บท 77: His day (1/2)

"How can I help you?" Rafael asked. The girl realized she had been staring at him for several seconds without blinking and quickly averted her gaze.

"Ah... Are you Cleric Robert?"

"Yes. I'm honored that someone as noble as milady knows my name." She steeled herself and met his eyes. Rafael was about 15 centimeters taller, so she had to look up. Brandyc gave a slight nod to his apprentice.

"There's food to be cooked. Help me." They disappeared behind the wooden divider, but strangely, no sound came from there.

Goddammit, am I really going to have to go with the last plan? Rafael didn't like taking the risky option, but as the opportunity presented itself, he decided to embrace it. At least she's cute.

"It's just that I heard it was you who created pizza and hamburgers, and those are my favorite foods." She clutched her dress, her face blushing.

"I'm glad you enjoyed those dishes. In the future, I'll definitely think of something new, and you can be the first to try it."

"Oh, thank you! I'm looking forward to it. Come, take a stroll with me outside." Ella regained her composure and decided to go outside, where their conversation couldn't be overheard as easily. Plus, the smell of the food being prepared was making her stomach rumble.

How am I going to do this? Okay, she seems to already be infatuated with me, so focus! Just keep that fire alive. As they left the kitchen, Rafael noticed the soldier assigned to watch him was dozing off while standing.

They walked to the back of the mansion, where a small garden lay. Gardeners were busy trimming, cleaning, and tending to the plants.

"Stop!" The soldier suddenly shouted, running toward them. "What is it, soldier?" Ella asked.

The man positioned himself between them, trying to protect her. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone with this filthy criminal. Step away from milady Ella!" He threatened to draw his sword.

This bastard was sleeping when we left the kitchen, and now he's trying to cover his mistake. If Frederic found out, hehe…

"Stop that! He's not a filthy criminal, and I was the one who called him here!" Ella tried to push the soldier aside, but he stood firm like an immovable stone wall.

"You don't have to say things against your will, milady. I know he dragged you here to do God knows what." The soldier was ready to draw his weapon if necessary.

Meanwhile, Rafael casually observed the man trying to atone for his mistake by making another one. He stood still, arms crossed, with a smile on his face.

"I'm ordering you to stop!" Ella's voice was a mix of anger and fear. By now, servants and gardeners nearby had started to gather, curious about the commotion. The soldier hesitated, knowing that angering the baron's daughter could lead to his torture or death.

"Pardon me, milady, but I'm following Baron Frederic's orders to watch him because he's dangerous. Please understand I'm doing this for your own good. He's sly and can trick you."

And now he's fabricating lies. Rafael rolled his eyes. "Everything he's saying is a lie. He's just frustrated that he fell asleep when he should have been watching me."

"Shut up! Stop spreading your lies in front of milady!" The soldier drew his short sword and pointed it at Rafael, who simply ignored it.

"What—No! I'm ordering you to stop!" Ella shouted, now half-angry and half-afraid.

More people had joined the onlookers, including the commander of the guards responsible for securing the mansion and Frederic's family. He had been summoned by a servant who saw the escalating situation.

The soldier, caught between anger, fear, and doubt, looked around and saw his commander approaching. Feeling cornered, he knew he couldn't back down without bringing shame to his title as a soldier. Rafael noticed the man shift from hesitation to determination. Here we go again…

The soldier attempted to kick Rafael, but was surprised when his foot met nothing. Everyone watched in amazement as Rafael easily dodged the attack.

"I'm giving you an order! Stop!" Ella continued shouting, but the soldier, now wearing a confused expression that quickly turned to anger, ignored her. He couldn't believe a mere cleric was defying him and even managed to evade his attack.

"Stop it. Milady Ella invited me to talk," Rafael said calmly, clearly unbothered by the soldier's outburst. However, the soldier only grew angrier at his indifferent tone.

When he glanced toward his commander, he noticed the man looking between him and Rafael, his right eyebrow raised. More soldiers emerged from inside the mansion, following another servant.

I could just comply and walk away, but how could I waste this perfect opportunity to win her over? She's the on—Oh shit! Rafael saw the soldier spin around and try to slash at him with his short sword.

"Ohhh!" Everyone gasped as they watched Rafael dodge yet another attack from a trained soldier. They knew if it were them, the slash would have landed.

Why isn't anyone stopping this idiot?! Rafael thought, growing increasingly annoyed by the situation. As if in response to his thoughts, someone finally spoke up. "Stop right there, soldier." The commander stepped forward, flanked by three more soldiers.

Seeing the respect the soldier showed toward the commander and how the other soldiers stood behind him, Rafael deduced that this must be their officer. "You, return to the barracks immediately."

"...Yes, sir." The soldier wanted to say something but decided against it.

"Thank you, sir, for stopping—" Ella began to say, but was cut off by the commander's next order. "Take him and lock him up."

"Fuck." Rafael cursed.