Became the Escort Knight of the Villain in the Romance Novel

26 – Winter (4)

Last time, the street was very crowded, but today it was exceptionally quiet, and I slowly moved my gaze.

At that time, it was a little better because Lopena and Sir Chris were with me.

When I was alone with Irene like this, I couldn’t understand why the air was so awkward.

Didn’t you talk a lot when you first met?

Where the hell did the courage of that time go? Now, all I could do was shyly open my lips and then shut my mouth again.

At least if we had a conversation, this atmosphere would soften,

Irene also stayed still, so an uncomfortable silence seemed to surround her.

Jerobeok, jeobeok.

When you hear the sound of footsteps walking without knowing where your destination is,

All I could do was laugh bitterly at this suffocating silence.

Isn’t the situation a bit different from the one she thought of going out?

Still, I thought we would have some conversation.

Even after a long time, there was only silence, and I just stared at Irene.

Even though she walked like this, she still hasn’t bought anything.

Books, papers, writing instruments. But if it’s not accessories or jewelry, what are you buying?

When I suddenly looked away, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the big sign in front of me.

[Upper Verde Weapon]

“…Lady?”

As she steps in front of the top of the weapon, I open her mouth with a puzzled expression.

As for the reason for stopping here, is it because of what I said earlier?

Irene glanced at me like that, and then she replied with an insensitive expression.

“He said he needed a sword. Let’s go buy it.”

“Did you really buy it?”

“…Then did you think I was joking?”

As if her mood had gotten worse, Irene narrowed her eyes for a moment, then turned her head around and walked towards the top of her weapon.

What the hell are you thinking?

She had never spent so much money on a regular basis, so she couldn’t figure out why she was doing it today.

Just staring at her in dismay.

#

I never thought that choosing a birthday present for her would be so difficult.

I had the mindset that it would be fine if I just bought something expensive.

As soon as he came out of here, the question arose whether he would be satisfied with something like that.

I didn’t always like it even if I just received something expensive as a gift.

Evan also wouldn’t be genuinely happy if it wasn’t to his liking.

Then what should you buy?

In the first place, since it was the first time giving something called a gift to someone else, it was just dark before my eyes.

She should have asked when she raged that Lopena was ready, she did and she thought for a moment, but she soon shook her head and brushed her thoughts off.

Rather, why don’t you ask around?

It was quite funny that I wanted to see him happy without even realizing it, but

Wouldn’t it be natural for her to want the gift giver to be happy on her birthday?

She walks her way, lost in her troubles, and then she turns her head to look at her own escort knight.

The blonde hair soaked in the moonlight glistened, and she blinked her eyes for a moment,

As I inadvertently turned my gaze to the green eyes that were looking at me, a soft voice flowed through my ears.

“By the way, what are you here to buy?”

A present for your birthday.

I wanted to say this in my heart, but wasn’t it worthwhile to come out without saying anything?

The words that came out of her mouth were no different from a vague expression of what she wanted from him.

“…I just have something to buy. Is there anything Evan can buy?”

“Okay.”

Blank laughter leaked out as the least wanted answer came out.

I wish I could be a little more honest,

I realize again how tricky it is to celebrate the birthday of an escort driver who doesn’t always say what he wants.

Evan opened his mouth just as his eyes darkened and he tried to argue with him without realizing it.

“I need a few swords.”

A sword. At those words, there was a twinkle in his eyes.

Hey, since I’ve been training for a while lately, I probably need a sword.

Since the sword the duke gave you was for ceremonies, you would be reluctant to use it on a regular basis.

I let out a light breath as my stuffy chest seemed to be loosening up a bit.

The sword he gave me. This is the first time I’ve given a sword to an escort knight, so I’m not sure what to give.

Maybe just giving something for the first time is meaningful.

How many times have we walked together like this? What came to mind before long was the thought that this was the first time.

It was the first time, this, and that, so this moment just felt new.

It was summer when I met him, and now it’s winter, so this season was also the first time.

The feeling that the word gives is why it is so warm, I felt the heat rising in my chest awkwardly.

It’s winter, how can you feel the heat?

After entering the city, what his eyes were looking for was the top of his weapon.

Since he said that his knight wants a sword, it would be appropriate for him to find and buy the best sword in return.

Although he didn’t know that much about swords, at least he knew that the arms guild in this duchy was famous.

For Julis, who protects the northern part of the empire, what he needed to earn the title of shield was a strong military force and corresponding weapons.

If it’s a weapon that can’t be found in this Julis, it’s safe to assume that it doesn’t exist in this world.

After walking for such a long time and reaching the top of a weapon, my escort knight looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Maybe he was disappointed to come to the top of the list of weapons like this.

However, the words that came out of his mouth were very different from what I thought. It was to the point where I even had an unpleasant feeling.

“Are you really buying it?”

Unbeknownst to me, my eyes are frowning. Didn’t he say that he looked like a petty person who couldn’t even buy a sword for an escort knight?

What Evan said sounded like that to me. Even if he didn’t think so, his pride was already cut into pieces.

“…Did you think I was joking?”

I thought just one bag would be enough. Apparently, Evan seemed to have forgotten for a moment what kind of person he was escorting.

All titles such as the princess of Julis and the kicking shield were not very pleasant, but at this moment, I will show an appearance that suits the title.

As I strode forward and entered the upper section, a greedy man with a long black mustache approached me.

I didn’t like the way he touched his protruding belly, but

Now is not the time to worry about such things, so I looked at him and opened my mouth.

“What is the best sword here?”

“…As for the best sword, there is one that came in recently, but the price is not cheap. Would you like to take a look?”

It didn’t matter if the sword was good or what the price was.

From the moment he entered the top of this weapon, it was as if his choice had already been decided.

Before long, his raised hand pointed at all the swords from the entrance to the end of the room.

“Send everything to the duke’s residence.”

Isn’t it the fastest to buy everyone?

If you buy all of them without having to listen to them one by one, the day will come when you will write about them someday.

If you don’t use it, you can give it to the knights. Money? I’ve never worried about anything like that since I was born.

Even if I bought everything here anyway, it would only empty one jewelry box.

A look of surprise flashed across his greedy face,

Incomparable to before, the merchant bowed down and began to open his mouth hesitantly.

“Go, duke’s residence.”

“Are there other ducal residences in this place other than one?”

“Oh no!”

Looking at the merchant coldly, he soon began to flinch and lower his head like a broken machine.

It looked very pathetic, but it didn’t matter too much. What kind of expression is his own escort knight making?

When I turned his gaze to look behind him, Evan was just staring at himself with a look of bewilderment on his face, his eyes wide open.

“My lady? What the hell is this…”

“Didn’t you say you would buy me a sword? I just bought it. I plan to send them all to the duke’s residence, so you can choose what you want later.”

For some reason, laughter leaked out. Was he expecting this kind of expression from Evan?

Looking at him blankly, Evan just blankly stared at the merchant, who started packing his weapons, with a puzzled look on his face.

“Let’s go.”

The business is over. Wouldn’t this be enough to imprint my dignity on my escort knights?

Stepping past Evan, who was standing in a daze, felt lighter than ever.

#

“Are you okay with spending money like this? Because of me-“

“It’s not because of you. I just bought it after buying a sword.”

“…Wasn’t it too much for that?”

Evan let out a sigh within seconds, and now he just smiled bitterly, saying he didn’t even know.

He was the one who spent the money, but why is he being so special?

After staring at him like that, when I looked away, what caught my eye was a fairly familiar bookstore.

Was it the bookstore you stopped by the day you first met him?

Perhaps he noticed that he was staring blankly at the bookstore, so Evan approached and opened his mouth.

“It’s been quite a while. Since then, I haven’t been to the bookstore a few times.”

“Because I’ve been busy.”

Since there was a tea party, a festival on the anniversary of the founding, and even a ballroom held by the prince, there was not much time to buy or read books.

Actually, it’s been quite a while since I took the time to come out like this.

Looking at the bookstore like that, the fact that I was with Evan suddenly felt strange.

Remembering what he thought of Evan back then, it was a natural thought.

Just like the other escort knights, I thought he would disappear in a few days.

His swearing-in ceremony, which had been by his side for several months, was now just around the corner.

He would continue to be his escort knight. Unless someone kills it.

“At the time, I didn’t know it would turn out like this. In fact, I thought it would be cut soon.”

“…Sorry. Then.”

“You don’t have to apologize, but it’s already over.”

As if nothing was wrong, I looked at him smiling lightly and shrugging his shoulders.

-Please keep in mind the title.

When he remembers what he said to Evan at that time, his eyebrows naturally frown.

Isn’t there a reason to be so coldly bruised about what that title is?

Even though it was a title he didn’t like, he now only regrets his past self who pushed him away just because he wouldn’t let him come to him.

“Lord Soga.”

My body froze at the voice I heard before long.

He was still looking at me with a smile on his face, but there was definitely warmth in his green eyes.

Unlike before, he couldn’t understand himself reacting so sensitively to that one word.

Suddenly, his hand trembled, and he held onto the arm with his other hand and breathed out with difficulty.

Anxiety welled up in his frustrated heart.

It’s just that one title has changed, but for some reason it feels like he’s moving away forever. A new quivering voice leaked out of his lips.

“…Evan.”

“We used to call it like this in the past. Not now but.”

“Evan.”

It was only then that Evan looked at him with a worried look, perhaps noticing that his voice was different from before.

The gaze looking at him was still warm.

With that alone, the accumulated uneasiness in his chest dissipated, and he held on to his sleeve and opened his mouth again.

“Don’t call me… by that title.”

“…Yes?”

I didn’t like that title myself. No, to be precise, I hated that he called himself that.

I felt like I was drawing a line with myself, and I thought that the person who had approached me the most would abandon me and leave somewhere.

I looked at him, barely letting out a breath that had risen to the bottom of his chin.

The voice that eventually came out of his mouth was so sad that the air around him trembled for a moment.

“As much as you, please don’t call me that.”

Evan just stared blankly at himself without saying anything.

Isn’t it funny, because after trying so hard to push him away, he didn’t even let me fall anymore.

However, there was no turning back now.

Isn’t he the one who came to me who had been picturing someone who understands me, someone who always smiles gently at me?

Soon, I realize that something warm is touching my shoulder.

When I raised my head, what I saw was a green eye that was brighter than the lights of the city, so I avoided that gaze without realizing it.

I felt heat rising from my face. Even though it was so cold, it was just amazing to see his face getting hotter.

The body temperature that touched my shoulder was warm. Even though the cloak was covered, the chill pierced through it,

The body temperature that melted even that melted away the anxiety that had risen in my heart in an instant.

I raised my head and looked at Evan’s face like that.

You must have always had a face that wouldn’t be very different,

His face was clearly showing itself even in this thick darkness, as if the moonlight was shining on it.

Soon, Evan’s face, which had been parting his lips as if to say something, soon hardened.

A cold lingered in my warm green eyes, and the hand that held my shoulder stiffened.

He was nervous. What the hell did you feel?

“…Lady, I think you should avoid yourself.”

“Evan…?”

After looking at him curiously for a moment, I feel the thick darkness surrounding his body.

The moon was no longer visible in the sky I looked up at. All you can see is a pitch-black darkness that is terrifying.

One day, the memory of hearing that there was such a darkness came to mind, and my body also began to harden.

If your memory is correct, they are probably the ones who disappeared from this world.

The darkness resembling jet-black, the darkness that the whole body reacts to reject even if it is touched, was definitely belonging to those he knew.

In the most brilliant days of the empire, those who utterly destroyed the light and sang of destruction.

This darkness belonged to the warlocks.