After a day, it seemed the deep scent on my body had faded to some extent.
The muscle pain that made walking uncomfortable had also improved significantly, to the point where I felt like moving my body to work out the stiffness.
And as a result of scheming a way to move while avoiding Vis’s eyes: Klen led me outside using the excuse of wanting a quiet walk as a couple.
‘It’s a perfect excuse to come out alone, but…’
The image of Linda watching us with warm eyes is still so vivid it’s embarrassing.
At the same time, she didn’t forget to add that I should return before I collapsed.
Seeing as she said to save the physical training for later, she seems to have more lecturing left for Klen.
We walked slowly, showing off our affectionate appearance to those around us, and entered the garden.
“How about we each investigate the current situation?”
There was no one around, but I kept my voice as low as possible.
“Aren, you’re fast, so scout the outside of the city. I think it would be good to check near the forest in particular.”
“Do you think Rodney won’t stray far from the forest?”
“In the end, isn’t the forest their goal?”
No matter how much he escaped from here, he wouldn’t have forgotten his goal.
There is no way he would leave a place they’ve worked on for so long without any lingering attachment.
Surely, he must be lingering nearby.
[Mm. Good! Leave it to me.]
Aren, seemingly happy to finally have a mission, fluttered his wings and soared high.
And as expected, he disappeared from sight in an instant.
“As for me…… there’s nothing else but attending the meeting. I’m also curious about what Miss Madeline supposedly brought.”
A meeting attended by the major figures of the castle would have higher credibility than half-baked rumors and would exchange relatively accurate information.
It’s better for Klen to attend the meeting than to wander elsewhere.
He placed his hand on my right cheek and asked.
“What about you?”
“I’ll look around to see if there’s any other information inside.”
Of course, since my body makes it hard to move around openly, I’ll have to hide as much as possible.
Just then, a knight was seen passing by in the distance, and we both fell silent at the same time.
While we were just staring into each other’s eyes without a word, Klen took a step closer to me.
Soon, warmth was added to my left cheek as he softly cupped both my cheeks.
“Since such an unsettling rumor went around yesterday, how about showing them the real thing today?”
“The real thing?”
While I was flustered, his warm breath reached my lips.
“…….”
“…….”
An unsettling rumor from yesterday.
That I was so close to a certain woman it looked like we were sharing a kiss.
Even if it wasn’t true, words passed from mouth to mouth would have spread through the castle in an instant.
Of course, that is a dishonorable rumor for both me and Klen.
I reached up and grabbed the back of his head.
Then I pulled him strongly toward me.
His startled face approached quickly, and he didn’t even blink until I touched his lips first and lightly sucked on them.
“If you want to kiss, just say so. Don’t make up useless excuses.”
“Then, I will do it now.”
“?!”
Before I could answer, our lips were deeply entwined.
Moreover, unlike mine, his movement wasn’t light at all, making me feel dizzy as if blood had rushed to the top of my head.
I don’t know if that knight is still nearby.
But surely…… this, too, would become a big rumor.
I only hope that whatever words are exchanged don’t reach my ears.
“Mmph.”
The tongue and lips that were exploring my mouth as if to devour me slowly pulled away.
The red tongue visible between them caught my eye for no reason.
It felt like he had touched something deep inside my heart.
“……It was a joke.”
As if noticing the trembling of my heart, Klen provocatively licked the corner of my lips with that red tongue.
“From now on, I will do as you say.”
I shouldn’t have said anything.
Jokes don’t work on this man.
Or, he’s pretending they don’t work on purpose.
“Ugh, come back here once you get information. I-I’ll go first.”
Hiding my eyes which were growing warmer, I quickly turned around and ran.
Hiding behind the shadow of a building away from the park, I first took several deep breaths.
My breath was so ragged it wouldn’t return to normal, and it definitely wasn’t just because I had run fast.
“Haah.”
After letting out one last long breath, I regained some stability.
I moved my steps while killing my presence.
Only after focusing all my nerves on my steps did I become calm and able to hide myself properly.
First, I moved quickly from shadow to shadow, from behind trees to between bushes, and to invisible corners behind buildings.
The guards didn’t notice my existence at all; they had seriously stiff expressions and didn’t open their mouths easily.
This time, I moved toward the Black Eagle Knights.
Just as I was thinking of looking for Rodney’s room, I saw young apprentice knights among the knights moving about in a bustle.
They were the children from the time they gathered to see Levatein.
I approached them and held my breath, opening my ears wide.
“……Why did that person desert?”
“I don’t know. No one will tell us.”
“The healer came because of a mana issue. Maybe it was because of that?”
It seems there isn’t much talk internally yet.
“Looking at how a bundle of papers disappeared, it seems like he’s planning to give up being a knight now.”
“After all this time?”
“Then he should have just requested it formally.”
“…….”
A bundle of papers.
Did he disappear with scrolls?
If so, it will be impossible to investigate what kind of magic was stored in them.
There’s probably no need to go to his room then.
As I carefully backed away to leave the area, I saw a dark shadow moving.
It was definitely a knight.
However, his movements were strangely urgent, yet his footsteps were light and fast enough to make no sound.
For a knight, he was being very careful not to be seen by others.
All of that caught my eye.
Without a second thought, I put everything else aside and followed him.
He didn’t go inside the building.
He moved around the outskirts as if navigating a maze before stopping at a place where not a single presence could be felt.
I hid among the well-kept bushes and moved in sync with his footsteps.
Who on earth was he meeting that he would move so silently in such a deserted place?
“……!”
