A Fated Reunion
The one who approached Elina and me—was Hank.
Today, he wasn’t here in his capacity as a knight, but rather as a guest of the ball, so he was sharply dressed to match the occasion.
“I heard you got shipped off to some backwater village way out in the sticks... and now you’ve cozied up to the local lord to make your way back to your beloved royal capital? Well, enjoy the illusion of being back—it’s the closest you’ll get.”
“I’ve got no regrets about leaving the capital. Curtis Village, where I work now, is a great place.”
“It really is!”
Elina stepped in front of me and faced off against Hank.
In the past, he would have thrown out some pretentious line here and scared her into silence—that was the usual routine. But something was different this time.
He brushed his bangs back with an air of confidence and flashed a smooth smile.
“You’re still full of energy, Elina. But maybe you should try acting a little more ladylike.”
“Wh-What!?”
That confidence—he never had that before. What changed?
The answer came straight from his mouth.
“Speaking of which, I heard Gary and Miracca will be leaving the capital soon for border security duty.”
“What!?”
Gary and Miracca—doing border patrol?
That’s absurd. When Miracca came to visit us not long ago, she didn’t even mention anything like that.
Did this happen after her visit?
“They got involved with a certain someone, and now both of them are off the fast track. Can’t say I’m surprised. Pitiful, really—”
“Hey now, don’t go pitying us like you know everything.”
“And for the record, we haven’t received any official orders about being assigned to border duty. Maybe try not running your mouth based on hearsay.”
“Unless you’ve got some special source of information the rest of us don’t, hmm?—Hank.”
Two voices suddenly cut into the conversation.
The very ones being talked about—Gary and Miracca.
“Y-You two...”
“Come on now, don’t just stand there gaping. Lord Donold of the MaCreed family has already entered the venue.”
“Isn’t this your big chance to make an impression?”
“Guh… R-Right. I suppose I’ll do just that.”
Hank clearly wanted to say more, but Lord Donold’s appearance must’ve caught his attention—he turned and walked off in a hurry.
“Honestly... he hasn’t changed a bit.”
“He’s desperate. I hear even the Council’s begun to look at him with suspicion. He’s probably clinging to the idea of securing the support of a ducal family—that’s why he’s throwing caution to the wind.”
The two of them murmured as they watched Hank’s retreating back.
Still… the Council’s beginning to suspect him?
Has the tide started to turn while I’ve been out here working in the provinces?
What do you think about this chapter?
