Chapter 41

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Chapter 41

He was about to return to the training ground, but Tyler was waiting in front of the door as if he knew Caryx would appear.

“Master, I have something to give you before you leave.”

Tyler looked more dispirited than usual. His face looked murky and uncomfortable.

Roughly reading the situation, Carlyx reached out his hand. He already knew what he would soon hold in his hands.

“A letter came for you.”

Tyler immediately handed over a stamped letter. The elaborate seal was a design of a pegasus with a flamboyant crown and rose vines around its legs.

The time has come.

Carlyx, who still had a calm demeanor, spoke in a dull tone.

“The day after tomorrow, I’m leaving.”

He arranged his own schedule without even reading the letter.

Tyler had been with Carlyx for quite a long time and so answered briefly.

“Yes. I’ll prepare it for you.”

The seal belonged to the Imperial Family. If the Imperial Family sent him a letter, he could guess the content without even reading it.

Come visit me as soon as possible.

Rumor had it the Knights of Notics were experiencing difficulty in ending the war alone. It was time for the Zistanter Knightly Order to step forward.

‘This time again, it’s not the Manefartal Order, but the Zistanter Order that has to go.’

Xandarvan would definitely be offended by this strategy, but it was clearly a favorable situation for the Imperial Family. For a very long time, the Imperial Family had decided that they must protect Xandarvan and Manefartal Knightly Order, whereas they sent the Zistanter Knightly Order into every dangerous battle.

It was a bitter pill at first, but he was used to it now.

From a Knight to a Commander.

Although the journey was a thorny road that left him scarred, it hadn’t reached the point that he collapsed or was unable to predict what was coming.

Because he always expected the worst.

Carlyx returned the unopened letter to Tyler and strode to his private training spot with large steps.

He didn’t want to disturb the knights as they were still on break.

The increasingly chilly wind slapped his pale cheeks. It reminded him of that time.

When he held Daisy in front of Xandarvan.

He was thinking of apologizing to Xandarvan out of respect for her.

But at that moment, Daisy pressed hard on his chest.

Almost like she could read his overwhelming emotions.

Almost like she understood the subtle displeasure he felt.

How strange. Am I being understood?

No way.

Carlyx bit his lower lip before quickly returning to his expressionless face. Soon after, the slowed walking also regained its original speed.

It can’t be.

She just said it thoughtlessly.

His heart, which almost jumped out of his chest, became frighteningly still.

As he organized his thoughts that were about to get complicated, he turned around. At that moment, the scent of an autumn breeze came over him as if to swallow him in a feeling of deja vu.

“Are you here?”

It was a question that Carlyx wanted to ask.

“You. Why are you here?”

Genuinely surprised, he froze to the spot. Meanwhile, Daisy was sitting and leisurely tidying her hair.

“What do you mean, why? Of course, I’m here to meet you. I want to see the carriage that you will be riding on your outing the day after tomorrow.”

“…I see.”

Daisy sprang up and brushed her knees lightly. Even though she stood up, Carlyx did not budge an inch from his spot.

He couldn’t move as if he was glued to the floor.

“Please head back.”

Carlyx paused for a while and added calmly.

“It’s cold today. You will catch a cold.”

“Are you worrying about me?”

“If you catch a cold, Luciana and River will be sad.”

He heard Luciana and River talk about Daisy to Belia a lot. Daisy was playing with them even with her busy schedule.

Anyways, it’d be difficult for everyone if she were sick.

Yeah, that was the only explanation.

Carlyx adjusted his sword nervously. As he just stayed still, she approached him with a light step.

“Who’s worried about who at this time? You. I’m worried about you.”

Me? She’s worried about me?

Carlyx read the warmth in her eyes. It was familiar, yet his heart fluttered because of different feelings.

“I heard from Tyler. The Imperial Family sent you a letter, so you’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes. I’ll be leaving soon.”

The cool wind ruffled Daisy’s blonde hair. Even her gently fluttering hair gave off a strange feeling.

He wanted to walk closer and touch her.

No, that’s not right. Carlyx unconsciously grit his teeth.

“You asked me to see a lawyer, but I won’t consult one.”

Daisy gracefully ran her fingers through her hair. Her gentle yet weighty voice moved him more and more. The sincerity contained in it was reaching him little by little.

“You will continue to go to war during our marriage. As you say, you could die.”

It wasn’t light, but it wasn’t a serious tone, either.

“But I don’t intend to see a lawyer now or later. Don’t misunderstand.”

“What kind of misunderstanding are you talking about?”

“It’s not that I don’t have a materialistic desire or any sort of other desires. I like the reward that you wrote in your will, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want more.”

One corner of Daisy’s mouth went up. The leaves sent by the wind fell on her head.

“But I’m a little more worried about you than last time. It’s not because I’m doubting your skills, it’s just that I feel we’ve gotten close.”

Why? There was nothing different from last time.

Meeting with Xandarvan. He won the match against Xandarvan. Under her command, he only did what she needed him to do. In the end, he just agreed and changed the system.

Carlyx ticked off the occurrences one by one in his head and suddenly realized that all of those situations weren’t meaningless.

“Win. I want to see you alive in good health. Because I want to say what I want directly to you.”

A liveliness entered the mind that began to open up. The warmth that bloomed in the corner of his heart began to spread.

“So don’t get hurt.” Daisy calmly said.

Those words hit him strangely.

“I’ll be waiting. Here, protecting our family.”

She was sincere. It was words without pretense that he couldn’t ignore.

Immersed in his chaotic thoughts, Carlyx reached out his hand.

I really don’t know what this was.

Friend? I only knew the meaning, but I never actually had any.

Warm affection. Precious memories. Playful remarks.

He had missed all of that, thinking that he didn’t deserve it.

If we’re not friends….

Carlyx was still scared. But at the same time, he was curious. He wanted to ask her about this curiosity that shook him. Thus, Carlyx slowly picked up the fallen leaves deposited in her hair. He noted the mixture of light green and orange colors.

“Promise me.”

Alright. So you have to stay healthy, too.

He swallowed the words that he wanted to say.

“….I promise, Daisy.”

For the first time, he decided to do something crazier than her.

The fallen leaves that Carlyx dropped were swept away in a gust of wind. And in that moment, his fingers shook weakly.

It was before Daisy went out with Luciana and River, and before Carlyx went to the Imperial Palace.

Carlyx called Logan deeply into the forest. There was no one around them, only cold air remained.

He called Logan so early in the morning to the place where only thick bushes surrounded them. There were no people who could hear or see them.

“Why did you call me at this early hour?”

Logan asked as he tidied up his disheveled hair. His curious eyes were fixed on Carlyx.

Carlyx drew his sword first.

“I have a favor to ask you.”

Logan opened his eyes wide at the statement. Carlyx wasn’t someone who would ask others a favor.

Logan slightly nodded after strengthening his resolution to fight Carlyx, but Carlyx dropped his sword on the ground.

Clang.

Soon, a quiet voice rang out.

“Break my right arm.”

“What? What are you talking about? Carlyx, we’re at war!!”

Logan, who lowered his hand while making a fuss, looked closely at Carlyx. He thought it was a joke at first, but Carlyx’s face was serious.

“It’s war, Carlyx. I hear you received a letter yesterday. I’m sure we’ll be deployed within this week, so you have to prepare thoroughly. Does it make sense to break your right arm?”

“It makes sense.”

Carlyx was more serious than ever. Looking at the flow of the war, it wouldn’t escalate to a situation where Manefartal Knights needed to be deployed. Neither the Avalrevan Empire nor the Parisian Empire had the capacity to go to full-scale war.

If the Zistanter Knightly Order doesn’t go, the Manefartal Knightly Order will be deployed as they should have been.

He would never have thought of this before.

“It’s an order, Logan. Break my right arm.”

It was today that he realized that he had a choice.

Logan shook his head and eventually raised his sword. For the first time, there was a faint gleam in Carlyx’s eyes, who had been living as if he were dead.

“We won’t go to war this time as they wanted.”

Carlyx wanted to break his arm and go to the capital, not to war.

Only to be by Daisy’s side.

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