A Battlefield Of Flowers (13)

“What? Understood.”

When I nodded without understanding why, Kaltz’s complexion darkened. He let out a sigh deep enough to make the ground collapse.

“What consequences your innocence will bring about…… I truly have no idea.”

Then he vigorously ruffled his bright red hair. His mouth, which had been opening and closing as though he wished to say something for a while, finally spoke.

“My lady, I am saying this because I am sorry that I was such an oblivious and foolish escort.”

“I told you it was all right, Sir Kaltz.”

I hurriedly waved my hands.

Even after apologizing for failing to notice the socialites’ rudeness throughout the weekend, Sir Kaltz tried to apologize again whenever he had the chance, shriveling up like a dried winter cherry. Even though I had told him I truly did not mind.

But Kaltz was somewhat more serious this time. He said,

“House Welch shut its gates because of the Grand Duke.”

What?

Startled, I looked at him.

The ducal House of Welch had shut its gates two days after my duel. For a noble house to close its gates and suspend all social and business dealings was a very serious matter, but it occasionally happened to knightly houses that had been defeated in a duel. Therefore, I had not been surprised when I heard that they had closed their gates.

But why would Victor be responsible?

Kaltz frowned as he continued.

“And…… if he had not intended to hide it from you, it would not have ended with them merely closing their gates.”

I stared blankly at him. Kaltz lowered his blue eyes.

“His Highness is more frightening than you think. There is a reason he was given the name Death.”

The sparkling summer sunlight streamed through the window and painted patterns across my dress.

I lowered my head and silently sank into thought.

​​—

Even rumors rarely reached the northern regions of the kingdom. The only outsiders one could meet there were mercenaries, wandering merchants, and the exceedingly rare messenger. Since they were neither scholars nor minstrels, most of the news they carried was absurd.

In their stories, the “Walking Death” was a monster who bathed in his enemies’ blood and transformed into a dragon every night. Back then, I had secretly laughed while sharpening my blade in a corner.

In those rumors, Mercenary King Yaji was also a three-headed troll, and Bandit King Kyrgyz was a monster that descended from the Black Mountains and disguised itself as a human. Therefore, I had assumed the stories about the Grand Duke of Death were nonsense as well.

And Victor, whom I met in person, was nothing like such a monster.

I looked closely at Victor’s sleeping face. He appeared peaceful, having held my hand until the moment he fell asleep. I secretly brushed his hair back from his face. A serene dignity rested upon his forehead.

When he was so beautiful.

A bashful warmth filled my chest.

He was an extraordinarily powerful knight and had undoubtedly killed many things, but toward me alone, he was unfailingly gentle. Kaltz had probably wanted to tell me that Victor was a frightening man, but even so, to me, he…….

At that moment, Victor opened his eyes.

I quickly picked up my sword and retreated. Then I watched him follow his usual routine of leaving the bed and selecting a weapon.

Putting him back to sleep truly was not difficult. Perhaps because he slept soundly every day, his illness had improved tremendously, and his movements were much slower than before. There was no need to strike him. Merely taking away his sword and laying him back down was enough to make him fall asleep again.

I knocked the southern-style curved blade from Victor’s hand in a single movement and pushed him back into the place where he had been lying. His cloudy amber eyes blinked before disappearing beneath his eyelids. I looked down at him with an aching heart.

Victor at night stirred pity within me. Seeing weakness in someone as powerful as him filled me with an inexplicable sadness. Where I had lived, weakness meant death. The cold, epidemics, and monsters all left far more terrible scars upon the weak.

I remembered the people who had carried an old man’s coffin around the village in grief. The children of Amari learned funeral songs before songs about fairies and knights. That was why seeing the weak made me sad.

I set down my sword and sat beside Victor.

I did not know how to define it, but at the very least, he was not frightening to me in the slightest. Beautiful, noble, and at times so weak that it was sorrowful. The Grand Duke of Death whom I met in person was a man who inspired pity rather than fear.

I quietly took his hand. Then, softly, I sang the lullaby that had now become familiar.

As soon as the banquet schedule ended, the residence began preparing for the journey.

Mort was a fortnight away from here, so there was much to pack. Dried provisions, clothing, weapons, personal belongings, horses, and even the butler and knights would accompany us, so the amount of luggage continued to grow.

Mrs. Sermona busily directed the servants. She sorted through my dresses to find those suitable for Mort’s weather and packed away my jewelry and shoes as well. She instructed the maids not to pack too many things.

“Her Highness will need something to wear when she returns, so leave an appropriate amount behind.”

For some reason, those words made my heart tingle.

That was right. I could return. Next year, or someday later, I could return here and call this place home.

Servants carrying dried meat hurried past behind me as I smiled to myself. I quickly pressed myself against the wall to clear the way.

Regardless of my sentiments, I was useless in the residence at the moment. The servants were sweeping through every room as though they intended to conduct a thorough cleaning while they had the opportunity.

In the end, I put on a shirt and trousers and headed toward the garden.

“Oh, my lady!”

Kaltz was there, having been driven out of his room just like me. As he was about to mount his horse, he asked,

“I have nothing to do, so I was thinking of going to the training grounds. Would you like to come with me?”

After thinking briefly, I nodded.

Victor had said I could go, and if I remained here, I would probably end up disturbing the gardeners as well.

When Kaltz gestured, an attendant quickly brought out another horse.

Soon, two horses galloped away from the Grand Duke’s residence.

It had been a long time since I last rode a horse. Horses were expensive, and reindeer were primarily ridden in the north, so I had few opportunities to ride them. Fortunately, the journey was not far. Feeling nauseated, I dismounted.

The knights were engrossed in training. Their circumstances seemed similar to ours, as they appeared to have been driven from their lodgings with only a sword each in hand. The moment they saw Sir Kaltz and me, they swarmed around us.

“Your Highness! We heard you crushed Jeffrey Sutherland!”

“As expected, you are incredible! You truly are worthy of being our mistress!”

“Why have you never visited us before?”

Their reaction was far more enthusiastic than I had imagined. For my sake, as I looked around in confusion, Vice Commander Sir Leonard stepped forward.

“Hey, show Her Highness proper respect. My apologies, Your Highness.”

“No, it is all right.”

I quickly answered and discreetly examined Sir Leonard. No matter how I looked at him, Sir Leonard appeared far more knightly than Sir Kaltz. His blond hair was neatly cut, and his tightly closed mouth conveyed stubbornness.

After pushing the knights back, he asked gravely,

“But what truly brings you here? Have you come to inspect us before departure?”

“No, I just…… did not have much to do…….”

Sir Kaltz interrupted in my place as I stumbled over my words.

“Why are you sitting there asking? You were hoping our lady would come just as much as anyone. Take this chance to learn a thing or two from our Lady Dragon.”

“Kaltz, you are being rude again……!”

“I truly do not mind!”

I hurriedly stepped forward and picked up a wooden sword that had been lying on the ground. When I turned my head, the knights were looking at me with sparkling eyes.

After glancing between them and Leonard, I cautiously proposed,

“Since we have plenty of time, would you like to spar……?”

“Yes! We would!”

The excited knights shouted thunderously and quickly formed a line.

A short while later, however, I could no longer stop myself from frowning.

“Please, take this a little more seriously…… This will not be any practice at all.”

The fifth knight, whose sword had gone flying after only two exchanges, rose with a bewildered expression.

The knights before him had been much the same. Two exchanges, three exchanges, and the longest anyone had lasted was around four.

Were they deliberately holding back because I was the lady they served?

I looked at them awkwardly.

No matter what, continuing like this would provide no practice and merely waste time.

I looked toward Leonard, hoping he would say something, but he merely pressed a hand to his forehead with a troubled expression. Instead, Kaltz approached with a hollow laugh.

“My lady, I told you before. You cannot fight them the way you fight the Grand Duke.”

“But you are members of the strongest knight order on the continent, are you not?”

“His Highness is the strongest…… Hah, how can you possibly not understand this? My lady, you are……”

Kaltz stopped speaking and closed his mouth in anguish.

“There is no way to explain this…… Sigh. Just assume that we are too weak.”

I blinked.

Despite what he said, the Mort Knight Order certainly seemed like knights worthy of their reputation. There was no possibility that a knight order renowned across the continent could be weaker than a countryside knight like me. They were surely unable to even aim their swords at me because I was their lord’s wife. Their loyalty was truly remarkable.

With an astringent expression like someone who had swallowed bitter herbs, Kaltz said,

“Let us simply have you demonstrate your swordsmanship. Against a safe training dummy.”

I readily nodded.