Upon hearing these words, Elijah's eyes widened in astonishment.
'What is this development now?'
Her heart started beating hard.
“W-What do you mean now…?”
"Don't misunderstand.
I mean, I like him as a colleague."
Axion saw Elijah's confusion, and quickly corrected himself.
But Elia was still puzzled.
'This arrogant person likes me as a colleague?'
It was something she didn't expect at all.
Elia asked, confusion still evident on her face.
“Oh, why do you love my brother?”
Then, a faint smile appeared on Axion's lips.
"Because he is someone I am grateful to.
He has saved my life many times."
“…So then.”
"Sometimes he's annoying, but honestly I think he's a great person.
His abilities are excellent, too."
When she heard Elijah Axion praise her, she felt embarrassed.
He quickly added, looking slightly embarrassed.
“What I said just now should be kept secret from Erhan.
I don’t want this person to know my feelings.”
'Secret or not, you've already said it in front of the same person.'
“Is that all?”
Then, Accion added.
“No.
There is something else.
Erhan brought me something very valuable.”
“You mean the black crystal?”
When she asked, Axion's eyes stared at her.
“Right.
How does Mademoiselle know that?”
'Oh, I made a mistake.'
“My brother told me in a letter.
As you know, this area is famous for black crystal and it is in abundance, so he asked me to send him some.”
"Oh, really?
I didn't know that at all."
You cleverly made up words.
Fortunately, it didn't seem to be exposed.
“But why is this black crystal so precious to you?”
This was a question she had asked before when they were locked together in the Demon Realm Cave.
Axion did not answer then.
Although it was not a matter of great importance, his lack of answer made her feel very curious.
So I asked again this time.
'Well, he probably won't answer this time either…'
Then, a slightly sad expression appeared on his face.
He opened his mouth slowly.
“It's part of something someone very dear gave me in the past.”
'He answered!'
'A dear person from the past?'
Elia tilted her head in confusion.
In the original novel, Axion held no one dear to him except the heroine Lavinia, whom he met and became attached to after joining the army.
'Hmm, is this a hidden story that I don't know?'
Elia felt interested.
“If that's not rude, may I ask who it is?”
“I can't answer.”
'As I expected, he's back to his arrogant nature again.'
While she was muttering to herself, Axion added.
"Because I don't know this person myself.
I don't know her name, nor where she lives.
She looked about my age, but I don't know where she is now at all."
"What?"
“It's a bit strange, isn't it?
But the circumstances were like that.”
Axion answered, looking at her.
When he saw Elya who looked exactly like Erhan, the words flowed out of his heart strangely smoothly today.
“That thing that person gave me is the only proof of its existence.
Therefore, I am more grateful to Erhan than anyone else for bringing it to me.”
'So then.'
She didn't know a story like this existed.
"That's good.
I'm glad you were able to get the Black Crystal.
But it's really weird."
"What do you mean?"
When Axion asked, she answered.
“I have a similar experience too.”
She continued her speech, recalling the blind boy who was her first love.
"When I was little, I once met a boy whose name I didn't know or where he lived.
Well, it's no big deal."
She hurriedly muttered her words.
Because remembering those memories made her heart ache gently, and she felt as if tears would fall.
Moreover, she did not want to show this side of her in front of Axion in particular.
“So then.”
Axion did not inquire further.
Meanwhile, the doorbell rang at the entrance.
“It looks like the carriage has arrived.”
Axion rose from his place, and Elia went out to the entrance to bid him farewell.
“Happy return tomorrow.”
Axion raised her hand and kissed it.
His hot lips touched the back of Elijah's hand, and a strange feeling took over her again.
"Thank you."
Axion lowered her hand politely and then walked out of the doorway.
Elia looked at him for a while before closing the door.
•
“I really don't want to go back there~”
Ilya muttered in front of the Grand Duke's palace.
The vacation really went by in the blink of an eye!
After tasting the sweetness of the outside world, her loathing to return increased.
But she had to come back…….
“The hard military life is what makes this vacation beautiful……”
Elia tried to convince herself with these words as she entered the palace.
"I'm back!
Report me back!"
When she went to report her return, Theo greeted her.
“You seem to be feeling better.”
"Thank you!
How are you during this time?"
“No, I almost died without you guys~”
Theo answered in an exaggerated voice, then laughed narrowly as he looked at Erhan.
When Erhan and Lennox disappeared at the same time, Theo was forced to assume all unit command duties and quartermaster responsibilities.
Before, he had done these tasks normally and didn't realize how difficult they were, but now that he had to do them alone again, he literally almost died.
“I really realized how important you are during the holiday.”
“That's an exaggerated compliment!”
Erhan replied with a loud and cheerful laugh.
“Where is the Colonel?”
Erhan asked Theo.
He returned to the unit and did not see Keisha's face.
Then, instead of answering, Theo said:
“You're just in time.
Anyway, the Colonel had asked me to ask you something when you arrived.”
'What?'
“Take this to the backyard of the main building and hand it to the Colonel.”
Theo held out something to her.
It was a very large silver dessert tray decorated with a huge ribbon, and on the tray were many delicious luxurious desserts such as puddings, baked pastries and chocolates.
The sweet scent filled the room they were in.
‘It looks like the sweet shop I went to with Yusar in the capital.’
But Elia couldn't understand it at all.
Because she couldn't find any connection between this tray of sweets that smelled like noble girls, and Keisha, who was full of crazy military spirit.
'Does Keisha have some strange taste that I don't know?'
But no matter how strange it may seem, obeying orders without question when they come from above is the spirit of the army!
Illya picked up the tray and headed to the backyard of the main building.
She saw Keisha sitting at the garden table far away, holding a cup of tea.
Opposite him, a beautiful pink-haired girl was speaking excitedly.
‘Wait, today’s date is…….’
Elia recalled the date in her mind.
Second Wednesday of the month.
'It's the day Keisha and Lavinia meet for tea.'
Originally, Keisha, who was at the front, would come here every second Wednesday of the month to have tea with Lavinia.
Even the day when Elya first came to recruit here was the day of their tea meeting, and she had deliberately arrived on that day.
Because she thought that Keisha, who didn't care about anyone but Axion, wouldn't pay special attention to her, hiding her identity, if he was the officer in charge of approving the draft.
‘Of course, things got a little complicated after that…….’
She tried to live quietly in the unit, as if it didn't exist, but she never imagined that Keisha would favor her so much and make her the unit's leader.
'Anyway, to order me to do such a simple task for servants once I return.'
Elia felt a little uncomfortable, but she walked forward carrying the tray and greeted Keisha.
"Loyalty!
Report me back!"
“You're here.
Put the tray over there.”
Keisha gestured to the table while holding the teacup, and Elia set the tray down.
Then Lavinia looked at her and said hello.
“Thank you very much, Erhan.
Actually, this was a request from me.”
Her beautiful golden eyes bent like crescent moons.
Her smile was charming.
"No thanks needed.
Have a good time."
That was when she was about to back down.
“Erhan, wait.”
Knock!
Lavinia grabbed her wrist.
Her golden eyes glowed strangely.
She crossed her arm and suggested in a cheerful voice:
“Erhan, have tea with us too.
Sit next to me.”