The Mad Dog's Surprise Encounter
The carriage arrived at the square quite swiftly.
Although the cafe Florant still lay a short distance ahead, Idel stepped down from the carriage first in order to collect Sigmund.
The duke’s assigned knights, Kyleon, and Diane naturally trailed behind her in perfect formation.
“Lady Idel, is this really the place we’re supposed to meet your friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Um… Lady Idel, but this area…”
“I said it’s the place. Are you really planning to make me speak twice?”
The expressions of Kyleon and Diane shifted into subtle confusion at the unrefined scene that could never pass for the haunts of a noble lady’s friend.
They appeared to be silently debating whether it was acceptable to stand by without a word.
Whether they spoke or not, Idel turned her steps toward the vicinity of Crow’s Nest and carefully surveyed her surroundings.
She had seen the ring’s color change clearly, yet she could not be entirely certain Sigmund would actually appear.
Her eyes sparkled all of a sudden as she scanned the passersby with subtle head movements.
“There he is!”
The familiar youth with the black hair, leaning against the wall marked with the crow’s emblem, stood out unmistakably.
Idel’s lips curved into a faint smile as she caught sight of the scowling face on Sigmund.
“Both of you, wait right here. I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Wh-what? That’s utter nonsense! This neighborhood is crawling with people and dangerous——Lady Idel!”
“Sigmund!”
Idel called his name with obvious delight and dashed down the street the instant before Kyleon could grab her.
The moment she reached the wall she launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around Sigmund in a tight embrace.
“Crap, what kind of new——!”
“Sigmund! It’s me! It’s me! Del! I’ve missed you so much!”
“You…! Hey, you, what the—!”
Idel instinctively pulled Sigmund closer, resisting the push he tried to make, and offered a gentle, smiling gaze.
Her trembling hands held him with enough force to send shivers down her own spine as she whispered softly.
“Hey, read the room and play along. Do you see those people chasing us? They think we’re lifelong friends who can’t live without each other.”
“What? Are you crazy? Why would I want some kind of……!”
“Why are you acting like this? You’re the one who recommended him. Don’t you remember? A friend excuse. And apparently you forgot that I’m your master’s client.”
“Hah…! I-I, you damn——”
Sigmund clenched his jaw, eyes blazing as he glared at her, then pressed his lips tightly shut.
There was simply no argument he could make. Discovery by the knights behind them would snap the contract, and that was a problem in itself.
‘As long as the contract doesn’t break, I’m lucky. Worst case….’
He didn’t know the exact reason, but he knew enough that his master Viled had been living under an alias in Crow’s Nest.
He simply pretended not to care that a nameless person lived there, as though no one of importance would ever appear.
‘Crap, this is such a pain. Of all the damned truth-tellers to run into… what kind of ridiculous situation is this?’
Suppressing the rage that rose all the way to his throat, Sigmund bit down hard and pulled Idel into a gentle hug.
Then, with a faint curl at the corner of his lips, he spoke in the same warm tone Idel had used.
“I missed you too, Del.”
“……Mhm, you must have waited a long time since I didn’t come.”
The pair stood inches apart, exchanging glances while their lips twitched with barely contained amusement.
‘What kind of ridiculous lie can you spit out with that expression?’
‘He’s sending me a look that says he’s about to vomit after being told to do this himself.’
Idel and Sigmund understood each other’s words without hearing them directly. The curses were unmistakable.
Idel counted to ten in her mind and swiftly released her arms from around Sigmund’s neck.
Holding him any longer might have sent actual goosebumps across her skin.
‘Or I’d end up looking like the idiot I am.’
Even as she thought that, Idel reached out and took his hand to transfer a little mana as quickly as possible.
Sigmund, who was equally sharp-witted, didn’t pull away either.
Instead he laced their fingers together to maximize the contact area.
‘Let’s wrap this up quickly.’
‘Crap, if I’d known this would happen I would have learned how to drain my master’s mana.’
Hand in hand, the two exchanged smiles once more.
The smiles were so sweet and endearing that anyone passing by would have felt the urge to melt.
“Lady Del!”
“You didn’t listen to a single word I said?”
The knights felt a chill at Idel’s words and hesitated for a moment before Kyleon spoke with strict composure.
“I cannot grant any requests that could endanger the young lady. Is this gentleman… the friend you mentioned?”
He turned his gaze toward Sigmund and frowned slightly.
The chosen location felt off, and the youth looked far too wild to be befriending a noble lady.
He raised his guard against any possible danger and addressed Idel once more.
“Forgive me, but this gentleman is…”
“Don’t apologize.”
“But we must verify any factors that could pose a threat.”
“Then go home and report it then.”
Idel cut off Kyleon’s words without hiding her irritation and glanced at the hands they were still clutching.
Warm mana flowed between their palms, leaving her body noticeably lighter.
She was about to speak again when a slender voice interrupted the rigid atmosphere from beside them.—Diane.
“Um… would it be better to move to the cafe first? Leaving the young lady standing here for so long is also a little…”
“Yeah, I never planned to stay here long either. You can come or go as you like.”
Idel snapped back in a gruff tone and pulled Sigmund along with their joined hands.
Yet he refused to move.
‘He’s supposed to follow behind with a sense of decorum. Why is he throwing a tantrum now?’
Pretending otherwise, Sigmund pressed himself close to Idel at the spot and growled softly.
“Hey, it’s a cafe, not some crazy reason to drag you away. I didn’t ask you to come here and play with me.”
“You too! I told you I’d treat you to delicious cake before. Did I break my promise too late?”
Sigmund clenched his teeth at Idel’s infuriating smile.
It was entirely different from the expression he wore when they first arrived.
‘Is this guy some kind of stage actor? No, this whole mess has nothing to do with me anyway.’
…Damn it. It does have something to do with me. It’s my master’s affair.
A master with a conscience would assign separate accomplices.
This wasn’t even in the terms, and it had nothing to do with the curse either.
Suppressing the rising anger, he tugged the corner of his lip higher.
Honestly, he was starting to feel like joining the act now.
‘Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep this nonsense performance going.’
He seemed unable to hold back his own goosebumps earlier.
From that moment on, Sigmund changed his attitude toward Idel, as if he had already decided to play along with the private bet.
He was a man who didn’t shy away from fighting when provoked.
He pressed his body close, offered his hand onto the carriage, and Idel raised an eyebrow in amusement.
He had figured out that Sigmund was deliberately being extra proactive.
The moment she exerted extra pressure on their joined hands in response to his obvious annoyance, Diane spoke cautiously from across the carriage.
“Excuse me, but is there a reason you two refuse to let go of each other? I-I’m not interfering or anything, b-but I’m worried the carriage might be shaking and that’s why you’re holding on so tightly……”
“Oh, this?”
Sigmund answered first, giving their clasped hands a light shake while flashing a soft, gentle smile that was ten times more convincing than the one Idel had used to urge laughter.
“Just that I want to hold you.”
“Ah…….”
“We’re the only ones who can live and die with each other, right? Right, Del?”
“……Yeah, right.”
Idel tightened her lips and widened her smile as the corners of their mouths quivered with effort.
The eyes of the two smiling people collided once more in midair.
‘Stop.’
‘You first.’
The patience of the pair who refused to back down had reached its limit.
Whichever of them spoke first would have triggered the first-meeting reenactment at that exact instant.
But fortunately, the carriage had just pulled up in front of Cafe Florant, and Sigmund’s battle of wills…
—Splash!
“That damned stray cat! How dare he look down on anyone!”
The fight ended in an abrupt, soaking mess after the sudden wave of water from the arriving cafe.