A Battlefield Of Flowers (8)

“Must I summon Kaltz and question him?”

“Go ahead and ask him. I am telling the truth.”

I answered while feigning calm.

After remaining silent for a while, he let out a deep sigh.

“Marion, I will ask you one more time. If someone has caused you distress, please tell me.”

What if it was Lady Nanael?

I desperately held back the words that nearly burst from my mouth.

It was shameful, but I was afraid. I was afraid because he was kind, and I was afraid that there might be someone he cherished more than me. If Victor looked at me as though I were a jealous mistress, I knew I would immediately want to raise my sword and stab myself.

Whatever small measure of self-esteem I had gained while living in the grand ducal residence had already been shattered long ago.

So once again, I forced myself to smile.

“It truly was nothing. It was my first time attending social gatherings, so I was simply a little tired.”

Please, just let me endure this alone.

I looked at him while concealing my desperate plea.

With wavering eyes, he lifted my hand. Despite his sternly beautiful face, he somehow looked pitiful. He desperately rubbed the back of my hand against his cheek.

“Marion, Marion……. Please tell me anything at all. I beg you.”

“Yes.”

“You may do anything you desire. You may have anything you want.”

I smiled weakly.

“Yes.”

I spent each day in misery.

Whenever Lady Katarina was present, I spoke with her, but she seemed far too busy to attend social gatherings every day. I was almost always alone and had to endure every insult by myself. A week passed without my being able to tell anyone.

At last, the final day of the week arrived.

Of all places, today’s gathering was once again being held in the Duchess of Mülze’s salon. She said she was hosting a unique southern-style tea party to which both women and men had been invited.

At southern parties, the women’s and men’s tables were initially placed far apart, but after their teacups had been emptied three or four times, everyone would mingle together to conclude the gathering. Unlike a ball, no one was required to dance with a designated partner, so young gentlemen and noblewomen were said to secretly look forward to such parties.

But whatever form it took, it had nothing to do with me. All I would hear were insults and ridicule.

Still, knowing that everything would end today made it somehow bearable. I forced myself to take a deep breath and stepped into the salon.

The greenhouse of House Mülze was still dazzlingly beautiful. Sunlight poured through thousands of overlapping glass panes, and every table was covered with exotic flowers I had never seen before.

I sent Kaltz toward the men’s seating area and stood alone. To make matters worse, Lady Katarina was absent as well. I saw people I did not wish to see again, but lowered my eyes and avoided their gazes.

I only had to endure one more day. The humiliation and the misery. It was the first time in my life I had endured anything for so long.

When I continued to show no reaction, they seemed irritated. Even more malicious remarks drifted toward me on the fragrance of flowers. When I lowered my head to escape their whispers, I saw my beautiful dress. It was the white dress Madam Sermona had commissioned at great expense because she said it would complement my platinum-blond hair. The fluttering lace and gleaming pearls all seemed meaningless.

I suddenly remembered my days back home.

I had always liked crowded places, but I had never possessed the courage to mingle with others. So I would always stand at a distance, clutching my sword and secretly watching people. Even then, I had thought I resembled an incorrectly drawn fragment cut out of a landscape painting. Perhaps, both then and now, I was simply someone who was meant to be alone.

“……Is that not going too far?”

“She acts utterly arrogant simply because she once had a connection to His Grace.”

The whispers broke me from my thoughts. I raised my head and followed their gazes. There sat Nanael Welch and her friends, positioned like a queen and her court. Her voice was excessively clear.

“A wandering merchant who once visited our estate told us some fascinating stories.”

“Oh my, what sort of stories?”

“Well, apparently there are so many witches in the kingdoms!”

At Lady Welch’s words, those around her exaggerated their surprise.

“My goodness, how frightening.”

“I have heard of that as well. Women from the kingdoms supposedly burn monster bones to perform sorcery, do they not?”

“That is right. They feed the bone powder to their husbands to bind their hearts.”

“Oh my, how revolting.”

Artificial laughter rang out. Lady Welch then spoke while trembling her blue eyes as though she feared being misunderstood.

“But what I heard was an even more frightening tale.”

“What was it?”

“They said the northern regions of the kingdoms were terribly, terribly poor. So the women there seduce men, offer their bodies, and receive food in return.”

“How dreadful!”

“Yes, that is apparently how northerners live. The men are no better than beasts, and the women possess no chastity…….”

My mind went completely blank.

They were insulting Amari.

I could not understand it. I had spent my entire life in a place governed by the logic of strength. Where I had lived, the sword was a means of conversation, and rather than hiding blades inside words, people drew real weapons and pointed them at one another. Therefore, an insult should at least have been delivered more cautiously than this.

And I was the heir to my land, a knight who had sworn to protect it. This was my duty.

Before the thought had even finished, my body moved forward. No one stopped me as I pushed through the crowd.

Was this truly all right? Would I cause trouble for Victor?

The fleeting thought was swallowed by the pounding of my heart. Only then did I finally realize it.

I was genuinely angry. For the first time in so long that I could no longer remember.

“─As you said, I am ignorant because I come from the borderlands, and I do not understand Imperial etiquette very well.”

The women looked slightly startled by my appearance, then covered their mouths with their fans and giggled.

I continued without hesitation.

“But I understand that you have insulted me, my lady.”

The smile vanished entirely from Lady Nanael’s face. She immediately raised her lace-gloved hand and pretended to wipe away tears.

“Your Highness, why would you say something so cruel to this maiden?”

I stared at her in silence.

I did not know how Lady Nanael had been taught, but when an insult was given, both the one who delivered it and the one who received it had to be prepared for the consequences. At least, that was how I had been taught.

In the distance, I saw Kaltz notice something was wrong and begin running toward us. Before he could reach me, I spoke.

“Upon my honor, I challenge you to a duel.”

The surrounding noblewomen scoffed on Nanael’s behalf.

“Do you believe a knight of Grand Duke Mort will duel a knight of House Welch?”

“Why would someone else fight on my behalf?”

I asked coldly.

Kaltz shoved roughly through the crowd and grabbed my arm. But I continued in an icy voice.

“I am a knight who has received formal investiture, Lady Welch. You insulted a knight, so you will pay the appropriate price.”

The noblewomen’s fans abruptly stopped moving. I turned away.

The dueling ground was prepared in the rear garden.

Not a single person from inside remained behind. It was obvious that they regarded the incident as a new form of entertainment during the social season. I felt disgusted by the serpentine gazes of the bored nobles.

Kaltz, who had hurried after me, desperately tried to dissuade me.

“Madam, you cannot do this. A duel at a tea party?”

Standing beside him, I inspected the sword someone had handed me. It was somewhat heavy for me, but it did not appear to be a serious problem.

The far greater hindrance was my cumbersome dress. I wanted to cut it away, but knowing perfectly well how much it had cost, I could not bring myself to do so.

“Madam!”

After fidgeting anxiously, Kaltz finally raised his voice. I quietly looked back at him.

“She insulted my land. Do people in the Empire endure insults without responding?”

“Of course people duel over insults in the Empire! But damn it, at least allow me to fight.”

“Is there any knight who forces another knight to fight their duel for them?”

“That is also true, but—ah, damn it.”

He raked his hands wildly through his fiery red hair. I suddenly felt sorry for this knight, who had spent the entire week trying to help me. He probably did not even understand how the situation had come to this.

I tried to reassure him.

“I will explain everything to His Grace, so do not worry. It was merely a quarrel peculiar to high society.”

“What sort of quarrel involves drawing swords?!”

Kaltz let out a sound like a man in pain, then spoke.

“Do not kill him, Madam. If you kill him, this truly will become a serious matter.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Do you truly understand? Madam, you must be more conscious of your swordsmanship! You cannot treat him the way you treat His Grace!”

I stared at him as though his words were strange.

Naturally, no matter who my opponent was, he would be different from Victor. Victor was the strongest swordsman I had ever seen.

I removed the pointed shoes constricting my feet and took up the sword barefoot. From the opposite side, one of Nanael Welch’s knights was approaching.

Lady Welch always traveled with at least three escort knights. I recognized the approaching knight as the tallest among them. Standing nearby, he was at least two heads taller than me. From his closely cropped hair to his solid build, he looked like the perfect knight, but he did not possess the same overwhelming presence as Victor.

The knight clearly appeared reluctant to participate in the duel.

“My lady, withdraw your words even now and allow Sir Kaltz to take your place. I do not wish to injure you.”

“Do not worry. That will not happen.”

The attendant serving as referee positioned us opposite one another.

Kaltz shouted again from behind me.

“Madam, you must not kill him!”

At the same moment, the attendant raised his arm. I moved without hesitation.