Chapter 124
“I Have Something to Say”
Before I could even think about what he meant, he continued.
“Is it hard?”
“Huh?”
“You said liking one person is hard. If it’s that hard, why keep liking them?”
Rattle—the carriage stopped.
We had arrived at the knights’ quarters.
I wondered—was it hard for Cute too?
He said he liked me, but I didn’t like him back.
I always thought unrequited love was something you could just get over. But now that I had experienced it myself, I knew it wasn’t so simple.
It hurt so much I thought maybe there should be a law for ‘unrequited love leave.’
“You too… is it hard?”
“No. Not at all.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Don’t call it a relief.”
He sounded sulky. But since I understood his pain now, I could be a little kinder.
Cute got off the carriage and held out his hand to me.
“Even so, I don’t regret it. I never hid my feelings. I never ran away out of fear. Unlike some foolish idiot I know.”
“Who?”
He pointed at my head.
“That idiot’s in here.”
“…You mean me?”
“Oh, you too, Sister. You’re just the same. Foolish. Idiot.”
Cute chuckled.
When I glared at him with wide, sharp eyes, he just laughed louder.
“You’re always so rude, Cute.”
“Ruder than the one who asked me a few days ago if I still liked them, right after I confessed?”
“…Sorry.”
“Forget it. Between us, being rude doesn’t even matter anymore.”
He climbed back onto the carriage, sliding open the little window.
“Then I’ll go.”
“Yeah, take care.”
“Foolish idiot.”
“You brat…”
The carriage left quickly.
I stood there watching the dust settle, then returned to the quarters.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
By dawn, with the rooster crowing, I was already heading to the knights’ hall.
This couldn’t go on.
I needed a drastic measure.
At sunrise, I finished writing a document in the knights’ hall and left it on Roitz’s desk.
It was titled:
“Vacation Request.”
That was my drastic measure—to keep Roitz away from my sight for a few days.
“Commander, may I come in?”
Deneb stepped into Roitz’s office, hurriedly finishing his task before leaving again.
For three days now, the office had been filled with a heavy, frightening aura.
Even though Roitz wasn’t yelling or angry, the atmosphere was suffocating.
“Phew…”
Deneb sighed the moment he stepped out.
“How’s the Commander? Can I get something signed now?”
Lizzie, waiting by the door, tapped his arm.
Deneb shook his head firmly.
“Really? He’s scary as hell.”
“If you want it signed, do it now. It won’t get better later.”
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
The only change was that Serdin Vivi, one of his aides, had taken sudden leave.
‘Come to think of it, she always said this. That if she suddenly disappeared, the Commander would come to his senses. Looks like she really tried it this time.’
But instead of calming down, Roitz only grew more frightening.
“When will Serdin return…”
Still, Roitz wasn’t lashing out or handling work unfairly.
It was just… his heavy, oppressive air drained everyone around him.
Deneb and Lizzie peeked through the door again, then quickly retreated when Roitz’s gaze flickered their way.
Roitz sat still, lost in thought.
Why had Serdin taken sudden leave?
And for several days at that?
She always said she’d quit, but he knew she wasn’t really the type.
Which meant something serious had happened.
‘Is it because she lost her aura?’
He worried.
He knew what it felt like—to suddenly lose the power you carried all your life. He had once lost his Necroquad.
The helplessness. The struggle to stand back up again.
Back then, the only reason he managed… was Serdin.
Her words, her steady presence. That was what gave him strength.
‘But for Serdin, I…’
He buried his face in his hands.
The last thing he remembered her saying echoed in his ears:
“Please yell at me. Scold me for no reason. Say things that make me want to quit.”
Did she really see him that way?
“….”
He sighed and pushed his hair back.
Instead of helping her, he had made her think things like that.
He pressed a handkerchief to his eyes.
A tear-shaped mark appeared.
One day.
Two days.
Three days.
He threw himself into work.
He investigated the masked figures Serdin had written about before leaving.
Rain poured, then cleared. The sky turned blue again.
And on that bright morning—
“….”
From the window, his eyes widened.
A knight with bright red hair tied high, holding a sandwich in one hand and her uniform jacket in the other, was walking toward him.
Her round green eyes looked straight at him.
“Serd…”
Serdin had returned.
Without thinking, Roitz leapt from the office window.
Startled, Serdin shoved the rest of the sandwich in her mouth and swallowed.
“You’re back?”
He landed perfectly and strode toward her as if nothing had happened.
“Commander, if you do things like that so casually, it makes all my training look pathetic.”
“Serdin.”
She brushed off her hands and turned him around.
“I have something to say.”
“Let’s go inside first.”
“No. I’ll say it here. I don’t know when I’ll be ready again. Not that I’m fully ready now either.”
What was she about to say?
Surely she wasn’t going to quit?
“Serdin, think again. Do you really want to say it now?”
“Yes. I’ve thought about it a lot these past days. And if I don’t say it, I won’t be able to go on.”
Her tone was firm.
“This might be difficult for you to hear. It may even sound selfish. But I can’t help it.”
He was more certain now—
She really was about to quit Elche.
He turned, but she held onto his back, not letting him face her.
“It’s strange, but I can’t say this while looking at your face.”
“Serdin, I was wrong.”
“I’m not saying this to hear an apology. This isn’t your fault. Well… maybe it is, a little. But no, it’s not really your fault.”
She was rambling nervously.
Roitz couldn’t even focus on that.
“Serdin…”
“Anyway! Just listen first.”
“…Alright.”
He tilted his head back, forcing down the tears in his eyes.
If he cried in front of her now, after driving her to this point, how much more painful would it be for her?
“Just listen. After that, turn and leave for your quarters. I’ll go to the office. Don’t follow me there.”
“…Okay.”
Serdin took a deep breath.
And then she said it—
“I think… I like you, Commander.”
My heart pounded.
Did I really just say that?
Wait—why did I say it?
No, if I hadn’t, I probably would never have been able to see Roitz again.
But even now… could I still face him?
What would he think of me?
Would he see me as a pathetic aide who couldn’t even focus on her duties?
Even if it was pathetic… I still liked him.
At that moment, Roitz turned around.
“I told you not to turn around!”
Panicked, I spun the other way, ready to run.
“Serdin! Please stop!”
He called me—and of course, I couldn’t ignore it.
He knew I couldn’t. That’s why he said it.
But what could I do? My heart was already laid bare.
I froze where I stood, unable to look back.
Behind me, I heard his footsteps approaching.
‘How will I ever face him now…?’
And then—suddenly, he pulled me into a strong embrace.
“….”
His arms wrapped tight around me.
He pressed his face against my shoulder.
And in my ear, I heard the sound of his trembling breath—
a mix of relief and fear.
