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Chapter 11
“…I.”
After hesitating for a long time, Reto finally opened his mouth.
“Well, the thing is…”
But even then, he couldn’t easily continue. At last, he let out a heavy sigh and slumped forward against the steering wheel.
Honk! The horn gave a short blast.
“……”
Noah could only watch him in silence.
Fortunately, Reto soon straightened up and started driving again.
The limited-edition model from Cheti, the very first and most famous magitech automobile company, sped forward with the ocean as its backdrop.
It looked like a scene from a photo spread.
“…What kind of man is he?” Reto asked.
“…The Colonel isn’t just a little crazy, but that guy’s no less insane. Right now, he’s run away from home after making a huge mess in his family.”
Noah answered without hesitation.
“You must be close to him, then?”
“If my earlier explanation gave you that impression, I strongly recommend you get a medical checkup soon.”
“How old is my little sister-in-law?”
“She’ll turn seven this coming summer.”
The sudden barrage of questions continued all the way until they arrived at the Navy Headquarters.
Even at the entrance, while the guards checked their identifications, the interrogation hadn’t stopped.
Only after the red car was parked did the relentless Q&A finally end.
‘What the hell is this…?’
Noah suddenly felt embarrassed. Even when he’d had that fleeting, fiery fling with that mad dog, they hadn’t acted like this.
“The weather’s nice today,” Reto hummed a tune under his breath.
“……”
Noah got out of the car with a look of annoyance and deliberately walked a step behind him.
But his eyes, against his will, kept being drawn to Reto’s back.
‘Messy.’
The silver hair he usually kept neat on duty was slightly disheveled now.
His gaze drifted downward—his straight nape, broad shoulders swaying faintly with his steps.
A solid back, obvious even under the uniform, and a waist that looked lean in contrast.
‘I’m not a pervert…’
He’d seen it plenty before, but today, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Noah.”
Just as he was struggling to drag his gaze upward, Reto turned back.
“I could’ve just asked, huh.”
Noah’s blue eyes shifted slowly.
“…What do you mean?”
“Anything. Just… anything.”
Reto’s easy smile carried a trace of realization.
“Why didn’t I ask?”
“……”
“You answer so diligently, even now…”
As Reto drew closer, there was a shadow of regret in his crimson eyes.
“Back then too, you would’ve answered, wouldn’t you?”
“…If you’d asked, yes.”
“You’re always honest, upright, and beautiful.”
It was a sweet compliment. Noah chuckled despite himself. It was too late to take pure joy in it.
“Truth is, I already knew back then.”
Reto shrugged lightly.
“That’s why I’m being such a fool now.”
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“Right, of course.”
So Noah pretended not to see Reto reaching to touch his hair, only to pull back at the last moment.
‘Still the same habit…’
Just as Reto knew Noah’s habits, Noah knew his.
‘Like a kid.’
Whenever he was being cautious, he always reached for Noah’s hair.
Before, he’d ruffled it as much as he liked. Now, he seemed too guilty to even do that.
“But it was me who didn’t act.”
The childlike confession continued.
“The only excuses I had to cling to you were that bet I won and the sword you wanted.”
“……”
“So…”
“Colonel.”
A hand touched his hair. Reto’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit, and he quickly bent down to lower himself to Noah’s height.
Noah smirked and continued combing through his hair with his fingers.
“W-why are you suddenly doing this…” Reto stammered, his voice tinged with complaint.
Regardless, Noah kept running his fingers through, neatening the disheveled strands. His hand drifted lower, brushing his ears—round and absurdly cute, and now flushed red.
‘I hate red…’
Yet strangely, he liked this man’s red.
“Reto.” Noah called softly.
“You and I still have feelings for each other.”
And he admitted it plainly.
“Just look at us now.”
How foolish it was.
Their gazes burned with desperate intensity, yet they stayed at a distance, unable to close it.
Noah hated anything messy or half-hearted.
“If you truly want to marry me…”
So he spoke firmly.
“Say you love me.”
Noah’s hand now cupped Reto’s cheek. The strong jawline was surprisingly soft. His skin against Noah’s palm was unfairly smooth.
“And be honest about why you blocked my promotion.”
“That’s all it takes?”
Really? Reto asked again and again, flustered that the chance he’d suddenly been given seemed so simple.
Noah found it ridiculous.
“You couldn’t even do that much and still got dumped by me, yet you strut around with pride.”
And oddly, it was endearing.
‘…I must be crazy too.’
Reto was the one clinging to him, yet Noah felt like he was the one destined to lose in this relationship.
Even after everything, the fact he was still willing to give this lunatic another chance made him feel less like a saint and more like a fool.
‘Still… it feels good.’
Admitting the feelings he’d been denying so hard was a relief.
“Mm, but.”
Reto smirked.
“We weren’t actually dating, so technically I wasn’t dumped.”
“Then our relationship was nothing? Even now?”
“It was hotter and more intense than that. Still is.”
“You’re still shameless as ever.”
Noah pushed him away as he edged closer. Reto yielded easily, still smiling.
His lighter expression than before made him infuriating.
‘Don’t relax yet.’
Noah smirked and stepped back.
“Then hurry and say it.”
If he was going to live with this infuriating man forever, he had to pin him down at least once.
“Say you love me. And the reason you blocked my promotion. Oh, and give me the sword too.”
“……”
“What happened to all that bravado about how easy it was?” Noah teased.
“Isn’t this a simple chance?”
But Reto pressed his lips shut as if they’d been sewn, refusing to speak.
“…Still, I did win that bet.”
He looked at Noah with puppy-dog eyes.
“So we should marry, right?”
Then he clasped his large fists under his chin and batted his lashes rapidly.
“…What the hell is that!”
Startled, Noah stumbled back.
“Where did you even learn that?!”
“Hmm, strange.”
Reto tilted his head.
“Celebrities all pose like this in photos these days.”
“You actually look at that stuff?”
“Go around the barracks. Those magazines are everywhere.”
“……”
“I thought it’d work. Didn’t it?”
Maybe he should’ve lifted his leg more? He glanced down at his neatly folded leg.
When Noah noticed, he nearly fainted.
“Are you insane?!”
“I’m always insane for you.”
Noah shut his eyes tight.
But the ridiculous image was burned into his mind.
And annoyingly, it looked… cute.
“I should try…”
Reto grinned.
“…whispering in your ear while half-undressed, breathing heavy—”
“Colonel!”
Noah kicked him in the rear before he could finish. Only then did Reto laugh and stop joking.
“When you hit me like that… it’s thrilling.”
His cheeks flushed as he confessed.
“It’s my fate…”
Noah felt hopeless about the future.
‘Is it really okay to marry this guy?’
Just as he’d felt relief, regret started creeping back.
But there was no hesitation this time.
Pathetically enough, he still couldn’t love anyone who wasn’t Reto.
“Do I really have to be this unlucky with men…”
“Now, now, Captain. Who else is as handsome, fit, and good in bed—”
“Do you want to get sued for harassment?!”
That was how the two of them returned to Headquarters.
But Sir Delat never came back.
It was the next day when Sir Delat finally appeared.
Reto’s aide, Warrant Officer Feast, delivered the message.
“Sir Delat has requested to see you, Colonel.”
“When?”
“For the past two hours.”
Feast answered meekly.
“Good grief, Warrant.”
Reto, legs propped on the desk as he skimmed papers, scolded flatly. His pen moved quickly in his left hand.
“You should’ve reported earlier.”
Yet his legs remained on the desk.
“They’re important guests from the capital. Sure, we waited all day yesterday—but let them wait some more.”
In other words, he had no intention of rushing.
“My apologies.”
Feast bowed his head.
“Every time I tried to report, you weren’t in your office.”
“Don’t make it sound like I was slacking off. People might believe it.”
“But…”
During those two hours Sir Delat was waiting, Feast had witnessed much.
“You went to the restroom with a novel. Then wandered around ‘supervising,’ only to get scolded by Captain Velo.”
“…You saw that?”
Reto looked embarrassed.
“…And then I saw you giving a no-smoking lecture in the smoking lounge.”
“You’re skipping words, aren’t you? Were you badmouthing me in your head?”
“No, sir.”
“Well, whatever. I’m busy anyway.”
As he chattered, Reto signed the last document with a hum.
Watching, Feast pulled out his trump card.
“Captain Velo asked me to give you this.”
“…The Captain?”
Reto froze, halfway through folding a confiscated magazine into an origami crane.
“What did she say?”
The unruly superior suddenly went quiet.
Even his careless posture straightened, sitting upright.
“She told me to hand this to you.”
Feast pulled something from his pocket—a colorful paper card.
Reto took it, puzzled, until he saw the name written on it. His eyes went wide.
[To Uncle Colonel Brother-in-law, in both hands!]
It was a letter from Clare.
