IBWMD 42

~Chapter 42~

Well, I had sort of let slip a compliment without realizing it.

Still, I wasn’t particularly embarrassed or flustered about it.

‘It’s the truth, so what can I do?’

It just didn’t make sense for someone with a face like that to be a background character. Honestly, what was scarier was that he’d probably still be good-looking even with frown lines on his forehead.

As if wanting confirmation of the compliment, Karl asked again,

“So, you like my face?”

It was a strange question, but—

“…It’s not a face I hate looking at.”

His expression relaxed slightly, and he gave a faint smile. I shrugged.

“But you look like you’ve been through a lot lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“The New Year’s Festival keeping you that busy?”

Even his smile, which should have been out of happiness, looked tired.

I had a hunch he’d joke again and accuse me of worrying too much.

‘But still…’

“Did you also hunt some monsters?”

I glanced down at the finger that had touched Karl’s forehead earlier, my face growing a bit more serious.

‘I definitely felt a jolt just now.’

No matter how well the blood and poison had been cleaned off his skin, the residual magic was still enough to make my finger tingle.

‘I can guess how much he’s been through.’

He must have thrown himself into monster hunting pretty hard.

My thoughts wandered to the absent duke.

‘Where the hell is that man and what is he doing?’

Honestly, just having the duke here would make Saint Portou safer—his blood alone repels monsters.

Even if the northern monsters were swarming south, Saint Portou should be the one place he protects no matter what.

Would he really stay away just because he doesn’t want to see me? Even so—

‘How can he ignore his own territory when it’s in danger?’

He’s definitely demoted from husband to waste of a man.

I grumbled inwardly about the duke while taking another good look at Karl’s face.

‘It’d be a loss for humanity if anything happened to that face.’

“……Haa.”

Karl noticed me studying him. He closed his eyes briefly and let out an exaggerated sigh—like he was letting himself be pampered.

“Yeah. I caught a few.”

“You’ve had a rough time.”

Still, he seemed in a better mood now.

A minute ago, he looked like he’d rip someone in half if they crossed him. Now, maybe just a punch or two.

I glanced around quickly, then got on my tiptoes toward Karl. Seeing me, Karl bent his knees slightly to meet me halfway.

As his perfectly shaped ear drew closer, I whispered seriously:

“You know… if there were that many monsters, you could’ve brought me along.”

I’m pretty good at monster hunting too.

We could’ve cleared them faster and gotten some rest sooner.

‘And honestly, I had fun hunting together with him.’

If you’re gonna fight anyway, might as well use someone who can swing a sword.

“……”

Karl stared at me with a darker, more intense look, then gave a surprisingly gentle smile.

…Gentle? Not smug or annoying?

“Do you like me that much?”

“Ugh, what are you saying.”

There it is again, spouting nonsense—but with such a handsome smile.

My heart thumped unexpectedly, so I blurted out in irritation:

“Here I am, genuinely worried about you, and you’re just teasing me?”

“I was asking sincerely.”

His expression turned playful again as he looked at my disgusted face. His lips still held a trace of a smile.

“Do you like me so much you want to follow me around?”

“Excuse me. That’s my line.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you like me that much?”

“……”

“Following me whenever you get the chance, showing up like this out of nowhere?”

Let’s be real, you’re the one tailing me.

Sure, I know it’s because you’re ordered to guard and monitor me. But I said it anyway—so he could hear what it’s like to be on the receiving end.

“……”

But he didn’t answer.

Hello?

“……”

“……”

The longer the silence stretched, the more unsettled I felt.

Just when the air started to feel taut like a pulled string, Karl finally spoke.

“That’s…”

“Hold up.”

I cut him off before he could finish. I had a bad feeling that whatever he said next, I might not be ready to hear.

“Wait… don’t tell me you found more monsters in that same mine?”

I was really getting good at changing the subject.

Karl raised an eyebrow, but I pretended not to notice and kept going.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you something about that.”

Right. The blue titanium issue.

Now that I think about it, that was what I should’ve brought up in the first place. The rising tension quickly sank below the surface.

‘Letting a rare mineral rot away is such a waste.’

If there’s even a chance we can salvage it, I want to try.

And the man standing in front of me—Karl—might just be the missing piece I need.

‘I guess it’s fine to bring this up with Karl.’

Blue titanium is something that’ll have to be reported to the duke anyway, and Karl’s part of the duke’s household.

Still, just to be sure, maybe I should ask the skewer shop owner—

“Huh?”

Wait a second.

‘Where’d they go?’

Behind me, it was completely empty.

Jeremy and the skewer shop guy had vanished.

‘Was I talking for that long?’

They could’ve at least said goodbye.

“We weren’t even done talking…”

“Talking about what?”

“Something important.”

I mean, it’s blue titanium. That’s plenty important.

“Just how important is this conversation that you’d come all the way to a teahouse and sit alone—”

“More importantly.”

I grabbed Karl’s forearm as he started muttering.

No helping it now. They were gone, so I might as well go on.

“That rumor about the dragon’s relic… is there any truth to it?”

* * *

“…Are they gone?”

“Jeremy, that brat! He should’ve at least said goodbye!”

“Now’s not the time. We need to stay out of sight…”

“Fine, fine, but let go of my shoulder, kid! I’m gonna dislocate it!”

“…Sorry.”

Jeremy only released his uncle after they’d put some distance between themselves and the teahouse.

The uncle, practically dragged away in a semi-wrestling hold, rolled his shoulders and clicked his tongue.

“This is exactly why you can’t get a girlfriend.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you like a girl, you have to go talk to her. Not leave her behind like that…”

“Please. That’s not what this is.”

Jeremy shook his head in flustered denial.

“Ugh, such a hopeless case.”

His uncle looked at him pitifully—until realization hit, and he opened his mouth.

“Wait. I think that girl does have a boyfriend.”

“……”

“Big guy. Kinda familiar-looking…”

Jeremy fell silent. His uncle’s face gradually filled with horror.

“Don’t tell me, Jeremy. You’re into a girl who’s already taken…”

“Keep talking like that and I’m reporting your food stand for illegal vending, Uncle.”

“Oh come on, I didn’t mean it like that!”

Despite his outburst, Jeremy let out a quiet sigh.

‘Good thing Uncle doesn’t recognize the Duke.’

Jeremy turned back to see Karl and Elaine walking away arm-in-arm, looking… uncharacteristically cheerful.

“…Uncle. Honestly, you should be thanking me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, kid.”

Jeremy was sincere.

‘I mean, really…’

He couldn’t exactly explain the situation at the duke’s manor.

As he looked at his clueless, critical uncle, Jeremy sighed.

* * *

It all started in the duke’s office, which had become a mess of overtime and sleepless nights thanks to preparations for the New Year’s Festival and the sudden surge of mutant monsters.

SLAM!

The door burst open with a bang, making Jeremy flinch mid-report.

He looked up—and nearly mistook the figure in the doorway for a monster.

It was only Duke Kylian, face stormy with rage.

“……”

‘What the hell happened now?’

Jeremy’s survival instincts kicked in. He asked cautiously:

“Your Grace… Did Clark say something again?”

The duke and Clark had been clashing a lot lately, so his suspicion naturally went there.

Clark, who’d just recovered from a cold, had resumed work with a new obsession: preventing the duke from being swayed by the noblewoman from the capital.

“That girl’s clearly bewitching His Grace!”

Eventually, Clark discovered a letter the duke had written—one he never sent.

‘To be fair… that one was the duke’s fault.’

Seriously, why hadn’t he just destroyed it?

Jeremy grumbled inwardly.

It was the very first day the duchess had arrived.

Annoyed and intrigued, the duke had written a cold response telling her to leave if she didn’t like him.

Then he told Jeremy to deliver it after a while.

…And the next day, he went out to eat with her and basically forgot the letter even existed.

‘Right. He just forgot it entirely.’

Even if Jeremy had remembered, he probably couldn’t bring himself to deliver it.

‘It just felt too mean… like I was bullying the young lady.’

Not that he’d thought so at first—but somehow, it turned out that way.

Anyway, Clark found the letter and leapt at the chance to deliver it himself.

“You gave her a DRAGON’S WEAPON, Your Grace?!”

Clark had seen the musket the duke gifted her… and had another meltdown-induced blood pressure spike.