My tension was relieved a little as I soaked in the warm water.
âHow can I meet Elliot?â
I pondered with a clearer mind.
It was great to arrive at Transcell without incident.
But the most significant event is about to occur.
âFirst, I need to get away from Ian and take the opportunity to find him alone.â
The problem is that Ian does not trust me.
Even if he had seen any signs of me leaving the inn, that I was leaving the inn, he would have told me to remain still in the room with his eyes blazing.
âHow do I get away from Ian?â How can IâŠâŠ.â
While thinking in despair, I heard a faint noise from the first floor.
It was the sound of knights loudly eating and drinking.
They are all solemn and courteous, but they seemed relaxed today. Thatâs understandable.
A twinkling light bulb lit up in my head when I heard the chatter.
âHold on a second. Alcohol?â
The pages of the original book went through my mind.
Ian had one unexpected point.
Heâs not a good drinker.
âAccidentally, he drank strong alcohol and destroyed the training ground only with a sword.â
It was a scene in the original novel that was used to describe how strong Ian was.
It was also the scene where the heroine first fell in love with IanâŠ..
âItâs unusual for the heroine to fall in love while witnessing the training ground being destroyed.â
But anyway.
The only thing that could put Ian out was alcohol.
I would try not to get drunk as much as possible, butâŠâŠ
âThis is the night of our victory.â
He defeated the King of Incubus yesterday and reclaimed the Holy Stone, and today he swept away the remaining of beasts.
There is no doubt that a special day should be commemorated.
âGiven that itâs the day, maybe thereâs a chance?â
Perhaps that guy who lives his life like a sword has softened a little.
It wouldnât be bad to try. I made up my decision and went out the bathroom door.
Ian was sitting on the desk chair, checking the unfamiliar documents.
He didnât even look back at me when I came out of the bathroom; he seemed very focused on the documents.
âHow should I suggest that we go down for a drink?â
I walked to the right side of the bed and then back to the left.
Walking was my habit whenever I was in trouble.
âIâm hungry. Do you want to go down to eat? No, Iâm sure heâll order the kitchen to put the meal on. If you want to talk to the knightsâŠâŠ.â
âWhat are you doing that makes you restless?â
Hukkk.
Ian abruptly turned to face me, his eyes blazing.
I thought you didnât even care.
âI-I am sorry. Did it bother you to read the documents?â
âBecause youâre flapping around like a flying beast.â
A flying beast. Flapping.
I kept my mouth shut at the unexpected insult.
âI think youâre planning something else this time.â
Ian slammed the stack of papers down loudly, which startled me.
He turned completely towards me.
âWell, letâs be honest.â
This ghost man.
I pretended not to know for now.
âWhat do you mean by planning on something? I donât know what youâre talking about.â
âIâm sure thereâs a reason youâve been around 10 times on both sides and 20 times in the same spot.â
No. Do you know me that much?
My tongue was pushed into the inside, and he knew exactly what I was doing, which I wasnât even aware of. Do you have eyes behind you when you become a sword master?
âNo, Iâm not. Hmm, soâŠâŠ Thatâs because Iâm a little hungry.â
âIâll go to the restaurant.â
âI, maybe. Can I come down and eat?â
Ian frowned and drew his brows together.
âWhy?â
âWell, hearing the people downstairs having a good time made me want to look around. Iâve been going with those knights for a few days now, but Iâve never actually spoken to them.â
âShould I disband them?â
âAre they my husbandâs subordinates?â
When Ian heard the word âhusband,â his face stiffened slightly.
Is it awkward to refer to him as a husband when you refer to me as your wife?
I moved closer to Ian because I thought Iâd discovered a few gaps.
âItâs a good day, and it wouldnât look good if the boss and his wife stayed in their rooms. They might be curious as to what the two of us are up toâŠ?â
Ianâs face hardened as he was taken aback.
Ianâs eyes seemed to become a little more hardened.
âYour subordinates downstairs are probably imagining the situation in this room by nowâŠâŠ?â
I lowered my voice and bowed my upper body slightly to Ian instinctively.
Because I was whispering to Ian, there were no more than two spans between us.
âOf course, it would be nice to look like a couple, but itâs embarrassing if itâs too explicit. Right?â
Ian stared at me, standing with his mouth closed in a straight line.
Well, was the line a little too provocative?
Looking back, I realized that the distance between Ian and me was again too close.
Ianâs blue eyes were dyed warm colours due to the ownerâs unnecessarily subtle lighting in the interior of the room.
âPretty.â
Suddenly, such a feeling flooded my mind.
At the same time, the alarm sounded.
Itâs dangerous.
My heart was thumping against the inside of my chest. Hearing a heartbeat in your ear is crazy enough.
It was only later that I was able to get my act together.
ââŠThis scent.â
Ian, who had wrinkled his brow, shifted his gaze to the side.
Smell?
I couldnât understand what he was saying as I tried to calm my racing heart.
âDid you put the bath salt in the tub?â
Ian, who spoke in a spit, abruptly stood up and drew the curtain back.
I silently sniffed the smell of my hair as I breathed in the cool night air.
âIsnât it just a light rose fragrance?â
Does your sense of smell become sensitive when you become a sword master?
Anyway, I was happy. I had no idea that if I had stayed any longer, he might have heard my heart beating for no reason.
Ian drew back the curtain and looked at me. He was so dissatisfied that his face tensed up like the northerly wind.
âŠâŠDid you not hear that?
âOkay, if thatâs what you want, we can go down.â
âUh, yes? Really?â
I thought he would be angry because he had a cold expression on his face, but he unexpectedly gave me permission.
Ian quickly turned around and crossed the doorway first without answering my question.
It was probably just a misunderstanding on his part that it felt like I was running away.
âRunning with Ian is a mishmash of words that donât quite fit together.â
With a grin, I followed Ian.
***
The restaurant was packed with knights, making the place quite noisy.
The Holy Knights, who always seemed conscientious and earnest, ran wild like untethered foals.
I understood this. This was a triumphant night, but Iâm sure theyâll be disappointed that they had to leave so many of their colleagues first.
The most effective way to shake off the deep ambivalence had to be alcohol.
âMaster! No, hereâs a bottle. There are ten more bottlesâŠ. Oh no. Saintess?â
âC-Commander!â
âHiccup.â
When Ian and I walked in, the noisy restaurant fell silent.
But only for a short time. The knights who slowly approached me started talking to me.
âThe victory was all thanks to the captain and the saintess.â
âYes, of course. At that time, the leader carrying the Saintess was like a warrior rescuing the princess.â
âAugh, if someone had taken the picture, all of the childrenâs book illustrators would have lost their jobs.â
At first, he was wary of Ian, but when there were no punishments against him, the knights seemed to become more excited, and their voices shot up.
âIâve always wanted to speak with the saintess, and it is an honor to have such an opportunity.â
âHaha, my apologies. I should have talked to you earlier, but Sir Ian didnât let me go.â
âOh, gosh.â
âOh, okay. Ehem.â
The knights began to cough and blush.
âThe Commander is soâŠâŠUh hmm.â
âWhat kind of dirty thoughts are you having?â
Ian had a cold expression on his face as he looked at the coughing knights.
âRight now, stop thinking dirty thoughts.â
âOh, yes. Iâm sorry. I was just surprised at the unexpected thoughtâŠ.â
âT-Thatâs right. Itâs something we do because we enjoy it. Whoâd have guessed the Commander and the Saintess would become such a wonderful couple? hahaha.â
The knight with dark brown curly hair smiled flatly.
âBut to be married to such a wise and beautiful person, we were actually really thrilled.â
âIs it only wise and beautiful?
âWe were deeply moved by your decision to go down to such a dangerous battlefield as Rycallion.â
âThe idea that the saintess is with us has boosted our spirits even more.â
âHahaâŠ..It is an honor to hear that.â
I laughed hollowly at the baptism of praise that was too difficult to bear, then drank a glass of wine.
No, wait. Itâs not my time to drink, but Ian should.
âHave a drink too, Ian.â
I tipped the bottle into Ianâs already full glass.
âItâs done.â
âItâs a good day. Right?â
I proposed a toast by raising my glass.
âMy hand hurts, honey.â
Ian gave me a sweet look.
I gave Ian a quick glance.
Can you see your subordinates watching us? Are you going to keep staring at me like that? Isnât it obvious that everyone is looking forward to seeing us?
âHa.â
Ian sighed briefly, then lifted his glass.
I didnât expect you to follow me. Screaming with joy inside, I quickly cheered my glass against Ianâs glass.
It was an excellent wine for savouring.
I emptied the cup unintentionally, and the knights filled it with new ones.
Then I filled Ianâs cup again.
Whatâs even more surprising is that Ian somehow didnât reject it.
With a wistful look, he emptied his drink continuously.
Now that I think about it, his face has been strangely stiff since the moment I mentioned the bath salt.
âWell, they say that after a battle, your senses become more sensitive.â
It would also be good to dull your sensitive senses with alcohol.
While Ian is feeling tipsy, I take advantage of the opportunity to find Elliot.
It was a perfect win-win operation.
But something was strange.
ââŠâŠ Why not get drunk?â
Although it was already over the fifth cup, Ian was no different from usual.
His skin, as white as moonlight, had not turned red, and his eyes were clear as usual.
âHahaha. So, you know. I told you. I will not forgive you in the name of God!â
âHahaha. Thatâs cool!â
The knights began to joke around individually as they stared nervously into Ianâs eyes, but Ian was not distracted.
âIâm sure youâre not good at drinking.â
It was strange.
I looked at the watch anxiously.
It was getting close to midnight.
Iâll feel pressured to go out if it gets any later.
âShould I go to the owner and ask him to bring him something stronger?â
This was the time to plan it.
Knock knock!
There was a ruckus outside.
âOh no, itâs those guys again.â
The owner hurriedly ran out.
âIâm sorry, knights. The bad guys are making a scene again.â
The owner rushed to the kitchen. It looked like he was going to go out through the side door.
Soon the ownerâs loud voice was heard in the back alley.
âShut up, you bastards! Why are you doing this to me again?â
âOh, get out of here. Iâm doing something important right now.â
The voice of a teen going through a difficult adolescent period reached my ears.
What exactly is going on?
I turned my head and looked over the door.
I saw a scene where some bullies were causing a ruckus.
âHaha! Youâre so stubborn.â
âTake this! Take this!â
What is he doing?
I frowned at the sight of someone bothering him.
ââŠGive it to me.â
Then I heard a low, scratching boyâs voice in my ear.
âSay something nice, give it to him. If you donât want to lose one by one tomorrow.â
âUh-huh, youâre scared.â
âWhatâs so precious about a bracelet thatâs all worn out? Isnât it because itâs a keepsake from your mother?â
Bracelet? Motherâs keepsake?
My eyes were wide open.
An old string bracelet. It was a keepsake from his mother, whom the main character Elliot valued more than his life.