Chapter 58

The fight was brought to a halt by Alejandro’s mediation.

Adele tucked her mace back inside her cloak.

—Swish, clack.

Jin also sheathed his sword.

He looked frustrated that he hadn’t seen the duel through to a conclusion.

However, he didn’t voice it.

Even for someone who loves a good fight, he possessed that much discretion.

‘In the end, as Alejandro said, this fight was a farce. It’s not like we were actually going to kill each other.’

Denabi might be a minor fief, but it was still a noble’s territory nonetheless.

If an Emperor’s Hunter ran amok, it would escalate into a political issue.

It wouldn’t just be “The Emperor vs. Denabi”; it would become “The Emperor vs. The Nobility.”

It was essentially a WWE-style performance where a definitive winner was never going to emerge.

I approached Adele and offered my hand.

“I am Shane Astrier.”

Adele took my hand.

“Are you also the Lord’s son?”

“Yes. I’m the youngest. I’ll lead you to your quarters so you can rest. You must be exhausted from the fight.”

I gave Adele a smirk.

Adele replied.

“Sure. I wasted my energy for nothing.”

I walked past her and took the lead.

She followed me for a bit but came to a stop right after leaving the Great Hall.

“By the way.”

“?”

“If you’re planning to stall for time because I look stupid, you’d better drop it. I’m even stupider than you think.”

I turned back to her and asked.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m stupid enough to actually follow through on what I said earlier.”

“Burning every barley field to ash and grinding every marble brick into dust?”

“Exactly.”

I let out a smirk at her answer.

“Uh… I didn’t say that to make you laugh. Was it funny?”

“Yes. A little.”

“Which part?”

She tilted her head.

“From what I can see, Miss Adele, you can’t do that.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because it’s bothersome.”

“…….”

She froze for a moment.

Then, her face turned red with embarrassment.

“Ugh… you caught me. But the warning was sincere. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t stall for time with me.”

“I won’t. If I were planning to do something about you, I wouldn’t waste time stalling; I would have killed you before your superior arrived.”

“Oh my. That’s true too.”

“Exactly.”

She really is a handful to talk to.

I resumed walking ahead of her.

“Aren’t you curious why we suddenly changed our attitude?”

I asked, casting a glance behind me.

She was focused on her fingernails.

“Honestly… not really? As long as the job gets done, I don’t care. But I’ll pretend to be curious for now, since it looks like you’re dying to say it.”

‘What is wrong with this girl?’

Adele Simoni.

I didn’t recognize her since she never appeared in the original work, but… she was a truly bizarre character.

Was she unable to think, or just choosing not to?

Was there nothing but fighting inside that head of hers?

It didn’t feel like I’d get anything useful out of talking to her.

—Sigh.

I let out a long exhale.

“Forget it, then. I’m not saying anything.”

“Hey, what gives? I was actually going to listen for once.”

“Why waste my breath talking if the other person doesn’t even care?”

Adele looked impressed.

“Wow. I totally agree. I wish my boss would pick up that kind of mindset.”

“I’ll be sure to tell them when we meet tomorrow.”

“Ah… please, I’m begging you, don’t do that.”

While we traded idle chatter, our destination appeared right before us.

‘We barely spoke a few words and we’re already here?’

…Actually, it wasn’t that surprising.

Denabi Castle wasn’t exactly spacious.

It didn’t take long to get from the Great Hall to the guest quarters in the annex.

I pushed the door handle and spoke.

“We’re here.”

“Thanks. I’m starting to like this fief more and more.”

“It’s a charming place. A bit harsh to live in, though. Anyway, I’ll be off.”

I planned to usher her into the room and make a quick exit.

But then, something caught the door.

—Thud.

It was Adele’s hand.

She held the door open, staring directly at me.

“Well, I wouldn’t know much about the livelihood of this fief. I’m not interested in which tourist spots are charming, either. Like I said before, I lack refinement.”

“…Is that so?”

This woman was more talkative than I expected.

What was she getting at?

She continued.

“Earlier, the Lord called me foolish. Honestly, I agree. I’ve never been the sharpest tool in the shed.”

What was with this sudden self-deprecation?

I’m a busy man!

“I see.”

I tried to close the door and get out of there.

But her hand gripping the door didn’t budge even a fraction of an inch.

“Do you have something else to say to me? I’d like to go now. I’m busy.”