Chapter 51
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Peter darted his eyes around and whispered so quietly it was barely audible, afraid Ricola might overhear him talking behind her back.
“What’s wrong with Ensign Ricola anyway?”
“It’s easy for you to talk since it’s not your problem. Hey, just open your own results sheet already.”
Peter’s gaze was locked on Samuel’s results sheet, which had been neatly folded for a while now.
Samuel, upon receiving his sheet, had given it a quick scan and then immediately folded it in half. Since then, he’d been unusually quiet—even more so than usual. He was never the chatty type, but today his silence felt heavier. Moreover, the atmosphere around him is somehow different.
Peter, who’d spent years side by side with Samuel, was quick to pick up on anything out of the ordinary.
“If you don’t show me, I’ll just snatch it and look for myself.”
Of course, Samuel was a full head taller and much bigger than Peter, so winning in a scuffle would be impossible.
But Peter had learned a few tricks over the years—ways to trip Samuel up if it came to that.
Under Peter’s persistent gaze, Samuel relented and handed over the results, murmuring,
“You can look, but don’t make a fuss—just keep it to yourself…”
“Holy crap! Commander Adrien Brillante—98% compatibility?!”
“….”
Samuel instinctively covered his face with a hand.
On the other hand, Peter’s shout was so loud it seemed like his eyes might pop out of his head—and of course, everyone nearby turned to look. In an instant, a crowd gathered behind Peter, all craning their necks for a peek.
“Wow, it’s true?”
“So that’s why the commander’s been looking for Samuel so much!”
“I can’t believe a 98% match is even possible!”
Everyone stared at Samuel for confirmation. Feeling all those eyes on him, Samuel finally lowered his hand from his face.
“I guess I just got lucky.”
He hadn’t even been able to read the results properly when he first received them—he’d been too stunned.
Adrien’s name leapt out from the first line, right beside the number 1, and next to that, a compatibility score of 98%.
He’d folded the paper shut, blinking and wondering if he’d just hallucinated from wanting it too much.
Only after several deep breaths and reading the results again did he finally accept it:
Maybe there was some reason for this luck—maybe Samuel Norah really was someone who could be useful to Adrien Brillante.
His facial muscles refused to behave; the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward into a broad, blossoming smile that he had to force back down.
It was good news, but he didn’t want to make a scene. He hated being the center of attention—
But with Adrien involved, avoiding rumors was impossible. Seeing all the interest now, he realized there was nothing he could do about it except minimize what information he gave about Adrien.
“So now Samuel Norah’s going to be the commander’s exclusive guide, right?”
That was Lieutenant Michelle’s confident voice, and everyone seemed to agree. Based on Adrien’s attitude so far, and the test results, it seemed the natural next step.
“Congrats! Guess your life’s about to get a whole lot easier!”
“Lucky you, Samuel!”
But Samuel couldn’t bring himself to smile.
He’d already told Adrien once that he wanted to be her exclusive guide, but at the time, her reaction hadn’t been positive. She’d just dodged the question without any real answer.
‘Even if the compatibility is high, maybe she still won’t want me…’
Rank, status, wealth, reputation—he lacked so many of the things someone like Adrien would expect.
And there was one more thing bothering him: that day in the shop, when they’d both reached for the same stationery, Adrien had shown no sign of recognizing him as her former ward.
For some reason, that memory kept nagging at Samuel, making him uneasy.
“What’s all the excitement about?”
The mood instantly froze.
It was the sudden appearance of a smiling blond man—Linton Vionne—who looked around at the gathered soldiers with a friendly grin.
“Oh, the compatibility test results came out? Is there some special case?”
“Ahaha, well, sir, it’s just…”
Linton blinked innocently, eyes settling on Samuel. At that moment, all the earlier worries were swept away, replaced by a much simpler, more personal annoyance.
“Ah, this is about Samuel, isn’t it? I’d love to see your results, Ensign.”
Nobody dared to answer, not after having just cheered Samuel’s results, and all eyes darted around awkwardly. But Samuel, if anything, was calm.
“Peter, give the results sheet to Captain Linton.”
“But—”
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