It was clearly spring, yet snow poured down in unbelievable amounts. Snow and wind swept precariously over flower buds just beginning to burst and tender leaves freshly sprouted. The blizzard raged mercilessly, blurring the entire world into white. 

To those making a new start, it seemed like a tragic revelation—doesn’t this look like your future, where you can’t see what lies ahead? 

If it really was a revelation, it was a remarkably tactless gesture of consideration.

The ceremony proceeded as scheduled. Light beige cloths in the Aiden Empire’s symbolic color fluttered everywhere, threatening to tear. Ivory armor blended like protective coloring into the white blizzard.

Amid it all, bright red hair stood out. Though she had tied it neatly in her own way, the long red hair that curled in waves whipped wildly in the white wind, painting a single red dot.

Beneath that red presence, bright golden eyes drew even more attention. Starting round and stretching out refreshingly, her eye corners were radiant like summer sunlight. 

Her smoothly raised nose, full red lips, and the neat, soft line of her chin harmonized perfectly. 

With her burning hair color, honey-glazed eyes, and the beauty of her snow-white skin alone, she was a stunning beauty who captured attention in an instant.

However, her fair brow was thoroughly crumpled.

‘He really talks a lot.’

A clearly bored expression filled her golden eyes. The priest at the front altar reciting blessings showed no sign of shutting his mouth yet.

“May blessings be bestowed upon the Aiden Empire, which will shine the glory of the Lord God. May robust blessings also be upon the bodies and hearts of those standing before us today…”

Boring beyond measure. When the priest finally closed his mouth, the Emperor stepped forward this time. The thick fur draped over the Emperor’s shoulders looked quite warm. Seeing it, the golden eyes narrowed a bit more. 

The blizzard was slapping her cheeks left and right. 

‘Should I drape that fur over my shoulders?’

She just grimaced, thinking thoughts that would make the chief chamberlain faint if he knew.

The event itself was simple. When those newly appointed and those being promoted were called, they would walk to the altar, receive a sword from the Emperor, and pledge their loyalty. 

That was all. Now close to twenty-four or twenty-five people had repeated this exact same routine. It was maddening.

While secretly turning her gaze, she suddenly locked eyes with a man standing nearby. The man’s calm, cool blue eyes scolded her to focus. However, the golden eyes lightly ignored that gaze and instead swept over him.

He stood in a flawless, textbook-perfect posture. His noticeably tall height, broad frame, and solid, delicately sculpted muscles showed through even with armor on.

His platinum hair mixed with pale gold flew wildly in the wind. The near-white platinum color, though weak in the blizzard, softly held a warm light and looked quite gentle. 

His vivid blue eyes resembling the deep blue sea remained utterly calm whether heavy snow fell or not. The masculine lines flowing from his deep-set eyes and solid brow bone to his nose bridge continued beautifully to his lips and jaw.

He was soaking into the picture like the snow falling abundantly.

His quiet, ascetic atmosphere received silent but fervent attention. When he appeared at a ball, women’s interest was tremendous. It was understandable. 

Indeed, he was beautiful enough to make people pine away for him within the imperial capital.

“Alexandria Raymer!”

At the voice calling her, the red-haired woman whipped her head around. She gathered her scattered mind instantly by lightly steadying her breath.

Step, step—she climbed onto the altar with measured steps. Though she had tied her hair low and tight before the Emperor, her bright red hair whipped fiercely in the blizzard. 

Her eyes, which had been unfocused like a dead fish’s, came back to life. 

Finally, the end of the ceremony was in sight. Her golden eyes, seemingly painted with melted gold, stared intently at the Emperor’s fur before slowly kneeling and bowing her head.

The corners of Emperor Henrik’s mouth, who despite his age still retained his youthful appearance, lifted slightly. 

He knew well why the former Knight Commander had strongly recommended her as the new commander upon retirement. Moreover, with the First Vice Commander who stuck right by her side. The future looked very promising indeed.

“Alexandria Raymer, are you prepared to become the one and only sword, the one and only shield that protects the Aiden Empire?”

Alexandria—or Alex, as people comfortably called her for short—the red lion, received the sword the Emperor bestowed while reciting those same words that about twenty-four people before her had recited. 

By now, she thought it wouldn’t be strange if the Emperor’s ears were bleeding.

“Knight Alexandria Raymer pledges her one and only life and infinite loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor of the great Aiden Empire. I will become the sword that cuts down evil and the shield that protects the weak. With courage that fears nothing, I will defend the glory of the Aiden Empire. Knight Alexandria Raymer deeply swears upon her heart and soul to fulfill her sacred duty before His Majesty the Emperor.”

Her wildly curling red hair and bright golden eyes looked darker than usual against the snowy landscape.

“Before this true oath, I appoint Alexandria Raymer as Knight Commander of the Aiden Empire’s Knight Order.”

Alex stood up holding the bestowed sword and turned around. Then she swept her gaze around the Knight Order once. The whole place was completely white, rivaling the northern regions. 

The best strategy was to wrap this up quickly and go inside.

“Loyalty to Aiden! Glory to Aiden!”

“Loyalty to Aiden! Glory to Aiden!”

When she shouted once formally, the Knight Order echoed back thunderously. With that, the short and intense ceremony was completely finished.

The Emperor disappeared to his next schedule, and Alex, who had been paying respects to the Emperor, turned and looked down below the altar. 

The knights were still standing at attention, waiting since the new commander’s dismissal order hadn’t been given yet. They were about to become armored snowmen, but still, she had to say what needed to be said.

“I hear my nickname is ‘Crazy Redhead.’”

‘What? What are you trying to say? We don’t know what it is, but please don’t say it.’

Hundreds of pairs of eyes wavered back and forth. 

They hoped the new commander didn’t know that “Crazy Redhead” was a sanitized version of “Red-Haired Crazy b*tch” and “Rabid Redhead.”

“We are sword and shield. Our job is to cut what needs cutting and protect what needs protecting. If you just stick to the basics, I won’t have a reason to become ‘Red-Haired Crazy b*tch.’ Got it?”

A landmark figure who rose to the position of Knight Commander of the Aiden Empire’s Knight Order, which guards the empire’s heart, as both the first woman and the youngest ever.

The Raymer territory was far from the imperial capital Logia, close to the border. Geographically, and psychologically too, it was a count family with almost no influence in central politics. 

That made her draw even more attention. 

On top of that, whenever she went into battle, she would sweep away enemies thoroughly enough to be covered in blood from head to toe without blinking an eye, or lead them to victory without a single drop of blood through strategy. 

The monster who silenced everyone with skill—the “Red Lion of the Battlefield,” whom enemies called “Crazy Redhead”—that was Alexandria Raymer.

The terror-stricken snowmen struck their left chests twice with their right fists and answered loudly.

“Loyalty to Aiden! Glory to Aiden!”

“Dismissed.”

With her words as the final note, the snowmen at attention dispersed and quickly disappeared somewhere. 

Alex, in her own kind gesture, didn’t schedule any particular training today since it was the first day of official knighthood or promotion for them, giving each person time to adjust to their position. 

The gates of h*ll would open starting tomorrow.

“Commander.”

She heard someone calling her from below the altar. Looking down, she saw vivid blue eyes beneath platinum hair.

“Ian.”

His platinum hair had become completely disheveled from the snow and wind, carelessly swept back, fully revealing his straight, neat face. 

His long blue eyes without double eyelids were deep enough that you couldn’t see the bottom. 

Since she rarely had occasion to look down at him, who was more than a head taller than her, this angle was unfamiliar.

“Are you going to the commander’s office?”

Alex, who had been descending the altar, glared at him and immediately grimaced. Though she had expected this, when Alex truly showed her distaste, a faint smile spread across his face.

Ian Allenward. 

Ian, who joined the Knight Order a year after Alex’s enlistment, seemingly following her, could never carelessly call her name within the Knight Order where hierarchy was clear and discipline strict. 

The rule was “Dame Alexandria,” or if they were being lenient because it was too long, “Dame Alex”—but from today, he should properly call her “Commander.”

However, both the new title and formal speech felt ticklish, disgusting, and awkward. 

After sticking together like that, the thought of saying “you did this” and “you did that” now made her skin crawl.

Alex grimaced heavily and said, “When it’s just us, speak casually on your own.”