Looking for My Fiancé’s Lover

“Haha! Lockherd, my proud son! You look quite decent for someone coming back from the front line.”

“Well, it’s all the same there.
How has mother been?”

“Not that good.
I often had nightmares about something bad happening to you, but all is well now.
Since you came back healthy.”

Lockherd laughed out loud and gave mother a light hug.

“Hey, Rick.
How is your academy life? I see that you’ve gotten taller, but everything else seems to be the same as before.
I heard you were appointed as a professor, but somehow I feel like you’ve become more brazen.”

“And you, my brother, are no different.
Anyone looking at you would think you have gone study abroad in the southern continent.”

“You mean that I’m still handsome?”

“It means that you have gotten burnt black like coffee beans.”

“You’re joking like a professor now.”

I turned my gaze to the floor.

What do I do? With what expression and what voice should I use when meeting Nezar?

Contrary to my worries, my turn did not come.
Because Lockherd, who had hugged Rick tightly, skipped me and stood next to Nezar.
Upon recognising his face, father greeted him with a voice full of joy.
My head was lowered so I couldn’t see his face, but they must have shaken hands.

“Congratulations on your victory, Your Highness.
This is a very significant conquest that will go down in the history of the Caval Empire.
His Majesty the Emperor must be very proud of you.”

“I’m flattered.
It’s all thanks to the count believing me and entrusting me with Lockherd.
If it wasn’t for Lockherd, I wouldn’t have anyone trustworthy to support me from the back.”

“What are you saying? You at the front line were darting about from place to place on your own-…”

(Thud). With a dull hitting sound, Nezar’s voice was heard again.

“But I haven’t seen Kate.
Is she feeling unwell?”

In an instant, it became silent, as if my surroundings were empty.
My parents didn’t say anything, and even Rick, who was standing next to me, didn’t even snort at me like how he usually should.

I was dumbfounded! My face flushed red and I raised my head.
It was a swift movement, so the two men standing in front of me shifted their eyes immediately.

“What are you talking about? I’m here…though? Don’t treat me like someone who doesn’t… exist!”

He was taller.
There was no reason for his body to remain the same, so of course his stature had grown higher.
It was a given, but it was not all.
Nezar, whom I met after five years, seemed like a different person.
Not to mention his shoulders, neck, arms, and waist were all of a decent grown man now.

The same went for his straight nose bridge, eyebrows, and jawline.
Unlike before, when the boyishness remained, he exuded a lofty demeanor that was sharply fierce and unapproachable like a hawk.
His dark red eyes, which used to feel passionate, were now seemingly laid a huge typhoon waiting for the right time to make its sweep.

Nezar’s eyes met mine.
An intense sensation crawled up my back to the point where I felt as if time had stopped for a while.

“Milady… No, you’re Kate?”

His expression, which was once composed, had become strangely distorted.
The momentary changes were embedded in my eyes one after another like a panorama.

I couldn’t understand Nezar’s question.
Who else could be Katrina beside me? Could it be that he didn’t even recognise my face? As soon as I came to that conclusion, the area around my neck was boiling hot.
I could not even sleep looking forward to today’s meeting, but ‘someone’ didn’t even recognise my face?!

I was so grumpy that I did not even bother to keep a smile on my face.
I shut my lips tight and crossed my arms.
Before long, I lifted my chin and glared at Nezar, carefully observing his expression.
I could see the crease on his forehead slowly unravel.
However, it was quick to wrinkle again.

It was then that Lockherd trudged over, reached out his two hands, and pulled my cheeks.

“This can’t be it, it makes no sense.”

What-, what?! As he bent down with no reason at all, I had to face him so close that the tip of my nose could touch his.
Lockherd’s reaction was a bit more aggressive than Nezar’s, but it was not necessarily worse.

“This is the tomboy? Hey, Kate, say something again, anything is fine.”

“I don’t want to.
Are you ordering me around now that you’ve received a title?”

“Judging from how harsh she is, she must be Kate…”

He was grabbing my cheeks and scruntinising me from every angle as if it was an object appraisal.

Perhaps it was because he had been on the battlefield for a long time, but unlike before, each of his movements was rough without properly controlling his strength.
I could tolerate my neck starting to feel stiff, but I absolutely couldn’t stand it when my makeup came off.

“Aren’t you going to let me go? How can you annoy people right away when meeting them after 5 years?”

I grabbed his rock-hard wrists and pushed them with all my might.
It was bound to happen, but it’s still such a pain that he didn’t even budge.

“She’s real.
I was so surprised that my jaw dropped on its own.
What on earth is this, mother? Originally in Ezelot, do women shed their skin from generation to generation?”

At that, Lockherd moved his hands from my cheeks to around my waist and lifted me up as if I was a child.

What the hell is going on?

The expansive view of the party hall spread out in front of me in a matter of seconds.
When I saw the top of the guests’ heads gathering like a swarm of ants, I suddenly feel nauseous.

“Looking at her like this, I think she’s a bit heavier-…”

No, this is too high! I raised my hand to cover my mouth, suppressing my scream.
And without hesitation, I kicked Lockherd in the stomach.

“Argh!”

As soon as I landed on the ground, I hid behind Rick’s back.
I couldn’t even find the time to talk to Nezar because that crazy guy was doing insane things again.
He really was of no help in my life!

“Tsk tsk, you always pick on Kate and end up earning a hit, Lockherd.
It seems that I was mistaken to think that you would have grown up.”

“Ugh, but it does feel good to be with the whole family again after a long time.”

While Lockherd grunted hugging his stomach, Rick turned around to grab me by the shoulders and pushed me forward.
To be precise, it was to Nezar’s front.
Aside from the fact that it was an unintended situation, above all, I had to look up at Nezar with a stiff expression because I couldn’t find stability in my mind and body.
He was as calm as the surface of a lake without ripples, unlike his complex expression from moments ago.

“His Highness Nezar has something to say to Kate, so brother, please go with us and tell us about how you’ve been doing.”

“What are you talking about? I have a lot to say to Kate, too.
In fact, it’s so much that it’s almost overflowing.”

“But won’t you just show Kate some consideration and mind your action?”

Rick then grabbed Lockherd by the scruff of his neck and disappeared.
Mother and father also followed behind them, smiling lightly.
Nezar and I were left alone in the middle of the fancy and noisy party hall.
Just the absolute worst.