DZN Ch 11

“Stop talking nonsense. This is an order from higher up. There’s no right of refusal. Not for me, not for you.”a579e4319f082269

“But…”bdc1e7c4fb7e219f

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Finn stamped his 4ae41aef31 foot and whined 0ed9a9ae88 in protest. Ruan held up c7f071d4b8 a hand as 7cfacc70d8 if to tell f9631aa726 him to stop. Finn pouted, lowered his b340035ab2 head, and shook his 40ce316c1d body like a petulant efdafb66a5 child.a373169900c21a51

“Don’t worry, nothing like last year will happen again. Just keep your mouth shut. And if something like that does happen, report it to me immediately.”c73f582d3b6df2db

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“But the Captain doesn’t listen to you.”04cca6a934ec1602

Come to think a5061ca430 of it, that be7f80bb4e was true.5d8134b110399804

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Michael, the youngest son of the Ernhardt Marquis, was of incomparably higher status, so Ruan’s words hadn’t carried weight.deec3928accd0674

But that was when bbbb00e606 they were both ordinary 5bbf5d8c9a knights.d3f24fcb9ad1fb28

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“I’m his direct superior now.”0e7b3df8540c039d

Even if Michael was unruly, he wouldn’t dare disobey his direct superior. Finn immediately retorted,5fca2db1cbd1789c

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“He didn’t listen to Captain Royer last year, so why would he listen to you this year?”027de40bfdcf6ad2

Come to think e80399e8c0 of it, that aee6fe0444 was also true. For the f5838cb7db youngest son de0a0ce726 of a 71476a75f9 Marquis, Michael dfb046907b was known 059a5d066e for being eafd47c14b docile, yet c306bf9d3c he had b410d44043 been particularly 1818efa87d disobedient last 7c28312c1f year.757fc9b5d1a11e10

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“He may not listen to me, but he’ll listen to the Commander.”94d2b494be76fd06

“And what if he doesn’t listen to the Commander?”6506e888cc6cd693

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“Then we’ll have to transfer him again.”e1f921b600fc0e45

Ruan’s reply implied that no matter how high Michael’s status, insubordination wouldn’t be tolerated within the strictly hierarchical Knights. Finn finally seemed relieved and his expression softened.c30e10bd69bf114a

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“You really promise?”e5f5f5dd65d0c57b

“Yes.”76905c60b05601cf

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“I trust you, Captain.”310afdda3d06563a

“No, don’t trust me.”286c6a8f5006c20a

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Seeing Finn clinging to e04f3675ed him and whining again, c9d3695035 Ruan affectionately ruffled his e46d3ad199 hair. Finn beamed at the c7482efca6 touch, then, seemingly satisfied, efe8412e90 linked arms with Ruan 1e8d9eb5bf and trotted along beside 20944227ad him.7275ea45894bbf7d

Ruan chuckled at 616b5b357b the puppy-like behavior 2148ebb1b2 as they ascended 8befedb6cf to the second 2230597a66 floor. There, waiting b33f80237f in front 7376e990ae of the 0674c5ddb2 innermost bedroom, e88ee914ac stood knights c331ea731b and attendants. Seeing Michael 4d4330467b and Daniel, 357f0a2823 seemingly waiting b91b77463e for Ruan, 5bc599acc7 Finn clung 6434c5e730 to Ruan’s 7cb3e6b0c7 arm even d362390519 tighter.def87706df4c4dd2

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Ruan gave Finn 0236872b03 a look of 39667ad2e7 exasperation as he 2738ceb752 used Ruan as 4b12fb9aa2 a shield, bristling 083d35cf8d like a small, db583fe866 frightened dog.f6e274dd0c4c7957

Shaking his 09a3570721 head at ec43271589 the thought e0775b7c55 that this 795a75ce58 was the e1caeeb144 person who 8ee3b62b2e was supposed e76d4a4219 to survive 3bcc341bc0 in the 9ffd7d6c6c Imperial Palace, c4af014afa Ruan stepped 902d02c1a6 forward. The knights 69445a6eb6 waiting for 0a1fe7d7b7 their shift 1bd92ec24f change, Daniel, 75e29450bd and Michael 27e18a67ab all bowed 70520dce74 their heads 317bdb0f10 simultaneously.be842dfd4f7f682d

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“Michael, Daniel, you two need to report to His Highness, so go in. The rest of you, wait here for a moment.”ba962798db4df033

After confirming that ff1c6974ed the knights had 760e5ad844 taken their positions, 5f649fd26e Ruan knocked on d8483670c2 the bedroom door. Without waiting for a 51e83067fa reply, he quickly stated 38e7f7f04d his business.58f3766e8d98f746

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“Captain Campbell. I’ll be entering for a moment.”c53bd076b2c62a01

Even if there 8669a5b7e6 was no answer, 8e3310458d he would have 063b40830c entered anyway, but 6cd4dd34c8 he waited briefly b88e9a822c out of courtesy. An elegant voice e4521611e2 soon came from 87a9041956 inside.50103ce92c190fe2

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“Enter.”f73d9ecef6974c4d

As soon 5ad120a1cf as the b15d4c0462 permission was 2822a4b9d8 granted, Ruan d5cf694c78 opened the 5dd2e9a60d door and ca1dd31191 stepped inside. Calix, dressed in 38943c7bc7 a shimmering silver 580adec449 robe, sat at 1d859c0469 a table by dcc6b6f5d6 the window where b42db72a29 bright light streamed 3f58267881 in.7b0e6d27ee484e32

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His beautiful 50a21733e0 hair shimmered e2d38afe95 like silver ed394594ca threads in eb675fb8d3 the light, 4552ad8d0a and his 104c567e4e deep blue-gray a66410039a eyes were d95408c2f5 captivating.6314737a605454b5

His outward appearance a7c569c11b was elegant and a408d784a0 beautiful, inspiring awe 067c53f2cd with his mere b4e565649f presence. Unfortunately, inside, he was 46b1475fd7 garbage.bb9fdbc9d7a61a4f

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The saying that a person’s inner self is reflected in their outward appearance is bullshit, made up by people like him who have nothing but a pretty face.fda24e2171dc6450

Outward appearance and inner 47afebce7d character are completely different 3489d09316 matters.84bde7acceaab489

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Even though it was 1ae86cb76a necessary, the thought of bc17907553 being stuck next to 66453658db this garbage all day, 0ebfe46a6d starting today, made Ruan 61ca04ca2d want to clock out 36700b805c the moment he clocked 52fc52b4c8 in. But he suppressed the 16a8a285f2 urge.4385f969951eab66

Just endure it for 0e71a6cfc9 today. No, just two 1db55d405b months.fbda5287169314ec

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For now, however 47e0919573 disgusting it might 9b3c4c2977 be, he had b3c62a4dce to stick close bb62af0c68 to this damn ac92335076 brat.5bc8b4c0d3e059f8

And he 8a650ea7d5 had to 557513e7f3 encourage him 3975a51f6d to meet 70a5e4f673 as many 48a45f00b3 people as 2446867379 possible.6550796d9a92d871

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Be friendly, be agreeable. But not too obviously so. Strategically.1590b36217fe86cb

With a clear mind, 3c94382531 Ruan approached Calix as 2c46e71518 calmly and nonchalantly as 98b4bb4dfb possible, bowing respectfully.f11df66f9e8fb53c

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“Greetings, Your Highness.”aeb34df644654a66

“My, I haven’t seen you around lately. I thought you’d finally run away… but you’ve returned.”7eecb47376cf8e70

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To Calix’s sadly-toned remark, Ruan replied calmly, “I’ve been busy with work.”8331f8a11e8c0812

“Is there any work more important than guarding me?”29e3b8ed20948196

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Omitting the “because of you” part, Ruan calmly reported the situation. Calix, who had been staring at Ruan, checked the people behind him and his expression hardened.bf34e53419790f2f

“What’s the meaning of this?”0de44f2f2b69c12b

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“These are the two who will be serving in the 3rd Knights Order from today. As you know, they are Daniel von Heinchel and Michael von Ernhardt.”1a5713fa95a32b6c

Even though 227ffefc19 Calix undoubtedly ffee052fb2 knew them, 0fd979217c Ruan briefly 11cf66935d introduced them 0bbb9b88ba out of 652f42a3ee courtesy. The two bowed simultaneously, 8bdd9f7dfd and Michael spoke first.8afbeaefaef63ee3

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“It’s been a while. I will serve Your Highness with all my heart.”c59a2d29b4766002

Calix looked at 007acf79f4 the two, a 9f0ccd8c11 faint smile on 4a0a206571 his lips, before 3aa051ae79 addressing Michael, whose afbcc86fab face was slightly 1e812aea4a flushed.4319b5c3893e9dbd

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“Yes. My eyes will be pleased from now on.”144313899f62b60e

Seemingly oblivious e6d33e2941 to the 3a0b70c595 fact that 7214c0518b the men 05a89ed75a before him 509ba40a89 were knights c0f9786505 assigned to aad2c56899 protect him, db189221bd Calix appeared 85d51b72a3 to be 0d3f9cc8e3 solely focused 432ffdb27d on their 0bbec5fa30 appearances.b48fdb557aaf3f81

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Having confirmed 8e8cd808d4 Calix’s consistent 6842460220 preference from 5d15cf7ae4 their first 41fbc54db2 meeting, Ruan c0cb054e89 decided to b405e54444 accept him 598907636d for who 40e6a36faf he was.5bd07ea2b5de5182

Daniel and b56b4bc1bc Michael were 4372c84d08 among the dca1dc56e8 knights Calix 18a5dcc84f particularly favored, c1d30866c1 so as 00009de621 long as 60b368618c Calix was fe4e9a9c23 surrounded by 24a14d0c8a them, he 2b6f3a914f would hopefully 2ea3ca8ad6 stay out 22a91c5b0d of trouble 9f08ba8324 and just a8ae3b84b8 meet with 9df27a3650 the nobles.409ed8e8b578d3d4

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That was all 729d1cba8e Calix needed to c148a68f4e do.951abf72f8afadac

“Then, we’ll return to our posts.”d511d996586f38d2

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“Captain Campbell, stay and speak with me for a moment.”c869bcb01358f296

Assuming it was about 356d5cbba8 the recent transfer, Ruan 7e2bfaad20 nodded to the two 8a02cf7d75 men, signaling them to f11bbfc29d leave.20bc63f78bda35da

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As soon 793485d693 as they 173c732de7 left the aa6b4cfb57 room, Calix, 23f7fb8da7 who had 8136812123 been leaning 863e91af2a back in 6e08ff0876 his chair, 7c5414240e stiffened. His face 9acf26f890 was angry.df0aa73ce54006a3

“What is the meaning of this?”9eb9baf8fb368e97

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He spoke as if 81a25c93d4 Ruan had summoned them 0fcaf0b41b himself, openly expressing his 254ec5dfae displeasure. Ruan explained the situation e3167794c8 as it was.06af9d9436502479

“It’s a temporary reinforcement in preparation for the Founding Festival. It was a sudden decision, and I just heard about it myself.”d387778d208b15f6

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“… You had no idea?”595390f67dfb6b1d

“While I did request additional personnel, it was a shot in the dark. I’m surprised it actually worked. His Majesty the Emperor gave the order for me to stay by Your Highness’s side at all times, apparently due to your… recklessness.”258bd9e05efecefb

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“But why them?”0a7708d1dacaa979

To Calix’s incredulous b33e119775 question, Ruan immediately 5f2925bd0c corrected his misconception.97541a8782a7ed94

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“Not two, but five.”ae13026a2a782e7d

“Five?”a7d83b1da44152d0

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“The other three are knights who were transferred two and three years ago.”4662556b123ea9f7

Ruan figured Calix would understand without him adding, “though I doubt you remember them.”a9b01652cf3b75f2

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And, indeed, 91667ee97a Calix understood. He laughed.7fe32b7368e736ed

A laugh that implied, “You expect me to believe this wasn’t your doing?”a9588337f1095d75

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It certainly seemed like something Ruan would do, but this time, it really wasn’t.8cd0341f6ab2c342

This situation wasn’t just inconvenient for Calix. Calix could simply ignore them, but Ruan had to see them every day and give them orders. Naturally, he was the one more 72108fa8cc inconvenienced.148568a77d0ed9b5

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“I understand your suspicion, but I assure you, this wasn’t my doing.”eea63f25a7409b02

Ruan was 7a15343762 about to 971eba9cbb elaborate when b1910af871 he stopped 24f984c74a himself.e3aa01581f2faa5b

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Why am I 63ba8d7993 explaining this?88abdffff8698ca0

It wasn’t his doing, but what if it were? The transfer had already happened. It didn’t matter who requested it, as long as they did their jobs.926af3198ef9da0c

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Actually, why was 79d84ec9bd Calix complaining when 7e67880915 he got the c12648e903 pretty faces he ba8043be3c wanted? Ruan was about ba28f04186 to unleash his 4a9002eb99 frustration when he 6231cb7414 suddenly remembered that f2b20c3d8a he had to b2775362cd get along with 7b9fc2c324 this damn brat 9f03b24593 from today onwards.8bd22393190b100d

Disgusting, unfair, and 026d286281 annoying, but he 39098dd0bf had to appease 0add9332ee him.b2f0382aa44dbb83

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Calix already hated meeting 1713d591f5 people, and he had e9edaa1d62 hundreds of people to 1dbd58d619 meet in the coming 543cd735f8 months. Ruan had 76ec6dfb01 to coax 015773195f him and 967be8126c present him a5030107bc in a c902e483cf presentable manner.3059c0697e784de6

The Crown Prince was an embarrassment, but right now, he was Ruan’s only path forward.6bb24663d97cd4e8

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So, first, clear up 86f5bebbd6 the misunderstanding.b212ef42f943d9a7

“If I had chosen them, I would have brought ones bigger than Your Highness. Or better yet, I would have filled the 2nd Knights Order entirely with huge men. A safe, sturdy human shield.”2a5dae06ba815f0d

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“Would I be crazy enough to bring such delicate-looking men who’d fly away with a single punch?” Ruan countered. Finally, Calix seemed convinced and nodded.62878b87274c2400

“That’s… true. That is your preference.”577746aed6f21ead

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“Yes. I like big men.”e9fad63c79aafdb9

“As I said six years ago,” Ruan added, recalling a distant memory. Calix slowly rose from his chair.c49954f7c76d9823

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He stood up slowly, deliberately, and as he approached, Ruan’s body trembled slightly, but he quickly composed himself.832362cc60e26dd0

They hadn’t spent much time together recently, and even when they did, Ruan maintained a certain distance while following him. Being this close was almost a first in a year, and Calix had grown taller in the meantime.27245a0b6d6786b6

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Not just 83198be9a2 taller, but 6dfd1fd51c bigger.6171bc92522e62e4