TMLLT 50

Chapter 50

“Just Come In”

I was startled and bit my lip.

Then Roitz quickly stood up, brushing off his hands as if he’d been electrocuted.

The feeling had been so sharp that I wondered if there really had been electricity.

‘What was that just now?’

Was it really something flowing through me? Or was it some strange aftereffect of sword aura?

Roitz was still turned away.

“Sunbae.”

I finally swallowed the bread and called him again.

Roitz turned around calmly, unlike his sudden reaction just a moment ago.

“Why, Se–Serdin?”

He spoke awkwardly, but his face was calm—almost indifferent.

Seeing his expression, I wondered if what I had felt was just my imagination.

“Just now, that…”

I was sure it had happened when his hand touched me.

Hesitating, I suddenly grabbed his hand.

But Roitz immediately pulled it away.

“…There’s still crumbs on your face. Wipe it off.”

He pointed at my lips and handed me the handkerchief, then looked away.

“Yes, sir.”

I held the handkerchief with both hands and brushed off my cheeks as well.

“All clean now?”

Roitz stared at my mouth for a moment before answering.

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

There were often times when I couldn’t read Roitz’s thoughts. Especially when he looked at me with those eyes.

Eyes that seemed lost in thought yet carried a hint of loneliness.

I couldn’t tell if he was looking at me or something else entirely.

“Yes.”

I bit into the remaining bread absentmindedly as I looked at him.

Crumbs fell all over my lips again.

“Ah, shoot.”

Seeing me frown at making the same mistake, Roitz chuckled softly.

“Why did you brush it off earlier?”

“I’ll just finish it and wipe again. Do you want some, Sunbae?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Roitz smiled lazily as he reached to take the handkerchief back.

Just as I was about to return it, an idea came to me.

“Wait.”

I quickly hid the handkerchief behind my back.

“I’ll wash it and give it back to you later.”

“It’s fine. Just hand it over.”

“Nope.”

Roitz asked for it three more times, but I didn’t give in.

Finally, he gave up.

“Do what you want, then.”

In the cool air of early summer by the dew-covered garden wall, I let go of the strange feeling from earlier.

I focused on the task ahead of me instead.

When I grinned while clutching the handkerchief tightly, Roitz smiled faintly as well.

The Next Evening

I headed to Roitz’s quarters holding the washed handkerchief.

‘He should be home by now.’

He had gone to the Imperial Palace today.

I waited until I thought he’d be back before leaving my room.

‘While I’m at it, I’ll ask to see his quarters.’

That was the good idea I had thought of yesterday.

I figured Roitz’s quarters would be the perfect place to eliminate the beast.

It had to be somewhere private where he was alone.

After all, others didn’t know that Necroquad might one day hurt him.

To everyone else, Necroquad was Elche’s sword and Velkirente’s treasure.

If they knew I was trying to eliminate it, they would surely try to stop me.

‘His quarters are the safest place.’

To prepare, I needed to understand the layout of the place where Roitz spent most of his time alone.

Though I was his direct subordinate, I had never been inside before.

Returning the handkerchief would be the perfect excuse.

I entered the “Path of Reflection,” the tree-lined walkway behind the knights’ quarters.

Following the line of towering metasequoia trees, I eventually reached Roitz’s residence.

‘Almost there.’

The two-story building, built of the same pale stone as the main knight headquarters, came into view.

‘He should be home by now… He’s probably not asleep yet, right?’

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening.

Someone was coming out.

“…Sun—”

But when I saw who it was,

“…!”

I quickly pressed myself into the shadows by the garden wall.

Roitz wasn’t alone.

A beautiful woman with long, neatly kept ash-colored hair was with him.

She was smiling brightly.

‘…Who is she?’

I held my breath and watched.

“Roitz, then I’ll…”

They were talking, but I couldn’t hear their words clearly.

All I could tell was how close they seemed, and how warmly the woman looked at him.

She smiled sweetly when Roitz spoke and brushed a flower petal off his shoulder.

I stayed hidden, pressed against the wall.

Thankfully, they didn’t notice me.

The two of them left through the back gate of the residence.

“…”

Even after they disappeared, I stayed frozen in the shadows.

‘Why am I even hiding?’

It was strange. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

This wasn’t a forbidden place, and I hadn’t snuck in.

‘I only came to return something to my superior. That’s all.’

But it felt… uncomfortable, as though I was intruding on something I shouldn’t.

A few minutes later, Roitz returned alone.

“…”

But I still didn’t step out from under the wall.

I didn’t want to face him until I understood why I was feeling this way.

I stood at the edge of the Path of Reflection, trying to calm my thoughts.

‘I’m secretly plotting something behind Roitz’s back. Even if it’s for him, it’s still a secret.’

Because I was hiding something, I couldn’t face him without hesitation.

If I met him now, I might slip up and say something strange.

And… I was troubled because of him.

Meanwhile, he seemed happy, living in such a nice place and smiling like that.

Of course I felt unsettled.

‘It’s natural I’d hide. Natural I’d be upset.’

Once I understood the reason behind my emotions, they eased slightly.

Then I heard the sound of leaves rustling.

‘Rain?’

Looking up, I saw droplets falling from the cloudy sky.

“What the— Why is it suddenly raining?”

There was no overhang on the wall to shelter me.

“Seriously?!”

I quickly ran under the eaves of Roitz’s building.

There was a window on the wall.

A faint light shone through the curtain.

‘Who was that woman just now? What were they talking about?’

Even thinking about it now, she was someone who would stand out at any social gathering.

‘And he’s supposed to meet Lucike one day…’

I grumbled silently as I stared at the curtain.

Suddenly, the curtain was drawn back.

“…!”

Roitz was leaning against the wall by the window, and his eyes met mine.

“Serdin?”

The wariness in his gaze faded immediately.

He opened the window and leaned against the frame, meeting my eyes.

“What’s going on?”

He reached out and brushed the raindrops from my hair with his fingers.

I shrank my shoulders slightly and looked up at him.

“Don’t you have an umbrella?”

“I was hoping to borrow one from you.”

“Wait there for a second.”

“I’ll just come to the front door.”

I shielded my head with my hand and ran quickly to the front door.

The door opened as soon as I stepped under the eaves.

At the same time, the rain began to pour heavily with a loud roar.

I stepped closer to Roitz to avoid getting splashed.

“The rain is…”

It was so heavy I wondered if an umbrella would even help.

‘Will it stop soon?’

I looked at Roitz, wondering how I was going to cross the Path of Reflection in this storm.

But instead of handing me an umbrella, he pulled his hand back.

He tilted his chin toward the inside of the house.

The sound of the rain drowned out everything else.

“…Just come in.”

The rain kept pouring, and I clearly saw the shape of his lips as he said it.