SOTBW - 57

Daniel deliberately sat by the window, where the residence was clearly visible, and shuffled the cards loudly. Today was a rest day with no training, but the knights couldn’t bring themselves to leave the barracks, wandering aimlessly around the training grounds, training halls, or dining areas.

There were rumors spreading that Maximón had cut off Nathan’s ear. While everyone whispered that he had finally lost his mind, they still kept their mouths shut, wary of angering him. The knights, unsure where trouble might arise, sipped on bland beer like cow’s urine while playing poker or sharpening their weapons.

Daniel, looking at his comrades drinking beer with somber expressions, glanced briefly at Belshua. Belshua had already won seven rounds in a row without changing his expression, leaving Daniel’s pockets considerably lighter.

With a sigh, Daniel dealt the cards again. Jacob sat by the window, watching as Daniel and Belshua played cards.

“Don’t you think the captain likes Najane?”

“That’s not love. The captain just thinks Najane is useful and is trying to keep her in Romsoa by any means.”

“Really? I thought the captain liked her from the start.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, the captain doesn’t care about women, right? Honestly, he’s been letting Najane slide in various ways—introducing her to Dame Elderketh, letting her skip training sometimes, even giving her a personal maid, which he doesn’t do for any other knight…”

“He probably did that because she’s a female knight.”

Jacob said firmly.

Daniel swallowed hard and glanced at Belshua across from him.

“What do you think, Belshua?”

Daniel asked casually, as he shuffled the cards with a look of slight curiosity.

“You know something, don’t you? Don’t just keep it to yourself—tell me. We all agree Najane is special, right? Just using sword energy alone is incredible… but honestly, that’s about it.”

Belshua didn’t respond but kept staring at his cards. Daniel scratched the back of his head after pulling his hand away from the cards. In the cramped break room, the other knights naturally tuned in to Daniel’s voice.

They, too, were curious about why Maximón acted the way he did toward Najane. But they had kept quiet, pretending not to know, afraid of losing their heads if they said the wrong thing.

Daniel grabbed the beer glass Jacob was holding and took a large gulp. Without a word, Belshua tossed some money onto the round table. The coins clattered and scattered across the cards. After finishing his beer, Daniel slammed the wooden beer mug onto the table.

Soon, all the knights’ gazes were directed at Daniel and Belshua.

Jacob looked at Daniel with an expression that seemed to say, “Why is he doing this again?” but he didn’t stop the conversation. Daniel had always been weak around women like Najane, reminding him of his late mother, Marissa, who had lived an unlucky life.

Daniel wiped his mouth carelessly with the back of his hand and took money from his pocket as he continued speaking.

“Of course, I like Najane. She’s a really great person. But I also agree with Jacob. There’s no way the captain loves Najane. But it’s weird, isn’t it? Has the captain ever gone this far to keep a knight from leaving Romsoa?”

If this isn’t love, then what is it?

Daniel swallowed the rest of his words along with a burp. But Belshua didn’t answer, only raised the stakes. Jacob, who had been staring at Belshua as he placed bills on the table, tilted his head slightly.

Was Belshua always left-handed? Jacob furrowed his brow faintly and glanced at Belshua’s right arm. He saw the bandages wrapped tightly around his entire right hand.

“Did you injure your hand? When did that happen?”

A surprised Jacob asked.

At that moment, another knight joined the conversation.

“Well, let’s say the captain really does love Najane, like you said. But has there been any time for sparks to fly between them? Or are you saying the captain fell for Najane at first sight? The captain, Maximón Elgort? Is that even possible?”

The other knights shook their heads.

“No. That’s absolutely impossible.”

“Unless Najane was a stunning beauty like Amelia.”

“Well, she’s fairly plain looking in many ways…”

“She’s beautiful.”

Throughout the card game, Belshua, who had been silent, was the first to speak. At his words, everyone in the break room turned to look at him. Najane, unlike other maids, had an elegant demeanor, but her face wasn’t quite striking enough to be called a beauty.

Of course, she wasn’t ugly by any means. She was just plain. If you happened to make eye contact with her in the street, you would easily forget about her—her appearance was remarkably nondescript. It was almost a plus that she didn’t have the common freckles on her face.

In other words, her looks were unremarkable enough that it would be hard to believe that Maximón had fallen for her at first sight. Because of this, the knights stared at Belshua like he was insane for calling Najane a beauty.

“Ah, enough! Who the hell are these idiots to casually judge someone’s face?!”

Daniel slammed his fist on the table and glared at the knights. The more intimidating-looking knights quickly shut their mouths. Daniel deliberately raised the stakes, shooting Belshua a grumpy look.

“And I totally oppose those two being together.”

At that, Belshua shot Daniel a glance. His expression clearly showed he hadn’t expected such words from Daniel. Other knights snickered in disbelief.

If you were to weigh Maximón and Najane against each other, it was obvious which side things would lean toward.

However, Daniel spoke firmly.

“I think Najane deserves better.”

“...”

Belshua remained silent, not responding. Daniel raised the stakes again, showing off. The knights’ eyes fixed on the table as the pile of money grew considerably.

“Do you guys think the captain would make a good husband? I introduced my sister to him, and if she fell in love with him, I’d lock her up in a countryside convent. Sure, she might be briefly dazzled by his looks, but there’s a reason women approach the captain and then run away.”

Ah, that’s true.

The knights, who had considered themselves part of Romsoa’s order and had once defended Maximón, nodded in agreement with Daniel’s words. It was clear that Maximón Elgort wasn’t a good man. Even though he was engaged to Rachel, he didn’t seem the type to be devoted to a wife or children.

A good man, a good husband, a good father—all things that didn’t seem to apply to Maximón. It would be a miracle if he didn’t get divorced, and even if his family broke apart due to his own mistakes, he wouldn’t care.

Maximón was that kind of person. He wouldn’t care if something happened to anyone around him, whether they were sad or died.

Would he shed a tear if his own child died? The knights who tried to imagine such a scenario furrowed their brows. No matter how hard they tried to concentrate, it was an image that was hard to picture.

“But if the captain thinks of Najane like that... could she be his first love?”

At that moment, someone asked in a puzzled voice.

“...Maybe?”

Daniel answered half-heartedly, and in an instant, the expressions of all the knights twisted in confusion.

Maximón and first love? That was an odd combination, like pairing expensive wine with pig slop. Then, a knight in the corner, who had been drinking beer, hiccupped and shouted.

“You idiots, it’s stranger that someone as handsome as the captain hasn’t had a woman by now. He’s kept old maids by his side until now, and now that a younger one’s come along, maybe he’s finally opened his eyes to lust.”

“Weren’t the women Lucas sent also beauties?”

“They were incredibly beautiful. The captain had them all sent away after a little ‘work’ though.”

The break room fell silent again. Only then did the knights realize that it was Maximón’s first time obsessing over a woman like this. One knight, clearly surprised, rubbed his forehead and sighed.

“…Wait, does the captain really like Najane?”

“Wait, when did they first meet?”

“Maybe after one of the corpses climbed over the city walls?”

“No, no. The captain’s not just trying to use Najane, is he? She looks like she’s sharp and knows what she wants, but there’s something oddly naive about her. Maybe the captain’s trying to, uh, seduce her and keep her under his thumb for life?”

The knights began murmuring among themselves.

Jacob quietly listened to their conversation, then tilted his head with a disturbed expression.

“But considering that, the captain’s reaction when Najane was kidnapped was a bit...”

“Kidnapped?”

“Najane was almost kidnapped?”

“Who dared to touch a knight of Romsoa! They must want to die!”

All the knights turned to stare at Jacob. Flustered, Jacob quickly clamped his mouth shut. He hadn’t shared with them yet that Najane had been almost kidnapped by Nathan’s knights and their subordinates. He hadn’t figured out if their intention was kidnapping, murder, or something else entirely.

However, the knights stared at him with intense eyes, as if urging him to speak up.

The word “kidnapping” left Daniel looking extremely shocked. Several knights crowded around Jacob, causing the table where the card game was being played to wobble slightly. As a result, Daniel’s hand was briefly revealed.

Belshua calmly flipped over his cards and said, “Straight. I win.”

“Huh?”

Everyone looked down at the table. Daniel had a triple, and Belshua had a straight. The tense atmosphere that had been hanging over them suddenly relaxed. The knights glanced between Daniel’s and Belshua’s cards alternately.

“Ah, it’s true. Daniel lost.”

“How many times has this guy lost already?”

The knights clicked their tongues and messed up Daniel’s curly hair. Daniel stared blankly at Belshua, who was sweeping up the winnings. After collecting all the money, Belshua glanced toward the window. Gwyneth was seen coming down from the direction of the mansion.

“I’m going to rest. Don’t look for me.”

Belshua threw a coin at Daniel and left the break room. Startled, Daniel caught the coin and, after a moment, shouted in frustration.

“Hey, hey, wait! Where are you going with my money?”

Daniel yelled in grievance, but Belshua didn’t even look back and descended the stairs.

Gwyneth, despite having a place to stay elsewhere, had been staying at the Romsoa knights’ quarters to keep an eye on Belshua.

In a hurry, Belshua shoved his boot between the closing door. Startled, Gwyneth turned around. A foul smell wafted in from somewhere. Frowning, Gwyneth opened the door again.

Belshua, with his right arm hanging limply, entered the room without permission. Gwyneth, stunned, was about to kick him out but then stopped, pinching his nose as the foul stench and the smell of burning flesh hit him, something that could only be found in a crematorium.

“…What the hell? What did you do to your body?”