Chapter 3 – Part 2

The next morning, Rohayden returned from his walk with a bright expression. No, more than bright—it was positively glowing.

“Lord Banther.”

“….”

“Laughter is a precious thing, isn’t it?”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Banther, risking insolence, couldn’t help but ask. Yesterday’s cheerful demeanor had been nothing compared to today.

This morning, the emperor had been smiling uncontrollably, as if someone had struck him in the lungs with a gust of wind. He couldn’t stop the bursts of laughter, even though he was clearly trying to. It was impossible to see this as normal.

‘I’ll have to request some medicine right away,’ Banther thought, feeling not just concern but a hint of fear as he observed his superior’s worsening condition. Just as Banther was about to act, Rohayden broke the silence.

“As promised yesterday, I’ll grant you leave.”

“…Pardon?”

“Submit your preferred dates. It’s a paid vacation.”

Seriously?

Banther stared at him, trying to gauge the truth of his words. Rohayden looked like someone who had just seen a clown performance, laughing so much it hurt, but it didn’t seem like he was joking. After all, the emperor, no matter how amused he was, never made empty promises.

Tempted, Banther cautiously responded, “I’ll submit them today.”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“Come to think of it, my sister recently sent word that my nephew has started walking and asked me to visit…”

“Well then, you can visit him while you’re at it.”

He’s serious.

Banther’s expression brightened. He wasn’t exactly a workhorse without rest, but vacations were always welcome. And it was paid vacation too. Paid vacation—those were the sweetest words in the world.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s generosity.”

He decided to hold off on requesting the medicine for now. Sometimes, a superior who acted as if struck in the lungs wasn’t so bad after all.

***

Mail had only ever met one noble lady who had done a forward roll in public.

It was during her time at the academy. A classmate had tripped while walking down the hallway.

The problem was, there happened to be a poorly placed sculpture right in front of her. If the girl had fallen straight forward, she would have almost certainly smacked her forehead on the sculpture—perfectly positioned at an awkward height.

Panicked, the noble lady instinctively tucked her body, resulting in a perfect forward roll.

For a while, the incident became legendary at the academy.

For the rest of her time there, her classmates stopped using her real name and simply called her “Forward Roll.” Every time the academy held a playful competition for “the most embarrassing incident,” she always took first place without fail.

Noble ladies were prone to minor slip-ups—social faux pas, etiquette errors—but none of them could come close to the unforgettable forward roll. The lady was the undisputed champion.

Throughout her time at the academy, no one ever managed to dethrone the “forward roll” in the competition of “embarrassing moments.”

But now, Mail had surpassed her.

‘This is the first time I’ve wanted to give up a title so badly!’

Even if the academy brought together every student, past and present, none would dare to challenge Mail. There was no need to limit it to the academy.

The former champion had earned her legend with a single forward roll, but Mail had executed a forward roll, a spin, and a shout. She was now fit to become a legend, at the very least, of the empire.

Perhaps, she could even aim for a continental legend. Though Mail herself had no intention of aiming for such a title.

‘If only someone could erase my memory.’ Or at least that masked idiot’s memory.

As Mail rounded a corner, she mulled over this wish. Here’s an important thing to note: in the L-shaped corridors of the palace, two people accidentally bumping into each other could inadvertently find themselves in a very competitive test of physical resilience. In other words…

Thud!

“Kyaa!”

This is what happens when you take your eyes off the path for even a second. Mail, unintentionally the victor of the collision, stood in shock, her eyes wide.

Turning the corner, she had bumped into a woman who promptly screamed and tumbled to the ground.

Mail, who had only stumbled slightly, was now too stunned to even remember her earlier humiliation in the garden. She stared in surprise at the woman sprawled on the floor.

They turned the corner, collided, and while Mail remained standing, the other woman had crumpled to the ground like a feather.

Eyes wide in alarm, Mail quickly rushed to the fallen woman.

“…Are you alright?”

The woman had a frail build. Though not particularly short, her exposed wrists and neck were so thin that they gave off an overall sense of fragility. Her wrist, in particular, was so slender that Mail thought it might break if she held it too tightly.

She was so frail that even a child bumping into her might knock her over. Mail thought this as she extended her hand to the woman.

“Take my hand.”

“I-I’m sorry. I apologize, I’m really sorry…”

“Huh? No, if anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

The woman, instead of taking the hand offered to her, was too busy repeatedly apologizing. This confused Mail even more. It wasn’t like the woman had bumped into someone who had been standing still. They had both turned a corner and accidentally collided, making it clearly both parties’ fault.

Moreover, Mail was fine, while the woman had fallen quite dramatically. If anyone should feel apologetic, it should be her, yet she was apologizing to an embarrassing degree.

“First, let’s get you up. You must be hurt. Are you injured?”

“Ah, um, thank you.”

“For what?”

As Mail helped the woman to her feet, she casually glanced over her appearance. Her hair was well-groomed and glossy, and while her clothing wasn’t flashy, it looked quite expensive.

And when she took her hand to help her up, she noticed it was soft and smooth, without a single callus, like a child’s hand. Clearly, it was the hand of a noble lady who had likely never lifted anything heavier than a teacup in her life.

“How peculiar.”

Everything about her appearance screamed that she was a well-bred noble, but her overly submissive demeanor and speech made it seem like she was used to being humble. Mail tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. Could it be her innate personality?

‘If it had been a princess, she’d probably have tripped over someone’s foot and then demanded an apology for having her foot in the way.’

Indeed, the world was vast, and personalities varied greatly.

While Mail was thinking this, the woman had already stood up completely but didn’t even bother to check her appearance before bowing deeply.

Her long, untied hair cascaded down as she bent forward. Mail cast a passing glance at her. Her pale silver hair contributed greatly to her ghostly pale appearance.

The woman was so thin and fragile-looking that Mail felt like she might break if touched the wrong way. For a brief moment, she thought of her as less of a person and more like a delicate glass ornament.

“I’m really sorry.”

“No, no, please don’t apologize.”

As another apology spilled out, Mail waved her hand in refusal. If she heard any more apologies, she felt like she’d start to feel like some sort of shameless tyrant.

Thanks to Mail’s insistent refusal, the woman finally raised her head. Amidst her entirely pale appearance, only her sky-blue eyes stood out clearly.

“How strange.”

Because her colors were so muted from head to toe, her vivid sky-blue eyes were even more striking, imprinting themselves in her memory. Though it wasn’t the first time she had seen such eye color, something about her gaze felt different. Mail found herself quietly impressed.

‘So, this is what it means for someone to leave a lasting impression with just a glance.’

“Since it was mutual carelessness, let’s just agree to be more careful from now on. Well then, may the goddess watch over your journey, my lady.”

Since they were standing face to face, Mail felt like it was only proper to bid her farewell before parting ways. After offering a polite parting phrase, she was the first to turn and leave.

After walking a few steps, she glanced back briefly. The woman had also resumed her walk, her thin frame growing distant.

From under her skirt, she caught a glimpse of her ankle, which was just as delicate as she had imagined. She evoked a mixture of feelings—wanting to protect her due to her fragility and wanting to feed her out of pity.

“Is she one of the candidates for the selection?”

If she were a candidate, surely that would be dangerous. If she ended up in a conflict with Rose, or worse, if Riela grabbed her by the hair, she’d probably meet her eternal rest that very day.

Mail briefly worried about the future of this woman, whose name she didn’t even know, before quickening her pace.

Her destination was the dining hall. She still hadn’t had breakfast yet. As the hero once said, while a refreshing start to the day is important for an energetic day, an equally hearty breakfast is also essential.

No matter how little appetite she had, Mail rarely skipped meals. Whether she had done a forward roll and felt embarrassed, or bumped into someone and felt flustered, meals were meals.

“More people than I expected.”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories