Chapter 17
Translator: Missme
Editor: Aru
‘How come she wasn’t there?’
I thought as I held the quill to my face.
I had a lot of paperwork in front of me that I needed to look at, but after meeting the aristocratic women earlier, my head was jumbled with Vivian-related ideas.
‘I remembered her coming to the Imperial Castle once a month to see Caleb.’
Rather, perhaps Vivian’s hair colour was a common brown or ginger, which was why……
Anyway, it wouldn’t have been as bewildering if I’d seen a woman with hair that wasn’t noticeable or comparable to Vivian’s.
However, none of the young ladies in presence had blond or pink hair.
‘Perhaps she didn’t show up this month for some reason?’
In reality, it was merely something to ponder about before moving on.
Surprisingly, Herschel’s testimony from earlier in the day kept coming to mind.
This was the story of a young lady who fell from her horse four months ago.
‘Is it plausible that the young lady’s name was Vivian……?’
It was the time when I had to hand over the paperwork casually.
A sliver of paper brushed the finger, cutting into the skin.
“Ah……!”
It happened in a split second.
Blood formed between the cut’s branches.
“What happened?”
Caleb stood up from his seat, a shocked expression on his face, maybe because I was making too much noise.
Not only that, but he came over to my desk.
“I am sorry. I sliced my hand on a sheet of paper and didn’t realize that I……”
Caleb, who was standing next to me, then knelt on one knee.
In unexpected circumstances, I stopped talking.
“Lo, Lord Egon?”
“Could you please show me your injured hand?”
“Hold, hold on.”
After hesitating, I pulled the chair off the desk and turned towards Caleb.
Caleb grasped my hand as I reached out tentatively.
Gasp, oh why, why was he barehanded?
Caleb had always worn gloves when we first met, so I was frightened without realizing it because it was my first time touching his bare hands.
Caleb, on the other hand, was preoccupied with scrutinizing my wounds.
As a result, I was extremely sceptical of his actions.
What in the world was he doing?
When I’ve previously stated that I shouldn’t be swayed!?
And he should consider my situation as well.
When I tried to relax my body, pretending to be OK, I had another idea.
But why did he want to look at my hand?
Caleb reached into the pocket of his uniform jacket and pulled out a bottle the size of his index finger, which piqued my interest.
I could see translucent liquids inside the nicely made glass bottle.
“Excuse me, Lord, what are you trying to do……”
“I’m going to pour your wound with holy water.”
“Holy water? Is that holy water?”
“That’s right.”
I was flustered.
The degree and speed with which holy water treated wounds depended on how potent the divine power was deployed by the priest who purified the water.
Of course, prices vary widely.
Caleb didn’t say anything, but it was obvious that what he was holding was the most expensive holy water among holy waters.
The Commander of the Royal Knights, much alone the famed Duke, would never employ the cheaper one.
And, according to Lena’s common understanding, a drop of precious holy water was more expensive than gold.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that, just leave it alone. It’s not even a big scar. If I leave it for a while, it’ll get better soon.”
“Even a little scar might get infected. Please endure with it, even if it stings.”
‘No, I’m totally fine.’
I tried to pull my hand out, but it won’t budge.
Why was his grip so strong?
Was it since he was a knight?
Caleb unexpectedly put holy water on my wound while I was thinking about something else.
It barely touched a few droplets, yet the wound began to heal fast. There was no pain at all.
Of course, I could feel the wound mending on my skin.
I just gazed at it blankly. It’s unreasonable by my standards because of the surprise of how fast the wound was healed with holy water, as well as the fact that Caleb applied high-quality holy water for these wounds.
“It will be fine now.”
Caleb wouldn’t let go of my hand until the wound was totally healed.
And, while I was grateful to Caleb, I felt a twinge of remorse for what he had done.
I never imagined I’d have this type of luxury only because I cut my finger a tiny bit in my life……but I eventually stopped complaining.
It has already occurred.
After all, Caleb did me a favor, for which I should be grateful.
“Thank you.”
Caleb stood up without responding to my remarks, simply nodded.
As I saw him put the holy water back into his pocket, I wondered.
“Do you keep holy water on you at all times?”
“I do it because I am frequently injured. And, as you can see, it’s just a small amount.”
“Does that have anything to do with the training?”
“I am frequently injured while training, but more often than not, I am injured by the magical beast’s onslaught.”
“Oh, I guess so. Because The Royal Knights’ main task is to subjugate magical beasts.”
I already knew, but it didn’t make sense.
The beast’s subjugation……
I wondered whether things might have changed a little if Lena had ever seen a beast before, but Lena had never seen a beast either.
Since Lena was so young when she followed the Baron’s marriage, she never left the capital city, and as a result, she never had the chance to encounter the beast due to the barriers established by the priest.
Whatever the case may be, I had the impression that Caleb was a miserable but amazing person.
Being in such a situation and going out of his way to subjugate dangerous magical animals……
Anyway, it was one of the reasons I loved him.
“Are you going to be dispatched to the provinces?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m curious, but could you tell me when you’ll be dispatched? I mean, rather than the specific day, I’m interested in the method of dispatching. You can pretend you didn’t hear my question if it’s a difficult one to answer.”
“That is not true. Please allow me to explain.”
Caleb added in a kind tone of voice.
“If there is a trace of a magical beast that has been explored and discovered regularly by the local knights, they will request assistance. Furthermore, we shall willingly or arbitrarily pick and send them based on their expertise and range of skills.”
Caleb said this while pointing to an empty desk across from me.
“Lord Vessel, the desk’s owner, has also volunteered. I try to get there as much as possible, although it’s a bit less than the other Royal Knights.”
“Is it due to your responsibilities as commander?”
I asked, knowing that Caleb had to finish all of the administrative work, and he nodded solemnly.
“Wouldn’t it be better to request more deputies from the Imperial Court?”
“I’m constantly thinking about it, but no one can comprehend and distribute each unit’s skills appropriately, so I never ask for it.”
Was he implying that no one had a talent for it on purpose?
He did, however, accept me.
Was it because I was only a temporary deputy?
I was looking at Lord Vessel’s vacancy, who had claimed he had been dispatched when I saw a shadow on my face.
Before I could tell out what was causing it……
“The colour of your eyes……”
Something rough yet warm barely brushed my eyelids.
“……was it originally gold?”
I only realized afterwards that it was Caleb’s thumb that was wiping the corners of my eyes.
And the fact that he’s holding my face.
My body trembled from the heat and the sensation of calluses hand on one cheek, but I attempted to reply as calmly as possible.
“No.”
Actually, my voice sounded the same as it always did. But my lashes continued to tremble.
“It’s a light grey.”
“But why now……”
I understood what Caleb was saying, even though I didn’t listen to him.
Why did it look gold now?
“My eyes became gold beneath the light a few months ago. I’m not sure what’s causing it.”
It was not difficult for me to understand his reactions now, just as it had been confusing and shocking when I first possessed Lena.
The hand brushing my eyes now would have come from a sense of astonishment and surprise as well.
Even though I was aware of it, my heart was continually pounding.
Caleb probably didn’t expect himself to sweep my face in this way.
“Excuse me, Lord……”
The sunshine that was beaming brightly inside the office dimmed and darkened just as I was going to ask him if he would take his hand back. Simultaneously, the view became a bit darker.
Caleb, who had his hands on my cheek, suddenly removed his hands and stepped away.
“I am sorry.”
Caleb abruptly apologized to me.
“I have been disrespectful. I’m sorry for what I just did.”
His face was tense when he said this. As if he was more astonished by his own actions.
The overly rigid apology made me feel a bit relieved.
He did it unconsciously, as expected.
In reality, I, too, did not quickly cut off Caleb’s hand, most likely because I was aware of his disposition.
“It is fine, Lord. you don’t have to apologize for that much.”
“However.”
“It amazes me every time I gaze into my own eyes. So don’t be concerned.”
I really meant it. However, I was taken aback.
Caleb’s face, though, did not lighten. He clenched his fist tightly.
“I apologize. I’ll return in a moment.”
“Lord Egon?”
Caleb sprinted before I could reach him. The door, which had been open for a long time, slipped shut. No, to what extent……
I’ve seen various descriptions of honest and chivalrous people since I’ve read many novels in my past life.
But I had no idea it was this severe.
He just ran his hand down my cheek and around my eye.
It’s improper and impolite to touch other people’s bodies without their consent, yet……
He was feeling apologetic to that extent?
I remembered men who had been scolded by me because they had been touching me for granted.
None of them ever apologized to me.
In a bizarre mood, I had to look at a closed-door for a while.
* * * * *****
Caleb’s expression was puzzled as he walked out of the office.
He couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
‘What the hell am I thinking……?’
No, he didn’t even think about it. The entire event happened in a split second.
The light lingered on her eyes and shone gold while he was gazing elsewhere.
And he was already sweeping her eyes before he could even confront that cleanly projected gold light.
Even at that time, when the inside of the office got dark and her golden-coloured eyes returned to silver-grey, he awoke as if in a dream, opened his eyes, and apologized as soon as he realized what he had done, but it wasn’t enough.
It was impossible to accept the justification for unconsciously touching her.
For it was true that he had been disrespectful to his opponent, regardless of his intentions.
This alone made him a sinner in Lena’s eyes.
Even a heartfelt apology was insufficient.
‘It amazes me every time I gaze into my own eyes. So don’t be concerned.’
Lena said so, but Caleb was never able to ignore his actions.
He couldn’t possibly do that.
There is no way……
“Commander?”
Caleb raised his head. He caught sight of a familiar face.
Edmund Vessel, the eldest son of Marquis Vessel and the Vice-Commander of The Royal Knights.
“Don’t you plan on returning tomorrow, Lord Vessel?”
“It was the original plan, but the subjugation was easier than I had expected. I don’t want to sleep at the mansion…… So I went back to the Knights’ quarter.”
Edmund elaborated.
“Ah, I already informed the officers I left with about my return.”
“I see. You performed an excellent job, Lord.”
“Don’t mention it. But, because you’re already on the training grounds, you must have completed the administrative work, right? I was planning on coming to the office because I still had time, but it appears like I won’t have to.”
Only then did Caleb realize he had reached the training ground’s entrance.
He arrived at the training site after leaving the workplace and strolling blindly. It was a terrifying habit.
“I’m not finished yet.”
“Huh? But why are you here…… Is it because of that woman?”
“That woman?”
“Lord, you know, the woman who has been coming as a deputy since yesterday. A nobleman who used to be an actor. Anyway, the woman who was accepted as a matter of Count Van Der.”
“Keep the title correct, Lord Vessel. It’s Lady Oreu, not that woman.”
“Yeah, yes, yes.”
Edmund gave a half-hearted response. According to what he understood, her estate had been confiscated and only her title had been regained, so he wondered if that woman should be regarded as a noble lady, but given Caleb’s personality, he didn’t ask.
Because his supervisor was always polite and honest.
“Anyway, that woman, um, Lady Oreu, did she do anything to you?”
“What are you on about?”
“Like, unpleasant behaviour.”
Caleb remembered what he had done to Lena a while earlier, clinched his hand without realizing it, then instantly relaxed it in response to Edmund’s remarks.
Meanwhile, Edmund’s voice remained audible.
“I had heard it from the other knights before, but I eventually found out that she was a well-known actor. And that’s in a bad way.”
“What exactly do you mean by the bad way?”
“They say her skill in attracting and seducing men is exceptional. Apparently, a lot of people have fallen for her and have witnessed her rough side.”
“Wait, who told you that?”
Caleb’s questioning expression was as rigid as it could be.
Edmund, who was already engrossed in his story, failed to realize that Caleb’s mood had deteriorated.
“It’s difficult to say who it is. It’s simply that I happened to hear it pass by. Among the knights, there’s already a lot of talk about her.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Edmund remarked.
“I won’t argue with your decision to accept her, but you should be careful.”
“……”
“To be honest, I’m scared she’ll tarnish our Knights’ reputation.” I heard from the knights stationed at the entrance that you went to pick her up today and yesterday, so there’s no need……”
“Stop it.”
Caleb abruptly cut Edmund off in hushed tones.
Chapter 17
Translator: Missme
Editor: Aru
‘How come she wasn’t there?’
I thought as I held the quill to my face.
I had a lot of paperwork in front of me that I needed to look at, but after meeting the aristocratic women earlier, my head was jumbled with Vivian-related ideas.
‘I remembered her coming to the Imperial Castle once a month to see Caleb.’
Rather, perhaps Vivian’s hair colour was a common brown or ginger, which was why……
Anyway, it wouldn’t have been as bewildering if I’d seen a woman with hair that wasn’t noticeable or comparable to Vivian’s.
However, none of the young ladies in presence had blond or pink hair.
‘Perhaps she didn’t show up this month for some reason?’
In reality, it was merely something to ponder about before moving on.
Surprisingly, Herschel’s testimony from earlier in the day kept coming to mind.
This was the story of a young lady who fell from her horse four months ago.
‘Is it plausible that the young lady’s name was Vivian……?’
It was the time when I had to hand over the paperwork casually.
A sliver of paper brushed the finger, cutting into the skin.
“Ah……!”
It happened in a split second.
Blood formed between the cut’s branches.
“What happened?”
Caleb stood up from his seat, a shocked expression on his face, maybe because I was making too much noise.
Not only that, but he came over to my desk.
“I am sorry. I sliced my hand on a sheet of paper and didn’t realize that I……”
Caleb, who was standing next to me, then knelt on one knee.
In unexpected circumstances, I stopped talking.
“Lo, Lord Egon?”
“Could you please show me your injured hand?”
“Hold, hold on.”
After hesitating, I pulled the chair off the desk and turned towards Caleb.
Caleb grasped my hand as I reached out tentatively.
Gasp, oh why, why was he barehanded?
Caleb had always worn gloves when we first met, so I was frightened without realizing it because it was my first time touching his bare hands.
Caleb, on the other hand, was preoccupied with scrutinizing my wounds.
As a result, I was extremely sceptical of his actions.
What in the world was he doing?
When I’ve previously stated that I shouldn’t be swayed!?
And he should consider my situation as well.
When I tried to relax my body, pretending to be OK, I had another idea.
But why did he want to look at my hand?
Caleb reached into the pocket of his uniform jacket and pulled out a bottle the size of his index finger, which piqued my interest.
I could see translucent liquids inside the nicely made glass bottle.
“Excuse me, Lord, what are you trying to do……”
“I’m going to pour your wound with holy water.”
“Holy water? Is that holy water?”
“That’s right.”
I was flustered.
The degree and speed with which holy water treated wounds depended on how potent the divine power was deployed by the priest who purified the water.
Of course, prices vary widely.
Caleb didn’t say anything, but it was obvious that what he was holding was the most expensive holy water among holy waters.
The Commander of the Royal Knights, much alone the famed Duke, would never employ the cheaper one.
And, according to Lena’s common understanding, a drop of precious holy water was more expensive than gold.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that, just leave it alone. It’s not even a big scar. If I leave it for a while, it’ll get better soon.”
“Even a little scar might get infected. Please endure with it, even if it stings.”
‘No, I’m totally fine.’
I tried to pull my hand out, but it won’t budge.
Why was his grip so strong?
Was it since he was a knight?
Caleb unexpectedly put holy water on my wound while I was thinking about something else.
It barely touched a few droplets, yet the wound began to heal fast. There was no pain at all.
Of course, I could feel the wound mending on my skin.
I just gazed at it blankly. It’s unreasonable by my standards because of the surprise of how fast the wound was healed with holy water, as well as the fact that Caleb applied high-quality holy water for these wounds.
“It will be fine now.”
Caleb wouldn’t let go of my hand until the wound was totally healed.
And, while I was grateful to Caleb, I felt a twinge of remorse for what he had done.
I never imagined I’d have this type of luxury only because I cut my finger a tiny bit in my life……but I eventually stopped complaining.
It has already occurred.
After all, Caleb did me a favor, for which I should be grateful.
“Thank you.”
Caleb stood up without responding to my remarks, simply nodded.
As I saw him put the holy water back into his pocket, I wondered.
“Do you keep holy water on you at all times?”
“I do it because I am frequently injured. And, as you can see, it’s just a small amount.”
“Does that have anything to do with the training?”
“I am frequently injured while training, but more often than not, I am injured by the magical beast’s onslaught.”
“Oh, I guess so. Because The Royal Knights’ main task is to subjugate magical beasts.”
I already knew, but it didn’t make sense.
The beast’s subjugation……
I wondered whether things might have changed a little if Lena had ever seen a beast before, but Lena had never seen a beast either.
Since Lena was so young when she followed the Baron’s marriage, she never left the capital city, and as a result, she never had the chance to encounter the beast due to the barriers established by the priest.
Whatever the case may be, I had the impression that Caleb was a miserable but amazing person.
Being in such a situation and going out of his way to subjugate dangerous magical animals……
Anyway, it was one of the reasons I loved him.
“Are you going to be dispatched to the provinces?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m curious, but could you tell me when you’ll be dispatched? I mean, rather than the specific day, I’m interested in the method of dispatching. You can pretend you didn’t hear my question if it’s a difficult one to answer.”
“That is not true. Please allow me to explain.”
Caleb added in a kind tone of voice.
“If there is a trace of a magical beast that has been explored and discovered regularly by the local knights, they will request assistance. Furthermore, we shall willingly or arbitrarily pick and send them based on their expertise and range of skills.”
Caleb said this while pointing to an empty desk across from me.
“Lord Vessel, the desk’s owner, has also volunteered. I try to get there as much as possible, although it’s a bit less than the other Royal Knights.”
“Is it due to your responsibilities as commander?”
I asked, knowing that Caleb had to finish all of the administrative work, and he nodded solemnly.
“Wouldn’t it be better to request more deputies from the Imperial Court?”
“I’m constantly thinking about it, but no one can comprehend and distribute each unit’s skills appropriately, so I never ask for it.”
Was he implying that no one had a talent for it on purpose?
He did, however, accept me.
Was it because I was only a temporary deputy?
I was looking at Lord Vessel’s vacancy, who had claimed he had been dispatched when I saw a shadow on my face.
Before I could tell out what was causing it……
“The colour of your eyes……”
Something rough yet warm barely brushed my eyelids.
“……was it originally gold?”
I only realized afterwards that it was Caleb’s thumb that was wiping the corners of my eyes.
And the fact that he’s holding my face.
My body trembled from the heat and the sensation of calluses hand on one cheek, but I attempted to reply as calmly as possible.
“No.”
Actually, my voice sounded the same as it always did. But my lashes continued to tremble.
“It’s a light grey.”
“But why now……”
I understood what Caleb was saying, even though I didn’t listen to him.
Why did it look gold now?
“My eyes became gold beneath the light a few months ago. I’m not sure what’s causing it.”
It was not difficult for me to understand his reactions now, just as it had been confusing and shocking when I first possessed Lena.
The hand brushing my eyes now would have come from a sense of astonishment and surprise as well.
Even though I was aware of it, my heart was continually pounding.
Caleb probably didn’t expect himself to sweep my face in this way.
“Excuse me, Lord……”
The sunshine that was beaming brightly inside the office dimmed and darkened just as I was going to ask him if he would take his hand back. Simultaneously, the view became a bit darker.
Caleb, who had his hands on my cheek, suddenly removed his hands and stepped away.
“I am sorry.”
Caleb abruptly apologized to me.
“I have been disrespectful. I’m sorry for what I just did.”
His face was tense when he said this. As if he was more astonished by his own actions.
The overly rigid apology made me feel a bit relieved.
He did it unconsciously, as expected.
In reality, I, too, did not quickly cut off Caleb’s hand, most likely because I was aware of his disposition.
“It is fine, Lord. you don’t have to apologize for that much.”
“However.”
“It amazes me every time I gaze into my own eyes. So don’t be concerned.”
I really meant it. However, I was taken aback.
Caleb’s face, though, did not lighten. He clenched his fist tightly.
“I apologize. I’ll return in a moment.”
“Lord Egon?”
Caleb sprinted before I could reach him. The door, which had been open for a long time, slipped shut. No, to what extent……
I’ve seen various descriptions of honest and chivalrous people since I’ve read many novels in my past life.
But I had no idea it was this severe.
He just ran his hand down my cheek and around my eye.
It’s improper and impolite to touch other people’s bodies without their consent, yet……
He was feeling apologetic to that extent?
I remembered men who had been scolded by me because they had been touching me for granted.
None of them ever apologized to me.
In a bizarre mood, I had to look at a closed-door for a while.
* * * * *****
Caleb’s expression was puzzled as he walked out of the office.
He couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
‘What the hell am I thinking……?’
No, he didn’t even think about it. The entire event happened in a split second.
The light lingered on her eyes and shone gold while he was gazing elsewhere.
And he was already sweeping her eyes before he could even confront that cleanly projected gold light.
Even at that time, when the inside of the office got dark and her golden-coloured eyes returned to silver-grey, he awoke as if in a dream, opened his eyes, and apologized as soon as he realized what he had done, but it wasn’t enough.
It was impossible to accept the justification for unconsciously touching her.
For it was true that he had been disrespectful to his opponent, regardless of his intentions.
This alone made him a sinner in Lena’s eyes.
Even a heartfelt apology was insufficient.
‘It amazes me every time I gaze into my own eyes. So don’t be concerned.’
Lena said so, but Caleb was never able to ignore his actions.
He couldn’t possibly do that.
There is no way……
“Commander?”
Caleb raised his head. He caught sight of a familiar face.
Edmund Vessel, the eldest son of Marquis Vessel and the Vice-Commander of The Royal Knights.
“Don’t you plan on returning tomorrow, Lord Vessel?”
“It was the original plan, but the subjugation was easier than I had expected. I don’t want to sleep at the mansion…… So I went back to the Knights’ quarter.”
Edmund elaborated.
“Ah, I already informed the officers I left with about my return.”
“I see. You performed an excellent job, Lord.”
“Don’t mention it. But, because you’re already on the training grounds, you must have completed the administrative work, right? I was planning on coming to the office because I still had time, but it appears like I won’t have to.”
Only then did Caleb realize he had reached the training ground’s entrance.
He arrived at the training site after leaving the workplace and strolling blindly. It was a terrifying habit.
“I’m not finished yet.”
“Huh? But why are you here…… Is it because of that woman?”
“That woman?”
“Lord, you know, the woman who has been coming as a deputy since yesterday. A nobleman who used to be an actor. Anyway, the woman who was accepted as a matter of Count Van Der.”
“Keep the title correct, Lord Vessel. It’s Lady Oreu, not that woman.”
“Yeah, yes, yes.”
Edmund gave a half-hearted response. According to what he understood, her estate had been confiscated and only her title had been regained, so he wondered if that woman should be regarded as a noble lady, but given Caleb’s personality, he didn’t ask.
Because his supervisor was always polite and honest.
“Anyway, that woman, um, Lady Oreu, did she do anything to you?”
“What are you on about?”
“Like, unpleasant behaviour.”
Caleb remembered what he had done to Lena a while earlier, clinched his hand without realizing it, then instantly relaxed it in response to Edmund’s remarks.
Meanwhile, Edmund’s voice remained audible.
“I had heard it from the other knights before, but I eventually found out that she was a well-known actor. And that’s in a bad way.”
“What exactly do you mean by the bad way?”
“They say her skill in attracting and seducing men is exceptional. Apparently, a lot of people have fallen for her and have witnessed her rough side.”
“Wait, who told you that?”
Caleb’s questioning expression was as rigid as it could be.
Edmund, who was already engrossed in his story, failed to realize that Caleb’s mood had deteriorated.
“It’s difficult to say who it is. It’s simply that I happened to hear it pass by. Among the knights, there’s already a lot of talk about her.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Edmund remarked.
“I won’t argue with your decision to accept her, but you should be careful.”
“……”
“To be honest, I’m scared she’ll tarnish our Knights’ reputation.” I heard from the knights stationed at the entrance that you went to pick her up today and yesterday, so there’s no need……”
“Stop it.”
Caleb abruptly cut Edmund off in hushed tones.
