Chapter 285
Chapter 285
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 285
Chapter Title: The Golden Knight, Isabelle - The Vow (5)
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***
"Then, would you please extend your right hand for a moment?"
*Rustle.*
He extended his right hand without hesitation at my words. And I, too, placed my hand over his without reservation.
"...!"
As he was startled by the sudden contact, I gently added an explanation.
"There's no need to be so surprised. To ensure perfect protection, I am merely imbuing your hand with my power."
"...Imbuing it with power? This is the first I've heard of such a thing being necessary for protection."
"It is not so strange that you are unaware. This is a vow typically made between royalty and the Golden Knights, so very few people know of it."
"Then does this act of placing your hand on mine carry the meaning of such a vow?"
I calmly answered, even as he pressed for more details at the mention of a vow.
"Yes. It is a necessary vow for your protection. It is a pact a Golden Knight makes for the royalty they are to guard, something akin to an oath. So you may take it as a positive thing."
As I calmly explained, a strange warmth from his hand spread to mine where they touched.
And that... felt a little unfamiliar.
Originally, I had only ever guarded the princesses among the royalty.
Gender is, of course, a fundamental consideration in protection details. It couldn't be helped, for both the one providing protection and the noble royalty receiving it.
One's behavior and attitude inevitably change when someone of the opposite sex is in close proximity. And one would naturally hesitate to expose their bare skin in unavoidable situations.
For these reasons, it was only natural for a guard to be of the same gender.
'But that...'
Now, that convention was completely shattered, a reality laid out before me.
I would have normally considered it an absurd, abnormal situation, but it was an order from the imperial family.
And considering the immense pride of the other Golden Knights, this task could only have fallen to me.
As that fact weighed on my mind again, I noticed something else.
'More than I thought...'
The inside of his fair hand, where it met mine, was covered in dense calluses.
So much so that I could immediately feel the hardness of his hand.
"..."
It seemed a contradiction to the man who was now looking at our joined hands.
A hand so ruined it seemed excessive compared to his fine appearance and the gentle nature I'd perceived from our conversation.
I knew just how much one had to train, gripping a polearm, for their hands to become this damaged.
And so, it felt different.
But I soon erased such thoughts.
"We will now form the vow, so you will feel some pain. It will last for about a minute, and you must simply endure it."
"Yes. I will accept it."
The moment I heard his immediate reply, I manifested my mana without hesitation.
—!
A distinct golden mana erupted from my entire body, flowing through my hand to envelop his.
The golden mana then began to tighten around our hands, forming a wedge like a ring.
And I gripped his hand firmly so he could not pull away.
*Squeeze!*
The golden mana flowing from my hand began to seep into his, engraving its mark.
There was a reason for performing such a vow. It was to ensure I could always find the royal I was sworn to protect, should we be unavoidably separated.
Recalling familiar scenes, I idly wondered how this man would react to the pain.
Having performed this vow several times, I had witnessed the princesses writhing in great pain.
However.
"..."
There was no groan as I had expected, no flinching from the pain.
Instead, I saw the corners of his eyes narrow slightly. Even that was only for a moment. They relaxed in an instant, and his expression returned to what it was before.
He maintained his composure even as the pain lingered like a residual heat.
It felt as if he possessed something impossible for someone his age.
"..."
The way he endured it, as if this level of pain was nothing, as if he were all too familiar with it, was proof of his tolerance for pain.
*Slowly...*
I gently loosened my grip.
As our hands separated, he looked at his own with a sense of wonder, and from his expression, I could tell he truly knew nothing about this.
When the vow was made, the royals would typically groan in pain, yet try to accept it stoically, thinking they had to endure.
They had no tolerance for pain, so they considered it natural to have to endure the process. But the man before me accepted the pain nonchalantly and was instead fascinated by the act itself.
That was a little... different.
"Is the vow now complete?"
"Yes. My aura will now remain on your hand. It will stay there semi-permanently, until the vow is broken."
Assuming he had no knowledge of the vow, I explained in detail and held up my own hand.
As I did, I showed him the tip of my right thumbnail.
A faint golden light shimmered there, making its presence known.
"Do you see this trace of golden light?"
"Yes... I see it, but what is that mark?"
"The same mark is now engraved on your hand."
I gave a slight nod, signaling for him to check, and he immediately looked at his hand. I felt a strange emotion.
Having to explain every single detail of something so obvious.
...It felt like I was teaching him everything from scratch.
"Yes. I see."
"As I said, it was a necessary vow. It is an aura that will allow me to find you even if we get separated. You will feel a sense of unfamiliarity for a while, but you must bear with it."
"That much... I believe I should naturally bear."
I nodded at his calm reply. The series of procedures I had to perform was now complete.
I had met the person I was to guard, given a simple introduction, and finished imbuing him with my aura through the vow.
All that was left was to fulfill my duties as a guard, but...
"If you have any other questions, please ask. I will answer them now."
Still, I deliberately asked again.
He had seemed unnatural when I asked before, so it was possible he'd simply brushed off my words. Now that things were more relaxed, I thought he might have something he hadn't said.
"Then... this is a basic question, but how will the protection detail work? You mentioned guarding me, but being on guard all day... isn't that realistically impossible?"
Just as I expected, he had something to say, and he was now asking about something very fundamental.
And the fact that I had to give a different answer than I would have in the past, even to such a fundamental question... I disliked it a little.
'Haa...'
I sighed inwardly and nodded.
Now, I had to make the man before me understand with my own words.
"It is natural for you to have such a question. Normally... we Golden Knights accompany the royal we are guarding, spending most of our time in a space not far from them. Even when they sleep, we sleep in a nearby room."
"I... thought as much."
"But as you know, we are of different genders, are we not?"
I continued, meeting his gaze.
He seemed to have the same thought as me, as he faltered, and I could see hesitation in his eyes.
Well.
'It must be strange.'
There's no way he wouldn't feel it.
His guard is of the opposite sex. The question of how they could act together and how she could protect him in all situations.
The instructions I received on that matter were, for that reason, truly unrealistic.
"First, if you are active outside the academy, we will likely live that way. Just as I would guard a royal, I will be by your side as much as possible."
"...Is that really alright?"
"Yes. Those are the directives from the imperial family."
As I spoke, I found my lips hesitating for a moment.
'I, too...'
did not fully understand those directives.
Logically, I understood the directives, but I felt the unfairness of having to carry them out. Normally, the imperial family would never treat a Golden Knight so poorly.
The Golden Knights are their absolute shield. For that reason, the imperial family always afforded them special treatment.
...But this time, the situation was far too different.
The influence of Prince Dersen and Princess Rachel, high-ranking members of the imperial family, had reached the palace directly.
That was why this abnormal situation unfolded, and I had to be the one to carry it out.
I have to protect a commoner man, and I have to explain all the various difficulties that will follow and make him understand.
"..."
Seeing him hesitate, seemingly surprised by my words, I steeled my heart.
"Normally, while you are within the academy, I will guard you from within a certain radius. If you go outside, I will close the distance to prepare for any potential danger. These are the basic guidelines."
"I... understand everything."
Watching him somehow accept my words... I carefully paused.
'He must be confused.'
Even as a commoner man, he naturally had feelings. He was human, after all.
But what would it feel like to have someone of the opposite sex constantly by his side... Honestly, being the one providing protection, I didn't know. But if I were in his position, I don't think I would be very comfortable either.
'If someone of a higher station were watching over me from my side...'
Wouldn't it be uncomfortable?
"Then, Sir Isabelle, you must be in a very difficult... position."
When he said something different, I blinked involuntarily and then shook my head.
"...A Golden Knight simply follows the orders of the imperial family."
My finding it difficult changes nothing.
Because I am one who must obey, even if I have objections...
"And there is something more I must explain to you."
"What is it?"
"Realistically, I... cannot be by your side all day. This is to prepare for a situation of crisis."
Saying so, I gently raised my hand, the one that had formed the vow.
And with my other hand, I gently stroked the thumb that glowed with a golden light.
"...If you press down firmly on the place where my aura is engraved, like this, I will be able to feel it. If a crisis arises while you are in the dormitory, you must act as I am now. Then I will come to you immediately."
After all, I cannot sleep in the same place as him.
This could be called a secondary measure.
"..."
I watched him awkwardly stroke his thumb and nodded. I felt a distinct reaction on my own thumb.
The man before me was someone the imperial family had to protect, even if it meant making an exception.
A Golden Knight's duty was simply to do their utmost to follow the imperial family's orders.
"Ugh..."
At the sudden sound, I reflexively turned my head to the side.