Became the Escort Knight of the Villain in the Romance Novel

44 – Seo Im-sik (4)

“It suits you well. What should I say… It really looks like I created the image of Julis as a knight.”

“Thank you.”

“…Don’t stare too hard. I know very well that it would be burdensome for you just because I came here, but I still wanted to meet you at least once. I had something to tell you.”

If I had known I would feel burdened, it would have been best if I hadn’t come.

I was sarcastic on the inside, but I couldn’t show it off the outside, so I just laughed awkwardly.

Prince, I didn’t expect to face that being in front of me like this.

However, the prince I met was quite different from the one I knew.

Arrogant, trying to do everything his own way.

However, I thought that she was as warm as the heroine of her original work whom she loved… Such a man.

There was definitely a certain elegance to him sipping tea in front of me.

He had the dignity of a crown prince, and his attitude towards me, who had not yet been appointed, was also mixed with respect and consideration.

However, what was clear was that he was different from the original prince I knew.

‘Maybe things will work out much better than I thought.’

Four years later, the level was different from the crown prince at the beginning of the original work.

If it was the crown prince back then, it wouldn’t have been strange if there was a knife in my throat right now.

The prince’s attitude was quite docile. For a while, I was excited thinking that the conversation would go well,

The prince, who was looking at me gently, opened his mouth.

“First of all, congratulations on becoming an official knight. Probably the youngest on this continent. As you may have heard often, I also have very high expectations from you.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“It’s not an exaggeration. It’s no easy feat to single-handedly slay a troll lord, especially one stained with darkness. Do you know the minstrels are singing about you? Oh great Evan. Raise your sword-“

“…Heard of it for the first time.”

The minstrels are singing my song,

As I was alone with the duke, I had no way to know about him, so all I could do was make his face blush.

In the first place, I didn’t like singing such a song in front of the person concerned.

Maybe it’s embarrassing me.

However, the prince stopped singing and just grinned, and didn’t say anything more.

“Actually, I was quite surprised. It was just an ordination ceremony for a knight, and I never imagined that he would come in person like this.”

When I said that, the prince exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and looked at me.

“If you were just a knight, the power of our empire would be drastically reduced. A country with less than 10 knights, that’s something you can’t even joke about. There is no need for excessive humility. I liked you, and I’m here to celebrate.”

At those words, I laughed bitterly once. No matter how I look at it, I don’t think I’m here just to celebrate.

Isn’t there something that he himself mentioned earlier?

I stared at the prince, and feeling my gaze, he scratched his head and opened his mouth.

“Okay. I thought you wouldn’t believe me if I told you that I was just here to congratulate you. I’m going to get to the point right away… Is that okay?”

“It’s okay. Do as your Highness wills.”

When I said that, the hesitant prince put his hand into his chest and then he took out a sentence.

When he saw the golden crest shining brightly, the two swords hanging under the dragon’s jaws, symbolizing the imperial family.

I inadvertently had no choice but to ask, frowning.

“Isn’t that the badge of the Imperial Knights?”

“Since you haven’t been appointed yet, you can’t officially be called a knight of Julis. Are you thinking of putting this on your chest?”

“…I feel dizzy. The Imperial Knights.”

Involuntarily, a laugh leaked out. To think that the prince himself came to me and told me to become a member of the Imperial Knights.

It was not a simple thing for him to become a member of the Imperial Knights.

Isn’t it such a thing that just being a part of a family can be regarded as a blessing for a lifetime, maybe even for generations?

Members of the Knights are promised lifetime honors. His children gain lifetime honor again just for the fact that they have been fathered by knights of the Imperial Knights throughout their lives.

In the Empire, the Imperial Knights were nothing short of a symbol of the promised success.

Of course, even if not as much as the 5th generation, there were families that maintained the countship simply because one of their ancestors was an Imperial Knight.

Imperial Knights. It was quite a big deal to offer me such a position.

To offer a position in the Imperial Knights to a 16-year-old knight apprentice who has not yet been appointed.

The youngest was 30 years old. Perhaps the moment I entered, I was writing history.

“However, I have no choice but to say sorry.”

The prince’s face was stained with bewilderment. Didn’t you think I’d say no?

However, it was something I expected from the moment I met the prince’s eyes.

No matter what he suggested, I had no intention of belonging to the imperial family.

There was only one reason why I continued to carry my sword, and why I insisted on being a knight.

Irene.

I made a promise to keep it, so all I could do was insist on being a knight to keep that promise.

The Imperial Knights…Well, if I joined a place like that, I’d be treated much better.

In the past and now, I didn’t think much about honor.

I did it because I liked playing the piano and acting as Irene’s escort driver.

On the contrary, saying this made me feel relieved.

Aside from having a good relationship with the crown prince, he didn’t really want to belong to the Imperial Knights.

If a good relationship could be formed… It would have to be between Julis and the imperial family.

It’s not me and the prince.

As I carefully pushed the crest I had placed on the table toward the crown prince,

Seeing that, the prince smiled bitterly and looked at me.

He sighed and opened his mouth, probably realizing that he would not accept the obvious rejection.

“…I was looking forward to it. It seems that your loyalty is stronger than I thought. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“I have no regrets. Because I chose it because I wanted it. I apologize if I offended you-“

“No, no. I can’t feel bad. I’m just a little surprised You are probably the first in the history of the Empire to refuse a position in the Imperial Knights. I need to tell the officer and make sure to record it.”

The prince waved his hand and smiled, then looked at me and opened his mouth again.

“…If it hadn’t been for you in this warlock situation, the response would probably have been quite late.”

“Sir Theorard is there.”

The leader of the Imperial Knights. The only Master of the current Empire and the last bastion of the Empire.

If he had stepped forward, he would have probably been able to cut down a troll at once.

The level of dyeing the world with mana, the level of simply creating sparks in my body, and being a master was on a different level.

However…It probably couldn’t have prevented the tragedy of Julis.

If I hadn’t been able to find and slay the warlock at that time, the ruin of Julis would have been a foregone conclusion.

The prince stared blankly at me like that, then shook his head once.

“Of course, Sir Theorard could have stopped it. At least in this reality I’ve been through, it was Sir Evan who defeated the warlock. Didn’t I tell you, excessive humility is a bit like that. You can be proud of yourself. Because you protected the empire’s 300 million, 78.32 Million, and 8726 subjects.”

“…Do you remember all of that?”

“Because I am the crown prince.”

After saying that, the prince looked at the coat of arms of the imperial knights as if he was sorry, then smiled lightly.

Seeing that expression, as if it was really okay, with a confident smile, somehow felt like it made my heart feel at ease.

Wang Jae. If the look Irene saw at the last festival was dignified, the look shown to the crown prince was embrace.

Although the image and embrace of the prince I knew didn’t quite match, at least it was like that for now.

How the hell could a person like this be so twisted?

Perhaps the future could have flowed differently from what I know. If it wasn’t for the appearance of the crown prince right now, it was a fake.

“…Your Highness.”

“If you have something you want to say, you can do it. To be honest, haven’t I been talking to myself all this time?”

“Now I am a knight of Julis, and that fact will probably not change until I die. Maybe I won’t be able to continue fighting warlocks.”

“Um… I didn’t need to confirm that. Because I already felt it. As for anyone who refused a position in the Imperial Knights, you are the first person in the history of the Empire to say the least.”

“But that is the story of ‘Sir Evan’.”

I looked into the eyes of the prince. Eyes tell us more than we think.

Thoughts and emotions that people have. To the person’s true nature.

When I saw that, the prince was different from Adele. Adele’s purple eyes.

What I saw in those eyes that reminded me of a requiem was emptiness.

Void, unlike the void the duke harbored, its end was invisible.

I had no idea what the hell he was thinking or what his intentions were.

I was wary of it. He was slightly relieved when the trolls mucked him up.

At least he won’t intervene while fighting the troll.

That ominous feeling still hasn’t gone away, so Adele. I had no choice but to be wary of the whole Roman who had Adele.

However, the prince’s eyes at least reflect that emotion. Respect for me, regret for not bringing you,

However, after overcoming and shaking it off, I felt relieved.

Although there was a fair amount of unspoken irritation mixed in… At least he was still innocent.

Although I didn’t know that I was hiding my own personality because of the feat I had accomplished.

However, I needed to build a gentle relationship with him now.

Little by little. I didn’t expect much from the beginning.

If this choice could make the blade raised towards Julis a little bit later.

That was enough.

“Evan Fried, who beat the troll, will continue to fight the warlock. Of course, the lady will have to allow it.”

“…Ha ha ha!”

The prince laughed at the words that Irene had to give her permission.

After laughing coolly for a while, he nodded his head and opened his mouth.

“That is enough. It would be difficult to deal with a warlock with only the garbage of the imperial palace.”

Garbage of the Imperial Palace. Anger could be seen in the prince’s eyes as he uttered those words.

That must be his original mind. They despise things they judge to be trash.

However, his standards were not applied to just anyone.

I’m sure it refers to the servants in the imperial palace, especially those I don’t like.

It was similar to when I thought of a black magician.

When talking about a warlock, surely what was reflected in his eyes was a similar anger.

Looking at the prince like that, I nodded.

Once you make a decision, you will not regret it.

I just hoped that this choice would help Irene later.

I hope that at least the crown prince will not point his sword at Julis.

When the original heroine shook his heart, he only hoped that he could regain his reason for a while.

#

After the prince left, Evan cast his gaze toward the back of the hallway.

A presence that has been felt since earlier. At first she thought she was just a passing maid,

It was quite difficult for her to control her expression when she felt that familiar presence. She

I thought she wouldn’t have a hobby of eavesdropping on stories, but wouldn’t it be pretty funny to listen to her while hiding her breathing?

“My lady.”

“……”

“I know you are there.”

With that, Evan couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her hair sticking out at the end of the hallway.

Casually, with the insensitive expression she usually shows, Irene approached Evan.

“You don’t look very good.”

“Okay.”

“Did you not like my conversation with the crown prince?”

Irene’s eyes narrowed. Didn’t she like it, she asked, no.

Didn’t she immediately notice that the prince was interested in Evan?

Of course, when Kaisel brought out the crest of the Imperial Knights, he was quite taken aback, but

She knew he would refuse. No, to be precise, she believed.

From a certain moment. The word trust was directed only to Evan.

He said that if he believed in anyone… It was Evan.

Funny enough, Evan felt more trustworthy than Lopena or Sir Chris.

It wasn’t just because he was her knight, she realized at some point that she believed in him.

Has she ever had such trust in her life? She shook her head.

And when she looked into Evan’s eyes again, Irene somehow felt her heart tickle.

Even though she is obviously no different from usual, how can she feel so different? She

She And when she looked at his attire, she then realized that Evan was wearing the outfit she had prepared for her.

“It suits you well.”

A body that is firmly established, she has become more toned than when she first saw it, and her curvy lines were noticeable.

She had a silver uniform, and she wondered if it would go well with him. His appearance, wrapped in a black cloak, was now a full-fledged knight.

She was so intrusive even when she first met him, but now she smiles naturally when she sees him.

It was an awkward smile, but it wasn’t as awkward as I practiced it once.

“…Ah, you mean the clothes?”

Evan looked at his uniform and smiled awkwardly.

Come to think of it, he should have said thank you, but when we ran into each other like this, somehow, thank you didn’t come out well.

Should I be ashamed? Looking at Irene like that, she opened her mouth small after seeing Irene’s outfit.

It was the same black dress as usual, but the dress that exposed her collarbone was unconventional.

Wouldn’t everyone’s eyes turn to that direction?

I chewed my lips for a moment without realizing it, but then I smiled lightly and opened my mouth.

“The lady looks good on you too.”

“……”

Irene’s gaze came closer. She

She said she looked good, but why was she looking at herself like that?

‘…No way.’

A strange thought passed through her mind at the moment, but she struggled to get it out of her mind.

I hope so. She couldn’t have been because one word was lacking: she looked good.

Even looking into each other’s eyes for a while, it was Irene who broke her silence and spoke first.

“I heard you will continue to fight the Warlock.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve fought a warlock twice so far. And she came back injured 2 times. Can she be sure she didn’t cross the line in her 2 fights?”

“…That’s it.”

To be honest, the first fight was easy.

She didn’t use all her strength, and it was all because she was hit by an attack that she couldn’t dodge.

But when she fights trolls, she risks everything. The magic sword, the special mana she has, the awakening of the senses.

She might have had her broken head scattered somewhere in the mountain by now, if even one of them was missing.

I understood what Irene was worried about.

Because she, she didn’t want to hurt herself.

She was looking at ‘someone’ at me. Evan didn’t know about Irene’s past.

All I know is the old stories I heard sparsely from Sir Chris and Lopena in this ducal residence, and the stories that came out very briefly in the novel.

‘Perhaps… Irene’s mother.’

She had never heard of a Duchess before.

As if it were forbidden to speak of it,

In this place, she had never heard of Irene’s mother.

I don’t know what happened, but maybe her mother died for some reason.

It caused a kind of trauma to Irene.

But even so, I couldn’t give up the fight.

If we stop fighting the black mage as it is, wouldn’t it be clear that even if we stop fighting with the black mage in the first place, we’ll get involved with the black mage?

Even if he stopped fighting with them, what awaited him in the end would be a predestined tragedy.

Warlock, Julis, and Irene. Evan was sure the three of them would be intertwined.

It used to be just speculation, but now that time has passed, it seems certain.

“I don’t care what your relationship with the imperial family is, but I can’t just allow you to continue fighting the warlock.”

“I won’t get hurt.”

“It’s not something you can be sure of.”

His blue eyes shimmer. What was reflected in it was fear. Fear of the unpredictable future, and

Irene was admitting it in her heart. She said that whenever she sees Evan, she recalls old memories and feels anxious without knowing it.

He was strong, and had the skills to come back victorious even if he had to fight a warlock.

However. That doesn’t mean I’ll just watch it get hurt.

I didn’t want to get hurt if possible.

Although the best way to achieve that was for him to not fight warlocks.

When I looked into his eyes, I felt keenly that it would stop in my thoughts.

I remember the red-stained eyes. I remember the darkness that hung over the top of the mountain, blinding my eyes and dazzling people.

And Evan, who was lying in the snow. He still remembered

I still feel so breathless when I think of the memory of that time, but how could I allow him to continue fighting?

If he returned to that form again, it was clear that he would not be able to remain intact.

Irene thought so.

“My lady.”

A calm voice echoed in the quiet corridor.

It was a voice that always made people feel at ease.

Even when she hugged Evan, Irene couldn’t deny the fact that she was relieved by that voice.

“Didn’t you say that you believe in me?”

“…It’s different from that. You can just focus on escorting me.”

“Taking out the warlock is also for the comfort of the young lady.”

“There is an imperial family. Sir Theorard is in the imperial family, right?”

She knew it was forced.

Evan also knew that even if the head of the knights of the imperial family were from the 5th generation, they could not intervene in what was happening in the territory.

She knew she was uneasy, but she didn’t immediately know how to pull it off.

I walked.

It was quite a distance, but Evan gradually moved her steps and walked towards Irene.

I had a lot of thoughts. The option of not fighting warlocks did not exist for her.

She may exist for Irene, but at least she did not exist for herself. Then. Her way to reassure her.

“I won’t get hurt.”

I could breathe. At a distance close enough to feel that way, Evan raised his hand.

Eventually, when her hand touched Irene’s cheek. Evan smiled and opened her mouth.

Irene’s eyes widened.

When the hell? While she was distracted for a moment, she tried to back away from Evan’s presence in front of her, but the wall behind her.

The feel of her hand on her face tickled. The sound of her beating heart was heard in her ears, and heat began to spread across her face.

“The reason I want to fight like that is for the lady. I can’t give up, and even if I do, I will fight even secretly.”

“……”

I wanted to get angry. I wanted to shout something and say that I didn’t want that.

The distance was too close for that. It was hard to think of anything because the heat in my head soon turned white.

Foul.

Irene thought so as she looked at her escort knight who was looking at her.

She probably won’t give up no matter what she says.

Laughing bitterly, Irene tapped Evan’s chest lightly with her hand.

With a fist that wouldn’t even hurt, Evan removed his hand from Irene’s cheek.

To be honest, I couldn’t think of anything other than this.

When he did this to his younger brother, the guy who used to be so angry used to become calm, so I thought about doing it just in case.

She smiled at her eyes, which were much softer than before.

“Sorry. I can’t think of anything other than this.”

“…Promise, keep it. Don’t get hurt, and I always…Have a handkerchief.”

“Okay.”

She distanced herself by saying that, but what remained was an awkward silence.

My heart pounded at the feeling of her body heat remaining on her hands and cheeks.

Maybe we can hear each other. With that thought in mind, Evan stretched out his hand again, scratching his head.

“…I will escort you. Shouldn’t you go up on the podium?”

I remember the outstretched hand at the ball and the festival. I thought it wouldn’t have been as embarrassing as it is now.

The feelings I had between then and now were different. At least he will.

I thought so and stretched out my hand. Looking at Irene, who somehow hesitated, Evan sighed at her.

“My lady…”

Chin.

At the sound of her voice, Irene placed her own hand on top of her Evan’s.

It was an escort that was no different from a festival or a ball, but it seemed that my face was burning up from the body temperature that came through me more nakedly than ever.

For a mere escort, his hands touched quite a lot.

Irene, who had been wiggling her fingers, opened her mouth, turning her eyes away from Evan.

“…Let’s go quickly.”

I didn’t want to go fast. Didn’t she sometimes feel sorry for her hand that she had put first at the festival?

Why? I haven’t figured out why yet. But at this moment, this time of holding her hand like this.

I wish it was a bit longer.

Irene thought so.