Chapter 44

“How were the Dubos young ladies?”

Elena asked, exhaling smoke, her voice sultry in the dim light.

Vivian reflected on the day in the dusky room.

She had tea with the young ladies, chatted, and then had dinner with them...

At dinner, she clearly remembered feeling on edge, worried that Kylo might show up at any moment.

Fortunately, he seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Even when she wandered around the castle today, peeking here and there, he was nowhere to be seen.

He must have obediently hidden away, just as Vivian had told him to.

A strange sense of satisfaction arose because he’d followed her command so well.

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

“...Ah.”

Vivian realized once again that she had been thinking about Kylo without noticing it.

She pulled herself together and recalled the Dubos young ladies once more.

They’d only met for a single day, but if she had to sum them up, it would be like this:

“They were women lacking in nothing.”

Beauty, personality, the power of their lineage, their wealth, the love they’d been raised with—there wasn’t a single thing they were short on.

Especially Rani. Vivian couldn’t help but envy that girl’s spirited nature.

Perhaps it was because Rani held something that had once belonged to Vivian—a part of herself that she’d lost.

In the past, Vivian had considered herself rather affectionate and playful.

She would whine to her parents and often behave endearing in private moments.

She remembered how they’d found that side of her adorable.

Now, Vivian was the complete opposite.

Beyond merely acting calm, she could feel her personality growing genuinely more rigid.

It was a change she’d had to undergo just to survive.

Vivian had lost her family, lost human warmth, lost her wealth, safety, and future—she had nothing to her name.

So, she had to live with having nothing or fight until she bled to gain something back.

Even as Vivian gave what sounded like praise for the young ladies, Elena remained unchanged.

“That’s why you have to grow stronger. The world is unfair. Some have it all, while others have nothing. We have to struggle at least not to lose what we do have.”

Vivian let out a soft, hollow laugh.

“Do I even have anything? With nothing precious left, I might end up offering whatever’s left as a sacrifice someday...”

“Why wouldn’t you? You have plenty, it’s just not precious to you.”

“...”

“This castle, this family, Roctana, they’re all yours.”

“...That’s true, but—”

“—Oh, and there’s also the family’s heirloom, you might say... Kylo Allen.”

When Kylo’s name came up, Vivian glanced at Elena.

But Elena only looked back at her as if nothing were amiss.

“He’s your spoils of war. Like a slave, no?”

“...”

“...Isn’t he?”

She wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come easily.

He wasn’t exactly a slave, but there was some resemblance. She had to admit that.

Kylo Allen’s future lay entirely in Vivian’s hands.

Everything concerning his well-being was under her control.

Where he lived, what he did, and even when he’d be allowed to return to his homeland… all of it fell under her jurisdiction.

It was power gained in exchange for the death of her family.

“Right? Even if none of it is precious to you, it’s still yours.”

“...”

“If you’re not sure, imagine someone taking it all away. How would you feel?”

Vivian mulled over Elena’s words.

Someone taking Kylo Allen away from her…

“...Ha.”

Vivian found herself smiling, just a bit, without even realizing it.

Certainly, that could never happen.

She had received Kylo Allen as the sole reward from the Rondor’s enemies—how could she let him be snatched away?

At that thought, Vivian had to accept the truth.

“...You’re right. I guess I do have something after all.”

Kylo Allen was hers, whether she liked it or not.

There was no room for debate.

His life was in her hands.

No matter how much she cursed him, tormented him, or vented her frustration on him… without her permission, he could never leave.

A man braver than most adults, exceptionally skilled in martial arts, a dragon-slayer—someone who might have become great—was now in her grasp.

...Realizing that fact didn’t feel entirely bad.

***

Rani Dubos couldn’t fall asleep.

Her heart was still fluttering from the excitement of her long-awaited outing.

Her older sister, Asha, had already fallen into a peaceful slumber, but Rani, struggling with her wakefulness, perched by the window.

Rondor Castle was even bigger and more beautiful than she’d expected.

The Dubos family did not own such a grand castle, nor did they possess lands so vast.

They merely governed a small fiefdom under Rondor’s influence, living in a mansion suitable for their station.

Perhaps that was why Rondor Castle looked even more magnificent to her.

Moreover, the owner of these wide lands and this castle was a girl around her own age.

Rani still remembered the dignity and poise Vivian Rondor had shown.

‘She was so cool...’

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

On top of that, they said Vivian had even hunted a dragon recently.

A dragon. Yes, ‘that’ dragon. The ruler of monsters that flies through the skies and breathes fire.

...Of course, it wasn’t Vivian herself who slew the beast—some knight under her had done it—but still, it was no less impressive.

Vivian was enjoying all the things Rani dreamed of in life.

Rani knew, of course, that Vivian’s position wasn’t necessarily that great.

She knew that Vivian was struggling a bit, too.

Still, just looking at what was visible, Rani couldn’t help but feel envy.

Rani and her sister needed to befriend Vivian.

In a few years, when Vivian entered high society with an uncertain standing, Rani and Asha had to naturally escort her into the world of the young ladies.

It might involve taking some risks, given Vivian’s shaky position.

But if things went well, they’d form a friendship with a powerful ally named Vivian.

Now that she’d decided, Rani had to give it her all.

Today had gone well, she felt.

They’d gotten along, enjoyed a good conversation, and had a wonderful time together.

It wasn’t exactly a grand plan, but as she’d prepared, she was getting closer to Vivian.

There was just one thing Rani had heard she must be careful about if she wanted to get close to Vivian.

It seemed the eldest son of the Allen Family, the enemies of Rondor, was held here as a hostage.

Well, there were many noble children from the East Kingdom held as hostages all over the Delrum Kingdom, so this was expected.

For example, the princess of the East Kingdom was held hostage by the Delrum royal family... the second son of the Graham Family... the eldest son of the Risen Family...

And Kylo Allen of the Allen Family as well.

Rani knew she only had to be careful about Kylo.

She had no intention whatsoever of bringing him up in front of Vivian.

“Haa...”

Rani took in the night air and gazed outside.

She’d never realized how poetic a silent castle could appear.

She glanced at asleep Asha, then at the door to their room.

After looking once more out the window, she made a decision.

She’d go on a little adventure.

When else would she get a chance to explore such a vast castle?

When else would she have the freedom to roam without the stiff rules of etiquette?

It wasn’t as if she planned to rummage around the castle recklessly.

She just wanted to stroll along the corridors, take in the structure, and learn its layout.

.

.

.

“...Wow...”

As expected, the castle was as vast as she’d imagined.

It seemed many of the maids had gone to sleep; there weren’t many people around.

And those who were awake carried lamps as they moved about, allowing her to slip by unnoticed.

After wandering around the castle for quite some time, Rani felt her adventurous spirit sated.

Satisfied, she decided to return to her room.

–Tak...! Dak...!

“...Huh?”

Until that strange sound began echoing.

That odd noise sparked her curiosity anew, and she spent a good while searching for its source.

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

Looking out the window, she saw a spacious training ground.

One side held a rack mixed with wooden and real swords, and the other featured wooden training dummies—clearly a place where knights honed their skills.

And there, in that training ground, a single person remained, still engaged in training.

Beneath the moonlight, he swung a heavy sword, polishing his techniques.

“...Wow...”

The sight was more than enough to captivate Rani’s heart.

A knight training at a time when everyone else slept—Rani found it oh so romantic.

As she watched him practice, a final thought crossed her mind:

She would go see him.

Who knew? Perhaps he was the knight who’d defended Vivian and slayed the dragon.

***

“Haah... Haah...”

I wiped the sweat from my face as I caught my breath.

There really was something about working my body hard that put my mind at ease.

I’d spent the entire day hiding out in my quarters for Vivian’s sake, so I’d had energy to spare and couldn’t sleep, feeling stiff and restless.

Now that I’d stretched my limbs, I felt much better.

No one was around this late, so I could soak myself in the river to wash up and then head back to rest.

I could probably come out again tomorrow around this time to train.

“Um, excuse me!”

Just then, a voice I never expected called out to me.

Startled, I turned around—and there stood Rani Dubos.

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

She was exactly the sort of person I’d planned to avoid, and seeing her appear out of nowhere was a bit disconcerting.

Still, at least this wasn’t happening in front of Vivian. That had to be better than me sticking my nose into the meeting Vivian had so eagerly awaited.

“...Oh.”

Rani, who had called out to me, locked eyes with me and froze.

She whispered softly:

“...Black hair...”

Then it dawned on her who I was.

“K-Kylo Allen...?”

“...”

I wiped more sweat away and said:

“...Go inside and sleep.”

At my answer, Rani snapped back to her senses, immediately bristling with hostility.

It felt like some taught-by-rote outrage, awkwardly sputtering forth.

“H-How rude! Y-You show no manners upon our first meeting...!”

“You say that as if I came looking for you. If you hate the rudeness, then leave.”

Rani, astonished, let out a series of breathy “Ha...! Hu...!” sounds as if at a loss for words. Then her eyes suddenly fixed on my neck.

She froze for a moment, then in a flash rushed over and grabbed the Azure cord around my neck, stammering out a question much like Vivian had once done:

“Th-This, why do y-you have...”

“...”

“W-Was it you? You… took down the dragon?”

Annoyed by the hassle, I shook off her hand from my cord.

“And who’s not minding their manners now? Getting weirdly close and throwing a tantrum like a lunatic at our very first meeting...”

“W-Wait a moment... But... didn’t Lady Vivian say she was chased by a dragon and her knight protected her...?”

“...”

I mulled over what Rani said.

‘Her’ knight?

My interest was suddenly piqued, and I asked Rani:

“Did Vivian say that I was ‘her’ knight?”

“...Yes, s-something like that...”

The claim was ridiculous, but strangely, it made me chuckle.

As I wiped my sweat and scratched my nose, I asked Rani another question:

“...Did she say anything else about me?”

“...And why should I tell you that?”

...She was right. This made me realize Madame Linne had at least brought girls with sound judgment.

Jolted back to reality by Rani’s retort, I lost interest and carried my wooden sword over to the weapon rack.

Rani, left standing awkwardly alone, followed me.

“So, you really did slay the dragon?”

She kept peppering me with questions as she followed along.

“I heard you’re only sixteen... Is that true?”

Even as I organized the wooden swords, she wouldn’t stop chatting.

“Maybe you just delivered the final blow after it was weakened...”

...That particular guess grated on me, sending a fresh wave of irritation through my chest.

“And considering you and Lady Vivian are supposed to be enemies... surely...”

–Boom!

“Hey, damn it. Do I look like your friend? Will you back off already?”

Unable to hold it in any longer, I slammed my fist into the weapon rack.

I was pissed off, and I also wanted to scare her off a bit.

“Huh?”

But just then, the rack broke.

A steel spear, blade pointed upward, began to topple over toward Rani.

At that angle, it wouldn’t have been strange if the blade cut her.

Shocked, Rani let out a small scream.

“Kyaaah...!”

I had no desire whatsoever to leave a giant scar on the face of a noble young lady and be held responsible for it.

Without time to think, I grabbed Rani’s arm and yanked her toward me.

Her body, unable to overcome its own momentum, collapsed into my embrace.

–Thud, thump!

As long as she avoided the blade, she’d be safe.

Just as I’d done for Vivian, I roughly shielded Rani with my body, letting the falling spears slide off harmlessly.

A trivial moment if you think nothing of it, but one that could’ve turned your blood cold if it had gone wrong.

After that breathless instant, I caught my breath and asked Rani:

“...You alright?”

Supporting her at the waist and back, I looked down at her. She had no reply.

The mouth that never stopped talking now closed tight, and she only blinked in silence.

“I asked if you’re alright.”

“...”

At my second prompt, Rani trembled slightly.

Then her face suddenly flared crimson, so red that it was visible even in the night.

Her expression was a jumble of anxiety, embarrassment, and shame.

I got it. I knew you’re not supposed to touch a noblewoman’s body so casually.

I’d learned this lesson with Vivian, but I’d been too distracted just now.

Rani said nothing, biting her lip hard. Then, all at once, she pushed herself up and ran away.

Like a startled deer feigning death before bolting off, she suddenly picked up speed and fled.

She ran off so desperately that it almost seemed pitiful.

–Thud!

In her haste, she tripped in the grassy field beyond the training yard.

She fell loudly enough to echo back to me but got right back up without so much as a whimper of pain.

Glancing my way for a moment, she didn’t even bother brushing the grass from her dress before taking off running again, determined to escape.

Watching her shrinking figure in a daze, I rubbed my neck and let out a sigh.

...I could tell something had definitely gone wrong.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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