novelI want to live next door to her house (7)
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Chapter 69: Chapter 69 I want to live next door to her house (7)
Dylan also had greater talents than his peers, so Badge had many expectations of him. He had such a good name among the imperial knights for his excellent swordsmanship that he could aim for the premier position Lottea, the best Imperial Knight, some day.
Of course, that would be impossible as long as Badge himself would not retire.
Badge said with a mischievous look, "Hey, Dylan, let me ask about that woman in your book."
Dylan grabbed the drawing book, smiling at him.
"Are you really not going to tell me who she is? Don't be so heartbroken, man! Hurry up and get married. If you don't, you will go the same way as I..."
Befitting his status as Lottea, Badge, who had been deeply in love with swordsmanship, reached a marriageable age a long time ago. Until now, he didn't care what others said about his not finding a girl. But he became impatient when he found his rival Lard Schroder was dating a woman.
"I feel it is right when they say you have to marry when the time has come."
Badge murmured to himself when he felt embarrassed to see Dylan's face growing dark.
"Did the woman in your picture not accept your proposal? Hmm, I think she didn't. The woman in your drawing has quite an arrogant image. Like that woman I met yesterday. Ah! That woman really looks like the woman in your drawing. Now I think I know why that woman was so familiar to me."
As if he regretted recalling that woman only now, Badge looked at his drawing again.
At the moment, Dylan grabbed his arm. Badge looked surprised at this junior knight's rudeness.
"Sir Enos! What did you say now? Did you see a woman who looked like my drawing?"
Dylan's blue eyes trembled wildly, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes, yes. If I remember correctly, she does."
Noticing his embarrassed expression, Dylan urgently turned the pages in the book. He found a portrait of a woman with a slight smile before turning over a few pages. It was an unpainted picture. Dylan again turned over the canvas book and found a colored drawing this time. A woman was smiling brightly, holding a begonia flower.
"Does she look like this woman?"
Badge looked into the drawing and hardened his face.
"Well, yes. Her face looks more hardened than this woman here, but they look quite alike.
What's the matter, man?"
"Where did you see her? Do you know her name? Olivia, Olivia Hazlet. Is this name correct?"
"I don't know her name... By the way, why are you so excited about this woman? I'm getting embarrassed."
Dylan clenched both fists. Badge's testimony alone that he saw a woman resembling the woman in his drawing made his heart sink. His heart began to pound hard.
He said with a trembling voice, "... This is a woman I have been desperately looking for until now."
As soon as he heard it from Badge, Dylan headed straight for the 1st Knights Division building.
Badge didn't know which family she came from or what her name was. In fact, he only knew that she was the woman who had disappeared with Lard in the Brugonu forest where there was a big disturbance last night.
Badge tried to get hold of Dylan and struggled to calm him down, who wanted to see Lard and find out if his companion was the same as the woman in his canvas.
Looking back, Badge felt that the woman didn't look like the woman he saw the night before. He tried to dissuade Dylan from making trouble many times in vain, even reciting the imperial knight's code of conduct, but all his efforts failed. As Dylan wouldn't listen to him at all, Badge gave up.
Dylan stood in front of the executive office of the 1st Knights Division with a hardened expression.
The fact that she was Lard's companion complicated his thoughts, 'How come she is Captain Lard's companion?'
Dylan thought that there was no chance that Lard's woman was Olivia.
In his memory, she went into hiding completely. He couldn't imagine that she appeared with Lard at the hunting contest. But as he heard about her for the first time in two years, Dylan had no choice but to rely on the unexpected clue that Badge gave him.
At the same time, he dearly wished she was the same woman.
'How long have I been searching for her? How desperately did I try to find her?'
"I'm Dylan Lennox with the 2nd Knights Division. Can I see Captain Lard Schroder?"
When he entered the office, he smelled the strong scent of ink first. He was bold enough to ask to meet the captain, but it wasn't as easy as he thought. Dylan also knew that, but he couldn't give up.
"What business has brought you here? Did you make an appointment with him?"
One of the knights on standby at the entrance of Lard's office looked at him strangely.
"I'm here to ask him something. Can't I see him briefly?"
"He is tightly scheduled. So, please leave."
"It's very important to me. Can you confirm if he is in the office or not?"
"He is not here. Ask for a formal meeting with him according to the rules. I won't tolerate your rudeness anymore."
The knight gave him a cold look, asking him to get out. Standing for a little longer, Dylan left the building with reluctance. He assumed that he would not have left the palace as he heard that Lard was in charge of interrogating Altarin because of the accident last night.
"Haa..."
Dylan sighed deeply. He knew he acted rudely, but she was the woman he had been trying to find desperately for the past two years. He found himself easily excited and swayed by even a small clue about her whereabouts. He clenched both fists again.
If Lard's companion was Olivia, if the woman who had a hard time in the forest was Olivia, she would have found it very difficult to endure as a woman, though she was rescued safely.
Dylan sought to calm down, recalling the terrible thing yesterday that he heard from Badge.
The woman might be a total stranger to him, but he was so nervous even at the slightest thought that she might be Olivia.
So, Dylan waited until it got dark outside. He was ready for the possibility that he might not meet Lard. He knew it would be more wise for him to ask for a formal meeting when he was in the office the next day. Nevertheless, Dylan could not leave because the name Olivia was hovering in his ears.
At that time, he saw somebody talking to each other. A group of knights were seen walking towards the building.
Blonde knight Jean said, looking at his boss with a worried expression, "Captain, please go back home tonight. Let me get the wagon ready for you. I'll keep an eye on the movement of the Scholters family. So, please go back home and take a nap."
Despite his persistent request, Lard didn't listen and walked toward the building.
Dylan Lennox stepped forward as they were coming closer. At that moment, Lard cast a glance at him. Their eyes met. Their eyes glowed with a cold light. Dylan urgently saluted him when Lard was passing by him and stopped him.
"Captain Schroder!"
Lard stopped at his call and looked back at him. Obviously, Lard, exhausted from the long interrogation of Altarin, was annoyed when he remembered that he was the knight that he had encountered at Jerus Hall.
"My name is Dylan Lennox with the 2nd Knights. I have come here to ask you something."
One of Lard's deputies tried to stop Dylan, but Lard raised his right arm towards him.
Lard opened his mouth, staring at him, "Tell me what you want to ask."
"I would like to know the woman's name who accompanied you to the Burgonu hunting competition. I know I'm rude, but I've come here to find if she is the same woman I've been looking for a long time. Please answer me."
Normally, Dylan Lennox would not have acted rudely like this. How could he visit the knights division and ask its captain about his partner's name? No excuse could justify his attitude. But as far as Olivia was involved, Dylan could not remain calm. Even if the other party were the emperor, he would be ready to ask.
"... How rude you are! I have no reason to give you her name. Go away, " Lard resolutely said. From the moment Dylan talked about his companion, Lard's face became hardened.
"Captain! It's more important than anything else to me. If you can't give her name, please check it against the woman's name I know!" Dylan said, stopping him.
Lard looked at the young knight's face coldly. Dylan also looked at him face to face without avoiding his eyes.
"Olivia Hazlet. This is the woman's name that I know. Is that the same person?"
Lard blatantly expressed displeasure. Dylan Lennox with the 2nd Knights? He was the same knight he met at Jerus Hall, who was hastily pursuing Wendy. Obviously, Dylan showed the same impatience in his face as that he did at Jerus Hall.
"No, it's not the same name, " he answered with a displeased tone.
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