# 44
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Episode 44
Ruelia's face gradually reddened, and she looked at the Duke unnecessarily.
He's the one who remembers that night more clearly than anyone.
'Oh, he's watching me!'
He was standing with his arms crossed, his face very serious.
A nervous Ruelia looked at the Guard Commander's face, avoiding Cales' gaze.
“Ah, yes, sh-thanks. Maybe I made a mistake with the Crown Prince...”
“He said that thanks to you, it was a fun and eventful night.”
“Ah... yes... it seems I made the Crown Prince happy. Haha.”
‘Why didn’t the prince return to the palace directly after accompanying Ayla, but rather followed me home?’
Ruelia hated the Crown Prince so much.
Unaware of this, the handsome knight smiled happily at her.
“The gifts are many, I will transport them to your home myf.”
'There's no need for that.'
There was no need to send gifts and praise her like a clown that night.
Ruelia felt a real desire to hide in a mouse hole.
Her feeling increased when her eyes met the knights' gazes filled with curiosity.
In the end, her ears turned red too.
“Oh my God, he's so bold in front of us.”
I heard someone make a sarcastic comment.
“So he is the commander of the Crown Prince’s guard.”
Despite the provocative tone, the guard commander did not care.
It was normal for knights of different families to compete, but he served the Crown Prince, so it was best to avoid any quarrels.
‘Such things could lead to rebellion.’
Any conflict between the Knights of Aber and the Prince's Guard must be prevented at all costs.
“My lord, is this appropriate?”
Ruelia sent an urgent glance to Cales to calm the knights down.
Fortunately, Caelus understood her signal.
“It is not right to bring a strange man into a house inhabited only by women, so I will send Senior and servants to help move the luggage.”
Kyles said as he left the training ground.
But Ruelia felt as if he was avoiding her gaze.
* * *
Kyles, his hair still wet, stood on the balcony of the third-floor bedroom.
His eyes were directed towards the main entrance of the palace.
“That man...”
His forehead spasmed. He was holding on to the balcony railing, as if he were going to jump into the garden.
“Mr. Duke?”
At that moment, Belen walked in with a report.
“What happened?”
“The commander of the Crown Prince’s guard is very weak.”
“You mean Viscount Levenel?”
“Yes, after just one duel, he couldn't even ride his horse and get into the carriage.”
“Indeed. If he were one of the Knights of Aber, he would be able to run a hundred laps around the arena after the duel. His beautiful face will do him no good, except to make the maids happy.”
Belin closed his mouth after trying to keep up with the Duke's mood.
Kyle's face became darker.
“The maids liked it?”
“Ah, yes. They said that after seeing the Aber Knights, seeing a handsome knight refreshed their eyes. They said that everyone would fall in love with him at first sight.”
Kyle's eyebrow rose.
“Beilin, have you seen Ruelia’s face?”
“In the mercenary cemetery? It was less dark than I expected. It’s always lively, so don’t worry.”
“No, not there. When she was talking to that guard captain.”
“What? Oh, well...”
“Didn’t her face turn red?”
“Yes, it seems so. She was definitely embarrassed. She even stuttered.”
Has Ruelia ever shown such a reaction in front of a man?
At least, she wasn't shy with him like that.
He felt strange and it made him feel uncomfortable.
As if all the sweet words she said to him were a lie.
“She said I was the most beautiful…”
“What?”
Belin was astonished by the new type of complaint from the Duke.
But he quickly convinced himf.
With the duke's gloomy face, he must pretend that he heard nothing, but rather heard wrongly.
Belin tried to change the tense atmosphere, and submitted a report on his mission today.
“By the way, I completed the mission you gave me. What do we do now?”
Fortunately, Caelus seemed to be listening carefully as he stroked his chin.
After thinking, he threw the towel he was drying his hair with on the floor.
“Looks like I'll go check myf.”
Kyles took off his robe and threw it away, then quickly left the balcony.
* * *
When Ruelia arrived home, she glanced at the knight directing the servants of the duke’s family.
After the duel with Cales, he didn't wash, but he still looked elegant.
Being a knight serving the imperial family, he seems to care about his appearance. Compared to him, the Aber Knights looked like monsters.
'Is he shorter than the Duke?'
Ruelia did not realize that her eyes were deceiving her. She clearly saw him standing next to the Duke during the duel.
'If he's not at the Duke's level, what if he doesn't like Melissa?'
“A very handsome man, isn't he?”
Senior spoke from her side.
"Ah, yes. He seems generally sober."
“I spoke to him in the carriage, and despite being a commoner, he was incredibly refined and straight-minded.”
"truly?"
“You seem very interested in him.”
“I was watching him to see if he would be a good fit as my sister-in-law.”
“You seem to like it.”
“Yes, for me, it is successful.”
The butler raised his eyebrows and laughed gently.
At that moment, Melissa walked out of the house.
"Ellie, what's all this about?"
Melissa looked around with confused eyes, then saw the guard captain, and her eyes widened.
“Oh, hello?”
“Are you okay, Lady Melissa? I came by order of the Crown Prince.”
“It's been a while since I've seen you.”
'Do they know each other?'
Hadn't the guard captain returned to the palace with the attackers on the day the prince visited the house?
Ruelia alternately looked at Melissa and the guard commander. Then her eyes met Melissa's.
'What is this? Why do you look nervous?'
Ruelia's eyes widened. Melissa's face reddened as she answered.
“Why? That time, when you thought I had disappeared, you searched for me with the knights. This is the person we met then.”
“Oh, that time?”
The cufflink I found at the fabric store seems to belong to this knight.
But why is she looking around so carefully? As if she's hiding something.
'Is this knight Melissa's crush?'
Ruelia remembered the qualities of the man Melissa had talked about.
Handsome, he seems to be good at using a sword, his shoulders are broad?
Oh, my God!
Ruelia opened her mouth in silent astonishment.
Melissa's face reddened even more.
Ruelia exclaimed victoriously inwardly.
She was worried that an inappropriate person had approached Melissa. But this young man seems good. He succeeded.
'Common knights don't always marry nobles, so we can hope, right? But to easily obtain the palace’s approval, perhaps Melissa’s grandfather should be sought out first…’
Ruelia looked at the knight's back again.
He was very kind and polite to Melissa, hardly taking his eyes off her.
'What is this hand?'
Ruelia noticed that the Guard Commander's hand was shaking slightly. As if he wanted to pass on a secret love message.
He's even checking out Ruelia, too.
This is not one-sided love. It's completely mutual.
“Butler, I have something I would like to discuss with you quietly.”
In such moments, it is better to leave them space. Anyway, she had something to ask.
“Okay, let's do it.”
Ruelia pretended to arrange the luggage, and entered the house with the butler.
* * *
“Duke, there is help. They are all together.”
Belin said as he hid in the shadow of a diagonal building across from Ruelia's house.
His face was confused.
He thought they were heading to the mercenary guild...
He turned to his master, who had not yet issued orders.
"What do we do? Shall we take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of the guard captain?"
Caelus gave an order with his eyes only.