Namgung Se-ga, the warrior, was reincarnated in Romance

“You said you reconciled.”

That was the first thing that came out. Yes, not long ago, Walter had shamelessly told me that we had reconciled. I looked at him with a disapproving glare.

The long hair that fell below Walter’s shoulders, shimmering and scattering a fine golden light at the wrong moment, made things even more ridiculous.

He avoided eye contact and looked down at the juice glass, which he hadn’t even taken a sip from. The strength that had torn off the collar of a perfectly fine man’s shirt had disappeared, and his voice now lacked any energy.

“…I thought it would work, but it didn’t…”

“Does that give you the right to kidnap someone?”

“…I had to see his face, or else I wouldn’t survive…”

Is this guy really insane?

The following words weren’t much different from what Shea had told me earlier.

However, from Walter’s perspective, he said it was obvious that Calyps truly loved him. The problem, though, was that Calyps was too rational. Even if he was tempted, he wouldn’t act on it; he wasn’t the type of person to desire or try to grasp anything.

When I saw his voice trembling slightly at the end, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy. I sighed and poured more tea into my cup.

Walter, watching me, scolded me for saying harsh things about a fourteen-year-old. After that, I reprimanded him, reminding him that if you can’t say something in front of someone, you shouldn’t say it at all. He quickly softened and continued.

“…I know you’re trying to push me away because you’re thinking of my future. But why do I have to go into the Imperial Palace? Yeah, the Imperial Knights are cool, and they make a lot of money, and even after retirement, the benefits keep coming, but… I know all that.”

“…”

“…I don’t get to see you often. My work hours aren’t fixed, and during special missions, I can’t go out at all. I just want to stay here, stretch out as much as I can, and volunteer to be a supervisor in the Noble Yearbook Department.”

I didn’t know much about the position of supervisor, so I asked him to explain. Walter, having researched it diligently, listed off various things.

In the Noble Yearbook management department, there were people like Wilton Roberts who directly tracked individuals, but there was also a separate department that inspected bodies in already-occurred incidents to detect signs of foul play.

Due to the low pay and the often gruesome task of dealing with corpses, there was a common perception that it was a dirty job, and there was always a shortage of people. So, if you were a graduate of the Sieron Academy’s swordsmanship department, it was an easy job to get, or so he said.

If he joined under Professor Calyps, he’d be able to stay close by, mostly doing work related to the academy, and he was confident about that.

“I… honestly thought you’d approve. I thought if we could spend more time together, if we could be together for life, anything would be fine. But you said absolutely no, that if I volunteered to be a supervisor, you’d break up with me.”

“…”

“I can’t live even a little bit apart from you.”

Is it even possible to be this clueless?

I tried to hide the sigh I wanted to let out. The sweet, fragrant scent of the quince tea helped me hold it back.

The child’s eyes shimmered, reflecting the moon.

“I… it honestly hurts when you keep saying you want to break up so easily. Even now, I feel like if we only see each other once a year, you’ll just cut me off. I don’t think I could bear it, I’m too anxious.”

“…And so?”

“I submitted the supervisor application form two years ago, but I found out you intercepted and destroyed it in the middle. I thought I would be dragged to the only mountain pass right after graduation, so I applied for a graduation deferral, thinking this would be my last chance.”

“…”

“Since then, you’ve been avoiding looking at me.”

“So, that day before…”

“Within the academy, I know the routes you take. Maybe not during the vacation, but since the semester started, I was able to catch you… That day, you really acted sweetly, so I thought we had reconciled.”

Did he really tear apart someone’s neck while acting sweetly? I still couldn’t understand.

“Then, suddenly you started avoiding me again, only going to places crowded with people… I went crazy. So, I decided it couldn’t go on like this…”

“So, you kidnapped someone today?”

“…Yeah.”

I drew the character for patience in my mind three times.

“Why on earth did you wear a mask? And what was with that strange sack?”

“…Since you’re a professor, I thought it would be troublesome if my identity was revealed…”

“Does someone who knows that do something like this?!”

The slap that struck the table made the meat pie jump. Walter turned red in embarrassment. I couldn’t hold back my anger. I understood the intention behind this child’s actions, but it was beyond my comprehension.

“You should know what you’ve done wrong! How can you hold your head up proudly, without a shred of shame?”

“No, I didn’t mean…”

“I understand now why the professor avoids the senior. You’re a brute, and the professor is not. How can this be called love if you force and insist like this every time?!”

“Junior, that’s not…”

“Why do you put on a mask, curse, and then grab me? Why did you bite my neck like that? The professor could barely walk, ugh.”

Walter, flustered, quickly put his hand over my mouth. I couldn’t avoid it in time. Seems like this brat is a martial arts expert after all.

When I grabbed his wrist and pushed him away, he reluctantly let go. I sighed deeply. Burning with frustration, I snatched his drink and gulped it down. The drink with ice made my insides feel cooler.

Scolding the child wasn’t my role. Now, I thought it was time to hear the adult’s side of things.

Clicking my tongue in dissatisfaction, Walter’s face turned even redder.

“…Anyway, it’s clear that this is not a time for a student to be out and about. Let’s go back.”

“…Yeah.”

“You shouldn’t do something like this again.”

“…Uh…uh…”

When I asked him how the room rent was handled, he said he had paid it in advance, thinking he would take care of things soon.

Hearing that, I was astonished and scolded him again. He begged me, promising never to do it again, and I let him go.

The next day.

Calyps called me, claiming he wanted to meet under the pretext of an interview after finishing his class early.

Skipping class was unfair to the other students, but I thought it would be best to get the awkwardness over with quickly, so I agreed without hesitation.

It was my first time entering Professor Calyps’ office. As expected, it was filled with books, maps, and papers, fitting his personality perfectly.

In that space, which smelled strongly of paper, Calyps and I sat across from each other at the desk. After a long pause, Calyps spoke, as if forcing the words out.

“…How much did you hear?”

“Did you really break up with Walter Orglen?”

“What?”

I had never seen Calyps’ eyes look so harsh before. I asked again.

“I asked if you truly wanted to cut off Walter Orglen completely.”

“…I don’t know what you’ve heard, but, Ernhardt Youngsik…”

“If that’s the case, I can help you.”

The professor’s mouth, which had been about to say something, closed tightly as if sealed with glue. No matter how ridiculous his appearance might have been, he was still a professor and an adult. I knew I shouldn’t treat him the same way I did with Walter. I made an effort not to sigh.

I sat up straight and looked at Professor Calyps with a proper gaze.

The professor opened and closed his mouth several times, then bit his lips tightly. His voice, when he responded, carried a rougher tone than usual.

“…How?”

“Somehow. It might be better than what you’re doing now.”

Professor Calyps’ fingertips aimlessly shuffled through the papers. I hadn’t come to see him flustered. I had never interfered in someone else’s romantic conflict before.

But I had often acted as a mediator in various conflicts. Though most of them were about property or land, I figured this situation wasn’t all that different.

“I can clearly see that Walter is anxious enough to do something as bizarre as what he did yesterday. But also, since you’ve been accepting it every time, I feel like he knows where to stretch his feet after knowing his place.”

“…”

“The Walter Orglen I know is not the kind of man who behaves without manners. There must be a reason behind his misguided actions, stemming from some kind of twisted feelings.”

“…So, you’re saying I’m the cause?”

“Yes.”

This was the conclusion I had reached after a long night of contemplation.

“If you intend to accept him, the first priority should be to reassure him about his anxieties. If you don’t intend to accept him, you must not yield to his force. If you are struggling to employ someone due to embarrassment, I can help.”

“…Why are you going so far, Ernhardt Youngsik?”

“Because it seems that you need help, professor.”

“…What?”

His face turned red. I briefly glanced at the fading bruise on the back of his neck.

“I would like to ask whether you accepted him because you wanted to, or because you succumbed to his force.”

“And if it’s the former?”

“I would suggest you stop tormenting the boy needlessly.”

“Tormenting him?”

I opened my eyes wide.

“Isn’t it? If you have no intention of breaking up with him, but still use that as leverage to threaten him, what else would you call it other than tormenting him? It doesn’t look good to manipulate a boy who is already excited by affection and has a short temper.”

“Ernhardt Youngsik…”

“It’s not my place to interfere, of course. However, I care about Walter Orglen as well. I cannot just stand by and watch him cry.”

Professor Calyps’s face turned pale as he became furious.

Seeing his eyes like that, I wondered if Walter thought it would be okay to act so boldly, thinking his actions would go unnoticed. Calyps, who had crumpled the papers on the desk into his hand, now looked like he could collapse at any moment, glaring at me with sharp, sinister eyes.

Is he trying to threaten me?

It wasn’t something funny. However, I didn’t correct the misunderstanding. I wasn’t the kind of person who would back down from a glare like that.

“Everything, from beginnings to endings, must be clear, professor. Only then will there be no misunderstandings.”