Chapter 60

At that moment, Lexion and Stephan were fighting the Petrus garrison at the royal palace with the remaining knights of Ernst.  

‘Adelina’s knot!’  

Somehow, the knot had fallen from the sword, and the black knot was rolling on the dirt floor.  

Lexion reached out for the knot.  

A knot made for the beloved man.  

There was a superstition that if this knot broke, the love would not be fulfilled.  

“My lord! It’s dangerous!”  

Stephan, seeing Lexion reaching for the ground in the middle of the fight, ran towards him.  

“Ugh!”  

Even as Lexion’s hand was being trampled by boots, he found something in the dirt, clenched it tightly, and swung his sword with the other hand.  

“Most of the 7th Knights’ captain and knights are not visible!”  

Stephan shouted, throwing a handkerchief as he saw the blood flowing from Lexion’s hand.  

The number of garrison troops opposing them was smaller than expected.  

Especially, the 7th Knights’ captain was nowhere to be seen.  

‘Strange. No matter how they rotate duties, the captain and vice-captain should protect the palace.’  

Especially with Evans absent.  

One of them should definitely be at the palace.  

“My lord!”  

“We’re heading to the Bettran estate!”  

Lexion and Stephan, taking a few knights with them, hurried to the Bettran estate.  

+++

“Put down the sword immediately.”  

As tears flowed from Seyra’s eyes, Adelina’s sword was aimed at the captain’s throat.  

“Nice to meet you, Duchess.”  

As the captain withdrew his sword from Seyra’s cheek, the 7th Knights entered the room and pointed their swords at Adelina’s neck.  

“Please hand over the sword. It’s dangerous for you to hold it, Duchess.”  

The captain feigned concern for Adelina and grabbed her hand holding the sword.  

“Otherwise, Lady Seyra might be in more danger.”  

“Threatening someone unarmed, you’re no knight.”  

Adelina spat out her words with disdain, lowering her sword.  

+++

“Adelina!”  

The terrace window shattered with a loud crash.  

Simultaneously, Lexion called her name loudly.  

“Lexion!”  

Adelina quickly raised the sword she had lowered, deflecting the captain’s sword in front of her.  

“Ahhh!”  

Seyra screamed and stepped back in surprise at the swords flying from all directions.  

“Seyra!”  

Adelina embraced Seyra, deflecting the swords coming at them.  

By the time the smell of blood filled the room, the sound of clashing swords was no longer heard.  

“Shh… It’s okay. Seyra… It’s all over now.”  

Adelina hugged Seyra tightly, who was trembling with her face buried in Adelina’s chest.  

It must have felt like a long time for Seyra.  

It was probably her first experience with such a chaotic scene of swords and blood.  

“Seyra!”  

Earl Bettran, who had been detained in the first-floor lobby, rushed into the room and held Seyra in his arms.  

Even though he was out of breath, Earl Bettran continued to stroke Seyra’s back.  

“Seyra… Well done. You’ve grown up. Our Seyra.”  

“Grandfather…”  

Seyra burst into tears in the earl’s arms.  

“Yes, Seyra, well done. You did very well.”  

Seyra’s shoulders, which were shaking in the earl’s arms, calmed down.  

Seyra wiped her tears and nodded, indicating she was okay now.  

“Don’t think about anything today and just rest.”  

Earl Bettran wrapped his arms around Seyra’s shoulders and left the room.  

Adelina watched them through the open door, smiling softly.  

‘Envy what you should envy. Foolishly, I envied something I could never have.’  

She shook her head to erase the afterimage and turned around.  

Lexion was dealing with the remnants lying on the floor.  

“Lexion! What happened to your hand!”  

Blood was flowing from Lexion’s hand.  

Adelina immediately ran over to examine Lexion’s hand.  

It seemed crushed by something, with much of the skin on the back of his hand peeled off.  

“The knot tied to the sword fell off.”  

Lexion opened his injured palm.  

He was holding the torn and trampled black knot.  

‘Fool… Why would you… This thing I made without any effort…’  

When Adelina tried to pick up the knot, Lexion closed his hand as if to protect it.  

“Lexion… I’ll make it again. Don’t bother picking up things like this. I’ll make as many as you want.”  

Adelina opened Lexion’s hand and took the knot.  

She gently wrapped Lexion’s injured hand with her own.  

+++

The wind was still blowing fiercely in the morning.  

Lexion immediately took control of the royal palace and planted the black rose flag in the palace.  

He captured all the remaining Petrus forces and imprisoned them in the underground prison, along with the traitors who sided with them and tormented the people.  

Since the palace was still in disarray, Adelina decided to stay at the earl’s residence for one more day before moving to the palace.  

That night, Seyra knocked on Adelina’s bedroom door.  

“Your Majesty, I was very rude yesterday.”  

As soon as Seyra entered, she bowed at a right angle to Adelina.  

“Yesterday? You mean the part about wanting to become a concubine?”  

“Yes, I was too thoughtless.”  

Adelina held Seyra’s shoulders, whose face was red with embarrassment, and straightened her posture.  

Ten years ago, Seyra lost both parents and was raised by her grandfather.  

Earl Bettran, who lost all his children overnight, must have raised his only granddaughter like a flower in a greenhouse.  

Everyone looked at Seyra with pity, but no one thought to give her proper s*x education.  

“Seyra, I was so happy when you said you’d become my maid. If you still feel that way, would you become my maid?”  

Adelina sat Seyra on the sofa and sat next to her.  

“Of course! Your Majesty! It would be an honor!”  

‘Is this what it’s like to be loved and raised?’  

Adelina couldn’t help but smile at Seyra’s unaffected answer.  

“And… I was also so happy when you said we could be like sisters. If you still mean that, would you follow me like an older sister?”  

“Yes!”  

Without a moment’s hesitation, Adelina hugged Seyra.  

‘Even though she was probably very scared last night, she’s so bright. At such a young age, she tried to protect the estate as a young countess.’  

Seyra was much more mature than Earl Bettran thought.  

“I’ve never had a sister before.”  

Seyra said in an innocent, bright voice like a child.  

“Me neither… I’ve never had a younger sister before.”  

Adelina felt both happy and bittersweet.  

‘A friend, an older sister, a younger sister…’  

It’s funny…  

In her past life, she never had these things even after living for nearly 20 years, but in this life, she gained quite a lot in just a few months.  

+++

“Is it all done?”  

That night, Lexion, who should have been at the palace, entered the terrace of Adelina’s bedroom, pestering her.  

“I’m making it, aren’t I?”

No. Without sleep, what am I doing at this hour!

Adelina grumbled inwardly while carefully making the knot.  

This time, she prayed it would never fall off. Prayed it would never tear.  

“It’s done. If you ask me to make it again next time, I’ll do it right away. Don’t do that again.”  

Seeing the bandage wrapped around Lexion’s hand, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.  

“When will you draw the picture?”  

Lexion, smiling like a child who received a box of cookies, tied the knot to the sword handle and swung the sword.  

What was so good about this knot that didn’t even cost money…  

“That’s for next time. We should sleep now.”  

Adelina pointed at the clock on the wall with her hand, giving him a sidelong glance.  

Have you no conscience?

‘This guy… It’s two in the morning! I need to sleep!’  

Lexion, following Adelina’s finger to the clock, raised his eyebrows and then turned his head.  

“You’ll draw it n*de, right?”  

He took Adelina’s hand and placed it on his chest.  

He gently stroked the inside of her wrist with his thumb.  

Mouthing ‘now?’ as he spoke.

“I’ve never seen a king drawn n*de. I’ll draw you with all your clothes on.”  

Lexion’s fingertips were too ticklish.  

Adelina tried to pull her hand away, but Lexion held it firmly, pressing it gently.  

“Really? Then… instead of drawing me n*de, how about just looking and touching?”

Lexion pulled Adelina’s other hand to his cheek.  

Every time Lexion spoke, his lips tickled Adelina’s palm.  

Adelina clenched her fist and pressed it against Lexion’s cheek.  

“Just… looking…”  

“Really? Can you be satisfied with that?”  

Lexion laughed softly, lifting Adelina and laying her carefully on the bed.  

“Just looking, we agreed.”

Adelina slapped Lexion’s arm, accusing him of getting it wrong.

She rolled to the inside of the bed and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.  

“You were startled this morning. I’ll protect you all night. Sleep comfortably.”  

Lexion lay beside Adelina, pulling her wrapped in the blanket into his arms.  

“…Alright. Just for today.”  

Adelina squirmed and turned towards Lexion.  

‘This guy… When did he become so affectionate?’  

Though she was suffocated by Lexion’s thick arms and chest, well… the warmth wasn’t bad, so she decided to just sleep for the day.  

+++

Ships were coming into the eastern port of the Tiola Empire, breaking through the typhoon.  

“There they come.”  

Jaeyon and Isya got off the carriage as the ship from Petrus docked at the port.  

As attendants covered them with large umbrellas to keep them from getting wet, Jaeyon took out a letter sent by Hailyn a while ago and read it again.  

<I plan to stay by Adelina’s side for the time being. Later, I will definitely separate Adelina from Duke Lexion.>  

Seeing Jaeyon carefully fold the letter and put it away, Isya turned his gaze forward again.  

“Adelina is already married to Lexion, isn’t she?”  

“Hailyn is a precise person. If she highly evaluated Adelina, there must be a reason.”  

Spotting Hailyn’s silhouette among the many people disembarking from the ship, Jaeyon waved his hand brightly with a smile.  

“They will contact us soon. When they do, call Adelina as an envoy.”

“Yes.”  

Jaeyon answered Isya absentmindedly and ran towards the ship.  

Seeing the attendant hurriedly running with the umbrella, Isya also slowly moved his feet.  

“Hailyn. It’s been a while.”  

Recognizing Hailyn, who was wearing a black hood, Jaeyon removed her hood.  

“I’m a little late due to the typhoon. I’m sorry.”  

Hailyn hurriedly pulled the hood back over her unkempt hair.  

“Don’t move during such dangerous times from now on. I don’t want to lose a valuable talent.”  

Jaeyon asked the attendant who approached with an umbrella.  

“I’ll hold it for you.”  

“I’m taller.”  

Directly covering Hailyn with the umbrella, he led her towards the carriage.  

“Jaeyon, please hurry to the Petrus Empire once the typhoon passes. Adelina will be alone.”  

After briefly greeting Isya, Hailyn said as she stepped onto the carriage.  

“Oh dear… You haven’t heard the news yet.”