Chapter 15. After the Discovery

Ain’s eyes widened at the score Serenia gave.

“What? Did you really just say eighty-nine points?”

If this had been an actual exam score, he was ready to storm off to confront the professor, but Serenia, without batting an eye, replied calmly.

“Your lats are a bit underdeveloped. Your external obliques need a little more definition. The balance between your forearms and biceps is fine, but overall, you’re a bit lean when compared to your shoulder structure.”

It wasn’t that his physique was bad, but coming from someone like Serenia, who had seen burly men since childhood thanks to her father being a knight, there were quite a few shortcomings according to her standards.

“….”

Ain quietly took out a new shirt and slipped his arms into it.

After buttoning it up neatly to the top and sitting down in a composed manner, Serenia finally allowed herself a satisfied smile.

Thanks to Ain’s sudden docility, the rest of the shoot went smoothly.

He changed into a whopping twenty different outfits, and the cafe’s props and seating arrangements were rearranged twenty times as well, yet they wrapped up the photoshoot by 3 PM.

The next day, they went to a professional studio and began shooting nearly mechanically, creating a series of shots with various setups.

From libraries to art galleries, aquariums, glass greenhouses, novelty shops, and even a dice game room…

In between these shots, as they changed outfits and backgrounds during brief intervals, Ain would silently lift weights, focusing only on moving his arms.

It seemed he was working on his forearms and biceps, the very muscles Serenia had pointed out the day before.

Feeling a bit bad for him, Serenia almost told him that the only person she had ever given a score above ninety to was her father, Carlos Barishart. However, she decided against it.

She was certain that if he heard that, he would become even more insufferable, just like yesterday.

* * *

At the same time, far from Serenia and Ain’s hard work, another event was unfolding in Shedron.

Nelson Galut exhaled a deep, troubled sigh, puffing cigar smoke into the air.

He was the second-in-command of the Galut family, which ruled the Pledis District 1 like kings, and the de facto boss.

A man whose empire stretched from alcohol and drugs to illegal loan-sharking and human trafficking, he sat before a woman who was kneeling in front of him.

A black wig, half-fallen from her head, was awkwardly perched there.

When Nelson saw the red hair peeking underneath, he muttered a curse under his breath and tossed the remaining cigar on the ground.

“Just how is our VIP handling the family affairs?”

Bianca, kneeling with a disheveled face, retorted angrily.

“How dare you speak to me like that? I, a member of the great Duke of Admancanon’s family, am being insulted by you!”

Nelson ignored her and continued talking to himself.

“It’s a complete mess, a complete mess. One side is sending people to track down and bring someone back, while the other side is running around, imitating that woman.”

“What? What did you say? Are you trying to imprison me for defaming a noble family? How dare you speak like that in front of me—!”

As she shouted with venom, a blade suddenly appeared in front of her, silencing her immediately.

Nelson lifted the half-fallen wig from Bianca’s head with the blade and held it in his hand.

As if petting an animal, he fiddled with the wig, speaking in a mocking tone.

“Your Grace. There’s a saying in the world: ‘The law is far, but the fist is near.’”

His tone was threatening, as if ready to bury her in a remote hillside if things went wrong.

Bianca, completely subdued by his intimidating presence, nodded nervously.

Seeing that she seemed to understand, Nelson gave a slight, satisfied smile.

However, his satisfaction was short-lived.

With a gloomy expression, he lit another cigar.

His headache from the request Raskal had made two nights ago still lingered. He felt like he needed to burn something to calm his mind.

“…Are you trying to train me now?”

He muttered, recalling the memories of that night.

As soon as Nelson arrived with Joshua, Raskal had immediately presented his demands.

* * *

“Find Serenia Barishart and make sure she returns home quietly.”

“Within three days.”

This was the Duke’s order.

It wasn’t about having Nelson Galut handle her directly, or kidnapping her, or even taking her by force—no, it was to send her home.

Wasn’t searching for a runaway woman and ensuring her return a job for the city guards, not the Galut family?

Nelson was bewildered, but since he couldn’t defy such a VIP client, he merely nodded and stepped away.

From that night onward, he deployed his men throughout Shedron, searching for the woman with black hair.

But no matter what methods he employed, two days had passed, and he had yet to catch even a glimpse of her.

He had heard she didn’t have much money, so he thought it strange, but it wasn’t until he received a report from one of his subordinates that things took a different turn.

It was said that the woman had appeared at Salon Galut, the host bar run by the Galut family.

As the old saying went, “It’s dark right under the lamp,” Nelson rushed there, only to discover that the woman was a fake.

“The young lady has no idea how heartbroken I am.”

With a bitter sigh, the smoke from his cigarette billowed into the air, and Bianca, still coughing from the smoke, thought to herself,

‘What the hell is this lunatic talking about?’

* * *

The 4th, 14th, and 24th of each month were regular holidays for the Grand Theatre of the Capital.

On the golden holiday of December 4th, Ain had planned an outdoor photoshoot.

The first stop was the Pfenn River, followed by a rural market in the countryside, the famous sunset over the Bellaeska Forest, and lastly, a view of the city from the clock tower.

It was an ambitious schedule for a single day.

To make it work, Serenia and Ain decided to start early.

Thus, they found themselves by the Pfenn River at 3 AM.

Of course, they were in disguise.

“Shall we go?”

“Let’s go!”

The two began walking along the scenic walking path that lined the river.

They walked slowly, allowing the photographer hidden somewhere to capture the perfect shot of their fleeting moments.

The Pfenn River was a large river running through Shedron, and the walking path that followed its course was known for its beautiful views and serene atmosphere, making it a popular date spot.

However, this was only true in spring, fall, or at least during the summer.

Now, it was early December—deep into winter.

“…”

Ain looked at the vast landscape before him and realized he had made a mistake in choosing both the place and the time.

The grass had turned yellow, the trees were bare, and the shaking branches gave off a bleak, desolate vibe.

It was 3 AM, the time when the early morning chill and the intermittent flickering of the orange gas lamps added to the eerie, empty feeling.

While it had its own charm, it wasn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere most couples would prefer.

Whoosh.

A cold gust of wind from the river swept through, chilling the already awkward atmosphere even more.

Just as Ain was about to give up on getting any decent photos, Serenia, unable to endure the silence any longer, suddenly spoke up.

“By the way.”

“…Yes?”

“No matter how I think about it, it’s just unfair.”

“…What do you mean?”

He tilted his head in confusion, still wearing his sunglasses despite the darkness.

Serenia, staring directly into his eyes—whose color remained a mystery due to the glasses—said,

“Your name.”

“…Ah.”

Ain’s expression shifted to one of mild surprise, and it was clear what he was thinking.

“Your Grace, didn’t we already discuss this before?”

But this time, Serenia wasn’t about to back down.

“Discussed? No, I still don’t know the last name of the person I’m supposed to marry.”

“Well, it’ll be gone soon anyway. Why are you so fixated on something like that?”

Serenia glared at him with feigned annoyance, but her voice remained calm as she spoke.

“The fact that it’s going to disappear makes it even more important to remember.”

“…”

Ain bit his lip as if struck by a sudden realization. He looked everywhere except at her.

Seeing him squirm, Serenia deliberately brightened her voice.

“So, how about it, Ain whatever-you’re-called? Could you please tell me your last name? If you need some other payment to hear it, I’ll pay whatever you want.”

She thought he was going to offer some ridiculous condition in response, but strangely, instead of aggravating her, he quietly looked away.

Serenia raised her eyebrows, staring at him as she pulled her arms out of her crossed position, placing both hands firmly on her hips.

“Wait, really—do you have something about your name?”

But Ain stubbornly remained silent.

“Is it covered in gold or something?”

“…”

“Or maybe you’re a prince from some hidden kingdom?”

“That’s… not it.”

“Of course it’s not!”

Serenia shouted and gave him a fierce glare.

Ain, looking more embarrassed than ever, refused to meet her eyes.

The reason he couldn’t reveal his last name here was simple.

Behind her, at the foot of a nearby lamp post, he noticed a red poster stuck to a pole.

It was clearly the poster for the play *Young Duke Raskal*.