Chapter 27: The Misunderstood One, Artorius
[You still remember that the time you and Artorius agreed upon was at noon, not now.]
[Logically, he shouldn't be here at this time.]
[This early waiting makes you realize that he is putting a lot of importance on this meeting.]
[However, you don't jump to conclusions right away and continue to observe for a while.]
Artorius was standing in front of the hotel, waiting.
From the outside, it seemed like he had intentionally bathed and changed into a much better outfit than the one he wore yesterday.
Around his waist was a small pouch, filled with the gold he earned from selling apples.
Artorius's hair was tied into a small bunch at the nape of his neck, which made him appear very alert and energetic.
Honestly, if you didn't touch him yourself, Ian would have definitely mistaken him for a young girl from some village.
Despite the long wait, Artorius didn't show any signs of frustration.
On the contrary, he seemed quite cheerful.
Occasionally, a few children walked by, calling him "sister" in their ignorance. He would smile, pat their heads, and continue to laugh.
[You secretly observed for half an hour and confirmed that Artorius really had no unusual behavior.]
[You pretended that nothing was happening and stepped out of the shadows.]
[As soon as you met, you praised Artorius for arriving early.]
"Artorius, you really came early."
Ian stepped up to him.
"I remember we agreed on noon, but you've been here early, huh?"
"Because I'm just downstairs." Artorius explained, "I couldn't let you arrive first from afar while I, who am so close, would arrive last. That would be rude."
"And also—"
Artorius smiled lightly at Ian, like a white flower blooming in a field.
"Mr. Ian, didn't you come early too?"
When you look into the abyss, the abyss looks back at you.
Ian really couldn't say anything more about Artorius's reasoning.
"Well, at least right now, we seem to be alike."
"But, is it really okay to eat at this time? I know you can eat a lot, but if I have to watch you eat all day, it might just torture me."
Ian didn't actually intend to let Artorius pay.
After all, if we were to calculate based on the portions from yesterday, the amount of gold he earned from selling apples wouldn't be enough.
Artorius's face immediately turned red as he was hit on his weak spot.
He began to make excuses.
"It's not like that, I… I didn't mean to make you, Mr. Ian, eat with me all day."
"I want to..."
Seeing Artorius's hesitation, Ian crossed his arms and appeared very relaxed.
"You don't need to hold back, just say whatever is on your mind."
"I've come here as agreed, surely you don't think I'm still concerned about anything, right?"
"Then—"
Artorius looked around.
Everything seemed so new to him.
"Mr. Ian, would you mind showing me around the city?"
"…"
Ian's silence immediately made Artorius feel tense.
"Is… is it too much of a request? If so, please allow me to apologize for my rudeness."
"It's nothing difficult."
Ian raised his hand and ruffled Artorius's hair.
"Actually, I didn't expect you to make such a simple request."
"You should've mentioned it sooner; wouldn't it have been easier?"
"This—"
Artorius's eyes flashed with a look of gratitude.
"Well, then, I'll leave it to you!"
[As requested by Artorius, you take him on a tour of the city.]
[Because of his striking appearance and today's outfit, which could suit both men and women,]
[It didn't take long for people to notice you and Artorius.]
[In the capital, far from the chaos of war and lacking interesting topics, you and Artorius quickly became the center of attention.]
"Oh my, so the knight who always serves the princess finally has someone he's interested in?"
"Who is he? How many girls wanted to talk to Sir Ian privately, but he didn't care, yet he's paying attention to this one?"
"Who knows? But Sir Ian doesn't really seem old, it doesn't feel strange for them to be together."
The strange gossip grew louder.
Artorius's expression became awkward—he probably never thought such a simple request could spark such a lively discussion.
He started to realize that the knight who was ruffling his hair beside him was truly respected by many, far more than he had imagined.
Ian's reaction was completely the opposite.
First, he gently comforted Artorius: "It's fine, don't worry about this."
Then, under Artorius's gaze, Ian drew the long sword from his waist and raised it to the sky.
The sunlight illuminated the sword, highlighting its shining silver blade.
Everyone knew what Ian's action of drawing his sword meant—"If anyone keeps talking nonsense from now on, don't blame me for acting immediately."
The street immediately fell silent.
Everyone knew Ian was a kind-hearted person, but once this kind-hearted person became angry, he was truly terrifying.
No one dared to test Ian's limits.
In this silence, Ian turned to Artorius and said:
"Let's go. They won't dare say anything more."
"Uh… okay."
[You don't really know why you did it.]
[You just felt like you should act like a knight and draw your sword, and so you really did.]
[But judging by the outcome, you didn't feel too bad about it.]
[You spent a long time walking around with Artorius.]
[Although technically, it was he who invited you, you ended up paying for everything.]
[Artorius kept collecting more and more items.]
[His gaze toward you seemed to change as well.]
"Is it alright?"
Ian walked ahead, turning to look at Artorius following behind.
"Is there anything else you want?"
"Nothing else!" Artorius quickly shook his head.
Both of Artorius's hands were full of things Ian had bought.
"Mr. Ian, this is too much!"
"It's fine, these things don't cost much," Ian responded lightly.
"And you, do you want to do anything else?"
"Do anything else—?"
Artorius looked toward the distant city walls.
Although time had passed, they still stood, protecting the capital in the simplest and most rustic way.
"Mr. Ian."
"If possible, could I go up there and take a look?"
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