Chapter 032
The quiet silence returned once more.
How long had we been sitting like that?
Just as I gathered my resolve and called his name, it happened.
“Um, Evan…”
“Lady.”
We spoke at the same time.
“Please, go ahead,” Evan said, pausing briefly and letting me speak first.
I nodded a few times and began to say what I had wanted to tell him for the past two days.
“I… I’m sorry if anything I said last time upset you.”
I wasn’t sure what exactly had made him angry, but I knew it had to be something I said, so I figured apologizing was the right thing to do.
“Hah.”
At that moment, Evan let out a sharp breath.
When I looked up, I saw him with a hardened expression, roughly brushing his still-damp hair back from his forehead, his face tense as if he were holding something in.
It felt like an eternity passed before he slowly spoke.
“I told you last time, didn’t I? Don’t apologize needlessly for something you didn’t do wrong.”
His voice was so low it sent a chill down my spine.
I swallowed nervously, tense, and then he said something I could never have expected.
“How many hits would be enough?”
“…What?”
I stared at him, wondering if he was joking. But his face remained deadly serious.
“Hit me anywhere you like until your anger is gone.”
His words, driving the point home, left me even more stunned.
“Why would I hit you?” I shouted, standing up in shock. He stood up as well, replying in that same calm voice.
“Aren’t you angry?”
“No, that’s not—”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was left speechless by the way he looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion as if he genuinely didn’t understand.
‘Is he… feeling guilty? Is that why he’s doing this?’
Roman’s words from earlier came to mind: ‘He’s astonishingly bad at things most people naturally learn as they grow up.’
As I recalled that, I looked at Evan again, and this time, I noticed things I hadn’t seen before—like the way his shoulders subtly tensed every time I sighed, as if bracing himself.
It reminded me of a guilty puppy anxiously watching for its owner’s reaction.
Of course, I knew he wasn’t a puppy but a beast of a man. Yet, somehow, I kept seeing him like one.
He was massive, his face even more intimidating with his furrowed brows, and yet, there was something almost vulnerable about him.
Suppressing my confusion, I carefully started speaking to Evan, who was silently waiting for me to respond.
“Are you… doing this as a way of apologizing?”
He didn’t say a word; he just pressed his lips together in a straight line.
Realizing this was his way of showing remorse, I took a deep breath, my thoughts swirling.
What kind of life had he lived for it to be normal for him to offer himself up to be hit as an apology?
“So, if I ever wronged you in the future, does that mean I would have to let you hit me?”
“That’s ridiculous,” he replied, his voice stern.
Evan frowned deeply, as if he’d heard something completely absurd.
“If you want to apologize to me, just saying ‘sorry’ is enough.”
“Do you really mean to say that will make you feel better?” He looked at me with disbelief again, clearly not convinced.
Seeing him still doubtful, I reached out my hand and spoke.
“Yes. And we might as well shake hands too. When I used to fight with my brother as a kid, my parents would always make us shake hands to reconcile.”
Evan stared at my outstretched hand for a moment, hesitating. After a long pause, he slowly reached out and took it.
Finally, as if learning how to speak for the first time, he offered his apology.
“…I’m sorry.”
Watching him, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Haha!”
He seemed so awkward, frowning and nervously shifting his hand as if he couldn’t bear the situation.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked, glaring at me as if he thought I was mocking him.
“I’ve never seen anyone apologize with such a scary face.”
I laughed so hard, barely managing to respond to him.
When was the last time I laughed like this?
After what felt like an eternity of laughter, Evan, who had been watching me in disbelief, slowly relaxed. Then, with a gruff voice that filled the room, he said, “I wasn’t doing that. And… can you please let go of my hand now?”
Evan lifted the hand I was still gripping tightly as I bent over laughing.
“Oh, sorry.”
At his words, I quickly let go of his hand and stifled the lingering laughter.
Then, I looked closely at the man in front of me.
‘He… looks a bit different.’
Honestly, this man before me had always been hard to approach, both in the past and now. His rough mannerisms and speech were more fitting for the head of a massive crime syndicate than a nobleman.
Still, I wasn’t unaware of the fact that he always tried to speak to me politely.
‘It’s so obvious that I couldn’t miss it.’
Whenever a harsh word accidentally slipped out, he would immediately stop speaking and click his tongue in frustration. While others might just see him as a brute, I knew the difference clearly.
At least this man never insulted or mocked anyone with his words.
As my laughter subsided, the room once again filled with a heavy silence.
“Are we done here?” he asked.
“Oh, yes.”
Now that the gap between us that had existed for days was finally resolved, I began to feel aware of the atmosphere in the room.
At that moment, a droplet of water fell from the ends of Evan’s still-wet hair.
Suddenly, the tense atmosphere in the room made my skin prickle, and I jumped to my feet.
“Well, I’ll get going then. You’re probably more tired than I am, so get some rest! And if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”
In my haste to leave, I blurted out everything I wanted to say to Evan. He listened quietly and then let out a bemused chuckle, as if he couldn’t believe me.
“Take care of yourself. I’m more worried you’ll collapse on your way out.”
“I’m not that fragile, you know?”
It seemed he thought of me as delicate as paper, liable to blow away at any moment, which made me involuntarily pout.
“Really, I’m going now.”
Just as I was about to leave with a lighter heart, his voice called out from behind me.
“Feel free to come to this room if you have another nightmare.”
When I turned around, he was already facing away from me.
“At least I can wake you up again.”
Familiar with his blunt tone now, I nodded slightly in response.
“…Thank you.”
There was no reply.
I left the room and finally found my own.
Night had deepened, and the soft moonlight was filtering through the window.
As I lay down in bed, I touched my racing heart and muttered, “This is strange.”
I decided that the strange feeling was just because of our reconciliation and quickly closed my eyes.
After all, I had to get up early and start moving again tomorrow.
***
The next morning.
As I stepped outside the inn, everyone was bustling around, preparing to leave.
Breathing in the fresh morning air, I scanned the area and spotted Evan talking to Roman in the distance.
‘Good morning.’
Since they looked busy, I just mouthed the words and waved my hand lightly.
He raised his right hand slightly, but then suddenly shuddered and nodded his head slightly.
Watching from the side, Roman looked over with a puzzled expression, then rushed toward me with a friendly greeting.
“Madam! Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes. Good morning.”
At that moment, Evan followed behind Roman and quietly instructed, “Roman, go check the headcount again before we leave.”
Evan, folding the map and tucking it away, gestured toward the corner of the inn where the knights were gathered.
“Yes, understood.”
With that command, Roman dashed off to the location Evan mentioned.
midori
thanks! loool they made up. noooo she apologised first in the end! tsk! roman is really the oil that gets he cogs of this relationship rolling rofl!