Chapter : 5 – Not a Single Peaceful Day
She somehow managed to show up for work, but her mind still hadn’t returned.
Cielie found herself slumped over her desk without realizing it, until she felt Leonard’s gaze and quickly straightened her back.
She had no energy even to scold him for sitting there reading a book instead of paperwork.
‘How did it come to this…’
She had been scammed and even kicked out of her home. Sighing again, she was already at her thirteenth sigh of the day.
Leonard, who had been silently watching her, briefly lowered his book—but said nothing.
The morning issue had been temporarily paused due to work hours, but it was not something easily resolved.
The person who had dumped her belongings into storage was the previous landlord. They had already moved out, leaving behind a message that they would come back for the remaining items later before disappearing completely.
‘I can’t just sit here!’
Cielie suddenly stood up.
“Commander! I’ll be back for a moment!”
Without even waiting for Leonard’s reply, she rushed out—and did not return until the end of the workday.
Still believing she could rely on her comrades, Cielie searched the capital with Saha, Lante, and Mielle.
They willingly helped her, but all they found was confirmation that the landlord had already fled abroad.
“They ran away with the deposit?”
“Yeah.”
Cielie looked like she was about to collapse on the spot, but Mielle grabbed her arm.
“This is exactly the time you need to stay strong!”
“Should I just get married instead?”
“What is wrong with you?!”
Mielle slapped her cheeks lightly to snap her out of it. The stinging pain helped her regain a bit of sense.
Sometimes people faint when overwhelmed—but apparently her strong body didn’t even allow her that escape.
Cielie sighed, blaming her own stamina.
“Marriage? Where did that come from?”
Saha questioned her, but she waved it off with a smile.
“If I marry someone who already has a house, none of this would happen, right?”
She couldn’t admit the truth—that she had already received a formal marriage proposal from her family for political reasons.
Suspicious looks were not only from Saha. Lante also kept watching her closely.
“Why don’t you just talk to the current homeowner? It’s a two-story house, right? If the owner uses the second floor, the first floor should be empty.”
“That’s… true…”
She couldn’t say that the homeowner was actually her superior—Leonard.
Cielie closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again with determination. Her sharp gaze made everyone take a step back.
“Mielle.”
“Don’t even think about it. You know I have five younger siblings. My mother is sick too. There’s no space for you.”
Mielle refused immediately.
Cielie then turned to Saha and Lante.
“You’re not seriously thinking of coming to our house, right? No way. If you come, my brother will think we’re engaged!”
“There are plenty of rooms!”
“Knight Cielie, you are a noble.”
“I KNOW THAT!”
Lante’s words made her shudder. She was a knight, but still bound by noble status.
If she stayed at Saha or Lante’s house, she would be socially ruined. Marriage prospects would also be over.
“…Wait. Why didn’t I think of this?”
Cielie’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Saha and Lante felt a chill and slowly backed away.
Mielle had already disappeared. Only Lante remained beside her.
“Knight Lante.”
“Y-yes?”
Even Lante, usually expressionless no matter what, was now visibly shaken.
“Want to marry me?”
“W-what are you saying?!”
His voice echoed through the street leading back to the palace.
Flustered, Lante grabbed her shoulders seriously.
“Knight, you must never say things like that in public. The world is dangerous these days…”
He lectured her like a child.
But as Cielie’s expression darkened, he stopped mid-sentence.
“…Is something wrong?”
“Knight Cielie! What are you doing there?”
A voice called from afar.
It was the deputy commander.
Beside him stood Leonard, expressionless.
“Greetings, Commander.”
Lante bowed properly as expected of a knight of the Lind Empire and nudged Cielie.
She finally bowed as well.
“I allowed you to leave for urgent matters, but I didn’t expect you to be loitering.”
‘Loitering?!’
Cielie glared at him, but under Leonard’s calm gaze, she turned her head slightly away.
‘Well… it’s not exactly wrong.’
She had skipped work after all.
“Knight Lante, explain why Knight Cielie is involved in this.”
“Why are you questioning Lante instead of me? Do I not have a mouth?”
Leonard scolded him.
Cielie stepped forward.
“I’m the one at fault!”
“Then follow me.”
Leonard walked past her.
The deputy commander signaled her to go, and Lante also waved her off.
Cielie nodded slightly and followed Leonard.
As they walked in silence, Leonard stopped near the palace gate and turned to her.
His black eyes made her flinch.
“What were you doing outside?”
“You already know.”
Her tone was slightly annoyed.
“…Fourteenth time.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
Leonard looked at her side profile for a moment before stopping again.
“Did you find the landlord?”
“Not yet.”
“Looks like a planned scam. It won’t be easy to find them.”
“You think so too?”
“You left the office before I could even speak.”
“Ah… right.”
Marplin, the capital of the Lind Empire, was the most expensive place in the empire. Housing was already difficult, and cheap rent like hers was rare.
‘I should’ve realized it was suspicious back then!’
She had never imagined something like this would happen. She was a knight of the Imperial Guard—and from House Arius. Who would dare scam a duke family in this empire?
Her expression grew serious.
‘I should issue a wanted order.’
Even if they had fled the empire, Lind wasn’t so easy to escape. She clenched her teeth, determined to punish them if caught.
Leonard watched her changing expressions with a faint smile.
‘Honestly…’
Completely lost in her own thoughts, forgetting her duties as a knight.
He lightly tapped her shoulder.
“Ah, Commander.”
“You seem distracted.”
“You know what happened this morning. Please let it slide today.”
“Are you referring to the incident where you collapsed on my bed?”
“Not THAT!”
Her eyes shook wildly.
Leonard looked at her silently.
“…I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t ask for an apology.”
They entered the palace gates. Knights greeted Leonard one by one, but Cielie barely noticed.
Her mind was a mess.
Inside the office, Leonard sat at his desk and flipped through a book.
“Are you not working today?”
“I can’t focus because of you.”
“How is that my—!”
She stopped herself mid-sentence.
If she argued more, the morning incident would be brought up again.
So she stayed quiet.
She didn’t want to talk to him at all today.
“Knight.”
Cielie looked up.
She had been unconsciously drawing circles on paper, which was now filled with black scribbles.
Leonard’s voice continued.
“If you have nowhere to stay… would you like to stay at my house?”
“Pardon?”
“If you can’t find a place, stay at my house.”
