Even though Yunho had tried to quell his anxiety the past few days, he truthfully still inwardly worried about the Grand Duke and the squad that had embarked earlier.
It wasn't like he had expected them to leave and come back the same day, but every night that passed where they didn't come back, Yunho's anxiety spiked.
The entrance of the base opened, and the galloping of horses could be heard. Yunho wasn't at the front of the crowd, but he could still see the heads of the people riding in.
He raised his fingers to count. His heart felt like a sledgehammer with each tally, but then...
"Everyone came back!"
Yunho rejoiced. There had been no casualties. His words hadn't led anyone to their death!
Relief washed over him, but Yunho couldn't help but chuckle on the inside. It felt a little comical how different his worries were now compared to his original life.
The group rode in on the horses, and the crowd of people cheered for them. Eventually, everyone left to let the returnees get situated and avoid overwhelming them.
Yunho was also leaving, but just before he left, he decided to get a look at the Grand Duke. Yunho felt weirdly ashamed about wanting to, but he couldn't help himself.
Dorian was riding at the front of the group, and though he looked uninjured, he had a tired look on his face. None of the returnees looked well-rested, especially the temple worker, who looked both tired and still a little frightened.
The average temple worker rarely left the temple, so it made sense why seeing battle would be quite a jarring experience for her.
Yunho was observing the Grand Duke unabashedly when he saw the man's head begin to turn his way. That startled Yunho out of staring, and he quickly stopped dawdling. It was about time for him to go help out at the canteen anyway.
The canteen worker who had fallen ill was close to recovery now, so today would likely be Yunho's last day at the canteen. It wasn't like he was being kicked out. Mr. Jon made it clear that he was free to continue helping out anytime, but there just wouldn't be as much for him to do.
Yunho hurried to the canteen and walked to the door to the kitchen, knocking three times.
The door quickly creaked open. As per usual, it was Mr. Jon. The man smiled at the sight of Yunho and let him inside.
Unlike his usual station of giving out bread, Yunho was assigned to help Mr. Jon with prep work in the kitchen.
His job was to knead the dough and alert Mr. Jon whenever the soup pot started boiling. He occasionally also had tasks of putting back certain items and putting ingredients in the pot.
Yunho enjoyed the peaceful repetitiveness of the work, and both mealtimes passed without any hiccups.
"Okay, now, it's our time to eat!" One canteen worker exclaimed. Yunho peered out from the kitchen. Some of the canteen workers were setting up a couple of the tables.
Mr. Jon came out with the remainder of the soup and bread and placed it on the table. The man also had a tea kettle and passed out cups to everyone.
Yunho happily took a cup. Despite only knowing Mr. Jon for a few days, he had become quite acquainted with the man's love of tea and treats. So he knew that if Mr. Jon was offering tea, Mr. Jon also had some treats for them.
Just as Yunho predicted, Mr. Jon went back into the kitchen and came back out holding a tray of checkerboard cookies.
"You all have been working so hard lately, so I wanted to make something special." Mr. Jon said.
All the canteen workers excitedly thanked Mr. Jon and began their meal.
Yunho filled his bowl with soup and sat down at the table. The other canteen workers sat all around and chatted to their heart's content.
The topic of the Grand Duke and the squad that set out returning safely quickly came up.
"Ah, I was so relieved when they all came back. The General's really far braver than I could ever be," one canteen worker commented. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Yunho was quietly listening to the group conversation when he heard a whisper into his ear.
"Are you close with the Grand Duke?"
Yunho felt a shiver down his spine and a sense of déjà vu. He turned to his side. It was Drelle.
Yunho raised an eyebrow, causing Drelle to raise his hands up to his chest in surrender jokingly.
"I don't mean anything by it. It's just... I know that day the Crown Prince wanted to talk to you, and you are the brother of the high priestess even if we treat you regularly here. So, I was wondering if you knew the Grand Duke," Drelle said.
"I just know him as my General, so it'd be interesting to see your perspective. Natural curiosity." Drelle continued, grinning.
"I didn't know you were the gossiping type?" Yunho questioned.
"Hey, I never said it was for gossip. But don't insult gossip; it's an ancient art." Drelle quipped.
Yunho narrowed his eyes but acquiesced. He had already answered that question recently, so he didn't have to ponder a response.
"Well, the Grand Duke and I are acquaintances. We interact sometimes ever since I moved into his territory, but I wouldn't say we're close companions."
Drelle nodded and didn't push further.
Finally, it was time for dessert, and the tray of cookies was moved to the center.
Yunho was excitedly reaching for a cookie when Drelle suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Where did you get that bracelet?" Drelle asked.
His expression was hard to read, but his gaze seemed intently on the silver bracelet on his wrist.
"Oh, it's a protection bracelet. I got it from... my sister," Yunho answered. He was startled by Drelle's sudden action, but he saw no risk in telling him. Though, calling Irene his sister felt awkward despite it being the truth and widely known knowledge.
"The High Priestess gave it to you?" Drelle asked.
"Yes? Is there something wrong?" Yunho questioned apprehensively.
"Oh, it's nothing. It just looked really interesting. I can tell it's a strong spiritual item. I have a good sense about these things." Drelle said, letting go of Yunho's arm.
The man sat back down in his chair and didn't say anything else.
Yunho looked at the bracelet on his wrist. It was meant to be an item of protection, yet it felt more like a shackle.
"Irene really does seem like she's trying to get rid of her grudge against me, though. Even the temple workers I pass have stopped giving me as many death stares, so I think she's putting in a good word for me. But still..." Yunho thought.
Yunho sighed. It's not like he could get rid of the bracelet, so he was left to believe in her sincerity.
"Anyway, I don't even think the high priestess' holy power can be used for nefarious purposes; at least the original novel mentions nothing like that." The thought reassured Yunho.
The canteen workers' mealtime and festivities eventually came to an end, and after cleaning up, everyone began to go.
Their meal had taken longer than usual, so the sun was already down. Some of the canteen workers decided to just stay in the backroom for the night, since they didn't feel like walking in the dark.
Yunho decided not to stay. The sun had only set a little bit ago, so it was still navigable. Just as Yunho was leaving the canteen, Drelle ran up beside him.
"Actually, I live near you, so let's walk together," Drelle said.
Yunho stopped and looked at him.
"Really? Where?"
"Building 5. You already know, but buildings 4 and 5 are pretty close. So, I see you around often. That's how I knew where your room was. You've never seen me?" Drelle answered.
"Oh, I guess I don't pay a lot of attention," Yunho supposed.
"It's alright," Drelle said, following Yunho out the canteen.
The two men began their walk back to their rooms. The walk was quite uneventful, and eventually, Drelle had to split off towards building 5.
Yunho peacefully continued his walk to building 4, but as he approached the building, he noticed that someone was standing at the entrance.
Yunho's heart froze, and he stopped in his tracks. But the person only began walking towards him. Just when Yunho was about to run, he heard the person's voice.
"Iris, it's me."
It was the Grand Duke.
Relief washed over Yunho, and he walked over, now not scared but instead confused about why the Duke was standing outside his building.
Yunho looked up at the man's face, and it was indeed Dorian. But, Yunho couldn't help but see the tiredness written all over his face. He had already seen it earlier, but now up close, Yunho could see the extent of the exhaustion.
"Well, why is your grace here?" Yunho asked.
Dorian sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"To beg for your services again."
Yunho raised an eyebrow.
"...Can you be more specific?"
Dorian leaned down to Yunho's ear level, his red eyes looking softer with fatigue.
"I miss having a pillow."
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End of Chapter 39