762. [Side Story] Brand new day (4)
Snow was falling quietly from the sky.
Evangeline let out white breath and muttered slowly.
“That’s right…”
Lucas nodded slowly.
“That’s it.”
Lucas and Evangeline briefly shared what happened today.
The two also shared the same feelings as they achieved the truly unprecedented record of 0 Confession 1st meeting on the same day.
It’s unfair…
“Well, it’s still somewhat fortunate.”
Lucas chuckled.
“If Hecate’s condition continued to be bad, I was thinking of helping her as a sponsor… After all, we are friends.”
“As friends?”
“As friends. “For Hecate, I have no past or future thoughts.”
“You really are an iron wall….”
“But it seems like you have decided to stand up by holding on to your heart… so we should support you.”
Evangeline let out a light sigh, lifted her clasped hands behind her, and leaned the back of her head against them.
“I’m glad too. “Because the waiter relented.”
“I guess it was hard for you to refuse like Karl?”
“Well, I am also a resident of the city I will rule from now on… and to be honest, this was the first confession I received?”
“ha ha ha!”
Lucas suddenly burst into laughter while listening to the story.
Evangeline opened her eyes again and glared at Lucas.
“Why are you smiling again?”
“No, just…”
Lucas muttered, looking up at the sky with blue eyes.
“It’s funny how we report to each other like this.”
“….”
Evangeline slightly puffed out her cheeks and looked at Lucas’ side face and said, “Eye!” I made a noise and stood up.
“We can’t just end up being unfairly kicked like this, right?”
Evangeline raised her small fist and fluttered it.
Lucas tilted his head.
“It’s definitely unfair to be the first to confess, but… So? “Is there any way to overturn this score?”
Then Evangeline grinned dangerously.
“Let’s go kick someone too! “Let’s increase the number of innocent victims by spreading the 0-confession 1-chime score!”
“Hoo…”
It was quite a crazy sound, but Lucas, who, like Evangeline, had been kicked for not doing anything, somehow found the offer quite attractive.
“But who?”
But who will be the unfortunate victim?
Then Evangeline’s evil smile became even deeper.
Evangeline whispered quietly as if she had someone she had in mind from the beginning.
“How about the person on this front who seems to be the least likely to be kicked?”
***
It’s the first day of the new year, but I always have a lot of work to do.
“It’s unfair~ It’s unfair~”
I was humming a song I made up on the spot and processing various documents in the lord’s office when there was a knock on the door and my duo of knights came inside, walking side by side.
I waved at them both.
“Did you both have a good time? How is the atmosphere on the street? “I took a quick look around earlier, but I was busy, so I only stopped by the temple and ended up here.”
“….”
“….”
But Lucas and Evangeline have no answer.
They looked at each other and started bickering, saying things like, ‘You do it first’ or ‘You do it first,’ and eventually Evangeline stepped forward first.
“huh?”
I didn’t know why, so I just blinked. Why are they like this?
“What’s going on?”
“Kheum senior. that is.”
Clearing her throat and clearing her voice, Evangeline stood in front of my desk and glanced left and right to gather her thoughts… “
Actually, I think I kind of liked that senior at first.”
Suddenly he started talking.
I was embarrassed, but listened quietly to the story. Evangeline scratched her cheek and continued.
“You came to save me when I was isolated in front of the golem army, and you taught and guided me on behalf of my father. No matter what enemy came, you defeated it without giving in, and you knew everything… Honestly, from my young perspective, you were like a prince riding a white horse. “Yes.”
“….”
“So… that’s right. “Honestly, I liked it.”
I saw my shield knight standing in front of me, who had grown tall.
There is no trace of the 16-year-old kid I first saw.
Three years passed, and Evangeline Cross, who had now become a full-fledged adult, felt embarrassed but calmly poured out her feelings.
“But as time passed, I understood. “The feeling was not love, but longing.”
“….”
“Because you had many things that I didn’t have. I wanted to be like a senior who was mature, wise, and strong-minded. “A commander like you, a lord like you, a leader like you.”
Evangeline no longer avoided eye contact and looked straight at me with her emerald eyes shining.
“But again, I know now. You and I are different people. You can learn from your seniors, but you cannot become a leader like them. “I plan to create my own path in whatever way I can… and rule over Crossroads from now on.”
“….”
“Hmm, of course! “It’s still a few months away, though.”
I didn’t teach or pass on anything.
The rightful heir to this land, who had grown so much on his own, smiled brightly like never before.
“From now on, you will forever be the object of my admiration. But Evangeline Cross tries to live her life the Evangeline Cross way.”
“….”
“Thank you, senior. really. “For everything you’ve taught me, for everything you’ve given me, and… most of all, for making me fall in love with this city again.”
It was only when I heard Evangeline’s sudden but firm declaration of independence that it felt real.
Almost three years have passed since I took office as the lord of Crossroads.
And I also thought that I must reach the ending and return this land to this child.
I also want to see
Evangeline become a great lord who rules this city in her own way .
“Hmm… how should I finish this…?”
Evangeline, who was speaking well and then rambling at the end, finally said, “Eight!” He made a noise, jumped back, and punched Lucas on the shoulder.
“I don’t know, I’m done here! Baton touch! “It’s your turn!”
Lucas rubbed his shoulder and narrowed his blue eyes, then stepped forward and stood in front of me.
I laughed because the situation was now funny, and looked at the two articles in turn, then focused on Lucas. What is he trying to say?
“…There was a time in my life when all I had was my lord.”
Lucas slowly opened his mouth.
“There was a time when my only purpose in life was to protect my master. “It could have been because of childhood guilt, or it could have been my duty as a knight… but in any case, the only purpose of my life was to follow my master’s orders.”
Lucas, who had been looking at the floor with his eyes down, slowly raised his head.
“But after coming to this city with my lord and seeing and feeling many things… I gained many precious things.”
Suddenly a memory flashed through my mind.
When was it?
There was a time when we took up each sunbed in the garden together, lay down, basked in the sun, and looked down at the entire Crossroads.
– It has suddenly become precious. … I think that’s why I want to protect it.
Lucas told me at the time that other colleagues were also important.
And now Lucas has grown even more than then.
“Those who fight together have become precious, this entire city has become precious, and even… I have come to believe that the entire world is worth protecting.”
“….”
“At first, it was enough to be the sword wielded by my lord. It was enough to fight at the tip of a sword as the lord commanded without any awareness or thinking. But now, in my own arrogance, I want to follow the master’s banner… with my own heart.”
We look into the eyes of Lucas, who has gone through a lot of changes over the past three years.
The knight’s blue eyes, which had once been incredibly cold, fiery like a beast, and emotionally dry as dead metal, were now as deep as a well.
A well that gently sinks while containing many emotions.
“Now, no longer as my lord’s valet, but entirely of my own will… I want to fight for my lord’s flag.”
“….”
“Will you allow it, my lord?”
I smiled faintly.
“of course.”
Then I looked alternately at the two knights standing in front of me.
Before I knew it, my knights had grown by a hand in both body and mind…
and I decided to accept them with joy.
My younger siblings, who always seemed like children, declared independence on New Year’s Day.
Instead of saying anything more, I stood up and lightly held both knights in my arms at the same time and patted them on the shoulders.
“You all have grown up well…”
You’ve all grown up well.
It grows so quickly and so quickly.
After breaking the hug, Evangeline and Lucas, who were looking at each other with embarrassed expressions, opened the office door at the same time and ran out.
“Then, let’s get this for ourselves, senior!”
“Thank you, my lord!”
“huh? What are you talking about?”
In fact, I was about to ask because I didn’t know the context in which the Declaration of Independence came from, but the two ran away without answering.
“0 Confession 2nd term, good work!”
“Congratulations on breaking the new record, my lord!”
“No, what do you mean?”
I quickly climbed the stairs and left the manor house, scratching my head as I looked out the window at the two knights rushing away in the distance.
‘What’s good is good.’
I chuckled as I watched the two friendly knights running away side by side.
The new year has arrived.
I don’t know yet if this year will end in just a few months or if it can continue… but
it’s a joy and joy to watch people grow every year.
***
“Hehe hehe….”
“Huh huh huh huh.”
The two knights who ran away frantically caught their breath in a vacant lot not far away. Evangeline grumbled while wiping her chin.
“No, wasn’t that the place we went to kick? Why has it suddenly become time to confess our past feelings?”
“You were the one who created the atmosphere like that…”
Lucas straightened his back and smiled reassuringly.
“Well, anyway… thanks to you, I feel a little less unfair.”
“….”
Evangeline glanced at Lucas and bit her lip.
And since I made an embarrassing confession anyway…
I decided to ask an embarrassing question here too.
“Anyway, uncle. You said that to your senior earlier. “Those who fight together have become more precious.”
“okay.”
“Then… am I also important to you?”
It was a question I asked with great interest, but Lucas answered immediately.
“no.”
“….”
Lucas added just as Evangeline’s face was about to heat up with anger.
“It’s very precious.”
“….”
This time, my face heated up in a different way.
No wait. What does it mean? Very important? Why did you answer like that? What is the speaker’s intention when he says that?
Is that it? Are you valued as a colleague? Valuable as a competent white combat shield knight? Isn’t this the build-up to continue with something like that?
Then Lucas glanced at Evangeline with a shameless look on his face.
“Evangeline, was it your birthday soon?”
“Oh what. “Do you remember?”
“After this birthday, you will become an adult.”
“Yes. “I finally meet the conditions to inherit the position of Margrave.”
“Okay…”
Lucas let out a sigh.
“Once this war is over and you become an adult…”
“…After?”
Evangeline swallowed dry saliva.
What do you do when you become an adult?
Then Lucas roared! He cleared his throat and walked ahead with long strides.
“…I won’t tell you then.”
“What what?”
“Well, that’s fine. Listen then.”
“No, can’t you just tell me now?! What are you putting off? I wonder! “Tell me now!”
“no.”
Lucas added bluntly.
“…I waited a long time too. “Please wait just a little longer.”
After saying that and walking away, Lucas’ earlobes were turning red.
“uh?”
Evangeline, whose face turned bright red, covered her mouth with both hands and let out a strange sound.
“Huh? Huh…?!”
White snow continued to fall.
It was the first day of the new year.
