A Battlefield Of Flowers (12)

Today, Victor was busier than I was. He left me in Kaltz’s care and went to speak with people. They were mostly high-ranking nobles who frequented the Imperial Palace, and he said he was informing them that he would soon depart for his territory.

After greeting several ladies, I picked at the food while repeatedly stealing glances at Victor.

How could he be so magnificent? No matter how many social gatherings I attended, there was no man anywhere as magnificent as Victor. Moreover, was he not unbelievably strong? Admiration settled over my warm, swelling affection.

“You look like a maiden in love, my lady.”

I flinched and looked at Kaltz. For some reason, an excuse slipped from my lips.

“An……yone would think Victor looked impressive upon seeing him.”

“That is true. I also think he looks rather impressive when he is not holding a sword.”

I became puzzled. Was he not even more impressive because his swordsmanship was extraordinary?

But Sir Kaltz quickly lost interest and stuffed his mouth with a great many sweet pastries.

Brushing the crumbs from his hands, he advised me,

“For a while, please be careful about saying things such as, ‘I dislike that,’ or, ‘That fellow bothers me.’”

“Why?”

“His Highness is desperate to recover the points he has lost. If you wished it, my lady, he would even bring you the Emperor’s head.”

Unable to understand, I stared blankly at him.

What points had Victor lost with me? I had hidden the sinister rumors circulating in high society, and his words that I could remain by his side had more than made up for them.

When I looked confused, Kaltz explained further.

“There is this recent matter, of course, but he also troubles you every night because of his illness. In the first place, he brought you here without offering you a proper explanation. His Highness feels sorry for all of it.”

I frowned.

“Why? What is so difficult about any of that……?”

“……”

“Of course, I was a little startled at first…… but it is hardly unusual for a sick person to behave selfishly. Besides, putting Victor to sleep is not especially difficult. I even wonder whether I should have received such a large dowry for doing so little.”

“……”

“Rather, what Victor gives me is excessive. At night, he truly is weak…… Sir Kaltz, you have faced him before as well, have you not?”

“I have, but……”

Kaltz replied uneasily. Then he suddenly sighed like an old man burdened with all the sorrows of the world.

“I will never understand you, my lady……”

“What? Why?”

“It is nothing. I will go bring some alcohol. It is difficult to remain between the two of you while sober.”

After grumbling incomprehensibly, he left.

Blinking in confusion, I leaned against the table. Although I was alone among people who made me uncomfortable, I was not as frightened as I had been the previous week. Victor and Kaltz were here, and no one was openly insulting me loudly enough for everyone to hear as before.

Strangely, Nanael’s friends seemed to be the ones avoiding me. Whenever our eyes met, they glanced fearfully toward Victor.

I found it curious, but other people concerned me even more than they did. A considerable number of knights and young ladies were secretly staring at me. After thinking it over, I realized their gazes resembled those of the children who used to secretly watch me practice swordsmanship in Amari.

Why were they acting like that?

As I watched them in puzzlement, someone pushed through the hesitant crowd and approached. I recognized him immediately.

“Sir Jeffrey?”

The short, brown-haired knight knelt on one knee before me. After kissing the back of my hand, he said,

“I pay my respects to Her Highness. I am Jeffrey of Sutherland.”

I stared at him in surprise as he rose.

Had he truly come to take revenge? Yet Jeffrey was dressed very respectably and did not even carry a sword. Moreover, his stern face appeared slightly flushed.

He added,

“I have looked forward to seeing you again.”

Now thoroughly bewildered, I blinked.

Why would he want to see me if he did not intend to take revenge? Victor was the same. Did the men of the Empire possess some instinct that made them fond of anyone who defeated them?

He straightened his back.

“I wished to apologize. Even though you declared yourself a knight, it was undoubtedly discourteous of me to speak of you as a lady and tell you to send another knight in your place.”

Ah.

Only then did I recall what he had said during the duel. Had he said that he did not wish to injure a lady? Yet that, too, had been an act of chivalry.

Smiling, I gestured for him to relax.

“You did what you had to do as a knight. We each fought for our own honor and that of our masters, so there is nothing for which you must apologize.”

“I am glad to hear you say so.”

Jeffrey smiled faintly. Then he hesitantly continued.

“I am ashamed to admit it, but it was the first time I had been defeated before enduring even three exchanges. Your strength was as though I had witnessed the Grand Duke himself.”

Just what sort of people had he been sparring with until now?

I swallowed my words and looked at him. Even if every member of the Welch Knight Order was as weak as he was, I could not say such a thing to his face.

Sir Jeffrey asked in a slightly nervous voice,

“I had heard rumors that the knights of the kingdom were strong, but I had no idea you were this formidable. Might you teach our knights swordsmanship? If visiting us would make you uncomfortable, we will come to the Mort Knight Order’s training grounds.”

“Ah, I……”

“Countless knights are curious about Her Highness’s swordsmanship. As the next commander of the Welch Knight Order……”

As he continued, he suddenly flinched and looked behind me. At the same time, a familiar scent of musk enveloped my back.

“I am afraid that would be difficult.”

A languid voice answered in my stead. Victor had approached and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as though binding me in place. Victor was smiling.

“I am surprised to see you at a banquet. I heard House Welch had shut its gates.”

Kaltz, who had returned at some point, quietly added,

“Your Highness, Sir Jeffrey merely belongs to the Welch Knight Order. He is not their vassal. As he holds the Barony of Sutherland, House Welch shutting its gates has nothing to do with him.”

“Is that so?”

Victor’s gaze slowly swept over Sir Jeffrey.

“I misunderstood because it was not ‘the heir’s name.’ My apologies.”

“N-not at all, Grand Duke.”

Strangely, Sir Jeffrey had turned almost deathly pale.

I looked at him in confusion. I could not understand why such a knightly man was suddenly trembling like a child who had encountered a monster.

Could Victor possibly have done something terrible to him? That could not be.

Victor spoke smoothly.

“Regrettably, my wife and I must soon depart for Mort. You must know that the war kept me away from there for a long time.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“Yes. You must have been on the same battlefield when we conquered the Eastern Kingdom.”

Jeffrey’s complexion had now become as white as that of someone gravely ill. It seemed his knightly pride was barely preventing him from fleeing at once.

Victor smiled leisurely.

“Therefore, I doubt the Grand Duchess will be able to teach you swordsmanship. Our schedule is rather pressing.”

“I under……stand. Forgive me for making such an unreasonable request. Then, perhaps another time.”

Sir Jeffrey bowed his trembling head and backed away.

Unable to understand any of it, I turned toward Victor. I understood neither why he had rejected the enthusiasm of a knight seeking instruction nor why Sir Jeffrey had trembled so badly.

Victor’s picture-perfect smile cut off my question.

“I am sorry, Marion. Our schedule is simply so pressing.”

“But it would not take very long.”

“Besides, he belongs to House Welch, does he not? I am worried he may harm you.”

I furrowed my brow.

Was he serious?

“He did not seem like the sort of person who would do that. Besides, how can you say such a thing about someone so weak?”

If Sir Jeffrey was to become the next commander of the Welch Knight Order, then the knights of House Welch were surely no more dangerous than a pack of approaching dark wolves. Even if they tried to harm me, how much could they possibly do? I had merely wanted to help with their training, just as I had taught people back home.

A strange light appeared in Victor’s eyes. His expression carried a complicated meaning, as though he found something tremendously amusing while simultaneously disliking it intensely.

Victor pulled my shoulder against him and whispered,

“You promised to remain only by my side.”

“!”

“I simply do not want to put you on display before other people. All right?”

It was the same sweet, gentle voice that always defeated me. I had no choice but to blush and nod. I did not know whether Victor’s tenderness was the problem or whether my heart was simply too soft, but I truly found it difficult to refuse him anything.

A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“As I said before, if you truly wish to train, go to my family’s training grounds. I will be able to rest easy if you are there.”

Although I could not entirely rid myself of my unease, I nodded again in agreement.

Victor curved his eyes and briefly kissed my forehead.

On the way back to the residence, I rode in the carriage with Kaltz. Victor had to stop by the Imperial Palace for a while.

Sitting across from Kaltz for the first time in a while reminded me of when we had attended banquets together. Back then, Kaltz had worked very hard to cheer me up. It was strange that something from only the previous week felt like the distant past. Perhaps it was because my heart had grown more peaceful.

When I looked at Kaltz fondly, he flinched.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason. I just like you.”

Kaltz went pale. He hurriedly looked out the window before warning me once again.

“My lady, that word is forbidden as well. Dislike, bothersome, like. You cannot say any of them. Unless you wish to see my head drop cleanly from my shoulders.”