—

It had been three years since Astrid had become Emperor. The kingdom was peaceful and he was considered a wise ruler. The people supported him and there were no major conflicts with the noble faction. Thanks to the foundation Astrid had built up since childhood, most of the kingdom’s citizens enjoyed a stable life. 

Anelope had no desire to disturb this peace. After all, she was one of the many people who lived a secure and stable life. 

Finally, the moment she had so eagerly awaited had arrived: the Knight’s Test. 

In contrast to the stern looking Layla, Anelope – with her soft and cheerful demeanour, like a dollop of sweet cream – skipped excitedly towards the examination hall, thrilled at the thought of meeting handsome knights. 

From behind her came Layla’s exasperated scolding. 

“Your Grace, please mind your dignity.” 

“Ahh… I don’t care! Why should I bother? I’m just a figurehead Grand Duke anyway. 

I’ll spend my whole life like this – playing, lazing around, doing whatever I want. 

She covered her ears and made nonsense noises, “Ebe-be-be”. It was behaviour that would have made other nobles gasp in horror. Ignoring Layla’s constant scolding behind her, Anelope walked with absolutely no regard for decency. 

In truth, her carefree behaviour was a habit ingrained in her since childhood. Anelope had always wanted to appear not as a “threat” but as nothing more than a “lovable little sister” in the eyes of Astrid, who was the Crown Prince at the time. 

The stupid, unsuspecting princess. 

It was the only way she could survive. 

‘Whatever. Who cares?’ 

By throwing away any desire for power and keeping her head down, she could now enjoy her life in peace, with just the right amount of wealth. Everything was best in moderation. Too much of anything and you wouldn’t live long. 

Anelope arrived at the training ground humming a happy tune. The moment she stepped inside, the knights, who had been warming up with wooden swords in their respective rooms, froze and stared at her blankly. 

It was rare for these commoners to see a member of the royal family up close, let alone this close. As they stood in the sunlight, they couldn’t help but stare at Anelope, her golden hair shimmering like spun sunlight and her bright golden eyes. They were stunned, their mouths open like fools. 

No matter how ungraciously Anelope behaved, a queen was still a queen. 

She exuded an elegance and refinement that no common noble could ever hope to match. Even those knights who, out of sheer curiosity, would sneak glances at high-ranking nobles couldn’t remain indifferent in her presence. 

A heavy silence fell over the training grounds. 

Technically, looking directly at a member of the royal family without permission was considered a minor offence, but Anelope didn’t seem to care. Instead, she smiled faintly and leisurely scanned their faces one by one. 

‘Hmm… that one’s portrait was a fake.’ 

“What is this? Why has he been painted like that? If the artist has a conscience, he should give me a refund. Ugh, I almost turned it down because I thought he was ugly!”

She held the CVs in her hand and quickly compared the portraits with the real individuals. 

Unlike the nervous candidates, Anelope was happy to choose the successful ones. She carefully and thoroughly selected the most handsome commoners with good physiques, chose from a variety of hair colours – black, red, brown, ash grey – and selected a number of stunning men to suit her taste. 

“I’m done!” 

She handed the selected CVs to Layla with a smile. Layla nodded, indicating that she understood. 

Having completed her task, Anelope immediately stood up when she heard that sweet desserts had been prepared for her. 

“Well then, Layla, take care of the rest – the final selection process, starting dates, wages and so on.” 

“Understood.” 

” Since these are the handsome men I’ve personally selected, make sure their salaries are generous!” 

Only after Anelope had completely disappeared did Layla examine the 15 selected knights. Even though they had been chosen mainly as decorative ornaments, the procedures still had to be followed. Layla quickly began to list the necessary documents. 

“Proof of family ties, a certificate of no infectious diseases within the last three years, and…” 

The successful candidates swallowed nervously, waiting for her next words. 

“…a sexually transmitted disease test certificate.” 

The mention of an STD test made the Knights visibly nervous. What knightly order in the world had ever required an STD test as part of their procedures? 

Even Layla was embarrassed when she said it out loud. She quickly announced the start date and deadlines for submitting documents, then hurried out of the room. 

“They’ve all been chosen to suit her tastes – there’s no guarantee she won’t get involved with one of them.” 

Her Grace is in the prime of her youth, after all. 

Layla pressed her temples together, trying to hide her flushed face from sheer embarrassment. 

—

For knights of common birth, to be appointed to the Royal Guard was an incredible honour. 

Even to be assigned to guard a high-ranking noble was considered a significant step up, but to guard a royal? That was almost unheard of. In fact, it was almost the first time in history that commoners were allowed to guard a member of the royal family. 

Not only that, but the pay was generous and the uniforms extravagant – made from luxurious fabrics that commoner knights could only dream of wearing. These uniforms were typically reserved for orders of knighthood, made up entirely of knights of noble birth. 

The perks didn’t stop there. Their meals were as fine as those served to nobles, and their accommodation was lavish, with two knights sharing a room. This was a far cry from the usual living conditions of commoner knights, who were often crammed into quarters with 10 or even 20 people to a room – or worse, provided with tents that could barely be called shelter. 

One of the knights couldn’t help but think: 

“I was afraid they would look down on us for being common-born knights, but…”

Far from being looked down upon, everything Anelope had provided for them was extraordinary in every way. From day one, the knights found themselves filled with loyalty to her. 

“Oh my, everyone’s here for the first day!” 

Anelope greeted them happily. 

Dressed in a ruffled indoor gown, Anelope swayed gently, spreading a pleasant scent as she peered into her knights’ quarters. 

“I’m so relieved. I was afraid I’d be upset if even one of you didn’t show up…” 

They’re all exactly my type. 

She swallowed her last thought as the knights tilted their heads in confusion.

‘Why would she be upset? If someone doesn’t turn up, she can just hire a replacement.’

Unaware of Anelope’s true intentions, the knights blinked in awe, moved by her every word. 

Unaware of their admiration, Anelope laughed brightly and happily, her giggles filling the room as she offered her greetings and asked for their support. 

Several days had passed since the Knights’ first day. Although she had appointed 15 personal guards, there was little for them to do. 

It was no surprise, really. For the Knights to fulfil their duties, Anelope would have to attend social gatherings or go on outings. But she was an extreme recluse. 

She preferred solitary teas in the mansion and rarely ventured outside, limiting her ‘walks’ to the mansion garden. Even her clothes and jewellery were custom-made by designers who came to her residence. She simply had no reason to leave her estate. 

Despite having little to do, the Knights remained dedicated, fuelled by their loyalty to Anelope, who provided them with generous salaries and excellent living conditions. They continued to train diligently. 

To Anelope, however, the role of her knights was nothing more than eye candy – no more, no less. 

“Hmm… This isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be.” 

“What do you mean, Your Grace?” 

“The knights. I thought having them around would be exciting, but it’s boring. It doesn’t even feel romantic or anything.” 

‘Of course it doesn’t,’ Layla thought to herself, holding back her inner comment. ‘This isn’t fiction – it’s reality. Where would romance fit into a professional relationship between a Master and his guards?’ 

Unaware of Layla’s inner thoughts, Anelope leaned against the window, watching her knights train in the courtyard below. She watched them idly, her expression indifferent, until one of the knights, feeling hot, threw off his shirt roughly. 

Anelope jumped up and down with excitement at the sight. 

“Yikes! Did you see that? Samad just took his shirt off!” 

Anelope couldn’t take her eyes off the sculpted, muscular form of the man below. Layla’s scolding echoed behind her, but Anelope let it go in one ear and out the other. 

“Your Grace, these documents need to be processed by today.” 

“Mm-hmm, I understand. Just let me look after my knights first!” 

‘Your Grace, referring to mere knights as ‘my knights’… really?’

Layla swallowed the extra lecture she was about to give and bit her tongue. 

“Haah…” 

Instead of scolding her further, she let out a deep sigh. Watching Anelope put her work aside to indulge her whims, Layla was sure she’d be staying late tonight, probably spending another night at the Grand Duke’s residence. The thought filled her with a quiet desperation.