Chapter 71

“Knights don’t take back their word, not once it’s been spoken.”  Latine nodded proudly.

“Which is why, right over there, basking in the sunlight and diligently working, we have our esteemed quartermaster.”

He gestured toward Rodella.

She wasn’t exactly “basking in the sunlight”—she’d simply come out because it was impossible to concentrate in the same office as Aivert.

“Huh?”

Latine gave the increasingly dazed quartermaster a sympathetic look.

“She seems a little tired, so let’s give our quartermaster a round of applause!”

“Wooooo!”

—Clap clap clap clap!

Caught off guard by the sudden cheers and applause, Rodella was left even more bewildered.

What the heck is happening right now?

“According to the calculations from our quartermaster, the knight who reduced damage costs the most this quarter is…”

Everyone held their breath at Latine’s words.

“Sir Lanark! Applause!”

“Waaaaaaaah!”

The cheer was drowned out by Lanark’s own screech(?) of joy.

He jumped up and down in place, screaming in delight.

“As promised, 5% of the damage reduction will be converted to gold and given to you. Use it wisely.”

Given that the Azure Order’s damages were usually astronomical, even just 5% of the reduced amount was no small fortune.

It was a life-changing reward, plain and simple.

“And next…”

Latine continued his round of awards.

The announcement of the results of this special initiative drew so much attention that people from other branches even took time off just to come see it.

Even though notifications were officially sent out, some people just couldn’t wait and ran over on their own.

Of course, the magician Felix also received an award for his contribution to the research department.

“The award recognizes the invention of the magic handcuffs, so I hope this inspires our other magicians to continue their work.”

In truth, the award was for quickly developing the key to the magic cuffs that had bound Rodella and Aivert—but that part couldn’t be made public.

Since all the knights had succeeded in reducing damage costs this quarter, they each received something they’d long wanted.

Some got musical instruments, others got looms, and so on…

“Let’s keep up the good work next quarter too.”

“Yes, sir!!”

It was only natural for morale to be high.

Meanwhile, watching them from a short distance, Rodella finally managed to pull herself together.

Judging by the announcements, this quarter’s results were excellent.

In particular, reducing large-scale damage costs to one-eighth of the previous quarter’s level was downright impressive.

And it wasn’t as though they’d failed to save lives either.

Even if the enemy had been not just the Red Order but the Red Order’s grandpa, they wouldn’t have pulled off results like this!

Rodella clenched her fist.

At this rate, the Chancellor’s seat was within reach!

She just needed one big achievement to catch the Emperor’s eye…

But since she had no idea what that might be—and making a fuss for no reason could backfire—Rodella exhaled softly and reached a conclusion: It was better to just focus on her work.

Yeah. Let’s focus.

“Can I kiss you?”

But the moment she resolved to concentrate, that memory from the ball resurfaced.

“I was finally starting to focus!”

Rodella grabbed her head in frustration.

She’d come outside to avoid getting distracted just from seeing Aivert moving around the office—yet somehow, she was even more distracted out here.

That spot over there? That was where Aivert always stood in the training grounds. And over there? That was the door he kicked in and destroyed. And then…

“Ughhh!”

Why were all her thoughts like this!?

Not that she didn’t have a reason for it.

It was all because of last night.

Rodella had gone to bed exhausted as usual—and dreamed of him.

“Can I kiss you?”

His image in the dream had been so vivid, it was hard to tell if it was a dream.

Though she recognized it was a dream the moment she noticed the difference—

Unlike the usual playful way he’d joke about going “elsewhere,” the Aivert in her dream had approached with a deep, serious gaze…

Smack.

A kiss on the forehead.

A low, ticklish laugh.

Then, slowly, moving down to her cheek…

“Ughhh!”

I’m losing it!

Rodella started smacking herself in the head with the papers she was holding.

“……?”

She could feel Latine and the knights turning to look at her—but she had no room in her brain to care.

Thankfully, since she’d never actually kissed Aivert (yet?), the dream hadn’t gone any further.

That single comforting thought had her writhing under her covers at dawn, unsure where to put her embarrassment.

Aaaah!

Instead of screaming out loud, she just kept kicking at the covers again and again.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

…Completely forgetting that Aivert had been there with her.

“Ahhhhh?!”

When had she gotten so used to sleeping next to him that she forgot he was there!?

That thought alone had her nearly shooting upright in bed.

Thank god the lights were off.

If he’d seen her acting like that, she didn’t even want to imagine what face he’d make.

“……”

Even now, just thinking of last night made Rodella want to start kicking the floor.

Why wasn’t he asleep? How did he notice? Did he not sleep at all?

He was a light sleeper, sure—but his voice had sounded completely normal!

Just as she was about to get swept up in that flood of thought again—

“Rodella?”

A shadow fell over her. And then—he leaned in, face close.

“Ahh!”

Rodella nearly threw all her papers in the air in shock.

It was shocking—when the very man she’d been mentally spinning around all morning suddenly appeared in front of her.

“I’ve lived my whole life with the confidence that my face isn’t scream-worthy.”

Well, from Aivert’s perspective, her reaction was pretty baffling.

“N-no, it’s not that.”

She couldn’t exactly say, ‘I was thinking about you.’ So Rodella frantically waved her hands.

“It’s just that you showed up so suddenly—no, wait, not like that…”

She shook her head.

“…?”

Aivert raised an eyebrow like he wanted to ask what on earth she meant.

Rodella could only keep waving her hands.

“……”

Then, after a brief silence—

She realized she’d just answered a question he hadn’t even asked.

Mortified, Rodella raised the papers to half-cover her face.

So this was how those noblewomen at social gatherings felt, hiding behind their fans!

They must have used those fans to hide their embarrassment too!

Just as she was trying to bury her face behind the documents—

The silence was broken by his calm, offhand voice in her ear.

“I’m heading out for fieldwork.”

“Huh?”

Rodella peeked out from behind the papers.

Aivert was pointing outward.

“There’s a matter in Royden. It won’t take long.”

“Oh.”

Rodella blinked.

So suddenly?

Of course, it made sense for Aivert to handle Royden matters, being its heir and all, but still…

An unexpected, faint disappointment welled up in her chest.

He gave a casual wave and turned to go.

As she watched his retreating back, a persistent question tickled at her lips—

Aren’t you even a little shaken?

Rodella wanted to ask, but stopped herself.

Meanwhile, Aivert walked on without breathing, forcing himself not to look back.

Only once he was completely out of her sight did he finally stop walking.

“…Haa.”

He exhaled—his face flushed red from cheek to ear.

And then he thought:

That was dangerously close.

He’d almost kissed her.