“That’s because it’s natural to take a knight. I asked you again just in case you forgot.”
Lise’s words were like saying that the sun rose during the day and the moon rose at night. Asha only pursed her lips with a sullen face.
“But…”
“The crown prince also told you to take the knights with you this time.”
“Alyosha?”
“Sure. Oh! And this is from Lord Karnov.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
Asha, who was just playing with strawberry stems, washed her hand covered in red liquid and took the card that Lise presented on a tray.
It was a small card neatly finished with simple paper tape.
[This is the first letter.
On the day you attend Marchioness Tataricha’s tea party, my grandmother will arrive in the capital, so I think I should be there.
I think you should wear a cloak with embroidered decorations on the hood when you go to the tea party.]
It was written in a slightly rough but clear handwriting, without any greetings to someone dear or mention of the sender’s identity, and not even a word asking how they were doing.
Asha frowned with a somewhat puzzled expression as she flipped the card back and forth, but nothing that came to mind appeared.
“Did Karnov really send this?”
“Yes, he handed it over to me just a while ago.”
“It would have been better if he had come and talked to me in person…”
There was one more thing left that was hard to understand.
The phrase ‘This is the first letter.’
‘First letter? As if there will be a second or third letter. What is this?’
Asha muttered, but she neatly wrapped the card back up and put it away.
“Was it that obvious?”
“What?”
“Did it seem like I was trying to bring Karnov instead of the knights if possible?”
Lise maintained her loyalty with silence. Asha made a displeased expression, but without hesitation, she covered the strawberries with a cloth. Asha didn’t intend to avoid it forever, either.
“Let’s go.”
“What? Your Highness, where are you…”
“Where else? I need to go grant my grandfather’s wish.”
Asha had been pondering her conversation with Phoebe since she rejected the last escort knight. Why did Phoebe call the feelings she was feeling “illusions”?
That’s probably because the feelings weren’t hers. Just a remnant in her memory. Phoebe said she was the only ‘real’ one. The one before that was an illusion.
Asha decided to believe that.
The commander’s servant rushed into the knight’s official residence on the west side of the palace. He whispered something to the deputy captain, who was attending to paperwork, causing her to spit out the water she was drinking before hastily leaving the commandery.
“Commander! Knight commander!”
Knight Commander Tarjei Nellin was in the midst of a battle with a boy who was Princess Anastasia’s servant.
“What is it? What unusual thing is happening now? Is your brother getting married or something?”
“Oh come on. Commander, why would you say something so absurd?”
“How can you fit the title ‘commander’ and the phrase ‘eating grass’ in the same sentence?”
“People say worse things behind the captain’s back… Do you want to know?”
Tarjei took a moment to catch his breath, then sheathed his sword, facing Ivan.
“…I’ll stop talking. So if your brother isn’t getting married, what the hell is going on?”
“Oh, yes. Commander, Her Highness Anastasia is coming this way now.”
“Keugh, keu, keugh! W, what did you say?”
At the same time, Tarjei began to cough violently, and the calm boy Ivan also trembled. The knights who were in the midst of autonomous training in the training grounds turned their heads towards Tarjei at the sound of the intense coughing.
“Keugh, keugh! You idiot! You should have said that first!”
“As soon as Commander saw me, you said strange things first.”
“This, this can’t be. Quickly go and… No, no, wait, why is she coming?”
“Her Highness is going to someone’s tea party and needs someone to accompany her.”
“Finally!”
Tarjei quickly washed his wrinkled face with a dry towel and rushed into the commandery. He had been wearing a casual shirt, so he threw his sword aside and quickly buttoned up the undone buttons on his shirt.
“My… Where, where is it?”
“If you’re referring to your formal attire, you got drunk and made a mess of it after meeting His Majesty the Emperor a few days ago.”
“Damn it… The coat, what about my coat?”
The deputy commander suddenly picked up a thick coat from the floor with a grin on his face. The palace was always surrounded by heat, and summer was approaching, so the coat that had been left unattended for a long time was a mess. Then Ivan, who followed, blurted out.
“I’ll take care of that coat in the laundry room.”
“What? Never mind. It’s too late for the coat anyway.”
“Still, I’ll go and bring it back right now.”
Ivan, who always did what he was told, and rarely even answered, showed a strong self-assertion. Tarjei, who was in a hurry, stopped moving, looked back at Ivan, and smiled.
“Why? Are you ashamed to reveal your skills to your master?”
“…”
“Why are you making fun of him, Commander? All right then, Ivan. Will you go?”
“…I will go and bring it back.”
After the boy had disappeared, the deputy commander sighed.
“Why are you being mean to a child who wants to look good to his master?”
“What have I done to him?”
“The commander also came back as commander to look good to Her Highness.”
“That’s funny! That’s because you didn’t think about becoming commander.”
The deputy commander smiled. It meant she didn’t believe it at all. Tarjei stared at the deputy commander and shouted loudly.
“Oh, so my clothes! A coat or an overcoat or a robe or whatever!”
In the end, the deputy commander pulled her head out toward the outside of the commandery and waved her arms around.
“Just wear this for now… But Commander, honestly, what difference does it make to change now?”
“It’s, it’s noisy.”
“Well, in a way… wouldn’t it seem like you’re showing off and playing around while others are working?”
“You said you had a commitment this weekend, right? Cancel it.”
“What’s wrong with you this time?”
“If you can’t even speak properly to your superior, how did you handle the impudence of an insignificant man on the street? I asked His Majesty to find me a person who is good at cooking, quick-witted, and gentle with me.”
Tarjei took off his coat that he had been grumbling about and arranged only his sleeves awkwardly.
“It’s all thanks to the commander’s teachings, isn’t it? But commander, wouldn’t it be better for you to focus on training rather than wearing fancy clothes?”
“I’m not trying to look cool!”
“Aha.”
Deputy Commander, Anne Marka smiled. Recognizing the implications of the expression, Tarjei tried to shout something in a fit, but before that, Princess Anastasia arrived at the training grounds.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
Asha couldn’t hide her puzzled expression as she looked at the lined-up knights.
‘What is this?’
Why was everyone standing in a line, looking at her? Asha looked at Lise with a bewildered look on her face, but Lise only looked back at her and smiled warmly.
“Commander Nellin, I assume you have heard about it from His Majesty, but Princess Anastasia will be going on a trip in a few days. She came to see the two knights who will accompany her.”
“Hmm.”
And the most awkward situation remained. Despite her determination, Asha could not help feeling miserable. It was the first time in her life she had exchanged greetings with a close relative and was surrounded by so many strangers.
“Well, hello… Commander Nellin.”
“…”
Asha thought her lips were dry. She chose what she thought was the most correct because she couldn’t speak informally because he was her grandfather on her mother’s side, and there was no other name that came to mind.
It seemed like it was a mistake. Tarjei Nellin’s face was indescribably distorted.
‘But then what do I say?’
Should she have called him Grandfather? This is the first time they had seen each other’s faces, and this was the first time addressing him.
<He might burst into tears soon?>
Phoebe sitting on Asha’s shoulder chirped. Asha tried her best to suppress her frustrated emotions.
“Why?! What did I do?!”
<He seems like he’s in a similar condition to the landlord.>
As soon as Asha heard that, she immediately avoided Tarjei’s eyes. If Phoebe was referring to a landlord, it was the emperor. And the emperor had always insisted that Asha addressed him correctly.
‘So, you’re saying this is happening because I didn’t address him as Grandfather?’
<Isn’t it clear that being called ‘Commander Nellin’ by you is heartbreaking? As you can see.>
That’s why such a deep blue air current was rushing in like waves, so she couldn’t help but not know. Asha spoke quickly, avoiding his eyes.
“S,So, who should I go with? Oh! If possible, I’d like to go with Ivan.”
“Not Ivan!”
Asha opened her eyes wide. Tarjei seemed to be yelling loudly, but his voice was so soft that it almost felt like a whisper.
“Why not Ivan?”
“In order to protect people… honing skills and experience are necessary. He is still a trainee who hasn’t even become a knight, so please choose from the official knights. They are all excellent warriors.”
Asha looked back at the knights lined up with an awkward expression. They had expressions full of anticipation, as if watching a play by their young cousin.
“Well.”
“If there is no specific person you want to choose, I can personally accompany…”
“Ahahaha, as deputy commander! I’d be happy to accompany you!”
As soon as Tarjei spoke, the deputy commander standing behind him suddenly cut him off. It seemed to be to save even a little face for the Commander of the Tingnes Knights, who was acting without any hesitation. Asha tilted her head at the sight of the deputy commander.
‘Oh? Is this person the deputy commander? She looks familiar.’
<She’s the sister of the chef.>
