Chapter 11

I woke up early again today. 7 AM. Still, considering I went to bed late yesterday, I woke up relatively early.

Anette lay blankly, trying to sense if there was any presence in the room.

‘As expected, he’s still asleep, right?’

Anette quietly got up and approached the room. She pressed her ear against the door once more, trying to sense any sign of life.

“Come in, Anette.”

Startled, Anette, who had her ear pressed to the door, flinched and pulled her body back.

‘How on earth did he know?’

She tried to tiptoe back to the sofa. But without even turning around, she walked backward toward the sofa. However, she soon met eyes with Eliartz, who had opened the door and come out.

‘Why is he so fast? Did he really recover completely?’

“Ahaha. Good morning, Eliartz. You’re up early.”

Feeling embarrassed, Anette forced a smile. Eliartz’s deep, profound gray eyes looked down at her. With his current expression, she couldn’t read his mood.

“Anette.”

What is it, say it. Eliartz’s eyes demanded.

“Ah… Well, I was about to head out soon, but I wondered if you needed anything.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll ask you for a cup of coffee.”

Contrary to Anette’s expectation that he would go back into his room without a word, Eliartz sat down at the dining table chair and spoke.

Soon, the warm aroma of coffee filled the living room.

The two sat across from each other with their coffee in front of them. Anette, not having anything particular to say, only sipped her coffee.

‘Why does Eliartz seem different since yesterday? Should I say he’s become colder? He’s not making any strange jokes at all.’

Unaware that Eliartz was looking at her, Anette continued her thoughts.

‘Surely he’s not angry about that… kiss from the other day, is he? Because I ruined the mood? Or is he being that cold because I’m leaving soon?’

Feeling a little unjust again, Anette raised her head and looked at Eliartz. Eliartz was holding his coffee cup and looking at her.

“Eliartz, about the other day…”

“Anette, could I ask you for one favor?”

Eliartz and Anette spoke at the same time.

“Yes, of course. What can I help you with?”

As if trying to erase yesterday’s awkwardness, Anette answered in a purposely more cheerful tone.

She consciously tried not to dwell on Eliartz’s unusually firm tone of voice.

“Call a friend of mine named Karl.”

‘Karl? Why Karl?’

Suddenly, the memory of Eliartz and Karl confronting each other a few days ago came to mind. Eliartz had looked quite displeased with Karl that day.

“I’d appreciate it if you could call that guy over today.”

Having said that expressionlessly, Eliartz leaned back in his chair again and leisurely drank his coffee.

“Oh, and what were you about to say earlier?”

Eliartz hadn’t forgotten what Anette was about to say and asked.

“Ah… It’s nothing important.”

‘Why have you become so cold? Was it because I acted like an idiot when we kissed?’
She couldn’t possibly ask that.

Evening came. It wasn’t difficult to find Karl in the library. The red-haired man sitting by the window, head bowed low over his studies, was unmistakably Karl from behind.

Approaching Karl, who was concentrating harder than anyone, she tapped the desk twice.

A smile soon spread across Karl’s face as he looked up. Following Anette’s gesture to step outside for a moment, Karl followed her out like a faithful retriever.

When Anette told Karl about Eliartz’s request, the smile on Karl’s face, which had been happy to see her, vanished.

“Why does that man want to see me?”

“I don’t know. But it seems he’ll be leaving soon. He spoke as if that were the case.”

At Anette’s words, Karl’s expression softened a little.

Studying hadn’t been going well for days. It was because of that man in Anette’s house.

He probably wouldn’t dare lay a hand on Anette with that body of his, but for some reason, he was a man who kept bothering him.

He couldn’t understand why Anette would keep such a beastly bastard in her house.

He also couldn’t understand the nun’s words. And Karen’s cheap taste in praising a man just for his looks was hardly worth mentioning.

‘Everyone is just too naive about the world.’

Thinking of Anette, Karen, and even the nun made him sigh. They were all so innocent that he couldn’t help but worry about them.

That’s why he had no choice but to secretly watch Anette’s house—more precisely, that man—every evening.

Even Anette, who was usually oblivious, was one thing, but that so-called soldier, even with his title, seemed unaware that Karl was lurking around the house.

Despite Karl’s determination to rush in if anything happened, the house was generally quiet.

The lights would go out at a certain time, and even after they were off, Karl would loiter around the house for a while before returning home.

But now that man wants to see me.

‘If, as Anette said, he’s asking for help to leave, then I should gladly help him as soon as possible.’

After thinking it over, feeling better, Karl walked briskly along the riverside of Newmier, with Anette leading the way.

Anette looked worriedly at Eliartz and Karl, who were glaring at each other. Why on earth did the two of them have to growl every time they met?

“Anette, why don’t you step out and brew a cup of tea for Karl here?”

‘What the hell, why is this bastard acting like the owner of the house?’

Grabbing Anette’s arm as she was about to obediently leave, Karl spoke.

“No, Anette. Why don’t you brew a cup of tea for this soldier of the Bleite Order instead?”

Eliartz’s gaze fixed on Anette’s wrist, which was held by Karl.

“Ah. I’ll brew tea for both of you.”

After a brief pause, Anette looked at Karl and said.

“Karl, you behave politely.”

And she also said a word to Eliartz, who was wearing a triumphant smile.

“Karl gave up his studies to come help you. You should be polite too.”

Anette, looking back and forth between the two, let out a small sigh.

As Anette closed the door and left, Eliartz slightly leaned his upper body forward from the bed. Then he leisurely looked at Karl and spoke.

“Why do you loiter around the house every night?”

“What?”

Karl shot up from his chair.

“I asked why you loiter around every night, making yourself a nuisance.”

Having said his piece, Eliartz, looking quite relaxed, leaned back against the wall beside the bed again. On the other hand, Karl, who had been struck, had a flushed face.

“Th-that is…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell Anette.”

Eliartz said mockingly. While Karl stammered, the door opened. At the entrance stood Anette, holding a tray with tea cups in both hands.

Stepping into the room, Anette immediately sensed the shifted atmosphere.

She didn’t know what had happened, but Eliartz was the victor. Seeing the flustered Karl, she felt sorry for him and glared at Eliartz.

“I’m in the middle of asking Karl for a favor.”

With a look asking if that was true, Anette glanced at Karl.

“Ah… That’s right, Anette.”

Karl quickly continued.

“Hmm… So, Karl, I’d appreciate it if you could make a trip to the Solenea Border Guard.”

“What business do you have at the Border Guard?”

“Meet the Border Guard Captain and deliver something. Then you can come back.”

“What? Meet the Border Guard Captain? Ha! Do you think the captain of Solenea’s Border Guard would even see me? I’d be lucky not to get thrown out at the entrance.”

Karl protested. Eliartz’s gaze soon turned serious. Then, without even turning his head toward Anette, he spoke.

“Anette, could you bring my uniform?”

As soon as Eliartz finished speaking, Anette brought the neatly washed and folded uniform and held it out.

Eliartz, who had been searching through the jacket of the uniform and even its pockets, was handed a small box by Anette.

“Was this what you were looking for?”