My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - Chapter 32

Then, as if startled, he straightened his collar and looked at me.

“Ah!! I forgot to introduce myself. I—My name is Marcus Albertry. This blue-haired, nervous-looking guy is Zachs Valkyrie. And the relaxed-looking guy in the back is Welno Aidan.”

“Nervous-looking guy, huh?”

The blue-haired one—Zachs Valkyrie, the knight who was introduced, glared at Marcus.

Marcus replied in a slow, drawn-out voice, “Ehh?”

“But you are nervous and picky. Ah, but this guy, he’s good with the sword and also does spying. He’s really skilled!!”

Maybe he didn’t mean it as a compliment, but Zachs looked away awkwardly at Marcus’s words. It seemed like he was shy.

Behind the two, a big man with light blue cropped hair gave a small smile. He didn’t seem scary, maybe because of his droopy eyes. He gave off a calm feeling.

“Sorry for the noise. Marcus is very excited about guarding someone from the Tsobellar Dynasty… I mean, the witch of five hundred years ago. If you’re bothered, I can ask His Highness to change his assignment…”

“Why only me!? Zachs is just as guilty!”

“You’re the only one being loud. Don’t drag me into this, you idiot.”

“What did you say!?”

Zachs brushed him off coldly, and Marcus snapped at him.

To me, it just looked like the two of them were playing around.

I wonder, who is the owner here?

No—maybe they’re both dogs, and Marcus is the puppy… yeah. Puppies are curious and like to play around.

Zachs is the adult dog… hmm. Or maybe a puppy with an adult dog’s face.

Either way, the two of them seem to get along well.

Their back-and-forth argument is so childish, it’s hard to believe they’re royal guards.

As I stood there, completely left out, smiling awkwardly and shrugging my shoulders, the light blue-haired man called Welno shouted with a fed-up tone.

“Shut up!! Do you even know where we are right now!?”

“…!”

His strong, sharp voice made even my shoulders jump.

The loudness was enough to finally stop the two from arguing.

They stopped, but—

“You’re the one yelling the loudest…”

Zachs muttered under his breath, and I couldn’t help but agree.

Then, I asked something that had caught my attention.

“…Captain?”

“Yes. Sir Welno used to be the captain of the Fourth Knight Order. His Highness Lian noticed his skills and brought him over to become a royal guard.”

The one who answered was Zachs.

His calm, flat voice made it hard to believe he had just been arguing with Marcus a moment ago.

(He seems calm and quiet, but maybe he’s actually quick-tempered…)

As I thought that, Welno gave a small laugh.

“I was born a commoner. I rose up with only my strength, and finally made it to captain of the Fourth Knight Order. But the Fourth is what they call a knight order in name only, made up of commoners. People called it things like ‘play-knight order’ or ‘the window seat squad.’ When people say ‘Knight Order,’ they usually mean the First to the Third. The Fourth doesn’t count.”

“The First is the most famous. The showy one,”

Zachs added.

Marcus looked confused and asked the Zachs beside him,

“You’re a noble’s son, right? Why were you in the Fourth?”

“…”

No reply—or rather, Zachs completely ignored him. But Marcus wouldn’t give up, and kept staring at him. That must be hard…

While I was smiling awkwardly again, Welno forcefully grabbed both of their shoulders and pulled them apart.

Then he smiled brightly and said,

“I thought that if this is how things were going to be in the Fourth, I’d be better off going back home. But then, His Highness Lian spoke to me. I really think it was a stroke of luck. Since that day, I’ve pledged my loyalty to him.”

With that, Welno ended his story.

“Sorry for making you listen to all our nonsense. Lady Felicia, you were reading, weren’t you? Please, go ahead and continue.”

“Yes…”

I traced my finger along the page I had left open.

Looking at Welno, Zachs, and Marcus, I thought—His Highness Lian’s side must be a very comfortable place.

That’s why they can laugh like this.

It was something I never saw during the Tsobellar days.

(Lord Felix was strict with the servants, maids, and knights…)

Since Tsobellar valued order and discipline, it couldn’t be helped.

It wasn’t rare to see a maid disappear from the castle after being told she was fired for a mistake.

Lord Felix was a cold person.

He kept his distance from everyone and never let anyone get close.

I had already given up trying to connect with him.

I thought—he just doesn’t open his heart to anyone.

I gave up on trying to understand him.

I stopped trying to approach him.

I was afraid.

What if I opened my heart and he threw it away? Just thinking that—

In the end, it was because I was weak.

But even so—my older sister…

She captured Lord Felix’s heart in just a moment.

“…?”

A small question appeared in my mind, but the emotion that followed quickly buried it.

(…If His Highness Lian had been the prince of Tsobellar)

Would things have been different?

I don’t know why—but I thought about that.

Just as that thought came to me,

The library door swung open wide.

The sound of high heels echoed loudly.

“I heard the Witch of Sorrow and Grief is here—where is she!?”