Chapter 3

Chapter 3

No entry.

The pale beige and green words felt threatening. This was also an ability of Hizen. Max smiled bitterly in front of the hallway leading to the Commander’s office.

Hizen was extremely reluctant to let anyone intrude into his territory. Not only the members of the Imperial Family, but also the maids and servants were prohibited from entering his office. It was even said that one would rather be in the middle of the enemy’s yard than enter the Commander’s office.

Only Hizen and Max were allowed in. The two men took turns cleaning, but neither of them were good at it. It was natural as they were nobles who only lived with a sword in their hands rather than a broom. The brooms that ended broken while sweeping the floor could not be counted on one hand.

In the end, the Commander’s office was far from clean. It was almost a dump. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling had long passed in fashion, and the moldy sofas and the wooden desk eaten by bugs should have been thrown out right away. The creaky chair screamed for them to stop.

Even so, Hizen was not very impressed. There was no reason to change things that could still be used even if they were uncomfortable. When they were his own, he could never throw away things or people easily.

In the dirty office, Hizen struggled with his desk full of paperwork. He was about to cut a stack of paper with his eyes.

A sound came through the door. The unique step that made a clapping sound with the heel, and a familiar breathing sound.

It was Vice Commander Max.

“Come in.”

Creak.

The door opened and a handsome brown-haired man came in. Hizen slightly raised his eyes. Max had locked all the buttons of his uniform and was much cleaner than in the morning.

But he did not look good. This was because it was clear that he had been with the red-haired girl so far. A bitter sound came out automatically.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Did you kick her out?”

“I brought her to the entrance.”

Max did not agree with the words ‘kick out’. Max was a finite man, but he had a strong belief. It was also thanks to his strong character that he had been able to endure working under Hizen for such a long time.

There was a silence. The only moving thing was a thin feather pen dancing on the paper. In the middle of the pen, the words ‘I love you, Count Dratius-nim’ were written in crooked letters. It was a gift he received a few years ago from the child of one of his knights.

The elegant handwriting and the unattractive pen did not match very well, but this pen was his favorite. He had fixed it several times when it had broke, and he was going to take it to his grave. It was clear. Because it was a memory from the child.

The knights were proud of Hizen. He was different from the other knights who were all talkative and they felt sorry to even compare them. He was always sincere and reliable.

The knights never doubted him. The source of their absolute trust was his appearance. Hizen always proved himself clearly in front of their eyes and in action.

Max sighed as he watched the elegant lines carved on the paper. Like this, Hizen was trustworthy and warm to him, but he was otherwise indifferent and cold. Just like he was to the girl.

Max, who was still observing Hizen, found something different from ordinary. Especially, the pen was moving in an unusual way.

“Commander-nim, you’re a little weird today.”

“…”

“You were too hasty. Seeing that the maid was sent directly to the Commander-nim himself, she must have had a different meaning to Neren-nim.”

Hizen did not blink at all. Putting down his pen, he arranged the pile of documents without saying a word.

The longer the silence, the more frustrating it became, and Max broke it first.

“We haven’t heard the details. Wouldn’t it have been better to check her sword skills? If she’s in fact a genius at swordsmanship…”

“Don’t.”

Thack.

Hizen loudly pulled down the pile of documents he had organized. He spoke in a crooked way.

“Do you think the Imperial Elite Knights are some kind of joke? Not only did she crawl into my room without permission, but she’s going to be my knight? No way.”

He talked more than usual. Hizen, huffing, approached the window to open it.

Shaaa.

The sudden rainstorm wetted the coveted blond hair. Cursing, he touched his wet forehead with his hand.

No matter how much he concentrated on his work, he could never miss the sound of rain. As Max said, he was not his usual self today.

“There was no rain forecast this week… Truly, the Harknon Meteorological Agency is the main culprit for the waste of the state treasury.”

Water droplets fell on his straight forehead. It was so attractive that the young noble ladies would faint on the spot if they saw him.

Max took a white handkerchief out and handed it to him. Hizen roughly wiped his face with it. He was so annoyed.

A scar was revealed as the wind swept his blonde hair behind his ears. It was a faint scar crossing his cheek from the bottom of his left eye, that would cause any viewer to feel sorry. It was like the action of a god jealous of his beauty.

Cold rain and wind crossed the window. Thanks to that, his hot head gradually cooled down. A pleasant voice was heard over the sound of the rain.

“Max.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a bad dream that she has, and rather than being killed like a dog, it would be better for her to live as a maid.”

It was cold but correct. Taking up the sword was both a blessing and a curse. The blade could make the blood of the enemy gush, but there were no guarantee that it would not shed one’s own blood.

Max recalled the red-haired girl’s clear eyes. She resembled some of his dead colleagues with her good heart. In particular, those who had such eyes had short lives. He thought of his colleagues buried in his heart, and was about to open his mouth.

“And…”

Was there another reason? Max raised his eyes. Hizen was hesitating like a man with difficult words to say. It was the first time Max was seeing this, so his brown eyes got a little bigger.

“Looking at her….”

He was uncomfortable.

Hizen, who swallowed back the end of his words, bit his lips tightly. He reached out his hand through the tearful rain.

It was cold.

*

There was someone walking on the long bridge between the Imperial Palace and the capital. She was a girl with beautiful red hair.

Her head moved slowly as she reached the middle of the bridge. On the right was the picturesque Imperial Palace, and on the other side was the sparkling capital.

The lost girl’s steps never stopped. Now there was nowhere to go. If she went back to the Duke, he would gladly accept her, because she did a better job than anyone else. However, even though she could work, she would not be able to lift her head in front of Neren’s tombstone.

After a long time of consideration, she decided on the best destination. Right now, she had no justification to stay at the Imperial Palace, so she had to head to the capital. She grabbed her long apron.

“Neren-nim, please wait a little longer. To keep your promise… I think I need more time.”

Mumbling quietly, she rummaged through her luggage. She grabbed a book in her big hand.

She sighed while carefully putting the cover of the book on the pure white apron. The leather cover on her hand and the dense inlay gave off an unusual atmosphere.

The title of the book was ‘Count Dratius, the Hero Who Shined the Continent – First Story.’ It was her second favorite treasure.

The softly curved words vividly portayed a person’s life. The story of a young hero wandering on the battlefield to a man who became the Sword of the Empire, leading the Knights.

It seemed that the main character of this book was not from this world. Sword skills that one dare not encounter, a god-like appearance, and touching lines and actions that would make one’s heart resonate. The girl was grateful to the sky. Although she was a humble woman, it was an honor to live in such a world. She murmured, fiddling with the book.

“Yes, I was dumb. There is no way to easily enter the Imperial Elite Knights that every knight dreams of. First, I have to stay in the capital and show him my skills.”

It was a problem, by the way. There was no way to enter the Imperial Palace anymore, so what could she do? While she was agonizing over it, she could hear the young man’s cheerful laughter. Neren Den Armada, the author of the book and Hizen’s best friend.

Whenever she would praise Hizen to the point of drying her mouth, he would burst into laughter and say this.

[Please, Hizen. I hope you don’t see this in person.]

Neren’s hope was shattered as expected. The two were friends, but their personalities were opposite: if Neren was a gentle and warm man like a spring breeze, Hizen was like the snow blowing in a snowy field.

The girl shivered. It was still vivid. An unpleasant expression, a contemptuous gaze, a stiff mouth, an irritating tone. The surprise did not easily subside. The girl put the book back in her luggage with a sigh. There were two more books in it. But she did not take them out.

As she turned around, the rain poured down. She hurriedly tried to avoid it, but the rain fell further.

It felt like she was being punished, so her mood was not very good. The girl clasped her luggage tightly in her arms and walked away quickly.

It was then.