Chapter 89

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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We passed through the border checkpoint between Ashbury and Randall. I presented my ID and waited for it to be returned at the window, successfully crossing the border. Jeffrey's ID, of course, was a flawless official document, and mine was also an official one given to me by Mike after I returned from the Kingdom of Shen. The fake ID I had made was torn up and burned in the fireplace by Mike on the spot.

So, there was no reason to worry. However, I didn't miss the border guard's eyes nervously darting back and forth between the ID and something in front of him. I was certain that there was something posted in a spot I couldn't see, and he was comparing it with my ID.

After passing through the checkpoint, I urged my horse forward and called out to Jeff.

"Hey, Jeff..."

"The man at the window was nervous. Not just when it was your turn, but also when it was mine."

I love Jeff for this. He might be known as a swordsman who relies on brute force, but that's not the case. My theory is that someone who can move as gracefully as a mountain lion and be aware of their surroundings is also intelligent.

Lord Edward must have already set off on his journey back after concluding his talks with the Marquis of Harrows, who hired fifty mercenaries, but he shouldn't have reached the capital yet. Did he pass on our information on the way back?

"Hmm, there's no point in worrying about it. Lord Edward should have issued a clear warning to our public enemies."

"Brother would have put so much pressure on them that they'd be quaking in their boots."

"Hehe, that's for sure."

We chuckled and continued on our horses, choosing a place to stay for the night and entering our room. I didn't really want to do this in front of Jeff, but I pressed my ear against the walls of the adjacent rooms to listen for sounds. The guest in the room to the right was whistling and moving around, making a lot of noise. It wasn't an act; everything was fine.

Next, I listened at the wall to the left. Jeff watched my actions with interest, and I mouthed "Hey! Don't look!" with a scowl, but Jeff just smiled silently at me. There was almost no sound from the room to the left, but occasionally, I could hear quiet footsteps. This caught my attention.

(The person in this room isn't an amateur.) Seeing the look on my face, Jeff's smile faded.

"Is the person next door suspicious?"

"Yes. I was planning to sneak into the attic at midnight... What? Jeff, what are you doing?"

Jeff, sword in hand, opened the door and walked out. I hurried after him.

"What are you planning to do? Don't cause a commotion here. We'll be delayed."

"Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble."

He knocked on the door to the left. There was no response.

Oh, come on. I take back my comment about the graceful mountain lion. Why is he resorting to such rough tactics? I need him to be aware of his surroundings.

I drew my dagger from the holder at my waist and got ready.

Eventually, there was a click as the lock was undone, and the door opened a crack.

"Excuse me."

With those words, Jeff pushed the door open and entered. The person inside let out a muffled sound. I followed Jeff into the room and was speechless.

"Good evening, Viscount Asher. And Viscountess Asher."

The young man, looking troubled with his eyebrows lowered, was Mills from the Third Knight Regiment. He had light brown hair, brown eyes, and an overall playful, carefree vibe. He was definitely the one who had gone out with Nonna.

"Are you the young man who was out with Nonna?"

"Jeff..."

I gently tugged on Jeff's shirt. Without taking his eyes off Mills, Jeff responded.

"What is it, Anna?"

"I think the correct expression is that 'Nonna was the one who dragged Mills around.'"

"Oh, right. Still, why is he following us? The commander of the Third Knight Regiment seems quite overprotective."

"Hehe."

I sympathized with Mills, who was scratching his head and avoiding Jeff's gaze. It must be awkward for him. He can't say that he was ordered by your brother, can he?

"Since we're standing here talking, please have a seat."

We obediently sat in the chairs, and Mills sat on the bed since there were only two chairs.

"So? What did your brother order you to do?"

"Huh?"

Mills was surprised, but so was I. Jeff knew? Since when?

"Um, when you say brother..."

"Ah, never mind that. I know he's the commander of the Third Knight Regiment. What did he order you to do?"

"Oh, I see. Well, um, the order given to me was to follow where Viscount and Viscountess Asher were going and who they intended to meet. I was told to observe, but not to interfere, no matter what they did."

Jeff looked up at the ceiling with a stern face and sighed.

"To correct any misunderstanding, the person who gave me this order was not Edward Asher. It was... His Majesty the King."

"Huh?"

"What did you say?"

I couldn't help but let out a surprised sound. Jeff was clearly annoyed.

"His Majesty. I see. I understand. Even if I tell you not to follow us, you can't disobey His Majesty, can you? I'll have to accept that you'll follow us."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

Jeff said, "I'm sorry for the intrusion," and left Mills's room, returning to our room. I followed, of course.

Jeff, who was not a wild mountain lion but more like an angry bull, stomped back to our room and flopped onto the bed.

"I'm sorry, Anna."

"For what?"

"There are too many overprotective men around me."

"Hehe."

I couldn't help but laugh. This man, who is 192 cm tall and weighs 80 kg, is indeed loved overprotectively. It must be frustrating for him.

"You're loved so much. I'm proud of you."

"I always feel like I'm being treated like a little boy... Sometimes I just want to go wild. No, when we return safely, I might really go wild this time."

"Stop it. Imagining you going wild in the castle... I can't stop laughing. You'd be so dangerous that no one could stop you. It would be too pitiful. Lord Edward, the Chancellor, and your former military colleagues would all be in trouble."

"Heh. Maybe you're right."

Jeff must have been imagining himself swinging his sword wildly in the castle. I could see his abs twitching as I watched, and I started laughing. I couldn't stop, and I was holding my stomach.

"I can't stop laughing."

"You're just a big, spoiled brat."

"Hahaha."

Jeff finally burst out laughing, and I couldn't help but join in. Suddenly, Jeff stopped laughing and looked at me seriously, which surprised me.

"Huh? What is it?"

"You noticed too, didn't you? About your brother's real position. We have too many secrets between us as a couple."

"I only found out by chance during the rebellion at the castle. When did you figure it out?"

"I thought about it a lot after we went to the Kingdom of Shen and concluded that it had to be that."

"So long ago?"

"Yes. But it's normal to keep such a position a secret even from family. I've been pretending not to know. After we finish this mission, let's have a talk with the three of us."

"Sure. But Edward and I have already confirmed it. He asked me to wait for you to tell you yourself. I'm sorry."

"I see. That sounds like something he would say."

I'm used to keeping secrets and not saying anything unless asked. Edward is probably the same.

But Jeff is different.

For someone as straightforward as Jeff, it must have been frustrating to keep so many secrets. Thinking about it, I felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Jeff."

"It's okay. I feel relieved now. And it was good that we came out alone. We could have this honest conversation. If Nonna and Il had come with us, we wouldn't have been able to talk like this."

"That's true. We can hide our footsteps and presence, after all."

"Exactly. Let's move out at sunrise tomorrow. We need to get some sleep."

"Sure, Jeff."

And so, the three of us—Jeff, Mills, and I—set out for the capital of the Kingdom of Randall. However, Mills said, "His Majesty ordered me to follow secretly. It's a bit late to say this, but..." and kept his distance while following us.

It was funny, and I couldn't help but laugh every time I glanced at him.

I resumed my journey with the adorable big man and the adorable young man. What was supposed to be a gloomy solo trip had turned into a lively journey with three people.