“I-I’m sorry.”

Bellen, with a flushed face, apologized preemptively and then clamped his mouth shut like an angry person.

Sophia couldn’t help but chuckle at the dumbfounded expression of Bellen, who was glaring at the water glass and spoon with wide eyes.

“You’re looking at it as if I’ve poisoned it.”

Flustered, Bellen tried to wave his hand dismissively but winced, grabbing his shoulder with an “Ugh” of pain.

“No… That’s not it! Not at all. I’m just so sorry and embarrassed… That’s all.”

“Open your mouth.”

As Sophia raised the spoon, Bellen obediently opened his mouth as if someone had pulled his chin.

Sophia skillfully poured water into his mouth and said in a nonchalant tone.

“You were quite enthusiastically beaten up.”

For a moment, Bellen choked and burst into coughing fits.

His muscles and joints screamed in protest as his body tensed, but he gritted his teeth, determined not to show any more unsightly behavior in front of Sophia Fiddlers.

As Bellen fumbled for words, Sophia asked again.

“Was Her Majesty really that impressive? I’m quite ignorant when it comes to martial arts. Even watching the two of you spar right before my eyes, I wasn’t sure what to admire or focus on.”

Bellen, who had been staring blankly for a moment as if in a daze, said,

“Honestly, from the middle part on, I was too busy getting beaten to notice, but I wondered if she was even human.”

Then, belatedly remembering that Sophia Fiddlers was a close handmaid serving Erdene, he hurriedly added,

“I mean, she was that incredible.”

“Hmm… I see. Are you alright with the water now?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Sophia set the glass and spoon down on the side table.

Bellen thought she would stand up soon, but for some reason, she remained seated, staring intently at his face as if deep in thought.

Seeing her soft, flowing chestnut curls, Bellen’s face suddenly flushed hot.

He couldn’t understand what this situation was at all, why Sophia – elegant, refined, and beautiful enough to make even the most distinguished nobles defer to her – was sitting here giving him water.

Not knowing her true intentions, Bellen was understandably flustered.

“Um, well… Miss Fiddlers, are you, uh, alright?”

Trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, he ended up saying something that sounded clumsy even to his own ears.

As expected, Sophia looked at him with an expression that said, “What do you mean?”

Bellen spoke again.

“I mean, about Her Majesty. I know you serve by Her Majesty’s side… I was wondering if you’re not scared while attending to her.”

“It’s not like Her Majesty dances with swords every day, so why would I be scared?”

Sophia’s response sounded calm, almost carefree.

Bellen tried to imagine Erdene swinging swords and dancing in the queen’s palace but gave up.

Then, Sophia fixed her gaze directly on Bellen’s face with steady eyes.

“I have something I’d like to ask you, Captain.”

A look of tension visibly appeared on Bellen’s face.

“Yes, anything.”

“Forgive me if this is impertinent, but you don’t have a fiancée yet, do you?”

Bewildered, Bellen nodded reflexively.

For some reason, he found himself captivated by the sight of Sophia smiling as if quite satisfied.

Sophia asked again.

“Perhaps, is there someone you have in mind that you’re planning to run off and confess to next week? Do you have someone like that?”

“N-No, I don’t.”

“Good.”

Sophia rose from her seat with a slight smile.

Bellen was completely baffled, not understanding what was good about it, or why she was asking about non-existent fiancées and lovers.

“For the time being, stay away from women and focus on your training, Captain.”

Bellen blinked.

“Is this an order from Her Majesty the Queen?”

Oh dear. Sophia inwardly sighed briefly. She had expected him to be slow, but not this slow. There would be mountains of things to teach him in the future.

“Well, I think Her Majesty might have wanted to say the same thing.”

She left with those ambiguous words, neither here nor there, along with a brief farewell of “Well then,” and swiftly disappeared.

Bellen, lying there dazedly with his aching body, snapped to attention at the lingering presence Sophia had left behind.

And he recalled Erdene’s face. Suddenly, a surge of excitement and motivation welled up, making his heart leap and bound.

Not even five minutes after sitting down, Erdene grew bored of just quietly opening a book.

It wasn’t like she could engage in frivolous chatter—usually petty gossip about Arkan—with Sophia by her side as usual, nor was there any way to sneak out discreetly.

‘Damn, am I a prisoner or what? I look like one.’

Erdene grumbled inwardly as she shifted her body.

However, whenever she tried to move away even slightly, Arkan’s arm invariably tightened.

It wouldn’t be impossible to shake him off and stand up if she really wanted to, and if she set her mind to it, she could make sure he’d never dare to grab her waist again… But for some reason, she had been tolerating Arkan so far.

‘If Telma or the others saw this.’

Erdene’s mind, tired of the incoherent chatter of the tiny earth fairies, kept drifting elsewhere.

If they knew that Arkan was not only embracing her waist but also holding her so that she couldn’t move an inch, the military officers who followed Erdene in Hirschsten would probably start looking for shovels without even asking for the details.

To dig Arkan’s grave, that is…

Just then, Arkan suddenly spoke.

“I can hear the sound of your wandering thoughts.”

As soon as the silence broke, Erdene closed her book with a snap! as if she had been waiting for this opportunity.

However, Arkan still kept his gaze fixed on the book he was reading while firmly holding Erdene’s waist.

Erdene, who had been trying to irritate Arkan’s nerves to find a chance to escape, was momentarily captivated by his profile as he looked down at his book.

The smooth bridge of his nose, the straight philtrum below it, and his lips caught her attention in turn.

Perhaps a habit when concentrating, the corners of his mouth were slightly turned down, and his lower lip protruded slightly.

It was a handsome face. With his mouth closed expressionlessly, he looked even colder.

“You’ll burn a hole in my face.”

Arkan said without even turning his head.

Only then did Erdene realize that she had been observing him with a fervent attitude, and she jerked her body away.

The force of it made Arkan’s shoulder sway, and the book in his opposite hand wobbled.

“What are you doing?”

Arkan finally looked at Erdene. His expression was as if he didn’t know what was going on, even though he clearly did.

Erdene spoke in a grumbling tone.

“Can’t I just leave now?”

“Have you finished reading the book?”

As Arkan glanced at the closed book cover, Erdene tapped the book hard with the back of her hand as if she might crush it.

“It wasn’t something to be read from start to finish in the first place!”

“That’s not true. It’s good to develop a habit of reading any book thoroughly from beginning to end. That’s the first step in loving books.”

“Didn’t you say not to keep a lover? What if I fall so deeply into books that I don’t care whether Your Majesty lives or dies?”

“I’m not asking for that much.”

“Ah, you’re really getting on my nerves!”

Erdene, who had suddenly raised her voice, shook off Arkan’s arm and stood up.

“If you’re just going to read alone anyway, why are you tormenting me like this?”

Arkan blinked his eyes wide as if he was about to hear something absurd.

“When did I ever torment you?”

Then he glanced at the rubber dragon with its burst eyes and continued.

“I even gave you a gift.”

“Are you joking right now?”

“Okay. The gift thing was a joke. But it hasn’t even been half an hour yet. Why do you hate reading books so much? It’s not like I asked you to read ‘Etiquette Rules You Must Follow – Lady’s Edition’.”

Erdene let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Does this country even have books like that?”

“There are volumes 1 through 5, actually.”

“And you’re going to make me read those someday?”

Arkan rolled his eyes once as if to say, ‘Well, should I?’

“If it’s necessary, it would be good to read them.”

I can’t take it anymore. Erdene thought.

She regretted hastily bursting the dragon’s eyes earlier.

If she was going to burst them, it should have been now! Not just the eyes, but she should have squeezed it until the rubber became tattered, showing this bastard how angry she was!

But the dragon had already embarked on a journey of no return.

There’s no use crying over spilled milk. Erdene pushed the thought of the rubber dragon aside and looked down at Arkan.

‘You think I won’t sit down.’

His relaxed gaze seemed to be saying something like that, hurting Erdene’s pride.

She had endured as much as she could…

While she might tolerate the children’s alphabet textbook, that ridiculous-sounding book he just mentioned, the lady something-or-other, would never be opened on her lap.

Erdene took a deep breath and said,

“If you tell me to read something like that.”

Arkan slightly shifted his gaze and tilted his head with narrowed brows.

“If I tell you to read it?”

Erdene imagined messing up his curly hair and making a bird’s nest out of it as she glared at him.

“I’ll divorce you.”