‘There they are.’

The knights gathered in the training ground were stretching their bodies.

Although I briefly encountered them yesterday, and due to Diart, I couldn’t see them properly, all the knights had quite handsome faces. They were all tall and had broad shoulders, each one of them is handsome.

As Lily had said, it’s like having good food that not only looks good but also tastes good, so I was quite satisfied.

But if only they weren’t wearing gloves…

I don’t understand why all the servants in this mansion wear gloves unnecessarily. This could disrupt my plans, so I should come up with a countermeasure.

‘Ah, right. Where is Diart?’

I shouldn’t be exposed.

As I quickly glanced around, I discovered Diart standing off to the side, his sword reflecting in the sunlight.

“His face is really something….”

I unintentionally murmured. Diart’s appearance was so unrealistic that the knights, who had just appeared handsome a moment ago, didn’t catch my eye at all.

The precisely tailored training clothes showcased a sleek and muscular figure, and the sweat-drenched silver hair clinging to the neck added a touch of allure. Plus, his straight posture and the intense gaze possessed an eerie power that made it impossible for the viewer to look away.

It truly seemed understandable why Roeni was so fixated on his appearance.

With my head lowered, I stared at Diart, completely forgetting the purpose of coming this far. Lost in thoughts for a while, I suddenly snapped back to reality.

‘Now is not the time.’

I didn’t come all this way to admire Diart’s appearance or charms. I had come here to find a pharmacy and get away from that worthless guy. I turned my gaze away from him and looked around.

“Let’s see…”

Over there, a man was chatting away. He has broad shoulders and an attractive face.

“Lily.”

“Yes.”

“Who is that person?”

I probably seemed forgetful because of my memory loss. I asked Lily for the names of every person I met. She was initially surprised at my thoroughness, as I even asked the names of low-level maids, but Lily soon happily smiled and provided the information.

“It’s Sir Alex Randall.”

“Is he married?”

“Why are you asking that?”

Lily tilted her head, not understanding why I would ask such a question. I quickly made an excuse at the glint of suspicion in her eyes.

“I want to introduce him to someone if he’s a good person. It seems like he’s at the age to get married, but if he trains like this every day, he won’t have time to meet women.”

“I see.”

Why is she so considerate? Lily’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“He got married recently.”

“Ah, I see…”

I reluctantly pointed to another guy, suppressing my disappointment.

“What about that person?”

“That’s Sir Phillip Tote, and he says he’s getting married in a month.”

“…….”

All the good men seemed to have already been taken, as each guy I pointed to are either married or in a relationship.

No matter how superstitious it may sound, I wanted to avoid people with lovers conscientiously.

‘Even though they’re busy, they all seem to have successful love lives.’

Sighing, I searched for other men, and my eyes caught sight of a rather cute-looking man. Whether he had been hiding somewhere until now or just appeared, his smiling face was refreshing and exactly my style.

Ah, now that I think about it, he’s the knight who I stole a horse from.

“What’s the name of that man?”

“He’s Sir Milto Breimann. I heard he joined the knight order not long ago.”

“I wonder if he has a lover too.”

As I half-gave up and asked, Lily shook her head.

“No, I don’t think so. I heard him talking about feeling lonely not too long ago.”

Nice!

I pressed my lips together, wanting to call out to the brilliant talent. Milto Breimann, you’re going to be my escort from now on.

It was at that moment, with a lighter heart thanks to the harvest I had finally obtained, that I began searching for another emergency medicine.

Diart walked confidently into the middle of the training ground and gave instructions to the knights. The knights, who had finished their short rest, picked up their swords and warmed up their bodies.

“Who is that person?”

Following the direction pointed by my finger, Lily answered clearly once again.

“He’s Lambert Hardy.”

“He seems close to Diart?”

“He’s someone who has been with the Master and fought in every battlefield. He’s currently the commander of the knights.”

“I see.”

As Diart and Lambert were engaged in a serious conversation, Lambert with his thick brown hair burst into laughter. Then, both of them stood on the round tile in the middle of the training ground. All the knights who were busy with their tasks turned their attention to them.

“What are they trying to do?”

“They seem to be having a duel.”

“A duel?”

“Yes. Lambert is the only person within the Empire who can compete with the Master.”

Just as Lily said, the two people in the front took out their swords at a distance from each other. Instantly, their swords clashed with a sharp sound.

“Hmm… Isn’t it dangerous?”

“What? Why?”

Lily’s eyes widened when I murmured while observing the duel. It was clear to anyone that Diart had the upper hand.

But what I meant by ‘dangerous’ was not about Diart’s safety.

‘I’m the one in danger, it’s me.’

Previously, when they were standing still, the training uniform only seemed to reveal the body line, but now it vividly showcased the muscles pulsating with vitality in response to Diart’s intense movements.

Broad shoulders, protruding shoulder blades, tightly toned thighs. A seemingly slender waist that smoothly evaded the opponent’s attacks…

‘That’s why you have to be careful around good-looking guys.’

I nearly got carried away. Falling for that appearance alone and getting attached could lead to a dead end like Roeni in the original work.

There is no use in looking at men and looking beyond your standard. I sighed and lightly slapped both cheeks with my hands. I could feel Lily raising her eyebrows in surprise next to me.

‘Pull yourself together, Roeni Wheaton. Think of that asshole’s unfortunate personality.’

I desperately recalled the actions that guy had taken all this time, in order to rescue myself from the swamp.

When I remembered Diart’s consistent indifference during the dinner last night when I tried to strike up a conversation to ease the atmosphere, my impression of him involuntarily turned sour.

Gradually, the aura that had shone behind Diart seemed to have dimmed halfway.

* * *

Thud!

A sharp sound rang in the ears, and the opponent’s ragged breathing pierced the heated air. Diart instinctively parried the incoming attack with his sword and, using that force, exploited the opponent’s vulnerability.

Lambert, who had been softly requesting a gentle match, was now sweating profusely, wielding his sword with all his might.

Diart’s and Lambert’s swords clashed in mid-air. As they grappled with each other, exerting their body weight and pressuring the opponent, the two of them naturally closed the distance between them.

“Do you plan on keeping things the way they are?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Pretending not to know.”

Lambert smiled brightly. He briefly shifted his gaze and pointed to shadowy figures hiding among the bushes.

“I’m saying that it’s the Madam.”

“To think the captain of the Knights would lose focus during a duel, how disappointing.”

“Your Excellency has been paying attention, too. Your attacks are less intense than usual, aren’t they?”

As Lambert squinted one eye, Diart’s eye narrowed. Diart swiftly deflected Lambert’s sword, not giving him any chance to properly defend himself, and quickly launched a counterattack.

“Huh!”

Lambert gasped and desperately blocked the sword flying towards his throat. Eventually, losing his balance, he fell to the ground, with a close sword hovering menacingly near his neck.

“My bad.”

Lambert apologized, but his face pleading for forgiveness didn’t appear very sincere.

Diart briefly licked his lips and sheathed his sword. Lambert let out a sigh, as if asserting that he was still alive, and stood up.

When Diart’s gaze turned towards the bushes, Lambert clapped his hands towards the knights surrounding the circle of tiles.

“You had fun watching your boss get his as$ kicked, didn’t you? Well, with that joyful feeling, let’s do twenty more rounds in the training grounds. Begin!”

“Huh?!”

Lambert chuckled at the knights’ disgusted expressions.

“They’re quite a spectacle, these rascals.”

That’s too much! We just did laps earlier! Isn’t this venting your frustration?

Lambert scratched his ear with his fingers in response to the enthusiasm of the knights.

Diart sheathed his sword and moved confidently. Although everyone had noticed where he was heading, they pretended not to and silently followed him as he walked.

Soon, with synchronized footsteps, the knights began running laps, and they left behind Diart, who headed towards a certain spot. They had been grumbling, but they all fell silent and quietly followed him.

Finally, Diart stopped in front of the bushes, which everyone had noticed, but they pretended not to. He looked down sternly, as if trying to see through them.

Hidden among the lush greenery, her lilac hair was distinctly visible.

Diart narrowed his eyes and impatiently pushed the bushes aside with his scabbard.

“What are you doing here?”