Chapter 105

After talking to Randell, Nina used North Wind to find Louis.

He was in the garden where Mimina, who collected seeds from all over the continent with great care, gave Randell money to raise new breeds of flowers and plants.

It was time for them to bloom, so it looked more beautiful. Though Mimina sighed saying that it would take 10 years for it to completely settle down.

“Sir Louis?”

I called him carefully through the arch of flowers and Louis turned around.

“Dame Nina.”

He smiled faintly.

“You didn’t have to go out of your way to seek me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Nina lifted the tray that she was holding.

“Should I just go?” (Nina)

“Since you’re carrying a lot of things, let’s sit down first.” (Louis)

When you pass through the colorful rose arch, you will see a gazebo covered with roses. The two people settled there.

When Nina took out the refreshments, Louis asked.

“How are you going to heat the water?”

“Like this.”

As the spirit crest sparkled, the steam in the teapot quickly rose.

“I’ll take it from here.”

Louis started brewing the tea with graceful skill, Nina took out the cup he had prepared and quickly cooled it down using the spirits.

“What about Sir Louis?”

“I prefer warm tea.”

Well, it is May after all.

The sweet aroma of tea spread out as she poured a cup of tea with a crackling sound.

“Why does the tea that Sir Louis makes always taste better? It’s the same leaf.”

“It’s the difference with the appreciation for the art.”

Louis lifted his cup with a smile. Nina could only agree, she doesn’t love tea as much as he does.

Savoring the tea for a moment, the two looked at the rose garden.

Tiny, creamy, and light pink roses draped over the gazebo-like veils and lace ornaments. Their sweet scent flowed with the wind, mixed with the scent of tea, and the sound of the buzzing bees’ diligent wings resounded in the background.

“Nina resembles my sister.”

Seeing he said she resembled his sister, Nina replied.

“Then she must be very beautiful.”

Louis laughed.

“Yes, she was a beautiful woman.”

It was in the past tense, so when Nina stopped talking, Louis continued leisurely.

“You know that my eyes can see better than others.”

“Yes.”

Louis laughed lightly as Nina nodded her head.

“I thought that I could do anything with these eyes, but that was such an arrogant and crooked thought. It’s embarrassing just to think of it.”

“I can’t imagine.”

Louis let out a crooked smile, making Nina tilt her head, unknowing of what he was talking about. He put down the teacup.

“But the world wasn’t that easy. I couldn’t see through the hearts of people, I couldn’t distinguish between good and evil, and the truth wasn’t always true. I went home as a wreck, and it was all too late. There was only my little sister to welcome me.”

Their parents had passed away, and their family was torn apart. Even in such a situation, his sister smiled, saying, “Welcome home, brother.”

He flopped on his knees in front of her and sobbed. There was no way to turn back time, no way to get rid of regret.

“I left her in the care of a relative and went to find a way to pay for the medicine for her weak health.”

“And your destination was the Dark Knights.”

“There was no place that pays as much as here.”

Louis added.

“That is but a common story for anyone that came to the Order.”

At that time, many people came to the Dark Knights as if they were selling themselves for money. His story wasn’t even a special one.

“Didn’t I once sign for only three years, but I still came back?” (Louis)

“Yeah. I and the Young Master were very happy then. Though I couldn’t ask the reason why.” (Nina)

She was afraid that he would leave again if her asking were to hurt Louis.

“I was constantly writing letters to my sister. I also got a cute reply. I even made more money since she told me the price of medicines had risen.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I remember that the Duke’s overpriced interest with everything was the same as loan sharking at that time.”

“But since my little sister said she was getting better, I wanted to do it nevertheless.”

“Well, I don’t think this will end on a good note.”

Louis laughed.

“Yes. When I returned home after three years, my sister had died a long time ago, and my money was being used for the luxurious life of my relatives.”

His sister’s replies were also made up and written by them. His ability was still of no use. He knew the letter was ghostwritten, but he thought they had written it for his sister because she was sick.

Let’s not rely on these eyes too much.

He thought so, but he made another mistake that he would regret forever.

Nina opened her eyes wide.

“Did you leave them alone?”

“Well, no. I beat them up and destroyed everything.”

They must have acted that way because they thought he was going to die when he joined the knights. They must have been surprised to see him survive longer than they initially thought.

When he first entered the knights, he even gave half of his three-year salary to them as a lump sum.

“They sold my sister as soon as they got the money. And when I asked where she was buried, they couldn’t even tell me.”

When he went to the store where she was sold, the owner said his weak sister died after working for a little while. There weren’t even any graves since they were buried in groups.

“So I came back.”

He thought he should at least keep his eyes on Nina and Adrian.

“I see.”

She didn’t know at all because Louis didn’t talk nor show it.

“It’s a secret.”

Louis raised his pinky that meant “please,” and Nina raised her pinky too.

“Of course.”

Louis went on to say.

“I’ve just been briefed on the prevalence of trafficking.”

“Human trafficking?”

Nina opened her eyes wide.

“It’s forbidden in Luverne, isn’t it?”

“I’m talking about big cities. Because of the cult, there’s a lot of bellac attacks, so a lot of people were gathering in cities where there is a resistance defense against bellacs.”

“And they’re forming slums.”

“Yes, they have this way of thinking that bellacs won’t come out of where there is a defense system······.”

“That’s not correct.”

“Thanks to that, people were also flocking to the Duchy of Luverne.”

“I see, and now Luverne’s population is increasing significantly.”

Louis nodded.

“Yes. When I heard about human trafficking, that reminded me of my sister.”

Louis’ purple eyes stared straight at me then he smiled.

“Wouldn’t I be able to meet such people when we go to the capital city?”

‘Wow.’

No wonder people say that when a quiet person gets angry, it’s the scariest thing.

They could really hold grudges.

“If you met them, call me too.”

“I cannot bother the leader of the Dark Knights with this.”

“But Louis can bother Nina.”

At Nina’s words, Louis smiled while gazing at her.

“Okay. If I think I need it, I’ll bother you.”

“Yes.”

Since it’s promised, she doesn’t need to worry about Louis anymore.

Now they just need to relax and talk. Nina leaned back and twisted her legs.

“Oh, the weather’s so nice. The garden’s beautiful. A bear is walking.”

Louis said, “Bear?” and raised his head letting out a laugh, “Pfft.”

Jean’s red hair caught his eye even in the middle of the rose garden. He was walking this way.

“What is this? What are you two whispering?”

“How did you know we were here?”

When Nina asked, Jean sat down and replied.

“It’s obvious where you’re going.”

“Wow, that’s crazy.”

Nina shook her head. She even used North Wind to find this place, but now Jean is saying he knows it just from a hunch.

In response to Nina’s reaction, Jean folded his arms, deciding not to tell her that this is the fifth place he visited, even if his mouth was ripped open.

“Even if you run, I will know it like the palm of my hand.”

“What. Is that the hunch of a beast?”

Nina mumbled and pulled out one more cup from the tray, and Louis filled it up with tea.

Jean glanced at Nina’s dewy glass cup and she reached out her hand before Jean could even ask her to also cool his tea.

“The Commander isn’t coming to brief me on what you talked about at the conference, so I’ll have to find her myself.”

“Oh, right.”

Nina hit her knees as if she had forgotten and briefly told him the contents of the conference.

“And I think I will be away for a while.”