Chapter 17
First of all, I decided to conceal the boy’s identity.
I didn’t even know why that thought came to me, but for some reason, the man’s words—that he wasn’t my enemy—kept echoing in my head.
I was surrounded by people who could turn into my enemies at any time, anywhere.
The reason they stood on my side now was because they believed I would never betray them.
But what if my younger brother became a villain, just like in the novel?
And what if his sister happened to be the Empire’s greatest knight?
Would they still be able to shield me and claim I was on their side then?
Would they still stand beside me?
Could I truly be certain that the man standing before me now—Commander Alonso—would never one day point his sword at me?
I shook my head.
“I’m not sure. When I arrived, it had already fled.”
Alonso Vargas swept his gaze over my appearance in one slow glance, then spoke with clear suspicion.
“Then why do you look like that?”
Why… do I look like this?
Only then did I properly check my condition.
The dress Marian had carefully chosen was torn up to my knees, dirty with dust in several places. My neatly arranged hair had turned into a tangled mess.
I looked like someone who had just gotten into a vicious brawl with street thugs—and even I was shocked.
“Well, I tripped a few times, and it ended up like this.”
I brushed it off vaguely, then suddenly remembered why I had come here in the first place.
Ah!
Then what about the introduction?
Showing up like this on a first meeting… Feeling awkward, I scratched my head.
Of course, as long as I showed enough of my charm, clothes and hair shouldn’t matter too much.
Still, first impressions were important, so I dusted off my hair with my hands.
“By the way, about the person I was supposed to meet today—”
I lifted my head to look at Alonso Vargas, when I noticed someone approaching from afar.
A man was running toward us with powerful strides, sweat beading on his forehead. His 모습 reminded me strongly of the Alonso Vargas standing in front of me.
They looked remarkably alike.
The problem was—
the man had black hair and blue eyes.
…No way.
“Uncle!”
At the shout, my eyes widened as I looked at Alonso Vargas.
“Uncle…?”
“Tsk, this throws off the plan. Dropping the handkerchief won’t work now… Siona, trip me. Go for my foot.”
Instead of the originally planned handkerchief trick, he was telling me to trip him.
Suspicion solidified into certainty.
My trembling hand clenched tightly.
Is he seriously messing with me right now?
Before he could signal again, I drove my fist straight into Alonso’s chin.
Thud.
He flew backward with a groan.
I turned my gaze toward the man who had been running toward us—toward his uncle.
He stopped short, staring with his mouth agape.
I clenched and unclenched my tingling fist and turned my head away.
Moments later, Alonso Vargas pushed himself up and swung his leg straight at mine.
I lightly jumped to avoid the kick and looked down at him with open contempt.
He stared at me with a baffled expression, clearly not understanding why I was acting like this.
“Rodríguez, what do you think you’re doing?”
Ha. Who’s the one who should be baffled right now?
Were you seriously trying to set me up with your nephew?
I struggled to suppress my fury at Alonso Vargas.
Forcing back the curse words climbing up my throat, I said,
“Commander Alonso, as of today, I, Siona Rodríguez, resign from my position as commander of the Third Knight Order. Not just the command—I’m leaving the order entirely. So don’t even think about stopping me.”
“Rodríguez! What nonsense is this?! Are you out of your mind?!”
“Yes. I’m perfectly sane—and very clearheaded.”
“If this is about what happened earlier, there will be no punishment. Stop joking.”
“Joking? Hardly.”
I clicked my tongue in irritation.
“I’ve done more than enough. I don’t know why you’re so desperate to hold onto me, but if you want to cultivate talent, find someone else. I’m done.”
“Then why are you suddenly acting like this?!”
I glanced sideways at the relative who had come up beside Alonso Vargas, then clenched my shaking hand tightly.
“Because it’s my choice! I’m going to start dating now!”
“What? So that’s why you’re—”
“Enough! If you say another word, I won’t care if you’re my commander or not.”
Ignoring the insubordination I’d already committed, I continued,
“I deserve a break too. If you’re so worried about monsters, then you fight them. Or go fight the monsters yourself. Don’t drag me into it.”
At that, the commander’s expression darkened, as if he’d heard something he never should have.
“Do you have any idea how many villages across the continent are suffering because of monsters? Do you even know how much damage the knight order takes without you?”
Those damn monsters… monsters!
Everything Alonso Vargas had ever said to me boiled down to the same thing.
For the Empire. Only you can do this. The damage if you’re gone…
Looking back, he’d been forcing my sacrifice under the excuse of serving the Empire.
I stood still and looked up at the sky.
It was perfectly clear, not a cloud in sight. A pleasant breeze brushed against my cheeks.
On such a beautiful day, I’d fought an unidentified monster, scraped my back raw, and the man introduced to me by a superior I trusted—even just a little—was nowhere near my ideal type.
I opened my clenched fist and stared at my palm.
Thick calluses were firmly embedded there. Years of wielding a sword had warped my knuckles.
I took a deep breath.
Then, veins standing out on my neck, I shouted at the top of my lungs,
“What do I care?!”
My voice echoed across the empty plaza.
Commander Alonso blinked in shock, and the man beside him covered his ears in surprise.
I turned and ran without hesitation.
I could hear Alonso shouting my name behind me—but I ignored it all.
I abandoned the carriage and ran for a long time.
By the time my breath was ragged and sweat soaked through me, my mind had calmed somewhat.
Though my anger toward Commander Alonso had only grown.
When I arrived home, I looked terrible.
My clothes were filthy, my hair plastered to my face with sweat—and streaked with blood.
Marian stared at me, eyes wide in shock.
Seeing her frozen expression, I was about to vent all the frustration I’d been holding in.
“Marian…! I—”
“Miss! Hurry, please!”
Before I could finish, Marian grabbed my arm and dragged me urgently toward my room.
“Goodness! Did you duel someone or something? What happened to your clothes? This is no time to stand around—change first!”
Her hands were frantic as she undressed me.
I blinked blankly, then finally snapped back to my senses.
“What are you talking about? Why do I need to change? Listen to me first—”
“Oh my goodness! That’s not the point! Hah—hah! Please don’t be shocked, okay?! My heart is racing—I can’t even talk properly!”
What was she trying to say?
Had something serious happened?
Sensing the gravity of the situation, I focused on her words.
Marian had already changed my clothes, sat me in front of the mirror, wiped my dirty face with a damp cloth, and began applying powder.
Under her hands, my reflection quickly returned to a neat, composed appearance.
Crossing my arms, I asked,
“So? What is going on?”
Marian met my eyes through the mirror while fixing my tangled hair, then spoke seriously.
“Miss, the person we’ve dreamed about for so long… is waiting for you in the reception room.”
“The person… we dreamed about?”
I lowered my gaze, repeating her words.
The person Marian and I had dreamed about…
I snapped my head up.
“Don’t tell me—?”
Marian nodded with a satisfied smile.
Bang!
I jumped to my feet. The chair tipped over behind me, but no one cared.
“Marian, let’s go. Right now.”
Since childhood, Marian and I had shared novels and talked endlessly about our ideal man—only to conclude that such perfection existed only in dreams.
And now she was telling me that man had appeared?
I strode quickly to the reception room door.
Before opening it, Marian fixed my hair one last time and gave me an encouraging look.
Her eyes practically screamed, Miss!
Yeah. I answered silently with my gaze.
We nodded to each other and turned to the door.
Heart pounding, I grasped the handle.
Ah—come to think of it, I hadn’t even heard what kind of person he was.
Well, that was something you learned through conversation anyway.
Bang!
I flung the door open.
“Huh?”
And froze on the spot.
“That guy is—”
The man Marian had called our dream man was sitting on the sofa, sipping tea.
I turned to Marian and shot her a look that screamed What is this?
Misreading my signal, Marian clenched her fists and winked enthusiastically.
Yes—he was undeniably handsome enough to cause misunderstanding.
A sharp nose, elegantly curved lips, a well-built physique, and a sculpted face that drew the eye even when still. If I’d seen him in a dream, I would’ve gushed about his looks.
If only I hadn’t already known who he was.
“You’ll see me again soon.”
The words he’d said to me earlier were still vivid.
Soon was today?
Shouldn’t you at least wait a full day?
Not even half a day after we parted, the man was here again, looking at me with the same calm gaze I was giving him.
Marian quietly closed the door and retreated.
I stood there, dumbfounded, letting out a hollow laugh.
“If you’re a knight, you should carry your weapon like an extension of your body.”
Alonso Vargas’s words surfaced again, making me wonder if I should go fetch a weapon even now.
Then the man smiled first and spoke.
“You’re a little late, aren’t you?”
