Surveying the food on the plate, the black-haired wizard twitched his throat violently.

The tender, butter-fried, wine-scented veal brisket is a star-studded starry moon against a backdrop of potatoes, carrots and celery.

If you touch it lightly with a fork, you can also feel that the meat texture is delicate and tender, flexible and elastic, just like a girl's calf.

The soup exudes bursts of heat, rolling up the richness of red wine and the aroma of bay leaves, and the stewed tomatoes melt into the soup, clear as water and red as blood.

Taking a deep breath, Loren pursed the corners of his mouth, raised his arms, and lifted the knife and fork......

Three, two, one!

"Hoo ............"

With a long sigh, Loren, who gritted his teeth, lowered his head and sighed, put down the knife and fork in a desperate way, and looked at the delicious food on the plate with great regret.

He really can't eat it... Especially when a pair of eyes on the other side are staring at themselves with an almost murderous gaze.

At the other end of the long table, a solemn countess was straightened and pursed, equally indifferent to the delicious food on her plate—as if she was more interested in how to kill a dark-haired wizard with her gaze, or let him die in shame.

"Why, our Lord Duke is not satisfied with the dishes tonight?" Charlotte snorted lightly, and then said coldly, "I'm sorry, but if you can make it on time, we would have had time to re-prepare." ”

"No, no, no, I'm very happy with today's dish - beef stew in red wine, it's perfect!"

The black-haired wizard stiffened his head and said, "That's it, why do we use such a 'long' table, aren't you tired of talking?"

As the words fell, the black-haired wizard with an embarrassed smile gestured between the two of them—a huge long table, and the two of them sat almost one behind the front door, the other by the back door, with the entire dining room in between.

This "special" dining table is made from at least three long tables.

If it weren't for his eyesight, Loren would hardly have been able to see Charlotte's face across the table!

"Of course it's necessary, it's for the sake of your identity. Charlotte said in a serious way: "Usually the length of the table is because there are other guests, and there are only the two of us at today's dinner. ”

In other words, it's a test of etiquette – only by paying full attention can you see each other's expressions and hear what each other is saying. ”

Well, it's reasonable, it's convincing, and it's the head.

The moment her words fell, Loren was very sure that the corners of Charlotte's mouth curled, and then she tried to hold back desperately.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong this time. In the face of Charlotte's "prank", the black-haired wizard very decisively chose to raise his hands and surrender: "Please forgive me for my previous mistakes, as well as all my future mistakes in etiquette and keeping my promises." ”

"Hmph... It's pretty much the same, and the courage to admit mistakes is also a noble virtue. ”

Charlotte, who succeeded, was a little proud: "Speaking of morality, I think you... Well, what do you mean to make mistakes in the future? Are you still unrepentant, or are you... What are you going to do?!"

By the time the countess reacted, it was too late—the black-haired wizard, who had lifted a chair and a plate, was walking towards her without saying a word.

The shocked countess seemed to be completely stunned, her stunned expression as if she froze, and she watched Loren walk straight away.

"Smack!"

The chair and plate fell heavily at the same time, and Charlotte, who heard the sound, trembled like a frightened rabbit and instinctively shrank back.

Looking at her like this, Loren sighed... Replaced by the countess who had just met in the imperial capital a few years ago, I am afraid that at this time she has already put a sword on her throat.

Time is such a wonderful thing.

"Nothing, admit mistakes. ”

Loren, who sat down calmly, leaned forward, looked at Charlotte who was restrained and nervous, and desperately resisted the urge to laugh: "I think it's too insincere to be so far away and can't apologize to you, so I decided to come over and apologize in front of you." ”

"Well, as long as you're willing to accept my apology, I'll sit back — I promise. ”

"I, I ......" Charlotte, who was frightened but tried to stay reserved, her breathing was so disordered that she couldn't even finish her words, and finally took a deep breath, avoiding Loren's gaze while trying her best to keep herself from losing her temper:

"Dear Duke, I accept your apology - in return, how about you sit back as soon as possible?"

But the black-haired wizard is still very patient, or rather... The interest of playing continues, and the sudden discovery of Charlotte's weakness is almost like finding a new land for him.

"Hmm... I felt that it was just an apology and did not show my sincerity. With a gentle smile, Loren shook his head in the eyes that almost really wanted to kill him: "Gotta be a little more sincere." ”

"I think it's the greatest 'sincerity' that you sit back in your seat as soon as possible and don't let others find out that you are so rude. Charlotte, who was desperately suppressing the fire, smiled a little hideous.

"Really, then I'll be more sincere......"

"More sincerity? Huh?!"

Charlotte froze.

Like a frozen puppet, it didn't move, except for the slightly trembling eyes that gradually looked down at him.

More precisely, before the mouth.

The black-haired wizard, who had picked up a piece of brisket, brought it to the countess with a spring breeze, and smiled:

"Eat it, and I'll accept my apology even if you accept it. ”

The countess, who finally reacted, was annoyed and angry, her face flushed like a ripe apple, and the six gods were at a loss, but they just glared at the duke viciously.

But the black-haired wizard's shame was clearly far more than she could have imagined.

"Loren Turin, you ......"

"If you don't eat it, I'll keep holding it. The black-haired wizard laughed even more, and the novelty of the game made him a little craving:

"Guess what someone would think if someone suddenly barged in and saw this at a time like this?"

The countess froze... Second.

Despite Charlotte's growing excitement, Loren smiled and waited for her to make a choice.

Against Charlotte Turin, who likes to be serious and attaches great importance to etiquette and form, this kind of unfinished routine may be the most effective way to rectify it, and she must be ...... anyway

"Smack!"

Well?

Feeling the force of the fork, the black-haired wizard woke up violently, and when he looked up, he saw Charlotte, whose cheeks were ripe, staring at him fiercely, biting the fork viciously.

This time, Loren was stunned.

The embarrassed countess took a bite of the beef and chewed it hard—as if it was not beef, but ......

"Are you satisfied, my lord, are you satisfied?!" Charlotte, who swallowed the flesh with resentment and anger in her heart, glared:

"Breaking the rules, no lower limit, shameless... Humiliating me in this way makes you very happy and proud, isn't it?!"

The elegant voice is extremely sharp in the empty restaurant.

"Absolutely not!"

Loren decisively vetoed.

"So what the hell are you... Huh?!"

In the middle of speaking, the vigilant Charlotte noticed the black-haired wizard's fork and picked up the second brisket, and immediately blushed and glared at him: "You actually ......"

"I'm... What?" Raising the corners of his mouth teasingly, Loren put up the fork with the beef and hovered in the center of the two: "The meat is here, it's your choice to eat it or not." ”

"My choice? It's obvious that you're using shameless means to blackmail ......"

"No, it should be your choice. The black-haired wizard chuckled, "Charlotte, you care too much about what others think of you. ”

"The gaze of others will seriously affect your way of thinking and behavior - etiquette, rules, rules, these are the armor you protect yourself, but when others break this armor, you are often tied up. ”

"Well, like now. Loren gradually retracted his smile: "That's why you're restrained in the face of little Yode, because you care too much about what others think, and you care too much about what I think." ”

"I did it because ......"

"Because he's my man... So what?" Loren raised his gaze: "He made a mistake and crossed the line, and he deserves to be punished." ”

"If he dares to bully you, then kill him. ”

Charlotte was stunned for a moment at Loren's burning gaze, and then sneered, with a look of utter disbelief.

"That's a nice thing to say, but actually?" the countess snorted, "He is a close confidant of the Duke, the most powerful assistant by his side, and the money bag of the Duchy; One of the thirteen vassals?"

"Little Yode... He is a suspicious minister, a conspirator full of bad water, and a profiteer who has been defeated by me and will be defeated by me in the future. The smiling Loren looked at her and shook his head solemnly:

"How can we compare to our noble and elegant, peerless elegance, crisscrossing the dining table, and holding the pearl of wisdom in the crowd?"

"The most important thing... Charlotte, you're my friend, and this is something he definitely can't compare. ”

"Don't forget, your surname is Turin, and so am I. ”

The countess was silent, and her mood gradually stabilized.

Friend?

The trance-like mind brought Charlotte's memory back to the early morning of three years ago.

Three years... Even after three years, I still can't understand the "truth" that Loren Turin said, and everything is still unreal.

Could it be that he and he will be a second history repeating itself, or really... Want to play the role of "Charlotte" again?

Right now......

"Huh?!"

A hand suddenly pressed Charlotte's shoulder, and the countess, who came back to her senses, looked at the black-haired wizard's expression in amazement - a nervous Loren squinted his eyes, half-crouched at the table, and his right hand had already pressed the hilt of the "bright silver" sword at the waist.

Half a second, the countess immediately understood the situation.

"Anyone?"

"Hmm. Loren, who tensed his body, turned his head sideways and stared in the direction of the door:

"We... Here comes the guests. ”

.......................................

"Whew——!"

Outside the main gate of the Red Blood Castle Palace, the newcomer Demon Hunter who was standing guard yawned tiredly, looking up at the full moon above his head, his expression extremely helpless.

He knew what a rare opportunity it was to stand guard for the Duke, and he knew what a glorious addition to his resume, but......

"It's really... It's not what I want. ”

The complaining recruits muttered quietly, sighing boredly.

Carl Colin on the side looked at him silently and didn't say anything.

The battle at the peak of the clouds was obviously a few months ago, and the appearance of the new soldier Martin who died tragically at the hands of the Evil God Apostle was still vivid in his mind.

I really don't want to see a second time in that kind of scene.

But I won't see a second time - I will be sent to the Grove by Lusn to lurk in the Deepwoods to guard against the invasion of the Azorean elves, a task that cannot be entrusted to a recruit.

Of course, he can also understand the real thoughts of Captain Luson - this kind of extremely high-risk and difficult work is simply suitable for a "double agent" like himself and a capable guy.

So as long as tonight passes, I can say goodbye to these hot-blooded, simple and stubborn guys forever.

After tonight......

"Poof!"

A voice so faint that it was almost undetectable alerted the witcher's instincts.

There was a chill at the back of his neck, and the alert Carl Colin remained motionless, only his gaze slightly skewed, moving to his side little by little.

The eyes twitched slightly, and the witcher's pupils contracted violently.

That recruit... The recruit who still can't even name himself... He was looking at himself with a look of horror, his eyes looking at each other in panic and uneasiness, but his body stood still, not even moving.

His mouth opened, but not a word came out;

In the next second, the recruit who wanted to say something still couldn't tell him what he wanted to say.

Because his head is missing.

No, it's not gone... Because the witcher could clearly hear the sound of something falling on the ground, and the touch in front of his toes.

Grunt, rolled to his feet.

There were no columns of plasma, no creepy convulsions, and the recruit's "corpse" collapsed to the ground as if it had suddenly "fallen asleep," without the slightest movement.

As if the recruit was no longer a living person, but a column, a sculpture, an ornament ... A girl with a childlike innocence, a doll with a broken head.

Behind him as he fell, a petite figure appeared.

Her long hair was as white as snow, she wore a simple, thin robe, a scabbard in her left hand and a long knife in her right hand, and her eyes were covered by bright red satin by her small pointed ears.

I can't see my eyes, I don't have expressions... The indifferent elven girl raised her blade lightly and slowly put it into its sheath.

"Again... Cut down something meaningless. ”