V2C1 Part1

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(Christmas week bonus chapters: 6/7)\n

Right after the banquet is over, it’s likely that I will face a serious problem.\n\nI have to discuss with Ortzen about my meeting with the High Priest. But I must not let him know that I’ve already known about his suspicion towards me from Captain Jullius! Will I be able to make him show all his cards under his sleeve without mentioning Captain Jullius? If I suddenly for no apparent reason sounded him out about his suspicion on me and that I’ve got a feeling he would prevent me from meeting with the High Priest, then he might sneakly just brush it off with a laugh.\n\n(T/N: 구렁이 담 넘듯 is a korean idiom and the literal translation is ‘like a snake crawling up the wall’ which means someone is playing smooth/being sneaky without arousing suspicion.)\n\nNonetheless, I don’t want to sold Captain Jullius out.\n\nI need to pay attention on what I should say, if I’m not careful with my words, then my secret might be exposed.\n\nTo be honest, I can’t win over him in battle of wits. I’m a knight, not an operation chief! Well, my process of thinking could reach to this level was all thanks to my deputy with his witty remarks. I was half-forced to learn while we’re bantering, but I still hate complicated matters. Shit! Should I just insist? What if I insisted while yelling at him that my intuition told me you’ll betray me? Alright! No matter what he would say to deny my accusation, I would just cover my ears and persist.\n\nIn the meantime, the horse-carriage finally arrived at Special Task Squad’s headquarters. As we got off from the carriage, we saw Ortzen was talking to someone in front of the headquarters. He just briefly sighed when he saw us. What an ominous sigh you got there…\n\n“Let’s get inside first. We’ve already prepared some late night meals.”\n\nMy ears quickly caught the words ‘late night meals’. Great timing! I was still hungry as well. A plate of desserts was not enough for me! The woman besides Ortzen took her leave and he led me and Captain Jullius to the dining hall. The large dining hall of Special Task Squad, similar to any others knight squad’s, had a long table that could serve a large number of people for dining together. There were twenty five chairs at the dining table, which indicated that Special Task Squad’s members was less than the number of chairs. Usually, there’re plenty of spare chairs, so I guessed the Special Task Squad had around twenty members in total. The number of Special Task Squad’s members were less than any other knight squads in comparison. In any others knight squads, their official knights, regular knights, and probationary knights would ate seperately so the actual number of members would be greater than Special Task Squad. For your information, there are thirty two members of Holy Knight Squad. Those are just the holy knights resided at the Central Church in the Capital, while every major churches in different regions have their own Holy Knight Squad. In case of emergency where all the holy knights gathered in the Central Church, I’ll be the commander in charge of the joint forces. It’s a rare case to joint forces, unless there’s a swarm of demons crossing the Black Desert that might endangered humankind. Well, I’m not the Captain anymore now.\n\n“You must be hungry, let’s talk while you’re eating.”\n\nWhat are you going to talk about? Captain Jullius and I sat side by side on the dining chair. Because we felt a bit guilty, we’re quite nervous right now. But, nobody should have seen it. I’ve thrown the plate and fork into the dark garden, so they will be discovered only after the day is bright. Even after they found it, how would they know that I was the one who threw it?\n\nAs I couldn’t figure out what’s he going to talk about, Ortzen who was sitting at the other side of the table, finally opened his mouth.\n\n“Captain. Why did you extinguish the chandelier’s lights in the banquet hall?”\n\n“It wasn’t done by Captain Jullius!”\n\nI spontaneously shouted.\n\n“Why are you randomly accuse others?”\n\n“… Miss Epheria.”\n\nOrtzen just sighed and continued to speak.\n

“Amongst the people who attended Her Highness Princess Aranea’s banquet, there were only two persons who could have do it, the vice-captain of Princess Aranea’s escort knight squad and Captain Jullius. So, Captain Jullius is the prime suspect.”\n\n“No way. I can do it too.”\n\n“…, what?”\n\nAlthough my current speed would be slower than Captain Jullius, it’s not difficult to do the same thing. Just throw a piece of wood to put out the candle, what’s so hard about it? Furthermore, it’s just one story high so it’s not difficult at all. It’s even easier to put out the candle because I can infuse my holy power into the wood pieces. All the official holy knights can do it.\n\nOrtzen was perplexed hearing my words.\n\n“So, Miss Epheria can also do it?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“…, then, are you the one who did it Miss?”\n\nMmm, what should I do? Should I just admit that it was my doing? Anyway all of this happened because of me. At that very moment, Captain Jullius who was sitting besides me, stepped in.\n\n“It’s not Miss Epheria, I’m the one who did it.”\n\nAhh… Captain Jullius…\n\nIn the end, Ortzen just nodded briefly.\n\n“I just speculate but turns out it’s indeed true.”\n\n“What, don’t you hear that I’ve already said that I did it? Why can’t you believe me?”\n\n“Because it’s not convincing enough.”\n\n… am I really that untrustworthy? Well, but Ortzen didn’t believe me in the first place though.\n\n“Captain, you’re really… I’ve told you to be extra cautious in your actions.”\n\nWhile I was still in a daze because my lie got exposed, Ortzen began his nagging to Captain Jullius. Wait a minute, the Captain didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all because of me!\n\n“Ortzen, our Captain Jullius didn’t do anything wrong!”\n\n“… our?”\n\nMm, calling him ‘our’ is indeed a bit weird since I’m not a member of Special Task Squad. Ughh, my old habit ,-when I was still part of Holy Knight Squad-, got me again that I made a slip of tongue.\n\n“Then… ‘my’ Captain Jullius.”\n\n“…, what?”\n\nWhat? Why did you have that kind of expression on your face? This time it’s right. When Ortzen was lost for words for unknown reasons, Captain Jullius turned his head to look at me and opened his mouth.\n\n“If you say so, then you’ll be my Miss Epheria?”\n\n“That’s right.”\n\n“No!”\n\nOrtzen screamed to deny it while looking at me with annoyed face.\n\n“Don’t teach weird things to Captain!”\n\n“What? What did I do?”\n\n“That’s why–no. Nothing. Nevermind.”\n\nOrtzen let out a long-deep breath.\n\n“Both of you shouldn’t say such words thoughtlessly.”\n\n“Is it no good? Isn’t this right? Captain Jullius and I will be engaged anyways.”\n\nI’ve never had any real relationship before, but I’ve received tons of love letters. In those love letters, all of them mentioned me as ‘My Roel’. Ah, perhaps I should call him ‘mine’ instead of ‘my’?\n\n(T/N: okay so this is a bit tricky. In the raw, Silla was contemplating whether she should called Captain with 내 or 나의. Both 내 and 나의 mean ‘my’ in informal speech with the former being the simpler form of the later. Tldr; they are both mean ‘my’ in english. No difference whatsoever.)\n\n“… it’s just a camouflage.”\n\n“Since it’s a camouflage, then it has to be perfect.”\n\n“I mean–“\n\nOrtzen looked back and forth between Captain Jullius and me with a complicated look on his face.\n\n“Because it’s only a fake engagement, don’t create unnecessary troubles.”\n\n“Mm, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”\n\nI don’t understand on how could ;my fake engagement, me calling Captain Jullius as ‘mine’, and unnecessary troubles; are related with each other. The first two matters might be related somehow, but what’s with unnecessary troubles? That aside, there’s another important matter than all of them. He said he would gave us some late night meals, but when will the food be served?\n\nAfter Ortzen heard my words, he looked down and held his forehead with one of his hand. If the other party didn’t understand, then you should gave an explaination!\n\n“I wonder how could you develop this kind of personality, coming from such family environment.”\n

Because the truth is, I wasn’t born and raised in Count Epheria family. When Ortzen was suffering from some other reasons, a lady who wore an exotic dress on her slender figure, appeared from the kitchen. She was holding a tray full of foods with both of her hands and walked towards the dining table. It looked heavy but she easily lift the tray. She’s pretty strong.\n\n“You’re Miss Silla Epheria, aren’t you? Nice to meet you. I’m Sana, the Special Task Squad’s chef~”\n\nOh, this lady is the chef who made the pudding! It’s my first time to meet a female chef. I stood up and gladly greeted her.\n\n“Yes, I’m Silla Epheria. Miss Sana, please take good care of me.”\n\n(T/N: 잘 부탁 드려요 is a common phrase said when you introduce yourself. The literal meaning is ‘please take good care of me’ or ‘I’ll be in your care’.)\n\nI hope to see you often in the future.\n\nSana also smiled happily while began to serve the food onto the table and I quickly helped her.\n\n“You’re so kind.”\n\n“It’s nothing.”\n\nAnyone who makes delicious food is always right. Even though it was a late night meals, but the foods being served here looked really appetizing so without further ado, I picked up my knife and fork. Just look at the mouthwatering main course! A roasted duck that was perfectly roasted until the skin became crisp in golden-brownish color and topped with plenty of orange juicy translucent sauce. To be honest, the meals served in the Count’s residence were really unpalatable, so it’s been a while since the last time I ate this big piece of meat. My daily meals were only consisted of bread, soup, or salad. But still, Sofia always said that I need to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to have a glowing skin whenever I asked her to give me some meat.\n\nHow could people live just by eating grass?!\n\nOrtzen who kept silent while we were eating, immediately raised from his seat after the plates were emptied.\n\n“Miss Epheria, can we talk for a moment?”

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