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  3. KYG Chapter 02

Kneel, Your Grace!

Posted by Eikclab12, Released on July 10, 2024
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Chapter 2

Chloe was originally in the navy. The weakest branch of the Ivannes Kingdom’s military, the navy.

The reason Ivannes’s navy got that nickname is well-known, so we’ll skip it. The navy was essentially a gathering of the most inept soldiers, unlike the army.

But three months ago, a strange notice appeared in the navy.

<Recruiting for the Kingdom’s Army Royal Guard. Directly under Curtis Sean Burke. Only open to ranks from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant.>

It was an announcement recruiting a direct aide to Curtis Sean Burke, the hero of the Kingdom’s military.

Everyone doubted their eyes.

Duke Burke. The king’s half-brother. In case of an emergency, he was the man closest to the throne after the king and the prince.

With the looks inherited from the former queen, who the previous king fell in love with at first sight, and a robust build that everyone admired, regardless of gender or age. Not only that, but he was also a war hero who led three major border disputes to victory.

Why were they recruiting his aide from the navy? There was even an additional condition.

<A 400% incentive will be paid quarterly upon commissioning.>

By now, it seemed suspicious.

‘Are they looking for cannon fodder?’

‘Maybe it’s a scam, and you’ll end up on a shrimp boat.’

However, there was someone who fell for it.

26-year-old Chloe Ambroise.

At the blossoming age of 18, she voluntarily joined the ramshackle Ivannes navy. At the time, her reason for enlisting, “Only for the steady salary,” turned her fellow recruits’ stomachs and made her a legendary officer.

400% quarterly was 160,000 shings. The quarterly food cost for a family of six.

‘No reason not to go.’

That’s what she thought back then.

Now, Chloe Ambroise had something she wanted to say to her past self.

“Chloe, that was the price of your life…”

“Excuse me?”

Second Lieutenant Noel, standing next to her, blinked and looked at her. Chloe was startled and waved her hand.

“No, no. I was just talking to myself.”

“I see. The Duke will be out shortly.”

Noel smiled gently. Chloe, feeling embarrassed, put her hands behind her back and straightened her posture.

It was late afternoon, with the sun setting. They were standing in front of the courtyard of Curtis Sean Burke’s mansion.

Chloe had been waiting for Burke long before the time he had specified. She didn’t know what kind of retribution she might face if she was late. Beside her was Second Lieutenant Noel, Burke’s closest aide.

“The Burke mansion is beautiful at sunset. Feel free to enjoy the view until the Duke arrives.”

“Oh, yes…”

The grand Burke mansion was considered beautiful even by the people of the capital. With its white and noble appearance, and the tragic history of the queen who once lived there, it was a place that left viewers in awe.

But such beauty meant nothing to Chloe, who was working on her day off. No matter how beautiful a workplace is, it holds no appeal to someone forced to work on their day off.

‘Today was supposed to be my day off!’

It was hard to say if she was lucky or unlucky.

When working on a day off, she would typically receive 150% of the normal work pay.

For Chloe’s miserly self, this was a welcome thing. But as a human being, Chloe Ambroise really wanted to refuse. As mentioned earlier, she hadn’t slept for three days.

Regardless, Noel clicked his tongue.

“It seems the Duke is determined to take you to the banquet, Second Lieutenant Ambroise.”

Chloe tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“…Haven’t you heard anything from His Excellency?”

Second Lieutenant Noel hesitated. Chloe blinked.

“…Is there something I should know?”

“No, nothing.”

Noel shook his head. Though Chloe felt something was off, she decided not to press further. From her experience in the past three months, Noel was very kind, straightforward, and good at explaining things.

Moreover, while Noel couldn’t quite compare to the famously handsome Curtis, he was still considerably good-looking by ordinary standards.

Initially, Chloe almost mistook his kindness for something else. But after dealing with Curtis, she realized that Noel’s kindness stemmed from a bond of mutual sympathy among those working under a terrible superior.

Anyway, if Noel had closed his mouth, it must be something Chloe didn’t need to know.

In the military, Chloe had learned from her navy days that it was best not to pry into things others chose not to discuss.

“Do you know about today’s banquet?”

“I only know that it’s a pre-diplomatic event with Glintland.”

“Ah. Actually, it’s more like a pre-marriage meeting event for His Excellency.”

“…Who’s supposed to be getting married?”

Chloe looked up at Second Lieutenant Noel with disbelief.

Looking down at her with a smile that seemed to say ‘I knew you’d be surprised,’ Noel explained.

“His Excellency is soon to have a marriage meeting with the Duke of Glintland.”

“…From what I hear, Glintland’s royal family is quite prestigious. Why does he need to do this? I don’t know who it is, but is it really necessary?”

Chloe’s words were filled with sympathy for a foreign duke she had never even seen. Noel answered gently.

“He’s not in such a prestigious position after all.”

“Did he get blackmailed?”

“No, not quite. It’s more like our Duke got caught.”

“That man… made a mistake? His Excellency?”

‘Curtis Sean Burke caught in a mistake?’ She had never heard such a thing before, and her words slipped out unintentionally. Noel let the navy lieutenant’s slip of the tongue pass without issue. Noel, with his gentle character, was well-known in the army and was aware of how many aides had passed through his friend’s office.

“Well, it all comes down to bloodlines.”

“Wow.”

Chloe responded without much emotion.

Whatever the bloodline, I wish I could catch that weakness too.

Just then, a dazzling figure emerged from under the mansion’s facade, attended by others.

A grand mansion under the blue sky. And a dazzling human figure emerging from it, especially the shining blond hair.

It was Curtis.

“Just in time, His Excellency is coming out.”

“Ugh.”

Chloe stuck out her tongue. Noel laughed.

“‘Ugh,’ Chloe? What exactly do you see His Excellency as?”

“I don’t know. A punishment vending machine?”

“A vending machine, you say. Like the new ones installed in front of the capital’s fountain recently? Put in a magic stone, press a button, and out comes a punishment.”

Noel seemed to think Chloe was joking. But Chloe was dead serious.

The beverage vending machines in front of the capital’s fountain were sparkling and pretty, seemingly to attract attention. And so was that man.

A handsome man with neatly combed blond hair and violet eyes. His broad, masculine shoulders and the navy blue Royal Guard uniform he wore were impressive enough to draw everyone’s attention at once.

Not to mention his long legs under the jacket. His solid and upright posture was the epitome of the Royal Guard’s standard. It was hard to believe he was wearing the same uniform as Chloe. It was truly a case of the same clothes giving off a different vibe.

‘I was called a sewer rat by my navy buddies.’

That was because Chloe’s black and navy hair clashed subtly with her navy uniform. Regardless, her superior was exceptionally good-looking.

But to Chloe, it was a completely useless trait.

Did a pretty superior make punishments any less severe? Or did having a handsome boss reduce overtime?

The answer was no.

He was a pretty punishment vending machine. Curtis Sean Burke was exactly that to Chloe.

“Second Lieutenant Ambroise, if you’re here, why aren’t you running over? Are you crawling?”

There it was, the harsh command from the punishment vending machine.

‘Unbelievable.’

Not even a greeting, just straight to reprimanding.

Of course, Chloe was a soldier who followed orders without question.

“Loyalty! Apologies!”

She sprinted over.

“Running without dignity.”

Panting, Chloe received this assessment from Curtis. He looked at her with a frown on his handsome face.

Her heart sank. What now?

“What’s with your uniform? Didn’t the navy teach you how to iron your dress uniform?”

“Apologies. It must have gotten wrinkled while I was running.”

“What about the ceremonial decorations that come with the uniform?”

“Excuse me?”

Chloe asked in a daze, then realized her mistake.

When she received her dress uniform three months ago, it came with several decorations. She had only vaguely heard that they were for big events and had stashed them away. Apparently, they were supposed to be worn today.

‘Well, the navy didn’t have such things!’

Having come from a navy without much ceremony, Chloe never thought to use them.

Additionally, the Royal Guard members avoided wearing decorations since Curtis often drilled them hard under the guise of maintaining discipline, and they considered them a hindrance.

So, Chloe hadn’t even thought about them in the three months since she joined.

‘Couldn’t someone have told me!’

But she couldn’t say that to her superior. She replied, foreseeing more punishment after tonight’s banquet.

“Apologies. I will correct it.”

Surprisingly, Curtis did something unexpected.

“Ugh.”

He clicked his tongue and then removed a decorative badge from his own jacket.

It was a luxurious piece made of red jewels and silver, clearly not standard issue.

“Wear this. My aide can’t look like a mess at the banquet.”

Not only that, but he even pinned the decoration onto Chloe’s lapel himself. Her eyes widened.

Up close, she noticed the subtle engraving of the Burke family crest inside the jewel, indicating it was a personal item.

“Uh. Apologies, Brigadier General.”

Wasn’t this really expensive? Chloe looked down at it in confusion.

Was Curtis Burke really personally fixing his subordinate’s uniform?

Chloe was particularly taken aback because Curtis was known for his obsessive-compulsive cleanliness. It was rare for him to touch someone else’s clothing.

‘Does he actually care about me?’

Or did he get hit on the head?

Curtis, unaware of Chloe’s thoughts, clicked his tongue again.

“It’s like a pearl necklace on a pig.”

Guess he didn’t get hit on the head.

That one sentence shattered any semblance of goodwill Chloe might have had.

But whether he thought it looked good on her or not, Curtis didn’t take the badge back. As his butler hurried over to attach another ceremonial decoration to Curtis’s jacket, Chloe fidgeted with her lapel, murmuring internally.

Discharge.

Discharge is the only way.

‘God, please let me retire.’

Regardless of her prayers, the carriage departed, carrying Chloe on her day off and the superior she wanted to punch.

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Comment

  1. Suckerforshipping says:
    07/22/2024 at 2:45 PM

    she’s gonna get something even better. PAYBACK 😂😂

    Reply
  2. Keila lima says:
    08/30/2024 at 8:54 PM

    🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Reply

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