Chương 17: Who are you?

"Blackmoor's borders?" A knight stood tall in the center of the room, clad in flawlessly polished armor, his hands folded neatly behind his back. The heavy steel plates caught the light in muted glints, each segment fitting seamlessly over an athletic, well-balanced frame. His dark blue hair, tinged subtly with black, fell with disciplined neatness around his temples, framing a handsome face carved with calm restraint.

His matching eyes—deep, oceanic blue—were steady and focused, holding the quiet confidence of a man long accustomed to the weight of chaotic battlefields and the silence that followed them.

"Yes. There have been some strange events happening near the borders that separate the Highfen dukedom and the Blackmoor dukedom." Duke Valric Blackmoor sat behind a vast oak desk, square glasses resting neatly upon his composed features. His black hair, styled with restrained volume and swept back in careful order, framed a face that bore neither impatience nor softness.

"Take your squad there and investigate," the duke ordered, leaning forward.

"If you encounter any unusual phenomena, report back immediately. In the meantime, I will contact Duke Highfen." The knight bowed formally.

"I shall depart immediately."

Inside the moving carriage, Rose and Noa sat opposite one another. The interior swayed gently with the rhythmic cadence of hooves striking the dirt road, the sound steady as a heartbeat beneath their quiet conversation. Perhaps because of curiosity—no, it was definitely curiosity—Rose found herself wanting to ask who Noa was. The urge felt childish, almost embarrassingly so, like a child pressing eager fingers against the spine of a forbidden book simply because it had not yet been opened.

It's fine to ask a question, right? If he were like certain prideful royals she had served, such curiosity could cost her dearly. It was a clean 50/50 gamble between a harsh reprimand and a genuine revelation.

"Sir, may I ask a question?" Noa had been staring out the window, watching the sprawling farmland roll by in soft green waves while distant forests rose in layered silhouettes beneath a pale sky. He turned his head slowly.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Who… are you?" The question lingered between them for a few heavy seconds, unanswered. Who am I? Noa blinked once, then leaned his head back against the cushion.

'This time, don't worry about what side others think you belong to, and don't exhaust yourself trying to be right or wrong. Just be completely honest with yourself, and do exactly what you desire.' A smile appeared on Noa's face as he remembered his mother's words from four years ago.

"A piece of shit, a brother, a son, and a partner. Just call me whatever you want," he said, smiling happily. This wasn't an attempt at humor; it was exactly how he viewed his own existence. He knew the precise shape of his own shadow and had long since stopped pretending it belonged to someone else. He didn't despise himself for it either—because why would he hate himself just for being who he was?

He was a brother to the little girl who hadn't let him collapse into loneliness that day, a partner to the woman who mirrored his soul like the matching half of a broken blade, and a son to the warmth that prevented him from drowning in his own mind.

"Huh?" Rose's brows knitted together in utter confusion. A piece of shit? A partner? What is he talking about? A single drop of sweat formed on Rose's cheek. That wasn't even close to the reply I expected.

"I meant your connection to Lady Vionette," she clarified carefully.

"Oh, that's what you meant?" His dark purple eyes turned back toward her, reflective like the onset of twilight.

"I'm Vionette's partner." Partner… wait. Partner?! What the hell?!

"What… do you mean by that?" Rose's voice cracked slightly in sheer surprise. Noa tilted his head, watching her sudden panic in confusion. Oh… I guess being the partner of a princess who is technically a queen is some serious shit. The edge of his lower lip pulled down into a deadpan expression. I didn't really care about her royal title. Even when I did, I forgot about it after seeing how Lina and Mom treat her.

"Geez… calm down a little."

"Oh—ah. Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty." What the fuck. Did she just switch from 'sir' to 'your majesty' after I said that?

"Rose," he said, his voice dropping into a lower register, "do you know why I came here at Vionette's request to be her partner? And why I agreed to it?"

"…Why? I don't know… Because of wealth?" She offered the most logical answer she could produce.

"That was a part of it, sure, but not exactly. When I first crossed over to this world, I came here to enjoy my life with complete freedom." Noa's gaze drifted right back out the window—staring far beyond the physical fields and forests, looking past the land itself.

"And when I say 'enjoy my life,' I don't mean collecting a lot of money and living peacefully." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Crossed over to this world? What is he talking about now?

"I don't want to take control of everything. I want entertainment," he said, flashing a smirk that looked exactly like the ones Rose remembered seeing on Vionette's face.

"Entertainment where everything is under your control is so boring. So… I want you to just act normally around me, like a friend would. Not like a servant who just says 'yes' to everything out of fear. Just keep it professional when it actually matters. You know, I like having friends—heheh." He chuckled softly. Rose stared intently at him, her lips parting to speak, but her movements stopped mid-motion as a memory of Vionette from a few months ago sparked in her mind.

'Rose, from now on, just calling me Lady or simply Vionette is enough. No need for the 'Your Majesty' part. Tell that to every other servant in the palace, too.' She remembered how those pink lips had smiled that day.

'You see… I like having more friends than servants.' …He is just like her. A warm smile curved Rose's lips. She remembered how Vionette would allow Seliora to openly scold her—despite possessing the authority to silence her permanently. It wasn't rigid authority that bound their inner circle together; it was affection.

"Alright, then I wi—" She cut herself off mid-sentence as she noticed Noa staring blankly into nothingness.

"H-hey, stop that!" She reached across and tightly grabbed his head, shaking it back and forth.

"What?! What?!" His eyes widened in confusion.

"Sigh." Rose released her grip slowly, her expression turning dead serious.

"Don't stare too long… The void has a way of recognizing only its own." Her tone shifted entirely, devoid of any teasing.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Noa raised an eyebrow.

"Not everyone who looks into the void comes back as their own self." Her golden eyes darkened significantly.

"When the void fails to recognize your name, it strips it away and gives you a new one… A name without language."

"Hey! Explain it in a way I can understand!"

"Have you ever heard of people turning into monsters before they die?"

"Uhh… No?"

"They are rare cases, but whenever it happens, destruction follows." Her voice narrowed to a sharp whisper.

"The nothingness is everywhere and anywhere. And when people stare too much into it, it answers back. It forcefully strips away the illusion that we were ever meant to remain a 'self'." But… I saw something. Noa's throat tightened slightly.

A few moments ago, Just as Noa had been asking Rose to speak casually, his eyes had accidentally drifted into the distant emptiness of space—focusing on no physical object or person.

"!!?" Suddenly, without a shred of warning, the entire world vanished into thin air. The wooden carriage, the rolling fields, the sky, and even Rose herself completely disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a heavy, pitch-black emptiness. Then—he saw them. Three distinct silhouettes that looked vaguely human, yet were completely coated in dense darkness, walking slowly ahead of him into the expanse. What… are those things?

He couldn't make out a single detail of their faces, yet he could feel them suddenly turn back toward him, wearing wide, joyful smiles, right before they started sprinting toward him. CRACK!

"H-hey, stop that!"

It was strange, but Noa did exactly what he always did whenever he encountered weird things—he ignored it and continued to move with the flow of the moment.

"Whatever," he muttered, leaning comfortably back into the carriage seat.

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes," Rose replied, glancing past the swaying window curtain.

"We have arrived at the Blackmoor Dukedom." Blackmoor's streets were broad and orderly, paved in dark stone that was veined faintly with shimmering silver. Jewelry shops glimmered beneath beautifully carved wooden signs, open food stalls released plumes of fragrant steam that drifted lazily into the air, and weapon storefronts displayed ranks of polished blades and spears in neat formations.

Noa stepped down from the carriage as a lively wind brushed past him, warm and playful, tugging lightly at his clothes as if testing his mood.

"Yohoo! Blackmoor!" Noa shouted, stretching both of his arms straight toward the sky. His overly dramatic posture earned a handful of curious, judging glances from passing merchants.

"Hey Rose, what kind of places are around here to have some actual fun?" Rose stepped down from the carriage step gracefully, automatically smoothing down the fabric of her maid uniform before answering.

"We are going directly to the duke's mansion," she said bluntly.

"We are not here on a vacation, Lord Noa."

"Huh?" Noa's arms slowly dropped to his sides, his energy completely evaporating a second later.

"Lady Vionette said," Rose continued, doing a spot-on, careful imitation of Vionette's tone, "'Don't let him go anywhere without me. He can't have all the fu—ahem! It will be problematic.'"" bruh." The single word escaped his lips, sounding completely flat and defeated. Noa stared blankly at Rose's back as she began walking down the street. Letting out a long, dramatic sigh, he quickly followed behind her, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. … He is kind, calm, and honest.

Is that why the princess chose him to stand by her side? Rose pondered silently to herself as they walked side by side through the bustling thoroughfare. They were currently walking on foot instead of riding the carriage because Noa had stubbornly insisted on 'seeing the dukedom properly.' According to him, 'arriving like cargo' was incredibly boring. He asked me to speak to him casually, he didn't argue much about heading straight to the mansion, and he speaks honestly. Rose smiled faintly at the thought.

Kind, calm, and honest… then why on earth did he call himself a 'piece of shit' earlier? She was misleading herself based on Noa's casual behavior, completely missing his chaotic side.

"Say," Noa asked, glancing sideways at Rose to break the silence, "aside from the capital, did any word or rumors about me reach this place yet?"

"I believe not."

"That's perfect."

"…Why is that perfect?" Noa flashed a childish smile and adjusted his tone to sound incredibly serious.

"Because Batman works in the dark."

"…what?"

"You won't get it, so don't worry about it—Mmm!" Mid-sentence, his footsteps suddenly slowed as his eyes caught something across the way. Across the street, right beneath the modest wooden overhang of a jewelry shop, a man was standing close to a woman. His hands were steady as he carefully fastened an elegant ear cuff onto the woman's ear. The woman laughed softly as his fingers gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. Noa's gaze remained fixed on the couple for a second longer than necessary.

"Rose."

"Yes, my lord?" She looked over at him.

"Do you have any money on you?"

"…Yes, I do, but why are you asking?" she replied, one of her eyes narrowing suspiciously. The instant the word 'yes' left her mouth, Noa quickly grabbed her by the wrist and aggressively steered her trajectory straight toward a jewelry shop.

"H-hey!" Rose stumbled half a step from the sudden pull before regaining her composure. The building was constructed of dark wood and was modest in size, its polished planks aligned with seamless precision. A simple sign hung squarely above the entrance, carved with lettering that had been darkened by the passage of time. Creak. The door opened with a soft, aged groan, a gentle brass bell chiming overhead to announce their arrival.

"Welcome. How may I help you?" an elderly woman standing behind the counter welcomed them warmly. Noa finally released his grip on Rose's wrist, stepping forward toward the counter.

"I'm looking for a high-quality earring for a woman." The old woman's eyebrows lifted slightly, a knowing smile spreading across her wrinkled face.

"Oho! Tell me, what are her specific characteristics?" Noa paused for a moment. His fingers unconsciously brushed against his own earlobe as though imagining the physical placement of the piece. His expression softened slightly—not visibly enough for a stranger to notice, but enough for Rose, who stood a step behind him, to sense the sudden shift. He pictured how those vivid crimson eyes warped whenever she was irritated, whenever she was plotting, and whenever she was enjoying herself.

He remembered the way that gleaming white hair flowed behind her like a gust of winter.

"White, shining hair," he said softly, a faint curve finally forming on his lips, "and piercing crimson eyes." The elderly woman studied his expression for a long, quiet second, then smiled.

"Oho… I see."