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Episode 59: Sun and Shadows
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The eldest son of the Marquis of Winston, Kyle Winston, still felt like he was dreaming.
Even as he walked through the murky, dark, damp back alleys, his face was pale throughout as he dimly remembered.
“Please pay off the debt ‘with your body’.”
At the sudden sound of Annette’s voice ringing in his ears, the large man took off his glasses with one hand and wiped his face as if he was washing his face dry.
“—I’m going crazy.”
Maybe he would hear it all night long? This voice.
“Hah.”
Kyle sighed, folded his glasses and put them in his pocket.
In the light of a gas lamp, his face was revealed. The impression of childhood remained on the man’s face.
Of course, compared to the likes of the shy boy, his eyes were deeper, his stature was taller, and his blood-stained hands were hard and large.
For the past 10 years, Kyle Winston had been with Circe in the magical beasts subjugation squad.
It was a natural decision as the successor to the ‘Marquis of Winston’, who has been in charge of subjugating the magical beasts in the borders of the El Dorado Empire from generation to generation—
As it happened, that period coincided with the disappearance of <Circe>, the intelligence guild operated by Bizet.
In the sun, subduing the magical beasts.
In the shadows, information operations.
This was the secret that the Winstons had inherited from generation to generation.
The successors operated an intelligence guild under their respective names (like how Bizet used the name ‘Balrog’), but they were never found out.
From the mask that completely changed one’s appearance, to the technology that erased tracking.
As generations of Winstons passed, the method of hiding their identity developed further in sophistication.
However, attacking the prince’s procession was certainly a risky act.
Usually, when they do something like this, they would change the name in the intelligence guild and pass on the position of ‘Master’ to the successor, but

No matter how good Kyle was, he was only a little over 10 years old.
Eventually, Bizet made a decision.
“As of today, we are going out for a long period of subjugation. Now, the traces of <Circe> will be erased, and we will be faithful only to the role of the Empire’s magical beast subjugation squad
 My son is 10 years old and he will live on the battlefield.”
“I am fine, Father.”
“I believe, my son!”
It was from then.
Externally, he formed a beast subjugation group to protect the borders, and behind the scenes, he faithfully slaughtered the hunting dogs sent by Gerard.
Meanwhile, the boy grew up on the battlefield and he soon became a man.
As he progressed to his coming-of-age ceremony, he became a man without any shortcomings as the next master.
“Now I leave the guild to you, my son. Please take good care of my beautiful daughter-in-law in the future!”

It was a strange request (it’s usually the other way around), but once Kyle accepted it, Bizet went on a long vacation as if he had been waiting.
The people of Circe who returned to their intelligence identities from the beast subjugation squad got a new master and name, <Larva>.
And Larva started their first business here, on Bayoniere Island.
Chaak—
As soon as Kyle opened the door and walked in, the thug-like men greeted him warmly.
“Master!”
“You’re here? Hahahaha, did you stop by the bakery today as well?”
“Did you say even a single word today?”
On one side, men who were playing poker and drinking beer (‘one-eyed’ and ‘chubby’) stood up, greeted him, and asked questions.
(TL/N: oof, those men don’t even get names ;_;)
Soon, they had trembling expressions.
The chubby man stared like a dog at his owner’s hand when he returned (he was simply looking at him, but his face was like that), and then put his hands on his head.
“
Unbelievable! There is no bread today!”
Even ‘one-eyed’ was startled.
“Why no bread? Now, if I don’t eat bread from <Little Bakery> even for a day, I feel empty.”
“I am suffering from the ‘golden bread phenomenon’! If there is no cream bread in the house, my hands will shake and my saliva will drip and I get very nervous
”
“Don’t be noisy, shut up.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
At Kyle’s indifferent command, the members of Larva kept their mouths shut.
Kyle sat down in his chair, rolled up the hem of his coat, and clasped his chin with a half-leather-gloved hand.
“I have a big problem.”
“What is it?”
Kyle explained to the men what happened in Annette’s bakery today.
‘One-eyed’ and ‘Chubby’ lifted their faces up hopelessly.
For six months, their bashful master couldn’t hand over white flowers and a single chocolate, and only bought bread.
So should they be looking forward to it?
Would he speak to her today or would he speak tomorrow

While their master hesitated, the chocolate melted and the flowers withered, so he bought new chocolate and white flowers for her every day.
He was truly a terribly shy person.
Their biggest concern was whether their master and the girl would introduce themselves to each other within a year.
But now

“

!!! Such rapid progress!”
“Did you make an appointment for tomorrow?”
The man who said that rolled his one eye quickly, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“I didn’t make it, she pretty much ‘notified’ me.”
It was true. Annette suddenly chose a location and date for him to pay off his debt.
She did in a minute what he couldn’t do in six months.
“Master, is tomorrow a date?”
At the one-eyed man’s words, Kyle asked back with a slightly shocked face.
“
A date?”
Even as he replied, the nape of his neck was clearly red.
The chubby man gently brushed his beard.
“Repaying with your ‘body’, that is
”
‘Chubby’ predicted, “Perhaps she has something for Master to do.”
Near Bishank’s clock tower, there was a large market selling fruits, vegetables, and baking ingredients, and she was the owner of a bakery.
“Perhaps, she wants the Master
”
“—It must mean to give my body and soul.”
‘
No way? Master?’
The chubby guild member was stunned, but there was already a faint madness in Kyle’s eyes.
He swiftly glanced at ‘one-eyed’, but his comrade only shook his head in response.
The message was something like, ‘Looking at his eyes, it would be a mistake to try to stop him’.
Their master had a very charming appearance, but he was not good at dating because he only loved one woman in his entire life (and it was also an unrequited love).
“I must prepare a marriage proposal soon.”
‘Proposal, already
?!’
‘Already?’
The one-eyed man stared at the crazy love locomotive and opened his mouth very, very carefully.
“Actually, Master, it doesn’t mean that a man and woman who go on a date will get married.”
“
Is it?”
The chubby body also responded.
“Yes, yes!”
“It takes time. Proposals should be made after carefully examining the atmosphere with the woman.”
“Of course. How stupid of me. I naturally become an idiot when it comes to her
 I’m excited.”
Kyle sat down and brushed his flushed face.
“But I plan to propose as soon as possible.”
It’s already been promised. In fact, when he was very young, he promised her that he would propose to her when they became adults.
He asked while politely handing her a white flower, and she smiled like an angel saying she liked it.
From that day on, the young Kyle could never forget that moment.
Recalling that time, he had a dreamy boy-like face for a moment, but then he suddenly lifted his head as if he had come back to his senses.
Because a rather astonishing question flashed through his mind.
“What should I wear tomorrow?”
—This was the first time in his life that he was troubled about such a thing.
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The next day.
I was running down the hill as swiftly as a flying squirrel.
“Ah, you’re late.”
‘I’m sorry, Kine.’
As a self-employed professional, I didn’t have the habit of being late, but Vincent asked for help because Adam, a 5-year-old boy living downstairs, was ill.
Fortunately, it wasn’t serious. I gave Adam a fever reducer and put him to sleep, and Vincent gave me food ingredients as a thank you (he tried to give me the whole garden, but I dissuaded him), but in the end it took over 10 minutes.
Thump, thump!
Feet covered in white shoes ran down the path energetically and rhythmically.
A breeze that gently brushed the skin.
And brilliant sunlight.
Maybe because the weather was nice, the more I ran, the better I felt.
“Hah. Hah.”
When I neared the clock tower on Bishank Street, I straightened my hair and clothes inside the corner.
‘Maybe I’m late and he’s gone.’
Though, I couldn’t help it if it was the case. Since it was my fault.
Thinking I would have to buy the ingredients by myself, I stepped over the corner.
However;
“

!”
‘Kine’ was waiting at the spot.
My first thought was, ‘How long has he been waiting?’, and the next thought

‘Interestingly, I can only see Mr. Kine.’
—It’s true.
It was partly because he was much taller than the other men, but his beautiful eyes, and the sunlight that fell on his soft brown hair like an autumn wheat field


The square-rimmed glasses and today’s dapper appearance, were simply just picturesque.
Such a poetically handsome man

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The left side of the Bishank Clock Tower was a food market, but the right side was a downtown area for couples to date, so there were quite a few men waiting for their lover.
But the females, both children and adults, were all blushing and glancing at Kyle.
“

!”
Then, he suddenly found her.
Kyle’s eyes were filled with excitement as he watched her approaching little by little. The sun-drenched emerald eyes bent gently.
It was a sweet, loving smile.
“Mr. Kine, am I late? I’m sorry.”
“No.”
“Have you been waiting a long time?”
Kyle readily replied. In seriousness, putting a large hand on his chest.
“Not at all, lady. I just came here early because I have work.”
Upon hearing the lie, the flower seller next to him burst into laughter, “Puahahaha!”
This was because he had seen how this innocent man arrived two hours ago and waited. All throughout, with a very excited face.
“

.”
Kyle patted his blushing ears.