It was when the theater performance had reached its finale. Miren casually asked a question she had been curious about for a while.

“Hey, Arnel.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you dislike martial arts?”

It was a difficult question. To think that Miren of all people would dig into that point.

Arnel had to expend mental energy just to maintain a facade of composure.

“…I don’t know.”

Though it was a reluctant answer, it wasn’t untrue. Arnel’s feelings toward martial arts were contradictory, making him uncomfortable defining them himself.

From Miren’s perspective, not knowing the circumstances, she could only assume she had committed a faux pas. Thinking she had poked at a sore spot, Miren’s expression darkened.

“I guess I said something I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry, Arnel…”

“Huh? Oh, no! Not at all… It’s not that. I just didn’t know how to answer you.”

“Really? You’re not just lying to be considerate of me?”

“I promise.”

At Arnel’s firm assurance, Miren’s face brightened, relieved she hadn’t prodded an uncomfortable wound.

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

The reason she had asked with such anxiety stemmed from Arnel’s nickname.

‘The rumors are quite different from reality…’

“Chester’s Oddball.” This was Arnel’s nickname in social circles.

A gentle disposition in place of boldness. A strange son from a martial family who preferred books over weapons.

If not for his appearance, he might have even been treated as an illegitimate child.

Moreover, being the second son of a ducal family made the rumors even more prominent, and the duke’s family never raised any objections to them.

Everyone considered Arnel a Chester in name only.

Until that day when the Chainlich Phenomenon struck the capital…

“I’ve thought about it a bit, but I still don’t know how to express it.”

“If it’s painful, you don’t have to force yourself to explain.”

“Mmm, it’s not that. It’s just that I’m not good at… I think I need to start with a story from the past to explain.”

“A story from the past?”

At the mention of a story from the past, Miren’s golden eyes sparkled slightly. Since Arnel tended to subtly avoid talking about himself, this opportunity was most welcome.

“I think I was seven years old. When I first started taking sword lessons…”

“You started learning at such a young age?”

“That’s normal in our family. My brother started martial arts training when he was five. Anyway… until then, I had no resistance to wielding weapons.”

Arnel recalled himself as a child. How he admired Bartlant’s impressive figure from behind and dreamed of growing up to be a proud warrior as quickly as possible.

“I guess there were high expectations for me because my brother was so exceptional. One of the most skilled knights in our family was assigned to instruct me. Or more precisely… was supposed to instruct me.”

“Don’t tell me you were rejected?”

Arnel shook his head at Miren’s shallow guess.

“The knight accepted gladly. And I, not knowing any better, was happy too…”

Arnel’s eyes closed tightly. It was as if he was trying to navigate through the dim view and travel back to the past.

Returning to the forest path of memories was always easy. Especially since the sensation of violence deeply engraved in his mind tormented him whenever it found an opportunity.

“When I first met the knight at the training ground, he suggested that I move freely and try to attack him. From his perspective, it was probably a kind of light test.”

But the eagerly prepared test left only results that far exceeded common sense.

“So I just tried attacking a little as he said… and the knight almost died.”

Certainly, it was the first time Arnel had held a wooden sword. However, what everyone overlooked was Arnel’s genius.

The talent to precisely execute movements he imagined and simply observed.

For instance, just by watching Bartlant’s training, he could perfectly master the standard Chester swordsmanship.

“It’s still vivid. The sensation of the wooden sword breaking bones in seven places and the knight’s screams of excruciating pain…”

“Arnel…”

“That’s when I realized how terrible it is to hurt someone… I don’t mind martial arts training itself, but I never wanted to use it on anyone. That’s why I hadn’t picked up a sword until now.”

The talent he wielded innocently and freely ended up hurting someone else far too easily. That trauma made him hide all authority over violence deep within himself.

Because from Arnel’s perspective, the world was as fragile as cookies in a teacup.

He had vowed to remain that way for life—until a certain girl appeared.

“Are you okay with it now?”

“Of course.”

Arnel’s wounds grew smaller whenever he faced those golden eyes filled with concern. The painful memories of the past healed, guided to melt into beautiful memories of a time.

Like the fateful day he first met Miren in the imperial garden.

Miren, who appeared during his argument with Enella, seemed like a fairy who had descended on the midnight moon’s halo. The image of a princess he had imagined while reading books was completely erased, and the blank space was filled with Miren.

It would clearly look ridiculous, but he couldn’t even stammer properly like a mute. It felt like a miracle that he could even have a conversation with her here and now.

‘Thanks to you, Miren.’

He smiled brightly at her, radiant in white and gold.

Arnel, who had determined he would have no connection with conflict for life, was drawn out by Miren’s tears. He was led out by her when she asked for help, worried about her sister.

She taught him that it was okay to wield a sword to protect someone.

For her sake, he was able to protect people at the scene of the Chain Lich.

“Thank you, Miren.”

“W-what, suddenly?!”

“Yeah. Just… thank you. Always.”

“Seriously…”

Miren muttered as if she had lost her senses.

Somehow, the darkness from the curtain covering the stage cruelly hid her flushed cheeks.

The darkness emanating from the stage curtain completely buried even the silhouettes of the two.

In such deep darkness, their gazes crossed, directed only toward each other. Ironically, they didn’t know the direction of each other’s gaze.

Someday, to be even a little closer.

The two embraced their young hearts that innocently wished for this.

◇

A theater is not simply a place for viewing performances.

It was common for salons to form spontaneously to share impressions based on the content of the performance, or for a kind of social party to be held in a separate room.

Therefore, the busiest time at the theater was right after the ending of a play.

“I didn’t know places like this existed…”

“Don’t tell me this is your first time too?”

“Yes. Duke Chester’s domain is on the border, so the only attractions are natural landscapes.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

The banquet hall inside the theater was as splendid as a grand event venue. It was a magnificent place that most nobles’ mansions couldn’t compare to.

Though his status was that of a duke’s second son, Arnel, who was essentially no different from a country bumpkin, received a fresh shock.

He had simply followed Miren’s suggestion to take a rest. After being led around, Arnel’s eyes sparkled as he experienced this new world.

‘Of course, it’s not just for simple rest…!’

The current situation was exactly as Miren had intended. It was a choice derived from her own calculations and small-minded planning.

‘Shall we begin?’

Though informal, this was clearly a place where social parties took place. Even small actions could become rumors that someone might exaggerate.

For example, that the young marquess of “a certain marquess family” and the second son of “a certain duke family” were getting along very well! Or that the way someone looked at someone else was suspicious… Such trivial gossip could spread as if it were established fact.

“Heeeey, Arneeeel?”

“Uh, y-yeah…?”

Pung!

Miren spoke with a strangely high-pitched, nasal voice. Her embarrassing behavior became the driving force that made his face burn hot.

However, he had to endure this much. Miren had a motive pushing her forward.

‘After the last Chain Lich incident, Arnel’s stock has soared. I need to ward off other people…!’

Arnel, who protected people while moving freely throughout the capital, made many young ladies’ hearts flutter.

Arnel, who had no interest in social circles, wouldn’t know, but there were too many women who admired him.

Moreover, the unprecedented calamity had awakened the desperate need for strength. Thus, the Chester family, as symbols of physical power, became the object of everyone’s admiration.

Miren didn’t like that. For some reason, she didn’t want to see Arnel getting close with other young ladies.

So she put on her best performance. First, she started by staggering and leaning on Arnel’s shoulder.

“You know, my legs huuurt…”

“Oh no. Did you wear those shoes for too long? Excuse me for a moment, Miren!”

What Miren overlooked was that her counterpart was Arnel, who was excessively naive in these matters.

In an instant, Arnel picked up Miren like a princess and surveyed the interior structure. He was looking for the optimal place to care for Miren.

“Uh, what…?”

“That place looks good. Let’s go to the terrace. Quickly!”

“W-wait, Arnel?! You, you…!”

Miren, who was about to protest in confusion, closed her mouth. It was because Arnel’s face was serious, as if he was dealing with a patient with a terminal illness.

‘Of all places, Arnel found the terrace…?!’

She clearly knew what it meant in social circles for a man and woman to go to the terrace alone.

At this rate, it wouldn’t just be exaggerated rumors, but would spread at the level of the scandal that Nepy and Irefi used to carry around.

‘I didn’t intend to go this far!’

She had fallen into her own trap. The scheme she had concocted with her small mind was thwarted by Arnel’s innocence.

Arnel exceeded Miren’s expectations to the point of cowardice. He not only took Miren to the terrace but even carefully drew the curtains!

From Arnel’s perspective, he was probably doing this to prevent Miren from exposing her bare legs. But from a third person’s view, Miren and Arnel would just look like a foolish, frivolous couple.

It was obvious what kind of talk would circulate in social circles from the next day.

“Arnel, you…! You have to take responsibility. Really…”

“Yes. I’ll take responsibility and make you better. I can even carry you all the way to the marquess’s manor like this.”

“Ugh…!”

The lack of common sense of the young master who spent his childhood on the border showed at times like this.

Even the most worldly-wise elder could not have predicted this.

Miren could only look down at the boy examining her perfectly fine ankle with his round golden eyes.

“Miren, does it hurt when I touch here?”

“I don’t know…”

“Hmm, is it here?”

“I don’t know… I don’t know… Arnel, you’re an idiot…”

“Ugh, I’m sorry… Miren.”

Arnel scratched his head with a troubled expression. And steam seemed to rise from Miren’s crown.

It was still too early for their day full of variables to come to an end.

The curtain of night, perfectly enveloping the sunset sky, covered the shadows of the two.

That was nature’s final consideration for these fools.