“I would appreciate it if you refrained from mingling with the knights in private.”
The firm voice belonged to Yvonne. She was issuing a warning to someone.
What’s going on? Kaon narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t the kind of conversation one would have with a fellow knight.
“If my words have offended you, I will accept any punishment. But please understand that I’m speaking out of concern for maintaining discipline within the knighthood. Even the new squires won’t think well of this.”
“…Am I disrupting the order of the knighthood?”
The next voice that followed was thin and weak. The moment he heard it, Kaon quickly looked up. Though he couldn’t see anything but the ceiling, he knew Alessia was up there.
“It is true that the atmosphere has changed.”
Yvonne didn’t say “yes” outright, but her response was affirmative.
“I see. That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to get along with everyone a bit better.”
Alessia’s voice, now even more drained, responded. The sadness in her tone made Kaon feel suffocated.
Just moments ago, she had clearly told him she hated him, yet now she was so submissive to Yvonne. It would have been better if she had shown the same anger towards Yvonne as she did to him.
Moreover, there was a flaw in Yvonne’s words. Anyone listening would think Alessia had disrupted the knighthood with inappropriate behavior.
But as far as Kaon knew, it was usually the knights who initiated conversations and chatter. Alessia merely responded. Sure, there were times when Alessia initiated conversation, but that was typically to ask about someone’s well-being or to encourage them.
Alessia was very perceptive. She wouldn’t have let things escalate if she sensed it was heading that way.
So, this was clearly Yvonne’s bias or personal feelings. Kaon, seeing no need to listen further, deliberately made his presence known as he walked up the stairs. He saw Yvonne glaring coldly at Alessia, who had her head bowed.
Seeing this made Kaon furious. He was irritated by her defeated posture.
“Yvonne.”
Yvonne’s eyes flickered slightly at the sound of her name. She hadn’t expected anyone to be listening. It made sense; after the welcome ceremony, almost no one left the banquet, especially not to head to the training grounds.
“You know well enough what you’ve done wrong. I won’t say more.”
“Yes.”
Yvonne didn’t resist and bowed her head. She would have to apologize to Alessia separately. If not, Kaon planned to take appropriate measures. Though they were both elite knights, Kaon was practically the deputy leader and had that authority.
Once Yvonne left, the corridor grew much quieter. Kaon, exhaling in disbelief, looked at Alessia. He felt he needed to say something to clear the frustration inside him.
“You!”
“You…”
They both started speaking at the same time. Overlapping words filled with emotion were followed by a quiet voice. Kaon, taking a deep breath, gestured for her to speak first.
After hesitating for a while, Alessia slowly looked up at him. She seemed somewhat defeated.
“Even though I just told you I hate you, you still want to take my side?”
“…It’s not about taking your side. I couldn’t ignore something wrong when I saw it. Don’t worry about Yvonne’s words. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Kaon, surprised by her straightforwardness, paused briefly before responding with a sigh. Alessia, who had been looking at him, lowered her gaze to the floor again.
“I’m sorry.”
Kaon’s eyes widened in surprise. It wasn’t the first time he had heard her apologize, but this felt different from any previous apologies.
Especially since the secret had been revealed, Alessia wasn’t apologizing to manipulate the situation to her advantage; she genuinely seemed sorry.
“It’s not that I hate you. I just…”
Alessia, hesitating, eventually let out a small, sad laugh.
“I hate myself.”
Alessia, who had muttered quietly, looked up. Her usually bright red eyes were now dark and somber.
“Forget what I said earlier. It’s ridiculous to say this after spilling everything, but I know I went too far.”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
Not knowing what to say, Kaon just listened as Alessia apologized again and walked away. Her retreating figure looked unusually small today.
***
A few days passed. Alessia no longer attended the knights’ meetings. Although no mage had ever attended these meetings before, Kaon found himself constantly glancing at the empty seat.
“It’s not that I hate you. I just…”
“I hate myself.”
Her words kept echoing in his mind. On reflection, he could somewhat understand why she said that.
Alessia was the only one in her mage family who couldn’t use magic. She seemed to consider herself a failure. Even if others didn’t see her that way, it must have been a source of despair for her.
But on the other hand, Kaon couldn’t fully grasp it. She was a lady of a ducal family, incredibly beautiful, knowledgeable, and had a magnetic personality.
Kaon didn’t deny the greatness of magic. He knew how many people had strived and ultimately failed to obtain such mystical powers beyond human capability.
But that wasn’t all there was to the world, was it? Even without being a mage, Alessia possessed numerous talents. She could effortlessly interpret ancient languages that most noble children would abhor, rarely forgot anything she saw once, and had exceptional attention and concentration.
Her ability to observe was extraordinary; she remembered the names of the servants with her remarkable memory and would ask if something was wrong if they looked even slightly unwell. It was no wonder that Alessia quickly adapted to living with her family’s enemies.
And it didn’t stop there. She was so intelligent that even when her hidden secret was discovered, she managed to find his weakness. How many people could exhibit such wit in a situation where losing one’s composure and simply being overwhelmed would be understandable?
In Kaon’s eyes, Alessia was that impressive. Therefore, he couldn’t fully understand why she hated herself so much.
The eyes that lost their light in an instant disturbed his mind.
***
The sound of crunching leaves gradually eased the tense atmosphere. The crunching of dry leaves meant they were almost out of the forest.
The group, who had finished patrolling the monster-infested forest, soon spotted a particularly bright light filtering through the tangled branches. They had reached the entrance.
As they safely exited the forest, a collective sigh of relief escaped from everyone’s lips. Even though it was a daily routine, no one could afford to relax in the forest.
“Lady Alessia! Come to think of it, you haven’t met Niels’ wife yet, have you?”
“Why bring that up now, you rascal?”
Today’s patrol team was led by Maurice and Niels. Alessia, who had been walking silently, smiled faintly at the cheerful voice.
“You’ll be surprised when you see Niels’ wife. She’s incredibly beautiful.”
“Really, Niels?”
“Oh, this rascal is driving me crazy.”
Niels placed his hand on his forehead as if in distress, then scratched behind his ear and spoke with an uncharacteristically shy expression.
“It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but to me, she’s the most beautiful in the world. Others might see her that way too.”
“Wow! Your wife is too good for you!”
“I know that, you rascal!”
Niels swung his large hand like a beast’s paw at the jeers that poured in as if on cue. Maurice, seemingly used to being hit, deftly dodged. The sight made the onlookers burst into laughter one by one.
Kaon glanced at Alessia, who was walking half a step ahead. For the first time in a while, there was a hint of a smile on her face, which had been devoid of energy lately.
‘Maurice, you’re useful.’
It was the first time Kaon felt grateful for Maurice’ cheekiness. He decided to let him chatter on in the future.
“Why did she choose Niels, anyway? I’m genuinely curious.”
“She said she liked a dependable man. Satisfied?”
“Well, I guess living with a bear would make most things worry-free, ouch!”
With a loud smack, Maurice clutched his head and bent forward. It wasn’t common for a noble to be hit like that, but Maurice had brought it upon himself, so he had no right to complain.
“I understand your wife. Being with Niels makes one feel really secure.”
“My wife always used to say that.”
Niels, who had been exuding a fierce aura, quickly reverted to his kind demeanor. He said his son was lucky to take after his wife and laughed contentedly, saying there was no greater blessing.
As the friendly conversation continued, Maurice, who had been rubbing his swollen head, groaned softly and lifted his head. His eyes lit up as if he had found a good topic, and he immediately asked, “What kind of man do you like, my lady?”
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