EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 207

Chapter 207

 

“Hi, Jack!”

I greeted him cheerfully and walked toward him.

“Did the training go well? You’re back earlier than I expected.”

Allen was clearly wearing casual clothes, but Jack still had on his training uniform, as if he hadn’t even stopped by his quarters to change.

His slightly breathless appearance suggested he had rushed from somewhere.

“…Jack?”

I called out to him several times, but Jack didn’t answer. He was staring intently at something.

It was at that moment I realized—he was staring at the ring on my finger.

“Is it true?”

“Huh?”

“I heard there’s talk of a marriage between the Grand Duke’s family and the Duke’s house.”

“Oh.”

I had meant to tell him eventually, but having Jack bring it up first made my face flush.

Embarrassed, I lightly tapped the ground with the tip of my shoe and nodded.

“…Yes, it’s true.”

Then, all of a sudden, Jack staggered as if he were about to collapse.

Worried he might fall down the stairs, I quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. Jack looked up at me.

His dark eyes trembled fiercely.

“Jack, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I…”

His voice, sounding oddly hoarse, trailed off as he bowed his head deeply.

And then, after a brief silence…

“Lia, can we talk for a moment?”

“Huh? Of course.”

He had seemed quite shaken just moments ago, but now his voice was steady again.

Nodding, I followed Jack down the stairs.

The place he led me to was the training hall of the ducal estate.

 

***

 

Jack walked, barely suppressing the pain that felt like someone had reached into his chest and ripped out his heart.

He had barely slept the night before, and as soon as he returned to the capital, he headed straight for the Marquis’s residence.

But the one who greeted him wasn’t Lia, it was her maternal grandfather, the former Marquis of Diapel.

Jack knew the former marquis held a favorable view of him.

Apparently, Lia had spoken well of him; the old man had once even thanked him rather curtly for looking after her at the orphanage.

More than Jack’s origins, the marquis had valued his sincerity, integrity, and remarkable swordsmanship. He had paid special attention to Jack when he volunteered to fight in the war that broke out in the Diapel territory, which bordered the kingdom.

Though the former marquis had always treated him with a certain familiarity, today he seemed unusually awkward and reserved.

At that moment, Jack knew instinctively—what Allen had said was true.

But until he heard it from Lia herself, he hadn’t wanted to believe it.

As soon as he heard Lia was at the ducal estate, Jack turned on his heel and headed there.

And finally, when he saw her…

The moment he noticed the ring on her finger, perfectly suited to her as if it had been made just for her, his mind went blank.

They hadn’t been reunited long, so he thought he had time. He now felt so foolish for having taken it easy, assuming there was no rush. The urge to curse himself boiled up.

When Lia had just reached out to steady him, his heart had pounded like it might burst. He hadn’t even confessed properly yet and now he was going to lose her…

Lose her?

His heart sank at the thought, and he suddenly snapped out of it.

It wasn’t too late. There was still a chance.

Even though he hadn’t planned to reveal his feelings so suddenly, Jack made up his mind to confess now.

And where better than the training hall, the place he had always thought of while striving to become the best knight, all for Lia.

On the way there, even though no one had told him, he realized that the one who had given Lia that ring was Lucio.

Allen had been with Jack training for the past few days, so the only one who could’ve made a move during that time was the young duke.

That realization left him with a strange feeling.

He had thought the idea of Allen and Lia marrying was absurd, but somehow, Lucio felt like a plausible match.

The young duke was strong and flawless.

He would undoubtedly be able to protect Lia better than Jack could…

‘Don’t be stupid! What are you even thinking?’

Jack shook his head sharply, scolding himself for backing down like a coward before even trying.

He reminded himself of their age difference and the young duke’s cold, indifferent nature.

Lia might not know, but Jack had lived at the ducal estate since he was young—he knew Lucio’s character better than anyone.

Emotionless and icy, Lucio would never treat Lia with warmth. He would only end up hurting her.

“Jack, how far are you planning to go?”

Just then, Lia’s voice called from behind as she tugged at his sleeve.

Startled out of his thoughts, Jack glanced around.

He had nearly walked into the barracks out of sheer habit.

Coming to a stop, Jack let out a deep breath to ease the tension in his stiffened body.

“What is it you wanted to say? Did something happen?”

However, when he saw Lia looking at him with worried eyes, Jack felt like his heart was about to leap out of his throat.

Overwhelmed by urgency and intense nervousness, Jack blurted out the words that had been circling in his mind.

“Lia, I want to make a knight’s vow to you.”

Lia’s eyes widened in surprise.

After a moment of stunned silence, she cautiously asked,

“A knight’s vow? To me…?”

Fortunately, it seemed Lia understood that a knight’s vow implied a confession of affection. Her eyes trembled violently.

Jack nodded, as if pressing forward.

“Yes. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

“W-Wait!”

Lia cut him off in a flustered voice and asked,

“You like me? Not Diana?”

“What?”

Jack scowled deeply at her words.

“I’ve never thought of the princess as anything more than someone I serve!”

Lia looked confused by Jack’s firm, and even offended, response to her misunderstanding.

She didn’t really want to dwell on the past either.

‘But I’m sure he used to care for Diana…’

“I don’t know why you thought that, but the one I like is you.”

“I-I… had no idea.”

“But it’s true. I’ve worked so hard until now because I wanted to protect you. I know I’m lacking, but I want to be your strength. And…”

Hoping desperately that his feelings would reach her, Jack parted his lips with effort.

“I want to say… that I love you.”

Lia froze in place at the unexpected confession.

After he said everything he had wanted to, his Adam’s apple bobbed again from the tension.

Seeing that, Lia could tell without a doubt that he was sincere.

“If you’re doing this because of the promise between Her Grace and the Duke…”

“It’s not like that.”

Lia quickly cut him off.

She and Lucio had already decided to get engaged even before they learned of their parents’ agreement.

But saying that aloud felt too cruel, so Lia bit her tongue.

Jack, however, persisted.

“Do you… like the young duke?”

“…”

To be asked so directly…

Lia hesitated, but then bit her lip and answered, thinking that not answering would only give him false hope.

“Yes, I like him.”

At that moment, Jack froze.

He didn’t even blink as he slowly swallowed.

If Lia said she liked someone else, then there was nothing more for him to say.

Even so, his lips moved against his will, unable to let go.

“Am I… not enough?”

Even to himself, the words sounded pathetic.

He regretted them instantly, and Jack lowered his gaze.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Jack, it’s not because you’re not enough. I just…”

“You don’t have to say more. I’m okay. You don’t need to apologize to me.”

Jack hurriedly turned away. He didn’t want Lia to see his stiff expression.

He was afraid she might notice how petty he felt for not even being able to say ‘congratulations.’

But before he could take a single step, Jack saw a slender, handsome man standing at the entrance of the training hall.

The young duke had been watching them, who knows for how long, and was now staring intently in their direction.

When Lia caught sight of those cold, blue eyes, she flinched slightly and quickly said,

“Jack, I’ll be going now,” then briskly walked past him.

As she approached, the young duke naturally wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned away with her.

Their eyes met only for a fleeting moment, but strangely, Jack felt a sense of relief.

He had worried Lucio might be mocking him, but he wasn’t.

‘Even someone that lofty can feel insecure.’

Seeing those piercing blue eyes watching him with wariness, Jack’s pride was oddly less bruised.

Even after Lia and Lucio disappeared from sight, Jack stood there for a long while before slowly leaving the training hall.

It felt like he had lost his life’s purpose overnight. Unable to shake the emptiness inside, he wandered without direction.

That’s when Jack spotted someone slumped against the wall of the ducal estate, looking like the life had been drained out of him.

“…What are you doing here?”

Yesterday, he had been so excited, but today Allen looked completely deflated.

Jack wanted to ignore him, but seeing Allen sitting there with his head hung low, leaning against the wall so pitifully, he couldn’t just walk past.

Quietly sitting beside him, Jack noticed Allen’s lashes were damp with tears and let out a sigh.

It seemed Allen had only realized his own feelings after hearing about Lia and the young duke.

Unlike Jack, he hadn’t even managed to confess—and now, he would end up becoming family with Lia.

Strangely, that made Jack feel like he was in a slightly better position.

He had thought he was the only one suffering a pain like being stabbed in the heart, so it was a relief, in a way, to know he wasn’t alone.

But then, Jack felt disgusted with himself for finding comfort in Allen’s pain. They had been rivals, comrades, and friends for a very long time.

Usually, when they were together, Allen would be the one to break the silence in Jack’s stead.

But this time, Jack was the first to speak, his voice filled with genuine sympathy.

“Want to grab a drink?”

At those words, Allen slowly raised his head. Seeing the emptiness in his eyes, Jack felt even guiltier and added,

“My treat. Even if you get completely drunk, I won’t lecture you. Let’s go.”

It was so unlike the Jack Allen knew that he couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh.

Moments later, the two stood up together in unspoken understanding…

Hoping that, whether they had known it all along or had just realized it now, they could at least ease this aching heart, even just a little.