‘Yeah, you were always that kind of person. Military principles, duty—none of that matters to you, does it? All you care about is building your achievents, making a na for yourself, and earning enough rit to secure the position of Supre Commander.’
The voice was undoubtedly his own, yet it felt unfamiliar. Like a flood bursting through a broken dam, the mories he had buried surged forward all at once.
When Hayes had brought up that incident, how had Theo felt? Like the ground had disappeared beneath his feet, leaving him unable to think. That day, instead of tending to Luke’s wounds, he had lashed out with harsh words, spitting them with nothing but contempt.
Why hadn’t he asked first? Why are you here? What are you thinking? Why hadn’t he tried to understand the situation before condemning Luke? Back then, his anger had clouded his usual reasoning.
And so, he had failed to notice.
Failed to see the look in Luke’s eyes as he stood there, not even attempting to refute him. That tired, defeated expression—now that Theo thought about it, it had been the face of soone who had been wounded.
Realizing his own feelings for Luke had made him arrogant. And now, he was paying for it.
"…"
Theo clenched his fist against the table. Now, he understood. Luke hadn’t snuck into the mbren War out of so selfish ambition. There had been a reason. He must have had his own thoughts, his own purpose.
But Theo hadn’t trusted him. He hadn’t even considered listening to him.
"It’s in the past."
That sa look—Luke’s quiet, exhausted expression—overlapped with another mory. That ti, when Theo had left him standing alone on the hill. When Luke had temporarily rejoined the military as an advisor, so of the officers and soldiers had sent him nothing but disdainful, judgntal glances. Theo had been so furious at their narrow-mindedness that he had issued direct orders to curb their hostility.
But what about himself? Could he really say he had been any different?
Without so much as an apology, he had brazenly asked Luke for help.
"How pathetic."
Theo let out a self-deprecating laugh. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Commander, Officer Fail has arrived."
"Send him in."
Theo slowly rose from his seat and walked to the table in the center of the room. At the sa ti, the door opened, and Fail entered, his face slightly tense.
"Good day, Commander."
"Yes. Sorry for calling you in so suddenly."
"N-not at all."
Fail swallowed nervously, his eyes briefly scanning the office that still felt impossible to grow accustod to. Theo gestured toward the seat across from him.
"I called you because I need to have an important conversation with you."
"What kind of conversation, sir?"
Fail averted his gaze as he asked the question. He couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of discussion the Supre Commander would want to have with an ordinary soldier like him.
"Fail, what do you think of Luke?"
"…Pardon?"
Fail’s expression instantly darkened. The unexpected question caught him off guard, and he hesitated, but Theo simply waited for his response with a steady gaze.
"I… I don’t really know."
After much deliberation, Fail chose the safest, most ambiguous answer he could. If he tried to avoid the question, he might end up saying sothing unnecessary.
Silence fell between them. Theo lowered his gaze to the floor before nodding slightly.
"You spent your leave in Kailum at Luke’s estate."
"Yes…"
"You managed his als, helped with the gardens, and even reported the unidentified beast that Luke found near the Kailum branch."
Fail tensed but nodded in agreent.
"But weren’t you rely being used by Luke?"
"That…"
"As I reviewed the events, sothing felt unnatural. A subordinate wouldn’t harbor positive feelings toward a superior who abused his power and forced him into criminal activities. Yet, your actions in Kailum suggest the opposite."
Fail squeezed his eyes shut. Even while staying in Kailum, he had feared that Theo might notice sothing and had considered leaving Luke’s estate. But Luke had covered for him, claiming he had only kept Fail there to make use of him. That had allowed him to dodge suspicion—until now.
Of course, Theo’s sharp instincts hadn’t dulled with ti.
Fail had known sothing was off the mont he was summoned. His fingers fidgeted anxiously. Because this conversation was inevitably going to lead to that.
"I’ll be blunt. Is there sothing I don’t know about this case? What’s the truth?"
Fail let out a short breath. I knew it.
"There’s… nothing, sir."
Fail denied it imdiately. Luke had wanted that chapter of his life to remain closed. Even when Fail had been angry enough to spill the truth to his fellow administrative officers, Luke hadn’t wanted it.
It was as if he didn’t want anyone to know what he had really done, what had been on his mind that day.
And Fail wanted to respect that.
"Fail."
"…"
A heavy, almost oppressive voice fell over him. Theo didn’t need to say anything else—his tone alone was enough to make Fail shrink back.
"If you know sothing, you need to speak up."
"I-I really, I don’t…"
"This is a direct order. Are you refusing to obey the Supre Commander’s command?"
Fail flinched and looked up in alarm. Theo rarely showed anger, but now, his expression was hard, radiating overwhelming pressure. The sheer weight of his presence made Fail’s shoulders tremble.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Disobedience was a serious offense in the military. As the suffocating atmosphere pressed down on him, Fail’s face grew paler. But just as he was about to panic, Theo’s sharp gaze softened slightly.
"…I’m sorry."
"Sir…?"
"I didn’t an to intimidate you. To make a subordinate afraid… it ans I’ve failed as a commander."
Theo let out a deep sigh and, uncharacteristically, ran a hand through his hair. Fail blinked in surprise.
"When it cos to Luke, I lose my composure."
Theo wiped a hand down his face, his fingers pressing into his forehead as if trying to suppress a headache. His every movent was heavy with frustration and concern.
"I should be asking you, not ordering you."
"A-a request, sir…?"
"Fail, Luke is arrogant, insatiably ambitious, obsessed with his achievents, and willing to use any ans necessary to secure them."
"…"
Fail didn’t agree, but he didn’t refute it, either. He knew that was how most people in the army saw Luke.
"But that isn’t who he really is."
"…Excuse ?"
Fail’s mouth fell open slightly. His voice ca out as a stunned whisper, but Theo simply nodded, as if he had already expected that reaction.
"He cares about others. He can’t ignore soone in need. He is thoughtful, diligent, and more upright than anyone I’ve ever t."
Fail was speechless, only able to stare at Theo in disbelief. His eyes practically asked, How do you know that?
"For a long ti, I failed to see Luke properly. But when I reunited with him in Kailum, my perspective changed. It started with simple curiosity—I just wanted to know what kind of person he truly was."
Then, after facing countless crises together, after being tangled up in his life again and again, Theo had uncovered a different side of Luke.
"No, that’s not it. I didn’t just learn about him—I discovered the truth. Luke is far greater than I ever realized. And I want to treat him with the care and respect he deserves. That’s why I need to know."
Once Theo finished speaking, Fail remained silent. He seed lost in deep thought, trying to decide how to respond.
"Fail, I’m not asking as the Supre Commander. I’m asking as a man who truly cares about Luke. Can you tell the truth?"
Theo was desperate. He didn’t want to hurt Luke any more than he already had. If Luke was wounded, then Theo wanted to be the one to nd that pain.
Perhaps he was being selfish—prying into sothing Luke clearly wanted to keep hidden. But if he could get closer to Luke’s heart, then he didn’t care.
"You don’t need to ask so earnestly, sir. I…"
Fail hesitated, overwheld with emotion.
"I’m not worthy of this kind of trust, Commander."
His voice no longer wavered. He had made his decision.
"Luke saved . He took the bla for sothing he didn’t even do."
The hesitation in his eyes had long disappeared.
Reviews
All reviews (0)