A Cold Heart Can No Longer Be Shaken

Five years.

Lien, who had turned his back as if fleeing, bit his lip hard.

His eyes, which he had tried to keep frozen and blank, began to shake without mercy.

Even though five years had passed, Calix recognized him.

‘It must be a coincidence.’

Five years was not a short time.

Living as Lien here, he was able to grow enough to look like an ordinary man, and his build and face had changed a lot.

The only places left to search for traces of the past were his hair or eye color.

Even this was a common color among the nobles of Estin.

It could have easily been passed off as a simple mistake, so why did he even bring up the name from the past?

‘There is no way he really recognized me.’

Forcing his fast-beating heart to calm down, Lien wiped his expression clean.

The heartbeat that used to be sweet in the past now felt like terror.

Even so, he had to calm it down.

He must not let his parents notice his agitation.

He couldn’t cause useless worry to those who believed he had no memory.

‘If he did recognize me…….’

Even until the moment he entered the kitchen, he felt the gaze sticking to his body.

‘How?’

Imagining the deep blue eyes binding his body, Lien bit his bottom lip hard.

The distant past was still catching his ankle.

[You must live, child.]

The voice within the fragments of his sparse memories was heard after a very long time.

Alfon, who had watched the commotion in the hall, hurriedly caught Lien as he entered the kitchen and checked his body.

Lien calmed his father down as he raged upon seeing the red handprints left on the arm that had been grabbed by the man.

“He seems to be a person of high status.”

Even though they are the Elhardt Knights, they aren’t much different either.

Alfon flared up at the words suggesting they shouldn’t stir up trouble unnecessarily, but he soon calmed down.

It was because realistic problems were problems, but there was a fact that weighed on his mind.

‘Is he really someone who knows Lien?’

Alfon scanned Lien intently.

Although he looked displeased, there was no other emotion besides that.

It couldn’t be that Lien’s memory had returned.

Alfon turned his head toward the hall and was startled out of his wits.

The black-haired man was staring blankly toward this side.

There was no way not to know who he was searching for.

Alfon and Mona exchanged glances.

‘Could he be someone who knows Lien?’

‘No way. He has changed so much like that.’

A boy wearing a bloody and torn dress.

A small frame that looked three or four years younger than his actual age.

Lien’s appearance when they first found him made it easy to guess that his life had not been smooth sailing.

Separately, that fact was also a shield protecting the current Lien.

Unlike the past when he would dress up his appearance like a girl, now that he lived in the shape of a proper young man, who would think that the person from the past and the current him were the same individual?

On the other hand, they were worried.

Even though the boy was wearing a dress, in reality, he must have lived a very affluent life.

Since there must have been complicated circumstances among the high and mighty nobles, even if he was in such clothing, he might have actually been loved.

If Lien ends up regaining his memory, would it be right to keep him as their son because of their greed?

Although Lien’s safety came first, on the other hand, the fear that their relationship with Lien might be cut off rushed over the two of them.

‘This place is my home.’

Lien also noticed their worry without much difficulty. In the end, it would become a vain worry.

He liked his current life, and he didn’t want to return to the past anymore.

To the point where he thought he could pretend not to know even if he coincidentally ran into someone he knew from the past…….

‘Of all people, it had to be him.’

He couldn’t help but be shaken. Lien placed his hand near his heart. It was quiet now.

His coldly frozen heart could not be shaken by a glimpse of the past.

He was just flustered because he was a person whose influence on him was just that huge.

‘It’s because it’s a face I never want to see again.’

It was even more so because he hadn’t expected him to recognize him like this.

His skin, which used to be white to the point of being pale, had been tanned by the sun and his body had grown manly, so he thought no one would associate him with his past self.

Since an event that went beyond expectations had happened, it was natural to be surprised.

Above all, he didn’t know he would act this shamelessly. To say that he came to find him.

Hypocrite.

Lien’s expression turned icy.

He felt that even the remaining emotions of the past were shattered to pieces, leaving not even a remnant behind.

He didn’t want to be in any kind of relationship with him now.

His mind grew cold as he recalled the man who was trying to deceive him again with that expression from sometime in his memory.

“How many days will I even see them anyway.”

He just had to endure it for a little bit. They were people who would return once they finished their work.

Until then, he just had to show them that he was a different person.

Facing the past was painful, but that was all. It wasn’t something he couldn’t bear.

Above all, he didn’t want to be swayed by that person again like the old days.

“Still, he seems like a bit of a strange person, so I should be careful.”

“Right. There were many events today, so you can go in first and rest.”

“I didn’t even do much, anyway. There have been even worse people, so my feelings aren’t hurt much.”

“……If you say so.”

Alfon swallowed his complicated feelings upon seeing Lien who spoke playfully.

Was it a relief or a misfortune that Lien had no memory?

Alfon turned his head to look at the hall again without realizing it.

The black-haired man still didn’t take his cool eyes off the kitchen.

The ones who became embarrassed due to Calix’s bizarre behavior were the knights.

Petrick was flustered upon seeing Mona’s expression, which looked like she had chewed on something nasty while trying to pay the lodging fee.

It wouldn’t be strange even if they were kicked out right away.

Of course, who would want to accept a group that did such a thing to their son.

“You say you are staying for a month?”

He didn’t know she would give a direct snub.

Despite Mona’s blatant discomfort, Petrick had nothing to say.

He heard that this was the only inn nearby, and there were barely any guesthouses with well-maintained stables.

Above all, the commander didn’t intend to leave this place.

“A report came in saying that monsters appeared in the mine over this side.”

“…So you were that investigation team.”

It was his first time experiencing a feeling of becoming this sorry even while paying money.

Since the well-managed building and delicious food were quite to their liking, everyone had no objection to staying here… but the owner seemed displeased.

Mona looked down at the one-month advance payment with a complex expression.

As she didn’t readily take the money, Petrick spoke carefully, almost pleadingly.

“We will make sure there are no uncomfortable matters for your son.”

In the end, Mona let out a sigh and picked up the room keys.

It was also a difficult thing to snub and send away a knight who came due to village matters.

If he tried to cause harm to Lien, she could just send him away anywhere.

Mona extracted a firm promise from him.

“I strictly ask this of you.”

“He is not a person who would behave roughly. A moment ago, it also seemed like he mistook him for the person he was searching for……”

Petrick’s voice trailed off.

He had to strike his chest and tell the suspiciously watching Mona to trust only him, but inside, he wondered if it was right to speak with confidence.

Although he had seen the commander’s strange behaviors several times until now, this kind of pattern was truly the first time seeing it.

‘For now, he was quiet throughout the meal anyway.’

Derek almost tumbled down, but it was fine since his jaw or head wasn’t broken.

If worst comes to worst, things will work out somehow if they risk their lives to stop him.

Recalling the gloomy fact to pass on to his colleagues, Petrick had to receive the room keys while practically bowing and scraping.

He had never received this kind of treatment anywhere he went.

Muttering inside that everything was ruined because of the commander, Petrick listened to the description of the building from Mona.

“By the way, does it take as long as a whole month?”

“We will finish it within that time, but since we don’t know the geography around here, we caught the period with plenty of room.”

At Petrick’s answer, Mona nodded her head.

The monsters appeared from the mine inside the mountains. In the end, to investigate, they would have to search all over the mountains, so it would be extremely hard.

Honestly, since she hadn’t even imagined they would send a knight, it was actually a matter to be welcomed, but…….

“By any chance, is there a person you could recommend as a guide? We will pay the reward generously.”

“Even if they are miners, they only travel back and forth up to the mine……. They might not know the geography deep in the mountains well, but still, I will look for one.”

“I ask that of you.”

“More than that, the facility isn’t great to serve knights, will you be fine?”

“This much is very excellent.”

Since she was in a mood to kick them out with open arms if he said the facility wasn’t great, Petrick replied with a smile.

Still, whether Mona also felt a bit relieved by this polite knight’s attitude, it wasn’t a sharp reaction like a moment ago.

‘He is a knight after all.’

She heard all four were knights.

Although it was unique that they didn’t bring any servants or pages, she knew that name since it was just so famous.

Since they produced exceptional achievements among many knight orders during the war, it was well-known to ordinary people as well.

In fact, besides the man who was the commander, they were people who had no reason to cause trouble in the first place.

“I look forward to working with you. Because the mine was closed and many people are worried since they unexpectedly ended up resting from work.”

“Of course.”

Lien, who was listening to the conversation of the two from the kitchen, felt relieved inside.

True to his first impression, Petrick was a very polite knight. To have that kind of attitude even toward a mere innkeeper.

It was reassuring. Even though a knight from such a famous knight order couldn’t find it familiar or comfortable to stay in an inn of such a remote village, he replied that way, so they were guests he would have normally welcomed instead.

Only after watching Alfon climb the stairs to guide the knights to their rooms did Lien peek his head out and scan the state of the hall.

Fortunately, no one was there, but since he didn’t know when Calix would come down, he thought it would rather be better to go outside. He slipped out through the back door of the kitchen.

His intention was just to check on the horses, but Lien stopped his steps instantly at a unfamiliar figure in front of the stable.

A tall height and sturdy shoulders. It was a physique that made him think of someone.