Chapter 6
Chapter 6
My Guard Knight Can Only Be That Person
All nobles entering the academy bring along one guard knight.
If nobles, who already hold wealth and honor, were allowed to hire as many as they wanted, it would be excessive, so it was limited to one.
Therefore, a guard knight must single-handedly handle all matters for their master while protecting them.
Because of that, a guard knight is not merely a bodyguard.
A guard knight can be a maid, a secretary, sometimes a friend, a sibling, even someone closer than family.
In a way, the kind of guard knight one brings also represents the noble’s status.
Having a more refined and capable guard knight means that noble is doing that much better.
In that sense, Sylvia had confidence in her own value.
As someone of noble birth, she understood noble etiquette, and being a woman, she believed she could get along more easily.
Sylvia wanted to become close with Roze Volanschefort.
If she could gain her favor and receive even a minor noble title, there would be nothing better.
However, Roze Volanschefort was a woman surrounded by many bad rumors.
That her personality was awful, that her tongue was sharp…
It was said that none of the maids who served her lasted even a year.
The worst rumor was that despite being a noble, she couldn’t use magic.
That was fatal.
All nobles could use magic.
In other words, the proof of being a noble was tied to whether one could use magic.
Not being able to use magic meant… it was easy to be swept up in rumors of having the blood of lowly commoners.
Perhaps that was why Roze’s personality had become so twisted.
‘Still, I’ll treat her without prejudice.’
Sylvia herself had suffered from biased views before.
Wasn’t that what they called shared pain?
She felt that she could get along even better with Roze because of it.
Arriving at the Volanschefort Count’s mansion, Sylvia’s heart swelled with anticipation and excitement.
She was greeted at the front gate by the head maid, Elise.
A woman with a notably large chest and revealing clothing.
“Hello! You must be the new guard knight?”
“Y-yes. I am Sylvia Alesta, the guard knight assigned to serve the young lady.”
“I’m Elise, the head maid who serves the young lady. Though, even as the head maid, I’m actually the only one serving her personally.”
Elise guided her inside the mansion, speaking quickly.
She seemed quite happy to meet someone new.
“Do you know why there aren’t any other maids besides me?”
“I-I’m not sure.”
Sylvia followed Elise, overwhelmed by the vast mansion.
“Our young lady has quite the terrible personality. They all quit in tears.”
“Then why don’t you quit, Miss Elise?”
“I’ve raised her since she was a baby, in place of her parents, so I’ve grown attached to her, for better or worse. I want to see what kind of future she’ll have.”
“I… see.”
“But recently, that ill-tempered young lady has been looking very happy.”
Elise looked up at the lanterns hanging from the ceiling with delight.
Come to think of it, the mansion was filled with bright flowers and decorations, as if preparing for a party.
“Do you know why that is?”
“I-I’m not sure.”
“I think it’s because of you, Miss Guard Knight.”
“M-me?”
“Yes. Just today, she had the finest dishes prepared to welcome you. Turkey, tomahawk steak, salmon sashimi—there are so many dishes I’ve never even seen before.”
“I’m honored that the young lady is looking forward to meeting me so much.”
It wasn’t empty flattery.
Getting close to Roze was exactly what Sylvia wanted.
The two entered the banquet hall.
The large doors opened, revealing a long marble dining table.
Across the table filled with luxurious dishes, a beautiful young girl greeted her with a bright smile.
“I’ve been waiting! Welcome, my guard knight!”
“Ah…”
Overwhelmed by the generous welcome, Sylvia immediately dropped to one knee.
“It is an honor to meet you! I am Sylvia Alesta! From today onward, I will serve you as your guard knight!”
“……………….”
“I look forward to serving you well.”
“……………….”
There was no response.
Sylvia kept her head lowered.
Until her master permitted it, she did not want to raise her head.
But no matter how long she waited, she didn’t hear, “You may raise your head.”
Instead, she heard heavy footsteps approaching.
Then came a voice colder than a snake.
“Who… are you?”
“Ah! I-I am Sylvia Alesta, your guard knight.”
“…Why you?”
“Excuse me?”
The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy.
Wrapped in a chilling aura, Sylvia instinctively raised her head.
Only then did she see Roze glaring at her—not with mere anger, but something closer to hatred.
A chill ran down Sylvia’s spine.
“Why is someone like you… my guard knight? Why? Why you? Why?”
Roze’s hair bristled as she unleashed her anger.
After dying while longing for Solomon, she lived again.
No, she returned to the past.
That meant that if she simply waited, she would meet Solomon again.
Roze thought about how she should wait.
Her conclusion was simple.
‘I’ll act exactly the same as before.’
To recreate history.
To avoid changing it.
She tried to behave no differently from her previous life.
Even though she could now use advanced magic, she pretended she couldn’t use magic at all,
pretended to be a rude, ill-tempered young lady,
she acted.
Everything was for the sake of meeting Solomon again.
Her acting was perfect.
Even her parents and sisters were deceived.
Even Elise, who was closest to her, was deceived.
It was truly perfect acting.
For twenty years, she had followed the same path without a single slip.
And so—
she believed it was finally time to receive her reward.
Her first meeting with Solomon.
A moment she could never forget.
A memory she had replayed thousands, tens of thousands of times.
That day was supposed to be today.
“I can’t believe it! Why do I have to make a slave my guard knight! Tell me, Elise! Does it make any sense for a Count’s daughter to attend the academy with a slave?!”
“But there’s no other option right now.”
“This is ridiculous! Even that slave who’s coming is a problem! I’ll make sure to properly educate him on his place!”
She had never truly intended to make Solomon her guard knight.
It was just a temporary measure, chosen out of desperation due to lack of time before academy enrollment.
She planned to use him briefly and then replace him with someone better.
But Solomon had boldly greeted her like this the moment he saw her.
“Hi. You’re Roze, right? I’m Solomon. Nice to meet you.”
“I-informal speech?! Do you… do you even understand the difference in our status?!”
“Status? Oh, right, sorry. I’m from a place without class systems. Um… should I speak formally?”
“Sh-should you speak formally…?”
At that time, Roze had gripped her whip and let out a small laugh.
“Hehe… this is an interesting slave. Fine, I’ll teach you properly who you’re serving. I’ll make it so you wet yourself just from seeing my face.”
“Huh? Then how am I supposed to protect you? That sounds kind of dumb.”
“D… dumb…? Ugh…”
The shock had been so great that Roze had fainted.
Having lived as a Count’s daughter all her life, Solomon’s free-spirited attitude had been too much for her.
But even then, she hadn’t been as shocked as she was now.
Now, Roze was practically screaming in despair.
“What is this!!! Aaaah!!! I waited for 20 years!!! No!! If you include before that, another 50 years… I waited a full 70 years!!!!! So why can’t I meet him yet!! Why are you here instead!! Why!! Why!!! Why!!!!”
“Ugh… M-my lady, what is wrong? What did I do wrong?”
“What did you do wrong? Your very existence is wrong, Sylvia Alesta!! You cannot be my guard knight! Never! Never ever!!!”
Roze grabbed Sylvia by the neck, shaking her violently.
For Sylvia, it was a completely bewildering situation.
Elise tried to stop her, but Roze, having lost all reason, would not listen.
“It’s not you! He was supposed to be here! Not you! The one who should receive my love isn’t you!! Not you!!!”
“Ugh!! Agh!!”
Smack.
Smack.
In what should have been a joyful banquet hall, only the sound of slaps echoed.
Sylvia did not resist—not simply because Roze was of higher status.
It was because—
Roze, screaming at the top of her lungs,
though she didn’t understand why,
looked far too miserable.
And so she couldn’t bring herself to fight back.
“Aaaaaaaah!!!! Whyyyyyy!!! Why isn’t it him!! Why!!! When will I be able to meet him!!! How much longer do I have to wait! Why does God… why does God give me such trials… why only torment me? Ah… I see. This is punishment, isn’t it? Because I treated him poorly… because I caused his death. This is my punishment? Ahahaha!!! Ahahaha!!! Cough! Cough!!”
After screaming for a long time, Roze eventually lost her breath and fainted.
No one understood what had just happened,
but one thing was certain—
Roze was the one suffering the most.