Chapter 51: The Power to protect my stuff – 2

Several days had passed since Dubois and their group left.

Sleeping, waking up, training, eating…

It was a series of days that seemed to have changed yet remained the same.

The things I did, the monotony of the days, and the conversations with Vivian were the same, but… I could sense a faint change.

Perhaps the atmosphere between Vivian and me had matured a little.

It was a subtle change, but those minute changes piled up, making things feel different.

Vivian now wore a chest binder and slightly thicker clothes.

Her gestures, hand movements, and gaze were more mature, even a bit rigid.

Her tone and choice of words were also different from before.

It wasn’t uncomfortable.

Maybe it was a phase we had to go through as we grew.

If anything, it was long overdue.

Without parents to guide us or trustworthy adults around, we were growing together, drawing our own lines.

I was lying in the barracks of the punishment unit, killing time.

Even the bed wasn’t as spacious as it used to be, and it felt slightly uncomfortable.

Just as Lani marveled at how my body had grown, I could definitely tell I’d gotten bigger.

Shaving had become a routine, and the scent of sweat lingered more strongly on my body.

As I marveled at these changes, I heard commotion outside the door.

“What’s going on?”

Valon scratched his unshaven beard and opened the door.

Then we heard the flustered voices of our comrades.

“Hey! At least bring a chair, or just keep carrying it…!”

“Get some water! Clean water, you idiot! Do you think she’d drink the same water as us?”

Martin and Wallace, also curious about what was happening outside, got up.

But someone was already pounding on the door to our room.

“Kailo!”

Duran, a boy soldier from my unit, poked his head in and shouted.

“Hey, get up! Lady Vivian is here!”

Vivian…?

Only then did I understand my comrades’ reactions.

The others hadn’t seen Vivian before, so their fuss was understandable.

But I was just curious why she had come all the way here.

I got up from the bed and walked to the door.

Just as I was about to step outside, I saw someone who barely reached my chest.

“…Kailo.”

Vivian smiled the moment she saw me.

Since it was rare for us to smile at each other, her smile made my breath catch for a moment.

Behind her were curious boy soldiers lined up, some adjusting their clothes with loyal expressions as they had already met her face-to-face during our last expedition.

Especially my unit comrades.

There were fond memories of Vivian bringing food and changing bandages for us herself.

Perhaps because of this, they looked at her with a kind of comradeship.

“…Why are you here?”

I asked, looking around.

“Vergor?”

“I didn’t come to see Vergor.”

Vivian said.

Then, she pushed past me into the room.

“Let me in.”

Valon, Wallace, and Martin, who shared the room with me, quickly stepped aside, startled.

The room had a musty smell, but as soon as Vivian entered, even the air changed.

The fragrance of essential oils or a floral scent overpowered the masculine odor.

Valon swallowed nervously, Wallace looked around, and Martin held his breath as they watched Vivian’s actions.

Each time I saw her, it felt like I was reconfirming Vivian’s status.

Being around her all the time, it was easy to forget how strong she could be, but Vivian was the lord of this land.

If not for being conscripted as boy soldiers, none of them would have had a chance to meet her up close.

And… would it be the same for me?

If I hadn’t been taken as a hostage, I might never have met a noble from the South.

In any case, I couldn’t understand why Vivian had entered our room.

Still, I didn’t feel the need to stop her actions.

Vivian looked around the space I had stayed in for the past two years and then spoke to the three who shared the room with me.

“Could you step outside for a bit so I can talk with Kailo?”

Valon, Martin, and Wallace agreed without hesitation and dashed out.

“Get out…! Get out!”

“Move, you idiots!”

They pushed through the crowd of boy soldiers gathered at the door, closing it as they left.

“Have a good time—”

-Bang!

“—Please have your conversation.”

-Thud.

After they left and closed the door, Vivian chuckled lightly, as if she found something amusing.

She said.

“…They’re all so sweet.”

It felt strange to see Vivian in this room.

Maybe it was because this shabby room didn’t seem to suit her.

“…What’s going on?”

I asked, unable to ignore the awkwardness.

Vivian wandered around without answering, then asked me.

“Which one’s your bed?”

I pointed to my bed, and without hesitation, she went over and sat on it.

This, too, was strange.

For the first time, I worried about whether the bed might smell.

This was another of the subtle changes I sensed between us.

In the past, I wouldn’t have worried about my scent, and in the past, Vivian wouldn’t have bothered to ask which bed was mine.

Vivian tilted her head, gesturing for me to sit on the opposite bed.

I followed her lead.

“…So, what is it?”

I asked again.

Finally, Vivian began to speak.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“…About what?”

“About the Dubos ladies from the other day.”

It was something that happened a few days ago.

At mealtime, no one had brought it up, so I thought it was over.

“Why bring it up all of a sudden?”

“The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I felt. Instead of being mad at Lani, I should have laughed at myself, don’t you think?”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“Think about it. If my father were ruling this land, would Lani have dared to approach you? She only came to you because I seemed too easy, didn’t she?”

“That thought keeps coming to mind.”

There was a sharp meaning hidden within her gentle tone.

It was slightly uncomfortable to hear such words from her, especially since I understood what she was trying to say.

Vivian was probably one of the most disregarded people in power.

I challenged her.

“…So what do you want me to do about it?”

Even if Vivian felt that way, there was nothing I could do about it.

Sharing her thoughts with me wouldn’t yield any answers.

Besides, there was no way she had come all this way just to talk about something like this.

In the end, I was just urging her to get to the point.

“No, I can’t just let it continue like this. Even Lani Dubos acted that way towards me, so would others be any less disrespectful? If the daughter of a family loyal to us treats me like this, would those with similar power leave me alone?”

She tossed her red hair over her shoulder and said,

“…Don’t you think that might not be the case?”

Her tangled words darkened my mood as well.

I didn’t want to see the grown-up Vivian, who had everything taken from her, knocked down here and there, and finally sitting pitifully.

Even so, I spoke curtly.

“…When wasn’t it like that?”

“I lacked a sense of reality. I tried all this time, but I had no direction. And… I didn’t want you to look down on me, didn’t want to die, so I struggled recklessly, without thinking.”

Vivian took a deep breath and asked me,

“Kailo, what do you think I need to survive the people after me, without dying? What do you think I need to avoid being disregarded?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“You don’t want me to die, do you?”

There was a slight arrogance in Vivian’s tone as she said that.

To put it negatively, it was arrogance; to put it positively, it was trust.

“If you’re just going to come here and mess with my head, just go back. Let me rest.”

Vivian lightly ignored my words.

“…I’ve come to my own conclusion.”

She spoke with a tone that sounded both uneasy and resolute.

“First, I think I need soldiers. Soldiers who will unwaveringly follow my orders and become my true weapons.”

“…You have plenty. There are four knight orders.”

“Do I truly have a knight order that I can trust? Those were my father’s knights, not mine.”

As much as the behavior of Baelor came to mind, it was hard to refute her words.

The captains of the other knight orders were equally unreliable.

“Before the knight captains could even get to know me, or develop any loyalty to me, they all will pass away. What’s left are only doubts and complaints about me.”

“So, you’re planning to recruit new soldiers from the territory? Do you have the gold coins to support new soldiers?”

“Do you not know why I came all the way here?”

Vivian glanced around the room as she asked.

At that moment, I understood her plan.

That didn’t mean the decision was easy to accept.

My head went rigid at the sheer recklessness and inadequacy of her plan.

All I saw were countless questions and loopholes.

…But at the same time, nothing was simple to argue against.

It was because I had the feeling that Vivian had put a lot of thought into this plan, and that this might be the only path visible to her.

Vivian spoke.

“The young soldiers here haven’t been rotted by other political issues… They got close to me as we went on expeditions together… They’re close to my age, so if they pledge their loyalty to me, they could stay by my side for a long time, right? Soldiers who will follow only me, who will become my soldiers?”

She wasn’t wrong.

If these young soldiers stood by Vivian when she was in her mid-twenties, they would be a considerable force.

Only 200 of them, but if I thought of them as the core of a knight order, it wasn’t a small number.

“The only ones who could become my soldiers, rather than my father’s, are these young soldiers.”

“…You’re mistaken if you think just getting friendly once makes them trustworthy. These kids are all here because they committed crimes. Can you really trust them?”

“They all did it just to survive. Many come from families that lost their footing after losing their fathers.”

It was a fair point, so I shrugged my shoulders slightly.

“…Kailo, wouldn’t it be better if you could protect me, not alone, but with comrades?”

“…Comrades? Really.”

She furrowed her nose in irritation.

“It’s better than having the 1st Knight Order by my side…!”

“…When you put it like that, I suppose you’re right.”

At my agreement, Vivian let out a deep breath.

Even her breath carried a faint floral scent that lingered in the air.

She looked at me with a resolute gaze and spoke.

“So, Kailo, I have a favor to ask.”

“Teach your comrades how to wield a sword. Think of them as knights who will protect me and guide them.”

“Why should I?”

At my blunt response, Vivian looked slightly hurt and surprised as she asked,

“…You’re not going to do it?”

And that was unfair.

It felt as though she knew I would grant her request and was asking anyway.

In the end, no matter what sharp words we exchanged or how we opposed each other, there was one undeniable truth we shared.

I wanted to protect her.

Neither she nor I understood the reason, but we both knew it well.

The shame that came with that was mine alone to bear.

To hide that feeling, I scratched my cheek and spoke.

“Just because I do this, doesn’t mean they’ll all become your soldiers. Earning their loyalty is another matter.”

“I know.”

Vivian answered firmly.

“I’ll make sure to earn it. So, you… just do it.”

Every time I saw her growth, my heart skipped a little.

Not as much as when wielding a sword or in the heat of battle… but much faster than the slight tremble I felt when sitting quietly like this.

Maybe it was because I remembered the days when she would only cry?

When I see her standing on her own, carving out her own path… it brings up strange feelings.

Trying to shake off this odd sensation, I asked more firmly,

“…You’re not expecting me to do this without any compensation, are you?”

Vivian gave a small smile.

“…Why would I give you anything? You’re my captive. You’re supposed to do as I say.”

“Then I won’t do it.”

Seeing my reaction, she laughed softly, tilting her head slightly as if it was a joke.

It wasn’t easy for me to face that smile.

“…I’m kidding. Do you need anything?”

“Let me go home.”

“Are you crazy?”

Her expression hardened in an instant.

Satisfied with her irritated reaction, I thought about it for a moment.

Honestly, I didn’t need anything.

After all, this land wasn’t my home, so even if I took something, it wouldn’t mean much.

I’d already gotten used to surviving here, so there wasn’t much discomfort.

If there was anything I wanted…

I met Vivian’s gaze.

The atmosphere shifted slightly.

Perhaps Vivian felt it too, as she couldn’t hold my gaze for as long as before and looked away.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and the playfulness disappeared from her expression.

As if trying to change this strange atmosphere, Vivian cleared her throat and said,

“…I’ll get you a new sword.”

I chuckled slightly.

“Alright. Got it.”

Vivian, looking slightly surprised, asked again,

“…Are you helping me?”

“There’s no other way, is there?”

She looked relieved, and her tension faded.

She collapsed onto my bed, lying down.

“Honestly, I was nervous you’d call my plan stupid.”

“If you’re desperate, why would I criticize it?”

“…I see.”

I nodded and told Vivian,

“Then that’s settled, right? Now go, don’t stay here.”

Seeing her lying on my bed kept sparking strange thoughts in my mind, which I didn’t like.

Vivian, staggering a bit, sat back up on the bed.

“…I’ll leave, but Kailo, just remember one thing.”

“?”

“I’ll be coming here often from now on. I need to get close to the boy soldiers and bring them to my side.”

After thinking for a moment, I asked,

“Are you sure about that? There are guys here drenched in the lust you hate so much, rampaging around.”

That alone seemed to be a sore spot for her, as her expression hardened.

Even though I was the one teasing her, seeing her reaction made me think I should definitely stick by her side whenever she came here.

No one would be crazy enough to show that side of themselves in front of Vivian, but even the thought of her being exposed to that kind of lust left a dirty feeling within me.

Maybe that’s why I wanted her to leave the punishment unit dorm quickly.

Vivian had shown up unannounced in a place where only men lived, crammed together.

She might end up seeing something disgusting.

Like a dirty pair of underwear… or, again, a dirty pair of underwear.

“Anyway, go on now.”

I got up, turned my back to Vivian, and walked toward the door.

I intended to open it, creating a mood for her to leave.

“Haven’t you said everything you wanted?”

Then, a sudden thought popped into my mind, and I turned back to her, saying,

“Oh, unless you’re planning on telling the others about your plan—”

Flick!

But as soon as I turned around, Vivian flinched in surprise, her hand jerking away.

She moved quickly, but I saw it.

…Her sniffing my blanket.

“…Say whatever you want. They’d all be curious as to why you came here, anyway.”

I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even demand an explanation from her.

I just pretended not to have seen it and continued talking.

My mind was a mess.

Why had she sniffed it?

Was it disgusting?

Somehow, it felt strangely humiliating.

I should’ve done the laundry more regularly.

All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.

With stiff hands, I opened the door.

There were many boy soldiers waiting outside.

Vivian, realizing that I’d caught her in the act, lowered her head slightly, hiding her expression.

“…Then, see you in the evening.”

With that, she hurriedly stood up, awkwardly cleared her throat, and left.