Until then, Eric that Eugenie knew was just a person who would ask about her well-being, give short answers to her questions, ask if she needed anything, and leave after having a cup of coffee.

When she heard he was engaged and asked about his fiancée, unlike other times, he talked about Alicia pleasantly, which made Eugenie find such an Eric very interesting and nice to see.

“But how did you come here?”

“Ah-. Well.”

Alicia was flustered, not knowing how to answer. She couldn’t tell the truth honestly, and couldn’t think of a suitable excuse either.

“Actually-.”

“Were you curious about who he might be helping?”

“…Yes. Because Eric didn’t tell me.”

Since it was true that Eric hadn’t told her, whatever the circumstances were, Alicia answered evasively.

“I see. With his personality, he would do that.”

“But seeing that he didn’t tell me, I thought there might be a reason.”

“My, you’re very considerate.”

“Not really.”

Alicia, who had come here first thing in the morning thinking that man might really have a hidden woman, trailed off in embarrassment.

But to Eugenie, Alicia’s behavior seemed like she was shy from the compliment, so she smiled gently.

At first glance, Eugenie thought Alicia looked cold, but as Eric said, she seemed like a warm person.

“My child’s father was in the same order of knights as Count Russell. When the Count first joined, my child’s father was assigned under him. The Count said he followed him well because of his skills.”

“Ah, I see.”

Compared to the nobles who generally become knights after graduating from military academies, commoners join based on their skills, so he would have been more skilled than Eric, who was a novice knight at the time.

“So even after he died, he continued to help me. It’s really kind of him. In fact, not many people would go this far just because a subordinate died, right?”

“That’s right. It’s just like him.”

“You knew about him too, young lady. The Count is quite different from the rumors, isn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

Alicia and Eugenie looked at each other and smiled.

“……”

After Allen had been glaring for about 30 minutes, Eric finally looked up at Allen with an annoyed expression.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Then why are you doing that?”

“It’s nothing.”

‘What is this guy trying to do now.’

Eric felt a surge of irritation but suppressed it and asked quietly.

“I asked what it is.”

“It’s nothing. Just that the Captain is, how should I put it, well-. That’s it.”

“What?”

Unable to understand what he meant out of the blue, Eric frowned.

“If you talk like that, leaving out everything, how am I supposed to understand?”

“Of course you wouldn’t understand. If you did, you wouldn’t be acting like nothing’s wrong.”

Seeing Allen grumbling, Eric finally put down the pen he was holding.

“Tell me quickly.”

“It’s nothing.”

“…Salary cut for 3 months.”

“What?”

“3 months in the brig.”

“What is this?”

“Insubordination and disobeying orders.”

“Captain, you’re really not human!”

“What’s the matter?”

“How, how could you do this? Waaah!”

Eric was taken aback by Allen’s wail, and the subordinates around looked on with bewildered expressions.

“What’s this, suddenly? Are you crazy?”

“Yes. I’m crazy. Of course I’m not in my right mind, how could my respected senior do such a thing! You fraud!! No, you swindler!! Waaah.”

Whether he was really crying or not, Allen bowed his head deeply and covered his eyes with his arms.

Seeing this, Eric blinked in confusion, staring at Allen.

“How could you do thiiiis! You have a hidden woman and son, yet you get engaged? What about my sister-in-law!”

“What?”

At the unexpected words that didn’t even sound like words, Eric was rather at a loss for how to react.

But the subordinates who heard Allen’s words started to panic instead.

“Ca-Captain has a hidden woman? A hidden son?”

“Then what about his fiancée?”

At the sound of the subordinates whispering, Eric, who had finally come to his senses, stood up abruptly from his desk and grabbed Allen by the collar.

“Are you crazy? Where did you hear such nonsense?”

“I saw it myself!”

“What? What did you see?”

“I saw a little boy calling you ‘daddy’ and you going into a house affectionately with some woman!”

“What? The Captain did?”

“Hieek, he has a grown child?”

“Then what about all those cheesy rumors we’ve been hearing until now?”

“Wow, then is this a fraudulent engagement? I really didn’t think the Captain was like that.”

“Then it must be a broken engagement?”

“Would you marry someone like that if you were in her shoes?”

“I said it’s not true! Everyone shut up! That’s an order!”

Properly flustered, Eric shouted at his subordinates while still gripping Allen’s collar.

“You’re really too much. Our poor sister-in-law. Sob sob.”

Eric wouldn’t know how angry Alicia was at that time.

Even that thick branch, which was actually just a small shrub branch, Allen sobbed, remembering Alicia who was angry enough to snap it with one hand.

‘If she’s that angry, she’d probably want to snap the senior’s legs too, right? Surely that’s the case? It might be hard for her to break both sides alone, so I should help with the other side.’

Thinking what he considered to be a praiseworthy thought, Allen opened his mouth.

“Really, you don’t know how shocked I was when I saw that. I couldn’t even walk properly. Boo hoo. What will happen to our sister-in-law-.”

“Listen to what I’m saying! I said it’s not true! It’s Senior Mark’s wife! Senior Mark’s son!”

“…Pardon?”

Allen blinked.

“Who? Senior Mark?”

“Yes, Senior Mark. You’ve met Mrs. Eugenie before too, haven’t you? Didn’t you recognize her?”

Mark was one of the knights in the order Eric belonged to when he became a new knight.

Although he was a commoner and thus Eric’s subordinate, he was strong and had good character, so he was the subordinate and senior Eric trusted the most when he had little combat experience at the time, but sadly he died in battle.

“Ah.”

As if something finally dawned on him, Allen clapped his hands.

“That’s right. That’s it. No wonder. The face looked familiar.”

“You, really-.”

While Eric was contemplating what to do with this guy out of bewilderment and anger, Allen still asked with a face full of suspicion.

“But why did he call the Captain ‘daddy’?”

“I heard the kid was born and raised without a father, so he calls all adult men ‘daddy’. Go see for yourself. He’ll call you ‘daddy’ too.”

“Is that so?”

Though not fully convinced, Allen nodded as if it could be possible, and the subordinates whispered behind him.

“Ah, I see. Of course our Captain wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“I believed in our Captain. As always, the Vice Captain speaks without properly checking things.”

“That’s just like the Vice Captain.”

‘These guys. Just now they were freely saying whatever they wanted. Looking at me with those inhuman expressions.’

As Eric glared at his subordinates with as much curse in his eyes as possible, they began to turn their heads one by one, avoiding Eric’s gaze and returning to their seats.

“Uh, Captain.”

“If you talk nonsense again, I’ll really kill you.”

“That’s not it, shouldn’t you go to sister-in-law quickly?”

“Why?”

“I saw her with sister-in-law, you know. That.”

Thud. Eric let go of Allen’s collar he had been gripping.

Allen straightened out his shirt collar that had been crumpled from being grabbed.

“Sister-in-law seemed really angry, you know.”

“……”

“Wow, it’s the first time I’ve felt cold sweat down my back like that since I first saw a demon beast.”

Allen said to the subordinates with a bright smile.

The subordinates gestured for him to please shut up, mimicking closing their mouths, and made throat-slitting gestures indicating he might really die if he didn’t.

“Captain?”

At Allen’s call, Eric’s mind snapped back.

Then, trying hard to compose his expression, he answered.

“Alicia won’t misunderstand about something like that.”

“You think so?”

“So don’t worry about unnecessary things. Nothing will happen because of you.”

While reprimanding Allen, Eric put on his uniform jacket that he had taken off.

He really looked like nothing was wrong, so Allen felt relieved inwardly and asked Eric.

“But Captain. Where are you going?”

“The Imperial Palace.”

“Ah, yes. Have a safe trip.”

“We’ll talk when I get back.”

“Eek.”

Glaring at the frightened Allen, Eric left the office, slamming the door hard.

Then he started walking as usual, but as soon as he turned the corner, he began running down the corridor.

He was moving at such a fast speed that other knights passing by stared blankly, wondering if there was an emergency dispatch.

As soon as Eric left the Knights’ Order, he ran at full speed towards the Russell Count’s residence.

She won’t misunderstand, or maybe she won’t, no, what if she did?

That thought was all that filled his mind.

As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he rushed to the second floor.

Bang-!

Alicia was startled by the office door suddenly opening, and Eric grabbed the door handle, exhaling heavily.

“Forgive me for not knocking.”

Eric thought he should calmly and logically explain, that’s how Alicia wouldn’t misunderstand and would believe him.

But the words that came out of his mouth were a collaboration of calmness and urgency.

“It’s a misunderstanding!”

Alicia blinked her eyes wide.

“Pardon?”

“Alicia. I can explain well.”

“Explain what?”

“What you saw with Allen. That thing. It’s a misunderstanding. It’s definitely a misunderstanding, okay? I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not true, so please calm down and listen to me first.”

Explaining calmly and logically in a serious voice was much more difficult than Eric had thought.

It felt like thousands of words and sentences were mixed up in his head all at once, making it even more troublesome.

As Eric tried to continue talking after taking a deep breath for a moment, Alicia looked at him with round eyes.

“I think you need to calm down first?”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay. No, what’s important now is not me. What about you?”

“Me? I’m fine though.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“……”

Eric closed his mouth with a confused expression, and Alicia smiled brightly at him.

Her smiling lips were quite mischievous.

She had been so troubled by this man that she couldn’t sleep last night, so it wouldn’t be wrong to be a little naughty, would it?

So she opened her mouth casually, pretending to be indifferent.

“You don’t have to explain about the hidden woman and son. These things can happen, I guess.”

“Don’t say nonsense like ‘hidden’. No, wait. What do you mean ‘these things can happen’?”

“I’m not in a position to say anything about your love life.”

“What love life? It’s not like that at all. So don’t misunderstand.”

“Alright then. Let’s say it’s a misunderstanding. But what brings you here at this hour?”

Eric was at a loss for words because of Alicia’s smooth response.