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chapter 80
“Sir, you have a visitor.”
Before entering the Knight Commander’s office, Lorinus carefully relayed the message.
A visitor at this early hour? Both Lorinus himself and Eden, standing beside him, were puzzled. But instead of asking who it was, Lorinus opened the door.
“Sir Dudley Winchester!”
And the visitor immediately rose from his seat and greeted Lorinus.
“George Dudley?”
Eden frowned, muttering the name of the man standing before him. It wasn’t a name he welcomed. At this early hour, in the Knight Commander’s office no less, this was certainly not a face he wanted to see.
“Yes, I am George Dudley.”
George seemed to notice Eden’s frown and the uneasy tone in which his name was spoken, but he simply smiled brightly and introduced himself.
“Pleased to meet you, Sir Winchester.”
Not only that, he confidently approached and extended his hand to Lorinus for a handshake.
‘What an audacious man!’
Eden, watching from the side, was dumbfounded. He was a suspect in a poisoning incident, someone whom even the Knight Order might suspect. Even if he wasn’t the culprit, he knew the Navy was aware that the Order had suspicions, so he had no doubt they were watching him closely.
And yet, George had the audacity to smile like that!
‘Say something, Commander!’
Eden sent a sharp look filled with meaning toward his superior, as if demanding action.
“…….”
Whether he sensed Eden’s telepathic plea or not, Lorinus simply stared at George’s extended hand. Instead of shaking it, he lifted his gaze to meet George’s eyes again.
“What brings you here so early?”
“Oh, I’ve brought a letter sent by our captain.”
Despite having his hand refused, George withdrew it naturally and tucked it into his chest. He then retrieved the letter and offered it to Lorinus.
Lorinus gave Eden a subtle glance, signaling him to take it, and then proceeded straight to his desk, bypassing George entirely.
“Ah…….”
For once, George seemed momentarily thrown. He followed Lorinus with his eyes before glancing at Eden, the aide.
But Eden, too, had been watching Lorinus’ back, so the letter remained in George’s hand, awkwardly lingering in midair.
‘What’s this about?’
In truth, Eden was just as confused as George. He had been slightly surprised when Lorinus refused George’s handshake. Lorinus was not the type to embarrass others like that.
He was the kind of man who would graciously accept a handshake from strangers showing respect, never mind if it wore out his hand.
Eden had considered George a nuisance, suspecting him of being the culprit, yet Lorinus had defended him, saying it was unfair to accuse someone without evidence.
Lorinus’ fairness and justice were mostly admirable, but in moments like these, Eden found it utterly frustrating.
‘What change of heart is this?’
It was more bewildering for Eden, who knew Lorinus well, than for George, who hadn’t expected this behavior.
“This isn’t urgent, but our captain wants a prompt reply. That way, we can confirm our departure date.”
When even Eden refused to take the letter, George turned and placed it directly on Lorinus’ desk, within his line of sight.
Even if Lorinus ignored him personally, he would not be able to ignore a letter from a renowned captain of the Imperial Navy.
“…….”
Lorinus silently picked up the letter, still giving no attention to George.
“I happened to meet your wife and daughter by chance on the street the other day.”
Yet George remained undeterred, pausing briefly before speaking as though recalling something.
Lorinus’ eyes paused on a certain part of the letter, then slowly climbed upward like vines, eventually meeting George’s gaze.
George smiled lightly as their eyes met.
“Your daughter is very cute. In a few years, she’ll likely make the young men of the Empire quite restless. That will keep you busy, won’t it?”
Lorinus’ gaze sharpened like a finely honed blade. He seriously considered silencing that babbling mouth immediately.
“I briefly imagined her, and she seems to resemble someone… but I can’t quite recall who. My memory’s a bit fuzzy. But I suppose it’s complete now. I never forget a beauty.”
Yet George, either oblivious or pretending to be, continued to speak with that smiling, careless expression.
Lorinus already suspected George’s true purpose in coming all this way wasn’t just to deliver a letter. The man called the right hand of the Navy—though his fame on land may not match his renown at sea—wouldn’t come just for errands.
“What is it that you really want to say?”
“Pardon? Oh! I wasn’t trying to say anything in particular. I just wanted to speak with the famous Sir Winchester, so I complimented your daughter’s beauty. Oh! Your wife… she’s also a very beautiful lady.”
He had clearly delayed on purpose. Otherwise, his tongue, slick as butter, wouldn’t have stopped speaking.
“And she’s intelligent, with great resolve as well.”
“How many times have you seen my wife to say something like that? Did the Navy teach you it’s proper to comment on another man’s wife?”
“Oh dear! I wasn’t judging, just complimenting. Please forgive me if I was rude. You might not know, but I was born a commoner, so my manners aren’t perfect. I hope Sir Winchester will kindly forgive me.”
Everything about him felt fake—the sly smile, the apology, even the deliberate humility.
“…….”
Unlike George, Lorinus was not given to words. If George apologized hastily, claiming a misunderstanding, there was nothing Lorinus could retort.
In a duel, he could have forced that mouth shut a thousand ways over, but in verbal sparring, he had no method.
He pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze, unwilling to look at that face. Instead, he focused on the letter.
He didn’t remember how far he’d read, so he started again from the beginning. In the meantime, George’s chatter reached his ears, but it didn’t register.
If words like “wife” or “daughter” had been mentioned, he might have reacted, but thankfully, it was all trivial talk that he could ignore.
Finally, Lorinus finished reading, picked up a pen, and signed the documents sent by the captain.
“Ah!”
Knowing the task was complete, George, who had been preparing to take the papers quietly, blurted out a sound unconsciously.
Lorinus had pressed the pen so hard while signing that it tore the paper.
“Ah, it doesn’t matter. Our documents often get wet anyway. As long as they’re not covered in seagull droppings, the dignity of these papers won’t be affected.”
George smiled lightly, as if covering for Lorinus’ mistake.
Lorinus clenched his teeth, folded the still-inked papers, and handed them to George as if telling him to leave immediately.
“Thank you for your prompt handling.”
George quickly took the papers and tucked them back into his chest.
“Well then, until next time.”
Though he said this to Eden on his way out, somehow Lorinus felt as if it were directed at him.
“Next time? What next time? Ugh! The nerve of him!”
“Eden.”
“Ah, yes!”
Eden spun around hastily at Lorinus’ call, having been scolding George while pointing at the closed door.
“When did the Knight Commander’s office become a place where anyone can just walk in and sit?”
“Pardon? Ah… well, calling George Dudley ‘anyone’ is a bit…”
“So if he’s not ‘anyone,’ does that mean he’s some major celebrity?”
“Ah……”
In truth, he was a notable figure. Of course, compared to Lorinus de Winchester—the Count of Winchester, Knight Commander, and Sword Master—he might seem insignificant, but he was certainly a rising star.
“……I’ll be careful.”
But Eden, perceptive as he was, couldn’t bring himself to say it outright.
Lorinus was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. He resembled the Lorinus of old, when even the rustle of leaves during enemy guerrilla operations would set him on edge.
And Lorinus knew he was currently irritable and sensitive. The words he had just spoken to Eden were, in fact, needless nitpicking.
The problem was that Eden didn’t know exactly what was triggering Lorinus at the moment.
“……Damn it!”
Frustrated, Lorinus muttered a low curse. It was the only expression that fit his mood perfectly.
