I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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58 Chapter

As I sent a serious look, Reiner’s expression turned serious in response. Inside the tavern, where I had already instructed no one to enter, there were only Reiner and me. With the dim lighting, it felt more like an interrogation room than a tavern.

“……What kind of conversation are we having?”

He must have had an idea of what I was getting at, but Reiner pretended to be clueless, causing me to narrow my eyes.

“It’s about how Sir Einhart knows my real name.”

Reiner’s shoulders twitched slightly. After he had even held a knife to his throat over that, there was no way he could have forgotten. Staring closely at Reiner’s shaking pupils, I slowly opened my lips, maintaining the tension.

“Back in the alley, you called me Kashmir.”

“Interestingly enough, the eldest daughter of the Crisis family is also named Kashmir.”

“Surprisingly, the person who introduced me to you was none other than Duke Crisis?”

As I pointed out those peculiarities one by one, Reiner’s eyes wandered aimlessly. He looked away from my gaze, slightly leaning back, an instinctive reaction, it seemed.

In a world surrounded by mana, I keenly sensed his aura, his expression, and his gaze, leading me to conclude.

‘Reiner wants to avoid this situation.’

I couldn’t be entirely sure what he specifically wanted to dodge. However, my intuition spoke clearly.

‘Reiner has already figured out that the mercenary Mir is the same person as Kashmir, but he doesn’t want to face it in front of me.’

I narrowed my eyes.

Reiner Einhart is no fool. He must have picked up on the fact that the mercenary Mir is the same as Kashmir during our debutante meeting.

Yet, despite that, he showed clear signs of wanting to avoid the subject when confronted with it, which certainly indicated a reason.

“I’ll be direct. I am Kashmir Cr…”

“Wait—”

Being roundabout isn’t my style. Regardless of his circumstances, I needed to hear a clear promise from him that he’d keep this part a secret. Just as I was about to speak, Reiner abruptly cut me off.

‘With a heavy sound, I was forced to stop talking. A solid knight’s palm gently covered the softest part of my body.

Now that my mouth was shut, I gazed intently at Reiner. He stared back at my mouth, wide-eyed in shock before meeting my gaze and regaining his composure.

“I’m really sorry. I dared to lay my hands on you, Mir.”

Reiner looked as if he would commit seppuku on the spot if I commanded it. He kept apologizing and hurriedly withdrew his hand from my mouth, but I grasped his large hand that tried to pull away.

Reiner’s hand was warm. His golden eyes swayed aimlessly. His fingers curled rigidly. A taut atmosphere enveloped us.

‘Whew.’

Leaving the tense Reiner behind, I fell into deep thought. It felt bizarre that he would go to such lengths to keep my mouth shut.

‘What reason does Reiner have for not wanting to hear this?’

The fact that the mercenary Mir is the princess of Crisis is information that could fetch a significant price if sold to an info broker, likely worth an A+ rating.

Of course, Reiner is not the type to sell someone else’s secrets. But his attitude of seeming fearful of my identity coming to light was truly odd.

“Did you catch on?”

I held onto Reiner’s wrist while he still looked dazed. Being indirect isn’t quite my style, but I didn’t want to push him too hard, even though I didn’t know why he was so averse.

Reiner’s complexion sank. His golden eyes, which had glinted with curiosity, slowly blinked. It was a clear sign of affirmation.

“You’re going to disclose that to someone else.”

I tightened my grip on Reiner’s wrist, letting the tense air loom over us. His rough knightly skin pressed against my thumb. I could feel the coarse pulse beneath his skin.

His wrist, an artery, contained the mark of my warning.

Reiner’s hand visibly stiffened. Could his hand really become that red?

With his unrestrained hand, Reiner covered his face. His ears were red, like they were about to burn to ashes. It seems my threat had taken effect.

“I won’t disclose it. I swear on the sword of Einhart, my honor as a knight, and the Royal Second Knights Order. So please, let go of my hand.”

‘Hmm… He’s willing to stake everything he has on this…

Seeing Reiner’s once-white skin now blushing red as he earnestly spoke, I wore a puzzled expression. If I held on a little longer, it seemed he would swear on his organs and parents too.

“……I will believe you.”

Reiner is not someone who would lie. Doubting it made me slowly release my grip, and he hastily pulled away his hand, covering the wound on his lip with the other. His face, turning away with tightly closed eyes, resembled a burning sweet potato.

Soon, amidst the awkward atmosphere, our meal was served. It was a hamburg steak accompanied by vegetables and cream sauce. The taste was decent enough to eat.

Observing Reiner, he was also eating well. Aside from almost cutting into the plate instead of the steak or nearly drinking the sauce instead of water, things were fine.

As I finished my meal and watched Reiner slowly continue eating, I noticed beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Carefully, I opened my mouth.

“Are you uncomfortable with me?”

Squeak.

Reiner’s knife sliced the central plate with such force that a crack appeared and cream sauce spilled out.

“Absolutely not.”

He firmly denied it. His golden eyes were resolute, yet somehow, he couldn’t maintain eye contact with me for long.

‘Doesn’t seem like it…

“Alright, understood.”

With him insisting he wasn’t troubled, I had no further arguments. But sensing Reiner’s discomfort, I turned my head to gaze out at the capital, where darkness was beginning to settle. Spring was still young, so the days were short.

The sound of cutlery hitting the table reached my ears before I turned my head. Reiner cleaned his mouth with a napkin after finishing his plate.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“I was satisfied. Thank you for hosting.”

Formal pleasantries exchanged, silence enveloped us for a moment. I carefully chose my words for the curiosity that lingered on my mind.

“Is there a reason for your behavior?”

Why is he trying to avoid confronting my identity? The subject itself didn’t need a subject. Reiner gazed at me with a pensive look. Slowly looking down, his deep golden eyes disappeared under his eyelids. With a deep sigh, Reiner said.

“……I don’t want to know—yet.”

“Yet, huh.”

If he had simply said he didn’t want to know, I might have understood that he didn’t want to get involved with me, but the ‘yet’ brought a sense of unease.

Reiner slowly opened his eyes. The deep anguish that had clouded his gaze disappeared like vapor. Only a seething desire remained in those fiery golden eyes.

‘That boy.’

A boy with black hair and blue eyes, staring straight at me. Even though it was a long time ago, the memory remained vivid.

The scent of rosewood, akin to that boy, continuously tickled my nostrils.

“When I get strong enough to fight beside you, I will come find you.”

Reiner’s words were incomprehensible when viewed solely from him.

But if he were that boy then…

A small assumption danced in my mind.

Reiner slowly reached out his hand toward my face. His eyes seemed to ask for permission to touch, and I slowly blinked, nodding as if to say ‘go ahead’.

The rugged fingertips, tasteless to my skin, carefully brushed against my cheek, covered by the mask. Naturally, I felt nothing. He gently held my face, his long fingertips barely grazing my ear.

In a tension-filled environment where it felt like anything could burst, I was convinced he already knew my identity, so I wasn’t afraid of the mask coming off. Yet despite that, the tension stemmed from Reiner standing before me.

His hand played with the strings connecting the mask, desperately trying to suppress something. His red lips, taut like a predator’s, held a yearning and anxiety.

Filled with a desire that seemed to leave no room for doubt, his golden eyes resembled those of a wild beast.

“By that day, you’ve got to give me an answer.”

With our faces nearer, his low, gravelly voice scratched my ear.

In that moment, fragments of past memories washed over me.

“When we’ve both grown up, words will carry weight, and when you’re as strong as I am, if your heart remains unchanged… I will surely give you an answer. I don’t know if we’ll be able to meet again.”

“No way, really…?”

The past and present tangled confusingly in my mind. I merely stared blankly at his blazing golden eyes, which drew uncomfortably close. The rich aroma of rosewood wafted from his neck.

” -.1

Or

Reiner exhaled a deep sigh. His hand, seemingly hovering just beyond the mask, felt as if it were unearthing my flesh.

Those eyes, swelling with something that seemed about to burst, faded behind my eyelids with a sudden whiff of blood. His red lips, weary from biting his sharp fangs, were stained with crimson threads.

When his eyes reemerged, only a desperate yearning remained.

“……Let’s keep it as it is until that time. I don’t know who you are, and you only know me as ‘Reiner Einhart’. We have still not met again.”

His expression was so resolute that I couldn’t add anything further and merely nodded.

“It’s quite dark outside. I would like to escort you, but I don’t think you would want that, Mir. So I’ll go first.”

Reiner withdrew the hand that had touched my cheek and roughly wiped away the trickle of blood from his lips with the back of his hand, springing up abruptly. His movements were hasty, almost like he was fleeing.

“I hope you stay healthy until we meet again.”

His voice, low and rumbling, left a short farewell. Reiner swiftly turned and exited the dining hall. I stared quietly at his swirling silver hair and whispered softly.

“Kartel…”

The name of the boy I had met in the monster-filled forest.

“Reiner Kartel le Noa Einhart.”

Only then did I remember Reiner’s full name.

The boy I met again had grown into someone beyond my capacity to handle.