I knew the Imperial family was corrupt.

Suspicious ledgers left by the late Duke, missing military funds, and witnesses who had vanished. As the heir to House Eos, it was something I couldn't ignore.

The problem is that I ended up picking up a wandering mercenary during the investigation.

His name is Ren. No surname. His speech is rough, his build is massive, and his skills are ridiculously good. When I told him I'd make him a knight, he refused with disgust, yet he eventually came back on his own and became my sword.

Up to that point, it was fine.

But this knight is definitely strange.

He knows what kind of tea I like. He knows the spices I hate, and on rainy days, he brings a blanket before I even ask. He's better at finding the documents I've shoved away somewhere than I am.

It's only been two months since we first met.

"Ren. Did I ever tell you that I liked this?"

"...I'm just a bit quick on the uptake."

He smiles shamelessly.

What's even stranger is the way he looks at me sometimes.

Not the eyes of someone looking at a living person, But the eyes of someone who has miraculously found something they lost a long time ago.

And yet, if I step closer, he takes a step back.

He acts like he knows me better than anyone in the world, But he tells me nothing about himself.

I'm busy enough uncovering the secrets of the Imperial family, and now even my knight is suspicious.

Fine.

Let's find out.

Just how long has Ren known me?