“During my time in the palace, I heard this from a light wizard from Laran. I’ve been learning little by little from him… Come to think of it, this is also an opportunity I got thanks to you.”

“It’s because you have talent.”

Isabella blushed slightly at my words and then continued speaking.

“Anyway, compared to that, I actually awakened my powers very easily. I had just been crying my eyes out because someone told me I was too ugly to even work as a pr*stitute, and then when I went to wash my face in the basin, I saw that my face had changed to this.”

There was a grinding noise as Bill clenched his teeth.

“Don’t worry, Father. I already got my revenge.”

Isabella said this casually and then continued speaking.

“Before that, I didn’t even know I had the potential to be a wizard, and I wasn’t wishing to awaken either.

I just genuinely wanted to have a pretty face like my mother’s. And then the magic moved on its own to grant my wish.

It seems that the wizards from Laran all had a hard time awakening, but in fact, many of the wizards who live in hiding in the Empire have awakened in such ridiculous ways. So don’t think too hard about it. A wish doesn’t have to be grand. No matter how insignificant it may seem, if it’s sincere, magic will make it come true…”

I simply smiled, grateful for Isabella’s long story for my sake. But, to be honest, I didn’t care much about awakening anymore. Even if I could live a long and be healthy, I still wouldn’t know how to live. If there is a next life for me, I just hope I can be reborn after having forgotten everything.

“Isn’t that the Duke?”

Greta motioned toward the window with her chin. I looked outside and was startled to see that Ian had indeed come to greet us. The touring carriage is no different from public transportation in the city, so the stops are usually in busy areas. In other words, Ian was standing there, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Oh… I really don’t want to get off.”

Isabella, flustered by my unexpected honesty, quickly apologized.

“I didn’t think he’d come out so quickly; I’m sorry. When I said earlier that I was scared he’d get angry, he told me to contact him…”

“When did you contact him? How?”

“Right before we got on the carriage, I asked my teacher in the palace to pass along a message using magic…”

That must have been the note Isabella was using earlier. Greta, looking worried, asked,

“Are you worried the Duke will get angry?”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just that everyone’s staring.”

I shivered with displeasure, and Greta looked at me incredulously and said,

“They’re staring because he’s handsome.”

“I hate being stared at. When I’m next to Ian, I also get attention.”

“…It’s because you’re pretty. You’d get attention even without the Duke, so why are you blaming him…?”

“What do you mean, I…”

I… don’t really have any excuses. Even Isabella, who was watching me cautiously, nodded vigorously, agreeing with Greta. Before my awkwardness could pass, the carriage came to a stop. Ian reached out his hand to me as if he had been waiting. Hesitantly, I took his hand. Dressed in the simplest gown, with my hair covered by a white scarf, I probably looked just like a maid.

I thought people would start whispering about who the woman escorted by the Keppel Duke was, so as soon as I got off the carriage, I quickly let go of his hand. Ian didn’t seem bothered and greeted Bill and Greta after they got off the carriage. I was planning to slip into the Keppel family’s carriage that Ian had brought as soon as the farewells were over, but Greta suddenly stopped and came back.

“Can I get a job here?”

“Huh?”

Before I could even ask what she meant, Greta began to confidently promote herself.

“I mean, can I get a job? As you know, I’m a member of the Red Pubs mercenary group, so my identity is clear, and I have combat experience. It’s only been a few months, but I’ve also worked as a secret escort for a noble lady.”

I was so taken aback that I instinctively looked at Ian. Ian, resting his chin on his hand, looked at Greta, then turned to me when he noticed my gaze. Then he said something equally surprising.

“Isn’t it a good idea?”

“What?”

“It’s inconvenient not having Jane around. And since you don’t like having too many guards, I was worried. But if we hire Greta, that problem could be solved.”

“But…”

Am I the one making this decision? Looking at the two of them waiting for my decision, I found myself stepping back without realizing it. Naturally, I’ve never hired or fired anyone before.

If I did, people would start talking about how I replaced the existing staff with my own people as soon as I entered the Keppel family. I suddenly became anxious and looked around. Seeing people glancing our way, I took a deep breath when a large shadow blocked my view. It was Ian.

“Shall we discuss this in the carriage?”

Finally able to breathe, I quickly nodded. As soon as I took Ian’s hand and got into the carriage, Greta followed naturally. Sitting next to her, I whispered,

“Why did you suddenly bring up getting a job?”

Greta responded nonchalantly,

“I just thought I shouldn’t leave you alone.”

I wanted to ask what that meant, but just then Ian got into the carriage. I kept quiet while Ian closed the door and signaled for departure, feeling anxious that he might have overheard our conversation. Greta smoothly changed the topic.

“If it’s hard to decide right away, you could set a trial period. Anyway, I’ve already received an advance payment as your bodyguard, so I’d like to at least fulfill that period.”

I hesitated to answer, remembering what Greta had said earlier. I couldn’t understand why she would want to take on a job she previously quit because it didn’t suit her.

If Greta causes any trouble, it would all be my responsibility. What if the Keppel family’s employees think I can’t separate personal and professional matters? I didn’t want anything to make them uncomfortable.

It’s not that I don’t trust Greta… No, actually, I don’t trust her. Honestly, I don’t want to be responsible for anyone anymore. It’s hard enough to just take care of myself. As I struggled to answer, a long silence followed. Ian was the one who broke it.

“Then how about this? Thanks to being granted the Bailey estate, we can now expand the size of the knight order, but we’re having trouble finding recruits. If Greta passes the entry exam, she could serve as a guard not as a maid but as a knight, which would be better for both her and us. Of course, this would be advantageous for Greta as well.”

“Oh, does that mean the pay would be higher?”

“Of course.”

This wasn’t just a small pay increase; it was an incredibly generous offer. While there are female mercenaries, there are no female regular knights.

The female knights mentioned in history all appeared during wars when there were no men in their families to fight. Most were commanders controlling their household troops, and none were evaluated solely on their combat skills. Even if a woman was exceptionally skilled, recruiting her as a knight was considered too risky in terms of cost-efficiency.

“Ian, there will be resistance within the knight order.”

“She just needs to pass the entry exam. If there’s still resistance, it would be disobedience to orders.”

“But there’s no place for Greta to stay in the knight quarters. Clothing is one thing, but what about a bedroom or bathroom?”

“It’s fine. I’ve lived among sweaty guys in the mercenary group too, you know?”

Greta spoke so casually that I was left speechless. I clutched my racing heart and burned a roscari leaf in the censer. Ian calmly tried to persuade me.

“We would have eventually recruited someone like Greta anyway. The Keppel family needs to show that we are aligned with imperial policy. The Imperial Wizard Corps recently removed the gender restriction clause from the knight qualification requirements to allow female wizards to join. Since the wizard order is technically a knight order, it’s only a matter of time before the Imperial Knight Order also starts accepting women who pass the entry exam.”

Stop. I know exactly what you’re planning. This is something you would have considered later if it weren’t for Greta. I wanted to say this, but Greta was looking at me with sparkling eyes, so I couldn’t say anything. She smiled at me and said,

“I was a bit surprised by this unexpected opportunity, but I don’t want to miss it. Anne— No, you’re not Anne anymore. Anyway, Madam, please give me a chance!”

Greta exaggeratedly kneeled on the floor of the carriage.

“Just call me Liv. And don’t do this. Get up, quickly…”

Greta wouldn’t budge, even as I struggled to pull her up. Then she laughed and spoke even louder.

“If you give me this one chance, I’ll be completely loyal! You wouldn’t be so cold as to turn me away without giving me a chance, would you? Would you? Would you?”

“Oh, just get up already, Greta! Stop joking around!”

Greta pretended to wipe away tears and said,

“Sob, to think you wouldn’t even give me a chance. After all we’ve been through. Aren’t we part of Bill’s foster-daughter club? So heartless…”

I didn’t know what to do with Greta, who was pretending to cry so dramatically, so I looked at Ian. He was just smiling. Exhausted from trying to pull Greta up, I gave up and sighed.

“Ugh, when did I say I wouldn’t give you a chance? Just stop and get up already…”

“Oh, really?”

Greta grinned and sat back in her seat. I was so drained that I just stared at Greta, then became annoyed and started slapping her on the back. Ian looked a bit surprised, but I couldn’t care less anymore.

“You better not fail that entry exam!”

Two days later, the morning of Greta’s provisional entry exam arrived. I was surprised by how quickly everything was moving. I had thought they would give her at least a week to prepare, but apparently, the knight order had requested an expedited process due to a shortage of personnel. I was worried, but Greta just smiled confidently.

“Whether it’s two days or a month, my skills won’t change.”

“But…”

“You’ll cheer for me, right?”

“Of course.”

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories