As he introduced himself, Roxiana also said.

“I am Roxiana.”

Cain grinned.

“I know. You’re the princess of Kanta.”

She was tired of saying she was no longer a princess and to call her Roxiana. Instead of correcting his words, Roxiana asked.

“So what brings you here?”

“Ah, I was wondering why you were here. Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“No, His Highness told me to wait.”

“I see.”

An awkward silence fell for a moment. Scratching his forehead with his index finger, Cain asked as if he had just remembered.

“By the way, is that wolf growing well?”

“Ah, the wolf….. Actually, I’m worried about him.”

“Why? What’s the matter?”

Roxiana, who thought all the knights except Hexten disliked her, was a little surprised by Cain’s genuine concern.

“He doesn’t seem to be sick anywhere, but he doesn’t seem to be growing. It’s been a month already, but he’s the same size as when I first brought him.”

“Really? That can’t be right… Are you feeding him enough meat?”

“Of course. The chefs bring fresh, good meat…”

“Then why isn’t he growing? Is it because he should be growing in the wild and the environment is different? Or was he a weak one from birth so he’s not growing well?”

Cain rubbed his chin with his thumb, pondering seriously. Roxiana said.

“Come to think of it, he was on the smaller side compared to his siblings he was confined with.”

“Is that so? Then he might have been a weak one to begin with. Hexten mentioned that he was the only one with a different color from the others.”

“That’s right. They were all brown, but Ryan was gray.”

“Ryan? Is that his name?”

“Yes, is it too much?”

Cain smiled, showing his even teeth.

“No, it’s nice.”

Cain looked fierce because of his black eye patch, but his atmosphere changed when he smiled. He was a man who smiled brightly like a boy.

“For now, it might be good to observe for about another month. If he’s originally weak, his growth might be slow. If there’s no change after a month, then take him to Shan, ah, Kirshan. That guy is good with beasts too.”

“I’m afraid it would be a bother.”

“Come on, how many people have been saved thanks to you, princess? That much wouldn’t be a bother. If you hadn’t treated the victims that day, Kirshan would be busier by now. So feel free to… Ah, my lord!”

Floyd, who had returned while Roxiana was talking with Cain, was dressed properly and was carrying two large beer barrels on both shoulders. The two beer mugs hanging on his fingers looked small in comparison.

Cain’s expression brightened when he saw the beer barrels.

“What, are you going to have a drink? I want to drink too.”

Roxiana was surprised by Cain’s casual attitude towards Floyd. Come to think of it, Hexten also treated Floyd comfortably.

“Skip it today. Let’s go, princess.”

As Floyd took only Roxiana away, Cain shouted in a disgruntled voice.

“Wow, that’s mean. Just you wait, my lord. Next time when good beer comes in, we’ll drink without you!”

“Try it. You’ll end up drinking seawater instead of beer.”

+++

Roxiana looked at his back as he climbed up the narrow stone stairs ahead of her. The already narrow space felt even narrower because of Floyd. His shoulders, carrying wooden beer barrels, were wide enough to touch both walls.

‘He’s really big.’

Of course, there must be countless people in the world as big as Floyd, but it was the first time Roxiana had seen such a giant person.

‘Come to think of it, most of the knights were big too.’

Except for the knight named Adrian, they were all tall. Not just the knights, but all the employees were lanky.

‘Is it because the weather is warm that they grow so well?’

While thinking about this, they reached the top. Opening the sturdy-looking door and going out, a wonderful scene unfolded.

A deep blue sky studded with stars, a moon emitting a coy light, and below that, the scenery of the city stretching out and the night sea beyond.

“Wow.”

An exclamation flowed out involuntarily. It was that fantastic a sight.

“It’s a good atmosphere for a drink, isn’t it?”

Floyd said as he set down the beer barrels.

“Yes, very much so.”

“It’s a place I like.”

“It’s worth liking.”

It was the first time since childhood that she had climbed up to a place like a castle wall tower. She felt a sense of openness from the wide view seen from a high place after a long time, and the wind carrying the smell of the sea.

Floyd placed the beer mugs on top of the beer barrels and rummaged through his pockets. He took out two apples, a piece of cheese wrapped in paper, and a few pieces of dried fish in a paper bag from his coat pocket and placed them on top of the beer barrels.

At the setup so different from the royal drinking tables she knew, Roxiana blinked, at a loss for words. Floyd brought two small chairs from the corner and placed them in front of the barrels, asking.

“Is it too shabby? Should I have it set up properly?”

Roxiana quickly shook her head.

“No.”

A splendid table finished with gold, various appetizers beautifully made and placed on luxurious dishes, drinking glasses and tableware made of gold or silver. Roxiana, who had always been surrounded by such things, became a little excited as this was her first time seeing such a hearty drinking table.

‘Is it okay for me to be this excited?’

But soon her heart sank at that thought.

While Roxiana sat on the chair and neatly arranged her skirt, Floyd bent down to pour the beer. The golden beer sloshed into the well-worn wooden cup.

Floyd handed the full cup to Roxiana and said.

“Don’t get drunk. I’ve never dealt with a drunk woman.”

Roxiana replied with a “Yes” and took the cup. It looked small in his hand, but when she received it and held it, it was quite large and heavy.

Floyd, who had also filled his own glass, hesitated for a moment and asked.

“Shall we make a toast? Or are you not in the mood?”

“Let’s do it. What should we toast to?”

“Is there anything the princess wants to toast to?”

There was.

To the eternal rest of my family. And a toast to the hellfire that Lucas and Elise will fall into.

But hiding her true feelings, she shook her head.

“No. Whatever Your Highness wishes.”

“Then let’s toast to the fact that no one in the grand duchy died thanks to the princess.”

It was thanks to Floyd that they were able to avoid major damage. If Floyd hadn’t killed the demon beast, not only the grand duchy but the entire city would have had to be draped in black curtains.

Roxiana raised her cup and said.

“And to Your Highness who killed the demon beast.”

Floyd shrugged and held out his cup. Roxiana brought the cup that had lightly bumped against his to her lips.

The bitter beer flowed over her lips. It was a beer with a thicker, nuttier, and deeper taste than what she drank in Kanta. Roxiana emptied the cup in one go without ever taking her lips off it.

Floyd blankly stared at Roxiana as she drank the beer contained in a cup as big as her face in one gulp.

‘I thought she would sip it…’

It was the first time he had seen a woman drink beer so boldly. No, to begin with, women from noble families didn’t drink beer. No matter how well-made, beer was treated as a ‘rough drink for men’.

Looking at Roxiana who had finally put down her cup with a thud, Floyd smiled gently. The sight of white beer foam on her upper lip looked cute.

He unconsciously reached out and wiped the foam on her lips with his thumb.

Roxiana was taken aback by his attitude treating her like a child, but she didn’t pull back. However, when he licked the foam on his thumb with his tongue, she almost screamed.

He, who had just done something shocking, said nonchalantly.

“You drink well.”

“A little.”

Roxiana also answered calmly, but her heart was pounding.

‘What did the grand duke just do? Why did he… Is that also a custom of Torkan?’

No, it couldn’t be. Where in the world would there be a custom of wiping foam from someone else’s lips and then licking it?

Her mind, which had been full of various worries and thoughts, went blank.

“It seems that in Kanta, even noble ladies enjoy beer?”

Roxiana didn’t know how to deal with him, who threw out a seemingly innocuous question after doing something so shocking. She lowered her eyes, finding it difficult to look directly at his lips that had just licked the foam.

“No. But I like it. My elder brothers teased me saying it wasn’t ladylike.”

Floyd imagined young boys who had mischievously teased their little sister and the peaceful scenery that had surrounded them. He also imagined a girl smiling brightly, surrounded by the lovely atmosphere that Floyd could never have no matter how much he longed for it.

He never dreamed that he would see that girl grow up and sit here drinking beer refreshingly.

Her lowered eyelashes, shimmering in the starlight, looked more mysterious than the scenery spread out below.

“It is ladylike. Sufficiently. Very much so.”

Roxiana slightly bowed her head to express gratitude for his compliment.

Floyd emptied his glass, then poured drinks again and set them down in front of her and himself. This time, both of them didn’t empty it in one gulp but sipped little by little, looking down at the scenery spread out below, or picking up a piece of dried fish and chewing it slowly.

If you listened closely, you could occasionally hear the sound of waves. Various sounds blending into the silence resonated like music.

He sat with his legs crossed and one arm leaning on the railing, while she sat upright, enjoying the settled quietness for quite a long time.

Both of them thought it was quite nice to let the chilly, quiet, and somewhat lonely time flow by.