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Chapter 25
That’s Not It
“Phew… finally, I feel the fatigue lifting. Hm?”
After finishing his bath with much trouble, Kylian was toweling his wet hair as he stepped into his office—only to stop in his tracks at the sight of someone inside.
It was Ximena. She had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Why is she here…?
She was hugging the sword design that Wale had left behind. It seemed she had been waiting to give it to him but had dozed off.
Unbelievable. She leaves people hanging, then sleeps as if nothing’s wrong.
Kylian walked up to her, shaking his head.
She didn’t notice his presence at all—she must have been deeply asleep.
She had been traveling since early morning and probably bathed in a state of nervous tension, so it wasn’t surprising that exhaustion hit her all at once.
He stood still for a moment, looking down at her, then sat on the edge of the table in front of the sofa.
Her cheeks were flushed, maybe because of the warm bath.
What am I going to do with this woman…?
With a complicated heart, he studied her sleeping face closely.
If I revealed my identity and questioned her true intentions, how would she respond? Would she come clean without resistance?
Even if she had hidden motives, harshly interrogating the only daughter of a powerful duke was no easy matter.
Besides, aside from disguising her identity, she hadn’t actually harmed him in any way. On the contrary…
“I… I came here to protect you… to keep you safe…”
She didn’t seem to be lying then either. But what did she really mean? Surely… she wouldn’t just be trying to get my attention again…
“Mm…”
At that moment, Ximena’s head slumped to the side, and the design slipped from her arms.
Before he knew it, Kylian’s hand shot out to support her head.
Her small, warm face fit perfectly into his palm, and his body froze as though time had stopped.
W-what the…
Flustered, he stayed still like that for some time. Then, as if dreaming, she smacked her lips and mumbled.
“Mnya… mnya…”
Her soft lips moved against his palm, and his chest suddenly tingled. He swallowed dryly.
Unable to take his eyes off her pink lips, he impulsively brushed his thumb across them.
They parted slightly, soft and tender.
Thump, thump…
His heart began pounding faster and faster.
“Mm…”
But then Ximena stirred, and Kylian snapped back to his senses.
Wh-what am I doing…
Face flushed red, he forced himself to breathe deeply and glanced around nervously.
She’ll be uncomfortable like this… I should move her somewhere else…
His eyes fell on his bedroom, connected to the office.
Yes… I’ll take her there for now…
He leaned closer, preparing to lift her gently by slipping one arm under her legs. Their faces nearly touched—when Ximena’s eyes flew open.
“Huh?”
“Uh?”
Their startled gazes locked.
Smack!
“Argh!”
Without warning, Ximena headbutted him right in the forehead. Kylian toppled back with a thud, landing hard on his rear.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”
She leapt up, clutching herself and fuming, while Kylian sat dazed, his vision swimming.
“I told you! Keep to the invisible line!”
“No, wait, I-I was just—”
“If you ever try this again, I won’t stop at a headbutt, even if you are the Marquis! Understood?!”
She shouted furiously and stormed out, slamming the door.
“I still find the lady suspicious. It may all be a carefully crafted act to win your attention, so you must be cautious…”
Wale’s words echoed in Kylian’s mind, and he muttered bitterly,
“At the very least… that’s not it. Attention… is definitely not what she’s after…”
Blood trickled down from his cracked forehead, running down his face like a nosebleed.
“Damn it…”
[Observation Journal of the Marquis of Thermos]
It’s been five days since I began serving the Marquis of Thermos.
I thought I’d end up like some pitiful Cinderella tormented by her stepmother and stepsisters, or like Kongji in the old folktale—
washing mountains of laundry by the distant stream until my arms nearly fell off,
hauling up endless buckets of water from a deep well until my back broke to fill the bath,
scrubbing the marble floors until they shone like crystal gems, becoming one with the ground…
But no.
At first, I braced myself, thinking they’d work me to the bone since they couldn’t stand seeing me idle.
Yet once I began attending the Marquis, I’ve been lazing around even more.
“Marquis, I’ve brought your change of clothes. Underclothes too.”
“What? U-under…? J-just leave them there.”
“Oh, but how can I just leave clothes at the door? Please open the door.”
“I said leave them! From now on I’ll take care of such things myself. You needn’t bother!”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Hermes, what are you doing?”
“As you see, Marquis, diligently polishing your desk—”
Crash!
“Ahh! Oh no, the vase! That was expensive, wasn’t it?”
“…Hermes. From now on someone else will handle the office cleaning. You needn’t bother.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Hermes, what did you do with the carrier pigeons?”
“W-well… I didn’t realize they were being trained, and I fed them… and they never came back…”
“…Best stay away from there as well.”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Marquis, shall I at least help with your bath?”
“What? I told you before, that’s not necessary.”
“But maybe I could scrub your back—”
“W-what nonsense!”
“Oh come now, we’re both men. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“O-oh really? Then shall we both strip and get in together?”
“…”
“Why can’t you answer?”
“…I was wrong. I’ll respect the invisible line. You’re precious, after all.”
(Tch. I only wanted a quick peek at him shirtless. Too bad!)
In the kitchen, the maids keep fussing over me, saying I’m handsome. On patrols, the townsfolk gush that the pretty-faced knight has come. At the training grounds, they tell me not to strain myself and just watch.
Honestly, it almost feels like the Marquis is fattening me up to eat me, like some witch in a fairy tale.
So this morning I got up early and joined the Marquis’s morning exercise.
He ran in front, Wale in the middle, and me at the back.
The crisp, cold air from Glacies’s eternal snows filled my lungs, refreshing me.
I enjoyed watching the townsfolk begin their day—the chimney smoke rising as meals were prepared, merchants setting up their stalls, children already running around noisily.
I stopped, overcome, just watching for a while.
Life is the same everywhere.
Even in the world I left behind, time must still be flowing, people living on just as energetically…
That thought was comforting, yet also sad and lonely.
I only moved again when Vice-Captain Wale called me.
From now on, I’ll join every morning exercise.
I need to stay slim and handsome—so the Marquis can’t fatten me up to eat me.
…Wait. Is this an observation journal or just a diary?
Ah, get a grip, Ximena…
“Lorex!”
“Hermes!”
“Heh, long time no see.”
That evening, Ximena stopped by the barracks and called out to Rois, who was resting after training.
“Long time? We just saw each other this morning.”
“Hey, if I see you in the morning and then in the evening, that’s long time no see. Be grateful a celebrity like me spared time for you.”
“Pfft, I’m so moved I could cry.”
“How’s training? Not too hard?”
“After the Marquis mentioned discipline, training got a lot tougher. But it’s fine—our seniors look out for us, so I can manage.”
“Good, you’re working hard.”
“What about you, Hermes? Isn’t attending the Marquis tough?”
“Me? It’s easy. Hardly anything to do—I just trail after him.”
“Really? That’s a relief. I worried, since you were the one usually attended to, not the other way around.”
“True, I was worried too. But apart from breaking some teacups, spilling ink on reports, splashing wine on his clothes, and accidentally letting all the pigeons escape, I’ve been doing okay.”
“What?! And you’re still alive after all that?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t scold me much. The Marquis may act stern, but deep down he’s soft-hearted.”
“So the rumors are true, huh.”
Rois muttered with a pout.
“Rumors? What rumors?”
“W-well, there are… rumors.”
“What rumors? About me?”
“I can’t say.”
“Why not? What is it? Tell me!”
“No.”
“Oh, you brat! You’re itching for a beating, huh? Talk!”
Whack!
Ximena smacked his back, just like old times.
“Ow! Stop it! So your wrist is healed now, huh?”
“Huh? Heh… you noticed?”
Without thinking, she had struck with her right hand. She grinned sheepishly.
“If your wrist is healed, why aren’t you training? Didn’t you say your goal was to be recognized as a knight? Have you given up?”
“N-no! It’s mostly healed, but not completely. Still a bit too much to wield a sword.”
“…Are you sure you’re not thinking of something else? You are, aren’t you?”
“S-something else? What do you mean?”
Damn. Did he figure out I’ve been investigating Kylian?
Ximena stammered nervously.
“If not, then stop wasting time serving the Marquis and listening to weird talk. Train with me instead.”
“Weird talk? What do you mean, rumors and all? Out with it!”
When she raised her fist again, Rois covered his head and blurted:
“It’s the rumors about the Marquis being in love with a handsome knight!”
“…What?”
“The whole order’s talking! They say he keeps rejecting noble ladies, lives with no interest in romance, and yet suddenly sticks close to you, the pretty-faced knight. So people think—maybe that’s his real taste, maybe the pretty knight bewitched him, all that stuff! How do you think I feel hearing that?!”
“Uh… th-that’s…”
“If you don’t still have feelings for the Marquis, then give up already. There’s a reason he never responded to your advances. It’s because… he doesn’t like women. He likes men!”
