ALL NOVEL chapter 53
53 – Breaking Engagement Carefully (3)
“Are you still upset?”
“…When did I pout?”
“You don’t even make eye contact with me. What I don’t like is-“
“Evan.”
Only then did Evan smile at the sight of Irene meeting her eyes.
So why are you teasing me in the first place? She was tempted to play more mischievous pranks…But now she needed to be patient.
If you go to a ball, your eyes will naturally become colder.
“It will take two days to arrive, but it will be a bit boring if you don’t say anything during that time.”
“…Ha ha.”
That smirk, Irene looked at Evan’s face and furrowed her eyebrows.
It certainly wasn’t like that a few years ago,
She did not like the appearance of her own escort knight, whose attitude had changed a little lately.
I still remember the scene at the lakeside.
I remember the eyes that contained only oneself, looking at oneself with profound eyes, saying it was a gift.
… Maybe that’s why she’s been irritable lately.
She said that at that time she cared more because she was a young lady, but why did she keep going to the imperial palace with the sword as an excuse?
It would be nice to stay by your side a little, just a little bit longer.
But how did she get those words out of her mouth?
As Irene’s eyes narrowed even more because of that, Evan just smiled at her.
‘What on earth is he thinking about on a regular basis?’
I didn’t think much of it before, but lately, the image of him following the prince bothered my eyes.
Is it your escort knight, or does it belong to the imperial knights?
Of course, it’s not that he has other thoughts, he’s thinking about them, but even so, he doesn’t like everything.
“Your expression is not good.”
“Never mind.”
At the thought of Oops, Irene carefully examined Evan’s expression.
Maybe I replied too coldly. I didn’t do it on purpose, it was just a word that came out of my mind.
Evan’s eyebrows trembled slightly, and Irene’s eyes began to tremble.
Around the time the smile on Evan’s expression gradually faded and the always sparkling green eyes faded.
Irene looked at her Evan and hurriedly opened her mouth.
“…So, I’m not saying I’m in a bad mood.”
“Is that so?”
Unlike before, Evan’s expression seemed to have cooled down a bit, so Irene kept her mouth shut and lowered her head slightly.
Her fingers twitched on her lap, and her hands, which she clenched involuntarily, grasped the hem of her dress.
“…Hmm.”
Evan looked at Irene for a while, then smiled and opened her mouth.
How can I let it go when you react honestly like that?
The corners of her mouth seemed to twitch naturally at the sight of her digging a hole and hiding by herself.
“You feel good.”
“Yes, I am fine.”
“Again, I thought you were doing it because you didn’t like me.”
As Irene’s gaze grew cold again at those words, Evan stared at Irene and tilted her head as if he didn’t know anything about it.
In the past, dealing with Irene was quite difficult.
Because of her aura that surrounds her, there are often times when she has to step back because of her prickly appearance when approached.
She is, but now that a lot of time has passed… She is like herself, but hasn’t she, Irene, changed a lot as well.
I was able to treat her a little more comfortably now. Differently than before.
“By the way, what kind of place is Kasim?”
The county of Kasim, a place that was not even mentioned in the novel. She
Although I heard she was located in the middle of the empire,
Could such a place really make something decent enough to help find a warlock?
When I asked, Irene, who had been gently touching her blushing cheeks, slowly opened her mouth.
“The teacup I showed you earlier is not simply made of pottery. Even that small teacup goes through a magical process, and it goes through the hands of countless artisans.”
“Does this place specialize in crafting things?”
“I have no choice but to do that. Because Count Kasim is a dwarf.”
Dwarf. Evan’s eyes widened when he heard that.
Aren’t they one of the few races that are friendly to humans among the different races that have existed in this world?
Among those races, the most friendly with humans would definitely be dwarves.
It was definitely a dwarf who had excellent dexterity and produced the holy sword that has been passed down in the legends of the founding of the empire.
However, to think that a dwarf is in her title of count, she didn’t know that she might have more skills than she thought.
I knew that the so-called ‘Yajang’, if they helped the empire, they would sometimes be awarded titles.
I was able to infer some of Count Kassim’s skills.
“Didn’t Count Kassim hate warlocks?”
“That’s because Count Kasim’s family was killed by warlocks. I think they will definitely cooperate if I bring up this topic. Even though it’s just heartbreak, if he’s full of hatred for warlocks, he’ll be moved by heartbreak. But…”
Irene, who was speechless, frowned as she thought of a problem.
If Count Kassim doesn’t show up at this ball, how should he approach him?
He was a man who did not easily reveal himself because he was a heterogeneous tribe.
Attract attention, lead attention. When I thought of that, the first thing I saw was Evan.
Irene sighed and stared at Evan.
‘…I don’t feel like it.’
As much as possible, I wanted to avoid feeling like I was using him, as well as drawing too much attention to him.
Because he hates himself to receive that kind of attention, and he also doesn’t like Evan getting a lot of attention.
But this time I needed Evan’s help. If he had asked for an interview in person, Roman’s eyes could have been focused on him for no reason.
Meeting Count Kasim by inducing a natural encounter.
As Irene’s face grew darker at that thought, Evan slowly opened his mouth.
“You can do whatever you want.”
“…What?”
“I am saying that you can use me.”
She had a vague idea of why Irene was taking her to the prom from the beginning.
She probably needs a reason to attract attention at the ball, and first to make sure that the news reaches Roman even a little bit later.
Although she was a little worried, she realized the moment she heard that Count Kassim was a heterogeneous tribe.
She probably needs to draw attention to herself at this prom.
Just going to that prom might have got Irene’s attention, but it wasn’t enough for her.
She attracts everyone’s attention at once, and even if she is a member of a different species who is reluctant to show herself, she has no choice but to approach it.
Haven’t you known how to draw attention since ancient times?
Irene’s eyes as she looked at herself were slightly shaking.
Hesitation, fear. She had mixed feelings, but there was no reason for her to worry so much.
Although she joked about it, she was always looking at Irene.
“Don’t you believe me?”
“…Not like that.”
Irene closed her eyes, then opened them and looked at her Evan.
-The only thing in my eyes is always… A young lady.
I believed it. She was, but she was still insecure.
Could it be that his eyes are looking somewhere else, and that the eyes that always contain me will contain other people.
I laughed out loud at the selfish thoughts I was holding on to even though I wasn’t expressing anything properly.
How long do you want the other person’s heart to be the same when you don’t express anything?
Even though I wanted to express myself… I’m kind of hesitant right now.
But still, the voice that leaked out of her small parted lips trembled a little in worry.
“…Don’t look away.”
“How could that be?”
After saying that, Evan stared at Irene and immediately smiled.
How could it be that he sold one eye?
Even if someone shining like that star appeared in the night sky, even if there were thousands of women who wooed me.
She couldn’t have had a woman more than Irene Uris.
#
Warlock, whenever I thought of that name, my teeth gnashed.
Seriously, even Galil’s tooth had disappeared and he had to put in a new tooth.
Cassim still couldn’t forget her family, who melted inside her in a blazing furnace.
Clang-
“Damn it.”
I thought it was time to forget. Her brows furrowed at the memory of her so vividly.
While removing the pieces of the broken glass with magic, I gazed at the sparkling chandelier in the distance.
Since the prom is about to begin, it might be necessary to adjust your expression.
Wiping the cold sweat on my forehead, I slowly got up from my seat and walked.
“This is a list of nobles attending the ball.”
“At most, there will be only those bastards who ask me to make a sword. I am not a blacksmith, how can I not properly know that I am a nightsmith!”
It wasn’t long before he let out a growl, and Count Kassim’s eyes began to narrow as he accepted the list.
The name written at the top of the list was because he was also a well-known name.
‘Irene Uris and Evan Fried.’
It was very strange that Yuris, the 5th generation family of the Empire, and the owner of her cattle, would come here.
What caught my eye more than that was the name Evan Fried. While acquainted with the Crown Prince,
Isn’t this the most famous knight in the empire and the one who killed the most warlocks?
“…Not bad.”
The evaluation of him was never harsh.
At least Count Kassim thought that the knight named Evan Fried was the greatest knight in the empire.
He deserves praise just for killing warlocks, but he killed 10 warlocks.
It was true that when I heard of him lately, his hands were itching to hold the hammer.
Around the time Count Kassim’s expression softened, he could feel that the ballroom was starting to become a little noisy.
A growing number of nobles, all of them rolling their eyes to find him, disgusted Count Kassim let out a small breath.
I didn’t like holding a ball like this, but it wouldn’t be easy to run the county if it wasn’t like this.
All he had to do was make weapons at the request of the nobles and obtain funds through them.
His pride was cut, but it was like a choice he had no choice but to make.
If there is one hope, it would be to work with the 5 families and continue to receive funding… But that would be easier said than done.
Irene Urisra, will she really show interest in him? She probably had to wait and see.
“Deliver the letters from the nobles who requested an interview with me later.”
“Okay.”
I had no intention of showing myself to the prom.
After all, all they expect is an interview after the prom.
The moment he said that and turned his back, Kasim’s eyes moved to the shouts that erupted from behind.
“Oh!”
What is the reason that the otherwise noisy ballroom suddenly became so noisy?
Cassim narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze away, and could only exclaim in exclamation at the sight unfolding in the ballroom.
Jerbug-
Even in such a noisy ballroom, footsteps could be heard especially well.
Like a single roar in white noise, like a clap in a room full of silence.
There was a sound that drew and captivated the surroundings.
Jerbug-
A ballroom full of splendor, Evan, holding hands with Irene, slowly entered the ballroom.
Unlike when he was in the carriage, his hair was pulled back slightly, and he was dressed neatly in a modest uniform.
The atmosphere that Evan had himself had covered all of that so that it was not a problem.
Elegant and lofty.
It was surprising that Irene Uris, who always had a cool impression, came to the ballroom, but
Her beauty, which became more delicate as time passed, was enough to catch the attention of her men and even her young ladies at the ballroom.
A light step, like walking on clouds.
In a heavy silence that did not fit the light atmosphere of a ballroom.
As for the only ones who could afford it, it was clear that it was Irene Uris and her escort knights.
“…Ah.”
An exclamation burst out.
There was such praise for Irene’s beauty, but most of the eyes were on Evan Fried next to her.
The empire’s hero who dealt with the warlock, a knight rumored to have surpassed the crown prince with his genius.
He is being courted by all the ladies in the empire, but his gaze that doesn’t even give a glance. It seemed to only look toxic warm today.
The ladies of the ballroom started raising their hands cautiously.
To cover the reddened cheeks, to cover the corners of the mouth that go up involuntarily.
It’s a while for someone to laugh at the action that continues like a single wave.
Recalling Evan Fried’s performance that they had heard once, each of them closed their eyes and let their imagination run wild.
How beautiful was the music he played at the ball held by the prince.
It was his performance that even the court musicians praised, so Irene frowned upon seeing the young ladies’ blushing faces.
“Would you like it? Because there are so many people who adore you.”
“…Well. It is just burdensome.”
Evan’s expression when he said that was not very good.
I expected it, and I deliberately drew attention, but it can’t be helped that the gaze is burdensome.
In addition, Irene is adding strength to the hand she is holding.
Evan let out a light sigh, then stared blankly at Irene next to him.
The way she constantly looked around, I thought she was just like a puppy.
Because the vigilance to protect something precious is just cute,
Evan smiled and slipped her finger between Irene’s fingers.
“Evan?”
“You look so anxious, so I tried this.”
“Ah, no… Not really.”
“Do you like it?”
With her fingers suddenly interlaced, Irene realized that heat was spreading across her face.
She wondered how she herself would react if she suddenly held her hand like this.
Evan’s expression didn’t waver at all. It also felt a bit sad.
Is she the only one who is shaken, or is it the only one who tickles her heart at such trivial actions?
She couldn’t let go of her hand though, so Irene kept her mouth shut and lowered her head.
To hide her blushing face, holding her hand tight.
Seeing that, Evan smiled slightly. She was, indeed, a disingenuous young lady.