Chapter 24
Karsiel couldn’t hide his disbelief as he watched the count nod his head reluctantly.
What had happened in just a few hours?
It wasn’t enough that she had spoon-fed them the key to victory—now she’d secured the reinforcements they so desperately needed. And not just any troops, but the cavalry of House Morin.
Karsiel found himself unintentionally gazing at Iris, who stood before him.
Her jet-black hair, once neatly arranged, was now tousled from handling the Pegasus. Her deep green eyes, impossible to read, retained their mysterious depth even under sunlight.
Whether she knew it or not, from the moment she arrived at the banquet, she had drawn everyone’s eyes with her striking appearance.
And just now—when she subdued the rampaging beast—she had looked like a living miracle.
Everything about her was dangerously captivating.
Karsiel was no exception.
“Until the very end, in this lifetime, I will stand by Your Highness.”
Having heard such words, he found himself even more uncertain.
Should he remain on guard?
Or perhaps… should he give her the complete trust she asked for?
Swish—
Suddenly, Iris turned without warning.
As Karsiel instinctively moved to avert his eyes, her sharp gaze met his, curving slightly, as if to say: Did you see what I did for you just now?
He stared back, entranced by her deep green eyes.
“What are you thinking, Your Highness?”
Gale tapped his shoulder, jolting Karsiel from his thoughts. He turned to look at his deputy.
“Gale.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“You heard, didn’t you? That the Morin family is sending reinforcements.”
“I did,” Gale replied, his brows furrowed.
“It’s hard to believe.”
“Oh?”
“It’s the suddenness of it. It feels… unsettling. Count Morin isn’t even a political ally of yours. He doesn’t owe the imperial army anything.”
“…”
“Do we even need them? Our forces have already recovered. When the new knights arrive, they’ll just be trying to steal the credit.”
“That’s your answer, then.”
Karsiel gave a bitter smile as he looked at his longtime friend.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve thought this before, during war. Even if I charged into the frontline alone, you wouldn’t stop me.”
“Well, Your Highness has never lost when you’ve done that, has he? Fewer unnecessary troops give you more freedom.”
“…”
When Karsiel fell silent, Gale tilted his head in confusion.
“So, what will you do? About the war?”
“You once said it, didn’t you? That Iris Apellemeon is the goddess of war.”
“Uh, well, that was a nickname some of the others gave her, not me…”
“How can I reject a gift from the gods?”
“Ah…”
Gale faltered, unable to find the words. Then a mischievous smile crept onto his face.
“…Have you fallen for her?”
He asked slyly.
“Are you perhaps smitten with Lady Apellemeon?”
“You’re quite curious about me. I appreciate that.”
“I’m your only true friend and aide. How could I not be curious?”
“…”
“Are you really planning to meet her again? Before deployment? Do you think she truly holds affection for you?”
“…Yes.”
Karsiel nodded at the barrage of questions.
“There’s still something I need to ask her. We agreed to meet again.”
“W-where? Before you leave?”
“Three days from now. At Sky Valley.”
He looked at his deputy with calm intensity.
“I’ll go without a guard. No one must know I’m going.”
“…”
“You’re the only one who needs to know.”
His violet eyes were colder than usual, but Gale failed to notice.
“Anthony! Wait a second!”
“I have no desire to speak with you, My Lady.”
Anthony snapped, shaking off Demeyra as she tried to stop him.
“Just let it go.”
Demeyra tried to console him.
“It’s a relief you weren’t hurt badly…”
“Not hurt?”
Anthony scoffed openly.
“My Lady, you’re remarkably insightful. Can you tell with just a glance that I’m uninjured?”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“So unless I lose a limb, I’m considered uninjured? Can you not see I can barely breathe from a fractured rib?”
“F-fractured?! Why didn’t you say something?!”
“Because you wouldn’t have understood.”
“Anthony…”
Demeyra hung her head in shame, but Anthony pulled away again.
“I don’t need your pity, My Lady. It’s frankly insulting.”
He was unusually cruel with his words today.
Remembering that Demeyra was a distant relative of Iris, Anthony felt it only right to redirect his rage toward her.
“It’s not about broken bones. You wouldn’t understand this, being a woman, but what I lost today was honor and reputation.”
“Lost honor? That’s not true!”
Demeyra protested firmly.
“You’ve tamed over a thousand wild horses! People were in awe of you! That won’t just vanish!”
“That’s why I said you don’t understand. A man’s honor can vanish in an instant.”
“T-then earn it back!”
Demeyra said stubbornly.
“You can regain it with effort!”
“Oh, come on! Unless that Pegasus chooses me over Nael, that’s impossible—!”
He trailed off, his gaze landing beyond Demeyra’s shoulder.
There, not far from the others, Iris knelt with one knee, speaking softly to Nael. Judging by how attentively Nael nodded, she was likely giving him detailed instructions on how to fully tame the Pegasus.
Anthony scowled as the unpleasant memory resurfaced.
That monster of a horse had thrown him, Anthony Morin, to the ground—yet Iris had simply charged in head-on and subdued the beast like it was nothing.
She’d robbed him of the 50,000 gold prize, humiliated him with her arrogance… and he still had no idea how she’d done it.
“I hate Iris too!” Demeyra cried desperately. “When we get back to the estate, I won’t let her off easily!”
She nearly shouted.
“I can do it. I’ll take revenge for you.”
“…What are you saying?”
“Iris is afraid of me. I can do this. I’ll get your revenge!”
“…Is that so?”
Anthony, who had been about to turn away, paused mid-step.
“You think you can do that?”
His eyes scanned her slowly from head to toe. Watching her struggle to prove her worth sparked an idea.
“Y-yes! I can!”
“…Then would you do something else for me?”
He asked gently now, his voice strangely smooth. A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes, but Demeyra didn’t notice.
“…What is it?”
“My Lady.”
Anthony stepped closer and placed a hand on her waist.
“A-Anthony?”
Demeyra’s face turned bright red. Anthony smiled in satisfaction. She probably wouldn’t go through with what he wanted.
But that didn’t matter.
An eye for an eye. A wound for a wound.
What he had lost, he would repay—with another form of honor.
Since he couldn’t take it from Iris Apellemeon herself, the impostor of the Apellemeon duchy would have to do.
