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“How were the Dubos Young Ladies?”

Elena asked with a charming atmosphere while puffing on a cigarette.

Vivian reflected on her day in the dim room.

Having tea and chatting with the young ladies, and then dinner…

I distinctly remember being on edge, worrying if Kyle would show up during dinner.

Thankfully, he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

No matter how much I looked around the castle today, I couldn’t find a trace of him.

He was probably hiding somewhere, following Vivian’s orders.

A strange sense of satisfaction washed over me for his obedience.

“Huh? Vivian. What about the young ladies?”

“…Oh.”

Vivian realized she had been thinking about Kyle again without even noticing.

Snapping back to reality, she recalled the Dubos Young Ladies once more.

They had only met for a day, yet Vivian felt she could sum them up like this.

“They were women who seemed to lack nothing.”

In terms of beauty, personality, family power, wealth, and the love they grew up with, they were perfect in every way.

Especially Lani, whose lively personality made Vivian envious.

Perhaps it was even more so because Lani had what Vivian had lost.

In the past, Vivian considered herself quite charming.

She would pester her mother and father or express her shy affection in private often.

She had fond memories of them finding that adorable.

But the current Vivian was the complete opposite.

Beyond just acting calm, she genuinely felt her personality was solidifying.

She had to change in order to survive.

Vivian had lost her family, human warmth, wealth, safety, and nothing else seemed to remain for her future.

With nothing, she had to either live within that emptiness or shed blood to hold anything in her hands.

Even with Vivian’s complaints disguised as praise for the young ladies, Elena remained unchanged.

“This is why you need to grow stronger. The world is unfair. For every person who has everything, there are those who have nothing. We have to fight to ensure we at least don’t lose what we have.”

Vivian let out a light laugh as she responded weakly.

“Is there anything I even own? I have nothing precious… I might even need to sacrifice something later…”

“Why wouldn’t you? You have a lot, just that it may not seem precious.”

“…”

“This castle, your family, Roktana… all of it is yours, right?”

“…That’s true, but—”

“—Oh, and there’s Kyle Allen, who could be considered the family’s legacy…”

As Kyle’s name came to mind, Vivian looked at Elena.

But Elena just stared back at her as if nothing was amiss.

“He’s your trophy. Like a slave or something. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“…Isn’t it?”

Vivian wanted to deny it, but words failed her.

It wasn’t exactly slavery… but she felt there were similar elements to it.

Kyle Allen’s future was firmly in Vivian’s grasp.

Everything concerning him was under her control.

Where he would live, what he would do, when he could return home… all of it was her right to decide.

That was the power she gained in exchange for her family’s death.

“Isn’t that right? While none of it may be what you hold dear, it has still been given to you.”

“…”

“If you’re unsure, think of it as something that could be taken away. How would that make you feel?”

Vivian pondered Elena’s words.

To think of Kyle Allen being taken away by someone else.

“…Hah.”

Vivian let out an involuntary chuckle.

Clearly, that was unacceptable.

What she had sacrificed for Roktana’s downfall was just Kyle Allen; how could she let him be taken away?

Vivian had to admit that thought weighed on her.

“…I suppose so. I do have something after all.”

Kyle Allen, like it or not, was hers.

There was no argument there.

His life was in her hands.

Even if she berated him, tormented him, or annoyed him… without her permission, he couldn’t leave her.

A being who might have been brave, exceptional in martial arts, and perhaps even destined for greatness was in her grasp.

…That fact didn’t feel bad at all.

****

Lani Dubos couldn’t sleep.

After an exciting outing, her heart was still racing.

Her older sister Asha was already fast asleep, peacefully resting, while Lani just pressed her face against the window, waiting for sleep that wouldn’t come.

The Castle of Rondore was bigger and more beautiful than she had expected.

The Dubos Family didn’t own such a grand castle or this much land.

They merely governed a small territory under the influence of Rondore, living in a mansion suitable for their status.

Thus, this castle seemed even more magnificent in contrast.

Moreover, it was owned by a girl of her age.

Lani still remembered the grace and dignity Vivian Rondore had displayed.

‘She was so cool…’

Just like a strong princess from a fairy tale, Vivian was living her life.

And rumor had it that she recently hunted a dragon.

A dragon.

The king of monsters that flies through the sky, breathing fire.

…Of course, Vivian didn’t do it herself; it was some knight who did, but still, that was impressive.

Vivian was living the life Lani dreamed of.

Lani knew, however, that Vivian’s standing, despite seeming enviable, wasn’t that remarkable.

She also had her own struggles.

Still, from a surface view, it was indeed enviable.

Lani needed to get close to Vivian.

In a few years, when Vivian with her uncertain status would step into society, she knew she and her sister would need to naturally escort Vivian into the world of young ladies.

It might be risky considering Vivian’s position, but if it went well, being tight with such a powerful ally would yield great results.

Having made that decision, Lani was determined to do her best to get to know Vivian.

Today felt like a success in that regard.

They had communicated well and had a genuinely fun conversation.

While she wouldn’t call it a plan, she was getting closer to Vivian just as she’d hoped.

The only thing she had heard she needed to be cautious about was the fact that the eldest son of the rival family, the Allen Family, was being held hostage in this castle.

She already knew that many noble children from the East Kingdom were taken hostage throughout the Delum Kingdom, so it was no surprise.

For example, the East Kingdom’s princess was held hostage by the Delum Royal Family… the second son of the Craeme Family… the eldest son of the Lisen Family…

And then there was Kyle Allen of the Allen Family.

Lani knew she just had to watch out for Kyle.

She had no intention of mentioning him in front of Vivian.

“Hah…”

Lani gazed outside, feeling the night air.

The quiet castle looked so romantic.

She caught a glimpse of Asha and then glanced at the door.

After looking back outside, she made her decision.

She was going to go on a little adventure.

When would she have another chance to wander this grand castle?

When would another opportunity arise to explore the castle with its stiff etiquette set aside?

This wasn’t about recklessly rummaging through rooms.

She simply wanted to stroll through the corridors and see the structure of the castle.

…

“…Wow…”

As expected, the castle was as spacious as she imagined.

Perhaps the maids had all gone to bed, for there weren’t many people around.

If there were, they all walked around with lamps, allowing Lani to meander through without getting caught.

After some time exploring the castle, Lani felt her adventurous spirit fill up.

She was satisfied and wanted to return to her room.

-Tap…! Snap…!

“…Huh?”

It was only before a strange sound began echoing that she paused.

The weird noise piqued Lani’s curiosity, and she wandered around, trying to discover where it was coming from.

Before long, she realized the sound wasn’t coming from inside the castle.

Looking outside, she spotted a large training ground.

There was a weapon rack with a mix of wooden swords and real swords, indicating it was a place for knights to train.

And there, on the training ground, one person remained, continuing to practice.

Under the moonlight, they were honing their skills with a heavy sword.

“…Wow…”

That scene was enough to captivate Lani’s heart.

A knight training while everyone else was asleep.

Lani thought it was incredibly romantic.

As she looked at the knight practicing, she made one last thought.

She would come back to see him.

Who knows? He might be the knight who protected Vivian and hunted the dragon.

****

“Hah… Hah…”

I wiped the sweat from my brow and gasped for air.

This was why I needed to stretch my body; it always made me feel better.

Having hidden away in my quarters all day for Vivian’s sake, I had too much energy, and sleep was nowhere in sight.

Once I warmed up, I felt a bit better.

Now that no one was around, I figured I could dip in the river to wash off and then go back to rest.

It seemed like a good idea to daily work out around this time too.

“Hey, you!”

Just then, a voice I didn’t expect called out to me.

Startled, I turned around and found Lani Dubos standing there.

I had no idea why she was still awake at this hour or why she was here.

It was a little unsettling to see the one person I wanted to avoid right in front of me.

Yet, I thought it might be fine since I hadn’t run into her in front of Vivian.

“…Um.”

But Lani, who had called out to me, made eye contact and quickly froze.

She whispered, “…Black hair…”

And soon enough, she realized my identity.

“K-Kyle Allen…?”

“…”

I wiped more sweat off and replied, “…Go back to sleep.”

At my response, Lani instantaneously regained her composure and showed hostility.

It was as if some taught anger awkwardly burst out.

“Y-You’re rude! You don’t even show proper etiquette on our first meeting!”

“Anyone would think I came looking for you. If you don’t want to be rude, then leave.”

Lani made a series of incredulous sounds like ‘Hah…!’ and ‘Huh…!’ and then fixed her eyes squarely on my neck.

Frozen for a moment, she dashed toward me in an instant.

Grabbing the blue string around my neck, she stammered like the old Vivian.

“W-Why is this all, yours…?”

“…”

“Y-You caught the dragon…?”

I brushed her hand off my string, feeling annoyingly bothered.

“Who’s the one being rude? You’re acting all weird on the first meeting.”

“A-But… B-But Vivian said she was pursued by a dragon and that her knight protected her…”

“…”

I mulled over Lani’s words.

‘Her’ knight?

Suddenly intrigued, I asked her, “Did Vivian call me her knight?”

“…Y-Yeah, something like that…”

It was a ridiculous statement, but oddly, laughter involuntarily escaped me.

Wiping my sweat and scratching my nose, I followed up, “…Didn’t she say any more about me?”

“…Why should I share that with you?”

Fair point.

Looking at it this way, Lady Linne seemed to have brought some level-headed women.

I quickly regained my composure after Lani’s comment.

Along with it, my interest faded as I carried the wooden sword back to the weapon rack.

Lani seemed to feel awkward being left alone and followed me.

“So, you really did catch the dragon?”

She kept asking me questions even as she followed.

“Didn’t you say you’re 16 now? Is it real?”

She couldn’t stop chattering while I arranged the wooden swords.

“Did you perhaps kill it just at the end…?”

That rubbed me the wrong way, and I felt annoyed rise within me.

“But… you must be enemies with Vivian, for sure…”

-Thud!

“Geez. Am I your friend? Don’t you get lost?”

Finally unable to bear her endless questions, I punched the weapon rack.

I felt annoyed, mixed with a slight desire to scare her off.

-Crash!

“Huh?”

At that moment, the weapon rack collapsed.

The upright steel spear that had been haphazardly stacked toppled toward Lani.

It was following a trajectory where it wouldn’t have been odd for it to graze her body.

Startled, Lani yelped.

“Ahhh…!”

I certainly didn’t want to take responsibility for leaving a huge scar on a noble lady’s face.

Without a second thought, I grabbed Lani’s arm and pulled.

Her body couldn’t resist inertia and tumbled into my arms.

-Thud thud!

If it just avoided the point, it would be safe.

Like how I shielded Vivian, I instinctively wrapped my body around Lani, blocking the falling spear with my own.

The fallen spears slid harmlessly off me without causing any problems.

As the worst passed without any injuries, I sighed and asked Lani, “…Are you okay?”

With her waist and back supported, Lani looked up at me and didn’t respond.

Her mouth, which had never stopped talking, abruptly closed as her eyes blinked rapidly.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

Lani trembled at my second question.

Then her face blushed bright red, almost as if someone had painted it with a bright hue.

Even at night, the color was vivid.

Her expression, a mix of tension, embarrassment, or shame was clearly exposed.

I knew well that I shouldn’t touch her body so casually.

Even after learning from Vivian, I had acted mindlessly just seconds before.

Lani couldn’t say anything, biting her lip tightly, then suddenly shot up to run away.

-Pitter-patter!

She dashed off as if a deer pretending to be dead suddenly sped away.

The speed at which her figure disappeared was almost pitiful.

-Thud!

In her haste, she tripped over the grass outside the training ground.

The sound echoed as she fell hard, but without a hint of pain, she sprang back up instantly.

Looking back for a moment, she didn’t even stop to brush off the grass from her pant legs and ran again.

You could feel the determination in her desire to escape.

As I stood there watching her shrink in the distance, I absentmindedly touched my neck and sighed.

…I could sense that something had gone wrong.

 

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