The Lord Of Sinal (20)

“Ugly baby wolf chases the rabbit. Hop hop, who is faster, the rabbit or the wolf? The ugly baby wolf caught the rabbit. Lick lick, lap lap, they’ve become good friends.”

“……”

Even after the song ended, Liris remained silent, and Kaiston cleared his throat.

“Ahem, ahem.”

“Sorry.”

“I… seem to have hit a sore spot.”

No matter how much she liked him, his monotonous, low lullaby didn’t sound sweet. And why on earth were the lullaby’s lyrics like that?

“Being bad at singing is hereditary, so there’s nothing to be done.”

He sighed softly as he said it. Liris chuckled.

“Still, I like that there’s something you’re bad at.”

“Liris.”

He patted her back again and continued, “Don’t get strange illusions. I’m someone with many shortcomings.”

“Oh, Master?”

“Yes.”

“What else are you bad at?”

Kaiston hesitated for a moment, then confessed honestly.

“Cooking. Saik told me seriously to not even go near the kitchen.”

“How does Saik know the Master’s cooking skills?”

“He once was terribly ill, and I personally made gruel and brought it to him.”

‘How could gruel possibly taste bad?’

“It was kinda sweet and tasty enough.”

‘Did he really put sugar in the gruel?’

“He put up with it while he was sick, but once he recovered, he complained so much.”

“Ahaha…”

Liris couldn’t help but laugh because Saik’s expression came to mind.

“I’m also terrible at tidying up. It’s hard for me to decide where to put things alone. So I make it a rule not to make luggage at all. I’m bad at finding things I’ve placed.”

At Kaiston’s sigh-laced words, Liris spoke.

“Don’t worry. I’m confident with tidying. I’ll do it.”

“That seems right.”

Kaiston smiled. He enjoyed watching the once-empty bedroom gradually change under her touch.

“I’m really glad you’re by my side.”

His sincere words made her heart prick.

“Likewise.”

The sound of his heartbeat close by was pleasant to hear.

“In that spirit, one more lullaby…”

“Don’t tease me.”

“No. I really want to hear it. If I hear it again, I think I’ll fall asleep.”

Even if it couldn’t be called a good song, she still wanted to hear his low, soft voice again.

Unable to resist, Kaiston sang that song, and despite its continued messiness, she laughed repeatedly and fell asleep. She later dreamt a pleasant, strange dream of him as a wolf licking her.

Saik, having received a telegram from Sinal that Marquis Kyril would accompany them, stood in front of the fortress. As soon as he greeted Kaiston, whom he hadn’t seen in two weeks, he immediately snapped at Marquis Kyril.

“Where do you think you are coming to? Go back at once!”

Everyone was startled by Saik’s reaction, but only Kaiston and Marquis Kyril were not surprised. They knew why he was like that.

Kaiston dismounted and approached him, then quietly said, “Saik, it’s okay.”

“Commander.”

Saik frowned, realizing that he had brought Kyril despite knowing his intentions.

“What on earth were you thinking?”

Kaiston smiled and tapped his shoulder.

“Even if the fortress’s forces were exposed, nothing would change. That’s not something you need to worry about. Just show your father and sister that you’re doing well.”

Saik glared at him for a moment, then spat out.

“…I’m not doing very well, though.”

“That’s good news. I’ll have to make an effort to have you do well.”

Grumbling at his words, Saik motioned up the wall and opened the gate.

“I insisted, even if the Commander shows up, don’t ever open it.”

Kaiston glanced up the wall and snorted with a smile.

“How thoughtful of him. That lad. I should give him a reward later.”

“But really, what are you trying to do? Everything about the fortress will be immediately conveyed to Duke Raiden.”

“Saik.”

Kaiston quietly met his subordinate’s eyes.

“I don’t intend to make my knights point their swords at people.”

“Commander!”

“So I’m going to show everything. Don’t get stern ideas. It’s forces I won’t even use; I might as well show them off.”

“……”

Saik stared at him for a while and sighed softly.

“Do as you wish. How could I possibly stop you, Commander. But, Commander.”

Saik’s expression hardened as he spoke.

“No one can force the fortress’s knights to decide whom to protect or die for. That’s the Red Moon’s rule.”

Called knights but closer to mercenaries, the fortress’s knights, bound to no one and nowhere, couldn’t be restrained even by Kaiston.

“Right. I suppose so.”

But Kaiston brushed it off as trivial. He didn’t think the knights would leave the fortress without his asking. They had newly built families near the Red Moon. Wasn’t this exactly the place they should protect?

After their private conversation ended, Marquis Kyril watched his son approach with a still-stiff expression. The way he followed his superior with worried eyes, full of respect and affection, made the Marquis a little envious. How easy is it in life to find someone you can truly follow? He and Raiden both knew their relationship wasn’t like that.

Three years ago he refused an invitation to join the Imperial Knight Order and went back to the Red Moon; the son he had thought immature had grown much more gallant in the time they hadn’t seen each other. It made his heart ache a little, reminding him of himself as a distinguished military man.

“Don’t do this next time.”

Saik suppressed his emotions and said that to his father; Kaiston passed by and poked his back.

“Ugh. Really!”

He irritatedly tore at his hair and forced out a word.

“Anyway, thank you for coming to see us.”

Marquis Kyril gave a wry smile and nodded.

“Yes. I wanted to see you, child.”

Saik pouted.

“Well, I… felt the same.”

Watching the two of them, Kaiston gave a slight smile and said, “Let’s go inside. Saik will personally show you around the fortress.”

“Thank you, Marquis.”

Unlike the formalities before, the Marquis offered a heartfelt greeting.

“Not at all. It’s a military facility so there may be inconveniences, but please treat it as your own home.”

The Marquis was quite surprised by the weight behind those words. Did Kaiston mean to open up everything about the fortress? Saik’s reaction made it impossible to not see that he wasn’t joking.

“My home, what…”

Although grumbling, and likely to cause trouble when by his side, thanks to the generous Duke, things with Saik seemed easier than expected.

The Red Moon, returned to, was still barren, but Kaiston felt good nonetheless. At dinner, Liris sat prettily dressed beside him, and opposite were Marquis Kyril, Saik, and Lady Marian. The four captains also sat around the table. On the way to the Red Moon, Ban and Haris had apparently become a bit friendly with Marian, so they stepped forward to introduce Zik and Nel.

She had completely forgotten that Kaiston was stern and chatted away even in his presence. The captains were far more excited than usual, moved that they were dining with such a beautiful lady.

“She’s my younger sister.”

Saik occasionally reminded them with a growl, but no one paid much heed.

“Who says otherwise?”

“I have no ulterior motives.”

They said so, yet everyone took great care of Lady Marian. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to pay attention to the stunningly beautiful Liris as well, but Kaiston, with his whole demeanor, made it clear that they shouldn’t, so they dared not look her way.

If her chopsticks hesitated even briefly, Kaiston would somehow know and bring what she needed. Of course, sometimes he forcibly brought things she didn’t need.

“How can I eat all this? I’m already full.”

“You’re still so thin. You can eat more of this.”

“Ugh. Don’t look. Why are you looking at a lady’s stomach?”

“It seems you’ve lost too much weight in a few days.”

Seeing Kaiston look at Liris with such concern, Marquis Kyril blinked. At the banquet they’d seemed like an elegant, beautiful couple, but Kaiston was unmistakably a doting fool up close. Where else would a high noble take care of his wife like that?

Noticing the look directed at him, Kaiston looked back. When their eyes met, his clear violet eyes softened into a smile.

“Is the food to your liking?”

“Ah.”

The Marquis snapped back to attention.

“I’m eating well, Duke.”

“That’s good.”

The fortress’s food was markedly different from what Marquis Kyril, of a high noble house, was used to. The simple, austere dishes were somewhat surprising at first, but they were quite tasty, and he emptied his plate. It was curious that from the Commander to the youngest knight, everyone ate the same food.

“We have a few good bottles of liquor. Tell Saik to bring them out.”

“…Why should I do that?”

“If you knew what I brought from Sinal, you’d hand them out at once.”

Saik’s jaw dropped at Kaiston’s meaningful words.

“Gasp. Surely you packed them again this time?”

Kaiston glanced at Marian, who was busy chatting with the captains, and nodded. He was the commander who often filled the fortress with fresh ‘new arrivals’ for the lonely single knights, but no one expected he’d remember despite Liris being there. In truth, Liris herself was quite interested in those things, but of course that was a secret.

“Understood. I would’ve liked to age them a few more years, but I can’t.”

Kaiston snorted at his subordinate who spoke as if he already knew Kaiston would hand them over. He wished people were more honest. Even though he knew the time they could spend together wouldn’t be long, he wondered why he couldn’t bring himself to express his feelings when they actually met. He worried a little. Should he write down what to say for when he meets his parents someday? Maybe write a letter and read it aloud? Would that lessen future regrets? Even with no promise of meeting, he found himself fretting.