Chapter 50

Izren squared his shoulders and spoke to his master.

“Allow me to escort my lady.”

He sounded different from his usual slurred tone.

He spoke smoothly, and Jayna wondered for how long had he practiced those lines.

His master, overwhelmed by the appearance of a handsome young boy wearing a white outfit and having a smooth jawline, nodded her head mechanically.

“D-do come in.”

Although he was of a mixed-blood, the appearance of a young boy decorated to the fullest with the support of the tower shined brightly.

Unlike her own rough escort, Izren had sleek muscles and an outstanding appearance. A young lady standing by the door gazed at Jayna with envious eyes.

“Where did you get this kid? It’s even more interesting because he’s of mixed-race, just look at those purple eyes.”

Jayna whispered to Izren.

“It looks like it’s fashionable to have a handsome guard around these days. I think I’ll be the most popular one here for today.”

Not long ago, Izren disliked having his appearance being commented on.

It was because having an excellent appearance would only increase the risk of being turned into a doll.

But at this moment, he felt exhausted. He hoped he was helpful to Jayna, even if it was a bit.

Izren scratched his cheek, apparently embarrassed.

“Oh my goodness…”

“Lady Betty, look over there.”

As the handsome young boy blushed, a number of people around him began to blush as well.

If Micheal was a bright beautiful rose, Izren would be innocent and mysterious, like a hydrangea soaked in the rain.

Well, even though he was an escort, he made everyone want to protect and shield him.

“Hah… the world is beautiful…”

While other young ladies looked discontently at their own escorts, Jayna was busy choosing materials to make a ribbon.

‘There’s only one left. Am I really that lucky?’

That was when Jayna smiled lightly.

“That ribbon, give it to me.”

When she turned around, Jayna saw a little lady with red-haired hair and somewhat provocative eyes.

“I’ll be concise. Don’t you think it’d look much better on me?”

Despite her opponent’s raised chin, as if challenging her, Jayna replied calmly.

“That’s not how it works.”

“Why? I think it’d look way better on me than you. The ribbon is the same colour as my eyes.”

It was understandable why this foe liked the ribbon, but Jayna had a reason not to give up on it either.

“Because I got to it first? Shouldn’t you ask the owner of this shop whether he has another one in stock rather than taking other’s things?”

“Hah? Uh…”

“I’ll go with you. Let’s go ask him.”

When Jayna unexpectedly answered calmly, the embarrassed girl nodded in confusion.

Jayna went hand-in-hand with the girl to the owner, and asked if they had the same sky blue ribbon Jayna held in stock.

The owner shook his head in regret.

“That was the last one. No more will be coming in from now on.”

The then girl spoke angrily.

“Look, there’s only one left!”

“I see. I’m sorry about that.”

Jayna said, sticking out the ribbon in her hand to the owner.

“But I picked it up first, so I won’t give it away…”

“What? No!”

“Of course, like you said, this sky blue ribbon might look better on you than on me. However, the person I want to give this ribbon to as a gift has sky blue eyes, just like yours.”

Jayna continued quietly without becoming flustered at her opponent’s annoyance.

“I know you want to buy it because it goes well with your eyes, but since I picked it up first, why don’t you just give it up? Rather, I’ll recommend a color that suits you well. Well, since you have a white face, bright features, and a pink ribbon would look good on you.”

The tense atmosphere gradually eased. The other girl blushed at Jayna’s blatant compliments.

“What, what…? Do you really think that a pink ribbon would suit me?”

However, it was the moment when Jayna tried to answer nicely.

She thought it was ending well, when suddenly a man tried to ignite the embers once again.

“You, don’t charm our Lady Marilyn with such convincing words!”

“Oh, come on, Deitan?”

“There’s no reason for you to give up what you want. This Deitan promises to get you the ribbon for you!”

With sunburned skin, a man with a strong physique looked at Izren and gave strength to his grim face.

“I don’t know whether you’re a servant or an escort, but can you really protect your lady? You look like an unripe apple.”

Deitan snorted as he glanced over Izren’s body. And after a quick word, pushed him to the floor.

“I feel like you’d faint right away with one blow. Guys like you degrade the dignity of knights. You seem to know how to enjoy the cheers’ of women, but are useless everywhere else.”

“….”

Izren’s eyes narrowed, and after a moment’s silence, he tilted his head.

“What?”

Deitan was embarrassed to see Izren answering his long speech with a single word.

Watching their war of words, Jayna internally shook her head.

‘Izren isn’t good at understanding the Imperial language, so if you speak large words quickly, he won’t be able to understand half of them…’

Deitan seemed to think that Izren was ignoring his words on purpose, in turn became angry and retorted.

“A-answer me! It seems you’re just pretending to not hear what I say because you don’t have a response! These days, it’s fashionable to have a guy with a pretty face as an escort, but the real role of a escort is to protect their lady! Like I do.”

“I’m pretty, you’re ugly?”

“This bastard.”

Izren answered back seriously in his own way, and Deitan became red at the thought of Izren ignoring him.

Marilyn, who was listening next to Jayna, also shouted as if she had begun to cry.

“Deitan, if you’re ugly, you should at least be good at arguing!”

“Y-you’re so mean! I’m not ugly!”

“Okay! You’re less handsome than this guy! There!”

“…I’ll definitely win”

Deitan’s eyes became fierce. He threw the glove he was wearing before anyone could stop him.

Thwack!

However Izren just casually grabbed the flying glove.

“Dumping garbage is bad.”

Izren had a proud look on his face. It was because he was proud of himself for using the difficult word “dumping”.

“It’s a word I was told a while ago but didn’t forget.”

Jayna, who was standing next to him, praised his memory.

He had asked for a duel, but the atmosphere with Izren and Jayna had become somewhat peaceful, Deitan spoke out in tears.

“This guy, a duel! It’s a way to ask for a duel!”

“Duel? Ah.”

Izren nodded, looked at Deitan and said.

“You, not like human, but orc.”

What Izren meant to say was, ‘Why are you so angry,’ however the person it was directed at looked insulted.

“Ah, that’s not it.”

“Follow me, you little brat! We’re going to duel for that ribbon!”

But it was too late to correct what he said.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Izren wield a sword before.’

Jayna thought that it wouldn’t be bad to take this opportunity and see Izren’s skills.

“I don’t like the look of the guard, but if it’s the look of that glittering jewel…”

However, different from her escort’s opinion, Marilyn seemed to prefer Izren over him.

“Yes, let’s have a duel! It’ll be a match for the ribbon and your escort!”

“M-my lady?”

“Ah, I won’t be using him as an escort, but as a servant, he looks too weak to carry a sword around!”

He agreed to fight the duel, but would have to mention what was being dueled on in specific.

“I’ve bet the ribbon and my escort, but on the other hand, what would I get if I win?”

“Y-you don’t have a sense of pride?”

“Do you understand the concept of rationality?”

Marilyn looked annoyed as Jayna replied back in a quiet voice.

In the meantime, Jayna silently looked up to Izren.

“Are you confident that you can win?”

His eyes were steady. Seeing it, Jayna nodded and pointed to the girl’s hand.

“Then, if you lose, you have to give me the jewel in the package you’re holding.”

“What? Jewel?”

Marilyn was holding some jewels to decorate the middle of the ribbon with.

Jayna said in a soft voice.

“If you can’t take responsibility for what you say, you’d better be more careful next time. I’m going to let you off the hook for now, child.”

Marilyn was brilliantly taken in by Jayna’s provocation.

“Okay, fine! I’ll bet my jewel too so you’ll be quiet!”

Jayna was an adult and Marilyn, a child. She was far too young to overcome childish provocations.

***

Izren was taller than people his age, but he was, in the end, still sixteen.

Because of this, he was shorter than Deitan, who was an adult.

Furthermore, because of his pretty face, he looked relatively weak.

“Do you want me to tell you to do your best in such a situation?”

“I didn’t ask for that.”

“Get down on your knees, and beg me! Then you at least won’t get hurt!”

As Deitan wielded his sword and swung it sideways, the sound of the wind it produced could be heard from a distance.

“Haha, that pretty face is going to be horribly twisted!”

A cry from Marilyn was heard from behind him.

“Don’t do that! How else could I keep him as my servant?!”

“Oh, I see… I’ll try to defeat him without touching his face to the best of my abilities.”

As Izren pulled out his sword, Deitan cried out condescendingly.

“Huhu, just give up, player. Come at me first.”

Deitan shrugged his shoulders and relaxed, holding his two-handed sword in one hand.

“You might be able to swing a sword properly…”

However, he wasn’t able to complete his sentence.

Whoosh!

It was because a sword was touching the tip of his neck before he knew it.

“Oh, Ah….?”

“What is this?”

The match was over in a blink of an eye. After the ridiculously short match, Deitan stuttered, and Marilyn also looked embarrassed.

Izren said quietly.

“If this was a real battlefield, you’d already be dead by now.”

Cold sweat flowed from Deitan’s back at those cold, emotionless eyes.