Chapter 34 (1/2)

Leaving the curious boy behind, I ran on the track around the training field. How much time passed? I slowed down to catch my breath, but suddenly I felt like someone was following me.

‘Is it the duke’s son?’

The moment I stepped aside for him to go in first, someone pulled me from behind.

In an instant, I felt warmth around my whole body.

“Who is it holding me like this…?”

“I got you, my lady.”

I almost got angry with him for his overly friendly gesture but didn’t. I stiffened suddenly. A friendly voice was heard in my ears, which made me shudder.

“Oh, Allendis?”

“It’s been a long time, Aristia.”

I turned back quickly. A boy who looked very familiar but a little different caught my eye.

I blinked my eyes slowly when I saw Alllendis, who I had not seen in almost six months.

‘Why does he look so strange to me?’ I momentarily thought to myself.

However, his hair shining in the sunshine was still fresh green just like I first met him, and his emerald eyes looked at me tenderly. Feeling warm towards him, I smiled and hung in his arms.

“I missed you, Allendis.”

“Me, too, my lady. Ah, I feel I can breathe now!”

Allendis whispered, holding me when I was wrapped in his arms. As if he touched something precious, he stroked my hair cautiously. I closed my eyes. He smelled refreshing as he held me in his arms. I felt so relaxed.

At that moment someone snatched me roughly. When I looked back, I saw a boy breathing hard, staring at me.

“Why are you acting so rudely, Lars?”

“That’s what I want to ask you. What the heck are you doing with this person?”

As if he was not happy with something about me, Lars screamed with a red-hot face.

I pulled my arm roughly from his grip and frowned unconsciously.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m alright.” I smiled slightly at Allendis when he asked me anxiously. I felt so relaxed at his comforting voice.

“By the way, Aristia, who is this man?”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is Carsein de Lars, and he is Duke Lars’ second son. Hey, Lars, this is Allendis de Verita, Duke Verita’s younger son.”

“Oh, it looks like you are that son who is the same age as me, right?”

Allendis smiled at Lars and reached out.

“Nice to see you, Lars. I’m Allendis de Verita. I think you have made friends with Aristia while I was away. ”

“… Hey, you.” Lars shouted at me, pretending not to have heard Allendis. How rude! I knew he was insensitive to manners from the beginning, but I didn’t know he acted so rudely to Allendis, who had the same status.

“Are you discriminating against me now?”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

Responding to his annoying remarks nonchalantly, I looked at Allendis. He could have been upset with him about his rudeness, which was close to insulting, but surprisingly, he seemed not to care about it.

‘Is he really fine?’

Anyway, I felt a bit uneasy and sighed with relief, when the rude man turned me around hysterically and shouted, “Why are you calling me ‘Lars’ when you call his name? And the way you speak to him is also different.”

“It’s because I and Allendis agreed to call each other by first name. But you and I have never agreed on that, right?”

“Really? Call me by my name from now on!”

“I don’t want to.”

“Ah, why?”

“Can you introduce yourself to him with good manners first? How can you be so rude to him when you have only just met him?”

When I retorted coldly, the boy, who shook his dishevelled hair nervously, turned to Allendis and said, “Well, it’s nice to see you. My name is Carsein de Lars. ”

“I already know your reputation. It is my first time seeing you in person. Nice to meet you, Lars.”

When Allendis naturally introduced himself to him, Lars nodded at him and looked back at me.

“Are you satisfied now? Now, call me by first name. ”