The Way That Knight Lives As A Lady

Episode 1: The Knight Becomes a Lady

The stone floor that touched her cheek was cold. But even that coldness began to feel faint.

Blood dripped from her mouth, and her abdomen felt like a fiery furnace was burning her insides.

The blood flowing out of her was slowly pooling on the floor.

She tried to speak, trembling lips barely forming words, but her vocal cords seemed to have stopped functioning, and no sound came out.

All Estelle could do was silently plead with her eyes.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why on earth?

Estelle opened her eyes and looked at the man who killed her. Her vision was blurry, but she could see the man’s legs standing on the ground. She tried to look at his face, but she didn’t have any strength to raise her head.

“You’re still alive even with a poisoned sword, as expected, you’re the leader.”

His voice was gentle and affectionate as always. His long fingers brushed her hair, as her senses were fading away.

“Ka… Lee….”

“Shh, speaking will only make it more painful. Estelle. You should die quietly.”

The finger lingering on her ear finally slowly pressed against her bloodstained lips as if trying to feel the last breath she was about to release.

She was someone who vaguely thought that if the day of her death approached, she would face it calmly, but perhaps she would have some regrets. However, she didn’t have the luxury of having regrets right now.

If she died, her country would surrender to the enemy Jansgar, all the knights would be killed, and she wouldn’t even have the luxury to die honorably like the dog’s death she used to mock. None of those thoughts came to her mind now.

Because nothing was more important than the betrayal she had suffered right now.

The betrayer was gently touching her lips. Her last breath, which she was trying to exhale, became even rougher. Her body writhed in pain.

Khalid, why did you? Why did you kill me? Why?

She thought it was worth risking her life. He was the one who made her pick up the sword. He made her into a knight.

He was a friend and a comrade through life and death.

He was the only brother and a shining light in her life, even if they didn’t share the same blood.

In spite of that, you betrayed me. Khalid, you betrayed me!

Suddenly, as if I had lost my eyesight, everything was fading away.

“Goodbye, my Ishtar.”

With a gentle farewell, Estelle closed her eyes.

***

Damn it, that old man. Zed was fed up with it. After all the hard work fighting the demons, what did he do?

Zed’s brown eyes flashed. His mood was at its worst.

However, there was no one to blame in this world. In other words, his time of life permitted by God had already passed, or simply put, he died of an illness.

The damn old man Zed cursed about was Gaspar Heint, the Duke of Heint, or rather the former duke since he had already passed away.

Before his departure, there was a strange feeling, and what flew to him on the battlefield was the sudden news of his death.

First, he suppressed his emotions over losing his father, attended the funeral, received condolences from those who came to pay their respects, and pledged loyalty to the Emperor.

Receiving a title at the young age of twenty-seven was already troublesome, but the problem was the Duke’s will.

A will sealed with wax bearing the signature of the previous duke and marked with the emblem of the family.

On the luxurious parchment paper, there was not only the family crest but also three official seals stamped on it.

Of course, the honorable, no, damn testament written by the three damn officials cannot be refused by anyone for its execution.

If someone were to refuse, it would be a violation of the will of the gods, and they would lose not only their title but also their name as a citizen of the empire.

The will’s contents were very simple: to marry Lady Aydin, the daughter of Count Aydin. However, despite the simplicity of the sentence, the content was far from simple.

Zed suddenly had a fiancée.

It’s not that he disliked women. Zed avoided… no, he chased them away.

Of course, he chased away all the beautiful women. That’s not to say that Lady Aydin, the Count’s daughter, wasn’t beautiful. She was known for her beautiful appearance, so much so that she was called the “Morning Star” of Jensgar, just as her name, Lucifella, suggests.

Her hair was as long and lustrous as the color of the night sky, her face was as white as snow, and she even had those silver-blue eyes that were said to be like stars.

She is currently twenty years old.

Twenty years old. She was seven years younger than him. Usually, a woman thinks of getting married before they reach twenty years old, but she has surpassed that age.

The reason why she couldn’t get married was simple. It was because of her personality.

Countess Aydin died when Lucifella was young.

And the problem was that Count Aydin raised her as a precious daughter, a forbidden jade that might fly away when blown or break when touched.

Thus, she grew pampered and, at worst, nervously, adding to her beautiful appearance, her temper had become a rumor among the nobility. Besides, recently,

‘She had an affair with the Crown Prince.’

The phrase ‘rumor’ sounded simple, but what lay within it was quite significant.

First of all, it was not just a naive romance, but also involved sexual relations between the man and the woman. He could probably guess what had happened if he could hear even their intimate moments.

The result of the encounter between the vicious Crown Prince and the vicious young lady was obvious. She ended up being miserably rejected by the Crown Prince and became a laughingstock.

When he was so busy with his father’s funeral and post-management, he heard that she attempted suicide by jumping into the palace lake after being rejected by the Crown Prince at a palace party, whether she was trying to protest or was heartbroken.

And so, she is said to be still unconscious. He remembered laughing at the rumors that were circulating at the time, thinking how easy it is for a person’s life to end, even though someone else’s father had died. 

What a foolish person she was.

He saw an article saying a man would commit suicide as a last resort because he was dumped by the girl he was dating.

Of course, hanging them upside down and beating them to death, will encourage their will to live. 

Whether it’s a man or a woman, it doesn’t matter.  Zed hated that kind of thing. While others might find it very romantic, he thought that clinging to one emotion like that was simply pathetic.

The woman abandoned by the Crown Prince and criticized at in social circles was his fiancée.

His father was just as bad as well. He once again cursed his father.

“They say she woke up a few days ago.”

“Who?”

“Count Aydin’s daughter.”

Bernard, the lieutenant, said. Zed frowned. He still had a conscience and didn’t think it would be better if she didn’t wake up.

“Does Count Aydin know about the engagement?”

“I’m sure the priests told him as soon as the will was released. The will must be executed as long as the temple’s name is given.”

Damn impudence.

It was possible that even Count Aydin did not know about the engagement until the will was disclosed. That lady wouldn’t have dared to play with the Crown Prince while having Duke Heint as her fiancé.

Count Aydin…. Zed thought.

Count Aydin was a cousin of the deceased empress, the mother of the Crown Prince.

In other words, he was one of the families who openly supported the Crown Prince. Is it because his father wants him to support the Crown Prince? He still couldn’t figure out why.

He sighed. Of all people, it had to be that “kind” of fiancée.

“I guess there’s nothing I can do now.”

He muttered in a dissatisfied tone.

Bernard also sighed in sympathy with his master’s concerns.

There must have been a way to break off the engagement, but it would have required mutual agreement from both families.

And Count Aydin, who had brought up the engagement, would never agree to break it off.

“Tell him that I will visit her in two days.”

***

Upon opening her eyes, Estelle saw bright sunlight and a fancy chandelier. She blinked and remembered what had happened to her.

She and Khalid had gone into the meeting room to discuss the operation.

After finishing all the talks, Khalid suddenly said he wanted to hug her. When he said he wanted to hug her, he literally meant a hug.

As she raised her head and opened her arms to embrace him, Khalid’s sharp sword pierced through her stomach.

However, she was still alive. She was alive. At the same time, joy filled her.

Khalid, that guy. He pretended to kill me!

As she thought about it, that was true. He had no reason to actually kill her. What a guy. Estelle lay down and smiled.

Khalid always behaved that way. He had a cruel tendency to test her trust and disappoint her with his actions, only to reveal later that it was not true and enjoy seeing her expression change. 

Once, Estelle got so angry about it that she punched him in the face, and he stopped doing it.

Anyway, this must have been a way for him to save her.

He pretended to kill her on purpose and took her here.

Hopefully, he didn’t force himself to flee the battle with her.

At that time, she was clearly prepared to die, so she thought there was no chance of survival. He probably took her away from the battle to save himself.

The conclusion was obvious no matter how she looked at it. If it was really like that, you’re dead, Khalid.

Estelle tightly grasped the blanket and got up from her bed. She didn’t realize that her hands were no longer rough and calloused, but instead, they were white and smooth.

Estelle saw the red quilt covering her body.

Oh my God, this is another nobleman’s mansion!

The blanket was red silk with a subtle shine. Estelle found herself stroking it absentmindedly, enjoying the softness. 

Which wealthy noble could have indulged in such luxury in this war situation?

Estelle frowned. Besides, where was her sword? It was obvious. Kalid, who was worried about her running away, must have hidden it somewhere.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened and a maid entered. Her attire was exotic, but Estelle was still glad to see her as she had been looking for her. However, the maid’s expression turned pale as she saw Estelle’s smile and spoke.

“M—my lady, I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were awake!”

The maid’s face looked terrified.

But more than that, Estelle had something more important. What did that maid just say?

“Lady?”

Of course, she had never been called ‘Lady’ since she was thirteen when she entered the house of Gavrin.

 Well, actually, she had heard it a few times, but it was used as an insult, so anyone who used that word was reprimanded thoroughly.

“I, I have sinned to die. I should have been waiting in advance.”

Estelle frowned at the sight of the kneeling maid.

What? Why are you so desperate? I wasn’t happy to see a young girl younger than me doing that.

“Get up.”

The maid’s face glowed as Lucifella spoke in a more calm voice. It’s not that I saved her life. Is it that great?

“Ah, Thank you.”

The maid stood up and glanced at her. She seemed to be excessively polite.

After all, she was also from a commoner background.

Rather, she had never seen anyone like her before, even though some people looked at her as if she were a rare creature.

“How long was I sleeping?”

“You were unconscious for three days.”

“Oh? I slept a lot.”

“The master was very worried about you.”

“Master? Who?”

Estelle was asking about the owner of this mansion, but the maid seemed to be interpreting it differently.

“The lady’s father.”

Estelle tilted her head. The maid seemed to have something in her mind.

“Father?”

“Yes, Sir Count… Lady?”

The maid’s face clouded with anxiety when she saw Estelle’s face. That’s because Estelle looked like she didn’t know anything.

She has no father. No, she didn’t know her father. But, what do you mean father? It seemed like they were talking about different things.

She felt the black silk glistening on her shoulders.

She grabbed the silk from her shoulder and it shattered into pieces in her hand. It was only after a brief moment of confusion that she realized it was actually hair.

Her hair was short and gray. There was no long, luscious black hair to speak of. Estelle managed to find the reason.

“…… Can you get me a mirror?”

She tried to speak softly, but her lower lip was shaking.

She looked at her hand. Her hands were smooth, and her nails were shiny.

As if she had never held a sword before.

The maid brought her mirror and showed her. She saw herself in the mirror, no, not herself, a figure of a woman.

Unlike the short hair that was casually stretched, the woman’s hair was soft black hair.

Her face was so white as to make her wonder if she had seen the sunlight properly.

And the most beautiful thing is the eyes. It was almond-shaped eyes.

The color of the clear, sparkling eyes was silver-blue, reminiscent of diamonds.

Estelle swears she didn’t know this woman’s face.

As she blinked, the woman also blinked.

It was hard to imagine that she was doing some kind of trick with the mirror. She must have been actually looking at her hair.

“Where am I? Answer me.”

“…..?”

“Where am I? Where’s Khalid?! Come on, answer me!”

Anxious, Estelle raised herself, grabbed the maid’s shoulder, and shook her.

This can’t be happening. This wasn’t herself. What does this mean? What kind of nonsense!

“Oh, my mady, calm down! My lady!”

The maid said, quivering with fear.

She gasped and looked at her slender wrist. This must be a dream. A dream. She grabbed her hair as if trying to tear it.

“My lady, it’s the hair you cherish the most!”

“What did you do to me? Khalid, call Khalid!”

“Who is he!”

“Khalid, Khalid Gavrin!”

“Who is he? My lady, there’s no such person!”

“Then tell me, what have you done to me?”

“Oh, the lady is weird! Jesse! Jesse! Get the doctor here!”

Everything was falling apart.

Estelle managed to keep her sanity.

Come to think of it, the clothes of the maids, everything was unfamiliar to her, In addition, the maid used a Jansgar tone.

“Where am I?”

“…It’s the young lady’s house.”

“I’m talking about the country.”

“Jansgar. It’s the Jansgar Empire. This is Green Hill, the capital of Jansgar.”

Nonsense. Jansgar is a kingdom. How do you call it an empire? It’s irreverent.

Besides, this Jansgar was the enemy she had been fighting in the war against until she fell. Was this enemy territory? If so, she needed to find weapons quickly.

The maid seemed unaware that she was speaking in a different accent, probably due to her surprise.

She was now in the middle of the enemy country.

She had to find Khalid and go back, but even that goal crumbled soon after.

“What happened to the war with the Kingdom of Ersha?”

At those words, the maid seemed to feel serious.

“My lady, you must see the doctor. The Kingdom of Ersha has been destroyed!”

“Ersha is destroyed?”

It was her own country. It was a country that she wanted to protect. Estelle sat with a shocked face.

“What year is it?”

“It’s year 729 of Jansgar calendar, my lady.”

Fortunately, the maid responded to her words. She calculated with a dizzy head.

Three years, three years passed. Three years from where she was.

“When did Ersha perish?”

“That was three years ago, too.”

“Nonsense!”

“My lady?”

No, this can’t be happening. Estelle looked around. Khalid, where’s Khalid? What am I?

She got off the bed. She wanted to deny that it was a lie.

“Where are you going, my lady? You need to rest!”

“……Let me go!”

Estelle reached out and tried to push her, but the maid was strong.

No, she wasn’t strong. It was her body that was too thin and slender.

Of course, there was no way for her to have the strength of her own body, as only one woman held her.

She was out of breath when she moved her body hard. She struggled to shake it off, but it wasn’t easy.

Still, she struggled. She had to go to Ersha right away.

“Lucy!”

The door opened, and a man came in and grabbed her. She can’t shake off a woman and a man… Eventually, she fainted.

“Oh, Lucy, it’s all right. Dad, Dad is here.”

“…….”

“Lucy.”

The beating heart, which was pounding with excitement, slows down.

Estelle blinked her eyes.

When she looked at the man’s face in his warm arms, she saw the face of a man who resembled this woman.

His hair was blonde, but his eyes were the same color as hers. She felt the gaze of a man looking warmly at me with affectionate eyes.

“Who are you?”

Knowing the answer, she asked because she wanted to check.

The man’s face was distorted by grief. Estelle has never received such a loving stare.

Because she had never seen her father in her life.

“Don’t you remember your dad?”

“…..”

Estelle was slightly shaken. Whether she really doesn’t remember this person or whether she’s dreaming.

****

Thank you for reading!