Dry Drowning

Chapter 33

Logan was in the same light uniform as he was then. When his eyes met, his lips curled slightly and his face was still picturesque today. The eyes with high chromaticity shone like gold in the sunlight. Even Ian, who doesn’t care much about other people’s appearance, stared speechlessly at the handsome man.

He couldn’t tell when he was near. Unlike Ian, who narrowed his brows, the knights who were nearby, bowed their heads as they always did. As if they were afraid of making eye contact.

“……Then I won’t take Ian separately.”

When Claude finished his slow response, Schwartz, who bowed politely to Logan as if he had waited for him to finish his message, opened his mouth.

“Grand Duke! We’re all set, so we can start right away.”

It was a voice that was fresh and stretched whenever heard. Even Ian, who knew nothing, could feel that the atmosphere was rigid as soon as Logan appeared, but Schwartz was smiling with a face that said it didn’t matter at all.

He said he had been serving as a Knight Commander for over 10 years.

Ian thought it was a place to have that kind of skinniness, but then he heard someone approaching along with the sound of hoofs. It was Ed bringing Logan’s horse.

[T/N: Skinniness- The bodily property of lacking flesh.]

“Good morning.”

Ed, who had a nice smile, slowly stopped in front of Ian and Logan and greeted them. By slightly lowering his head, he smiled at Ian instead of greeting and handed the reins he was holding to Logan. Bella next to him purred and made a pleasant sound. He was on exceptional terms with that horse.

Now that they’ve reached the end of the day, it’s really time to start. Everyone stood up waiting for Logan’s words to fall.

“Before that, this.”

Contrary to the tense atmosphere, Logan, who opened his mouth, seemed endlessly relaxed. Those who were concentrating while waiting for his commands exchanged questionable glances at Logan’s abrupt remarks. The only one who understood that was Ed. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Ian right away.

It was a small case made of luxurious fabric.

With a blink of an eye at the sudden gift, he opened the case himself.

“It’s a pen that has been infused with ink. You can carry it around without ink on the nib.”

It was a pen made of glass. It seemed expensive at first glance. It was difficult to put a dip pen in an ink bottle gracefully because it was a schedule to roam around the forest for several days.

When he took it slowly, Logan, who was watching it, whispered softly.

“Because I said I’d give you something else.”

[T/N: Refer to Chapter 30 if you can’t remember.]

Only then did Ian remember what he said a few days ago.

He thought it was just something he said, so he didn’t know that he would really care.

When he felt the cold and smooth surface with his fingertips, Ed handed him a small notebook this time. It was Logan’s order, woven with several papers for easy carrying. Usually, he didn’t carry paper like this.

“Try it once.”

Ian, who did not know the back story, slowly took the pen out of the case at Ed’s suggestion. He thought it would be heavy, but it was lighter than he thought. He opened the lid and opened the notebook, thinking that he should be careful not to break it.

Scribble Scribble.

The feeling of writing on paper was not much different from that of modern times. Thinking that this was enough, he tried to close the lid, but his eyes met Ed, who stared at him with a smile.

….What do you want me to do?

Ian stopped acting for a moment as he noticed that he seemed to wish for something and soon grasped the atmosphere. He seemed to look forward to his gratitude even if it’s brief.

[T/N: Ed probably wanted Ian to say thanks to the Duke for the pen.]

There was nothing difficult, so Ian opened his notebook again and slowly began to write something. He learnt in a hurry and it was difficult to get to a long sentence yet, but this much was possible.

Ian, who even reached the end, handed the notebook to Logan, who was beside him.

“……”

But Logan, who took the notebook, said nothing for a while. He seemed to re-read it a couple of times, and Ed, who felt instinctively strange at the act of Logan tilting his head as if he had seen something interesting, took a step closer. Ed, who was able to glance inside the notebook only after politely asking for excuses for a moment, soon swallowed the sigh.

There was no problem in terms of content.

But this is…

I’ll use it well. Thank you. Logan.

This was, like, a perfect subterfuge.

[T/N: Subterfuge- Deceit used in order to achieve one’s goal.]

“Ian-nim…”

In Shertian, where the class system was clear and honorifics were developed, it was very disrespectful for the subordinate to speak casually to his superiors. Especially if the opponent is a person of high status. Although Ian was from the royal family of Rox, he was eventually taken as a hostage. Furthermore, unlike the title Lord, Logan was speaking up to Ian properly.

[T/N: Logan was a Duke, a Lord, yet he talked to Ian in probably a formal, proper way.]

Ed sighed a little and turned his gaze towards Kyle, who was not far away.

As if he knew what was going on, Kyle kept his head down and held back his laughter desperately. It was obvious why he was doing that. Shetiers generally learn from respect.

Somehow Ian felt the atmosphere was strange, so he took the notebook Logan was holding and looked into it again. He couldn’t tell what was wrong with saying that he would use it well and thank you. It was natural because Kyle didn’t even learn honorifics.

Ian, who wanted to ask what the problem was, but could not use such advanced vocabulary, picked up the pen again, combining the words he knew as much as possible.

However, this time too, Ed’s expression as he received the notebook was perplexed.

What?

It was indeed a challenging question. This kind of conversation, let alone orthography, would surely shorten your life.

In the first place, it was only Roselia, the empress, who could speak informally to Logan. Kyle was an exception because he was a crazy guy. Ed carefully opened his mouth as he watched the Duke’s unknown mood.

“Ian-nim, this…”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

But he couldn’t complete the sentence. Logan, who interrupted Ed’s words, who were about to correct him, gently whispered, holding the notebook in Ian’s hand.

“Shetier is quite difficult. I didn’t know you could write so well.”

I’ve only seen you practicing vocabulary. By saying so, Logan wrapped the atmosphere casually. Ed, who noticed the intention at once, bowed his head and followed.

“…Yeah, it’s amazing that you’ve done this in such a short period of time.”

“…..”

What is it? It looks like they’re selling drugs.

Ian looked at Ed and Logan alternately with suspicious eyes, but there was nothing he could find out. Logan moved on, leaving Ian looking down at the notebook again with an uneasy feeling. As Schwartz stood tall from where he was standing, tension rose again among the knights who glanced at the situation without knowing what was going on.

“Knights.”

It was an unusual soft call.

However, when the knights, who were more fearful, looked to the front, Logan glanced at Ian, who was not looking at him, and erased his expression in an instant. A smile that was warm like the weather, melted all of a sudden.

Yes, the Logan that the Knights knew was always like.

That face with nothing on it as if the tide had ebbed away.

“Please this time,”

A slightly lowered voice pierced into my ear. Where did the man who had been speaking affectionately go?

The Duke of the Hyer family, who narrowed his pupils like a snake, opened his mouth.

“I want you to prove yourself useful.”

Even if he didn’t add it, they knew the meaning permeated by those words. It means it doesn’t matter if they die. Logan’s words were broadly similar in conclusion. Even the unknown sense of alienation that they feel sometimes.

Those who had already died cannot be counted. His fingertips got cold on their own and he grabbed the reins tightly. Ian, who took his eyes off the notebook in the chilly atmosphere, raised his head.

“…….”

But there was only Logan standing there with his expression as softened as before.

The knights who saw Logan with a different expression, as if they knew in advance that they would see this side of him, slowly swallowed their breath. They couldn’t figure out why he was pretending to be someone else in front of that prince. The reason why he decided to take him on this expedition is also unknown to them.

But all of them knew exactly one thing.

“You can come with me.”

That’s a human imitation.

[T/N: AHEM… WHAT?- ◉‿◉]

He is waiting for the right time by putting on a face, adding kindness, hiding his sprouted fangs.

They don’t know what they are waiting for, but they never wanted to get involved. It was the Knights who witnessed things that were incomprehensible in common sense, closer than anyone else. If everyone keeps their mouths shut as if they had promised, a perfect accomplice will be made.

Then the sound of the trumpet cracked through the air.

Slowly the gates were opening.

ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

T/N: This chapter became so… mysterious all of a sudden… (・∀・)

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