Chapter 5

Luna ordered the knights to investigate the incident, reviewed the backlog of work, and finally returned to her room.

“Haah…”

Exhausted from the many events that had taken place in recent days, Luna collapsed onto her bed.

-Thud.

Assassination attempts were an annual occurrence and no longer surprised her, but this time… it crossed the line—severely.

More than 60 new guards had been slaughtered, leaving only one survivor, who had been drugged and lost their purity.

Of course, no one knew about the survivor’s loss of purity, so as long as Luna and Aiden stayed quiet, it wouldn’t be an issue. However, the deaths of dozens were a major problem.

“If I find out who’s behind this, I won’t let them go.”

Lying on her bed, Luna mulled over who the traitor or mastermind might be.

A scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

A vision of herself moving like a beast, with a man beneath her.

“Ah… I should’ve just died then.”

The memory of panting in the arms of a man she had never seen before filled her with shame.

Though she was often indifferent, Luna wasn’t entirely devoid of emotions.

While she pretended nothing had happened in front of Aiden, she was honestly embarrassed.

As someone who had been a virgin, the memory of her moving so lewdly on top of a man mortified her.

She couldn’t understand why she had behaved like an animal.

She could only blame the aphrodisiac.

“If I catch them, I’ll flay them alive and salt the wounds.”

Cursing the mastermind, Luna tried to focus, but every time she closed her eyes, she was haunted by the memory.

The intense pleasure and the visions that accompanied her movements.

Of course, the aphrodisiac contained narcotics, so it was to be expected, but she hadn’t stopped moving, driven by the overwhelming stimulation.

The thought of behaving like a prostitute, moving her hips on a man she didn’t know, and reliving the overwhelming pleasure consumed her mind.

𝓮num𝐚.𝐢𝓭

She couldn’t shake the vivid memories of how it felt.

Now she understood why noblewomen often talked about the pleasures of the bedroom—it wasn’t just empty chatter.

“Ah… What if I’m pregnant?”

Her face paled as she recalled the multiple times he had climaxed inside her.

If she were to bear a child, things would become exceedingly complicated.

Luna had rejected countless suitors by declaring she would never marry.

If she ended up carrying the child of a commoner like Aiden, her suitors might see it as a grave insult to their families.

The relationship with Aiden would also be an issue.

If the child wasn’t to be illegitimate, she’d have to marry him, which meant having a man above her in rank—something she couldn’t accept.

“That’s not an option.”

But if she didn’t marry him, the child would bear the stigma of illegitimacy, facing a harsh future.

“Haah, to think I’d be worrying about this…”

Feeling a surge of fear, Luna got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, scrubbing herself thoroughly.

★★★

The next morning.

-Knock, knock!

“Aiden! Wake up!”

-Knock, knock!

“I said wake up!”

The voice of the landlady stirred him from his sleep.

“Huh?”

The mention of Luna’s reward snapped him awake.

-Creak.

“Did you say knights are here?”

The brown-haired landlady nodded with a stern expression.

“Yes! They’re looking for you right now!”

She hurriedly conveyed the message and closed the door.

“Tell them I’ll come down after washing up.”

Aiden quickly wiped himself down with a cloth and a basin of water.

It wasn’t as refreshing as a modern shower, but for a commoner, this was standard practice.

After freshening up, he pondered whether he should even go to work.

With the possibility of securing his own home, going to work seemed pointless.

Besides, it wasn’t like the guards could criticize him when the Grand Duke had sent knights on his behalf.

Smiling at the thought, he dressed in a worn shirt and long trousers before stepping out.

He was greeted by a knight in gleaming white armor and a younger boy.

“Hello, I’m Aiden.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Charles, a knight of the Grand Duchy of Heiron.”

“I’m Jin, Sir Charles’s squire.”

𝓮num𝐚.𝐢𝓭

After they exchanged brief bows, Charles spoke.

“His Grace the Grand Duke has ordered us to find you a proper residence.”

“I can’t believe it’s this easy to get my own house… People seem to live similarly everywhere.

In modern society, it’s hard to ignore the importance of connections.

“Oh my! Mr. Aiden is Lady Luna’s benefactor?”

Ignoring the astonished landlady, I hurried the knights along.

“We need to move quickly if we’re to find a house, so let’s get going.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

I toured several houses in the capital of the Hayron Duchy, Bain, with the knight and his attendant, but something seemed off.

The houses Charles and Jin showed me were all oddly shaped.

Typically, houses are built along the road, but these houses… how should I put it?

The ones they showed me were narrow along the road and stretched far back, unlike standard layouts.

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

All the elongated houses were so tightly packed along the main road that they felt cramped, almost like chicken coops, which made me uncomfortable.

The shapes and layouts of these houses were awkward as well.

From the outside, there were only two small windows at the front.

The interiors were odd too.

Upon entering the front door, there was a long living room with a kitchen and bathroom within it, and a bedroom at the very back.

Except for one window in the living room and one in the bedroom, there were no other windows.

They only showed me these strange houses… None of them had the usual layout where rooms connect around a central living space; they were all unfamiliar and peculiar.

Were they trying to offer me cheap houses on purpose?

It made sense.

Such houses wouldn’t be aesthetically pleasing or practical in layout, so they must be cheaper.

As I kept rejecting the houses, Charles and Jin’s expressions began to harden.

They seemed to think I was being greedy for someone receiving a house for free, judging by their slightly disgruntled looks.

While I should have been grateful to accept even a cheap house as a free gift, I had no intention of wasting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

𝓮num𝐚.𝐢𝓭

If I were with Luna, known for her cold and sharp personality, I might have accepted whatever house was offered without complaint.

But these knights were a different story.

They wouldn’t harm me just because I chose an expensive house, would they?

It wasn’t like Luna had told them how I saved her in detail.

She probably just vaguely referred to me as her ‘benefactor.’

So they wouldn’t know the specifics of how I saved her.

Should I push them a bit harder?

“This house isn’t great either. Do you have another option?”

“There’s one last house, but it’s not a very good one,” Charles said, but my instincts kicked in.

If he said it wasn’t good, it probably meant… it was actually a very expensive house.

Thinking they might have excluded it on purpose because it was too costly, I spoke up.

“I’d like to see it anyway.”

When I smiled and spoke, Charles and Jin exchanged glances.

It seemed like they were debating whether they should take me to such an expensive house.

“Understood. Please follow me.”

The house they led me to was exactly the kind of normal house I’d been envisioning.

A spacious living room, plenty of windows, and even two bedrooms—it was perfect.

I knew it.

Anyone could see this was a perfectly ordinary house, so I said with a satisfied expression, “I like this house.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

Charles and Jin looked at me in shock.

Heh, I wasn’t some pushover.

Of course, I’d pick a decent house, not one with flaws like the earlier ones.

They underestimated me.

Feeling triumphant, I watched as Charles hesitated to speak and Jin let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.

“I’ll proceed with the ownership transfer paperwork at the city office,” Jin said.

Charles nodded and turned to me.

“You should have the land deed by the afternoon. Is there anything else you need? His Grace instructed us to assist you if you required furniture.”

I did need things like a bed and sofa.

Not to mention kitchenware for cooking in the future. Hearing that was a relief.

𝓮num𝐚.𝐢𝓭

As expected of Luna! Truly worthy of being the protagonist of a novel.

Though she always seemed cold, her thoughtful gestures moved me deeply.

Thank you, Luna. I’ll take our secret to the grave.

Even if I return to Korea, I won’t tell anyone about it.

“I actually need furniture. Her Grace is incredibly considerate, isn’t she?”

Charles scratched his head at my words.

“She may come off as cold in her actions and words, but she truly has a warm heart.”

Whether or not her heart was warm, her generosity was undeniable.

Heh, Luna, I’ll never forget you in my life!

Because I’m sure that’s what you want from me.

Starting today, I won’t even remember your name!

With that thought, I smiled brightly .

“Please send my regards to Her Grace for her kindness.”

“Oh, and Mr. Aiden, I almost forgot to mention. You’ve been promoted as of today. You’re now the leader of the 5th Patrol Squad.”

“What?!”