Evan D. Sherden, Reunion (5)

The first thing Evan did was to ask Maybell to bathe Luden.

Having done nothing but wander around for the past three years with nowhere to stay, she felt awkward being served by a maid, but somehow managed to wash and change her clothes.

“Uh… what do you say, teacher? I’ve grown up to be a man, so I realize that women’s clothes don’t suit me.”

“Stop using the expression ‘teacher’.”

Evan felt slightly perplexed when he saw Luden adorn a woman’s outfit. Was it because women’s clothes didn’t suit her? No way, it was the opposite.

This was because she was so beautiful that Evan felt like a fool to think of Luden in the game as a man.

‘You managed to hide your gender.’

The two pieces of red velvet and black leather skirts, which clearly revealed her delicate body lines, fit perfectly as if they were made for Luden.

With the maids’ help, the trimmed reddish-brown hair was made beautifully wavy and adorned her shoulders, which was very elegant. If beautiful women had not surrounded Evan, he would have been quite shocked.

However, Luden was already famous for her beauty compared to Evan in the game, so it was natural for her to be like this.

If Evan were to wear a wig and a skirt, everyone would mistake him for a woman. Of course, he didn’t have a hobby of dressing up as a woman, so he would never do that—never.

“It’s unbelievable that you were raised as a man in Merdin.”

“Thank you, sir…”

It was a compliment, but Luden didn’t know how to feel.

She grew up as a man since she was a child, so even if she heard that women’s clothes looked good on her now, she would not be happy with those words.

Evan, who had caught the subtle emotion that passed through her face for a short time, agonized for a moment. He asked her.

“…Do you prefer men’s clothing? Luden, you can dress up however you wish.”

“However I wish to dress?”

“Yeah, so far, you’ve been wearing women’s clothing for fear of the Demon tribes’ pursuit. But you don’t have to be afraid of them in Sherden. They won’t dare touch Sherden after what happened three years ago.”

The Demons had been completely defeated and annihilated by Evan three years ago. As long as Luden was in Sherden, the Demon clan could never aim for her. Even if they tried, they would be caught and killed by Evan.

“Isn’t that weird?” I can’t believe she wears men’s clothes when she’s a woman,” the maids gossiped.

Luden responded that she had never imagined Evan’s words. But when he saw Luden open her eyes, Evan just shrugged.

“Well, you can do whatever you want. Think and act freely. You just have to take responsibility for the consequences.”

“You say scary things sometimes.”

At Evan’s words, Luden replied with a bitter smile. She only talked about modern times’ universal logic, but she didn’t expect the response to be scary.

“But I understand you’re being considerate of me. Thank you, teacher.”

“You’re going to call me a teacher until the end, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and please speak comfortably towards me. I can’t let my teacher use honorifics.”

‘Should I consider her as strong or just stubborn?’ Evan sighed internally and nodded as he faced Luden looking straight at her.

“Well, I’ll drop the honorifics then.”

“Yes, teacher.”

Indeed, the two were similar in their status as high-ranking aristocrats and second heirs to the prestigious families that ruled the two dungeon cities, although they were from different countries.

However, Luden was now beholden to Evan, although she may not be comfortable. It might be better for her to build a solid relationship.

‘So, what do you want to do in the end? Dress up like a man? Or like this?’

“It’s true that this was a little harsh.”

After a moment of pondering, she replied:

“I’m a woman. I didn’t live as a man because I liked it. My life was full of lies, and even if it was more comfortable, I don’t want to lie anymore. So now, I accept myself as a woman.”

“…Okay.”

Perhaps she still had some complicated thoughts inside, but she had chosen to live as a woman anyway. Evan was not going to meddle anymore. But the resolution was soon furthered by Luden herself.

“Teacher.”

“Why?”

“Luden is a man’s name in my country.”

“What’s that…? Oh, I see. We need a new name.”

Luden spoke once more, looking at Evan with her head tilted.

“I want you to name me.”

“Your new name?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, your name…”

Another burdening task for Evan…

She didn’t have any relatives in the city now. The Marquis and Evan were the only ones who could be said to be close. He almost made a big excuse just for her.

‘If you don’t be more careful in the future….’

He murmured an apology in his heart and hurriedly scanned Luden’s appearance.

The red velvet color was the first thing that caught his eye.

It was actually not velvet. Red? No. Rosso? Rouge? The meaning of the word remained the same. ‘Then I’d rather twist it a little bit……’

“What about Louise?”

“Louise… I think that’s alright.”

Eventually, the words that popped out of Evan’s mouth were far from red velvet. But it was rather fine. She seemed content, too.

“Louise, Louise… Yes, that’s it.”

She was rolling the word ‘Louise’ around in her mouth several times, but she soon smiled softly and looked up.

“Then please call me Louise from now on.”

“…You’re amazing.”

“I’m not sure, but thank you for your compliments.”

A diamond on a dunghill was still a diamond, or should he say it was because she had been through a lot of hardships and conditioned to endure difficulties?

It would not be as easy as it sounded, like abandoning the name and accepting the new name, but Luden’s, or Louise’s, adaptability was quite hard to imagine.

The inhabitants of Earth knew such people to be of a ‘steel mentality’.

“Then, teacher, what should I do now?”

“First of all.”

He took another look at Louise. Putting aside all the tragic past and noble ingredients, it was just one girl who was in front of him who was both extremely poor and beautiful.

That was why it was a problem. However, it was impossible to escape from what was going to happen.

“Let me introduce you to Sherden’s Dungeon Knights, the Knights of Astray. Everyone will welcome you; most of them…”

“The Dungeon Knights are the talents that you brought up, right? I’ve heard about it. I’m looking forward to it.”

Evan just lied. He was sure the members would never welcome her.

However, he just smiled vaguely, unable to tell his new pupil, who shone with faint expectations of a new name.

* * *

“That’s why we have one more apprentice in Astray. Please give everyone a round of applause.”

“I’ve used the name Luden Merdin, but the name I’m Louise now. Please take good care of me.”

“Oh….”

“Louise….”

As Evan expected, there was a cold breeze blowing at the headquarters of Astray when he returned with Louise. Even though Louise bowed with an awkward smile, the atmosphere was not very good.

“Is it a woman again…?”

“Evan, why don’t you slow down? Maybe we’ll have to start sneaking into your bedroom at night to make sure everything is alright?”

“Arisha couldn’t break through the defense magic Belois had set up in his bedroom.”

“Serena tried and failed, as well!”

“Everyone, please be quiet.”

Arisha and Serena resumed their usual bickering as if no one was here. Evan, who sighed quietly, clapped his hands to keep everyone quiet.

“I already explained the situation, didn’t I? Everyone, calm down. I didn’t seduce her, nor did I force Louise in.”

“Evan, everybody has a situation. But the results are always the same: they fall for you.”

“Maybe it wasn’t about the opening of the dungeon that Evan told us to be prepared for the last three years, but about the new women we’re going to meet.”

“What…?”

With Evan sighing at the members’ consistent response, Louise was tilting her head because she could not understand what was going on.

“Haha, this is always a vibrant place.”

“It’s great to put this together in one word.”

Meanwhile, the new member Mirole, who joined the company a day earlier than Louise, was just watching the mess with a smile on her lips. Evan shook his head in response to Mirole’s reaction and opened his mouth again to silence the members.

“I’m telling you guys again that Louise is my disciple, so relax. In that sense, I’m going to minimize all schedules and focus on educating Louise for the time being.”

“What about the dungeon?”

“We go next time. With Louise and Mirole.”

“Aha.”

Originally, the goal was to explore the dungeon with Mirole to the 50th floor before the festival, but it could not be done once Louise joined.

First of all, it was to understand Louise’s current skills, the skills she needed to learn, strengthen her basics, and then enter the dungeon together. The period would be after the Dungeon Festival at the earliest.

“Then Diona will be left out.”

“I’m going to be safe here, I’m not disappointed! The last time I went down to the 31st floor, I thought I was going to die!”

When Serena said she was sorry, Diona, who was waiting behind her to wait for Evan, gasped and shouted.

She was an outstanding gambler and an excellent warrior, but she was fundamentally different from the Dungeon Knights. She had no talent or backbone to conquer the dungeon in step with these monsters.

“If possible, I’d like to slow down a bit more. Please let me enter when I’m ready then.”

“The 31st floor…? The maid went down to the 31st floor of the Dungeon…?”

Louise was just listening to what they were saying, but she managed to tackle that part.

“Yes, if you follow Master Evan’s lead, that’s usual.”

“It’s down to the 30th floor, isn’t it? With Evan’s extradition, any soldier in Sherden can do it.”

Diona nodded calmly and backed up Arisha’s words as if it was nothing.

In fact, it was possible because Sherden’s soldiers were particularly strong, but Louise, who didn’t know that, was forced to admire them.

“Teacher, what the…?”

“Wow, she calls Evan Oppa her teacher.”

“I’m worried about their relationship.”

“You’re not trying to pretend to be a disciple, are you…?”

At that time, Louise’s facial expression became blurred when she heard the whispering voices of the female members from all over the place.

Earlier, she was so embarrassed that she just let it go, but at this point, it wasn’t that hard to figure out the situation even if she didn’t have any sense.

“Well… that’s great, teacher.”

“Sorry, don’t look at me like that….”

Louise was quickly disillusioned by the man that was her teacher, but she was not soft on her words because she learned more about his amazing abilities.

That day, her room was assigned to her (it was on the third floor, of course, because she was an apprentice), and they finished the day by teaching her the basic guidelines of Astray.

It was the next day that real education began.