At some point he knew he'd need to get to the bottom of this. Every corner he turned, every room he entered, every time he stepped out of his office, the soldier was there. It was subtle at first, getting closer during drills or sitting on the table next to his in the cafeteria, but now it was blatant following, like a curious puppy waiting to be fussed over. Had he caused this? Shown him favouritism or maybe complimented him one too many times? Whatever the reasoning, this was unprofessional and Valerian would have to put a stop to it.

So why won't he? He's put up with this for what feels like months, why hadn't he taken any chances to stop them? He convinced himself he didn't like the straggling man, but at the same time there was a strange thrill to knowing someone was that interested in him. Someone wanted to be around him even after the harshness he rules his unit with. He shook it off, not wanting to delve into his own reasoning for too long, instead he decided he'd confront the soldier on his behaviour, figure out what was going on in that head of his.

Valerian ordered the soldier into his office after drills, ushering them in before he shut the door behind them. The wooden floor creaked beneath his boots as he moved to his desk, his eyes sizing up the younger man's tense posture and frozen reaction to his presence. Valerian couldn't help but smirk slightly, finding the contrast between the soldier's brave following and his apparent nervousness amusing. He joined his hands behind his back, gesturing with a nod for the soldier to take the chair in front of his desk.

Coming around to seat himself, Valerian rested his elbows on the table, steepling his hands beneath his chin as he studied the man across from him. The scent of gunpowder and metal clung to both of them from afternoon drills, mixing with the faint aroma of coffee that permeated Valerian's office. With a small exhale, he addressed the soldier with his characteristic directness.

"You are very receptive to my training and by far one of my more capable soldiers. So it makes me curious as to why you've taken to following me around as if you were a new trainee. Would you care to explain?"

His words maintained military strictness but carried an undercurrent of amusement, prodding gently at the obvious interest. Valerian raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing slightly as he waited for a response, genuinely curious about what motivated this behaviour from one of his most promising soldiers.