Chapter 16: The Iron Knight and the Boy (Part 2)

Words : 545 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 16: The Iron Knight and the Boy (Part 2) He wasn’t a bad man. In fact, he was a good commander who genuinely cared about his subordinates. He was strict, yes—but never unfair. He showed no mercy when it came to battle, but he wasn’t cold-hearted. He was brave, but never reckless. He hated corruption and, although he wasn’t the most flexible man, he was honest to the core. But... there was one problem. His eyes. Those cold, emotionless, iron-hard eyes. Those eyes alone ruined everything. No woman could bring herself to flirt with him. The children would cried just from being near him. Even grown men froze up and backed away in fear. Louis was sure he wasn’t the only one who’d seen magical beasts run for their lives the moment that man glared at them. There had even been a time, apparently, when His Majesty had tried to bring Dominic closer—wanting him to serve as the Captain of the Royal Guard. And honestly, Louis could understand the idea. From a distance, Dominic really was a feast for the eyes—almost like a living work of art. There were even rumors that the king had hoped Dominic might one day become head of the entire Knight Order... or even Commander of the whole military. It would’ve been a dream job. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But what did Dominic do? He looked straight at His Majesty and said, "Your Majesty, are you truly sure about someone like me? Wouldn’t my presence by your side bring you discomfort?" He had stared at the king with those same unflinching, icy eyes. Not even a trace of a smile. His face perfectly blank. His Majesty’s face had reportedly twitched with unease... and after that, he gave up trying to make Dominic a royal guard. Even Louis—who was often called a carefree airhead with flowers blooming in his brain—couldn’t bring himself to meet the captain’s eyes. Whether giving reports or just having a conversation, Louis always avoided eye contact and instead focused on the captain’s mouth. From the outside, people often admired how easily Louis could talk to the captain. But that ease was the result of conscious, constant effort. Still, Louis always felt that someone had to stay by the captain’s side. If not, the man would be left completely alone. No one else dared to approach him, so someone had to step up as the go-between. He had said it many times, and he’d say it again: the captain wasn’t a frightening man. Not really. And probably not nearly as cold as people thought, either. Louis truly believed the problem was just that the man didn’t know how to show emotions. That was all. ...Though, honestly, there were moments when Louis felt his belief waver—just a little. And now that very same captain was refusing to let go of the boy he had found. Even inside the commander’s office, the boy sat squarely in his lap. On his lap. Still. Sure, the boy had been seriously injured, so there was an excuse not to let him walk. But even so, keeping him in his lap like that was a bit much. There were limits. Besides, the boy clearly looked uncomfortable. He obviously wanted to be let go.

Chapter 16: The Iron Knight and the Boy (Part 2)

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