‘...Was it too sudden?’
Hugo slowly let the smile slip from his lips, which had been set in a calm expression. His cautious gaze fell on Leonardo’s profile, his head completely turned away.
Given that he was the type to casually tell Hugo that he was weak to him, Hugo had thought he wouldn’t even blink at a kiss on the hand. He had expected that even if he was surprised, it would be only for a moment before he boldly responded... But as the reaction was more rigid than expected, Hugo became rather cautious.
‘He might not be used to it.’
Leonardo was once rumored to visit the imperial palace unusually often for his rank. Moreover, Hugo had heard that at major events, he stood shoulder to shoulder with high-ranking military officials, so he wouldn’t be unfamiliar with the meaning of the respect Hugo had conveyed. Still, he might have been more often on the giving end than the receiving end, so this situation itself could feel unfamiliar.
Sure enough, the eyelashes visible between strands of fallen hair were trembling faintly. That alone made it clear that he was confused.
Feeling that his action had startled him a lot, Hugo was overcome with the sense that he’d committed a faux pas. That modesty—attributing all his achievements to others—was so beautiful he couldn’t suppress his impulse, and it was his fault.
Because of that, Hugo, who had been silent for a while, slowly reached out his hand, careful not to startle him.
“Leo.”
Just as he called his name in a gentle voice, Leonardo’s gaze turned not to Hugo but outside the tent. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Hugo also turned his eyes in that direction. Navy-blue shadows were rushing in.
“Commander.”
Five or six commanders wearing armbands of the Operations Department approached the large tent where the two were. Hugo withdrew the hand he had extended toward Leonardo, glanced at his watch, and asked,
“What’s the matter?”
His voice clearly showed discomfort, as if the timing was bad. Perhaps because of that, the commanders naturally stopped at the entrance.
Gray Scott, the Deputy Commander of the 12th Battalion who was at the front, bowed his head slightly after seeing Leonardo with the Commander. Leonardo, already worried that what had just happened might show on his face, flinched instinctively, baffled by Gray’s behavior.
However, Gray Scott quickly turned his eyes away and politely answered Hugo’s question.
“I apologize for the late hour. The dam managers with decision-making authority regarding the waterway passage permit have just arrived. I was going to inform you tomorrow morning, but I thought it would be better for you to discuss it before the final general meeting.”
Hugo suddenly stood as he listened. Leonardo turned to look at him at the somewhat rough sound of the chair being pulled back.
“Good timing. Let’s go talk.”
“Ah, yes. This way—”
“Wait, before that.”
Hugo pushed the chair he’d been sitting on in toward the table, then looked down at Leonardo beside him. Placing a hand on the tabletop and leaning his face close, he spoke as if giving instructions.
“I’ll be back soon, so don’t go anywhere and stay here. Understood?”
Leonardo sensed instinctively that it was urgent, seeing Hugo’s uncharacteristically hurried manner.
“...Okay.”
“If you get cold or want to go in first, tell the members in front. They’ll take care of it for me.”
“Alright.”
He nodded obediently, meaning for him to go quickly and come back, but Hugo stared intently at Leonardo for about three seconds even after hearing the answer. Then he adjusted the handkerchief tied around Leonardo’s neck once more. Only after tucking the fallen golden hair behind his ear did he straighten his bent waist.
“I’ll return before it gets too late.”
Then he gestured to the waiting commanders as if to say, let’s go. The commanders exchanged glances and parted to either side to make way.
Hugo’s expression, naturally blending in among them, looked quite serious, unlike before.
“Did Lady Hareth delegate the decision-making authority?”
“No, it’s not a full delegation... but she said expert advice was needed due to safety issues. She’s waiting now with the managers.”
“Then the battalion commanders of the Central Branch should also...”
Leonardo blinked blankly as he watched their retreating figures. His mind was in a whirl, as if he alone couldn’t keep up with how Hugo’s actions now casually touched him even in front of others.
As Hugo and the commanders disappeared into the darkness, Leonardo absently fiddled with his ear where Hugo’s last touch lingered.
“...”
Eventually, he picked up the mug without thinking and brought it to his lips again. However, the lukewarm tea that had already cooled only briefly moistened his lips.
Leonardo cupped the mug with both hands, warming the drink by letting off heat. Perhaps because of the rising temperature, he could feel the blood flow scratching at his skin from within. The unfamiliar sensation still lingering on the back of his hand gave him a tingling feeling.
“Haa...”
Leonardo, elbows on the table and head bowed deep, pressed his eyes with his hands and rubbed his face. He tried to release the tension in his stiffened neck and shoulders. To be honest, he still hadn’t stepped out of what had happened moments ago.
As he blocked his vision and let out deep sighs, the interior of the tent, which hadn’t felt very spacious, now felt empty with the absence of just one person. A sudden sense of reality—being left alone—washed over him, but knowing the Commander’s position was that busy, he didn’t think much of Hugo leaving him behind.
Rather, he felt relieved to have time to cool his overheated head.
‘What was I so excited about, rambling on?’
Agrizendro was a person in whom discomfort and comfort coexisted. If he had to name the relationship with the deepest bond within this subjugation force, it would be him, but there were actually more things to be mindful and careful about than when he was with Flynn or Kenis.
Yet knowing that, he didn’t understand himself—getting caught up in a strange atmosphere and spilling out his past. It had never happened in the past three years... Feeling like he was about to tell all sorts of unnecessary stories just because they’d gotten a bit closer, Leonardo seriously wondered if his brain, which had been unconscious for days, still wasn’t fully awake.
Meanwhile, he was unconsciously rubbing the back of his hand where those lips had touched. He wasn’t a child. It was incomprehensible why he was so conscious of it. It was all because of those damn lips that whispered pleasant words in a gentle voice.
‘Still, I wanted to tell him it wasn’t just me who saved them.’
To Hugo, who said he had changed the tide of battle and saved people, Leonardo wanted to answer that it wasn’t just him. Rather, he wanted to grab his hand and say, “the people ‘we’ saved, not I.” He wanted to flash a grin at him and deliver a cool line.
If only he hadn’t stared at him with that breathtaking gaze and kissed the back of his hand.
From that moment, his mind went blank and he felt completely enveloped, so Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut and blocked out the thoughts. He’d gotten too entangled. If he ruminated any further, he felt like his face would heat up again, too. Yet even in this state, the cool touch that had covered his eyes came to mind, suggesting it was probably impossible to completely shake off thoughts of him.
Suddenly frustrated with his uncontrollable self, Leonardo tilted his head back and kept sighing. At that moment, he sensed someone’s presence peeking into the tent. Before he could open his eyes and turn that way, the two members at the entrance blocked the intruder.
“Hey, wait. You can’t come in. Can’t you see?”
The intruder, forced to stop, was also a Council member wearing a battle uniform. However, the sentries tried to send their comrade away mercilessly, gesturing toward where Leonardo was.
“I heard there’s shared battalion luggage inside. I’ll just grab it and come right out.”
“Due to the Commander’s orders, no one can enter or leave right now. Come back later.”
Leonardo, who had only been watching the silhouette visible at a glance, found the sentries’ unexpectedly firm voices surprising.
He’d thought they would get lax without their superior around. Although they said it was because of orders, he didn’t dislike the sense that his space was being protected by their definite actions.
“But I heard our battalion commander gave direct instructions...”
“Hey, is your battalion commander above the Commander?”
“Come on, stop it. It’s the battalion commander’s order... Which unit are you from? We’ll look for it for you.”
“Ah, thank you. I’m from the 3rd Battalion of the Central Branch. I was told it’s a backpack with a dark green cover, right inside to the right.”
“...”
“Um, sorry but it’s not possible.”
“...Pardon?”
“You know about those two, right?”
The member who had been speaking kindly lowered his voice and whispered, saying they’d be in big trouble if this got back to them. Realizing they were conscious of him, Leonardo wiggled his toes and listened closely.
‘Seems like the bad relationship between those two is well-known.’
Well, given how they clashed even during meetings, it would be stranger not to know. As he looked around while listening to the disappointed complaints, Leonardo spotted the letters “3rd” written on a dark green cover among the large luggage placed in the corner.
Leonardo stood up without much thought. Then, picking up the backpack, he approached the entrance.
“Still... isn’t there any way? Our platoon leader said to bring it no matter what because it’s the battalion commander’s order.”
“We’re telling you it’s not possible because of the Commander’s orders, aren’t we?”
“Are you looking for this?”
The three gathered members turned around at the sudden interjecting voice. Leonardo, with the tent’s light at his back, was already walking out.
“Since I’ve come out, it’s fine, right? Take it.”
The two members on sentry duty blinked and looked at each other. Their eyes said, What should we do? but meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion member who had been arguing approached Leonardo—hesitant, yet hurried.
“Ah, thank you. Thank you so much.”
Perhaps because he was much lower in rank than the two in front, he bowed his head more respectfully than necessary. Because of that, Leonardo, standing in a relatively bright area, couldn’t properly see his face until the moment he received the backpack.
He only felt he’d done well in handing it over upon hearing the words of gratitude. It was right that others shouldn’t suffer because he had °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° suddenly taken over the tent by begging to stay outside.
Feeling inwardly proud, Leonardo lifted the corners of his mouth. However, the moment the member raised his head with an awkward smile, Leonardo’s relaxed face suddenly turned cold.
“Thanks to you, I survived. Well then... I’ll be going—”
“Hey, you.”
A voice lowered to a chilling degree stopped the member who was about to leave after just greeting. At the same time, Leonardo—who had firmly grasped the member’s shoulder and forearm—forcefully straightened the bent upper body, making him look at him directly.
“Y-yes?”
The member looked at Leonardo with a very tense face, eyes wide open at the sudden situation. Leonardo, also with wide eyes and a grave expression, stared intently into “Felix Montero’s” eyes, a mysterious mix of green and blue.
“You...”
The moving red lips hesitated. This was certainly the face Nero had disguised himself as.
However, the face that looked increasingly flustered, not knowing why the other was acting this way, was an expression that couldn’t come from the acting of the guy he knew.
‘No. It’s not Nero.’
Leonardo put all his strength into the hand gripping the forearm, then slowly released it as the member’s expression twisted in pain. At the same time, the words “military surveillance network” from the newspaper article he had seen before coming out flickered before his eyes.
“...”
Perhaps he, who had thought he would just see the face and identify him, had been even more naive than Nero. An emptiness far greater than when Hugo had left his seat overwhelmed him.
Even without examining the situation in detail, Leonardo could tell.
‘He’s gone.’
The absence of family—who had always been by his side in moments of crisis—made his empty heart ache.
