Hail, who heard Cedar’s murmur up close, asked with wide eyes.

“Did you know they weren’t human!?”

“Well, their aura is quite unique.”

Cedar stared at Hail with a dismissive look, as if saying ‘how did you not know that?’

Newly hurt by his indifferent superior’s gaze, Hail clutched his aching chest.

Ignoring Hail, Cedar asked Jack in a stiff tone.

“But how did you end up revealing your identity after hiding it for years?”

Jack began to speak in an embarrassed tone.

“The madam… mmph!”

But he couldn’t continue. Cedar immediately covered Jack’s mouth, realizing he was about to speak about Nelly.

“Captain?”

Everyone looked at Cedar, who had moved like lightning, with puzzled eyes.

Cedar remained silent for a moment, then sharply scolded the nearest knight.

“Is this the time for such idle chatter! It seems I need to tighten discipline today.”

“Th-there’s no need!”

“We’ll return at once!”

Cedar’s ‘tightening discipline’ meant working them until they used every last ounce of strength.

Startled, the knights rushed out to the training grounds in a group.

Cedar caught Hail by the scruff of his neck as he tried to escape among them.

“You stay here too.”

It seemed he needed to more firmly seal their lips about Nelly.

‘If news of Nelly’s awakening reaches that wicked sister’s ears, it’ll be troublesome.’

Of course, being an archmage, she wouldn’t be easily harmed by his sister… but Nelly’s image in Cedar’s eyes was so fragile that he couldn’t help but worry.

And Hail, who ended up staying behind with Jack, bristled when told to be careful not to let the fact that Nelly had awakened become known.

“Isn’t this too much? Sir Jack’s identity seems like a much bigger secret, yet you leave that alone while guarding the madam’s secret!”

It seemed like a reasonable protest at first glance, but on closer inspection, it was absurd.

Cedar’s eyebrow raised slightly.

“Did I go around blabbing Jack’s secret? It seems your loose lips did that too.”

“W-well, that’s…”

Hail’s face turned bright red. As Cedar said, it was Hail who should have nothing to say even with two mouths.

After all, he had accidentally overheard that Jack was an elf at Cedar’s mansion, and as soon as he learned that elves were a non-human race close to spirits, he had excitedly blabbed about it.

Cedar clicked his tongue while looking down at his incompetent subordinate, then asked Jack, who was trying to hold back laughter.

“Tell me what you want. If you want me to erase his memory, I’ll do it.”

At Cedar’s question, Hail’s face turned pale.

“H-how are you going to erase memories!”

“With my fist?”

“I’ve already forgotten! I’ve already forgotten, I tell you!”

Wouldn’t his head be crushed if hit by a Sword Master?

Jack stepped forward in front of the trembling and fearful Hail. Then he bowed his head slightly and replied.

“I’m fine. I believe my comrades will keep the secret.”

“Sir Jack.”

Hail’s eyes glistened with tears at Jack’s words, which gently embraced him instead of scolding him for his loose lips. Then, straightening his back, he said in a loud voice.

“I will make sure to keep our comrades’ mouths tightly shut! On my name and honor!”

“…”

Cedar looked at Hail with disdainful eyes and sighed.

I wonder if he knows that each of these actions further erodes trust.

‘If the person concerned doesn’t mind, it’s not my place to step in.’

Cedar glanced at Jack, who was chuckling softly, then turned his head away.

Still, he thought he should know what kind of beings elves were and what kind of ripples it could cause if others found out.

Jack, who had calmed down the excited Hail, addressed Cedar with a gentle smile befitting an elf.

“The Archmage has very good eyes, I see.”

It was meant to be a light opening, but Cedar’s response was sharp.

“Don’t bring up her story.”

“Oh.”

Jack’s eyes widened. Cedar Granite was as rational as his cold and heavy impression suggested.

But cutting off the conversation as soon as Nelly was mentioned was an emotional reaction no matter how you looked at it.

And there was only one reason that came to mind for such an emotional reaction.

“Is it jealousy? I didn’t believe it when Sir Hail mentioned it.”

Love.

Hit right on the mark about what he had been pondering today, Cedar snapped and shouted.

“Jealousy be damned! It’s responsibility as a guardian! I’m afraid you’ll torment that fragile woman!”

The first virtue of a knight. Consideration for the weak, such as women, the elderly, and children.

Right now, Cedar was openly saying that they wouldn’t even uphold that first virtue.

At the sensitive remark, Hail, who had been hiding behind Jack, quickly jumped out and protested.

“You’re really cold-hearted. Captain, you don’t have even as much faith in us as Sir Jack does.”

Of course, that protest didn’t hurt or tickle at all. Cedar immediately snorted and retorted.

“Don’t make me laugh. A guy who can’t even keep the small secret that that woman has awakened, yet his mouth is the only thing that’s alive.”

“Ugh.”

Unable to refute, Hail let out a small groan and staggered. Then he pouted and grumbled.

“I don’t understand why we need to keep such a secret in the first place. Even if the madam is a peerless beauty who stirs the hearts of all who see her, who would dare go after the Captain’s wife? It’s just the Captain’s rose-colored glasses.”

“What?”

Cedar’s expression hardened at Hail’s grumbling.

Jack silently stepped aside. Cedar didn’t hesitate and flicked Hail’s now fully exposed forehead.

“You’ve completely lost your mind.”

“Aaack!”

It was just a normal forehead flick, but coming from Cedar, it made a tremendous sound.

Hail curled up, clutching his forehead and groaning at the pain that felt like his head was splitting.

Cedar looked down at Hail with cold eyes and said deliberately.

“The reason for keeping her awakening a secret is purely for her personal reasons. It’s a private matter, so I can’t speak about it.”

“What? There was a reason for that? And it’s the madam’s reason?”

“What did you think it was?”

“I thought the Captain was blinded by love and couldn’t tell right from wrong…”

“You little…”

“Eek! I’m against violence!”

Hail curled up, trembling even when Cedar just raised his fist.

As they bickered back and forth between violence and non-violence, Hail finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“No, you’re the one who made me misunderstand, Captain! Then why were you so wary even when I just talked with the madam?”

“That’s because I thought you might say something unnecessary.”

“What unnecessary things could I say? Honestly, you were overprotective.”

“That’s…”

Cedar’s body froze as he was about to retort angrily.

‘Right. It’s just as that guy says. This is strange.’

In fact, Cedar’s family situation was as complicated as Nelly’s. Cedar didn’t want to let Nelly know about such facts.

But so what? What would happen if she found out?

Doesn’t he already know about her family situation?

‘None of this is rational at all.’

Thinking that, suddenly everything felt tiresome. Cedar waved his hand dismissively.

“You’re right. From now on, Hail, you take care of her meals. You don’t need to report to the knights, stay with her and assist her in whatever she does.”

“What? Suddenly? Didn’t you say you were going to extend your leave?”

That’s right. Originally, he had planned to personally care for the ailing woman until she recovered.

“I’ve changed my mind. As you said, it might be better to keep some distance.”

“That…”

Hail’s pupils trembled at Cedar’s sudden decision.

He turned to look at Jack, who was closest, with eyes that seemed to ask if he had said something wrong. Jack simply shrugged.

Leaving his confused subordinate behind, Cedar strode away.

As he passed through the corridor, he picked up a practice sword. With his mind in turmoil, he felt the urge to move his body.

Walking towards the training grounds, Cedar chewed on his lip.

‘Love? That’s ridiculous. Absolutely not. I was just concerned because that woman is so small and fragile.’

And Hail would take good care of her as per his orders. She didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with Hail either.

‘If I keep my distance for a while, my feelings will naturally return to normal.’

Thinking this, Cedar moved on. The hand holding his sword hilt showed bluish veins.

Lady Briar, who currently holds the position of Duchess in the Granite ducal family, was originally a maid to the former Duchess.

The Duke and Duchess’s marriage was purely political, and the Duchess, being a foreign princess, was not fluent in the empire’s language.

Lady Briar seized the opportunity in the awkward gap between the two.

“The Princess sent me to comfort you, Your Grace.”

Thus approaching the Duke, Lady Briar succeeded in entering his bedchamber.

By the time this shallow scheme was revealed, her belly had begun to swell, and she escaped punishment.

‘Giving birth to Cedar was the greatest fortune of my life.’

Had the child in her womb been a girl, she would have been sent away with a modest fortune. But Cedar was a boy.

Moreover, a son who resembled the Duke, excelling in swordsmanship and able to handle aura.

Unable to cast aside such a son as a bastard, Duke Granite hesitantly kept Lady Briar in a separate residence.

And after the Duchess passed away, he eventually accepted her as his official wife.

Now, her husband has long been unconscious. There were no more obstacles in Lady Briar’s life, who held the real power in the ducal family.

Except for one.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”

Except for Grisha, the legitimate son left behind by the former Duchess.