Chapter 44
“Where do you think you’re going? I still haven’t finished talking to you yet.”
I glanced back at the knight and his lady, feeling my irritation beginning to flare. Seriously, what does he want from me? I’ve already apologized to his red-haired companion—what more does he expect?
“What now? Make it quick. I don’t have time to deal with this.” I snapped.
A vein throbbed on the knight’s forehead as he stepped closer, looming over me like a storm about to break.
“Mind your tongue, boy.” he snarled, “Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to, you insolent commoner?”
The young woman with red hair stood silently behind him. There was a glint in her eyes—part amusement, part curiosity—as she watched us. It was as if she were a visitor at a zoo, casually observing the animals in their enclosure.
Whatever game she was playing, I wanted no part in it.
“Listen,” I said, my voice low but firm, “if you’re trying to use me to impress that young lady over there, you’re better off finding someone else to play the villain. I won’t repeat myself—step aside.”
“Who do you think you are, talking down to me like that?!” he barked. “You’d better start kneeling and begging for forgiveness.”
Apparently, my words couldn’t penetrate through that thick skull of his, because he only continued to antagonize me. I didn’t want to cause a scene in Kaelon’s house, so instead of arguing back, I started to leave.
“You dare... you dare ignore me?!” he roared.
He swung a punch straight at my face, but it never connected. I caught his fist mid-swing, yanked him forward, using his own momentum to flip him over my shoulder, slamming him hard into the ground.
KKAWK
I watched him hit the floor, silently hoping that the metallic thud would be enough to keep him down. But my wish went unanswered. The knight scrambled to his feet, gasping for air. His helmet had fallen off, revealing a face flushed purple with rage.
“You dare humiliate a knight of the Veyrling household?!” he roared. “I’ll break every bone in your body until you remember your place!”
‘Welp, I tried. Sorry Kaelon.’
Just as the knight drew his sword, his lady finally stepped forward.
“Aldric,” the woman said sharply. “That’s enough. Stand down.”
“B–But, my lady, he—”
“I believe my father hired you to protect me,” she cut in, her eyes cold, “not to provoke someone you clearly cannot handle.”
She then turned to me, her expression softening as she inclined her head in a shallow bow.
“I apologize for my knight’s behavior. My name is Valeria Veyrling. May I have the honor of knowing yours?”
‘So she’s the young lady Alistyr mentioned earlier…?’
I could now see why Kaelon had been in such a rush to leave. She only chose to intervene once she realized how effortlessly her knight had been subdued. And that smile of hers didn’t sit right with me—it was as if she were looking at prey.
A schemer, through and through.
I shrugged lightly. “Sorry, but my sister taught me never to give my name to strangers.”
The knight’s face turned crimson. “YOU INSOLENT—”
“Not another word, Aldric”
Valeria’s gaze snapped to him. Her voice left no room for argument, and even his roar faltered under her icy stare. He stood frozen, trembling, with his sword half drawn. She turned back to me, a faint, almost playful smirk tugging at her lips.
“I have to admit,” She said softly, her tone teasing. “It’s rare to meet someone who manages to pique my interest. Would you care to join me for tea sometime?”
I cut her off before she could press further, having no interest in dragging this out.
“Sorry, but I actually have somewhere I need to be,” I said curtly. “If you’ll please excuse me.”
With that, I turned and left the courtyard without another glance back. She didn’t try to stop me, yet I could still feel her gaze lingering on my back. Once I reached a secluded corner, I finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
…
Later that night, we gathered for dinner. Kaelon’s father had gone out of his way to prepare a full feast—far more elaborate than I’d expected. The table was packed with dishes I couldn’t even name, the aroma was rich and overwhelming.
I was flattered, but also a bit awkward; this was my first time eating somewhere this luxurious, and I had no idea what counted as basic noble etiquette. Luckily, they didn’t seem to mind.
They even brought out some bottles of wine for Auntie Shira. Though she showed no change in expression, I could tell she was quietly pleased with the treatment. She lifted the glass, swirling the wine thoughtfully before taking a sip.
After finishing my meal, I decided to step outside for some fresh air. I might have eaten a bit too much, as my stomach felt uncomfortably full. Walking through the garden, I noticed Kaelon sitting on a bench in the distance.
He seemed down ever since Alistyr had told him about Valeria’s meeting with his father. Even at dinner, his demeanor had been quieter than usual, and now, sitting alone on the garden bench, his shoulders slumped forward.
“Anything on your mind? You want to share?” I asked, sitting down beside him.
Kaelon glanced at me, then looked back down at the stone path. “Honestly… not really. I just feel like life sucks sometimes.”
“Sure does.”
I looked up at the night sky, admiring the scattering of stars above. The cool air brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of the surrounding garden.
After a moment of silence, I asked, “Hey, so what exactly is your family’s connection with this Lady Valeria? You’ve seemed off ever since I saw you back at dinner.”
He let out a strained smile.
“Sorry, but I think it’s best if you don’t get involved in this matter.”
“Well, you should know—earlier today, I met a woman with red hair, accompanied by a knight.”
That seemed to catch his attention. His head snapped toward me, eyes narrowing slightly, and his posture stiffened.
“You actually met her?” Kaelon asked, disbelief in his voice. “Caelith… tell me, did anything happen between you two?”
I leaned back on the bench, propping my hands behind my head. “Besides looking at me weirdly, nothing really happened between her and me. Though it’s a different story for her knight.”
“What happened?”
“I was walking through the courtyard the same time they rounded the corner. I almost bumped into her, and her knight demanded an apology. I did—but that wasn’t enough for him.”
“Let me guess… He tried to beat you up after,” Kaelon said with a knowing smirk.
I casually swung a leg, letting it brush against the gravel.
“You guessed correctly. I have no idea what his problem was, but he kept antagonizing me until eventually, he started swinging. Naturally, I tossed him to the ground before any of his strikes could land.”
Kaelon’s eyes lit up at that. The mischief he’d been lacking all day returned.
“I’d pay good money to see the look on his face when he fell.” he chuckled. “That man’s ego twice the size of his brain. What happened next?”
“Luckily for the knight, Valeria stepped in before things could escalate. By then, I was already annoyed and just wanted to get out of there. I didn’t have much interest in entertaining her games.”
“Well that’s… disappointing.” Kaelon said. His grin faded into a look of quiet contemplation.
Kaelon let out a sigh, following my gaze as he looked up at the stars. After a brief silence, he blurted out something so shocking it almost made me fall off the bench.
“Valeria was originally supposed to be my fiancée.”
“Oh… wait—huh?!”
Kaelon let out a defeated laugh. “I know, right? We were supposed to be engaged—mostly, so our families could form a closer alliance—but after that incident, the engagement was annulled.”
“They really just burned the bridge like that?”
Kaelon scoffed. “What did you expect? That’s just how the world of noble politics works. The moment you show any weakness, others are quick to take advantage of it.”
“On the bright side,” I said, “you’re pretty lucky you didn’t end up marrying her. I get the feeling she’s the type who’d cut off your head in your sleep.”
Kaelon snorted softly, rubbing a hand across his face, “You think so? You should’ve seen how many men she toyed with before I ever got engaged to her. But I guess you’re right. I probably did get lucky by breaking off the engagement.”
After that, we fell into silence again. Before, suddenly, Kaelon turned to me and asked an unrelated question.
“Since it’s just the two of us now… there’s something I’m curious about. What’s your type of woman?”
I stared at him blankly, wondering how he managed to switch topics so suddenly.
“Why the hell do you want to know?”
Without answering, he casually draped his arm over my shoulder, a smug grin spreading across his face.
“Come on, it’s just the two of us—no need to be shy. So are you more into girls with a big chest, or the other way around?”
“Yeah, I’m not answering that,” I said, pushing lightly against his arm.
That didn’t seem to discourage Kaelon. He only leaned closer, his grin widening as he continued pestering me about the topic.
“Man, just tell me already. What’s the big harm? It’s not like the world’s ending.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes, and reluctantly gave him an answer.“I don’t know… maybe someone a few years older than me. Kind, mature… and someone I can rely on.”
Kaelon let out a low whistle, leaning back with a smirk.“Ah… so you're the type who likes to be doted on and spoiled.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
