Chapter 24

“I couldn’t help it just now. The cat looked like it was about to fall at any moment.”

“You could have called me.”

“How could I ask the Commander to climb a tree? Besides, it wasn’t that strenuous.”

“You need to rest for a month.”

“Honestly, a month is too long. Even Uncle Loden returned to duty after just two weeks when he had a serious shoulder injury.”

How could she possibly rest for a month with just a wrist injury? Even for someone who enjoyed leisure time as much as she did, this seemed excessive.

“I understand your frustration. But if you overexert yourself before properly healing, your condition could worsen.”

Rihirt calmly tried to persuade her. His eyes looked down at her with composure, but inwardly he felt immensely relieved. He was fortunate to have stepped out briefly during work to look for her.

“Please focus solely on recovery for the next month.”

“But……”

“During your rest period, dangerous activities like climbing walls and trees are strictly prohibited.”

“If it’s not dangerous, can I at least climb low places……”

“No.”

Her shoulders slumped at his sharp response. Rihirt continued, steeling himself against his weakening resolve.

“You should rewrap your bandage.”

“Yes. I understand……”

“I’ll accompany you to the infirmary.”

“No need. You have work to do and you’re busy. I’ll go by myself.”

She spoke with a bright smile, but her retreating figure somehow looked dejected as she walked toward the infirmary. Rihirt stopped himself from following her. As she said, he had work to do.

He had been so busy lately that he’d been working overnight every day. It would be no exaggeration to say he was pouring all his energy into finding the assassin.

There were no clues, and all traces had been meticulously erased, making it difficult to identify who was behind it. Yet far from being discouraged, he was pursuing the case even more tenaciously, mobilizing his trusted subordinates.

Though Rihirt was typically insensitive to others’ emotional changes, Anasha was the exception. All his senses were attuned to her, which seemed only natural.

Since the night of the ball, Rihirt had noticed that she was privately feeling downcast. He himself still felt unpleasant about the incident, so the actual victim must feel even worse. That’s why she couldn’t rest comfortably and kept feeling anxious.

After staring at her small retreating figure for a while, Rihirt finally forced his reluctant feet to move. His silent determination to catch the assassin for her sake continued to burn fiercely.

⁕⁕⁕

Anasha sighed as she looked down at her left hand tightly wrapped in fresh bandages. Everyone else was busy with training, while she alone sat idly near the training grounds, whiling away time.

The Commander had told her to rest fully for a month, but she had nothing to do right now and felt suffocated, with no idea how to spend the coming month. Normally, she would have clung to the Commander and chatted away, but knowing how busy he was—working overnight for several days—she couldn’t do that either.

The sun was gradually setting. Anasha brushed off the dirt and stood up. Feeling restless, she considered having a drink alone.

‘But drinking alone feels a bit……”

She thought about persuading someone to join her, but couldn’t think of a suitable person. Her uncles were definitely out of the question—they would undoubtedly come as a group.

As she wandered around the knight order grounds looking for someone who might be free:

She spotted a black-haired man walking out of the main entrance. Walking with a posture so straight that he might as well have had “nobleman” written on his back, it was Vice Commander Kalif.

Anasha’s mouth formed a small circle. Surprisingly, he seemed like a suitable drinking companion.

He wouldn’t make a fuss no matter what complaints she voiced, and above all, he was talkative. Rather than drinking alone gloomily, listening to his nagging would be less boring.

“Vice Commander!”

Kalif made a very sour face when Anasha came running up to him.

“…Have you caused another incident?”

“I haven’t caused any trouble, so you can relax your expression.”

“……”

“Oh come on! Can’t you trust what I say?”

“Sir is the exception.”

His expression seemed to say, ‘How could I trust you of all people?’ Anasha narrowed her eyes for a moment, then remembered her purpose and opened them wide again.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m heading home.”

“Oh, you’re leaving work. Then would you like to have a drink with me?”

“You’ve finally gone mad. Haha.”

Kalif touched his forehead and let out a low laugh. Of course, the laughter stopped abruptly.

“Absolutely not.”

“You don’t have to reject me so quickly. I have plenty of other people I could drink with, you know.”

“That’s fortunate indeed.”

Seeing how genuinely relieved he looked, Anasha felt a surge of stubbornness.

“Too bad for you, Vice Commander. That place has the most exquisite beer, but I guess you’ll never get to taste it.”

The corner of Kalif’s eyebrow twitched as he tried to walk ahead. Quickly catching this reaction, Anasha continued chattering beside him.

“I’ve been to most taverns around here, but none have beer as amazing as that place. Anyone who enjoys alcohol should definitely visit! I discovered it by chance when I went with my uncles, and it’s so good I almost want to keep it to myself. It’s close enough to walk to, but if you’re leaving, I won’t stop you. But besides the beer, the side dishes are absolutely incredible……”

“I suppose drinking with you once wouldn’t be so bad. I actually had something to ask you anyway.”

“But you just said I was crazy.”

“Even crazy things are fine once in a while.”

Kalif turned to her and continued shamelessly. With his chin raised like a refined nobleman, he told her to lead the way. Anasha was exasperated by his attitude but ultimately led him to the tavern.

The small tavern located near the outer city wall had a rustic charm. Its proximity made it a popular spot for knights, though it was relatively quiet today.

Anasha ordered two beers and their most famous side dishes. She picked up a beer mug as big as her head and took a drink. As she put down the mug with beer foam covering her lips, she saw the Vice Commander still coolly drinking his beer.

Sitting across from him with a wooden table between them felt somewhat unfamiliar. As she stared at him, Kalif soon put down his mug and glanced at her.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, you just seem surprisingly comfortable in this setting. I thought you’d complain about drinking from wooden mugs, but you’re completely unfazed.”

“During my academy days, I visited shabby taverns like this a few times while hiding my identity.”

“What?! You’re lying!”

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you.”

Kalif took another drink of beer. Anasha couldn’t take her eyes off him, feeling strangely betrayed. After acting like the most fastidious nobleman all this time, to learn he had secretly enjoyed such escapades was shocking.

“That’s so unexpected… Then why have you been so desperate to catch me all this time?!”

“Because your actions violate the knight order’s discipline and system. I believe I’ve been quite lenient with you on a personal level.”

“Betrayal… complete betrayal!”

“It’s your fault for judging someone based on just one aspect of their character.”

Though she wanted to argue, he wasn’t wrong. After repeatedly opening and closing her mouth, Anasha finally just drank her beer in succession. The cold beer settled her stomach, easing her frustration somewhat.

Come to think of it, the Commander also had aspects that didn’t fit the image of a grand noble. Despite rumors of his coldness, he was actually humble and caring, showing respect even to his subordinates.

“Ahh!”

Anasha continued drinking without touching the side dishes. As the alcohol began to take effect, her cheeks flushed red.

“Sir Anasha, you seem drunk already.”

“Oh really! You’re still so formal, calling me Anasha instead of Asha like I’ve asked. Even the Commander calls me Sir Asha. Anyway, didn’t you say you had something to ask me?”

Anasha, insisting she wasn’t drunk yet, asked with wide eyes. She had just remembered his earlier comment about having something to ask her.

Kalif looked at her face suspiciously, then shifted his gaze to her left hand resting on the wooden table. Realizing what he wanted to ask, Anasha quietly closed her mouth.

After continuing to drink in silence, Anasha put down her empty beer mug and sighed deeply.

“I told my uncles and everyone else that I got hurt from a bad landing… but since you’re not the type to gossip, I’ll tell you the truth.”

“And they believe that? More importantly, how did you really get injured?”

“I got hurt fighting an assassin. Don’t make fun of me.”

“I won’t. Don’t worry.”

Kalif responded politely that he wasn’t crude enough to mock someone’s injury. Of course, his expression suggested he was barely restraining himself from demanding what she took him for.

When he didn’t press further and simply waited, a dejected voice soon came from across the table.

“I’m really frustrated. This is all I have… I’ve worked so hard since childhood to become a spy, but men easily overpower me. Just with brute strength.”

Anasha spoke while looking down at the table. A long sigh escaped her involuntarily.

“No matter how much skill I develop, it seems to mean nothing against raw strength…… I’m smaller than others. I wonder if physical limitations are something I can never overcome no matter how hard I try……”

She had never considered the possibility of not being able to do this job, but the recent incident changed that. Realizing she could lose this career at any time made her question her abilities anew.