tried to lighten the mood.

 

“Haha... Ha! It’s o-okay, Lady Vivian! After all, it’s from Rondor’s own stores, so we’re grateful no matter what we get...!”

 

Duran, also trying to help, chimed in,

 

“R-Right! I love potatoes! We can eat ’til our stomachs burst today!”

 

I poured cold water on their attempts.

 

“Guess we’ll be chewing on carrots later.”

 

Balon nudged me and hissed,

 

“Hey, you idiot...! Of course, we know that... Just go easy...!”

 

Vivian, seeing Balon’s reaction, grew even more crestfallen.

 

But watching her like that, I couldn’t hold back a laugh. As I started laughing alone, the boys began to chuckle too.

 

The more we laughed, the redder Vivian’s face became, matching the color of her hair. At the same time, realizing they weren’t actually scorning her, she seemed partially relieved.

 

Someone cracked a joke now that the tension had eased.

 

“Tonight’s dinner’s gonna be great! Boiled potatoes are good too, right?”

 

“Being so down-to-earth makes you even more charming, Lady Vivian!”

 

“...Your future husband sure will be a lucky man.”

 

Vivian couldn’t even lift her head as she whispered,

 

“P-Please, everyone, that’s enough...”

 

But the corners of her mouth had curled upwards just a bit.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

The cooking was finished, and everyone received their share.

 

“Whoa! What is this taste?!”

 

“Such heavenly flavor…!”

 

While everyone made a fuss loud enough for Vivian to hear, she quietly took a bite of the food on her own plate.

 

Her cheeks were still flushed as if this whole atmosphere was tough to get used to.

 

Even so, she no longer wore that gloomy expression from inside the Rondor Castle, and that was a relief.

 

“Is it edible?”

 

When I asked Vivian, she gave a small nod.

 

It looked like she felt a bit proud of contributing to the cooking.

 

As we continued eating, Burger approached.

 

“Are you eating? Ah, Lady Vivian. Does the meal suit your taste…?”

 

“Yes, it’s fine.”

 

Burger walked over to the pot simmering over the fire and peered inside.

 

“Hmm?”

 

He scrunched his face and started nagging.

 

“What’s this?! Who made today’s meal? Who said you should use this many potatoes?! What’s the plan, gnaw on onions later or someth—”

 

Martin replied with a snicker,

 

“Lady Vivian made it.”

 

“...”

 

Burger froze. He clearly never imagined that the Lord of Rondor and Lady of Roctana would cook for a bunch of young soldiers.

 

Vivian hid her face between her knees.

 

The boys smirked at Burger, giving him looks that said, “You’re screwed now.”

 

Burger cleared his throat and tried to cover himself,

 

“Well, it looks better than I expected. As expected of Lady Vivian, your care for these soldiers is trul—”

 

While he launched into a grand speech, quiet whispers like “pathetic” and “so lame” spread behind his back.

 

.

.

.

 

“W-We’re sleeping like this?”

 

After the meal, when we cleared the ground and laid out our bedding, Vivian was taken aback.

 

Instead of a familiar ceiling, the open night sky sprawled above us.

 

Each boy soldier found their own spot, cleared away rocks, spread out a bedroll, and lay down.

 

A few of them, who were either off-duty from the watch shift or simply exhausted, had already fallen asleep, snoring lightly.

 

Fortunately, I didn’t have to keep watch tonight.

 

Vivian looked at the sprawled-out soldiers in disbelief. She must have thought we’d at least set up tents.

 

But tents take manpower and add to our load.

 

For us, just sleeping like this was simpler and more convenient.

 

I spoke to her,

 

“We don’t have any time for a tent. Just accept it and lie down. If you sleep late, the snoring will drive you mad.”

 

“...”

 

I tossed her bedding to her, then found a flat spot, cleared some stones, and laid out my own.

 

After walking all day, I was tired. The cool breeze felt perfect to fall asleep to.

 

“...”

 

Soon enough, Vivian started clearing stones next to me.

 

I expected it, but having her lie down so close made my breath catch.

 

Vivian slowly spread out her bedroll and lay down.

 

Our shoulders were nearly touching.

 

“...”

 

I had no idea why she was sticking so close.

 

Was it an expression of her anxiety, a failure to think straight, or something else entirely?

 

In a voice only the two of us could hear, she murmured,

 

“If we sleep like this… It’s a bit c-cold.”

 

“…It’s cool enough for me.”

 

“That’s because you’re from the cold north. And a bit barbaric, too.”

 

“…No matter what you say, I’m still of noble birth, you know.”

 

I shook my head and turned my back to her.

 

Turning away made me feel a little more at ease.

 

“Stop whining and get some sleep. We’ll be busy tomorrow.”

 

“…You said the fighting starts tomorrow, right?”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

“…I hope no one gets hurt.”

 

Did “no one” include me as well?

 

She once hoped I would die on this expedition, after all.

 

I didn’t bother asking. Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to organize my thoughts.

 

***

 

‘Cold.’

 

That was all Vivian could think.

 

Not that she was completely aware of how cold she was—half-asleep, she curled up instinctively, trying to respond to the chilly air by shrinking into herself. Like looking for a blanket, her body wriggled about, unconsciously seeking the only source of warmth available.

 

She let out shallow coughs and sniffles, trying to find sleep again.

 

-Swish.

 

At that moment, something warm covered her from behind.

 

She felt peace at the warmth and was about to drift off again, but a nagging sense of wrongness snapped her awake.

 

“...”

 

Vivian opened her eyes.

 

Lying on her side, her arm as a pillow, she saw the bluish dawn light that signaled early morning.

 

At the same time, she realized something heavy was pressing down on her.

 

An arm rested over her arm, and a leg lay draped over her legs.

 

From the warm presence behind her, she realized someone was holding her.

 

Kylo.

 

By the feel of it, it could only be Kylo. He was the only one sleeping beside her.

 

Kylo, who must have noticed her shivering in the cold, had pulled her into his arms. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, his breath tickling her neck and sending chills down her spine.

 

Vivian knew she should move, but she couldn’t.

 

A single question froze her in place:

 

…Was Kylo awake or still asleep?

 

Had he done this unconsciously, or was he fully aware?

 

She didn’t know why she was curious, or why she had stopped moving. Yet there she stayed, receiving all of his warmth.

 

“...”

 

She knew once morning came and she was fully awake, she’d regret this moment.

 

Being held like this by Kylo Allen, whom she still found so infuriating, would feel utterly shameful.

 

Yet knowing that she still couldn’t move.

 

-Thump… Thump… Thump…!

 

Her heart hammered harder than ever.

 

Vivian couldn’t overcome this strange curiosity.

 

Wriggling quietly in his arms, she turned around. She had to know.

 

Was it accidental, or intentional?

 

Pretending to shift in her sleep, she finally lay facing him.

 

Instead of the usual dusty smell of dried blood and grime, there was the scent of grass and woodsmoke. For some reason, Kylo’s scent was easily impressed upon her mind.

 

As she warmed herself in his embrace, she mustered her courage.

 

Vivian slowly steadied her trembling heart, then opened her eyes to look up at Kylo.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Kylo was lying there, calmly awake, looking right back at her.

 

Even though she’d caught him in the act, he showed no embarrassment.

 

He didn’t adjust their position; he just held her gaze.

 

His lips were so close they could have touched her forehead.

 

Vivian couldn’t bear the thunderous pounding of her heart anymore. She shoved Kylo away.

 

Suddenly, the cold air felt burning hot.

 

“Haa…haa… You… you… I mean…”

 

Panting, she couldn’t bring herself to demand an explanation from him.

 

After all, she was equally guilty—awake and still lingering in his embrace, hesitating instead of pushing him away immediately.

 

If she asked him why he held her, he would surely ask why she hadn’t pushed him away sooner.

 

She had no answer to that.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“...”

 

Kylo looked like he had no intention of defining this situation.

 

He scratched his head, got up, stretched, and sighed,

 

“…Haa-aam.”

 

He picked up the sword lying beside him, then headed to the pot in the center of the campsite and quietly started cooking once more.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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