Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 284
Chapter Title: Isabelle, the Golden Knight (4)
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A quiet conversation continued.
No, it was more a period of listening attentively to the woman who had introduced herself as Isabelle.
“……”
The blonde female knight.
Her full name was Isabelle Elinore.
After politely introducing herself as the second daughter of Marquess Elinore, she began to calmly explain that she had been assigned to be my guard.
The Empire’s Imperial Family was now fully aware that the Apostles were targeting me, and they had decided to dispatch a Golden Knight to protect me from the recent series of incidents.
And that was why she herself had come here.
Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke concisely.
She simply maintained a serene look, as if stating what needed to be said while looking me in the eye. There was no great emotional stir.
And so… I was rather fascinated.
‘So people like this exist.’
She maintained a consistently calm demeanor, so much so that it felt as though she were showing me what an ideal female knight would be like.
*Tap.*
“…This is all I have to report for now. Do you have any further questions?”
As she finished speaking and asked in a placid voice, I found myself shaking my head before I even realized it.
“No, I don’t.”
“I see. I was told you are still in recovery. Please take good care of yourself and return to your normal life. Furthermore, regarding your protection, I will be on standby not far from here. I will be within a distance where I can respond at any time, so you may consider me by your side.”
Her logical words made me nod blankly.
“Yes. I understand. Thank you.”
At the same time, I felt as though the initiative had been completely taken from me.
No, beyond initiative or anything of the sort, this knight named Isabelle was a type of person I had never met before.
—The House of Marquess Elinore.
I still couldn’t quite grasp how high the rank of a marquess was among the nobility.
But now, after exchanging just a few words with her, I felt somehow overwhelmed.
It wasn’t because of the aura she exuded, like that of a finely honed blade, or the pressure from her reputation as a Golden Knight.
‘She’s so… refined, for lack of a better word.’
Watching the knight before me, I finally understood what it meant to be graceful and dignified.
An elegant atmosphere that made one think twice before speaking rashly or replying lightly. It was so ingrained in her that I, too, became cautious.
“...”
“...”
When she paused, a strange silence settled between us, even as our eyes met.
*Sway.*
Just then, Isabelle’s blonde hair swayed gently.
She had given a small nod.
“As we will be spending a great deal of time together, about how we should address each other.”
“…Yes. Please, go on.”
“May I call you ‘you’?”
The direct question made me pause, yet it felt strange.
‘You…?’
Although it struck me as a peculiar form of address, my body had already accepted her words.
“Yes. That’s fine. Then, should I call you… Sir Isabelle?”
The only honorific I knew for a knight was ‘Sir.’ When I asked for her opinion, she nodded calmly.
“Yes. That will suffice.”
At her reply, I nodded and repeated the name ‘Sir Isabelle’ to myself a few times.
‘Sir Isabelle…’
Whenever I had met characters from the novel, I often found myself thinking of them only by their first names.
For instance, ‘Kalli’ or ‘Adelia.’ When I spoke to them, I would use the honorific ‘Instructor,’ but in my mind, I would unconsciously think of them that way.
However, the Sir Isabelle before me was someone who had not appeared in the original story.
Worried I might misspeak to Sir Isabelle as well, I repeatedly rehearsed the title in my mind to steel myself.
—Isabelle, the Golden Knight.
And I once again imprinted her presence in my mind.
Though I hadn't wished for it, I had received significant support from the Imperial Family. In the continuous crises to come, she would undoubtedly be a great source of strength for me.
‘She seems like a better person than I expected…’
Even now, exchanging silent glances was incredibly awkward, but Sir Isabelle exceeded my expectations.
A Golden Knight from a high-ranking noble family.
I had naturally assumed the Golden Knight who would arrive would be arrogant or rude. I had even mentally prepared myself for the possibility of being looked down upon, but reality was different.
Sir Isabelle continued to use formal language with me. I could tell she wasn't looking down on me or scorning me, as our eyes were still locked.
Despite her incredibly high status, she was deliberately showing me a polite attitude.
Which meant…
She intended to respect me.
That, more than anything, made my first impression of Sir Isabelle a positive one.
I could physically feel how upright the character of a Golden Knight was, just as Kalli and Adelia had said.
“……”
Meeting her steady gaze, I didn’t look away either.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected the knight to be a woman, but just seeing her brought another sense of reassurance to my heart.
The gentle aura emanating from her revealed the immense power she held. Most importantly, she was not an enemy.
A reliable ally, someone who would help me.
Because someone with her level of power would be protecting me.
‘Even if I don't ask anyone for help…’
The fact that she would protect me of her own accord seemed like it would be a greater help to me than I had imagined.
“You.”
Her sudden address snapped me out of my thoughts.
Being called ‘you’ in the voice of a refined and elegant woman, to be honest, felt strange.
“Yes… Sir Isabelle.”
I replied, suppressing my inner turmoil, and she spoke calmly.
“This is a personal thought, but I would like to ask you something.”
“Please, speak freely.”
“The information I received stated that you awakened a skill on your own. What was the decisive catalyst that allowed you to obtain it?”
The question she posed was unexpected. However, answering it wasn't difficult.
“…There were many emotions, but the greatest was a sense of powerlessness.”
“Powerlessness, you say…”
“A powerlessness regarding the strength I possessed. And a yearning to become stronger. The thought that I couldn't stop here. Because I believed I had to try harder and look forward.”
I answered as calmly as possible, adding no falsehoods.
The reason I was able to find a clue to the skill, even thinking back on it now, I believed was ‘powerlessness.’
The various emotions I felt during my first spar with Kalli.
It was then that I finally perceived the difference in traits between myself and others.
The despair of thinking that, regardless of effort, I could never reach the same level as them.
It felt like my spirit would break, and at that precipice, I accepted that it would.
That was why I was able to stand up again without being swallowed by helplessness.
“I see… I understand.”
With a slight nod, she asked me nothing more.
As if that answer was sufficient, she simply looked at me.
“...”
Perhaps that was why a curiosity about her suddenly sparked within me.
“Sir Isabelle. If you don’t mind my asking, may I ask you something?”
***
“Sir Isabelle. If you don’t mind my asking, may I ask you something?”
His voice was extremely cautious, yet Isabelle noticed that it had become much more natural than it had been at first.
‘This man is now…’
He was gradually adapting to her presence.
That was why she could see the confidence growing in his eyes as he met her gaze.
She found it fascinating, but first, she gave a light reply.
“Please, speak.”
“To be honest, I don't know much about the Golden Knights. I've only vaguely heard of their fame. So, could you tell me a little more about them? I would like to hear about the Golden Knights directly from you, Sir Isabelle.”
He was now asking her directly, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Conscious of this change, she calmly opened her mouth.
“To put it in a single phrase, the Golden Knights are the shield that protects the Empire.”
Words she had heard countless times since becoming a Golden Knight.
—The Shield of the Empire.
And a shield that could protect at any time.
“The shield that protects the Empire…”
His reply, as if taking in the sentiment, made it clear he truly hadn't known.
Finding his reaction novel, her words flowed naturally.
“Yes. And they can be called the most noble knights who protect the Imperial Family. That is why where there are royals, there are Golden Knights, and we have a duty to protect them.”
However, she did not elaborate further on the Golden Knights.
The deeper one delved, the more their achievements would be revealed, and she had no desire to speak of them herself.
Because she believed there was nothing more unbecoming than praising oneself with one’s own lips.
“…I understand. Though your explanation was concise, it conveys a great deal.”
“Does it seem so to you?”
“Yes. And your explanation has led me to a natural realization. To be honest, when I heard a Golden Knight was coming, I felt I was receiving excessive treatment… but now, I am simply grateful that someone as exceptional as you, Sir Isabelle, is my guard.”
The natural smile with which he received her words was now quite effortless.
The thought occurred to her suddenly.
The man before her, Han Cheon-seong, was certainly not so unskilled as to be unable to read the aura she possessed.
‘He must feel the pressure.’
And yet, he was naturally overcoming that sensation.
The way he now expressed curiosity and asked her questions was proof of that.
“……”
At the same time, she felt her impression of the man named Han Cheon-seong gradually changing.
When she first met him, she had a peculiar feeling due to his exotic appearance. Now, other things beyond his appearance, such as his character, were slowly coming into view.
Above all, while he maintained a cautious attitude, there was no pretense in it.
‘How curious.’
The commoners she had met until now had always groveled and tried to curry favor when dealing with high-ranking nobles, but she saw none of that in this man.
That was why, even while using honorifics and treating a commoner with respect, she did not feel displeased.
‘It must mean there is something about him I do not know.’
Considering the evaluations from the prince and princess, there was likely more to this man.
*Rustle.*
Organizing her thoughts, she opened her mouth for her next action.
“Then, would you please hold out your right hand for a moment.”