Chapter 28: You’re The Only One Who Doesn’t Know, Only You

“That word now.”

There was a crackling sound in his molars.

“Seriously, are you saying that?”

Iska’s eyes gleamed.

A void of anger erupted. The area around his temple thumped as if someone was grabbing his brain and pressing him.

“Why are you….”

You always treat yourself like a tool, don’t you?

Iska chewed his lips without speaking. It was useless to bring it up.

She was a woman who has always lived that way. It was an echo that had no meaning to her.

Even now, Lavella looked puzzled as if she didn’t know why he was angry.

“Haaa.”

After he washed the look off his face, Iska let out a rough breath.

It was a strange situation where he was angry, but there was no one to be angry at.

He couldn’t blame her for not recognizing his heart, and he couldn’t blame himself for holding her in his heart.

‘What right did he have?’

Iska laughed bitterly.

Above all… he met Lavella because he had a deal with Chamer from the beginning.

Before Iska met her, he vaguely thought of the existence of Lavella that Chamer spoke of as a ‘key’ or a ‘tool’.

Just someone who would help him ascend to the throne. More than that, he was the one who regarded her as nothing more or less than that.

It was questionable whether he had any right to be angry.

“Lavella, do you know why I want to be emperor?”

Iska spoke with a softer tone.

“…….”

When he made eye contact with Lavella, a lukewarm look came back as if asking him to say something.

Iska was at a loss.

How can I make this emotionless woman understand this feeling?

“To protect. Everything… I want to protect everything.”

For Iska’s precious people, the people of the Empire living in Imperia, and for a history that would no longer be stained with blood.

“And to me, you….”

Iska slowly lifted his eyes as he looked at Lavella’s straightened red lips.

He looked into her lovely gold eyes and recited it in a whisper.

“You’re not just someone to me.”

It was as if his heart had been thrown to the floor by her expression.

Iska’s eyes were endlessly lonely.

“I know that my heart for you weighs less than the little sword you cherish.”

“Uh, umm….”

It was ambiguous whether it was denied or admitted. 

Lavella pursed her lips, then shut her mouth.

I’ve never seen Iska, who was always smirking and leisurely smiling, sink so slow.

It seemed that his broad shoulders were drooping. It looked pitiful and sad at the same time.

I felt strangely uncomfortable because of the person who didn’t usually look like this.

‘Why is he doing this all of a sudden?’

Lavella had to reflect on what mistake she had made.

‘I didn’t say anything wrong.’

However, no matter how much she thought about it, she didn’t understand why.

As she tilted her head, Iska smiled and swept his hair.

“It’s already the second time you’ve been hurt in front of my eyes. I’m mad at the fact.”

Mad at his helpless self. Mad at himself, who might be the reason why she puts herself at in danger.

It was only because of him that she came to this strange land.

“Is this a good thing?”

Iska snorted.

“No. If you had stopped breathing on the spot, I would have ripped apart everyone involved to death. And I would have cursed myself.”

“Ha, Iska. You seem to be mistaken.”

Lavella sighed and shrugged.

“If I die, it’s because I’m not strong, so I can’t help it.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Lavella’s eyes widened at the harsh words that came out of Iska’s mouth.

‘Huh?’

Lavella wondered if what she heard him say, not to anyone else, was right. She couldn’t believe the words came from his mouth, him, who always smiled softly.

“While you weren’t awake, I was. Do you know how the other guys waited?”

“…….”

“I can’t help it, that is such an irresponsible thing to say. You are the Captain of Kirah.”

Lavella, speechless, twisted her lips.

“What happens to Kirah when you die? What about the guys who came to Kirah after meeting you? Haven’t you thought of that?”

“…….”

Yes. I never thought about it.

It is the end of your life when you die. There would be no graves anywhere, and you never know when, where, or how you would die.

So, the same was true of Kirah. We’re going to live our own lives somehow, right?

It’s not a big deal for me to disappear.

“The guys of Kirah will be heartbroken if you disappear. So will I.”

But for some reason, the words Iska had spoken at the cliff suddenly came to mind.

The worried faces of the Kirah guys she saw as soon as she woke up. And the eyes of her father who looked indifferently at her half-siblings who had collapsed and vomited blood.

“…….”

“Lavella.”

Iska looked at Lavella, who looked a little confused, and called her name affectionately. 

“You can trample on my heart or use it for your advantage.”

Lavella raised her eyes and looked at Iska.

“I’m willing to be taken advantage of, and I have no intention of denying my love for you. But don’t risk yourself again.”

“…….”

“Don’t treat yourself like a trivial tool.”

“…….”

A heavy silence enveloped the two of them.

Iska looked down at Lavella silently. Seeing that she didn’t answer, he wondered if he had offended her.

‘As expected, it didn’t work.’

Maybe she thought he was arrogant saying these things.

It was time for Iska to sigh. Lavella, who was looking at his hot and bothered eyes full of heat in front of her, licked her lips.

“I’m…sorry?”

“……What?”

At the same time, they were startled and widened their eyes. Iska, who heard her unexpected words, and Lavella who said it unconsciously. 

“Lavella, just now you….”

The corners of Iska’s eyes began to curve slightly.

“Did you say you’re sorry?”

The corners of his lips rose beautifully as if asking for confirmation.

“Hmm?”

It was the first time Lavella looked embarrassed.

Lavella narrowed her brows as she looked at Iska, whose smile quickly spread.

…Why did I do that? I don’t know. It was a word that popped out instinctively.

However, seeing Iska smile like he hadn’t been angry moments ago, made her desire to admit her mistake disappear.

Lavella had a brazen expression on her face, as if she had intended to say it and repeated it.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

Iska swallowed a laugh as he saw Lavella repeating her words calmly as if she was sincere.

It was obvious she was embarrassed even after she said it but she was pretending not to be.

The scene was so lovely it melted his heart.

“Lavella, you know what?”

“?”

“I really can’t let you go.”

Having said that, Iska collapsed his upper body onto the bed as if he had lost.

He put his head on Lavella’s legs that were under the blanket and let out a sigh.

“…….”

Lavella inadvertently withdrew her hand that stretched toward his head.

It was because she had a thought that she wanted to stroke his black hair.

‘So strange.’

It was a strange feeling that she had never felt before.

* * *

“Ah. I’m so unlucky.”

The man, who was being dragged out while being tied to a rope, spat with a frown.

“Who is this bastard?”

“Huh? What?”

When Pessini glanced the man laughed at him.

“What are you doing? Do you know how serious the crime you commited was?”

“Ha. What did I do wrong? I just did what I needed to eat and live!”

“What?”

You kidnap and sell people to make a living?

Upon hearing the man’s nonsense, Pessini grabbed him like he would raise an axe at him at any moment.

“Pessini. Stop it. It’s not up to us to punish them.”

At the same time Argen grabbed Pessini, Iska stretched out his arm in front of Pessini and blocked him.

“Ugh.”

Pessini, who was in a hurry, shook off Argen’s arm and stomped away.

“Phew, there’s no other time bomb than him.”

Argen watched Pessini’s back and shook his head.

“Oh, how’s Pessini? Is he okay these days?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Take care of him so that he doesn’t run wild.”

Iska recalled Lavella’s words, who sat in bed eating fruits and casually spitting the seeds out.

When Lavella said something like that suddenly, Iska wondered if there was a reason.

While taking in the traffickers, Pessini acted more hot-tempered than ever before.

“But I’m glad this is the last one. Anyway, we will be able to return to the guild soon.”

Argen stretched his arms out while clicking his tongue.

“That’s right.”

With his hands on his waist, Iska watched as the criminals were handed over to the Lord’s soldiers to be dragged to the castle.

He had frantically swept through the area, chased, and caught the traffickers in the territory like he was cleaning.

After repeatedly catching only the small ones, he was finally able to catch the most important person today.

Now the intense interrogation would begin. If this was the case, he would be able to control them and catch the mastermind behind the operation.

Lavella’s condition was almost recovered so things were going smoothly.

It would have been right to feel refreshed, but for some reason Iska felt uncomfortable.

“…….”

Iska ruffled his hair silently.

*****

“Lavella… Hmm?”

Iska, who visited Lavella’s room as usual, wrinkled his eyebrows as he looked at the empty bed.

Iska was on his way back from a late meeting with the Lord.

She should have been sleeping or preparing for bed by now. She seemed to have been gone for a while, seeing that there was no warmth at all.

She wasn’t in a situation where she could go around freely yet.

“Ugh, you said you’d behave.”

 I thought I endured for a long time because of that personality.

For a while, she acted like a crouching child and pretended to reflect on herself.

Iska immediately opened the door and stepped out toward the drawing room where she was standing.

Iska narrowed his brows when he saw Lavella sitting in front of giant lump drinking alcohol.

“What are you…!”

‘Shhh.’

Lavella met his eyes and put a finger to her lips as if to signal not to say anything.

That huge guy sitting across from Lavella must be Pessini. Canpiden and Argen were nowhere to be seen.

Iska sighed and leaned crookedly against the door.

Lavella was sitting with her legs crossed and her chin resting with her elbows on the table.

Lowering her finger from her lips, Lavella spun the glass round and round.

“Captain….”

“Yes, yes.”

“Uh wuh huhwu.”

“……!”

‘Was he crying?’

Iska raised an eyebrow sharply.

Looking back, Pessini’s large body was trembling.

“I’ll be loyal to the Captain for the rest of my life. You know that, right? Huhuhu.”

“…….”

It was funny and ridiculous to burst into tears in a loud voice.

‘What a strange situation this was.’

“Are you still doing that?”

Behind Iska, Argen grumbled and looked at the two as if he didn’t understand.

“…Since when has he been in this state?”

“Since dinner.”

“What?”

“It was the Captain’s order. I sent them to the village to drink, but you don’t know what will happen after they drink. So they’re drinking here.”

“But why drink?”

Argen smiled awkwardly at Iska’s response.

“Please understand. He must not be deceived now.”

Argen, who had been agonizing for a while, spoke.

Now, Iska was like a family member, so he could know.

“He almost lost his sister to human trafficking.”

“!”

Iska’s arms loosened.

“Captain, who was sweeping the area for some other reason, stumbled upon Pessini while he was looking for his sister.”

“…….”

“Thanks to the captain, they were able to find her quickly, but when they found her, the drug addiction was already serious. It’s similar in many ways to this case.”

Iska glanced at Lavella and the crying Pessini.

“He must have thought a lot about that during the job.”

Only then did Iska finally understand why Lavella asked him about Pessini’s condition.

“His younger sister now is….”

“Ah, she’s recovered and well now thanks to Captain’s efforts. Because of the big age gap, Pessini cares about her like a daughter.”

“…That’s a relief.”

“That’s why he’s loyal to Captain. Because Captain is a savior to him.”

“…….”

“Captain says she didn’t mean to help, though.”

Iska caught Lavella casually watching Pessini’s drunkenness.

She was a woman with a job that puts blood on her hands. There were times when she was sweet enough to forget that fact.

And that kindness, she didn’t do it to herself.

Why people are attracted to her, that woman will only think that it was because of her looks and skills.

There are times when the contradiction was insanely lovely.

It was when Iska was about to smile.

“Hello, the Lord is looking for you!”

A loud voice panting and shouting broke Iska’s appreciation.

Iska and Argen turned their heads simultaneously. 

“A-attack! All the people that were caught today… they were killed!”

“!”

Iska, who quickly turned his head, made eye contact with Lavella, who only raised her eyes.

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