20
20
Going back a little further in time.
The Pendragon Ducal Residence.
Priscilla returned to her room almost as if fleeing from Lancelot.
"Ah, ah⋯ heuk⋯⋯."
She wept endlessly right away.
"Lancelot, how could you do this to me⋯⋯?"
Because she understood his feelings to some extent, she had tried not to resent him.
After all, as the eldest son of one of the Empire's only four ducal houses, it was in some ways natural that he wouldn't like marrying a commoner.
That was why she regretted it.
Not asking her grandfather to have a noble title bestowed upon her.
'If I had kept pestering him like a spoiled child, halabeoji surely would have granted it⋯⋯.'
No matter how much he hated the previous Emperor.
'If only I had become a noble young lady like the Sirius Lady, even if not a Grand Duke⋯⋯.'
Wouldn't he have looked at me a little differently?
Might he have even accepted my feelings?
Such thoughts naturally arose within her.
'They say the Lady was also from a commoner background like me, after all⋯⋯.'
Of course.
Compared to her, whether in looks or cheerful brightness.
She thought there were countless areas where she fell short.
However, if she had held the status of nobility.
'If only it were before Lancelot met the Sirius Lady⋯⋯.'
Wouldn't the situation be different from now?
At the very least, he wouldn't have seen me as a villainess who rejoices over someone else's family member dying.
Just as Priscilla was regretting like that.
Tok-tok-
"Priscilla-agassi, it's Anna. May I come in?"
The sound of her dedicated personal maid knocking cautiously came from outside the door.
"Yeah⋯ come in, Anna."
Priscilla naturally gave her permission.
Because Anna was the person who always comforted her whenever she received cold treatment from Lancelot.
Even though Anna addressed her respectfully as agassi, Priscilla treated her as a friend rather than a subordinate.
She thought Anna felt the same way.
"Oh dear⋯ poor agassi, you were crying again⋯⋯."
As expected, she had come to comfort her this time as well.
"B-But I couldn't help it⋯ Lancelot sees me, sees me as⋯⋯"
'He sees me as a bad bitch.'
Priscilla's back, as she could not bring herself to spit out those words.
"No, agassi, there's no way that's true⋯⋯."
Anna patted it gently.
"But Anna⋯⋯."
"Agassi, don't think bad thoughts. Gongja-nim's mood was just sour from being scolded by Gaju-nim, so he probably just said it in the heat of the moment."
If it were like usual, Priscilla would have cheered up by this point upon receiving Anna's comfort.
However, just this once.
From the perspective of Priscilla, who had craved Lancelot's love for ten years, it was utterly unbearable.
Because of that.
"Ah⋯ heuk⋯ Lancelot⋯⋯ heuheuk⋯⋯."
She buried her face in both hands again and sobbed sorrowfully.
"Anna⋯ it's so hard, I really don't know what to do⋯ heuk⋯⋯."
"Ah⋯ agassi⋯ our poor Priscilla-agassi⋯⋯."
Anna caressed Priscilla's back a few times as if truly feeling pity, then suddenly jumped up from her seat and shouted.
"This is all because of that Sirius Lady!"
"A-Anna⋯⋯?"
"Isn't it true? Even before that woman appeared, things between Gongja-nim and agassi weren't that bad!"
"T-That's⋯⋯."
Could that really be said to be true?
'Lancelot has never once given me that kind of smile⋯⋯.'
Like the one he showed Bathory, that is.
However, Anna shook her head violently as if having read her thoughts.
"He didn't show it outwardly, but it's certain that he was opening the door to his heart little by little. If he truly hated agassi, he wouldn't have even learned the sword from the Sword Saint-nim, right? Agassi knows Gongja-nim's talent well, don't you?"
"Well, of course⋯⋯."
She knew it well.
Even without her grandfather, Lancelot would certainly have reached the realm of Swordmaster.
It was just that, naturally, it would have taken a bit more time.
"Agassi, it can't go on like this!"
Before Priscilla could even finish her answer properly, Anna huffed and continued saying what she wanted to say.
"You can't just keep getting pushed around like this!"
"P-Pushed around⋯ what do you mean by that, Anna⋯⋯?"
"Good heavens, our agassi! How can you be so good-natured! Do you still not get it? Gongja-nim was stolen from you by the Sirius Lady!"
"Stolen⋯⋯?"
Stolen.
She had never even thought of that until now.
Just because she was lacking, because she was a commoner, because she was not to his liking⋯⋯
Thinking it was her own fault for failing to win his heart, Priscilla had never resented or blamed anyone.
If she had, then as she had thought earlier.
She would have already thrown a fit and acted like a spoiled child in the past, demanding a noble title from her grandfather.
Priscilla had not blamed the Sword Saint either.
Rather, she was only grateful to her grandfather for creating time for her to be with Lancelot.
And she was only apologetic for not following along when her enraged grandfather left.
However, as if to say her thinking was wrong.
"Agassi, you must not endure it any longer!"
Anna raised her voice once again.
At this, a question arose in Priscilla's mind.
'Not endure it any longer⋯⋯?'
Against Lancelot?
Against Bathory?
Or both?
As if having read her thoughts this time too.
"Priscilla-agassi, I'm saying don't hold back against the Sirius Lady anymore!"
Anna egged her on even more.
"Just what on earth am I supposed to do⋯⋯?"
Priscilla genuinely didn't know.
What she was supposed to do if she didn't hold back, that is.
'It's not like I can go to the Sirius Grand Duchy and get angry at the Lady, can I?'
She certainly could if she wanted to.
However, what was the Lady's situation right now?
Was she not grieving after losing her precious orabi?
'Yet she's telling me not to hold back and get angry there⋯⋯.'
Is she really telling me to become some villainess?
Even though Lancelot just told me to go visit and comfort her, of all things.
When Priscilla kept her mouth shut while thinking that way.
"Agassi, you shouldn't hesitate. You must change now."
Anna gently caressed her back and coaxed her.
"Gaju-nim is on agassi's side anyway, isn't he?"
"What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting we ask the Duke-nim? But the opponent is the Sirius Grand Duchy. Besides, there's no justification, so I can't put the Duke-nim in a difficult spot."
"Of course I'm not saying we ask Gaju-nim to do something about it. I'm telling you to keep that point well in mind."
"Remember that the Duke-nim is on my side⋯?"
"I'm saying that no matter what agassi does, Gaju-nim will understand everything."
"No matter what I do⋯ what on earth are you trying to say? Anna⋯ I think you're a bit strange today. Let's stop our talk here."
Priscilla tried to stop the conversation because she felt Anna was different from usual.
However, Anna tightly grasped both of her hands and continued speaking.
"Agassi! Are you really going to let Gongja-nim be stolen from you like this?"
"Anna, stop it⋯ Lancelot wasn't mine to begin with."
"But you made a promise ten years ago! It shouldn't be like this! Even just watching from the side, I'm about to burst with frustration, so how on earth are you enduring it, agassi?"
"Anna⋯⋯."
"Please, agassi, you must never forgive the Sirius Lady!"
Anna seemed to have no intention of letting go of her hands unless she heard the answer she wanted.
At that, Priscilla hung her head and asked.
"Then what am I supposed to do⋯⋯?"
She really wanted to know.
Even for Priscilla, who had done her utmost not to think bad thoughts.
As she kept listening to Anna's words.
Negative emotions such as anger and jealousy, which she had been forcefully suppressing all this time, began to surge again.
"You've finally decided to listen to me. Agassi, you've made a good choice. Then shall we first talk about the person who killed the Third Young Master of Sirius?"
"The person who killed Young Master Freddie? The one who became a Count from the achievement of subjugating the Lich King? On top of that, I heard he was appointed as the new Knight Commander by His Majesty."
"That's right. But the most important thing is who the Count hates."
"Well, naturally he would hate Young Master Freddie the most. Isn't that why he even held a trial by combat?"
"Yes, that's right. But they say the Count clearly stated on that very spot: his revenge would not end with just the Third Young Master alone."
"What⋯⋯?"
Priscilla blinked both eyes in great surprise.
And for good reason.
If the revenge didn't end with Freddie alone, even without listening to the end.
It was obvious that his target was the Sirius Grand Duchy.
"We need to make good use of the Count. They say he's so strong that he toyed with the Third Young Master, who was a Swordmaster."
"⋯⋯Keep talking."
"Yes, agassi. In addition, they say the Commander had a huge conflict with the Sirius Lady at the banquet hall. We're going to take advantage of this point."
"How are we supposed to use that?"
"A trial by combat, of course."
"What, a trial by combat⋯⋯?"
"Yes, agassi will request a trial by combat against the Sirius Lady and set that man up as your proxy."
Anna tightly held Priscilla's hand and shouted.
"For the crime of seducing someone else's betrothed, that is!"
"S-Seducing⋯⋯."
Priscilla thought that might be a bit too excessive.
_— Lancelot! Hi, I came over to play today too!
_
— How's your training? Does it seem to be going well? If it's you, you can definitely do it!
Although Bathory had treated Lancelot casually without reservations.
_— Lady Bathory, when it comes to swords, I, as the Commander, handle them better.
_
— Hey, what's so great about a crude sword like that? Just look at my magic.
Since there were many other men around her like this, it was hard to view it as her seducing him.
'Of course, she naturally linked arms or held hands, but⋯⋯.'
That strongly gave off the impression of being done merely as close friends. After all, she did it without hesitation to other men as well.
The problem, however, was that in Lancelot's case, it wasn't like that.
Anna was also well aware of that fact.
"If that isn't seduction, what is? It's not just any other family, it's the Sirius Grand Duchy. There's no way she wouldn't know that the woman the Pendragon Gongja would marry was set to be agassi. Despite that, not only does the Lady constantly spend time with Gongja-nim, but she also engages in physical affection without hesitation—if that isn't seduction, then what is this!"
Certainly.
As Anna said, Bathory was aware that Lancelot's betrothed was Priscilla.
Nevertheless, Bathory acted excessively friendly without hesitation right in front of Priscilla's eyes.
Therefore, Priscilla had no choice but to eventually nod at Anna's words.
"⋯⋯Yeah, you're right. Even if she herself had no such intention, it wasn't the case for Lancelot."
"Exactly! So ask that man who killed the Third Young Master, Count Roy Einschwert, to be your proxy. He will definitely accept. Because it's a matter related to the Sirius Grand Duchy!"
"Then the Lady will naturally put forth a proxy as well, won't she?"
"Let her put one forth if she wants! According to the people at the banquet hall, they say the Count is so strong that he might win even if the Grand Duke of Sirius himself steps forward!"
"To that extent⋯⋯?"
"Yes, that's what they say. And even if the Count loses, it doesn't matter, does it? It would just mean the Lady's guilt wasn't recognized. But through the trial by combat, the Lady will definitely become the talk of the town, and if that happens, the people of Sirius won't let the Lady approach Gongja-nim anymore!"
For a maid like Anna, it was a fairly decent plan.
However, wasn't there a huge problem?
"I'm not a noble⋯ can't only nobles request a trial by combat?"
"No! When I looked into it closely, they said anyone can do it as long as they can petition His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Really? Which means⋯⋯"
"Yes, it means there's no problem at all as long as we can persuade the Count. Besides, whose granddaughter is agassi? Even His Majesty the Emperor will surely grant permission, if only out of consideration for the Sword Saint-nim."
"⋯⋯⋯."
Priscilla kept her mouth shut at Anna's words.
Because she needed time to think.
However, Anna continued to press her.
"Agassi! You must not drag things out any longer here. As time passes, Gongja-nim will give his heart to agassi even less. Then what will you do? Agassi will just have to take him, even if by force! After the trial by combat, no matter if it's Gongja-nim, he won't be able to keep being stubborn. And Gaju-nim is obviously bound to help agassi too!"
"A-Anna⋯⋯."
"You might think I'm a bad bitch! But I'm only saying this for agassi's sake, so please think about it carefully!"
Anna appealed, gripping Priscilla's hands tightly once more.
At that, Priscilla ended up nodding her head after all.
"⋯⋯All right. I'll go see the Count."
###
And so.
The Silver Knights Commander's Office.
"⋯⋯It is for this reason that I came to see Count-nim."
Priscilla came to see Roy and laid bare her entire story.
"Ah, ah⋯ h-heuk⋯⋯."
Tears streamed down endlessly from her yellow eyes.
However.
"⋯⋯⋯."
Roy did not rashly try to wipe away her tears.
Because even if he offered some clumsy, pointless comfort here, it wouldn't resonate deeply in her heart.
He simply waited.
For Priscilla to speak.
"Heuk⋯ heu-euk⋯⋯!"
How much time had passed?
"⋯⋯⋯."
Priscilla, having cried for a long time, slowly opened her mouth to bring judgment upon the person she could never forgive.
"⋯Count-nim, please be the proxy for my trial by combat⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯Please kill Young Master Lancelot Pendragon."