Chapter 20
“Why do you confess something like that with such a kind expression?”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment, only managing to open and close my mouth uselessly.
Forgetting that I was still holding Shinsu, I raised my right hand and pointed at him.
Startled, the little bird nearly fell to the floor, flapping its wings in alarm.
I blinked in disbelief and asked again.
“Wait a minute. So you’re saying the Marquis was the one who hired someone to follow me?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I commissioned it myself.”
A wave of betrayal rose in me. I had firmly believed that Leighton wasn’t a bad person—but this wasn’t what I expected.
I was already on edge, surrounded by hyena-like individuals targeting the Bennett Grand Duchy.
I had thought I could rest easy thanks to Leighton. But instead, he had been sending someone to tail me—not to help me, but to manipulate me as he saw fit?
All the effort I had made to interpret his actions as goodwill now felt like it had gone up in smoke.
I pressed my lips tightly to suppress the anger swelling inside me.
Clasping my hands together to hide the trembling that accompanied my disappointment, I noticed it didn’t subside.
Leighton simply watched me in silence, as if observing my reaction.
There was even the faintest trace of a smile on his face, though it felt strangely out of place.
Was it just my imagination, or did his expression seem almost apologetic as he studied my reaction?
“Say something. Why did you do it?” I demanded.
He finally parted his lips slowly.
“I wanted to protect you.”
I almost let out a hollow laugh at the contradictory statement, but he was quicker to speak again.
This time, unlike before, he seemed slightly flustered, almost as if offering an urgent explanation.
“There are too many people targeting the Grand Duchy right now. They all think the same way: they will use you to make a profit.”
“I know that. But is that the reason you had someone follow me?”
“Of course, I could have assigned other knights to personally escort you, but…”
He let out a sigh as if confessing a burden. Guilt shone in his light brown eyes.
“I was worried that having knights officially assigned might burden you, Selena. So I hired someone to… make it easier for me. More precisely, not to tail you, but to perform a covert protective role.”
Leighton bowed his head deeply. His light brown hair swayed in the wind, carrying a faint woody scent.
“I said I would act like an older brother, but I wasn’t sure what responsibilities an older brother should intervene in. Is it okay for an older brother to always assign a knight to follow a sister so she isn’t in danger? Is that allowed?”
“So… you’re saying this happened because you’ve never really taken the role of an older brother before?”
He lifted his head slightly and nodded quietly.
‘Oh my… is this man intimidated right now?’
His broad shoulders slumped inward, looking small and defeated.
Even with a stature that would intimidate most adult men, he looked pitiful.
Of course, he hadn’t done the right thing. Even if he was concerned about me, being honest from the start would have been best.
Yet, seeing him acting like a scolded, forlorn puppy softened my anger.
I spoke to him in a gentler tone.
“Marquis. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t like this method. Please, be honest with me from now on.”
“…Honest?”
“Yes. Honestly. A normal older brother would have told his younger sister: ‘I’m worried about you, so I’ll assign knights to escort you.’”
“I see.”
“And a normal younger sister would have happily accepted it, because she would feel warmth in such kind concern!”
To lighten the mood, I deliberately brightened my voice. The method might not have been ideal, but his intentions were appreciated.
He had worried about me—that alone made it impossible to dislike.
Living under constant threat made it hard to relax. He must have wanted to ease that burden.
The way we expressed concern could be adjusted over time.
Hearing my cheerful words, Leighton exhaled in relief.
He then furrowed his straight brows slightly, as if he wanted to say something.
As expected, he stepped a little closer to me.
“Then… may I be more involved with you, Selena?”
“Involved? What do you mean by involved?”
He must have noticed the question marks hovering above my head, because he added an explanation.
“I want to know who you interact with, and whether they are trustworthy.”
Even saying that, he looked embarrassed, turning his gaze away.
I happily agreed to the simple request.
“Yes! Of course!”
If he wanted to know who I met, I could simply tell him. I would even happily talk about everything like family.
Leighton’s eyes curved slightly at my answer.
“…Of course,” he said softly.
‘Huh? Did he just smile? Or did I imagine it?’
I looked at him for a moment, then cheerfully took his hand.
“Marquis. You don’t have to worry about these things. It’s okay to tell me everything.”
Sharing burdens wasn’t just Leighton’s responsibility.
From the moment he decided to be my guardian, I had resolved to help him.
He simply looked down at the hand I had taken, silent.
I wondered what he was thinking—his gaze was subtle and difficult to read.
Was it a clumsy attempt at comfort?
Now that darkness had fully fallen, I thought I could even see shadows behind him.
Breaking the silence, I made a trivial joke with a slightly awkward smile.
“Haha, our little Shinsu has started massaging the top of my head. How clever.”
Massage? Hardly. Shinsu was oblivious, pecking at my head with its beak as if still angry about nearly falling earlier.
“A loyal little sparrow. Admirable,” I added.
“Yes, I… suppose so?”
Receiving the comment like that, I felt even more awkward and clutched my dress.
“I-I should go to bed now!”
“Yes, thank you for today.”
“Not at all! And you can send that follower, or hired man, away whenever you want.”
Finishing my words, I hurriedly turned and went up the entrance stairs.
Having been outside talking for quite some time, my fingertips were cold and my body shivered slightly.
‘Just my imagination.’
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the white curtains.
“What is this!”
Ailey Bennett was in a foul mood from the very start of the day.
A letter delivered by a maid had completely ruined her morning.
Since her parents had passed, she hadn’t received many letters, so tearing open the envelope with excitement had backfired.
Ailey’s cute little nose wrinkled in frustration.
She jumped out of bed, ignoring breakfast, and stormed out the door.
Even the maid’s reminder about breakfast was ignored for one reason:
“Marquis! Marquis!”
Near the training grounds, Ailey’s voice rang loudly.
She sounded so urgent that the knights following her hastened to find Leighton as well.
“That’s strange… He said he was going to the training grounds.”
Ailey even checked his room but found him absent.
According to his aide, Oliver, he had left early for the training grounds.
Ailey frowned at the letter in her small hand, now slightly crumpled.
“Phew… I need to ask for help.”
She ran straight to the training grounds but saw no sign of Leighton.
The place was filled with knights of the Grand Duchy, likely in the middle of their training session.
Exhausted from running, Ailey trudged back slowly.
Having skipped breakfast, she felt completely drained and collapsed beneath a large tree.
“Miss, please sit here…”
“No, I’m fine! Just resting for a moment!”
Seeing the guard worry, Ailey waved him off.
She didn’t have the energy to return to her room yet.
‘I need to ask the Marquis for help.’
She unfolded the crumpled letter again.
The letter was from Lucia Howard, daughter of the Marquis Howard—a sender who had already soured Ailey’s morning.
“That troublesome girl!”
If Hail had seen this, he would have panicked, saying something like, “Miss, please don’t speak like Miss Selena.”
But Ailey didn’t care.
Then, a voice came that immediately made Ailey smile.
“Who made Miss Ailey angry?”
A low, pleasant mid-tone voice. Her expression brightened.
“Marquis!”
The Leighton Zains she had been searching for.
She ran straight into his arms.
Her yellow dress fluttered as she approached, and Leighton smiled gently.
But he hadn’t anticipated one thing:
Ailey spread her arms wide and hugged him tightly.
Frozen in surprise, Leighton couldn’t even speak, and the girl grinned.
“I’ve been looking for you! I needed you, Marquis!”
Unlike her own slightly teasing words, Ailey’s voice was full of genuine warmth and affection.
The heartfelt smile made him turn his head slightly, feeling a strange emptiness in his chest.
