“I think we could stay here for a few days. It’s not urgent, and it’s just a place I thought I might visit… There’s no need to make separate plans. Didn’t you say you booked the hotel for a week?”
“Are you avoiding the question? Don’t worry about the hotel reservation, we can adjust it anytime.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes as Iberis showed an evasive attitude.
“I’m not avoiding it, um, I’ll tell you when I’ve made up my mind.”
Iberis, feeling a bit guilty, asked for understanding, indicating that it was difficult to answer right away. He didn’t want to make a hasty decision on such an important matter.
“…I understand.”
Fortunately, Lucas didn’t press further and backed off. He also knew that Iberis had been seriously contemplating something lately. And that it had something to do with him.
So he decided to wait a little longer. He couldn’t ruin everything by being impatient after having held out for so long.
“Then shall we visit the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre Museum tomorrow? I’ve also looked up a few Michelin restaurants…”
“Well, I’d like to come back and rest after the award ceremony today. I don’t want to do anything until tomorrow.”
“That’s fine too. You probably haven’t fully recovered from the travel fatigue since we arrived yesterday. As you said, it might be better to just rest at the hotel until tomorrow. We can order anything we need through room service.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Hmm, but to feel like we’re on a trip, how about sleeping in a different bedroom today?”
“Huh?”
“Since there are multiple bedrooms, I thought it might be fun to change rooms every day. We should enjoy all we can while staying in a suite room, shouldn’t we?”
“Ah.”
Iberis let out a small exclamation and glanced inside. As Lucas said, the hotel suite they were staying in was very spacious and luxurious, occupying an entire floor.
A spacious living room with an impressive sofa as big as a bed, a dining room suitable for hosting a banquet, a reception room for welcoming guests, a study for work, a bathroom with a marble tub and sauna, and several bedrooms decorated with various concepts.
On the opposite balcony, there was a small greenhouse and a heated pool where one could enjoy swimming while admiring the city’s night view.
Thanks to this, when Iberis arrived at the hotel last night, he was so surprised by the luxurious interior that made him feel as if he had come to a palace and the size too large for just two people that his jaw dropped.
‘Don’t worry about it. I have plenty of money.’
Lucas reassured Iberis, who was shocked to learn that it cost tens of millions of won per night. His attitude suggested it was really no big deal.
‘Even so, this seems like too much of a waste of money…’
Iberis muttered with a jaded expression after looking around the suite. He vaguely knew that Lucas was wealthy, but the scale was too grand.
Of course, Iberis himself hadn’t worried about money since joining the military. The basic annual salary for an S-class esper was very high, and his bank account grew more abundant day by day with various incentives paid for each mission.
However, Iberis lived frugally without indulging in luxury. Living in official residences naturally solved his basic needs, and he didn’t have hobbies like collecting luxury goods or supercars like others. The only time he spent money without restraint was when supporting the bereaved families of fallen comrades.
Being such a person, Iberis was quite surprised by Lucas’s spending. But that was it, he didn’t interfere beyond that.
Although he didn’t know the exact financial situation, as an S-class guide, Lucas’s income must be quite high as well.
Not only that, with Winfried as his guardian and coming from a British noble family that had survived into modern times, he probably grew up wealthy from childhood. If so, it was understandable that he could spend this much money without a second thought.
Still, unable to completely ignore it, Iberis offered to bear part of the cost, but Lucas flatly refused. His logic was that since he had suggested taking a vacation, it was right for him to bear the cost alone.
Iberis, who had never once beaten Lucas in an argument, lost to him this time as well. In the end, he decided to enjoy it comfortably. Wouldn’t that make Lucas feel that his big spending was worthwhile?
“Let’s do that. It sounds fun.”
Iberis, accepting Lucas’s suggestion, drank the remaining peppermint tea. Until yesterday, he had been worried if it was okay to rest this long, but now he thought it was good that he took a vacation.
* * *
“You’re staring holes into Major Hyun. What exactly is your relationship?”
“Pardon?”
Lucas, who had been gazing at Iberis sitting with other commendation recipients in the main auditorium of the European branch of the Defense Force where the award ceremony was being held, turned his head at the voice from beside him. He saw Winfried looking at him with a mischievous expression.
“What do you mean by relationship?”
“Don’t play dumb, just spill it.”
Winfried leaned towards Lucas, his eyes gleaming. Then he lightly waved his hand, disrupting the mana spread around them. This was to prevent others from hearing their conversation.
“Come on, tell me.”
“I confessed.”
Lucas replied grumpily, fixing his gaze back on Iberis in response to Winfried’s pressing.
“…What?”
“I said, I confessed to the Major.”
“Oh? You like Major Hyun? Are you serious?”
“Why would I lie about this? I don’t joke about such things.”
“Well, well… Since when?”
Winfried asked, unable to hide his surprised expression. He had sensed that Lucas seemed to care for Iberis for a while, and even yesterday he thought their atmosphere was unusual, but hearing that he had actually confessed made him feel strange.
“Not long ago. I realized it when the Major was attacked by those villain bastards.”
“Is that why you said you didn’t want to use Major Hyun politically before? Are you two dating then?”
“We’re not in any relationship yet. You could say I’m waiting for an answer.”
“What? Why, what’s lacking in you?”
Blood is thicker than water, and Winfried unknowingly raised his voice when he heard that Iberis had postponed answering the confession. Then he quickly composed himself, thinking ‘oops’. Although he had blocked the sound from leaking out, it was better not to show that they were having a separate conversation.
“I lack a lot compared to the Major.”
“Huh?”
Winfried frowned as if he had heard something bizarre. For Lucas, who had always lived proud of himself, to say he was lacking was like the sun rising in the west.
“If you’re waiting for an answer, it means you weren’t rejected outright. Is there hope?”
“I think there is, but…”
Lucas trailed off for a moment, then applauded as he watched Iberis go up to the platform. He had noticed long ago that Iberis was attracted to him.
It was impossible not to notice. How could he not feel his emotions when they pressed their lips together and shared warmth every day?
Although Iberis was more professional than anyone when working, he couldn’t hide his expressions and emotions when receiving guidance. Or more precisely, he was very clumsy at it.
That’s why Lucas could tell that Iberis’s feelings had grown stronger than before. He also knew why Iberis couldn’t take that final step.
“As you know, sir, the Major’s health hasn’t fully recovered yet. So he seems to be hesitating to develop our relationship.”
“Ah…”
Winfried sighed deeply upon hearing Lucas’s explanation. She was one of the few people who knew Iberis’s circumstances. After all, she was the one who sent Lucas to N-0 unit to save him.
“And I’m not exactly in a position to face the Major with a clear conscience.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“I’m deceiving the Major for the sake of my revenge, aren’t I?”
“Ah… Um, are you thinking of revealing your real name to the Major?”
“It’s not something I can keep hidden forever. I’m looking for the right time to tell him. But I’m finding it hard to open my mouth.”
“That’s understandable. No matter how much you like Major Hyun, for the sake of smooth revenge, it’s better to have fewer people knowing the secret…”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not afraid of the Major learning my secret. He’s not the type to go around talking carelessly. If anything, he might even keep the secret…”
“You trust Major Hyun?”
Winfried said, sounding very surprised. Of course, she knew Iberis’s character well too, but she thought it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious since he didn’t share the same goal as them.
“If he wasn’t someone I could trust, I wouldn’t have liked him in the first place. Knowing that he’s a person who keeps his word… I’m afraid to tell him the truth.”
“Afraid that Major Hyun might feel betrayed or disappointed in you?”
“…Yes.”
Lucas smiled faintly as Iberis, with the hero’s medal pinned to his chest, looked at him. He was always a person who shone like a star, but today he seemed to glow even more. And that made Lucas’s heart feel heavier.
“Just imagining that the Major might hate me makes me feel like I’m going crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this anxious and uneasy in my life.”
