Chapter 37

Lately, Talbott’s boss had been acting strangely. Talbott was a greenhorn investigator at the Royal Security Force headquarters. His direct superior was Randolph Ulster, otherwise known as His Excellency the Grim Reaper, a man Talbott had looked up to ever since he’d entered the agency. He was exceedingly serious and stern, but his approach to work was the definition of fair. Despite his frightening appearance, he was an excellent man, and it went without saying that he never judged a person by their rank… “Talbott, you look pale. Are you getting enough sleep?” …And occasionally, he was so kind, Talbott’s heart skipped a beat. “The lieutenant commander, being kind…? That’s odd…,” Talbott mumbled as he stared at a piece of honey candy. “What’s up with Lieutenant Commander Ulster?” a coworker asked, peering curiously into Talbott’s hand. “Oh, he gave you some candy?” “Yeah. He said it’s good for sore throats,” Talbot answered, then realized what he had just said and hurriedly added, “N-not that the lieutenant commander is normally mean or anything…!” “What are you so worked up about? I know what you mean. He’s a scary man. It’s like he forgot how to smile or something.” It was true. Randolph Ulster was normally so intimidating, a one-word greeting from him was enough to send sweat running down a man’s back. “But recently he seems to have thawed a little…” Of course, Ulster had taken notice of Talbott before. It was just that when he asked after his health with that stony face of his, Talbott felt like he was being reprimanded for not taking good enough care of himself. And he’d never given him candy before. Talbott wasn’t sure, but his expression seemed a little gentler this time, too. “I don’t quite know how to put this, but he seems more human… I mean, he was a human to start with, but…” “I know what you mean,” Talbott’s coworker said before casually dropping a bomb. “That girl must be amazing. Man, I’d love to have someone like that to help me relax after work…” “What?” “Huh?” The man blinked at Talbott’s confused look. “What, you didn’t know? The reason the lieutenant commander changed is—” Just then, they were interrupted by a loud voice. “A date? You’re going on a date?” They turned in the direction of the voice. Kyle Hughes, deputy of Ulster’s team, was standing there slack-jawed. Even with that dopey expression on his face, he was still stunningly handsome, but his subordinates—or in Talbott’s case, his underlings—knew well that the man behind the mask was a fearsome workaholic. Ulster lifted his eyes from his stack of documents and shook his head mildly. “No, we’re just meeting to go over some information about the incident ten years ago. I wouldn’t call it a date.” Hughes scowled. “Don’t tell me you’ve never once taken her out since you got engaged! Unbelievable.” “I have not… Is there something wrong with that?” “Is there ever! A man who can’t arrange dates is announcing his incompetence. Anyhow, if the two of you are going out alone, how is that not a date?” “It’s not just the two of us, it’s the thr—two of us.” “As I suspected. A date.” “…Fine, call it whatever you want,” Ulster said with a resigned sigh. The boss had recently gotten engaged. If Talbott recalled correctly, the girl was a viscount’s daughter. She was still in her teens, and though she was a noble, her rank was much lower than his. Talbott had been surprised when he heard the news, considering the pair didn’t seem to have anything whatsoever in common. He remembered what his coworker had said just a few minutes earlier. That girl must be amazing. Which reminded him, the commander had been unusually terrifying on the banks of Lake Bernadia. If he wasn’t mistaken, the goal of that mission had been to rescue this same fiancée and her friend. In other words, the reason His Excellency the Grim Reaper had changed was— “So the cold fish is finally going on a proper date…,” Hughes muttered, sounding impressed. Suddenly, however, he seemed to snap back to reality, pressing Ulster. “And where will you meet with dear little Connie? Are you choosing the spot?” “I am.” “You ought to avoid anywhere too fashionable; it’ll be overly crowded. You’ll both wind up exhausted. And don’t go anywhere too noisy. It will be depressing if the conversation dries up. And then plays depend too much on preference… Yes, I do think your best option would be a nice quiet place with a good view. How about the lakeside, or maybe a park?” “I see.” Ulster took in this rapid-fire barrage of advice from well-known playboy Hughes with a blank face. “To summarize, I’d do best to choose somewhere quiet, natural—where we don’t normally go,” he said as if he were reviewing an assignment. Hughes gave him a skeptical look, which appeared to confuse Ulster. “Did I get that wrong?” he asked. “No, not exactly…but do you understand what all this means? You’re not choosing the location for a training drill, you know.” Ulster nodded with an unperturbed expression, as if to say, Yes, and? “That shouldn’t be a problem,” he replied. “That’s a huge problem…!” Several days had passed since the conversation between Hughes and Ulster. Hughes’s exclamation came in response to His Excellency’s account of the date with his fiancée. Hughes was actually trembling, likely with fury. “In fact, the whole thing is nothing but problems! You took her to the history museum on your first date?! What in the world is wrong with you?!” Ulster blinked in confusion, then pressed his forehead like he had a headache, staring at Hughes. After a moment, he replied. “But you said I ought to choose somewhere quiet, natural—where I didn’t normally go…” He tilted his head like he couldn’t fathom Hughes’s fury. “Didn’t you say that?” “That’s not what I meant!!” Hughes howled. “And wasn’t your former wife the one who took you there in the first place…?!” “She was,” Ulster answered simply. Perhaps overwhelmed by this unexpected response, Hughes finally crumbled. “That’s what I’m talking about!” Talbott watched the drama unfold before him with a dubious gaze. Suddenly, Ulster’s sky-blue eyes turned in his direction. Any other day, they would probably have kept right on moving, but for some reason today, they stopped on him. “Talbott.” “Y-y-y-y-yes?!” “…Do you think it was really such a bad choice?” Don’t ask me!!! After all, the look on Ulster’s face was utterly inscrutable. Talbott didn’t want to offend the boss he revered. He glanced away awkwardly, putting on an ingratiating smile as he tried to come up with the most harmless words possible. “Uh, um… Was the date enjoyable?” “It yielded a number of positive outcomes.” “…Positive outcomes…?” Those were not words one normally used to describe a date. The smile froze on Talbott’s face. He was bewildered. “Oh yes,” Ulster continued, as if he’d just remembered something. “Rather a lot of food was consumed.” He didn’t say by whom, but his voice was tinged with amusement. “She must have been quite hungry. She seemed to like the sandwich I ordered, because she demolished it.” Talbot looked up. Ulster’s face was as stony as ever. But when he looked very closely, he noticed that the corners of his mouth seemed to be slightly— Before he knew what he was doing, Talbott was talking. “Lieutenant Commander.” “Yes?” “It’s wonderful that your fiancée had a good time.” Ulster’s eyes widened slightly. “…Yes.” The look on his face—like he was surprised or confused by his own feelings—was undeniably human. Talbott was filled with warmth. He grinned. “It really does feel great to make someone else happy! I completely understand! Finding a place your date will love really is the most important thing when you’re going out! You shouldn’t think too hard about these th—” Suddenly, Talbott felt a hand descend onto his shoulder, interrupting his happy little monologue. Silence. The blood drained from Talbott’s face. He had a bad feeling about this. Steeling his will, he looked stiffly over his shoulder. Yes, as he’d feared—the absurdly handsome deputy was standing behind him. “In other words, my advice wasn’t any good?” he asked in a rumbling voice, smiling demonically. Talbott froze. Constance Grail widened her green eyes and glanced around in surprise. “What’s this…?” A vibrant, colorful scene surrounded her. There were baskets of vegetables and fruits, hanging cuts of meat, jars of pickles, bundles of dried herbs… Just the day before, her fiancé had contacted her to say there was a place he wanted to take her. For some reason, they had to go early in the morning. He had come to fetch her at dawn, leading her through the still-quiet streets of the castle district to an intersection near the port. The streets were lined with the stalls of an enormous central market. “This is the biggest morning market in the capital. Lots of food here,” Randolph said. “Yes, I see that…” That wasn’t what she’d meant to ask. She nodded, holding back her confusion. They were at the Alslain Central Market. It was famous as the “people’s kitchen,” and of course Connie knew about it, though she’d never been there before. That wasn’t the point. The point was, why had Randolph brought her here? “You can eat whatever you want.” “…What?” She peered around, gaping. Mixed in with the stalls selling groceries were others offering cooked food and local specialties. “Here I thought he was taking you on a date for once, and then he brings you to the least romantic place in the city,” Scarlett said with an exasperated eye roll, her arms crossed. “…Did I get it wrong again?” Connie looked up. Randolph’s blue eyes were looking down at her with a vaguely embarrassed expression. “I got it wrong last time, didn’t I? This time I was determined to choose a place you’d like, but…I’m just no good at this,” he concluded, mumbling the last bit like he was talking to himself. Connie looked back at the market. Speaking of the morning market, she’d heard that the sandwiches made with crusty fresh-baked bread, slow-cooked pork shank, tangy sour cream, and crisp vegetables were out of this world. That must be what people were lining up for a little ways away. She’d never expected to have a chance to try it herself… So, in other words, this was their second date. Connie didn’t know why Randolph had chosen this particular place, but she did understand he was trying to make her happy. “…I like it,” she said, smiling voraciously. Randolph let out a relieved sigh. “You do?” “Yes!” She felt herself getting excited. The air was filled with the appetizing smells of breakfast cooking, and she was starving. There were so many delicious-looking foods, she couldn’t decide which to try first. “Do you see something you want?” “Yes, um, first that pork sandwich, and then the lamb kebabs from the stall next door, and the fried whitefish and potatoes, and the candied fruit, and the molasses-nut cookies—” “That’s a little too much, don’t you think?” “That’s a little too much, isn’t it?” added Scarlett. They had spoken completely in sync. Connie blinked. “Well, for now…I think I’ll try the sandwich,” she announced. Randolph smiled very, very slightly, as if he’d remembered something. “Ah.” “What is it?” Connie asked. The unusual expression vanished from his face. But she was certain she’d seen it. “…Nothing. I’m just excited to eat because I’m hungry.” “Oh.” His words were straightforward, but there was something gentle about the look on his face… Filled with a mysterious happiness, Connie smiled.