I stared at the teacup filled with the green liquid with a bewildered look.
'Was green tea this bitter?'
In fact, I didn't know the taste of green tea at all.
I had tried it once in my past life, but I couldn't taste anything because I had lost my sense of taste back then.
I had heard that green tea was one of the more bitter teas, but I never thought it would be this bitter.
'Is something wrong?'
Maybe Aen's recipe was wrong.
If that wasn't the case, there was no way anyone would go out of their way to drink such bitter water. It wasn't like they wanted to torture their tongue.
As I stared at the swamp-colored liquid with the look that this couldn't be normal, I suddenly heard a deflating sound.
"Pfft."
"..."
The owner of that deflating sound was, of course, Aen Lixus.
When I stared at him, he raised both hands and shook his head, saying.
"I'm sorry. No, I thought you liked green tea, so I thought you were a great lady with a sophisticated taste, but you were just putting on a strong front."
"..."
"Ah, it's not that it's bad. It's just that... I have someone similar to you around me. A spunky kid who hates to lose no matter what. She's about the same age as you. It just reminded me of her."
"..."
"The conclusion is that it's cute, so stop frowning. Huh?"
I wasn't particularly angry, but Aen seemed to think I was angry.
His tone became much softer.
"Hmm, I should look for something other than green tea."
He got up and was about to approach the cupboard.
"Sir Aen Lixus, Commander of the 1st Magic Knight Order of Rhodebel."
He paused.
"You already know who I am, don't you?"
A quiet silence flowed over the calmly asked question, and soon-
"Hoo..."
He took a deep breath and turned to look at me.
The playfulness he had been holding onto was nowhere to be found.
"Ah, well..."
He scratched his head as if he was troubled, saying.
"I couldn't possibly not know."
Even his tone had completely changed.
"But..."
He glanced at me and asked.
"How did you know? That I already knew who you were."
"Just..."
I answered quietly.
"You didn't ask me anything."
"Hmm?"
Aen looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if wondering what I meant.
"I found a lost child, but you didn't ask me anything. What's my name, who are my parents, where did I come from. You didn't ask anything and said you would find my parents."
"..."
"So I realized. That you already know who my parents are."
"Ah, right."
He made a troubled expression as he realized his mistake.
I stared at Aen, whose expression changed every moment.
I could clearly see what he was thinking with his furrowed brow.
It was obvious-
"...I'm sorry."
That he was sorry to me.
"I didn't mean to deceive you, but, well, I did deceive you."
I threw out a question to help him, who was flustered and didn't know what to do.
"Why did you pretend not to know me?"
There was always an opportunity to reveal it.
Even if that wasn't the case, when his adjutant gave him a signal, he could have acknowledged me then and passed it off naturally.
Well, actually.
'I already know the reason for that too.'
After hesitating for a moment, he answered with a deep sigh.
"...I wanted to let you rest."
"..."
He bowed his head slightly, rolling his eyes to gauge my reaction, and continued slowly.
"I know it's presumptuous, but you're too young. You deserve to be protected, but, well, that is..."
I could clearly feel him choosing his words carefully, afraid that I would be hurt by his words.
Unlike his appearance as a giant, fierce beast, I even found his cautious way of speaking, even using his fingers, to be cute.
"Ah, well!"
In the end, unable to bear his frustration, he exploded.
"It just seems like a young lady is having a hard time for some ridiculous reason, so I wanted to give you a little rest! But if I said that I knew who you were, you might feel unnecessarily self-conscious, so that's why I pretended not to know. I'm sorry for deceiving you!"
He shouted powerfully like a battle cry, and at the end, he bowed his head to me.
It was a sight that would make anyone who saw it be horrified and fall backward.
Even if Rhodebel's blood flowed through me, he was the commander of the Knight Order, a core part of Rhodebel, and even the only Magic Knight Order.
In addition to that, he had earned that position solely through his skills.
The man in front of me was the object of envy for all the knights in the Empire.
Yet he was bowing to a mere bastard!
It was truly impossible, but not surprising.
'It's Aen.'
In my past life as well, Aen had found me hiding in a corner of the training ground after being kicked out of the mansion.
'If you have nowhere to go, come here.'
I didn't believe those words, but when I was cornered, Aen's words came to mind.
When I went back, half-expecting to be turned away, he-
'You're here. Do you want some tea?'
Welcomed me as if nothing had happened.
He laughed heartily, saying I was amazing when he saw me drinking green tea that I couldn't taste.
'Come anytime. You're welcome.'
I didn't believe Aen's words.
He was a good person, so he wasn't openly ignoring me like others. So I should just take it with a grain of salt-
That's what I thought... but I continued to visit him.
Each time, he welcomed me with a smile, and we gradually became closer.
Aen didn't seem to know who I was.
So I could enjoy the time with him even more without worry.
He was... the only person in Rhodebel who gave me a place to breathe.
He was a true friend, regardless of gender or age.
One day, he announced that he was going on an expedition.
'A magical beast has appeared in a remote village. Those damn magical beasts. They crawl out like cockroaches.'
He laughed heartily when he saw me worried, saying.
'Magical beasts are just a piece of cake. You don't have to worry, miss.'
Then he looked at me and said.
'Well, you know. Actually... I knew who you were from the first time I saw you. I pretended not to know because I was worried you'd be uncomfortable. I'm sorry for deceiving you.'
The truth he told me right before leaving was shocking.
He quickly continued.
'Don't misunderstand! The reason I'm revealing this now is because I want to become closer to you. At least I want you to be comfortable in front of me.'
He scratched his cheek as if embarrassed.
'So, when we meet next time, can I call you Miss Lucia?'
But I couldn't give Aen the answer he wanted.
At that time, I was just too flustered and scared by the fact that Aen knew who I was.
I thought that Aen would end up despising me as well. Even though I knew better than anyone that he wasn't that kind of person.
Instead of answering, I turned around and ran away.
I regretted it immediately.
I should have answered. Yes, I would. To be my friend...
'I'll definitely tell him when he gets back.'
First, I would apologize for running away, and then I would give him the answer I had prepared.
With only that thought in mind, I waited for Aen.
But even after the month he had said, the expedition team that had left to subjugate the magical beasts didn't return.
That was when.
I started to get a bad feeling.
And that terrible feeling-
'In memory of the honorable sacrifice of Commander Aen Lixus...'
Did not miss.
What returned was his tattered corpse.
The magical beast invasion had far exceeded the expected scale, and the magical beasts had been constantly pouring in.
In an instant, the village was surrounded by magical beasts, and it was impossible to request support because of the heavy rain.
In the end, Aen Lixus sacrificed himself to evacuate the villagers and the members of the order.
An honorable and glorious sacrifice... Was it really?
'Can there be glory in death?'
Isn't it all over if you die in the end?
'I didn't get to tell him the answer.'
As a bastard, I was said to bring bad luck, so I couldn't even attend the funeral.
The only time I could meet Aen was in front of his grave after the burial was completed.
So...
What should I say first?
I couldn't deliver a single word of the answer I had been holding onto.
Because it was already too late. Because he could no longer hear me.
Terrible regret washed over me.
But... The tragedy didn't end there.
When a knight who had heard Aen's will before his evacuation belatedly visited his house...
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