Chapter 43

‘How did you get here? Why are you here?’

“Lady, pointing a sword at someone who came out of concern for you?”

Leophris, seeing the sword, erased his usual smile and wore a displeased expression.

“Talk from there. And how did you get here? The Marquis’s house isn’t a place just anyone can enter.”

Adelina, having just managed to fend off the assailants, felt twice as tired at the thought of dealing with Leophris. Her gaze and tone were not very kind.

“I came because I was worried since it’s been a while since you left the palace and hadn’t returned.”

Leophris glanced around the chaotic room.

‘Foolish people!’

Four assailants injured by Hailyn’s sword lay bleeding on the floor.

“As you can see, the power of our Marquis’s knight order was enough.”

When more of the Imperial Knights followed Leophris in, Adelina withdrew her sword.

‘It’s hard for the number of assailants to suddenly increase from four to ten. They must be in cahoots.’

Perhaps they were part of the Imperial Knights or the Marquis’s knight order.

“I see. Lady Adelina, let’s return to the palace. We will escort you.”

“I’m sorry, Sir Leophris. The young lady is quite shaken right now. Look, her hands are trembling.”

As Leophris extended his arm to escort Adelina, as if at a ball, Hailyn pushed his arm away and embraced Adelina’s shoulder.

“Hailyn, I was so scared. The swords were flashing before my eyes. Blood was right in front of me…”

Adelina, snapping back to her senses at Hailyn’s words, trembled her hands and buried herself in Hailyn’s chest.

“Yes, yes, Lady. It’s okay now. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Hailyn, looking dependable, passed by Leophris, who awkwardly kept his arm extended, and left the room.

Adelina, supported by Hailyn, climbed into the carriage and looked wistfully at the receding Marquis’s house.

‘Ah! So annoying! I should have seen the map!’

What those assailants were after was probably Stephan’s secret vault. Since she couldn’t reveal its location, she wouldn’t be able to take out the map for a while.

“Lady, we must have been sisters in a past life. We work so well together.”

Sitting side by side, still holding Adelina, Hailyn laughed heartily.

“Hahaha. Not in the past life. Maybe the life before that?”

Adelina chuckled awkwardly, squinting her eyes in embarrassment.

Past life? In her past life, there were only brothers and cousins who bullied her as a ‘fake.’

+++

“I didn’t expect a guest at this hour, Commander Austin.”

Lexion entered the tent and smiled slyly at Austin, who was looking at him with a sharp gaze.

“Is it because you’re about to get married? You seem to laugh more.”

Austin scrutinized Lexion closely. He didn’t like anything about him. The more relaxed atmosphere than before. The sly smile always on his once stern face. He wondered if it was really all because of Adelina.

“Is that so? If you say so, Commander, then it must be true.”

Lexion maintained his eye smile and leisurely took off his cloak. He draped it over a chair in the tent and even unbuttoned his jacket, tilting his head to the right. It was as if to say he was about to sleep, so it was time to leave.

“But.”

Austin’s sharp eyes followed Lexion’s hand to his jacket.

“I don’t see the brooch you were wearing. Weren’t you wearing it earlier? That black rose, you said it was the symbol of the Ernst knight order.”

Austin sat on a chair next to him, crossing his legs and arms. Leaning back comfortably in the chair, he sharply questioned Lexion.

‘Damn Austin!’

Such keen eyes! To pay attention to a brooch on someone’s jacket during battle!

Lexion, hiding his surprise, sat opposite Austin. Rose’s brooch was left in Stephan’s secret vault. Until now, no one had paid attention to the brooch, so he hadn’t even thought to carry a spare.

“It must be somewhere.”

“Surely, Duke Lexion, you’re not going to say you lost it? A Swordmaster, no less.”

Austin glared at Lexion, as if to say he wouldn’t tolerate lies.

“Ah! Duke!”

Stephan approached Lexion as if he had just remembered something, pulling something out of his pocket.

“Stephan.”

“Here. You left it on the bed.”

Stephan handed Lexion the black rose brooch. It was the symbol of the former Ernst knight order, which he hadn’t discarded yet.

“Ha!”

Austin’s sneer deeply pierced Stephan’s chest. He knew what Austin was thinking. A crazy man who, despite being a traitor to Ernst, still kept a brooch he couldn’t even wear.

Lexion stood and reattached the brooch to his jacket, standing before Stephan.

“Commander, I left it on the bed. It’s very precious to me.”

Lexion shielded Stephan from Austin’s sneering gaze with his whole body.

“Alright. Keep that precious thing safe.”

Austin surveyed the tent one more time before leaving.

Lexion quickly took off his jacket and pulled his shirt off to the sides. Buttons clattered to the floor, but he didn’t care.

“Why didn’t you throw it away?”

He lay back on the bed, propping himself up.

“I just… couldn’t bring myself to discard it.”

“Fool.”

If that’s the case, why did you betray? Why didn’t you protect Rose to the end?

Lexion covered his eyes with one arm.

“Rest well.”

Stephan looked at Lexion and sighed deeply inside. A traitor has nothing to say. He soothed his aching heart and reached for the door.

“When we return, I’ll give it back… wear it.”

“…Thank you.”

My lord.

Stephan swallowed his last words, opened the tent door, and left. His steps were the lightest they had been in ten years.

+++

“Miss, I’ve booked a fitting at the boutique to match the wedding necessities.”

A few days later, early in the morning, a maid from the Empress’s palace came to Adelina.

“Do I have to go? Isn’t the designer coming directly from the dress shop?”

Adelina had just finished dressing with Hailyn’s help. She got up from the dressing table after pinning a black pearl hairpin and stood up.

“Yes… the designer is very famous and busy… it was hard to make an appointment.”

At the maid’s words, Adelina narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

‘Suspicious…’

I was going to become a Duchess, yet the designer wasn’t coming to the palace, and I had to go to the shop? 

The Emperor and Empress, who had thoroughly monitored me to prevent me from leaving the palace, were letting me go out? 

Even though I was recently attacked at the Marquis’s house, they were letting me go out?

“Then, let’s do it somewhere else. Call a designer from another dress shop.”

Adelina ordered the waiting maid to bring brunch for two and sat on the sofa, watching the maid from the Empress’s palace stand awkwardly.

Not expecting Adelina to keep refusing, a hint of annoyance flickered across the maid’s eyes.

“Her Majesty the Empress specially selected this place. You’re not disregarding Her Majesty’s taste and sincerity, are you?”

As the maid emphasized the Empress, Adelina crossed her arms and pressed her lips into a line.

‘Ha… The Empress <specially> selected it… Then!’

Adelina, observing the maid’s slightly raised corners of the mouth with cold eyes, smiled sweetly at her.

“If Her Majesty specially selected it, of course, I must go. I’ll move after brunch. Hailyn will also go with me, so prepare the largest and most splendid carriage. If there isn’t one in the palace, I can call for the Duke’s carriage. Either call the Duke’s knight order or the Imperial Knights as an escort. About 100 people?”

Since rank dictates, she had to go. There’s no choice.

‘I’ll make sure everyone knows I’m in that carriage!’

The best way was to go out conspicuously so no one could attack easily! No one would dare to attack a carriage escorted by 100 Imperial Knights.

+++

“Lady! It seems the coachman has been attacked!”

“Crazy! Attacking the Imperial Knights!”

Exactly two hours later, the splendid carriage heading to Emerald Street from the palace was attacked by bandits.

“Lady! Stay inside the carriage! I’ll take the sword and fight!”

Hailyn opened the seat lid in the carriage and took out a sword. Always prepared, Hailyn had already placed two swords inside just in case.

“Wait a moment!”

Adelina grabbed Hailyn’s hand, preventing her from opening the carriage door. Instead, she gestured for her to look outside through the carriage window.

“They’re fighting so lazily.”

Hailyn, realizing what Adelina meant, spoke quietly. She checked the other carriage door, but they were surrounded by Imperial Knights and bandits on all sides.

“Don’t waste your strength. This is one of Leophris’s tricks, number two.”

“What?”

Adelina, saying it was time to conserve energy, drank water and pulled out a chocolate bar from her bag, sharing it with Hailyn.

“They’re remnants of the rebels! Quickly eliminate them!”

Sure enough, when a familiar voice was heard from outside the carriage, Adelina hurriedly closed her bag and wiped the chocolate from her lips.

“Rebels, my foot!”

“It’s Sir Leophris.”

As Adelina snorted and spoke, Hailyn nodded in understanding. Then she scrunched her face in disgust. One of the most detestable people was someone like Leophris.

“Withdraw! We give up today!”

As Leophris brought some Imperial Knights, the bandits, who had been acting, began to retreat.

Hailyn packed the two swords and quietly exited through the carriage window, assessing the area with fewer knights.

“I’ll prepare.”

She quietly exited through the carriage door.

As soon as Hailyn stepped out, the opposite door swung open.

“Lady Adelina, are you alright?”

A voice, endlessly dependable and gentle, sent shivers down her spine.

+++

“Sir Leophris.”

“It’s alright now. I’ll protect you, Lady.”

Leophris stepped onto the carriage footrest and firmly grasped Adelina’s hand. As Leophris pulled her hand, Adelina reluctantly stepped out of the carriage.

“They are likely the same group of assailants who attacked the Marquis’s house before. Those assailants were identified as remnants of the rebels.”

Leophris puffed up his chest and lifted his head as if he were a very trustworthy man. Just looking at his proud expression, you’d think he deserved a few words of praise.

“Is that so?”

Perhaps not noticing Adelina’s reluctant expression, Leophris’s smile hadn’t faded yet.

“Let’s go. I’ll guide you to a safe place.”

“Go? Where? I was on my way to get a wedding dress fitted.”