ESL Chapter 37

Kaid returned, leaving behind Elton and one imperial knight. It was to ensure the law enforcement officer did the job properly. Witnesses and administrative officials who would assist the law enforcement officer were additionally summoned to verify documents and check the authenticity of the seal. Lea, who had been watching the work progress, looked at Ken at the sound of his voice.

“What’s your relationship with the 3rd Prince?”

At his unusually serious question, Lea also answered seriously.

“My debtor.”

“………….”

“Ah, now that I’ve cleared the debt with this, did we just change to being acquaintances?”

He had a dumbfounded expression at Lea’s answer, then chuckled softly and said.

“You really are strange.”

Maybe that’s why I’m even more drawn to you… Turning his head, Ken muttered the rest to himself. She was attractive enough as a woman, but even as a human being in general, she was so captivating he couldn’t take his eyes off her. If he were an ordinary, common knight, she was someone he’d want to kiss the back of her hand and make a knight’s oath to.

“So you’re going back now?”

“Hm?”

Ken, who had been lost in thought, paused for a moment at Lea’s question but nodded.

“I should go back… I can’t openly stay at either the duke’s house or the count’s house.”

“You must have it hard too.”

“No harder than you. My opponents are my father and brother, but yours is an organization you don’t even know the identity of.”

“No.”

Surprised by her firm denial, Ken looked at her, and Lea calmly voiced her thoughts.

“That organization I’ll be dealing with isn’t related to me, but yours is your blood relatives. I think it’s several times harder for you.”

“………”

“If it really doesn’t work out, run away. We’re friends now.”

Friends… Can the single word ‘friend’ make a person’s heart feel this comfortable… Ken unconsciously smiled. Feeling warmth spreading in his chest, Ken’s face immediately crumpled at what she said while tapping one of his shoulders with her hand.

“In that spirit, friend, I’m leaving the rest to you. Looking at the atmosphere, it seems like it’ll be an all-nighter, and I don’t think they’ll allow me to stay out overnight. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“………”

Friend… Right, this is also when you use the word friend… Ken’s lips trembled with a sense of betrayal as he watched Lea’s retreating figure waving goodbye.

Having dumped the work on Ken and left the mansion, Lea was about to call for a carriage when she sensed something and spread her qi-sense. Normally, she should only sense Ian and his three subordinates, but besides those four, she felt three more presences.

‘Could they have already followed me?’

Thinking “surely not,” Lea only confirmed where they were hiding and withdrew her qi-sense. Clearly Prince Lloyd had also been surprised that Helen was alive, so they couldn’t have known Helen was alive either. And if they were targeting Helen, it wouldn’t make sense for them to be surrounding her instead of being near Helen.

‘Am I the target? Then I should gladly live up to their expectations.’

She smiled mischievously, unseen, and moved her steps toward the empty garden behind the mansion to make it easy for them to follow.

Ian frowned slightly on his handsome face. Surely the young lady couldn’t have failed to notice the rat bastards hiding. Normally, when someone notices they’re being watched, they should go to a crowded place, but the young lady was moving in the opposite direction. As if luring the hiding rat bastards. Moreover, when their eyes briefly met, the look in the young lady’s eyes behind her glasses was saying “if you step forward, you’re dead.” Ian quietly followed the rat bastards following the young lady with his subordinates, respecting the young lady’s intentions.

“Mm… around here, no one should come. So why don’t you come out?”

When Lea looked around with a leisurely smile and spoke, three men appeared from somewhere. Faces covered with masks, solid builds, and well-trained auras—no matter how you looked at them, they were trained individuals. They surrounded her at some distance to prevent her from escaping. Then the most solidly built man among them spoke in a low voice.

“You noticed us well. If you come along quietly, we won’t subdue you by force. We were told to bring you without injuries if possible.”

“Who by?”

“Let’s just say it’s someone who will cherish you.”

“I don’t really want that though? So now you’ll take me by force?”

At the appearance of the brown-haired young man who was far too relaxed, Yant instinctively felt something was off. Seeing his appearance, he understood why that person had ordered them to bring him. Though he was a man himself, there was something strangely beautiful about him that made him want to touch him even without any interest in homosexuality. More precisely, it was androgynous—neither male nor female.

When they saw him leaving the mansion alone, it seemed there would be no problem taking him. Moreover, when he went into a deserted place, it seemed even easier. But seeing him directly before their eyes, the feeling was different. The strange androgynous beauty became more dizzying as they got closer, but proportionally, the warning signals from his body were also increasing. However, he ignored that feeling. It was that person’s order, and following it was his job.

“Capture him. Be careful not to hurt him. Even if you have to hit him, avoid the face.”

As the men approached at Yant’s words, Lea smiled brightly and spoke.

“This is really scary, you know? So nerve-wracking that my body’s just dying to move.”

As she finished her last words, Lea’s foot flew straight into the abdomen of the man charging at her from the front. At the same time, Lea turned and struck the man rushing from the side hard in the solar plexus.

“Kkeok!”

“Keuk!”

The men collapsed with groans but soon got up and stepped back. Though they clearly looked hurt, they were still standing even after being hit quite hard—they had decent resilience. Yant’s face hardened, having thought he could easily subdue this delicate-looking person. He slowly loosened his wrists and stepped forward. That’s when it happened.

“Over here!!”

As someone’s voice was heard and the sound of people running approached, troubled expressions appeared on the faces of Yant and the men. Yant glared at Lea, who was still standing leisurely, then signaled to the men with his eyes. The men immediately hid their presence in the darkness.

“Leaving just like that?”

At Lea’s teasing words, Yant’s eyes gleamed viciously. He had to carry out his lord’s order, but causing a disturbance wasn’t something his lord would want either.

“We’ll meet again. You’d better be prepared then.”

Having finished speaking, Yant also hid his presence in the darkness. Lea confirmed with her qi-sense that their presences were moving away and looked toward where Ian was hiding, giving him a signal with her eyes. Confirming that two shadows were moving to follow them as if they had understood her intention precisely, she withdrew her qi-sense.

“Are you all right?!”

Those who came running were one imperial knight that Kaid had left behind and servants. Lea inwardly clicked her tongue at them for ruining her plan to capture them alive, but outwardly showed no sign of it as she answered.

“I’m fine.”

“The servant who came with you said something seemed strange and asked me to check. It definitely sounded like fighting…”

Ken also seemed to have sent the imperial knight, having sensed other presences besides the shadows of the House of Kaien, wondering if they might be people sent by that unknown organization. If they were people sent by that organization, the shadows couldn’t step forward rashly.

“Yes. I was attacked by suspicious individuals, but fortunately they ran away. Thank you.”

“That’s fortunate. We’ll have to strengthen security.”

Turning her eyes from the knight looking around, Lea looked at the place where the unidentified men had disappeared. Joseph, not Lea… Strong doubt arose in Lea’s eyes.