Chapter 92

Latine couldn’t believe it.

“Th-then what was all that lovey-dovey stuff they did in front of me?”

Wait—were they just dating without planning to marry?

Then why the engagement?

His head was a complete mess.

Ameris answered him with a calm, almost playful tone.

“It was an act.”

It was all fake??

Latine nearly smashed the wall from losing control.

“That’s insane…”

“It’s the truth.”

Their eyes met.

“……”

Latine had known Ameris a long time—long enough to tell.

She wasn’t joking.

Her expression was one of pure sincerity.

And there was no reason to lie in this moment. He knew that, and yet he just couldn’t accept it.

Then what was all that he’d seen up until now?

Clutching his head, he groaned.

***

“……”

After Cecilia left from visiting her, Rodella lost track of time.

Her throat was being treated, doctors came and went regularly to check on her condition, and time passed in a blur.

Some of the doctors worried she might develop trauma from the incident.

“Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Do you have bad dreams, or does your heart race when you see certain objects?”

“No, nothing like that.”

Rodella waved her hand.

She had had a bad dream(?)—but it wasn’t related to the incident.

As the doctors sighed in relief, Rodella kept her mouth shut.

She couldn’t exactly admit that her mind was being haunted by the head of their house.

So she was left alone to wrestle with her thoughts.

What had he said the last time he visited?

“Get some rest,” maybe?

Despite how much he had scrambled her thoughts, Aivert had barely come by lately—probably busy with work.

Thanks to that, Rodella spent her time alone, sighing in bed, glancing toward the door, then staring blankly, and sneaking peeks at the window.

Unconsciously hoping he’d come by.

When she glanced at the calendar, she realized it had already been a long time since his last visit.

Long enough for a pang of resentment to stir in her heart.

“……Am I really waiting for him? For real?”

It wasn’t like they had long conversations when he came. So why?

—The Red Knights are getting annoying. Maybe if I wreck their HQ, they’ll lay low for a while?

—Could you not?

Ridiculous nonsense.

—Just leave all your work to me. I’ll handle everything. Cleanly.

—…Cleanly?

…Even that ominous nonsense wasn’t any different than usual.

And yet, the fact that she looked forward to those meaningless conversations meant something in her had definitely changed.

“Uugh.”

Rodella clutched her head again.

Ever since she started seeing him differently, her heart had been racing out of control.

The problem was—she was the only one like this.

“That bastard hasn’t changed at all since the Academy.”

Sure, he treated other people differently now, but toward her, he was always the same.

In other words—

“So it’s just me!!”

Thud! Thud!

Rodella banged her head against the wall.

Then—

“Are you alright?!”

The doctors, startled by the vibrations, came running, and she had to spend a while convincing them she was mentally sound.

After being discharged and finally returning to the knight order—

“From today, Dame Syveric will be assigned indoor duties only.”

Commander Latine declared solemnly at her return.

“I was barely ever assigned fieldwork to begin with, Commander.”

Rodella retorted, baffled, but Latine shamelessly responded,

“From now on, your critical task is to ensure that all lights in HQ are off by midnight.”

In other words, she was being told to stay put and not go anywhere.

“…Understood.”

At first, it sounded absurd.

But considering how worried he must’ve been—

Rodella scratched her cheek awkwardly.

Still, her mind only briefly lingered on Latine.

As she went into the office for her new “assignment,” she stopped in her tracks at the scene inside.

He was there—ever since she’d started sharing the office with him after being cuffed together.

As always, Aivert was calmly receiving reports from others.

“Then we’ll reinforce the Western branch’s forces for now.”

“I’ll report to the commander, so you go on.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knight saluted enthusiastically, and her long dark brown hair shimmered under the light.

While Rodella had been hospitalized, many female knights had transferred in from the branch office—specifically, to HQ.

Of all places.

And for some reason, Rodella found it incredibly irritating.

Even though they were just working.

“This is the report.”

‘……’

As she handed him the report, their hands touched.

That hand must’ve felt his warmth too.

Just like when Rodella had held Aivert’s hand.

His warm hand.

That pointless thought consumed her mind, leaving her unable to even say “I’m back.”

Especially—

Especially when she realized she was comparing the female knight’s hand, hardened by wielding a sword, to—

「She’s the one I’m going to marry.」

The hand from the woman in her dream.

Rodella’s mind went completely blank.

It was ridiculous, but—yes.

She couldn’t even remember how she eventually greeted Aivert.

She just sat quietly at her desk, flinching every time another female knight walked in.

If their hands didn’t resemble that woman’s, then maybe it was their vibe.

Every time she heard laughter, her ears perked up.

While she struggled to concentrate—

“Reporting in.”

A voice hit her ears, pulling her back to reality.

Another female voice.

“—Lord of the House.”

‘Lord of the house?’

Rodella’s eyes widened.

Turning her head, she saw a woman in a recon uniform standing at attention.

“Besides the current incident, we’ve confirmed recurring cases and abnormally large criminal groups in the Red Knights’ jurisdiction.”

“Oh.”

Aivert’s lips curled upward at that.

He’s pissed.

“They’ve been turning a blind eye to crime for payment, then arresting the culprits once they grow big enough, manipulating the Red Knights’ records.”

What the hell? Rodella scoffed at the absurdity.

“Evidence?”

But Aivert didn’t even flinch.

“It’s being erased quickly. It seems they’re moving fast to avoid Lord Royden’s scrutiny.”

Rodella looked again at the recon officer.

She was clearly addressing Aivert as the head of the Royden family, not just as vice commander.

She wasn’t speaking as a neutral recon agent—but as a Royden subordinate.

“Focus only on confirmed information.”

Aivert gave his instructions.

Rodella recognized this woman—she’d seen her before.

But back then, she’d called him—

“Vice Commander.”

Even when it had been just the three of them: her, Aivert, and this officer.

Now, they no longer bothered to hide Royden-related matters from her.

Unlike before.

“Understood.”

The woman bowed and gave the distinctive Royden family salute Rodella had seen many times.

“The Royden family is more deeply rooted in the Empire than you’d think.”

Just like Ameris had said.

Now it made sense why the normally reckless Aivert had such rapport with the recon and transport units.

If they were Royden people from the start, it was a different story.

“This is for internal records.”

The officer handed over the last document.

Aivert skimmed through it and gave a small nod.

Then he turned to Rodella.

“Rodella.”

Rodella had been watching everything like it was a stage play, only to realize, a beat too late, that she was in it too.

“Y-yeah?”

“I’m going to report to the Commander.”

He held up the document.

Rodella instinctively stood.

“I’ll come with you.”

There was no reason for him to refuse, so she didn’t even wait for his answer before grabbing her coat.

But then—

“No, I’ll go alone.”

Aivert said firmly.

Not like usual.

Rodella stared at him, startled by the unexpected reply.

“Alone?”