Chapter 28: The King’s Ear are Donkey Ears (2)

Life is inherently full of explanations.

When I was watching a wholesome animation, I had to explain to my parents that it wasn’t anything strange.

When a friend caught me watching a VTuber, I had to explain how it happened.

And I even have to explain what’s different about the console games I like compared to the so-called mobile chest

games.

Just by giving examples, this situation suddenly seems cheap.

Anyway, when Grace asked me a question, I couldn’t avoid explaining. So, the path I choose was:

“I want to try.”

“Try?”

“As His Excellency said, six months from now, I will be able to aim for becoming a knight more certainly. But I don’t

want to limit myself. Even if I face hardships, I want to aim higher. The reason I’ve come this far, even as a new

soldier, is because of this spirit of challenge. I want to find methods, make efforts, and use the weapons I have to

surpass my past self and reach even higher!”

In my past life, I learned something about the habits of superiors while working at a company.

Executives tend to love terms like challenge spirit, self-development, and finding your own methods. I’m not kidding,

I heard these words at every company dinner.

If you go too far here, you’ll be on the bossy route, like telling everyone to take ownership of the company.

Of course, all those executives were either bald, had no crowns, or had their brains extracted instead of hair.

But Grace, on the other hand, was young, had a full head of hair, and still had her brain intact.

She was also a high-ranking person, the Northern Duke’s daughter, so she skillfully used phrases to target me.

“So why does this challenge need to happen in exactly two months?”

“That’s the deadline I’ve set.”

“Deadline?”

“Oh, right. I forgot. This world doesn’t have France, so there wouldn’t be a word like ‘Maginot Line.’

“Sorry, I picked up that southern dialect from a book I read. Two months is the minimum preparation period I’ve

set.”

“The basis for this decision?”

“Considering my current progress, three months seems too long, and one month seems too short. Two months would

be long enough to avoid getting complacent but not so long that I can’t prepare adequately.”

I admit it.

This answer was a bit flimsy compared to the way I usually speak.

Grace’s face looked a little confused, but I trusted the image I had built up so far. I knew she wouldn’t end the conversation here.

“If you fail in this bet, you’ll have to leave the Guard. Do you think you can handle that?”

“My efforts aren’t just about joining the Guard. The Guard is just a stepping stone toward my goal. Anyone who

refuses to set limits for themselves wouldn’t stop their journey just because they joined the Guard. Even if I have to

leave the Guard, I’ll find another way to succeed and return to this Winter Palace proudly.”

This was the punchline I had prepared.

I avoided giving a specific reason for the two-month period but strongly expressed my determination.

It may seem like a simple deflection, but there was solid reasoni behind it.

I implied that I had carefully considered the duration, knowing one month was too short, and hinted at the idea of

balancing courage and recklessness. I also emphasized that even if I failed, I wouldn’t be deterred.

This was a gamble only I could make, since I understood Grace’s tendencies well enough from my past efforts to win her over.

I also intentionally gave her a stern look, in case she tried to probe into my true goal.

To be honest, it was a pretty big deal.

A mere soldier declaring their ambition to marry the Northern Duke’s Guard captain—everyone would say I’m crazy,

but that’s the kind of audacious plan it was.

Grace stared at me with blank eyes and then asked,

“What is your goal?”

Ah, she finally asked it.

The eye contact attempt had failed.

“I want to gain the power to protect the peace of the North with my own hands. Not just physical strength, but the

power to act within my abilities to handle situations.”

Although it may have sounded like a foolish boast, every word I said was pure truth.

Even after my relationship with Elaine, my goal has always been to prepare for future events in the novel.

If you look at it that way, my goal is actually twofold.

The ultimate goal is to live a happy fantasy life with Elaine, and the key objective to achieve this is to prevent the war

that took place in the North in Brave Road.

Of course, if I spoil everything about the future to Grace, things would be much easier. She is a walking cheat code, after all.

However, there’s no way to naturally convey the events that will unfold without raising suspicion from her insight,

and considering the influence Grace has in the novel, actively involving her might completely change the future as I

know it. Even if things can’t be changed at the point of involvement, if the main storyline gets distorted, my greatest

weapon will be in jeopardy.

After hearing my response, Grace stared at me intently before nodding.

“Pure objective, huh? It’s a good goal.”

When Grace nods, it means she acknowledges the other person.

Could it be?

“As I said, I wasn’t trying to doubt or interrogate you. I was just curious about why two months? You don’t need to be

so tense. Well, if it were during the Milky Way incident, maybe I wouldn’t have known, but now you’re learning

swordsmanship from Elaine and magic from Elder Sophia, so two months isn’t out of the question.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“But correct your last statement. Don’t think about leaving the escort guard, think only about winning this bet.”

“Yes!”

Whew, it seems Grace let it go.

I was so tense that I even broke into a sweat.

“Elaine?”

“Ah, yes!”

Elaine was startled and answered when Grace called her name.

“Why are you just standing there like that?”

“I’m sorry. I must’ve dozed off for a moment.”

“Dozing off, huh? That’s rare. Hmm, it is getting late. I should finish up and head to bed as well.”

As Grace stretched and spoke, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock.

Garen entered with the water he had been asked to bring.

Grace thanked him and drank the water he provided before briefly discussing Elaine’s visit with her, then headed off to bed.

“Good work, Elaine.”

When Grace left, Elaine, the captain of the escort guard, followed her to her bedroom.

Tap.

“???“

Elaine lightly tapped my shoulder.

She smiled once, then immediately turned and followed after Grace.

There was no conversation, but seeing Elaine smile, I felt like I had earned some points with her, even if unintentionally.

Good things are good.

“What did you talk about with her? You sounded so serious I didn’t even dare go in.”

Garen had been gone for an unusually long time to get the water, and just as the conversation wrapped up, he walked in.

He had been waiting outside.

I’ll take back what I said about Garen being clueless.

Thanks to him walking in, I was able to clear my head, which was overheating. Otherwise, I would’ve been too

embarrassed to wrap things up smoothly.

Moreover, a man can act all tough and pose when a woman is around, but if another man hears that same line, it’s

just cringe-worthy.

“What’s your life goal, senior?”

“Me? Well, of course, to marry Linda and live happily. Have a son who looks like Linda and two daughters who look

like Linda.”

“That’s a good goal. Especially the child plan part.”

This senior isn’t clueless.

He just really likes love.

“What? Are you after my daughter? That’s not happening.”

“Stop saying nonsense. I’m using informal speech now.”

…How did this guy end up in an escort guard where it’s hard to even have a romance?

Elaine followed Grace to her bedroom and started to reflect on the words she had just heard.

No, she stopped herself from recalling.

‘Is my face okay?’

She had barely managed to hold back her expression, but there was nothing she could do about her body

temperature. Oh, she knew how to raise her temperature—by touching Luke. Since Luke had the ability to control

heat, her temperature would rise if they were in contact.

It was true.

She was extremely worried about whether her face had turned red, but since she had no way of checking, Elaine felt frustrated.

At first, she wasn’t sure what was going on. The escort captain had to wait for the Duke of the North to leave before

she could return to the dormitory, so she was working overtime, and had stopped by to report some matters.

Before she even understood the situation, Grace had involved her in the conversation, and Luke, who seemed to have

something serious to say, had stayed quiet.

Then, out of nowhere, Luke started saying some impressive and gallant things.

From Elaine’s perspective, she was both excited by the sudden flirtation but also slightly disappointed that he wasn’t

saying such things when they were alone, but in the Duke’s office instead.

But listening carefully, it seemed like they were talking about the knight exam, not about infidelity.

Of course, Luke wouldn’t do that. She had been overly surprised.

Elaine had also had a conversation with Luke before to help him, since he seemed to be pushing himself too hard,

but Grace hadn’t been present at that time.

Strictly speaking, the ones in charge of this bet were Grace and Luke, so it was natural that she’d be interested in

Luke’s affairs.

Rather than jealousy, Elaine had focused on Luke’s declaration.

It was so good that she had a fluttering heart, and without realizing it, the corners of her mouth lifted.

Of course, that might not have been her intention, but didn’t it sound like a confession? It was as if she was saying

she wouldn’t give up on their relationship, even if she had to go out with the escort knights, and would come back to

him.

But in truth, she was more concerned about the short time. She feared that if Luke left the escort knights, she

wouldn’t be able to meet him as she did now, which made her anxious.

Hearing her lover’s words about not limiting himself to the boundaries of failure from the beginning, and that he

would push forward toward his goal even when trials came, made her feel something stir inside.

It was an inappropriate thought, but she couldn’t help it.

‘If it weren’t for the dorm life, I would have wanted to hold him all night.’

She cherished him deeply, and in a sexual sense as well.

It was clear how much she loved and admired her lover.

When asked about her goal, his answer, “To gain the strength to protect the North with my own hands,” sounded so romantic to her.

She even had the desire to ask him to whisper that in her ear again sometime.

Of course, that would be when they were alone, in a situation where they could express their affection freely.

Luke, being a Northerner, would surely understand.

There was a custom in the North where a woman proposes to a man by demonstrating her strength to protect the North.

Luke had declared that he would have the strength to protect the North.

Elaine imagined the proposal day that would come in the future, picturing how Luke would look and how she would

respond to him.

‘This is ridiculous!’

She tried to stop the nostalgic thoughts, but she was already lost in them.

She hadn’t even looked in the mirror, but she realized she had been grinning.

She was still on duty.

Thankfully, her instincts as an escort commander kept her alert, sensing everything around her despite her thoughts.

But Elaine felt embarrassed by her own expression.

It was a relief that Grace, following behind her, couldn’t see her face.

“Elaine.”

“Yes, Your Excellency?”

Grace, who had been leading, spoke to her.

“Hmm…”

Grace hesitated, faltering a bit.

“I envy you.”

She sighed deeply, as if trying to hide her complicated feelings. Elaine flinched a little at the sound of the sigh.

Grace Northlane wasn’t an expressionless person, but she wasn’t the type to openly display her emotions either.

Her emotions were usually positive: confidence, joy, pride, and delight.

As the Grand Duchess of the North, she could not afford to show weakness, so she rarely expressed negative feelings.

For Grace to openly sigh like that, it meant she was feeling something complicated.

And when combined with the words “I envy you,” Elaine quickly understood the cause of Grace’s complexity.

‘Luke…?’

It wasn’t just because he was her lover; objectively speaking, Luke had looked more handsome than any other man just now.

He was young, handsome, tall… and his personality was sincere, unpretentious, and universally respected. He had abilities too.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was the ideal man for Northern women.

What’s more, Luke had just spoken words that Northerners valued most.

‘Hmm.’

Before being the Grand Duchess of the North, Grace was also just a woman. But because her life as a Grand Duchess

was so busy, she hardly had time to interact with men. The North was far from the Kingdom, so she rarely attended

noble social events in the capital. She only showed up occasionally when she had to visit the Central Kingdom.

Of course, with her beauty, abilities, good character, and noble family, Grace had received marriage proposals from

nobles in the Kingdom since her youth.

However, Grace had never been interested in anyone, which was why she had remained single.

There was only one man with whom Grace had a close relationship, someone she had acknowledged.

‘The hero Aran… Is he already…?’

Elaine had heard the news along with Grace that the hero Aran had fallen in the last battle.

Elaine had been heartbroken seeing how devastated Grace had been after that.

Since then, Grace had shown no interest in men.

For Grace, who had been like that, to say something like this now, Elaine was honestly taken aback.

No one in the North could resist the charms of the Grand Duchess.

If Grace truly set her mind on keeping Luke by her side and showed him her feelings… Elaine’s stomach churned.

“Elaine… No, Elaine.”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t her title but the way they had addressed each other when they first met. Elaine widened her eyes as Grace

turned toward her, smiling lightly.

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid I’ll steal him from you? Of course, I’m a little tempted, but do I look like a bad woman

who would steal my friend’s man?”

“Ah… no, that’s not…”

Elaine was flustered as Grace spoke in the same manner as before. Grace pinched her cheek.

“Geez, you can’t hide your expression. Ever since you started dating Luke, you’ve been making a stiff face, haven’t

you? No one else would notice, but I can see right through you.”

It was true. Ever since she started dating Luke, she had intentionally distanced herself from him, treating him

formally.

Before, she had greeted him with a smile and even patted his back when he worked hard.

Now, she drew a clear line between them, as superior and subordinate.

“I won’t interfere with your relationship, so take good care of him. If you mess it up, I’ll steal him from you for real.”

“That, that’s not allowed!”

“I don’t care. No one in the North can give me orders.”

Grace said with a mischievous smile, then began walking again.

Elaine, who had been teased, blushed with embarrassment but was secretly relieved as she followed Grace.