The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 16

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 16

Chapter Title: The Joy of Reunion

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Jin's eyes were puffy from crying. Vice-Captain Lui greeted Nina as warmly as always.

"You... really... hey!"

Jin pulled Nina into a tight hug. It was suffocating, but Nina laughed and hugged him back.

"Jin, I'm glad you're alive."

"That's my line!"

Jin yelled, but he didn't let her go.

"Why'd you change your hair and eye color? Actually, never mind. As long as you're back, that's what matters."

"No, it's fine to tell you. It might take a while, though."

Nina gave a wry smile, saying, "You don't have to look at me like I'm some torture victim." She then politely greeted Lui.

"It's been a while, Vice-Captain."

"Nina... really."

Lui bit his lip. In his life, no one he'd thought was dead had ever come back alive.

It was a first, so everything felt overwhelming.

"Are you all right? Any injuries?"

"You saw the fight just now."

"Yes, I saw that reckless style of yours."

Lui looked at her with concern.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yes, perfectly fine."

Nina flexed her arm, pretending to show off her bicep, and grinned.

Adrian quietly took her arm, and Nina turned to him.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I know."

She knew he understood she wasn't vanishing, but still wanted to confirm, so Nina chuckled.

How could Nina be so calm, so quick to smile?

That's what Adrian thought.

Every time he saw her, his stomach churned, and he couldn't help it. Even hugging her tight, he'd feel anxious.

Two years had passed, yet Nina was the same, making it feel like a dream.

Her eyes and hair color had changed, but that didn't define her for him.

Nina cleared her throat and said,

"Anyway, what were you three doing hunting Belak in the middle of the night? What happened?"

At Nina's questioning, the three exchanged glances. Lui smiled gently and said,

"Let's go inside and talk. This doesn't seem like the best place."

He had his light brown hair tied back in one ponytail, as always, with his neat eyes half-closed.

"Jin and Sir Lui haven't changed a bit."

Nina muttered, and Jin looked at her.

"Same to you."

"Really? I wouldn't know."

She rubbed her white bangs with her fingertips and flicked them away.

They moved inside the lodge, and Nina asked,

"What about Kiril? Is she well?"

"Yes, Kiril is at Black Shield Castle."

Grrrrumble.

Then a loud rumble came from Nina's stomach. Her face flushed slightly.

"Uh, any food around?"

"Of course."

"Wait."

Jin jumped up, grabbed bread and water from the cupboard, and handed them to her. Nina wolfed them down.

Watching her eat, Adrian felt relieved.

She's really alive.

Not a ghost or an illusion.

He'd never heard of a ghost that ate and drank.

After devouring a large round loaf by herself, Nina looked at the three pairs of eyes watching her.

"Why are you staring like that?"

Jin sighed, resting his chin on his hand.

"Seeing you eat makes it real. You're really alive, huh."

"Of course. Showing up here just to pull a 'it was all an illusion' or 'I was a ghost' would be too cliché."

"It could happen."

Lui handed her a water bottle as he spoke, and Nina gulped it down.

"Yeah, no ghost eats this much."

Jin marveled at Nina finishing what looked like three days' worth of bread alone.

After eating, drowsiness hit Nina hard. Come to think of it, she hadn't slept in about two years.

She let out a small yawn, and Adrian said,

"Go sleep."

"Huh? No, I'm fine."

Adrian smiled wryly at Nina, who was prying her eyes open with both hands.

"Sleep and we'll talk tomorrow."

If we still have time together.

Nina looked at him quietly, then nodded.

"Okay."

She grinned, stood up, and tugged Adrian's arm.

"Then let's sleep together!"

While the three men hesitated, she quickly prepared.

In the end, all four lay side by side on blankets on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

"Ah, this feels just like summer training."

Jin grumbled, and Nina closed her eyes, murmuring, "Good times."

She reached out her hand, and Adrian took it.

I'm really back.

Memories of training with the Sun spirit flooded back. In that place beyond time and space, her mind had started to fray.

But the thought of returning kept her going.

She wasn't alone.

Adrian was by her side.

That was enough for Nina, and she fell asleep quickly.

Unlike Nina, who slept soundly, the three men stayed awake. Adrian held her hand and checked on her sleeping form several times.

Jin sighed.

"Why does it still feel so unreal?"

"Because it is unreal."

Adrian replied, sitting up. Nina's snow-white hair was incredibly long.

As long as when they first met.

In the end, the three pulled an all-nighter. Only after dawn, when Nina groggily opened her eyes, did it start to sink in that she was alive and back.

As the sun rose, the world felt vividly real.

The four prepared to return to the castle. With only three horses, Adrian and Nina would share one.

I'm hungry.

Nina thought blankly as she sat in front of Adrian.

My strength has definitely increased.

She'd realized it yesterday when she took down the Belak in one hit.

Her power was completely different now.

Maybe that's why I'm so hungry.

Lost in thought, Adrian asked,

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. More importantly, why were just you three hunting Belak there?"

Adrian fell silent at her question.

Lui rode up beside them and said,

"That Belak last night was clearly an A-rank. We thought handling it here would minimize damage to the territory. We didn't expect His Grace to come personally, though..."

In short, the elite few had come to deal with it quietly, but Adrian had unexpectedly joined.

It probably wasn't welcome from a subordinate's perspective.

But the word that caught Nina's attention was "His Grace."

Nina's ears perked up.

"His Grace? Wait, Young Master, you don't mean...?"

As Nina tried to turn, Adrian turned her head forward and said lowly,

"Yes."

"Huh? You're really the Duke? Then how..."

It didn't go like in the book, did it? You didn't kill everyone and take the title, right? Please say no.

"It was intense. I'd never seen His Grace that angry. Who knew he'd draw his sword in the meeting hall? The old duke went pale and jumped up."

Jin snickered, and Nina looked around in confusion.

Jin grinned at her reaction. Lui frowned at him playfully.

"Sir Jin, you can't tease Lady Nina. Though you did get scolded trying to stop His Grace then."

"So what happened?"

Nina raised her voice, and Adrian answered,

"I got chased out."

"What?"

As Nina panicked, Jin helpfully added, "Chased out of the ducal family."

"I thought it'd be either kill them all or we all die."

Lui smiled faintly.

"We decided to lay low back at Black Shield Castle. Had to regroup the remaining Ebony Knight Order too."

"It was pure hell."

Jin ground his teeth. He glanced at Nina.

"But thanks to you, we survived."