Chapter 63
The growling voice made it obvious he was struggling to hold back his irritation.
Well, even as a kid, he hated it when I treated him like a child.
I nearly said you are actually a kid, not that I'm treating you like one—but I wisely shut my mouth. I stared intently at Leo, who was so effortlessly ramping up the tension with just a few words and gestures. He still looked young to me, but he'd definitely grown a lot compared to the old days when he just trailed after me.
"You've grown so much."
I smiled proudly and stroked his soft-looking light brown hair. It wasn't the round little head from his childhood anymore, nor did it have that fuzzy baby-fine texture, but his grown-up hair was plenty soft. The moment my hand touched him, Leo's face hardened fiercely.
Is he mad?
Maybe he didn't like me touching him without permission. I glanced at him cautiously and pulled my hand back a little. He let out a deep sigh as he watched me.
"Haa..."
With his head bowed, he rubbed his dry face, and I noticed his ears turning slightly red. It didn't seem like he hated it that much, but he looked seriously displeased.
"Please, stop treating me like a kid."
"I'm not treating you like a kid—you are..."
I swallowed the rest—a real kid—after seeing his menacing glare. If I'd said it out loud, I'd be in real trouble.
"Um... how about we head inside and talk? If you have time, that is."
I hurriedly changed the subject before whatever was boiling in his eyes could explode and led him back into the bar. Truth be told, his expression had me a little intimidated.
"So... you're originally the son of a noble from the Atara Kingdom, but due to a succession dispute, you got badly injured somehow and fled to the Empire."
"Uh-huh."
"Thanks to my help, you survived by some miracle, returned to your kingdom, inherited your noble title, and now you've come back to the Empire as part of a diplomatic delegation?"
"That's exactly it."
I stared hard at Leo, who nodded with a grin.
If that noble title just upgrades to a throne, you're Alessandro.
I poured vodka into a glass and downed it in one go. For some reason, he seemed eager to hide that he was the king, but knowing the original story, I was convinced Leo was Alessandro after hearing this much.
Damn! So I did all that stuff to a prince?
Cold sweat trickled down my back as I recalled my past self's atrocities—both body and mind still childish back then. I wanted to assassinate that old version of me who'd treated Leo like a slave.
No, wait... First off, Leo doesn't seem to have come looking for revenge. He doesn't harbor any malice. He's grown up now, so he must appreciate the favor I did him as a kid.
I poured another glass of vodka and sneaked a peek at him. He'd mixed absinthe in the glass I'd drunk from earlier and pressed his lips right where my lipstick mark lingered faintly, downing it while shooting me a glare. It felt like I'd witnessed something forbidden I shouldn't have, so I averted my eyes.
...Why'd he grow up so hot?
He'd clearly been a fluffy Turkish Angora kitten as a kid, but now he was some massive white lion. It was like the farmer who thought he was growing mugunghwa flowers only to harvest marijuana instead. That had to be exactly how I felt right now.
"So after I left, you kept working as a mercenary and became the Sword Master Mir."
"That's right."
"Then you found out your father was Duke Kaiser Crisis, so you became a lady of the house. And that's why Mir's activities stopped."
"Y... yeah."
I stammered out my agreement, even though I'd already confirmed it, and checked once more if anyone was eavesdropping on our conversation. Ever since word spread in the bar that I was really Mir because of all the people who'd come looking for me, no one dared approach us openly, not even Leo's side.
"It's really hard to believe."
Leo let out a hollow laugh, sharing his thoughts. I nodded slightly in agreement. Honestly, even I—the protagonist of this cut-and-pasted, conclusion-only summary—found it absurdly melodramatic.
Leo, from our childhood days together, already knew I was Mir. But he didn't know I'd become a Crisis lady, so this was the perfect time to tell him.
My life is insane... Already five people know I'm Mir.
Excluding family: Elrior, Rainer, Llewellyn, Leo, and Diego—though I never outright told him, he'd probably figured it out after seeing my black aura. So five people already knew. I took some comfort in the fact they were all trustworthy and let out a soft sigh.
"You have to keep this a secret. Please."
I stared at him intently with a serious gaze. I'd reveal it myself soon enough anyway, but not yet. My plan hinged on dramatic, theatrical timing.
Leo smirked at my rigid expression and nodded.
"Of course. If you want, I'll take it to my grave. Want me to swear on the Sun's oath?"
"No need for that."
Even if time had faded its shine, it was still a precious memory to me. Leo remained a reliable comrade.
I gave him a slight wink.
"I trust you."
His lips twitched. His pupils shook faintly. After a long moment of visible turmoil, Leo let out a hollow chuckle.
"...You're really merciless."
I just smirked at his cryptic mutter, not quite understanding it.
"We'll see each other again at the diplomatic delegation's welcome banquet anyway. If you still can't believe I'm a lady of the house, you can confirm it then."
Running into Leo the delegate as the lady was inevitable. He gazed at me steadily after my casual remark, then grinned.
"Nah, it's fine. I already believe you."
His eyes curved slyly.
"You wouldn't lie to me."
Leo still had his hood up, but sitting right in front of him, I could vaguely make out his eyes. They brimmed with unwavering trust directed at me. For a moment, I was speechless.
Five years wasn't a short time. We'd both grown far beyond those reckless childhood days, walking completely different paths and becoming total strangers.
And yet, you still believe in me. Just like I believe in you.
It touched me deeply. I still trusted him, and knowing it was mutual warmed my heart.
"We're still friends, right?"
I asked softly with a relaxed, gentle smile.
"...What?"
Leo's face hardened into something utterly terrifying—the polar opposite of mine. I flinched a little at his inexplicably chilling glare.
"...No?"
Even when we fought tooth and nail as kids, I'd thought we were at least friends. Apparently, only I felt that way.
Once again, I'm the only one who's sincere...
As I looked down dejectedly, my self-esteem plummeting, Leo buried his face in his hands.
"Haa... This is so annoying..."
His voice was a mix of lament and sigh. With a troubled expression, he rubbed his face several times and heaved a deep sigh.
"...Fine. Let's start as friends, at least."
Doesn't sound like it...
I gave him a dubious look as he ground his teeth and twisted into a strained smile. His face looked more like he saw me as an arch-nemesis than a friend.
"We'll start as friends."
Leo slowly raised his hand, stroking near his cheek hidden by the mask he'd put on entering the bar, then slipped it under my hood to grab the nape of my neck and pull me toward him. The leather glove tickled my sensitive skin. It was so careful and gentle that I accepted his touch without resistance.
Just like in the alley earlier, our foreheads touched again. His warm forehead pressed against the cold mask. Leo must really like forehead touches.
At this close range where I could feel each other's breaths, he stared at me obsessively, as if melting me, and let out a chilling smile.
"But don't assume the end will be friends, too."
A grinding of teeth and a growling rasp from his throat, brimming with dissatisfaction. I stared blankly at his fiercely boiling fluorescent green eyes. The vibrating lemon scent around us thickened the air.
For a long while, at a distance where lowering my head slightly would bring our lips together, our gazes locked.
"...I should go before I do something stupid."
Seeing my dazed expression, Leo's deepening gaze suddenly pulled back. The warmth on my forehead vanished.
He yanked his hood down urgently, downed the remaining absinthe in one gulp, and slowly licked his red lips glistening with it.
"See you soon."
He reached for my hand, giving a glance as if asking permission to hold it. Thinking he might want to clasp hands like old times for a farewell, I nodded slightly. Instead, he swiftly seized my wrist.
And my guess was way off.
Warm, soft flesh pressed against my exposed wrist. From the slightly parted, moist gap, the scent of absinthe wafted. His long lashes lowered, he suckled on my wrist for quite a while before his red lips slowly released it with a wet pop.
"You'll miss me."
His narrowly opened eyes curved into a devastating smile. It dripped with sweetness, but the intensely burning gaze within made it feel like a siren's lure—seducing and devouring.
I flinched upon meeting that gaze head-on. He released my hand with a regretful look and grinned.
"Bye, Shushu."
His black robe fluttered as the figure who'd shaken me vanished quickly. I stared blankly at his retreating back, lost in thought.
That line about not assuming the end would be friends... Was it a breakup threat if I mess up?
I buried my face in my palms amid the complicated feelings. That was how our dreamlike mismatched reunion ended after five years.
A few days later, the Empire's palace held a welcome banquet for the Atara Kingdom's diplomatic delegation.
"Duke Kaiser Crisis and Young Lord Kal Crisis of the Crisis Ducal House, Lady Kashmir Crisis and Lady Aria Crisis are entering the banquet hall!"
The hall was packed since we'd arrived fashionably late. Ignoring the hot stares prickling my skin as usual, I scanned the room. The imperial family, the Pope, and the delegation hadn't arrived yet, but pretty much everyone else had.
"Oh my, Lady Crisis! Your dress is stunning again today!"
"You're wearing a ruby-embellished body chain tonight. I just bought one with sapphires the other day."
The moment I stepped in, Aria and I were swarmed by the young ladies. I waved and smiled at Aria, who kept looking back at me wistfully as she was dragged away.
"I'll stick with you the whole time at this banquet."
It was our first joint appearance since my debutante ball, and Kaiser had vowed it solemnly. He must still feel bad for being pulled away by the Emperor's order right at the start last time, leaving me alone.
"Your Grace. I have urgent business to discuss."
That vow lasted less than five minutes before a middle-aged man approached briskly.
He looks just like Rainer.
I snuck a sidelong glance at the elderly man who could pass for an aged Rainer. With his hair fully white, he looked over sixty. Since Rainer was the late-born only son of the current marquis, it wasn't hard to guess this was Noah Ainheart, head of House Ainheart.
"...Marquis Ainheart. Does it have to be now?"
Displeasure filled Kaiser's red eyes. Undeterred by Kaiser's chilling expression that made my legs weak, the marquis nodded.
"It's about the North."