Chapter 47

✿

-‘If Astel has a problem, has a broken heart, if someone disobeys her orders, or approaches…’

-‘Yeㅡ yes?’

-‘I may treat you like a monster, so be careful.’

That obviously meant tearing them apart.

For Retro, who went out to the battlefield together and saw how the Duke killed monsters, the threat was more terrifying than any other words.

The appearance of His Excellency discussing Astel’s safety seemed more serious than when we had a strategic meeting on the battlefield.

‘If you think about it, it seems that he also castrated the monster… Oh no, I don’t think so.’

His complexion became more pale.

Recalling his master’s terrifying warning, Retro faced Astel, who was approaching him in no time, and bowed his head.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Who are you?”

A voice with half vigilance in her tone.

“My name’s Retro, who has been escorting Miss Astel from a distance for a week.”

“Ahh…”

“I’ve been supporting the Duke since I was five years old, and I’ve been transferred to the Monster War for about 20 years.”

Even though Retro introduced himself like that, somehow his mouth tasted bitter.

‘…This person probably doesn’t like me that much either. Usually, when I introduce myself like this, they get scared.’

Maybe that’s why…

The Duke of Anais, who had asked me to escort Astel, was satisfied with my ferocious appearance like a bear.

It was clear that he judged my appearance would never win Astel’s heart.

Maybe because I’m the type that was in direct position against handsome north-type knights, with a muscular body over 190cm tall.

Knowing his appearance well, he knelt on one knee with a smile around his lips to look as harmless as possible.

“Please rest assured that I will only take care of you from a distance.”

As soon as he knelt down, Astel felt awkward and reached out.

Like other young ladies, she wouldn’t be afraid of him.

‘She looks younger than the other ladies, but if she sees me and gets scared, will my master scold and punish me?’

Retro closed his eyes and placed a knight’s kiss on her outstretched hand.

However, Astel gently spoke so that his worries could be overshadowed.

“If you’ve been in the Duke’s Castle for all twenty years…Well, that’s good. Hello, Knight!”

At the very welcome response, Retro raised his head startled.

Even though he was on his knees, the difference between him and Astel standing eye level wasn’t that much.

As such, a woman named Astel was as small as a bird’s egg like it would burst when touched.

I’ve never seen such a small person before, and I’ve never seen such a nice woman as she was.

Retro was momentarily embarrassed, but soon he spoke calmly.

“No, please feel free to call me Retro more comfortably than the Knight.”

“Yes, I’m Astel! Please take care of me for the time being.”

With clear eyes, he held her hand carefully, which Astel held out as if to shake hands.

As soon as he grabbed it, his hands trembled.

Up to this point, it’s blasphemous.

‘If the master finds out about this…?’

A cold sweat flowed down on his forehead.

However, this kind and innocent girl seemed to cause my death.

She burst into exclamations and held one hand tightly and waved a few times.

“You know what?”

“Yes?”

“You’re really handsome!”

Retro used to be called the nightmare of the battlefield and a demon.

It was truly unfortunate.

Unlike his master, the Duke of Anais, who had a cruel disposition to kill both monsters and humans without emotions, Retro had the idea of valuing life.

However, due to his brutal and scary-looking muscular appearance, only his notoriety would often cross borders over the handsome manly Duke.

‘I know that you put me on purpose because you’re afraid that other people would ignore Astel…’

…So I thought Astel would naturally be scared of me, but she said I was handsome.

“…Oh, no.”

Retro sweated as he met Astel’s sparkling eyes.

Duke Anais’ warning lingered in his mind: ‘I will break your neck if you make a wrong decision’.

“I’m ugly.”

Does she know the heart of a man who has to belittle himself and disparage his own self?

I didn’t want to blame her either. However, I didn’t want to die because my neck was cut off.

However, Retro had no choice but to be embarrassed again.

Hearing those words, Astel’s expression became noticeably paler.

Retro really wanted to cry.

No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed that it would be better to cut off the head of a monster than to be an escort.

✿

I walked alongside the escort, Sir Retro.

It was not empty words, but I was sincere when I said that Sir Retro was handsome.

Duke Anais was so handsome that I could hear heavenly harmony in my ears, but Sir Retro’s type was also a good-looking man by my standards.

Actually, my ideal type was close to a reliable and honest-looking guy like a cow thief.

It was my theory that the unknown man should protect and cherish his family without starving three meals a day.

However, the most important thing for me right now was not that fact, but to get a hint about the swordsman from him.

“Looking from the side, Sir Retro’s more handsome.”

“No! My face looks very ugly!”

However, he, who seemed great in every way, seemed to have a strict assessment of himself.

Why?

‘Do handsome men have low self-esteem?’

I spoke carefully to learn more about him.

“Uh… Shall we have tea time together?”

“…Oh, no.”

“It’s my first time being an escort knight… Unlike the maid, I don’t think it’s right to have tea time with an escort.”

“…”

He must have sensed that I felt sullen.

Sir Retro stopped moving. And he replied with a trembling voice that didn’t suit his large body, shaking his head.

“No, it’s not! I’ll drink tea. I like tea time.”

Astel’s eyes widened and stared at him.

It was amazing to see a person who said he would drink tea so grandly.

“Do you really like tea?”

“Of course!”

“I see. What a cute hobby!”

I smiled brightly at him and strode forward.

‘He’s a person with low self-esteem, so wouldn’t he open up to me if I compliment him a lot?’

I decided to give him a blast of compliments while he escorted me.

The fact that I mentioned it as a cute hobby was just a statement from my calculation that there would be no one in this world who dislike the word cute.

Strangely, however, his face was pale as if he had been sentenced to death.

It was a little strange, but fortunately, the tea time preparation proceeded quickly.

Soon after, a leisurely tea time in the garden began.

It was only 10 minutes after I entered the main building of the Duke’s Castle with Sir Retro and told the maids, ‘I want to have tea time’.

A pair of pretty chairs were placed opposite each other on a pure white round table next to the garden.

The maids moved in an orderly manner and placed black tea and refreshments for afternoon tea on top of the trolley.

In front of me, Sir Rietro sat with a restless face.

‘From now on, interrogation of the inside atmosphere of the Knights begins!’

I smiled happily as I took a sip of warm strawberry-flavored tea.

“Strawberry black tea is so delicious! Come to think of it, I want to ask you something.”

“Yes, say it haha! Go ahead.”

Trying to get straight to the point, I tilted as I saw a hard shell-like armor wrapped around his muscular body.

“Why are you…so nervous like that?”

He was trembling as if dancing at this moment.

Why was he shaking when he looks powerful as if there’s nothing in the world he should be afraid of?

He opened his mouth carefully as if answering my question.

“I don’t know if it’s okay for me, an iron-cloth man to sit face to face and drink with you…That’s why.”

‘You’re kidding, right?’

I’m a commoner, and you’re a knight of the great Duke Anais.

But it didn’t really seem like a joke.

The trembling of his lips was clearly visible.

I think he’s serious, but…

‘No, what iron-cloth man…? I’ve never heard of this word before.’

Iron-cloth man, and stuff like that… Wasn’t it a vocabulary of ancient commoners used by our grandfather’s time?

Why would someone with a reputation as a knight of the Duke Castle use it when referring to himself?

Sir Retro seemed to have a lot lower self-esteem than I thought.

However, even that appearance seemed like seeing myself, so I felt a little sympathy.