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Ill-Will

While Zigmund wiped the drool off my face with the back of his hand, I kicked his abdomen and broke free from his grip. It felt like bugs were crawling on my forehead where he had touched me, so I rubbed it furiously with my arm.

“Just think of it as stepping on something filthy.”

I couldn’t comprehend why Zigmund wanted to stick to me like a dog, but it didn’t matter anymore; I had no intention of dealing with him any longer.

It was time to end this ridiculous standoff.

Squeak.

The door of the ‘Hide & Seek’ Information Guild opened.

For a moment, I thought it might be El, but it wasn’t his aura, so I frowned.

“I didn’t see that face when I was waiting outside.”

That meant the person entering the Information Guild before El and I arrived.

As I confirmed the identity of the person who had come out without thinking, I furrowed my brows.

“……Tina Cypros?”

As soon as I saw the middle-aged man, that thought crossed my mind.

With his hazy lavender hair and sunken black eyes. He seemed older than Tina, but he certainly bore a resemblance to her.

“……Disgusting.”

There was something about the man’s energy that rubbed me the wrong way, even though his appearance itself wasn’t bad.

Just when I felt my already bad mood reach its worst while trying to pass the man and enter the guild, he suddenly grabbed my arm roughly.

Thud.

The man, who had looked on in shock at the chaotic street from my fight with Zigmund, seized my arm with force.

At that moment, an overwhelming urge to break his hand surged within me, but I barely held it back. As a commoner mercenary, Mir, injuring a noble would be detrimental to me no matter what.

I sighed internally.

“What do you want?”

“Mmm, you’re Mir, aren’t you?”

The man’s smooth voice only sounded unpleasant to my ears. Suppressing my desire to unleash violence, I turned my head to face him.

Perhaps still riding the adrenaline from the fight, the man shuddered when our eyes met.

“That’s right, but what do you need?”

“Oh, I’ve wanted to see your face for a while now.”

A chilling smile spread across the man’s lips.

“You’re the brave soul who has turned down our family’s scouting offer five times, aren’t you?”

‘<Five times?>‘

I narrowed my brows.

Since becoming a Sword Master, there had been organizations eager to enlist me, but very few had requested me five times.

Hiring a Sword Master demands an astronomical salary, and only nobles could afford that.

Among nobles, pride ran high. It was rare for someone to ask again after being rejected.

‘…..Could it be?’

Suddenly, a strong suspicion about the man’s identity emerged.

As I gazed at him with cold eyes, the man twisted his mouth into a smirk.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Paulo Cypros, a minor count of the House of Cypros.”

Paulo Cypros. Tina Cypros’ older brother.

‘What kind of character did he have in the original story?’

I rubbed my temples, squeezing my eyes shut before reopening them. In the original story, the House of Cypros was a shallow antagonist opposing Diego, so there wasn’t much description on him.

‘He’s definitely not here to be friendly.’

His gaze made it clear; he had a mocking tone when referring to my repeated rejections.

I sighed internally.

‘Even if I don’t know the original Paulo Cypros… I’m aware of the current rumors about him.’

He was quite a well-known figure in the social circle. I barely restrained the rising disgust from his contemptuous gaze upon me.

“What a pity… had you joined our family, I would have made time to play together.”

Paulo Cypros was infamous for trampling over anyone weaker than himself, regardless of age or gender, in the social scene.

‘How is my luck this bad?’

First Zigmund, now Paulo. This was an absurdity of misfortune.

I wanted to kick him in the gut again, but I managed to restrain myself and just swatted his hand away slightly.

“Thank you for your interest in the House of Cypros, but I have reasons for declining their invitations, so I must take my leave.”

“Who are you to decide that?”

As I tried to enter the building, his hand stopped me once more. The grip on my arm was so tight it felt like it could bruise an ordinary person.

I suppressed the anger welling up from his disgustingly invasive gaze.

“I just want to see you for a moment.”

‘Shall I kill him?’

Perhaps it was the heat of the encounter with Zigmund that gave rise to such violent thoughts.

What halted my hand as I contemplated throwing a punch and fleeing was a voice from behind.

“Sir Minor Count, let’s not prolong this.”

A voice that resonated with irresistible charm.

Paulo’s face turned pale upon hearing it.

I turned to see Zigmund, who had cleaned all the spit and dirt off his face. His pristine appearance was infuriating.

At least the bruises and wounds I caused on account of him remained vividly on that handsome face, which was a small consolation.

Zigmund glanced at me and smiled at Paulo. A chilling grin that raised goosebumps.

Strangely, Zigmund’s energy seemed to be simmering angrily.

“Isn’t it time we take our leave? It’s getting late.”

Zigmund’s attitude toward Paulo was peculiar.

At a glance, he seemed to be serving Paulo, yet the tension in Paulo’s eyes and Zigmund’s cold demeanor toward him stirred my instincts.

“Y-yeah. We should be going.”

Stumbling over his words, Paulo hastily released my arm. Fear lingered in his eyes.

Narrowing my gaze, I glanced back and forth between the two.

“What is your relationship?”

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I asked Paulo. After taking a moment to gauge Zigmund’s reactions, he opened his mouth heavily.

“This is… my bodyguard.”

‘A bodyguard? Him?’

As I glared at Zigmund, he widened his eyes, as if to mock my expression. My annoyance deepened, and I turned away.

‘He’s not someone who would work under anyone else…

Zigmund was born to be a ruler. I knew well he wasn’t the type to serve anyone.

‘But… there’s no point in arguing here.’

There was no evidence, nor was it a situation to dispute. I nodded in acknowledgment.

“What, what kind of relationship do you have?”

Paulo, alternating glances between me and Zigmund, asked. I intended to say we had no relationship, but Zigmund spoke faster.

“We’re incredibly close. Probably uniquely so.”

‘This crazy bastard.

With gritted teeth, I turned my head towards Zigmund. He flashed a provocative smile at me.

‘Getting angry here would be a loss for me.’

Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fist and returned his cool smile.

“That’s right. A very special relationship indeed.”

He certainly was special to me. Zigmund was the only person capable of invoking this much anger in me throughout all my experiences.

Zigmund blinked slowly at my reply. His discerning gaze directed at me.

What emerged on his face afterward was a formal smile.

“While it was nice to see an old friend again, I think we should head inside now. Let’s part for today.”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

Paulo clumsily stood next to Zigmund. No matter how I looked at it, they appeared quite the odd pair of master and bodyguard.

“Mir.”

A gentle voice called me. I didn’t turn around.

“We will meet again.”

With those parting words that continued to shake me, the footsteps faded into the distance.

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately hoping that wouldn’t be the case.

I didn’t know if I could remain composed when I eventually saw Zigmund again.

“Mir! You’re late! I’m so sorry. The conversation took longer than I thought. I should have told you to come in and sit…”

El emerged from the building not long after Zigmund and Paulo had left.

The moment his silver eyes flashed under the moonlight and met mine, his expression hardened.

“……Who did this to you?”

Well, I didn’t look fine at all. Even with my defenses up, the dirt path from my fight with Zigmund looked like it had been bombed, and my appearance was probably a wreck.

TTTT- TTTT-

Low voice echoing like it scratched at the bottom of the sea.

I saw the feet approaching and lowered my head further. I couldn’t respond; my voice was bound to crack terribly.

Suddenly, a pair of long arms wrapped around me fiercely. I didn’t have a moment to point out that my dirty clothes, covered in dust, would also make his garments dirty.

Those arms, pulling me in desperately, mixed with the overpowering scent of lilies, and that broad, warm embrace made me want to cry.

It felt like I was being comforted after an unbearably difficult day.

“Tell me. What’s troubling you?”

“……It’s nothing.”

I could only respond in such a way, suppressing the roughness in my voice as El asked gently.

Even as I felt his energy darken, I couldn’t correct my statement.

It really was nothing. Just old feelings that had ventured away.

It was mortifying that I, who should be fine, was trembling at nothing.

“……I want to crush everything that is troubling you.”

A strange energy emanated from El. It was an unusually fierce aura that surprised even me.

Hearing him speak so harshly, unlike the usual angel he was, made my body tremble slightly.

“But if I do so… you will only suffer more.”

His sigh contained an overwhelming concern for me.

Tears fell without warning. They dripped down my face like blood, streaming onto El’s shoulder.

I thought I had become okay, that I had overcome everything.

Now, I felt I would be fine until the wound was touched. I realized that it had never been fine even once.

I had no choice but to admit it.

I was weak. Weak, and still hadn’t gotten over it. I was still tormented by that nightmare.

I needed a comforting embrace.

“I…”

“……Shh. You don’t have to say everything. No, you don’t have to say anything at all.”

El stopped my stammering words. He pulled me even closer.

I buried my face in his shoulder, crying silently.

“I can’t handle what makes you cry, but I can soothe you as you cry.”

El whispered softly, threading his large hand through my hair under my hood. I was too busy swallowing my cries to respond.

“I’ll always be here. Just for you. I’ll always be your supporting embrace. So…

“……Don’t cry alone, come to me. My warmth is always permitted for you. It’s yours alone, just yours.”

His gentle voice felt like feathers brushing against my tear ducts.

I didn’t want to cry; I wanted to show strength, yet tears fell like blood from my wounds.

The gaping scars throbbed painfully.

“It’s okay. I’m right here beside you.”

Yet El didn’t even use his divine power and slowly healed my wounds. Every word from his mouth gently enveloped me.

The boy I had once saved had grown up and was now becoming my source of comfort.

 

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