The Person I Loved Hated Me - Chapter 7

Isaac, a member of the military of the Cartiver Kingdom and the Royal Knights, is a squad leader in charge of ten units totaling two hundred men.

This time, at the request of a western lord, he was dispatched with half that number. Ten units to subdue a band of thieves that had grown too large.

Perhaps because he had selected seasoned troops accustomed to rough work, they suppressed and captured the thieves without any major issues. After receiving the lord’s gratitude and returning, Isaac reported to his superior and dealt with the work that had piled up in his absence. By the time he finished, it was already late at night.

He had used a subordinate to inform his only family that he had returned safely as planned and that he would be late due to various tasks. However, he hadn’t imagined it would be this late.

The moment he finished his work, he remembered Clara and grew anxious, thinking she might be waiting up for him. As he hurriedly prepared to leave, the door to his office was suddenly knocked.

He had been away from home for a long time and was worried about his sister. He didn’t want to be assigned new work at this hour. To show he was fully intent on leaving, he grabbed his belongings and opened the door himself. Standing in the dark hallway was Eivard.

Isaac was taken aback by the unexpected visitor.

This man, who always seemed to interfere, was from a high-ranking noble family and was exceptionally capable.

He was the only one Isaac, skilled in swordsmanship and close in age, could challenge to a serious duel. Despite his noble birth, Eivard was amiable and treated even his commoner-born subordinates without discrimination, earning their respect.

Except when it came to Isaac.

Eivard always spoke harshly to Isaac. Lately, he had even begun disparaging Clara as “the child of a mistress” and calling her “a wicked woman who seduces men, just like her mother.”

Isaac was used to whatever was said about him, but when it came to Clara, it was a different story.

Still, why did such a capable and respected man change his attitude so drastically only toward Isaac?

Isaac thought he must have done something terrible, but he had no idea what. He had no recollection of any wrongdoing.

He doubted it was because he had been promoted to squad leader first.

For one thing, Eivard had been the first name mentioned for the vacant squad leader position.

But because Eivard’s family interfered, the higher-ups decided that the Trulin Marquisate, which was close to the royal family, should not be allowed to wield power in the military.

Isaac’s promotion was a measure to advance a capable commoner first and prevent the Trulin Marquisate from meddling in military affairs.

Thus, Isaac had no choice but to accept the promotion.

In fact, even long before the promotion, probably not long after they first met, Eivard had been hostile.

Isaac had once asked him about it, but all he got in return was a glare from that beautiful, hate-filled face.

So, when he saw Eivard standing there, Isaac, who had just returned from an expedition and worked until late at night, felt exasperated, expecting another round of criticism.

Wanting to hurry home, he considered ignoring him and walking past. But then Eivard, furrowing his brow, fixed him with an intense gaze and said, “I need to talk to you.”

Normally, Eivard would abruptly make a sarcastic remark, but this time he prefaced it with “I need to talk to you.” The intense gaze didn’t feel like hatred but rather like some kind of resolve.

Sensing the difference, Isaac assumed something important must have happened and asked, “What is it?”

“I have to report something about your sister.”

At the mention of Clara, Isaac instantly lost his composure.

A report? Thinking Eivard had done something to Clara, Isaac threw down his belongings and grabbed Eivard by the collar.

“What did you do to Clara?!”

Isaac’s angry shout echoed through the empty hallway. Eivard, grabbed by the collar, made no move to shake him off, accepting the violent act.

“Three weeks ago, she was attacked by a man named Ahim.”

“Wha—?!”

Understanding immediately, Isaac released Eivard’s collar and instead gripped his shoulders tightly.

“Her condition?!”

“She was injured, but she’s fully recovered now. From what I can see, she seems fine, but as a young woman, she must be in shock.”

“Any lasting effects?!”

“None.”

“What kind of injuries?!”

“Bruises all over her body, lacerations on her arms and legs. Her left cheek was swollen from being punched, but it healed completely in a few days, even without a doctor.”

Though they shared the same parents’ blood, Clara was small and slender, unlike the muscular Isaac. To think she had been punched by Ahim, a large man who was also a former knight.

“Wh-what were the circumstances when she was found?”

Imagining the worst, Isaac tightened his grip on Eivard, praying.

“She was chased into a back alley and, when caught, was pulled down. She wasn’t sexually assaulted. When I heard her scream and rushed over, Ahim was carrying her.”

“You saved her?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Thank you! I owe you one!”

“No, I was just doing my job…”

“If you hadn’t noticed, it would have been terrible. So, what about Ahim? He was released, right?”

In this world, merely injuring a woman by punching her didn’t warrant much punishment. Ahim had been stalking Clara for years. Part of the reason was that Isaac had pointed out Ahim’s misconduct, so he was relieved that Clara was safe and had been rescued.

“Ahim is on the run.”

“On the run? What do you mean?”

“We were pursuing an illegal drug organization. We suspected Ahim was involved, so we let him lead us to the ringleader, who we captured the other day. We’re currently working to cut off the supply routes for the illegal drugs, but unfortunately, Ahim escaped. There’s no trace of him leaving the capital, so he’s probably hiding somewhere.”

“I see…”

So, his former comrade had finally sunk to joining a criminal organization. Though they had worked together only briefly, it was deeply disappointing.

“Anyway, thank you for saving Clara. Tell me more tomorrow.”

“Ah, wait…!”

Eivard seemed to want to say something else, but Isaac, wanting to see with his own eyes that Clara was safe, picked up his dropped belongings and ran off at full speed.

In no time, he reached his home for the first time in a month. In his haste, he couldn’t get the key into the lock properly. As he fumbled, the lock clicked from inside, and Clara burst out.

“Welcome home!”

“Clara! You shouldn’t open the door without checking who it is!”

Her cheerful voice, happy at his return, and the sight of her leaping into his arms relieved him, but he scolded her for opening the door without verifying the visitor late at night.

“I saw you running from the window. Welcome back!”

It seemed his adorable, beloved sister had been waiting up for Isaac’s return. She must have been glued to the window, waiting and waiting. She must have been lonely. Touched, Isaac hugged Clara tightly.

“I’m home. Sorry I’m late.”

“Are you hungry?”

“I ate, of course.”

The Knights had a cafeteria that fed its members at any hour. They also had dormitories, and most unmarried knights, regardless of rank, lived in the dorms.

But Isaac had Clara, so despite some inconvenience, he rented a room in the city.

“I heard you were attacked by Ahim. Are you okay?”

After closing the door and locking it securely, Isaac ruffled Clara’s hair, checking her head and visually inspecting her entire body. Clara protested, “Stop, you’ll mess it up!” but she was laughing.

She seemed perfectly fine, and he felt relieved.

He hugged her tightly once more and sighed with relief. “I’m so glad.”

“Lord Eivard saved me.”

“So, I heard. I just got the report and rushed back.”

He wished he had been told sooner, right after he returned. But if he had, he would undoubtedly have abandoned his work and run to Clara. And if she weren’t there, he would have panicked and stormed into the workplace.

The attack had happened three weeks ago. Clara had returned to her normal life, and for him to lose his composure and neglect his duties as squad leader would have been highly inappropriate.

Knowing Eivard, he must have calculated precisely, waiting until Isaac had finished his work.

It was then that Isaac finally noticed something odd.

Why would Eivard act in a way that benefited Isaac?

He knew Eivard was diligent in his work and not the type to abandon someone’s sister, even if he disliked her brother. But normally, he would have left the rest to his subordinates. Especially Eivard, that would have been expected.

Or he would have pointed out Clara’s recklessness in running into a back alley and made a harsh remark.

“Did something happen between you and Eivard?”

“He’s a wonderful person.”

Clara squirmed in Isaac’s arms.

Eivard was exceptionally handsome and popular with women. The fact that he paid them no attention only seemed to add to his appeal but surely not.

“I think I’ve fallen for Lord Eivard.”

His sister, blushing and lost in some dreamy thought, stood before him. At the sight, Isaac felt the blood drain from his face.