The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 19

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: The Returned Hair Tie

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After toasting and gratefully accepting celebratory drinks from everyone, she blacked out at some point.

"Huh?"

When Nina came to, she was in a bedroom. A bedroom she'd never seen before.

Wondering where on earth this room was located, she sat up.

"Ah, pajamas."

When did they change me into these?

No, more importantly, I slept through someone changing my clothes? Am I that weak to alcohol? Or was I just exhausted?

Nina looked around the room.

Black Shield Castle was a fortress built for defense. It wasn't as ornate or beautiful as Silver Lake Castle.

Constructed solidly from rugged stone to withstand battles, it had small windows fitted with shutters, leaving the interior dim overall.

There were hardly any fancy decorations either. Still, it came with a balcony, so Nina opened the shutters leading out to it.

"Could you find Adrian for me?"

A gentle breeze whooshed in at her request. Following North Wind's guidance, she hopped across a few balconies and arrived at Adrian's bedroom.

Knock knock knock.

She politely rapped on the balcony door. No answer, so she knocked again. Moments later, the door opened.

Adrian, draped in a robe with a sword in one hand, sighed as he spotted her perched on the balcony railing.

"Can't you use the actual door?"

"Coming through the balcony is way more romantic."

Nina grinned and hopped down from the railing.

"Come in."

She slipped inside as he stepped aside.

His bedroom was similarly sparse, furnished only with large, simple pieces.

The bed seemed to be beyond another door draped with curtains.

Adrian sheathed his sword and asked,

"Can't sleep?"

His tone was far more casual than when others were around.

Nina smiled faintly.

"No, I woke up. I missed you, Young Master."

Adrian chuckled softly and turned away. He sat on the sofa and patted the seat beside him.

"Come here."

Instead of sitting next to him, Nina dropped to the floor and rested her arms and head on his thigh.

"Doing it again."

Adrian furrowed his brow, but Nina ignored him.

"This feels kinda nice, you know? Like being spoiled. You should try it next time, Young Master."

"But then all I'd see is your hair. I want to see your face, Nina."

Nina lifted her head, giggled, and quickly sat beside him.

Her long hair was so silky smooth that it untangled effortlessly and fell back into place through the whole motion.

"Who changed me into these?"

Nina glanced down at her pajamas. "Kiril," Adrian replied.

Nina's expression turned serious.

"You don't have any maids you can trust with that?"

"No."

Nina mulled over that single word.

"Then just hire some reliable ones."

"How?"

Nina flashed a cheeky grin.

"Leave it to me."

Adrian felt the tension drain from his shoulders at her beaming confidence.

"I have candidates."

He hadn't been idle these past two years.

"And I've saved up funds."

It wasn't for nothing that he'd been tightening the castle's budget.

"You can have authority over both."

Nina was momentarily speechless. She whispered playfully,

"Don't you trust me a bit too much, Adrian?"

"You're special to me, Nina."

"I know."

She replied in a tone that said why bring it up now?

We only had each other—how could you not be special?

But now there was Jin and Sir Lui too. As the world expanded, wouldn't they gain more allies?

She didn't want his world to remain just the two of them forever.

But sensing what those quiet pale pink eyes desired right now, Nina spoke up.

"You're incredibly special to me too, Adrian."

"I know. You've always said so. But I've never said it back."

Not until after she'd vanished.

"So I want to say it now. And let you know."

Nina stared at him intently. In the darkness, his pink eyes gleamed a deep crimson.

His rose-quartz gaze met hers directly.

His delicate, beautiful features stood out sharply even in shadow, like a sculpture.

Nina found herself admiring him anew. His lean frame was toned, his build broad and masculine, perfect in proportion.

Dressed, he was flawless; undressed, he'd be even more so.

He's really grown up well.

Gazing at him with quiet pride, she watched as he reached out.

His hand brushed her cheek, caressed her eye, and lightly pressed her pink lips before pulling away.

He smiled faintly.

"I trust you."

Nina savored the weight of those words.

The Adrian from the original story trusted no one.

He kept a polite, consistent distance from everyone behind that ever-present smile.

His descriptor in the novel was "the most aristocratic of the Rubaenu Dukes."

Courteous and elegant, yet liable to stab you in the back with a sword at any moment.

Enemies surrounded him, and there was no one he could rely on.

But they'd made it this far.

To the stage of trust.

Nina smiled and reached out, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I trust you too, Adrian."

"Good."

Adrian chuckled and patted her back. When she pulled away, he said, "Wait here," and stepped inside, returning with a small box that he handed her.

Nina opened it without hesitation and her eyes went wide.

"Huh? This? How do you have it, Adrian?"

Inside was an old hair tie—the one the Duchess had taken when she shaved Nina's head.

The only family memento she'd owned, made by her sister.

"I'm sorry."

Nina looked up at his words. Adrian, now a grown man, wore the same somber expression as back then.

"Why are you sorry? It was the Duchess who was awful."

She could tell without asking how hard he'd searched for this tie.

"Thank you, Adrian."

Nina set the box on the table and yanked him toward her. Caught off guard, Adrian ended up lying with his head in her lap.

"Now, for your good deed, here's some praise."

Nina stroked his hair. His fine black locks were so luxurious it was a shame they were cut short.

He looked dazed at first but sighed and straightened up properly.

His long legs stuck out beyond the sofa.

"Who bullied our Young Master? Tell me. I'll scold them for you."

Adrian let out a low laugh.

"Yeah, who should I ask Nina to scold for me?"

As her strokes slowed to a steady rhythm, Adrian drifted off to sleep.

Gazing down at the sleeping Young Master, Nina marveled, His eyelashes are insanely long.

Not just his lashes—his brows were perfectly shaped as if groomed, his forehead smooth and neat, his nose straight and prominent. His features were flawless.

With his eyes closed, he was just strikingly handsome, but when open, that unique shadowy delicacy added a whole other allure.

And layered with his constant smile... well.

Whoever marries our Young Master later hit the jackpot.

Giggling at the thought, she lifted her head and pondered.

As long as her little patch of garden was secure, it wasn't total zero base. And judging by Kiril's smile, there might be something there?

Oh, right—I've talked about the plants, but I haven't mentioned this yet.