I stared down at the plate of toast placed in front of me with a bewildered look.
I couldn’t quite understand the situation right now.
So,
The ‘He’, Giscard, who had always been hostile towards me, even going so far as to add an additional clause to the enlistment application to prevent me from getting close, was giving me toast for breakfast?
“Are you… concerned about me?”
The question popped out of my mouth without going through my head.
Then, Giscard seemed to press his lips together for a moment.
“The commander is obliged to be attentive to the health of his subordinates and take care of them.”
He replied with a stern expression.
“Ah, yes. I see….”
I mean, you don’t have to talk about ‘duty’ like that.
I’m not under the delusion that the male protagonist has a romantic interest in me.
I shrugged and took a bite of the toast.
Then, I reflexively frowned.
‘Ugh, sweet.’
No wonder, the toast was thickly spread with strawberry jam.
I couldn’t help but glance at Giscard out of the corner of my eye.
‘Our male protagonist… unexpectedly likes sweet things, huh?’
The cold-hearted young man who wouldn’t even shed a drop of blood if you stabbed him with a needle actually preferred sweet food.
I felt like laughing, so I chewed on the inside of my cheek.
At the same time, Giscard asked me in a sharp voice.
“What’s with that expression?”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
I replied with a poker face.
Giscard stared at me with a blank face for a while, then
“….Whatever. Just eat your toast.”
He turned his gaze away coldly.
The only problem, however, was that his earlobes were now flushed red.
‘Surely not.’
My eyes widened.
Is he embarrassed?
‘Giscard, you’re unexpectedly cute.’
Maybe the reason the original Cassia had a crush on Giscard was because of this kind of side to him?
His taste in food, which doesn’t match his strict personality at all.
Or the fact that he’s surprisingly shy…
Giggling to myself, I started nibbling on the toast.
Sweet, crispy, and savory.
I felt a little warm inside.
* * *
After having breakfast with the knights, I, the knights, and Giscard rode together in a carriage towards the joint training ground.
The joint training ground was located on a flat area on a mountainside a little away from the residence. There were training facilities on the sheer cliffs and a small lake, and next to them was a wide flat area that could be used as a training ground.
When all the knights gathered, it was a sight to behold.
“Let’s do our best!”
I clenched my fists and cheered on the knights.
The knights were a bit embarrassed, but they didn’t show open hostility towards me like before.
They even bowed to me respectfully.
‘Wow, our knights have matured!’
I couldn’t hide my pride and smiled brightly.
Giscard also encouraged the knights.
“Be careful not to get hurt.”
“Yes, Sir Knight Commander!”
“We’ll do our best!”
The knights replied with lively faces.
It was quite different from the way they cowered when they were with me.
‘Tch.’
I pouted to myself.
Isn’t this treating me and Giscard differently?!
By the way, Giscard said he always skips out on joint training.
This is because Giscard is almost as powerful as a one-man knight order, so he often acts alone rather than moving with the unit.
“Then we’ll be going now.”
After saying their final goodbyes, the knights headed to their respective training grounds.
I looked around the training ground with shining eyes.
“Wow, it’s huge.”
“The joint training ground is one of only three large training grounds in the entire north.”
Giscard, who was standing next to me, explained lightly.
“The training facilities are also the most diverse, and it can accommodate over 200 knights.”
“Aha.”
I nodded.
But then.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Suddenly, a middle-aged man came up to me and spoke to me.
‘What’s with this mustache?’
He was neatly dressed in a Northern Command uniform and had a red armband on his arm.
It seems that this man is the evaluator who was sent to evaluate today’s joint training.
I thought for a moment and narrowed my eyes.
‘Aha, so he’s ‘that’ evaluator?’
Found him. Our knights’ nemesis.
The reason why our knights have been defeated mercilessly by the 4th Knight Order in the joint training so far.
Of course, the 4th Knight Order’s atrocities, backed by the Northern Commander-in-Chief, are the biggest reason, but the evaluator, who should have stopped the atrocities, also condoned the unfair discrimination.
“My name is Maizer. I have come down to take on the evaluation duties this time.”
Sir Maizer, the evaluator, tried his best to impress me.
“If you have any questions about the training, please feel free to ask.”
Or try to talk to me for no reason,
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
Or just stand around my seat and laugh for no reason.
‘Hmm.’
I looked Sir Maizer up and down and suddenly opened my mouth.
“Evaluator… that’s a very important role you have.”
At my words, Sir Major’s face lit up brightly.
But his smile didn’t last long.
“However, it’s a bit disappointing.”
“Yes?”
Sir Maizer’s shoulders stiffened.
As I stared at him intently, I soon closed my gaze.
Well, if he wanted to make an impression, I’d give him one.
However, impressions aren’t always positive, are they?
“You see, the military has a clear hierarchy and discipline.”
I shrugged lightly.
“Yet here you are, unable to discern this, greeting a subordinate before acknowledging their superior?”
“Yes?”
Sir Major looked bewildered. Acting like the spoiled bratty princess I was, I crossed my arms and lifted my chin arrogantly.
“Perhaps.. do you have poor eyesight? Should I introduce you to a doctor?”
Yes, this man had been ignoring Giscard by my side the entire time.
Instead of focusing on his duty as an evaluator, he was desperately trying to establish connections with me.
‘Disgusting.’
I spoke softly to the now pale-faced Maizer.
“This is the Northern Imperial Army’s joint training ground, isn’t it?”
“Y-Your Highness?”
“At least here, you shouldn’t be considering external ranks and titles. So how long do you plan to call me Your Highness?”
Gasp.
Sir Maizer’s mouth hung open. I sighed deeply and reprimanded him again.
“With such poor judgment, how can you evaluate knights? I’m very concerned.”
“N-no, I mean…”
I shot a cold glare at the stunned Maizer.
“So, are you going to greet him properly?”
“Yes?”
“Our Knight Commander, I mean.”
Only then did the evaluator realize his mistake and turned to Giscard.
“G-good morning, Commander of the Azure Dawn Knights!”
“Did you have pleasant dreams, Sir Maizer?”
Giscard responded with an indifferent expression.
At the same time, I was deeply furrowed.
‘Wait a minute.’
That damn evaluator had clearly ignored Giscard.
Why wasn’t Giscard angry?
He acted as if this kind of disrespect was all too familiar, maintaining a detached attitude.
Looking at him like that made my blood boil.
* * * *
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