Becoming Number One with Confession Attacks - Chapter 58
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#58
Aiden’s eyebrow moved slightly.
“You know it well.”
It had been a long time since she heard his voice up close. A familiar yet unfamiliar feeling. There was a strange coldness embedded in his tone.
The kind of tone that felt like a wall one would naturally put up when speaking to someone they’d just met.
Nevertheless, there was a strange vitality in Aiden’s eyes. Sonnet lowered her gaze for no reason and said.
“It’s a scent I used to like.”
“If you used to like it, does that mean you don’t like it now?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s connected to someone I no longer want to remember.”
Aiden had taken many things from Sonnet. He made summer the worst, and even took away the scent she used to love.
Aiden didn’t answer and just stared at Sonnet intently. Sonnet opened her mouth without looking at him.
“Why do you keep using Itar Region mint?”
It was a question that came out from pointless resentment. Aiden didn’t answer immediately.
When Sonnet looked up in puzzlement, she met his calm, deep blue eyes. She felt a strange emotion. As if something was sprouting somewhere around there.
He didn’t avoid her eyes. As if trying to capture this moment. Sonnet became tense as if her whole body was being bound.
Just as she was about to turn her head away, a calm, settled voice rang out.
“Because I like it.”
“….”
“I like it because I like it.”
Sonnet’s heart suddenly churned. She remembered what Aiden had said before. It was the same back then too.
Sonnet had asked why Aiden liked tea from the Itar Region, and Aiden had said he liked it because the tea had a refreshing scent and sweet taste.
Back then, she had found it puzzling that Aiden, a high-ranking noble, liked that tea so casually.
But Aiden had said those words. That he liked it because he liked it. Without any grand reason.
“Come to think of it, we said we were friends but we’re still speaking formally to each other.”
His tone rose slightly at the end. When Sonnet flinched and looked at him, there was a strange smile hanging on his lips.
“You still won’t tell me your name?”
His gaze as he looked at her with a slight tilt was somehow stimulating. Sonnet frowned for no reason.
‘Did Aiden originally treat women like this?’
Even though she had pretended to be someone who bothered him by following him around, Aiden still showed curiosity. Sonnet suddenly took a step back.
“I’m not an important person in the Commander’s life, just ordinary, so there’s no need to know….”
“You know that makes me want to know even more, right?”
When Sonnet’s eyes widened in surprise, Aiden laughed. For a moment, he looked like he did in summer. That smile that looked particularly fresh on that sweltering summer day.
“Good work.”
Aiden smiled leisurely and passed by Sonnet. Sonnet’s heart beat uneasily for some reason.
She remembered that time. When Aiden had accepted her confession. When she had unintentionally gotten entangled with Aiden.
When Sonnet belatedly turned around to look, Aiden was already out of sight.
Then Gellen came running from far away. When he spotted Sonnet, he waved his hand widely.
“Senior!”
Sonnet let out a light sigh and turned around. Gellen had already caught up to Sonnet and was breathing heavily.
“Senior, did you already finish taking pictures?”
“No.”
Sonnet held out the camera to Gellen.
“I didn’t take a single one.”
Gellen’s face darkened for a moment.
“Was there nothing to research?”
“I didn’t even go inside.”
“What?”
“I’ll head back first.”
“Senior, then what about the pictures….”
Sonnet only turned her head to look at Gellen.
“You try taking them yourself.”
It was also time for Gellen to handle things on his own. They had to come back tomorrow for another survey anyway.
Gellen smiled brightly and bowed his head deeply in greeting.
“Get back safely!”
Sonnet walked while pulling her coat tighter. The cold she had forgotten about seemed to hit her all at once.
***
“A welcome banquet?”
Sonnet asked again in disbelief. The soldier who had just delivered the news nodded.
“Our Commander has specially prepared this occasion.”
At the mention of Commander, Sonnet was still dumbfounded. She had visited various military units before, but none had welcomed her to this extent.
Moreover, strictly speaking, Sonnet and Gellen weren’t in positions that warranted such a welcome.
They had simply come to conduct research since a dungeon temple was discovered, and they hadn’t contributed anything to the First Kingdom Army.
“Gellen and I need to return to the research lab….”
“You don’t need to worry about that. We’ve already contacted the Royal Research Institute and made arrangements. You can comfortably use this place as your lodging.”
This was completely unexpected.
“The research lab isn’t that far from here….”
“The Commander has put a lot of thought into this. It’s not far to the research lab, but he thought you might find the travel time wasteful when conducting research, so we’re specially providing you with lodging.”
The soldier answered skillfully as if he had received instructions from Aiden. Gellen, who was beside them, smiled brightly and looked at Sonnet.
“Senior, isn’t this good for us? You always wished we had lodging right next to the temple.”
Gellen’s words weren’t wrong either. Places with ancient temples were usually far from residential areas, so they had to stay for long periods each visit, and sometimes even camped nearby.
Still, Sonnet couldn’t quite accept it.
“We’re civilians, so no matter what, staying here is….”
“The Commander has also issued special visitor passes for both of you. We don’t usually give these to civilians, but since you came here to conduct research, he said to stay comfortably.”
Sonnet couldn’t believe this situation. When she remained still, Gellen’s eyes widened as he spoke loudly.
“Senior, if it’s a special visitor pass, it seems like they really think well of us. We should definitely go, right?”
“….”
“And rather than going back and forth to the research lab for no reason, wouldn’t we finish the research faster if we stay here? Since they even gave us special visitor passes, refusing would be impolite too.”
The soldier in front nodded and smiled faintly.
Sonnet looked at the stopped carriage with a stiff expression.
They had just finished their initial field survey and were about to head back.
But a soldier riding a black carriage had blocked their path. With shocking news.
Gellen looked at Sonnet’s expression and said.
“Senior, in all the military units and various places we’ve visited, nowhere has treated us this well.”
Then he spoke quietly enough for only Sonnet to hear.
“It’s even the First Kingdom Army! If they’re offering to treat us well and we refuse, wouldn’t that put Professor Aldoren in a bad position too?”
Sonnet’s eyebrows furrowed further. Gellen’s words made sense too. Still, Sonnet couldn’t readily give an answer.
A welcome banquet. It strangely seemed like an occasion Aiden had deliberately created.
‘But why?’
That’s what Sonnet was most curious about. She had deliberately not told him her name and tried not to appear before Aiden, so why was he showing curiosity now?
Sonnet couldn’t understand what was in Aiden’s heart at all. Moreover, he was still engaged to the Princess, and there was even talk of marriage.
“Senior?”
When Sonnet turned around, Gellen glanced at the soldier in front of them.
“He says the Commander is waiting right now. He said this is the first time the Commander here has waited this long, so what should we do?”
Sonnet felt her chest tightening.
“Senior?”
Gellen turned to look at her urgently, and Sonnet answered with determination.
“Go.”
“Where to?”
“The welcome banquet.”
There was no avoiding it now. She had already encountered Aiden, and he had even gone out of his way to arrange this occasion. There was no justification for refusing.
Because then it would really look like she had some kind of relationship with Aiden. So all Sonnet had to do was act like she didn’t know Aiden.
Once she had made up her mind, Sonnet strangely felt at ease. Gellen also seemed relieved at last, smiling brightly as he got into the carriage.
Despite its grand name, the welcome banquet didn’t have many attendees. When Sonnet entered the main building dining hall, she hesitated.
Aiden was sitting alone at the large table. He had been looking at the food indifferently, but when he saw Sonnet, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.
“You came.”
Unlike before, he didn’t speak informally to her. Perhaps it was because Sonnet had never dropped her formal speech with him until the end.
Sonnet greeted him with an expressionless face and sat in the seat the servant guided her to.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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