𝐈 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
“Aren’t you going to ask my name?”
ㅤ
Caught off guard, I involuntarily glance at the person next to me.
Since the first day, it has become a daily routine to sit next to this calm and handsome guy who always comes late to dinner. lord knight eats, and I think about the menu. We talk occasionally.
Because lord knight neutralizes his good looks with his calm demeanor, I’ve become able to talk to him without feeling too nervous.
However, it’s unsettling at times that he knows what’s going on even when he’s not present. It feels like he enjoys seeing me, not knowing how to react.
ㅤ
“May I ask your name?”
“Hmm.”
ㅤ
Why did he say that if he’s going to hesitate? Is he playing along?
ㅤ
“. . .isu. . .”
ㅤ
Isu? That can’t be his real name, and even if it is, calling him ‘Isu-sama’ would be disrespectful.
ㅤ
“What should I call you, Miss Norchev?”
ㅤ
It would be bad if he found out that I’ve been calling him ‘calm and handsome’ in my mind.
Despite racking my brain, no good ideas come to mind. I decide to answer honestly. I get the feeling that he wouldn’t get angry over something like this.
ㅤ
“May I call you ‘The Prince of Effort?’”
“Effort?”
ㅤ
lord knight leans on his hand with a somewhat self-mocking smile.
ㅤ
“Indeed, effort is all I can do.”
“Yes, it’s a wonderful talent.”
ㅤ
lord knight looks at me in surprise, which in turn surprises me.
ㅤ
“If I could choose one talent I like, I would choose the talent of effort.”
“Why? If you could choose, there are plenty of better ones.”
“No matter what talent one has, it stands on the foundation of effort. After all, humans have been putting forth effort and ingenuity since birth, haven’t they?”
ㅤ
Since lord knight remains silent, I decide to continue on my own.
ㅤ
“Even if you know there are people better than you, even if you’re betrayed by someone you trust, even if you lose everything other than yourself, what you’ve gained through effort will never disappear. . .I want the strength to continue striving, even when I don’t know what’s best or if I’m on the right path.”
ㅤ
In my past life, it took me a long time to bounce back. I wasted a lot of time being indecisive.
In this lifetime, I have tried to do what I can, but I have always had the thought in my head, “I am only this much.” Betrayed by the person I love, I am that kind of person.
ㅤ
“Hasn’t lord knight also been praised for wonderful effort?”
ㅤ
lord knight falls silent, the atmosphere turning a bit awkward. He might have thought it was flattery.
ㅤ
After a long silence, lord knight exhales softly and smiles gently. A face that seemed to have dropped its guard, perhaps one I’m seeing for the first time.
ㅤ
“Miss Norchev, you too have spared no wonderful effort, haven’t you?”
ㅤ
In that moment, I feel a wave of emotion welling up in my chest and feel like crying.
That single phrase seeps into every fiber of my being, an eternal instant I’m certain I’ll remember time and time again. Even though I’ve been told similar things before, lord knight’s words touch me so deeply because he understands the weight of his words.
He knows that his words can move people. Understanding that importance, he shows me his true heart.
ㅤ
“Although I intended to offer you comfort, I find myself being comforted instead. It seems I have much to learn as well.”
“Even so, I have more experience than Miss Norchev.”
“Oh, there are things that I have experienced as well.”
“Such as?”
ㅤ
The man I loved used up all my savings from before our marriage and left me with debts, then ran off with another woman.
ㅤ
lord knight smiled and didn’t ask any further.
ㅤ
“What do you think of the name Roa for me?”
“Understood.”
“Could you try calling me that?”
“Roa-sama.”
ㅤ
Roa-sama laughed.
Roa-sama’s teeth, which I saw for the first time, were incredibly white.
ㅤ
“Roa-sama, I plan to prepare a late-night snack starting tomorrow. Would you like bread, rice, or noodles?”
“Bread.”
“Understood.”
“I’d like it with teriyaki chicken.”
“Your taste is exquisite. A sandwich with teriyaki chicken and mayonnaise is very popular in our household.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
ㅤ
Roa-sama is smiling.
Roa-sama is so handsome and only uses gentle words. How easy it was to work with him.
I’m sure he doesn’t even know. And I thought that was fine. That level of relationship is good.
After all, I’m still afraid to get too involved with the opposite sex.
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