“I wonder if he received the reward properly.”

Stretching his stiff body, Luke stepped outside. He had just submitted the paperwork confirming his suspension to the administrative office and was heading off to complete the necessary procedures. From a distance, a figure approached him, brimming with hostility.

“Luke!”

It was none other than Myles, who stormed up to him, his anger palpable. The cool breeze sweeping past them only intensified the tension in the air.

“What’s your angle?” Myles demanded.

“What do you mean?”

“Your sudden confession, your ridiculous excuse to dodge the charges—it all doesn’t add up!”

“Ah, I see. From your perspective, it must’ve been quite the shock. You went to all that trouble, manipulating a powerless subordinate to frame me, and it didn’t work out the way you planned.”

“How did you…?”

Myles’ face twisted with frustration, his lips twitching as if searching for a retort. Though Luke had been formally punished with a suspension, it was clear who the real loser was. Myles’ grand scheme to ruin Luke had backfired spectacularly, turning him into the hero who had exposed the Harnus family’s corruption.

“Did Fale spill everything?”

“You’re being awfully disrespectful about my subordinate,” Luke replied coolly.

“Then why? If you knew everything, why did you still confess?”

“Why should I bother explaining it to you now that it’s all over?”

“Don’t tell me… you did it for your subordinate…” Myles’ brows furrowed deeply, echoing the same confusion Fale had expressed earlier.

“Oh, Myles. Just the man I wanted to see.”

Luke’s expression abruptly shifted into a bright smile as he raised his fist. Around it, shards of ice began to form, glinting ominously in the light. Without warning, he drove his icy fist toward Myles.

Boom!

“What the—are you insane?!” Myles barely managed to dodge the blow, collapsing onto the dirt. The spot where Luke’s fist had struck the ground was now a deep crater, a testament to the sheer force behind the attack.

“Hey,” Luke said, crouching down to meet Myles’ eyes.

“Let’s settle this nicely, shall we? I’m willing to let this little stunt of yours slide—the part where you used Fale to orchestrate this farce—if you keep quiet.”

Luke’s gaze darkened, his normally playful expression replaced by a cold, menacing glare. Myles felt a chill run down his spine as the air between them grew heavy with unspoken threats.

“So you’d better stay quiet too. Don’t go blabbing about Fale’s involvement, or anything else for that matter.”

Luke raised his hand, making Myles flinch as shadows crept over his face. But instead of striking him again, Luke simply patted Myles on the shoulder. The gesture wasn’t one of comfort—it was a warning. A signal to let this case and its deeper truths sink into the depths, never to resurface.

“I trust you understand. Good.”

Luke’s expression softened back into his usual carefree smirk as he stood and brushed himself off.

“L-Luke! How dare you use magic while you’re under suspension? And within the military grounds, no less!” Myles sputtered, his voice rising in indignation. Clearly grasping for anything to regain his footing, he pointed a trembling finger at Luke.

Luke turned, casually holding up the papers in his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. I haven’t submitted my suspension paperwork yet.”

With that, Luke strode away, leaving Myles fuming, glaring daggers at his retreating figure.

***

Waking up late, Luke sat on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. It was already past 11 a.m. When was the last time he had slept in this late?

Stretching his body, he slowly got up. Under normal circumstances, waking up this late was unthinkable for a soldier. A proper day began with morning training.

But there was more to it than just training. Luke also had to maintain his rivalry with Theo, which meant he had to match Theo’s regimented military lifestyle to a certain extent. Theo never skipped training, regardless of the situation. Because of that, Luke had begrudgingly adopted dawn training as part of his routine.

“Suspension might not be so bad,” Luke mused.

On the first day of his suspension, he found the change unexpectedly tolerable. With his military status temporarily revoked, there was nothing he could do at headquarters. Participating in official training or missions was, of course, prohibited, as was even private training.

The only thing left for Luke to do was eat and sleep. That was the point of being confined to headquarters during suspension—to experience the frustration of being a soldier unable to perform their duties and reflect on one’s mistakes.

The military, no matter where you went, was ruthless.

“I’m hungry.”

After washing up in the bathroom, Luke prepared to leave his room. Since wearing his uniform was not allowed during suspension, he opted for comfortable, casual clothes. Typically, soldiers were expected to maintain impeccable grooming and attire, but Luke couldn’t care less—he was effectively unemployed for a month. His silver hair was left loose and unkempt, swaying freely.

Debating where to have lunch, Luke decided to head to the cafeteria on the first floor of the dormitory. While the mess hall was the designated spot for meals, he didn’t feel like wading through the throngs of soldiers. He’d undoubtedly become the center of attention, like an exhibit at the zoo.

Turning right after descending to the first floor, he arrived at a small café. Such facilities were once unimaginable within the Imperial Army, but times had changed. With increased attention to soldiers’ well-being, spaces like this were gradually being introduced.

Luke ordered a simple salad and soup before settling near the window. Glancing around, he noticed there were fewer people here than at the mess hall, though still a decent number of soldiers.

“Suspended, but he still comes to eat?”

“I’d be too embarrassed to show my face.”

“Honestly, it’s shameless. Sure, he solved the case, but he still committed a crime—forcing his poor subordinate to do it.”

“Let’s go. I’ve lost my appetite.”

No matter their rank, soldiers murmured snide remarks about Luke. Previously, they whispered behind his back, but ever since the embezzlement case became public knowledge, the criticisms had grown bolder and more direct.

In the military, insubordination was unthinkable. But the atmosphere had shifted, largely due to figures like Myles. His open disdain for Luke had emboldened others. Now, even rank-and-file soldiers felt safe voicing their disdain, confident Luke couldn’t punish them during his suspension.

Luke let out an involuntary sigh as he turned his gaze outside. The bright afternoon sunlight spilled onto the ground, illuminating soldiers performing basic training drills.

After his food arrived, Luke focused solely on eating. But then, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Someone was approaching, their steps drawing closer. Before Luke could react, a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he saw Theo standing there, staring down at him before unceremoniously sitting across from him.

“…I didn’t invite you to sit.”

“Then I apologize. May I sit?”

“If I say no, will you leave?”

“No.”

What’s with this guy? Luke thought, eyeing the incongruous presence in the dormitory café. Something about Theo felt completely out of place here.

“Your hair… it’s down.”

“Why does my hair matter? Why are you here?”

“I was looking for you. Some soldiers said they saw you here.”

“Sorry to disappoint, Commander Theo, but I’m suspended.”

Theo’s eyebrow twitched slightly at Luke’s sarcastic tone.

“I know.”

Luke set his fork down with a bit more force than necessary.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you haven’t heard the news yet.”

“What news?”

“During your suspension, a monitor will be assigned to you.”

“What?”

At Luke’s incredulous response, Theo elaborated. While Luke’s actions—embezzling supplies—had been justified to some extent, the act itself wasn’t without legal implications. The higher-ups had decided that assigning a monitor was necessary to maintain appearances.

“Without my consent?”

“Did you seek permission before acting independently on your little operation?”

Luke clamped his mouth shut, unable to argue.

“Fine, whatever. Who’s the monitor?”

Resigned, Luke picked up his utensils again, figuring it didn’t matter who it was.

“It’s me.”

At Theo’s casual reply, Luke’s hand slipped, sending his utensils clattering loudly onto the table.