TVPSTDK-47

At my suggestion, the Commander-in-Chief furrowed his brows sharply.

 

“Sir Gerard? You mean the Deputy Commander of the 4th Knight Order?”

 

Well, the Commander-in-Chief would naturally be aware of the uncomfortable relationship between the 4th Order Commander and Sir Gerard.

 

He probably didn’t like my proposal one bit…

 

But that wasn’t my concern.

 

“Isn’t that right? The Deputy Commander is highly competent. I believe he could stabilize the knight order that’s currently in disarray.”

 

I continued cheerfully.

 

“In return, if you proceed as I suggested, I won’t make an issue of the danger I was put in. How does that sound?”

 

“…Hmm.”

 

The Commander-in-Chief let out a heavy groan.

 

At the same time, I was busy running mental calculations.

 

Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d take this opportunity to get rid of that incompetent Commander-in-Chief too.

 

‘But that’s probably not feasible.’

 

In any case, I wasn’t seriously injured from this incident, and by military law, I was a knight.

 

Technically, even if I had died, no one would have been held accountable.

 

Besides—

 

‘Even a worm will squirm when stepped on.’

 

If I pushed too far and tried to take down the Commander-in-Chief too, and he retaliated, that would put me in a tough spot.

 

It’s not like I’ll never have another chance to bring him down anyway.

 

“So, what will you do?”

 

I asked again, casually.

 

And in truth, the answer was already decided.

 

“…Fine. Let’s do that.”

 

The Commander-in-Chief lowered his head and muttered.

 

“Great.”

 

Nodding with the face of a victor, I stood up from my seat.

 

“Thanks for the tea.”

 

“I’m glad it was to your taste.”

 

The Commander-in-Chief responded with a near-dead expression.

 

In a sweet tone, I asked him another question.

 

“Oh, by the way, the fragrance of the tea was wonderful. Was it a premium black tea from the Tove brand?”

 

“……”

 

The Commander-in-Chief looked at me with a sullen gaze.

 

Roughly translated, it was a look that said, ‘How do you even know that?’

 

I answered with a sly smile.

 

“Well, I am a bit of a hedonist, you know? When it comes to luxury goods, there’s no one more knowledgeable than me.”

 

Luxury goods.

 

Probably a rather distasteful phrase to the Commander-in-Chief.

 

Proof of that? I could see his jaw tighten slightly.

 

He was grinding his teeth.

 

At the same time, my eyes curved like a crescent moon.

“That black tea—if I’m not mistaken—is more expensive than silver of the same weight.”

 

“……”

 

“For someone like the Commander-in-Chief, who’s supposed to set an example for the knights… I wonder.”

 

Looking at the speechless Commander-in-Chief, I gave a deliberately annoying shrug.

 

“Isn’t that tea a bit too extravagant?”

 

And with those final words—

 

I briskly left the office.

 

Ah, really.

 

Now that feels refreshing!

 

 

TL/N: ISN’T SHE TOO POWERFUL, LIKE FR.

 

* * *

 

After Cassia left the office.

 

The Commander-in-Chief, trembling with rage, strode over to the table.

 

His large hand suddenly seized the teacup that was resting on it.

 

“Damn it!”

 

The Commander-in-Chief hurled the teacup away.

 

Clang!

 

The expensive teacup shattered into pieces as it hit the wall.

 

Still unable to calm his fury,

 

“That damned woman!”

 

Crash! Clatter!

 

The Commander-in-Chief smashed not only the remaining teacups but also the teapot, only then beginning to breathe heavily.

 

But the anger that had surged to the top of his head showed no sign of subsiding.

 

With a furious gaze, he glared at the door Cassia had exited through.

 

* * *

 

After that.

 

The Commander of the 4th Knight Order was immediately dismissed.

 

Several knights who had contributed to the disrupted atmosphere were also dealt with.

 

And the vacant position of Knight Order Commander was filled by Sir Gerard.

 

From what I heard, he’s been working the knights hard to whip them back into shape.

 

Sir Gerard effectively disciplined the knights under his command and was also favorable toward the Azure Dawn Knights.

 

Thus, the two knight orders finally formed a cooperative relationship.

 

Though not close enough to entrust each other with their lives, at least they no longer held each other back.

 

Meanwhile, Cassia remained constantly busy.

 

‘So, the supplies needed for the outpost repairs…’

 

Ink never seemed to dry on her slender white fingers.

 

As a result, the Administrative Officer’s office became—

 

The first place in the Azure Dawn Knights’s housing to turn on the lights, and the last to turn them off.

 

Watching Cassia like that made the knights feel increasingly uneasy.

 

“To be honest… it’s true that Administrative Officer Astrid has been taking care of all sorts of things for us.”

 

Sir Daniel cautiously began to speak.

 

“Ever since the Administrative Officer arrived, our daily life has become much more comfortable.”

 

“Right. Even with the recent issue involving the barrier stones—if the Administrative Officer hadn’t handled it properly…”

 

Sir Rodrigo added in a subdued tone.

 

“We would’ve been forced to take the full blame for it.”

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

The other knights remained silent.

 

To be honest, it was impossible not to notice.

 

No matter how she had acted in the past, it was clear that the current Cassia genuinely cared for the Knight Order.

 

And yet, they had taken all the care and attention she offered them completely for granted.

 

Not once had they properly apologized for all the wrong words and actions they had shown her until now.

 

“…We should apologize, shouldn’t we?”

 

At Sir Patrick’s sighing voice, the knights each gave a heavy nod.

 

Striking while the iron was hot, they immediately went to apologize to Cassia.

 

But then—

 

“Huh? What’s that smell?”

 

Sir Rodrigo flared his nostrils.

 

A savory aroma was wafting from somewhere.

 

It smelled like premium meat grilled in butter and deep-fried in oil… the rich scent of fat.

 

Although the quality and quantity of food had drastically improved since Cassia’s arrival,

 

The knights of Azure Dawn, having spent so long enduring hunger during duty, suffered from a kind of trance-like response whenever food appeared…

 

Thus, like people bewitched, the knights followed the direction of the delicious smell.

 

“Oh, you’re here?”

 

Cassia, who was moving busily in the dining hall with the cooks, turned around and greeted the knights with a bright smile.

 

Cakes topped with whipped cream and fruit, various fried dishes, a luxurious chicken stuffed with fruits and nuts and roasted whole…

 

All kinds of food were set out on the table.

 

Just looking at it made their mouths water.

 

The knights stared at Cassia, eyes wide like startled rabbits.

 

“Administrative Officer, what is all this…?”

 

Cassia gave an awkward laugh and scratched her cheek.

 

“W-Well, I thought maybe we could have a small celebration party or something.”

 

“A celebration party?”

 

“Yes. Now that all the quarters have been fully repaired, and you all went through so much this time, so…”

 

Looking unusually shy, Cassia quietly averted her gaze.

 

“I thought maybe it’d be nice if we could all spend at least one day together.”

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

At those words, the knights felt a sudden tightness in their chests.

 

Had anyone ever gone this far to care for them?

 

Certainly not.

 

Giscard had done his utmost for the knights, and they had respected and trusted their commander in turn.

 

But the duties of a Knight Order Commander were far too numerous and heavy for Giscard to handle alone.

 

Moreover, both the Northern Command and the Imperial Family had been turning a blind eye to the Azure Dawn Knights.

 

In the face of all those difficulties, asking for the kind of careful consideration Cassia was giving them would’ve been out of the question.

 

‘Still… a celebration party?’

 

‘We’ve never experienced anything like that since the founding of the Knight Order.’

 

Perhaps misinterpreting the silence, Cassia’s expression dimmed slightly.

 

“If it made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I just…”

 

“That’s not it!”

 

“Not at all!”

 

The knights hurriedly opened their mouths to speak.

 

Then they exchanged glances, seemingly gauging one another.

 

“We’re the ones who were too harsh toward you, Administrative Officer.”

 

“You’ve been looking after us this much…”

 

The knights all bowed their heads to Cassia.

 

“We’re truly sorry.”

 

“And… grateful.”

 

Cassia, visibly startled, quickly tried to lift the knights back up.

 

“Heavens, what are you all doing? Get up, quickly!”

 

But a radiant smile, one she couldn’t quite hide, bloomed across her face.

 

At last, the knights had opened their hearts to her.

 

“I look forward to working with you all from now on.”

 

Just as Cassia and the knights were sharing this warm moment—

 

Click.

 

Giscard opened the door and entered.

 

“What’s everyone…?”

 

At the same time, his blue eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck them.

 

Knights bowing their heads to Cassia.

 

And Cassia, trying her best to somehow make the knights stand up.

 

A heavy silence fell.

 

* * * *

 

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