Chapter 49
49
As Nina called him in a low voice, he quickly took his hand off the railing decoration and turned to look at her.
"Well, ahem. I came to deliver a message to the Duke."
Nina's eyebrows tilted. Nina quickly recognized who this man was.
"A spy."
"You could say that."
He chuckled and bowed.
"Did you provoke me on purpose just now?"
"No, I just came after working hard, but you two looked so lovey-dovey that I couldn't help it."
"It's not like we're being all lovey-dovey. More than that..."
Nina swung her dagger without warning or any preparatory movement.
The man reflexively dodged, smiled bitterly, and pressed his cheek with his hand.
Blood flowed from the shallow cut.
"If I had judged you as an enemy, you would be dead."
"I thought you'd at least know that I didn't have any murderous intent."
"That's a separate matter. So, why now?"
Nina's question meant, why are you introducing yourself now?
She had sensed several presences coming in and out of the castle, but she ignored them.
It was because she realized they were Adrian's spies.
She thought they were living while pretending not to know each other, so what is his intention in revealing himself now?
"I thought you were someone I had to be introduced to."
The man smiled brightly.
"Let's talk inside."
Adrian, who was already dressed, approached the balcony and said.
At those words, the man entered without hesitation. He looked around the room, observing everything.
"Why did you come?"
At Adrian's question, the man straightened his shoulders and said with a smile.
"The leader is dead."
"Why?"
"There seems to be a monster inside the temple."
The man's smile deepened. Adrian tapped the table with his fingers, saying, "I see."
"I'm here."
Nina raised her hand.
If it's a conversation between a spy and a duke, is it okay for the commander of the Knights to hear it?
The man turned to her, saying, "You're not someone with a negligible presence."
'Ah, this person.'
He's not smiling at all.
He's smiling, but I can feel that he's angry. Perhaps only Nina could properly distinguish it.
Nina, who had become accustomed to Adrian, was sensitive to the other person's emotions, so she could quickly notice.
The man said to Adrian.
"Master, you may not like it, but I think it's time for you to get acquainted with the commander."
At Adrian's awkward gaze, Nina covered her eyes with the back of her hand and laughed.
"If you don't want to show me, just pretend you didn't see it."
Adrian sighed and opened his mouth.
"Nina, this is Jack. Jack already knows, right?"
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
Nina asked him, smiling brightly.
"Then are you the next leader?"
"You're very straightforward. That's right."
"I thought you introduced yourself to do this."
"Are you angry?"
"Yes."
"The reason is..."
"The cure for a dog that doesn't listen to its owner is to beat it."
If he revealed his identity to her without Adrian's permission, he deserves to be beaten. No, he needs to be beaten a little.
"There are no bad dogs in the world."
"Then let's call him a bad person."
"I can't deny that."
Jack shook his head and glanced at Adrian.
"Will you forgive me, Master?"
"Nina."
"Can't I hit him just once?"
"You already slashed him with a knife."
Jack said, flustered. He knew Nina's immense strength well. Even if he got hit just once, he would have to stay in bed for at least a few weeks.
"Well, that's true."
Nina spun the dagger in her hand and put it into the scabbard attached to her belt.
Nina smiled brightly and said.
"Then shall we start over from the beginning?"
Jack rolled his eyes, slipped out, and closed the balcony door. Adrian couldn't help but burst into a small laugh.
It was funny how obedient Jack was, and the situation of starting over was absurd.
Nina stood crookedly and said.
"Hurry up."
"Okay. Then."
Adrian cleared his throat and looked at Nina with a serious face.
"Nina, there's someone I want to introduce you to."
"Really? Who is it?"
"Nina, you know I use spies, right? Maybe all nobles have them, but the Duke's family is a bit bigger. I want to introduce you to the leader of that group."
"Is there a need to increase the risk?"
A secret is only valuable when few people know it. Adrian whispered at her words, asking if there was a need to increase the number of people who know the secret.
"It's useless if Nina doesn't know."
"Adrian knows what excites me."
Nina smiled and bowed her head.
"If Young Master says so, I will gladly be introduced."
"Jack, come in."
"Yes, yes, yes, it's Jack."
"That's insincere. Shall we do it again?"
At Nina's words, Jack closed and opened the balcony door again and entered solemnly.
"It is an honor to meet you like this. The jet-black sword, a ray of light in the darkness, the glory of Louveaen, Swordmaster Nina La Dell."
"Ah, that introduction is my taste."
"I thought you'd like it."
After their whispering ended, Nina smiled softly, as if there had been no conversation just now.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too. The shadow of Louveaen, the black bird that brings darkness, the one who swallows without a bottom."
Jack smiled and straightened his body, then they greeted each other and retold about the temple and the death of the former leader.
Nina thought of the final boss of the temple. Wouldn't the Duke's family become a target if she poked it unnecessarily?
As she was thinking about what to advise, Adrian said.
"Don't go any deeper and stop all activities. If there's something in the temple, there's no need to dig into it, not now."
At those words, Jack bowed his head and stepped back. As the balcony door closed, Nina turned to Adrian.
"Is it because of the Cultist of the temple?"
Adrian nodded. The person sent by the temple blew up the Barrier.
This was a huge scandal for the temple, and they struggled to cover it up somehow.
It would have been better if the Duke's family had responded more sharply, but instead, they used the incident to try to kill Adrian, and then they couldn't protest because of the epidemic.
Eventually, when Adrian suppressed the internal strife, the matter was left unresolved.
'So there really is something there.'
"It's okay."
Adrian smiled at Nina's words. She continued cheerfully.
"I'll win."
"No matter who the enemy is."
Adrian repeated what she had said. Nina smiled brightly. He nodded with a gentle face.
"I'm not worried."
"Then that's enough."
Nina hugged Adrian once and said.
"I'll be on my way now."
"Okay."
Adrian gently grabbed her pigtails as she turned around. As Nina walked, her hair slipped out of his hand.
The reason he didn't say 'stay on the road' to her as she went to the balcony was because he knew she wasn't going back to her room.
He stared blankly at his hand, which only had a smooth texture left, and then clenched his fist.
\ \ *
Nina, who jumped off the balcony, soon found Jack standing in the garden.
"I knew you'd come."
At Jack's words, Nina took out ointment from her bosom.
"To put on your cheek."
"Is that all you came for?"
"I offer my condolences."
At Nina's serious face, Jack said in a low voice.
"Our deaths are done without anyone knowing. I don't think it's something to be mourned, nor do I think it needs to be..."
"It's for the living."
At Nina's words, Jack asked back, "Do I look like someone who needs condolences?"
"Whether you need it or not, you deserve to receive it."
"Then I will receive it."
"Here."
Nina held out a white flower. She had taken one while running. Jack, who received the unexpected flower, widened his eyes and said with a sigh.
"I know why Master couldn't abandon you."
Why he couldn't give up on the dead for two years and waited.
"I didn't live so comfortably that I could be abandoned. I'm a necessary talent."
At Nina's words, Jack chuckled and threw the flower into the bushes.
"I received it well."
"You're welcome."
Nina, who was very good at saying that she would only accept the heart, asked.
"By the way, what's your real name?"
Jack said politely, "That's crossing the line." Nina said, "Then I'm sorry," and turned around first.
It was a unilateral gesture of saying, I trust you. Jack laughed lightly and disappeared as if melting into the shadows.
