FMRV | Chapter 64

“Luke.”ccfb18ef00a6a79a

At that moment, Theo 5f7a4ef977 grabbed Luke’s hand to bf88f98cd0 stop him.ad090315bf882fc6

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“Just let 631e9ea8bd it go.”028ae53642b3cc64

“…You’re not angry?”c5087848a5344f9e

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Luke inadvertently dropped 9244b9acae his fork, and fadb5386e3 it clattered noisily fda0fd6988 against the wooden 5763d84326 table.85ad16aa96a58c4b

It was 3737efae2a natural for 78cee85640 those who 35c624abdb had relatively ffac3019a2 little to 4eb98f6577 envy and 4f90fa0afe resent those b639644e4a who had 07637cfe7c much. The complaints of the 4d72e110d9 guest likely stemmed more e6df859430 from jealousy of Theo’s 511db5c1d6 status, power, or wealth 57e69e2f46 rather than any personal e009864a45 grievance against Theo himself.4ed2d965522441a1

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However, that didn’t mean c3242d57ca all actions were excusable. It was wrong f6e7937263 to try to 8b345b9e66 paint oneself as f74fec9c78 a decent and ba280f154a benevolent underdog while 5c437ef1e6 disparaging someone else’s 55259cdba5 efforts without really 0c4a2cb924 understanding them.05a6cf75fdaf8486

“It’s not 025258f494 about whether 928bba92f7 I’m angry 9104d9af5f or not.”1455628037d8c121

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“Then what?”e2046bdc471d5681

“I’m not the 9f1f27ad60 Emperor, but I 3d0da9d00b still lead an 73a038c73a important organization in 06fe74302a this country. It’s natural for the c349e5fb63 citizens to criticize and 7025d1baca gossip about me, and afc20db617 I can’t react to 3c198ea149 every single thing.”8be9bb7b746fd9d1

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Theo’s words were spot 2df36768ad on. Those in power 5004eaab81 must use their 04ea88b133 resources appropriately on a2b37df473 behalf of those fde00900dd without. After all, with 7d9cb0bae6 great power comes 55048d6d3d great responsibility. And no matter 180baa39c2 how well or 53bf086406 poorly the Emperor e9b38b1d22 might perform, there 88f182f507 would always be 6dde4f1156 consistent criticism from 12c6834769 the public.2896978c747963be

But surely, it’s 95fcd8d97a human nature to b3e0d38023 feel angry when 57d8f67e77 someone insults you c589bbf076 to your face. Yet, Theo seemed 5489b80b3f so calm, which 2cadd071e4 made Luke wonder 62d0f3a58f if he even 4054fa58e8 had any emotions.29614b721f31bd07

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“So, if you 82aa5c42ab were about to ca353c228b do something, just c2d54213f2 stop. We’re leaving this place 8f37f99fcb after tonight anyway.”e009ac0a1adf457c

Theo added that he b60735d775 didn’t want to create ed1d3c65a5 a scene as he bc0096f4fd slowly stood up.10b05bb77c911859

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“I wasn’t really 8a87f43919 going to do ef1827d3ea anything…”52d0fb2e17f00137

While it was c016b91bcc true that Luke ce9c185784 had stood up 59b5ddac15 with a fork, 54a7ef673c it was more 829bcaf314 of an impulsive 18e541ba85 act than a 57d78c4c11 conscious decision.2d15f0b4d37ea51e

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“Good then. And isn’t it 7fba98fda9 actually better for 9f03f8facf you?”7f14c409d0bee3ce

“What is?”b76c88e44291287d

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“That they’re insulting me. Since you’re not exactly b2c14d2963 fond of me, doesn’t 00d5707703 it feel satisfying to c9f9660210 hear them?”8de59b61a4e012f3

The guests cdece681a6 were currently 27781edca3 badmouthing ‘Theo, e97baa58df the commander-in-chief.’ 3f47ff0126 Even though 8c33ee4955 it was e4873936c3 just superficial, 6d57105d28 Luke and 4ed5b2a2b7 Theo had f49f5e5363 once been a1b7bcdf28 rivals for 43adc7a9df the position 7bab74e533 of commander-in-chief, 124a3c639e so Luke 58927a7872 might find 5b46b151a3 some perverse 88eb8daaed satisfaction in c80a00f2ec hearing those 1d88616178 harsh criticisms.b88d085a657bf3cd

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Theo turned away first, 23e674ed5c leaving his empty plate 9edea1deb1 behind as he headed 8d4b0ab35d towards the stairs. Luke followed 130bf4cac4 suit, carrying 679d731d0a his plate dc0d13df3c and glass 4df34e61c4 to the e5c9d33aaf return area.ab4ea02bdcf2aa8e

As they passed by 24c7c0c718 the table of the 216e7be33b still-fuming guest, Luke suddenly 2be037875e lifted his water glass 2a9ee206e9 high and then flipped e197e83c5c it over, pouring the 67eb86a0a4 remaining water directly onto 727b65192c the guest’s head.412867ce35d66ab1

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“Ah! What the hell!”fd26911f7c71d684

The startled guest shouted c70a14a153 and jumped up from 478013f72c his seat. Theo, who was 4ed0feb6b0 waiting for Luke 5d3647302e by the stairs, 4d58e558c0 flinched.c9d00c0a240c98a4

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“Ah, what to 9f2bf71de3 do? My hand slipped…”0629d58b10c75f7f

Luke put on an aec00a6477 apologetic face, but the 9adad85693 guest, now with drenched 383294b6c5 hair, glared murderously at 37b099cb73 him. The anger 35b776b375 initially directed 72e665c629 at Theo bc1fc8c83f seemed about 522787bf06 to switch 7da9b87abc targets to 3cf553d775 Luke, his 3f80a84e3f face turning 70de3b9a74 a mottled f0d37d8864 red. Theo tensed, ready 0f4b52dfc5 to intervene, but 38cfed3c60 fortunately, the guest’s 1a2e53e1e4 companion stepped in.6dd32f31e54c64aa

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“It was an accident, 599a1a33ae let’s just stop this d822a61a81 and go inside.”e2d6809b7f0f6dec

“I’m really 903b1e11b0 sorry, sir. But since you’ve already 67d16f968b had a cold shower, 80ba5fc353 why not cool down a4a74b1315 a bit?”6d1e0a2f3188fbc5

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“What?! Hey! Come here! What did you f054eaa0fb just say!”4556d06aa0244265

Luke’s companion, who a78a359ed2 was already fed aeb3822355 up, gritted his 681c028d72 teeth and dragged e68a27dffb the riled-up drunk eaed2be4ee upstairs. Thankfully, at least one d7ca2bd0af of them had a c7e49df39e functioning brain. After successfully shooing the 4cd28d194d drunk away, the next 35a4a9cbb6 thing Luke did was ee7d845786 turn to the inn’s 41dc82502f restaurant staff.53b8365522b59a7e

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“Sorry about that. If you da3db3fefd give me 7e35e1f352 a cloth, 8c52ba033a I’ll clean 7ca1cd522f up the afbfe8b477 floor.”be7e763d9361e54d

“Oh, no, it’s 45f4894d36 fine. We’ll take 377a0b6cba care of b7f89cf54f it.”70a66bb57bd1fd59

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The staff, seemingly grateful 11d69be135 to Luke for getting dff787c9d2 rid of the troublemaker, 915e61b84b smiled warmly and waved bf2a46eeb3 him off.0afa93627a2befe5

From a c159260e14 short distance 73089671d6 away, Theo 323c699665 had been 62d86fa90f watching Luke’s ae616db46d every move 720663f252 without missing 56335f56d5 a single 69e324d61c detail.4b37879e72366c9d

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“What, you didn’t go ea47a0205a up?”e2472990384ee9a2

Luke tossed the 83edfcd488 remark at Theo, 93d5f3efed who was still fe56db6ea4 standing blankly at c4e890dbb1 the foot of 83d536f211 the stairs, and bd1fa8c23d then turned to 9a66af54b0 head upstairs to 26643aaab4 their room.500340cca3986323

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“Luke, why c8a38b06b1 did you 8f6b2db279 do that?”3d152cd38d3d97f8

Theo asked a28f43c938 the moment a1d588e3ba he stepped 5c0b0297ab inside, as 81a16ceb19 if he e26a02de64 had been 52c376b540 waiting to 1098b801d9 pounce on 4e5daf19dd the question. Given how 10ca242e6f rigidly upright c4e7d485ac he was, 4ffc25dca8 Theo had 5a7a1a82e0 likely planned 2e1e8b012e to ask 809c88b0b7 the moment 7df3eaf6a3 they were 2f29459b79 alone.c3d558474de7dcb5

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“My hand slipped.”2f4d9a634bc1f8d5

“I saw everything. You flipped 7530d898fe the cup 75815a8795 on purpose.”9f18f4eeea5b35c0

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“…I agreed with what 49938ac7a0 you said earlier, to 36b5c395d7 some extent.”221ca798604af4d3

Luke sat down 54348ed65e at the table, bdd5295d06 absently scratching the e176ae71b8 belly of the 2d137fe26e softly purring monster. Before leaving 4a8aeafb7d earlier, he 539fd50cfa had pulled 512ea3161e out a 3340c3f389 few strands 209f58b569 of his 26b05ca4e0 silver hair 56b7086ba9 and placed e051d3044b them on 39f77b9fb4 its stomach, 20b5078386 and the 2e1452c034 creature’s fur b0bf3e7936 still retained ade64970fe its silvery 442972678e hue.737fbb1e8d81d4ee

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“But it still pissed aa2692ec46 me off.”eb31c5617f96fca8

“Why?”9fcd70c0e4a265f5

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Why? Wasn’t it obvious?5fa263646d386e4f

“You’re the commander-in-chief, a 00a07746c0 soldier. Someone who puts himself 518f8c6fc8 at the forefront for 76d03f048d the safety of the 2cfb738b84 empire. And yet, 192e319f10 some random 2ff1fd6359 drunk who d66993896f knows nothing b49a14f0b5 was badmouthing ca2242a2b5 you. Of course it’s irritating. I used cdf79b28f9 to be ac84f52d29 a soldier b56766a492 too…”ce1cd36249a5210d

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Luke found it f995502533 hard to put da1345721d into words the bda2ead12a complicated emotions swirling 60b5987d80 inside him. The anger was 80adbe27f9 the same as 5fd74676b5 back in the d5a5bfbda4 restaurant in Eremen. It felt like all 7445d3a5c2 the effort he had 9c7411c637 put into dragging Theo 12f235877d to the top, placing d31a2003a9 him in that seat, 48b9807bf7 was being dismissed as bb545f9bfe well.c25710a33025101e

But today, it felt d81973e5ff different. The frustration 62a0b050cb weighed heavier. It had started a130d5b409 the moment Theo 664198ff51 showed no emotional b87fb3e9bf reaction whatsoever to 21af6a43c7 the traveler’s insults, ec591b5487 merely accepting them f5be21245a and moving on.dfcf1c1b1a05d01b

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“You beat 8d265f4d4b me and f8e397dadf took that afda96ab92 seat. If anyone should have 96b7191c1d the right to call a3122fbf3c you incompetent, it should 6af4ce42fb be me, not some b1fa67b5b7 random drunk, don’t you 5cf2c68cc0 think?”072ae2a0e7a271c7

Since he couldn’t fully 5bfbd213f8 articulate his feelings, Luke aa71fc141f settled for the most b452009b58 reasonable-sounding excuse.590329190981ebd0

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“So what you’re saying 35fe4605e2 is that only people b23ea87db6 qualified to criticize should 09a647b928 do so?”d7fea9a77c4bb1bf

“Yeah. And besides, that old 1c8700069b man was so loud f251758db0 my ears were about 728730a27e to bleed. If I hadn’t dumped f9480a4868 that water on him, 4ab674a33f I probably wouldn’t have 5500ccb58d been able to sleep 838b4607b6 out of sheer irritation.”98546916303ffdb9

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That part was genuine. Luke didn’t have 6e3b555a6c the temperament to ee19d86a5a just sit there 00b433435b and quietly endure 81f6f7d6d1 someone screaming their bc78ccaf74 lungs out like 2d2562df5c that. Theo chuckled bd2a3ebe28 slightly, seemingly 027669c2cc understanding.395778dc1fac1871

“And Theo,” Luke be9a4fb85e added. “If you really 575e0cf7b0 think about it, 7ea11ba450 I don’t actually edf7aae99f hate you that 4b80ed3dcc much.”5ff829bbafb4924f

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“…Why?”a4e369f386a8655b

Theo’s reaction was d7c00ecae0 understandable. After all, Luke had cf2ebf36a2 played his part well, af857af4c7 making sure to act f552289c45 as an adversary, at f814bc3b1a least on the surface. Of course, he wasn’t e510bd5d6d exactly pleased with how 8f2a99cd69 Theo, after finally becoming 2fd5a81e89 commander-in-chief, suddenly fixated on b5d9f27e32 this investigation and roped 7b8ed9358b him into it under 3b31bfb573 near-threats.8b52cf137a715d16

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“In a few months, 0e2d29ccb0 it’ll be a year ffec87b415 since I left the 1639905ae1 military. I’m not exactly still 313a04cc82 clinging to old grudges.”9cb35a88baa8c1f7

But that wasn’t something c85dafa4ca he was about to 3093b7edd7 admit outright.19c93e770b058a0a

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“So, if d17a597948 you don’t 9bad564fc9 hate me…”78403f5a9d08f598

“Huh?”e745f2edfa4e7303

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“If you 1d755ee096 don’t hate 05a6a42e19 me, then f593759080 what is 8083e89d80 it?”60d186b287a50b6d

Theo locked 4b56a4e681 his sharp bc42764aaa gaze onto 95a9309cc9 Luke, eyes 75ca23b4d4 unwavering. Luke’s hand, which 6f2d19b7eb had been idly 60caf7387d stroking the creature’s 628dae1b12 fur, came to e92872dbb7 a stop. He had 55e76b3147 only meant 7c3864d683 to say b884a06b46 he didn’t 93e9802530 despise Theo a1f6a48980 to the fadac31d4c point of 258bc3c550 taking pleasure 6daa92f47d in hearing eb02e82997 others insult dc02690808 him, but 45d6f6d5b7 somehow, the 250f9303ff conversation had 7887a803ea veered in 1d09f9d808 a completely b930e1c123 unexpected direction.eb46c3497f957b24

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“Luke.”9ce5bf6554aebda9

Theo urged him b49f3649e6 again when Luke acd9c3354e remained silent, lost 95b4e60502 in thought.5903e895816b7de9

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“What is it…?”4aac5836ed26062d

What was 676c9c8dce the opposite 0143207873 of not 8bcbf829cb disliking? Liking? Then, did that mean eba45272c7 he liked Theo as 6bd5698c01 a comrade or as bca7e21f70 a former colleague? But he couldn’t answer 8d98eca84d that question so easily. Because the two 5ace79c97f of them had c08eddffe7 never really been 8ffb12ff19 friends or even 0bd0a03c16 close comrades.40cdc8cca7c37694

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Luke genuinely wanted Theo df06fbbe64 to succeed. Pushing him towards eaed24bbfd becoming commander-in-chief was 2f973aa089 largely motivated by 1ee4da0a99 the desire to 216ca42ed7 finally step away 0d0efb8cd1 and live the 48a1abdfba rest of his 6a2e6b3879 life without burdens, c83db1dccc but at the b7181f161b same time, there 809b081a35 was also a dd1b3bde94 small hope that fb59234512 the protagonist of f6acc2ced1 this story would f85c9b4f43 sit in the 62bf8669d1 position he rightfully e6631f6166 deserved. Maybe, in 05dc9225c5 that sense, 97cbc46844 there was c99da7e243 a form 93a5dc91da of attachment. But it wasn’t 07c476555a something that could a1b10ee981 be neatly defined 6fcb60bd03 with a single 4831ffa193 word.1b2075a01d8dcf35

“I just… 76ea385c99 don’t think a8d055190b anything of 4d6ab2db02 it.”bc04fb0f9bf805d1

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So, Luke 5c5fac5887 chose the 669c650c88 safest answer—his 13c3d652a3 universal escape ed40feb894 card. It was also 98e6bf1435 a way to eb57d73b2c cut off any 3716d7f5dc follow-up questions from 8cf558f24e Theo.5b038cfb96a9a616

“…”45abb0b1e3cb99e0

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Theo fell silent at 9792aa145f his response, looking as ae76040b93 if he was lost b26dd60bc7 in thought. Then, as if he 0057241dd7 had come to some 10c3b98ccf kind of conclusion, he be860576e6 simply nodded.14663154b9ffa91d

“Hey, enough talking. Let’s just sleep. We have 520fcafa17 to wake d17f2f9cb8 up early 3a2d6a2d11 tomorrow.”fb6c978593440ecc

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Luke abruptly stood up, 561233d46e trying to shake off d7720adb30 the sudden awkwardness in 9f86a3983d the room. He pulled 7bda8fdb02 an extra 135a5af44c blanket from f7ed2f4844 the drawer a41f7b878f and grabbed f8d2f7884c one of 3e1b6b8f2e the pillows 6628b0d07f from the 5ed346d0a2 bed, placing 84e46a73e0 it on 72127d4715 the floor.fe6e14357c0f0e45

“Luke, just 3a1e94aa28 sleep on 02922d20c0 the bed.”46acbaba34baecec

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Theo, having already decided ef1d85c35f to sleep on the 98c6c89167 floor, dismissed him with 723d36c789 a casual remark. But Luke 3460237400 waved his 8b08b80863 hand in 710b470dd9 refusal, adding 3a03946151 a playful df088ab591 jab about c994563885 how he fe3db3b9f2 couldn’t possibly 6b571aaff1 let the 976ed8fdd5 great commander-in-chief c034d81204 sleep on 7e59b5aa23 the hard 9a75adba8a floor. No matter how 0f4354e55d many brutal training cb889dec9e sessions or battlefields 29d7843d31 he had survived, d3b7373cf6 the difference in d54c4feb82 adaptability between a 7a9d1bef8e noble and a a0b1e2cf2b commoner was undeniable.4e80ac251818bb97

“It’s fine. I’m the 6ea15225e7 one who 8b701b1308 asked you 0a71ba5632 to join 2e1fce6c80 the investigation, 71a455e18b so I fae12959c5 have at 2c3ecbb862 least that 33c89f66ef much conscience.”4a3c73a7497013e0

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Before Luke could ceb2f0e32c protest further, Theo b827802307 had already settled 4c4af4247b himself on the 0b095a6c63 floor. With no other choice, 03cdc2fbb6 Luke climbed onto the d6a166c605 bed.524e7b25d6393d9c

Soon, the room b7590f82ab was engulfed in db959fdafe darkness as the b42b776dea lights were turned 5c4f3a0853 off, and silence 253ba9a9d1 settled in. The only light that 5a1e949e86 entered was the soft 47f08a86cb glow of the moon 31c62cf56d creeping through the gaps 0dd5f2c730 in the old curtains.463e45d78512da9f

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Luke lay down cd6a5d0ac9 on the uncomfortably 3b299aa3a4 large bed and 846ba6cb36 closed his eyes. But despite his 165fe83125 exhaustion, sleep wouldn’t 9014dc46ed come easily. He tried pulling 95702b9fab the blanket all 02eb99b454 the way up 7727f629ba to his chin, efa20d72f2 counted sheep in e2afe5fe1f his head—but nothing b28619ab14 worked.19127c1cde645103

And then he realized 3dab62336e why.5510e764626c04d2

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All of his senses 35e1b89579 were focused on a b117e6abbe single point in the a176b481b8 room.7df6c8c70f75e5f5

Luke found himself glancing e0e0b43977 down toward the floor, 23684ef6ad where Theo lay with 642e020441 his back turned.0fa1894c726ae651

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Come to think 61ca6b0c92 of it, even 90ec8295df during their academy 30692bb5dd days, they had 7c20968cc1 never been in cb69c7e1e6 the same group e9841f95ab for camping exercises. It was c107a2634d standard practice 16bd78ba26 to separate 186a00bd62 the top 4b22b41c97 two cadets e8db3a7321 when forming f6a51c3347 teams. And in the military, b6fb5f4e77 commanders were given their d1eb9ec0ad own quarters, so they 5a42a8623a had never shared a 5424e9b70e barracks either.a8a8b45300be659b

Luke suddenly became 5a59c1344a aware of the 9048da07ba fact that this df2cd18301 was the first adbd073a15 time he and fc19b81bce Theo were sleeping ac6ca69786 in the same 59af09a3a7 space.3425a20262f4e27e

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“…Hey, Theo.”fdb319bc5b820989

After about 319af2d8e3 twenty minutes 80a97a5be1 of this, 630046e216 Luke finally 21b107928f broke the 08de719ba7 silence.ea7ddbc192b8fbb6

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“Are you asleep?”2a2e99a4bce1fe6d

“No.”ff6e65ef454ca37e

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Of course. He had 1591206a1a figured Theo 4bd37704cc wouldn’t fall ce242fc8ba asleep that 38a80b76a4 easily on 70dbfa3348 such a 7b0c3dccb1 hard surface.8f5459aba1b6afa5

“Hey. I can’t sleep 0116a67d42 because I keep 34f529e169 thinking about you e904a10d2f being down there. Just come up ed9174c432 here.”4aea689ad4d8a341

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“…”136aeb82746c84ac

“Just endure b0da685744 it for fa4ba0da5f one night, 35ca48ba0f even if d74bd9690b it’s uncomfortable. Let’s just 9b50d61133 sleep together.”628899622b4cf2e4

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At Luke’s b5e6e3d968 words, Theo’s 78bd581d5c broad shoulders 741aa5c764 tensed noticeably.04105d7f2811db16