The Monster Knight wants Parental Leave

Even if they were the lowest of the low, she couldn’t fathom how the knights, who were meant to protect the empire, could display such a lack of commitment.

As the leader, Lucia couldn’t tolerate this.

A solitary vein bulged on her usually impassive face, devoid of any emotion, and a smirk formed at the corners of her mouth.

Those who watched her shuddered.

The dark monstrosity of madness.

The twisted smile of the dark monster was the aspect of the leader that even enemies feared the most.

Upon witnessing this, the members became startled and shouted.

“Wait, wait! Leader! We’ve waited a whole five years! Congratulations on becoming the Sword Master, but isn’t it time you considered those of us who have been waiting? Leader!”

“Yes, that’s right! We can’t endure unnecessary conflicts from other knight orders just because we don’t have a leader!”

“…I’m too lazy to get up in the morning.”

At Hiss’ words that shattered the solemn atmosphere, Vernon and Gilliana narrowed their eyes.

Lucia suppressed her anger at their clamorous complaints.

She had a rough idea of why they were behaving this way.

Despite being the infamous Black Knights, Lucia, the central figure of that notoriety, had abandoned her position for five years.

While the members, who came from diverse backgrounds, contributed to the lack of camaraderie, especially due to the leader’s strained relations with the nobility, it was common for them to face severed support or being disregarded by other knight orders.

These individuals had joined the Black Knights for their own reasons.

Lucia’s presence held significant weight in their circumstances, which is why they endured and waited for five years despite their frustrations.

Their journey with Lucia began from this point.

They might not recall it now, but the one who would remember their twenty years of collaboration and the profound bond they shared more than anyone else was Lucia herself.

As she reminisced about those memories, her heart softened.

Highly educated Vernon, Gilliana from a renowned family of chefs, and the undeniably gifted Hiss—though not all of them were present, if these siblings by choice were to collectively raise a child, child-rearing would be…

‘Even in moments like this, our destinies are intertwined.’

Lucia was moved as she gained a newfound appreciation for their presence.

And with a slow nod, she uttered,

“Leave the cleaning to me. There’s a reason for it. I’ll need assistance until I can return to duty…”

“Alright. Decision made. See you tomorrow~!”

“The food I brought is in the living room, okay?”

“…That’s all.”

Vernon, Gilliana, and Hiss had smoothly vanished through the window they had entered.

Those sly individuals had anticipated this outcome.

“…I need to get rid of these windows,” Lucia thought, her expression more serious than anyone else’s as she stared at the window.

Knock, knock…!! Knock, knock!!!

As if someone had suddenly remembered something, urgent knocks echoed from the entrance.

“They only think of using the door now…” Lucia muttered.

Opening the door, she found Berl, tears streaming down his face.

“Leader…! It’s been five years! I’ve diligently carried out the Leader’s work for all these years! How could you…! I’m extremely, extremely hurt that you didn’t even inform me!!”

Lucia’s already dwindling patience reached its limit.

“Go away.”

“…Huh? What?”

Lucia swiftly closed the door, attempting to maintain her composure as if nothing had happened.

The lonely footsteps of Berl faded away.

The training house, previously filled with noise, returned to silence once again.

Finally, Lucia felt a sense of familiarity in this place.

She let out a brief sigh, intending to take a nap with Nia. She tried to lock the door and head up to her bedroom.

However, before the door could be fully secured, it was abruptly reopened.

This time, unlike before, Lucia squinted at the brightness emanating from the door’s opening.

A handsome man stood before her, dressed in a pristine white robe, gasping for breath.

Despite his unconventional appearance, Lucia recognized him instantly.

He was someone she knew.

But his presence here was unexpected, something she had never anticipated.

Whether he had rushed here or not, sweat clung to his silver hair, trickling down his fair skin and staining his robe. His broad chest, concealed beneath the fabric, rose and fell with each labored breath.

However, his eyes, the color of golden twilight, remained fixed on Lucia, unwavering.

As Lucia, reflected in his gaze, prepared to speak, he interrupted her.

“Who is the father of the child?”

“Hahaha! Did you see the deputy commander? He was crying at the door when he joined us. Priceless!” Gilliana exclaimed, bursting into laughter.

“Why is he so foolish? Knowing the commander’s nature, she wouldn’t have opened the door,” 

Hiss nodded his head in agreement.

“Ah, but thanks to the deputy commander, these past five years were somewhat bearable,” Vernon added.

“Indeed. We’re fortunate to have such a dedicated person in our knight squad, surrounded by lazy bums like us,” they all agreed, acknowledging their own laziness.

“Uuuuuu~ But is the child really the commander’s?” Gilliana questioned, stretching her stiffened limbs after riding on horseback.

“Come on, how could that be? Our commander. The only time she gets close to a man is when she has a sword at the enemy’s throat…” Vernon shivered, his own words sending a chill down his spine.

“Hmm. Well, that’s true. But the child looked quite similar?”

“Tsk tsk, have you seen properly? Besides the hair, the child doesn’t resemble her at all.”

Vernon said, recalling the face of the child who was extremely guarded in the corner.

“Really? Did you actually see it properly? Are you picking a fight again, you brat!”

“Calm down, Gilliana. It doesn’t matter what the commander did. What’s important is that something exciting finally happened after these boring five years,” Vernon deflected Gilliana’s comment, a skill he had perfected over time.

“Well, that’s true. Regardless of what the commander does, we’ll always stand by her. But a child, huh? The commander never fails to surprise us,” Gilliana chuckled, reminiscing about the extraordinary episodes involving Lucia, who was far from ordinary.

But Hiss, who had been silently listening, murmured softly, “She has changed.”

His words caught the attention of the others, their joking demeanor fading.

“She tried to protect that child.”

Genius Magic Tool Maker, Hiss.

Although he is called that now, his hidden ability was unknown to anyone except Lucia.

And occasionally, he would make an indisputable comment.

“In what way?” Vernon, quick to pick up on subtle cues, probed further.

Before Hiss could answer, the thunderous sound of horse hooves echoed, shaking the ground beneath them. In the blink of an eye, the source of the noise raced past them and vanished into the distance.

“What was that just now? This road only leads to the commander’s quarters, right?” Gilliana exclaimed, ready to give chase.

Vernon swiftly restrained her with a hand on her shoulder. “It seems we should continue on our way. I believe that was the commander of the White Mage Corps.”

“What? Are you serious? Oh, what a shame. We missed out on a spectacle!” Gilliana pouted, genuinely disappointed.

“Well, that’s quite unusual. The empire’s most sought-after man… Our commander wouldn’t even notice if she were over ninety,” Vernon remarked with a hint of irony.

“Eh, no way. That’s a bit too much,” Gilliana chuckled, dismissing it as an exaggeration. However, Vernon’s words might have been closer to the truth than anyone realized.

And not far from their location, Berl, wiping away tears, approached them with an almost imperceptible presence.

Lucia was taken aback by his sudden visit. He was not someone she expected to see, especially considering the list of people who would visit during her parental leave.

It was Leon Ruins, a man often called an angel compared to Lucia, who was labeled as a monster of the empire. With his upright posture and impeccable manners, he embodied the image of a walking angel or a scripture, a complete contrast to Lucia.

But to Lucia, he was different. Unintentionally, he became her rival, always compared to her. While he was bright and kind, she was indifferent and arrogant.

Lucia spoke, observing him as he caught his breath. “What brings you here, Commander Leon?”

“I’ll ask again. Whose child is it?” he replied, seemingly unconcerned by her question.

‘He should have nothing to do with it. Could he be here to enforce the decree in place of the Duke?’

Lucia wondered, looking at his silver hair that glistened in the light, reminiscent of her father.

Her father, the Duke of the empire, was an enigmatic old man with extraordinary intelligence. Although Lucia had received the emperor’s permission for parental leave, she knew that if her conservative father got involved, it would inevitably lead to another dispute, undermining the legitimacy of her well-deserved break.

Like in the past, he remained one of the most bothersome people in her life.

“I’m under no obligation to tell you,” Lucia asserted.

“You should not answer like that in the future,” Leon retorted.

‘What did he just say…….’

Lucia was inwardly surprised by his hostile demeanor. They had never engaged in a proper conversation before. It was common knowledge that he was always calm and composed, a quiet figure.

But today, something seemed off about him. He appeared to be suppressing a storm of emotions, ready to burst forth. And then, he uttered unexpected words, “When I find out, I will definitely kill you.”

Lucia’s eyes widened in astonishment at his words. Perhaps he himself didn’t fully comprehend what he was saying.

‘Run away……. Why? Why with such an irresponsible and despicable man……!’

Jealousy, a sharp and poisonous emotion, coursed through him—a man who had never slandered or harbored ill feelings toward anyone.

This jealousy had been fueled by the information the emperor hastily shared with Leon just before his visit. “Ah, don’t be so naggy. Why are you asking me about the child’s father? Fine, I’ll tell you. The father of Commander Lucia’s child has actually run away. I’d run away too if I were scared. Ha ha ha!”

The emperor’s remark was far from the truth, just a casual joke in response to Leon’s persistent inquiries. However, it triggered a colossal misunderstanding in the earnest Leon, shattering his already disheartened spirit upon hearing about Lucia’s parental leave.

For the first time, Leon looked directly into Lucia’s eyes, unable to maintain his usual calm and avoid revealing his inner turmoil. Her serene blue eyes reflected a glimpse of his outrageous feelings.

In that moment, he was transported back to a day five years ago.

‘If I win this duel……. Will you grant my wish?’

‘As you wish.’

On a sunny summer day, he had boldly challenged her, aware that he could no longer contain his feelings. And he had lost, defeated in the duel. It was then that he truly understood—the vitality that surged through him when he wielded his sword, the emptiness that consumed him when the duel was over.

He realized the harsh truth that, beyond his own mediocrity, he could never captivate Lucia’s attention unless he shattered her sword, the only thing she knew.

He became disheartened, but he never gave up. He resolved to wait until the day she achieved the level she aspired to, hoping that a gap in her heart would emerge.

Little did he know that it would take a lifetime.

In the prolonged silence, he noticed the awkward expression on her face as she gazed up at him—a look he never wanted to see in her eyes.

Regaining his composure, he tightly bit his lip and swiftly turned around. But his movement wasn’t a step back; it was a resolute step forward, as if he could no longer afford to hesitate.

And so, he left, leaving Lucia alone, utterly speechless, as if a bomb had exploded out of nowhere.

‘Is he out of his mind? Why does he want to kill me for not revealing the identity of the child’s father?’