Chapter 50: The Lord’s Will
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: The Lord’s Will
“I was just admiring how dashing you look, Your Grace.”
“My clothes… did you not see them this morning?”
At my words, the Grand Duke brushed his hair back, looking somewhat bashful.
“You look even better seeing you out here.”
The Grand Duke was wearing a high-necked shirt paired with a double-breasted vest adorned with gold buttons. It was a look that would have easily ranked in the top ten of the idol stage outfits I’d curated while watching countless fancams.
‘You are my spring!’
Seeing my lips twitch as if I were about to start gushing again, the Grand Duke hurriedly changed the subject.
“Where are you headed?”
“Oh, right! I’m on my way to meet the mage!”
The moment I recalled my destination, my spirits, which had settled for a moment, soared again. It was only a few days ago that I had learned of a mage residing in the Grand Duke’s Castle.
When the Grand Duke mentioned in passing that the mage who had left with the 9th Knight Division would be returning soon, I couldn’t hide my shock.
— “A real mage?”
— “Don’t get your hopes up too high. They will be different from the mages in the capital.”
The Grand Duke had spoken as if it were no big deal, but my heart hadn’t stopped racing since.
Capital mages, my foot! I’ve never even seen a mage before!
In truth, while I had met the 9th Knight Division first, my real reason for coming out today was to meet the mage.
“Without an escort?” the Grand Duke asked, looking skeptical.
“What does it matter? We’re inside the castle. You were the one who said the castle is the safest place of all, Your Grace.”
“Even so, going alone is…”
“Your Highness! Huff… jumping down like that… huff… all by yourself…! I greet Her Highness the Consort.”
Perel, who had been frantically chasing after the Grand Duke down the stairs, approached us while gasping for air.
“Perel, escort the Consort to the tower,” the Grand Duke said, biting his lip before looking at Perel with resignation.
“Pardon? Right now?” Perel looked bewildered by the sudden command.
“I can’t let her go to the tower alone. Go.”
“Alone? But she has…”
Perel looked over at Cecilia standing in the distance and let out an ‘ah’ of realization. Since Cecilia’s access within the castle was limited, she would have to wait outside the mage’s tower.
“But if I go, what about the meeting…?”
“I’ll give you a special pass for today.”
Despite the Grand Duke’s generosity, Perel’s expression didn’t brighten. His face clearly said that skipping the meeting now would only mean more work for him later.
Hesitating, Perel asked with a glimmer of hope, “…Or should I quickly go fetch a knight to act as escort?”
“The wind is cold. Would you have the Consort wait out here?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Grand Duke leaned toward Perel and whispered under his breath, “I’m holding myself back from going personally, so shut your mouth and just go.”
Eek. Perel made a sound like he’d swallowed something bitter.
“If Your Highness misses the meeting, the entire schedule will have to be… I will escort her faithfully!”
The Grand Duke turned back to me and said softly, “He may not look like much, but he’s a knight who has received his accolade. He’s better than nothing.”
“Is the mage a scary person?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, the Grand Duke furrowed his handsome brow.
“It’s not that he’s scary… he’s just eccentric.” He rubbed his forehead. “I hate to say this, but please try to stay close to Perel.”
“I’ll stick to him like glue!”
I pumped my fists to show my resolve. I intended to reassure him, but the Grand Duke flinched and frowned even deeper.
“Actually, this won’t do. He’s a rude fellow, and something unpleasant might happen. Perhaps I should go after all…”
“Don’t! You! Worry! I will serve her well! Your Highness, shall we?”
With Perel practically jumping to usher me away, I set off for the tower for my long-awaited meeting.
However, despite the Grand Duke’s intense worrying, I had to return without even seeing the mage. Even though there were clear signs of someone being inside, the mage pretended no one was home and refused to open the door. After watching Perel knock several times with an increasingly embarrassed expression, I eventually turned back with a bitter smile.
I didn’t know it then, but I would end up making several more fruitless trips before I finally met the mage.
*
Tiern, crossing the path back to the barracks, was huffing with indignation. His chest muscles, swollen from training, rose and fell with his heavy breaths.
‘Take good care of her, he says.’
Tiern bit his lip as he recalled what had happened at the training ground.
It was the first training session since their return. Perhaps because spring had arrived, sweat beads formed on his forehead and neck after only a few swings of his sword.
When the break began, the knights took the opportunity to quench their thirst or wipe away sweat. Tiern was catching his breath, wiping his face with a towel provided by a page, when he happened to look to his side.
There he saw Demich, the Captain of the 1st Knight Division, dabbing his broad forehead with an uncharacteristically white handkerchief. The refined gesture looked utterly repulsive to Tiern. This was a man who usually wiped his brow with his sleeve, let alone a towel.
“What’s that?” Tiern asked, scowling as he gestured toward the forehead.
Demich blinked for a moment, then his lips curled into a wide grin.
“Oh! Right, you don’t have one of these, do you?”
Demich held up the handkerchief, making sure the red seal was clearly visible, and tapped his forehead with exaggerated movements as if imitating a noblewoman.
“Her Highness the Consort gave this to me personally.”
Tiern’s expression hardened instantly. Now that he looked around, he noticed quite a few knights holding white handkerchiefs.
So, the rumors were true—the knights had all been won over.
“Ridiculous,” Tiern muttered through gritted teeth.
Demich raised a thick red eyebrow at him. Even though they were both captains, there was a massive gap in seniority between Demich of the 1st Division and Tiern of the 9th. Demich was one of the oldest veterans in the order, having served since Vice-Captain Hedrick was still a regular knight.
“If you have something to say, say it clearly, brat,” Demich said, cracking his neck.
Tiern didn’t back down, staring him in the eye. “I didn’t realize you had such a strong stomach. You used to curse that Marquis fellow like you wanted him dead, yet now you say ‘Her Highness’ so easily.”
The veins on Tiern’s fist tightened around his towel.
“Or are you trying to line up behind her? You’re a bit old to be looking for a new master, aren’t you?”
As an ominous tension flared between the two captains, the other knights began to pay attention. Johas, a high-ranking knight of the 1st Division, bristled and reached for the sword at his waist.
Amidst the tightening atmosphere, Demich spoke with a voice full of mockery.
“And who do you think you are to judge?”
This time, the knights of the 9th Division flinched.
“Only the Captain has the right to judge the qualifications of the Grand Duchess. And the Captain has recognized her as the Grand Duchess of Blenheim.”
The 1st Captain’s heavy voice settled over the training ground.
“From the moment our Lord personally brought her to the training ground and introduced her, she became the mistress of this castle—the one we must protect with our lives, and no one else. Since when did the Blenheim Knights start second-guessing the Lord’s will?”
A significant number of the watching knights remained silent in agreement.
“You’d better snap out of it quickly,” Demich said with a sneer. “This castle has no use for a dog that defies its master’s will.”
Unless it’s just a rabid dog.
Though his body trembled with rage, Tiern couldn’t find a retort. There was nothing wrong with Demich’s logic.
“If anyone else has something to say, say it now,” Demich said, glancing at the 9th Division standing a few paces away.
The 9th Division, who had been on edge, also fell silent under Demich’s overbearing gaze.
“Idiots,” Demich muttered, clicking his tongue as he looked around the training ground. “Be glad it’s me you’re dealing with. If the Vice-Captain had seen this, you’d all be dead meat.”
Training resumed shortly after when Hedrick, who had been away for a moment, reappeared. However, Tiern’s mind was a mess of anger and a sense of betrayal. He was one of the knights who followed the Captain’s will most blindly.
‘The Captain always makes the right decision.’
But what should he do if his Lord’s will betrayed his own beliefs? Tiern couldn’t find an answer to that question.
“Let’s take a break.”
With the Captain’s mind elsewhere, the training wasn’t going well. It was during this restless atmosphere that Hedrick called for another short rest.
In the distance, a young noblewoman could be seen walking gracefully toward them. Seeing her rather pretty face, Tiern felt he understood why the other knights were acting the way they were.
‘The Lord’s will, my ass.’