Chapter 72: First Steps (1)

I had already heard the full story of that day’s tragedy from Elaine.

I also knew who the culprit would be, meaning I now had all the pieces in my hands.

All that was left was to put the puzzle together.

‘But there’s no board to place them on.’

What’s the use of having the pieces and knowing the picture if the culprit wasn’t making any moves? There was no board to assemble the puzzle on.

Of course, jigsaw puzzles could be put together even on bare ground, but life wasn’t a puzzle.

If you placed puzzle pieces on bare ground, a strong wind, the vibration of hooves, or even just a sudden rain could turn everything into a mess.

Waiting idly for the traitor to make a move would be the worst course of action.

If people were capable of true remorse, then unlike what happened at Snowflake Tower, this time, I had to make sure nothing happened at all.

“The best method is probably that one.”

Whenever people were asked, ‘If you traveled back in time and saw someone who would commit a crime in the future, what would you do?’ the same opinions always surfaced.

Killing an innocent person from the past was morally wrong, but turning a blind eye meant being complicit.

Then what was the best way to be both morally right and prevent the crime?

There was only one answer—to reform them so that they never committed the crime in the first place.

‘Well, that only works on certain types of people.’

Villains were still human, so if persuaded and guided properly, they could sometimes change for the better.

But villains were still human, meaning some would ignore all attempts at persuasion and continue committing atrocities.

I decided to bet on the former.

I had already seen delinquents reform during the second round of the knight exam.

Usually, those who changed had some kind of complicated backstory, and while I wasn’t sure if this case was exactly heart-wrenching, it did have a backstory.

There was no harm in trying.

Having set my course, I began moving to save the North from the coming conspiracy.

And the first step led me to…

“Hmm!”

Elaine looked at me with a very satisfied expression.

“It still looks amazing no matter how many times I see it. It was worth the effort to order it specially. It’s so dazzling that it’s hard to even look at.”

“Is it really that much?”

Despite her words, Elaine had no intention of looking away, staring at me without even blinking.

That intense gaze somehow made me embarrassed, and I instinctively looked away.

Even when she had seen me naked, it hadn’t been this embarrassing.

Yet now, fully dressed, I felt even more self-conscious. The human mind truly was complicated.

Right now, I was standing before Elaine, dressed in a knight’s formal uniform.

The deep navy color carried a sense of weight, the tailored fit subtly highlighting my well-built physique without excess exposure.

The decorations were neither overly extravagant nor too simple, striking a balance between sophistication and elegance.

As a finishing touch, my hair was styled differently than usual, swept back to create a cleaner, sharper impression.

‘Ugh, this is so awkward.’

This was the first time, in both my past and present lives, that I had dressed up like this.

Even when I wore a suit for job interviews in my past life, I had only focused on looking neat and proper. That had felt unfamiliar, but not embarrassing.

But this?

Since the outfit emphasized ‘looking cool,’ I felt incredibly self-conscious.

If I had been in armor like during the knighthood ceremony, it wouldn’t have felt as strange.

But since this was my first time wearing formal attire, it wasn’t my body that felt awkward—it was my mind.

On the other hand, Elaine, who was scrutinizing me with utmost satisfaction, was—

Wearing a dress made of deep blue fabric, adorned with subtle decorations that shimmered like stars in the night sky.

Unlike her usual thick gloves, she wore delicate ones so thin they almost invited a kiss.

She had tied up her hair, exposing the graceful curve of her neck, leaving the area around her collarbone bare.

She was always beautiful, but today, she was even more captivating.

The reason both of us were so dressed up was because…

We were at a party.

“Captain, are you used to it?”

“No, to be honest, it’s uncomfortable. I don’t wear dresses like this often.”

Elaine finally looked away from me, pouting slightly.

That was understandable.

She was always clad in armor, and at home, she preferred to remove heavy, restrictive clothing for something more comfortable.

Even as her lover, this was my first time seeing her dressed like this.

“I wonder what His Grace is thinking…”

The reason we were at this party was that Grace had organized it.

Officially, it was meant to foster unity in the North, and that was indeed one of its purposes.

With upcoming wars against the central and western regions, it was crucial to strengthen solidarity among the leadership.

Naturally, the security for such an event was handled by the Guard Division.

Since it was our duty, there were no complaints.

The issue, however, was Grace’s rather unusual instruction.

—All Guard officers ranked vice-captain and above must follow the dress code.

There was no particular explanation given to Elaine about why this order was issued.

Still, since it was a direct command, we followed it.

The third squad leader and vice-captain, whose uniforms were too tight due to their muscle mass, volunteered to guard the venue from the outside.

Strictly speaking, I wasn’t at the level of a deputy commander, but since Grace was the captain’s aide, she told me to wear it, so I did.

“Isn’t it so you can blend in with the guests and respond to any issues immediately?”

“I’ve always accompanied His Excellency in armor whenever there was a party.”

“Hmm…”

Now that I think about it, it was like that when I first joined the guard.

“But still.”

“Hm?”

“It’s a good opportunity to see you in uniform.”

Elaine smirked, looking pleased again.

Instead of saying, You’ll wear it out at this rate, I said something else.

“It’s a good opportunity for me too.”

“Is that so?”

“You look absolutely stunning in your dress.”

“!”

She had been completely unfazed when giving me compliments.

But when I complimented her, she flinched and met my gaze, asking back.

“Is it to your liking?”

“Yes.”

“S-So firm with your answer.”

“Because you’re really beautiful.”

“Hmm.”

“I want to kiss your neck, but I’m holding back because it might be too obvious.”

Since she asked, I answered without hesitation.

“…Do it after this is over.”

And just like that, Elaine’s face turned bright red again.

“But why are you in a dress instead of a uniform, Captain?”

That was what I had been curious about, but since I wanted to compliment her dress first, I asked afterward.

If she felt uncomfortable in a dress, she could have just worn a uniform, so why did she go through the trouble of wearing something she wasn’t used to?

“I was going to wear my uniform… but when I heard I’d be with you, I suddenly wanted to wear this instead.”

“Wow…”

She’s adorable.

“A-Anyway, saying I don’t wear dresses often is a lie. In fact, this is my first time wearing one.”

Before heading to the party, we had stopped by home for a bit.

Wearing a uniform felt odd to me at first, but I put it on quickly, thinking of it as formal wear.

Elaine, on the other hand, had taken quite some time, even with the help of Madam Mia, the housekeeper.

Her walking seemed a bit awkward, and now I understood why.

“Don’t think I’m being greedy as a knight. The design allows for proper movement.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I even have a dagger hidden in my leg. Look!”

“I really didn’t say anything. Oh, but your legs are beautiful too.”

“This is all because you look so dashing! When you stand next to me in that uniform, I have to match you, don’t I?”

“You insisted on personally picking out my uniform.”

“It wasn’t insistence, it was love!”

“Whoa, hold on, your voice is getting louder.”

She had mustered the courage to wear the dress, but was she feeling embarrassed?

Elaine, who was usually composed, was flustered and scrambling.

This is quite something.

The man feels embarrassed about wearing a uniform, while the woman feels awkward about wearing a dress for the first time.

Even I found our dynamic amusing.

As the party began, we entered the hall.

Now that I thought about it, this must have been why Grace insisted I dress properly.

Unless you came with family, attending a social event meant arriving in pairs.

Elaine had followed the dress code, so if I had shown up in armor, it would have looked odd.

Besides, both of us were knights with quasi-noble status, so dressing plainly would have been inappropriate.

‘That aside…’

Now that we were in the banquet hall, I felt a rush of excitement.

I mean, this was a high-society gathering, straight out of a fantasy novel.

And I was here with the most beautiful woman in the world—at least according to the Brave Road universe.

(And as the reader, I can confirm this is true.)

Even if I still felt a little awkward, as a man, it was impossible not to be thrilled.

The only regret was that, unlike the obvious couples around us, Elaine and I weren’t linking arms.

We were a couple too.

—Luke, isn’t it natural etiquette for partners to link arms?
—It is, right?

We both wanted to, but after some thought, we decided to hold back.

Why?

“Sir Elaine, isn’t it? You look truly stunning tonight.”

As soon as we entered the party, greetings poured in.

It seemed people were surprised to see Elaine in a dress, and many approached to acknowledge her.

Even I was somewhat famous, so I wasn’t treated like mere background decor and properly exchanged greetings.

But no matter how much Northern men valued strength, it seemed that a beautifully dressed woman still took precedence over a young hero who had stopped the Snowflake Tower incident.

I understood.

Was Elaine just moderately pretty? No, she was incredibly beautiful.

But there was something I didn’t like.

“You were together during the tournament as well, but what exactly is your relationship… Ah, I see. You’re her lieutenant. So, you’re here for security today too. Ah… Come to think of it, Dame Elaine is still unmarried, isn’t she?”

If ten men greeted us first,

Two were simply complimenting Elaine’s beauty out of admiration.

Among the remaining eight, three were middle-aged and subtly trying to promote their sons to her.

The last five were young men whose lips curled up involuntarily as they admired Elaine in her dress.

I memorized the face of the guy whose gaze had just dropped downward.

Not a single one of them even joked, “You two make a great pair. Haha.”

They all seemed relieved upon confirming that I wasn’t her lover.

Elaine, having followed Grace around for some time, was well aware of how to handle the nobles’ advances without making the atmosphere awkward.

But watching that from the sidelines made my insides churn.

What should I even call this feeling?

I just didn’t like those bastards making moves on Elaine.

I didn’t like that Elaine had no choice but to humor them with a few words.

No, to be honest…

Fine, I’ll acknowledge their status and wealth.

They were nobles, so of course, they had money and came from respectable families.

But didn’t I have a better face?

And wasn’t my physique superior to those skinny twigs? I trained every day, keeping myself strong.

Even if I was just a lieutenant, shouldn’t my presence alone be enough to make them hesitate out of sheer awareness?

Where was their so-called noble etiquette?

‘Relax… Hoo, relax…’

Maybe my head had finally cooled down. Or maybe it was because Elaine’s dress was especially beautiful today.

Suddenly, I recalled what Grace had asked us before—when we were planning to get married.

Thinking about it, I started questioning this whole secret relationship.

At first, we had just fallen into it naturally, and we were still a bit awkward with each other. Given the bet with Grace, keeping it hidden had seemed like the obvious choice.

But now, I had become a knight and earned Grace’s approval.

In this medieval fantasy world with conservative views on relationships, we lived together and even shared a bed. Wasn’t that practically a marriage already?

It wasn’t that I disliked our sweet, secret romance. I had even grown to enjoy it.

But even workplace romances were made public once they became serious enough for marriage.

Maybe it was time.

We couldn’t keep this up forever.

Did we still have any real reason to keep it a secret from everyone?

Elaine and I had already proven that our relationship didn’t interfere with our duties.

Maybe I was just being selfish.

But I wanted to take a step further.

‘Marriage, huh.’

Just as I was deep in thought—

“Oh? Dame Elaine.”

Ugh, who now?

I turned my head, already imagining beating up whoever it was.

But even in my imagination, I lost.

“Ah, Commander, you’re here.”

“Haha, I’ve known you for over ten years, but this is the first time I’ve seen you all dressed up.”

It was none other than Arthur, the commander of the knights.

Arthur exchanged greetings with Elaine, looking inexplicably pleased.

“Father, is this the person you mentioned…?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

Hearing the voice beside him, Arthur shifted from being a knight commander to being a father.

“I brought her along because she kept pestering me about wanting to attend a social gathering. Dame Elaine, Sir Luke, meet my youngest daughter, Kalia.”

I stiffened.

I had never met her before, and she didn’t even exist in the novel, making her a complete stranger.

But the title before her name sent chills down my spine.

Arthur’s youngest daughter.

Not long ago, Arthur had proposed a marriage between us. At the time, I hadn’t told Elaine, not wanting her to worry while she was already anxious about my transfer.

Of course, I had rejected the offer right away.

I hadn’t expected to ever meet the sheltered noble lady from House Gravaine, so I hadn’t thought much of it.

But now, if someone let slip the wrong thing, this could turn into a complete disaster.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Kalia Gravaine, the second daughter of House Gravaine.”

Fortunately, Kalia displayed the grace befitting a noble lady as she greeted us.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Sir Luke. Ah, you’re just as impressive as I’ve heard.”

Ah…

It happened the moment I started worrying about it.

“Luke?”

Elaine called my name, her tone eerily similar to my own thoughts just moments ago.