Chapter 22: The Sword and the Dress Part 1
“My lady, that tone again!”
Royza pointed out, putting her hand on her waist. Somehow the beckoning of the knights seemed to be the way men did it. The knights soon looked this way and approached Lucifella.
“I’m sorry for the late greeting. Gwain Rutherford, the Knight Commander.”
The Knights Commander, Gwain, greeted Lucifella politely. This man, who seemed to be a young man in his thirties, was the only one among them making a gesture as if he had been trained to say that he was a knight commander.
Just as she observed Gwain, Gwain observed Lucifella.
His gaze rested on Lucifella’s beautiful face. Whether this idiot in front of her eyes observes her or not, Lucifella said angrily, stroking her head.
“What the hell is going on here?”
“What are you talking about?”
Gwain was bewildered by the criticism rather than the praise or hard work of the knights he had expected from Lucifella’s mouth.
“How is the knight’s weapon so poorly managed? And those people who are resting like that. Why are you so slow? Isn’t the intensity too weak for a knight’s training?
This large space, which was set up as a training ground, was such a waste. Lucifella didn’t know where to start with this.
Gwain looked dumbfounded at Lucifella’s criticism. It’s because he didn’t like the lady who had never held a sword talking about training.
Matsy was also puzzled. It was because the lady, who had not even said a word about the shabbyness of the castle and the room, did not like the way the knights were trained, so he did not know how to say this.
“It’s the way of the knights. I think you’ve probably misunderstood.”
At Gwain’s words, Lucifella’s eyebrows went up. Gwain’s words were polite, but his speech was irreverent.
“I have no right to interfere much because as their Commander you’re the one that have the authority. However, I’d like to hear about the condition of the weapon, though. Don’t you need to take care of the management if you use the taxes of the teritory to buy weapons? What’s this? I don’t even think this weapons would able to cut a piece of paper.”
Gwain’s face frowned at Lucifella’s point. Lucifella saw that the faces of the other knights were equally distorted. It was as if he was embarrassed and couldn’t stand it.
Lucifella also began to get angry at the apparent irreverence. What she said was never wrong. If someone like another man, Duke Heint, had pointed out, he would have accepted it, but why are you treating her like this to what she says?
“You seem to have something to say, Sir Gwain Rutherford.”
Gwain gritted his teeth and said to Lucifella’s sarcastic remarks.
“Isn’t that the state of the weapon because it spends more money on your dress?”
“……”
Lucifella’s eyes widened at the words.
Gwain’s eyes showed signs of resentment. Lucifella looked at the other knights. They also seemed surprised by the Knight Commander’s words, but the expression seemed to agree.
“Is that true, Sir Matsy?”
When Lucifella spoke to Matsy next to her, Matsy said nothing.
“Then that must be true.”
Matsy remained silent with a dubious expression. It was time for Gwain’s eyes to be elated.
“Yeah, do you think the level of the knights can really be an excuse for this because of that trivial reason?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Sir Matsy, answer me. Was it because of my dress that we didn’t have enough money for military service?”
“Oh, that’s not it! Well, that’s…..”
Matsy’s face turned into a troubled look.
“The master said that this estate is peaceful enough, so it would be okay to reduce the support for the knights, so I reduced it…..”
“He said so.”
Lucifella glanced at Gwain slightly. However, Gwain’s anger did not go away.
“You say my father thought so. Is it because of my dress?”
“Isn’t that obvious to anyone! I heard that the new dress was bought because the lady was coming cost a fortune. If only you’d invested it in the Knights!”
“Then the reason why the knights was poor because of my father’s decision, but why the hell is that because of my dress?”
Gwain’s face distorted at Lucifella’s point. He, too, couldn’t find anything to say.
“My father made it that way, but the daughter got pointed, so there must be something resentful and unfair about it. But did you make a separate request because you didn’t have enough armament?”
Gwain frowned at Lucifella’s question. He seemed to have nothing to say.
“Sir Matsy, was that so?”
“No, there has never been anything like that.”
Lucifella sighed and said.
“Then it’s not because of the dress, but because of my father’s mistake and the Knight Commander who knew about it and ignored it. Reporting is also a duty of respect, isn’t it?”
“My lady.”
Matsy warned him as if to stop, but Lucifella’s thoughts remained unchanged. It was a problem that could have been asked to build up arms.
Then, Gwain shouted.
“If I asked, he wouldn’t have listened! The count thought it would be a waste to give the military a budget.”
Lucifella felt somewhat uncomfortable about it.
“Even if you ask, he won’t listen. He is not like that.”
Khalid’s voice was heard.
Khalid had said that before. When she wanted punishment for the lord who abandoned the village, passing through a city dying of plague. Estelle tried to tell it to Ersha’s king, but Khalid quietly dissuaded it. What about Estelle?
Lucifella shook her head to think and said.
“Even so, you would know that it’s an excuse, right? That’s the idea, you didn’t do anything anyway. It must have been my dress that looked the sweetest and useless.”
Lucifella shook the skirt of the dress she was wearing, slightly grasping it.
“Have you ever taken issue with my father’s carriage or his fancy clothes?”
Gwain could not answer that. Still, his face was full of resentment.
But Lucifella wanted to point out. ‘The Count cut his armaments because of the dress’ and ‘The Count cut his armaments because he didn’t feel the need of force, and bought a dress because he loved her daughter’ was a different story.
However, they treat different stories the same way.
In that sense, everything the count buys to socialize is also a problem.
“You must know him well. The issues I’m pointing out are not an arms issue, but a discipline issue. Was I talking about the lack of knights in relation to the size of the estate? Or did I mention that the quality of the sword is not good?”
At her words, the Wayne realized only then that she was not pointing out her sarcasm, but was pointing out her own thoughts.
“If I showed the blacksmith here that the teeth of the sword are coming out, it would be a part that could be repaired without any extra money. Was this a problem that was so closely related to my dress?”
Gwain’s face bowed. He was ashamed of himself. It was just because he heard a rumor that the Count was buying dresses and accessories because he cared about the lady, so he wanted the money to be distributed as military funds.
He was overly angry when he was criticized for what he had been through due to lack of armament. So he wanted to say what he was dissatisfied with. But what a cowardly act this is. It was just as the lady said.
The reason why the sword is in a bad condition is because of their negligence in management. So was the intensity of the training. Gwain also knew that the training intensity of the knights of other territories was stronger than this.
“I’m sorry…..”
Eventually the Gwain opened his mouth and barely answered. Instead of taking care of it, he had to at least ask for it directly. It was certainly true that he was silent because he might be penalized. Reporting was also his duty.
Lucifella saw it silently and opened her mouth.
“Sir Matsy.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Lucifella turned to Matsy and said.
“Is the dress in my closet worth selling?”
“….yes?”
Lucifella coldly replied to Matsy, who opened his eyes wide and asked.
“Sell them all, leaving a few. I think we can sell jewelry or a thousand pieces if the value has dropped.”
“How can you do that? My lady, let’s talk to the Count and think about increasing the armaments further.”
“I’m making an excuse for my dress, so what should I do if I want to sell my dress?”
At Lucifella’s words, Gwain’s eyes widen.
“Ah, lady, that’s!”
Despite Gwain’s dissuasion, Lucifella’s thoughts did not change.
“I’ll use the money for military funds. so in exchange you’ll have to follow what I’m saying, right?”
“…..”
Lucifella said with a bright smile. Gwain couldn’t hide his embarrassment.
“How many knights are there now?”
“There are more than 100 people.”
“Will you protect me if I leave the estate?”
“My lady!”
Matsy finally called her in. But Lucifella looked calm.
“I think it would be better to select more knights and garrison troops. I’ll tell my father about this part. I can’t understand with my common sense that there are so few knights and soldiers while digging for jewelry in a mine in the fiefdom. What are you going to do if a thief appears or an enemy comes in?”
“It’s never happened before, my lady.”
“Then it probably hasn’t happened yet.”
Lucifella said mockingly.
“Oh, and I’m thinking of taking a walk in the estate for exercise from the morning, but I hope no one gets up later than me. I sold all the dresses for the first time in a while, but to think that the knights are more lazy than me it would make me quite upset.”
“My lady, please…..”
“You can’t make an excuse for a dress anymore, so let’s see how well you can do it.”
***
Thank you for reading!
Yes. She lost her body and skills of gifted swordsman but she still has a mind of military commander.