“I’ll take care of that problem for you!”
Alyssa exclaimed without hesitation.
Ruling through force was something she had always excelled at.
Command, and if they don’t obey, punish.
It was the only method of governance she had ever learned, and it had never failed her.
A subordinate who doesn’t obey is more useless than the dead who don’t speak.
“No, this is something you won’t be able to handle alone, Your Grace.”
But Kieran quietly shook his head.
When Alyssa’s expression grew anxious, thinking he didn’t trust her, Kieran continued his explanation.
“Of course, I don’t doubt your abilities, Your Grace, but this is a different matter.”
Alyssa could kill everyone in the castle on her own. But she couldn’t rule over them all.
“The people of this castle don’t fear you. Even if you were to make an example of a few by killing them, it’s more likely to breed resentment than fear.”
If they don’t obey, cut off their heads. It’s a simple theory.
But if you were to kill them all because none of them obeyed, who would be left?
“What we need now is not just force, but the symbol of it.”
Kieran lightly clenched his fist and smiled. If only a few were the problem, he could kick them out, but this castle was rotten to the core.
“No one would dare face you alone, Your Grace. But what if there were a hundred of them? A thousand?”
The castle servants are also the families of the estate’s people. If all of them were to rise up, there’s no guarantee that the estate’s citizens would remain quiet.
So not only can you not kill them all, but even if you tried, would Alyssa and Kieran survive?
“That’s why we need the knights. If you were alone, it might be different, but no one would dare defy you when you have the knights at your command.”
Though her eyes were hidden by her bangs, Alyssa listened intently to Kieran’s words, her eyes sparkling.
“That’s the extent of my plan. What do you think?”
As he finished speaking, Alyssa clenched her hands tightly to stop herself from clapping like a fool.
“You’re really smart…”
But she couldn’t hide the admiration that slipped out like a sigh.
Alyssa didn’t even try to excuse herself for not being educated. Did Kieran truly come up with such a plan because he was properly educated?
“Cough, cough!”
Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, Kieran inhaled sharply and started coughing. At the sound, Alyssa quickly looked up, startled.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” he replied, slightly embarrassed by her genuine concern.
At the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to voice the question he had been meaning to ask.
‘I was going to ask if the knights are truly loyal to her.’
It was a valid question. After all, if even the castle servants didn’t fully follow her, there was no guarantee the knights would be any different.
He knew he needed to ask, but he also knew it was a rude question, so he was carefully considering the right moment.
Normally, now would have been the perfect time to cautiously bring it up, but after hearing such an embarrassing compliment, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Is there any issue with proceeding?” he asked, still trying to broach the subject indirectly.
“No. I’ll contact the knights right away today.”
Her quick reply came before he could even finish his roundabout question. Kieran watched her for a moment, then nodded.
Though a bit clueless at times, Alyssa never lied or spoke empty words. He could tell that much from the way she had treated him so far.
‘…It should be fine.’
He forced down the growing unease in his throat.
But the next day, unfortunately, Kieran found his anxieties had become reality.
‘—What the hell is this…?’
“Damn it! I said I need to see Her Grace!”
The peace of the morning dining hall was broken by the sound of approaching boots, followed by booming shouts that echoed through the room.
Alyssa had only mentioned contacting the knights yesterday evening. So it was unlikely that the people shouting down the hallway had come in response to her message.
‘Unless… it’s not the Benoit knights after all.’
Just as Kieran held onto a sliver of hope, another shout rang out.
“Is she here? No, she’s not. Damn, this castle is unnecessarily huge. Tch.”
“Commander! Where are you? Show yourself already!”
“I need to see you right now, so come out already!”
Who among the castle’s servants would dare call Alyssa “Commander”? Kieran quickly let go of any lingering hope.
‘…Why is the knights’ order here at the castle?’
There was no way Alyssa hadn’t heard the same racket Kieran had. Frowning, she stood up from her seat and began walking toward the door.
As soon as the sound of boots halted in front of the door, Kieran, startled, stood up just in time to see Alyssa opening the door.
‘What is she planning…!’
The door swung open, revealing three men with fearsome appearances standing outside.
All three looked intimidating, but the man in the center stood out the most. His face, marred by a long scar, and his wild red hair, like a lion’s mane, gave him the appearance of someone who would surely lead a rebellion.
Thunk!
“We greet the Commander!”
…Wait, what?
Kieran froze awkwardly in place. The first thing the knight order did upon meeting Alyssa, after barging in like rioters, was kneel in deep respect.
“What’s going on?” he muttered in confusion.
Kieran felt bewildered as he watched Alyssa calmly accept their bow. Was this really alright?
“I did not order your return to the main castle. Go back,” she commanded coldly. While she had planned to summon them eventually, there was a vast difference between being called by order and abandoning their post without permission.
Her voice was chillingly stern, and the man with ash-blonde hair on the left abruptly raised his head.
“We can’t do that!”
His booming voice echoed through the space, and the red-haired man in the middle, who had been bowing, snapped his gaze upward, eyes gleaming dangerously.
“He’s right,” the red-haired man growled in agreement.
Even from a distance, Kieran felt a shiver down his spine. The man’s growling voice had an ominous edge.
“Look, I told you before, didn’t I? I can put up with a lot, but letting my family starve? That’s something I won’t stand for.”
The tension escalated as his voice grew more heated. The man suddenly stood up, stepping forward in a threatening manner.
“And now I hear that the food supplies inside the castle have been cut off?”
With those words, Kieran began to grasp the situation.
It wasn’t him who had cut off the food supply. The servants, holding a grudge, had refused to carry out his orders. The very thing he feared had happened. Watching Alyssa’s back, Kieran felt a growing unease.
Though the situation had been confusing for a moment, this was clearly happening due to an act of insubordination.
Kieran realized he couldn’t just stand by any longer. They had to be calmed down and sent back, or else…
“Is that it? Were you planning to threaten me, storm the castle, and raid the storerooms?”
Just like that, Alyssa’s words came out before he could even try to stop her. Kieran shut his eyes tightly.
The expressions on the knights’ faces grew even more vicious, and Alyssa’s hand had already moved to the sword hanging at her waist.
“Your Grace, please—”
“I’ve had enough of this!” one of the knights bellowed.
Though Alyssa intended to intervene, her words were drowned out by the booming voice of the man. The situation was on the brink of exploding.
“Do I look like some dumb idiot to you? Huh?”
The mood became awkward with his follow-up words.
‘Then what else is it?’
Kieran nearly asked out loud in his confusion.
But it was just his own bewilderment; everyone else seemed to remain calm, aside from him.
“Wow, ten years of camaraderie down the drain. Do I look like a pathetic fool begging the commander for food for our kids?”
“The vice commander can be a bit much, though.”
“Damn it, will you shut up?”
The red-haired man, who had been speaking, slammed his fist down on the head of the ash-blonde haired man standing next to him, continuing his tirade.
“It’s not that we’re asking for money; we came to earn it. As men, we can’t just sit around whining!”
The atmosphere, which had been on the verge of exploding, suddenly became ambiguous, as if cold water had been poured on it. Alyssa let out a small sigh and gestured to the man with the pale hair.
“Anton.”
“This time, I agree with the vice commander.”
The man named Anton hesitated for a moment before kneeling. The black-haired man who was with him also knelt in the same manner.
“It’s not just the vice commander. I, and all the families of the knights, live within the castle. If the situation here is bad and they are starving, we can’t just stand by.”
The red-haired man nodded in agreement, as if to say that this was exactly what he meant.
“Please issue the deployment orders, Commander. Surely there are places where the monsters are rampant.”
Kieran stared blankly at the scene. So, they weren’t here to start a rebellion over the food shortage, but to go earn money…
The knights had barged in like street thugs, and the red-haired man’s shouting mixed with the kneeling knights’ etiquette created a tangled mess in Kieran’s mind.
“…What is this?”
So, is this a case of rebellion or not?
As Kieran muttered in disbelief, his voice echoed through the large space, drawing everyone’s attention to him.
After a moment of silence, the red-haired man spoke.
“And who are you?”
