The woman’s blatant stare continued for quite some time. When Flora gave a slight bow in response, Rosaline pretended not to see and turned her head abruptly.

“Young Marquis Andrean, it’s been a while. I was disappointed not to see you at the last banquet. I heard from the marquis that you visited your territory.”

“I apologize for causing concern.”

The man sitting next to Rosaline responded gracefully with a smile.

“Yes. Well, were there any interesting anecdotes?”

“A fire broke out on the mountain that serves as the livelihood for the territory’s residents, and I went to manage the situation.”

The emperor, who had been listening intently hoping for something interesting, soon turned his gaze away from the boring answer and asked Baren.

“Sir Baren, I hear you spent over a year in the south. How was it there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve recovered most of the territory lost in the fierce battle.”

As another boring answer followed, the emperor’s face was filled with tedium. When his bangs fluttered from the maids’ fanning, the emperor irritably waved his hand.

“Stop that.”

During the conversation, Flora quietly drank her tea with a face that showed she didn’t know why she was attending this gathering.

Then by chance, she saw the man called Andrean who looked exactly like Rosaline. When their eyes met, Andrean gently curved his eyes and smiled.

“Pleased to meet you, lady. I am Andrean Sternbrow, the eldest son of the Sternbrow family.”

Ah. They’re siblings.

Thinking they looked unusually alike, Flora was about to open her mouth when a clear voice took her answer.

“Brother, the title ‘lady’ doesn’t suit her. She’s not a noble.”

Rosaline arrogantly fanned herself, lowering her gaze as if even being wary of a common woman, not from a humble family, was a waste.

“Last time I heard you came with Duke Heinst, but today…… you’ve switched to Sir Baren, I see.”

Baren’s expression, who was sitting diagonally from Flora, slightly crumpled. The perceptive nobles realized she was the woman from the rumors who had been brought by the duke to the banquet.

However, Flora merely looked at Rosaline with slightly curious eyes, finding it somewhat amazing how each syllable coming from her mouth was as elegant as a melody.

The answer came from the emperor, who was irritably telling a maid to fan him again.

“I personally invited Flora.”

“……Your Majesty did?”

Maintaining her smooth expression that she almost crumpled at the unexpected invitation, Rosaline asked.

“Since she was personally invited by Your Majesty…… I’m even more curious. May I ask what kind of work you do?”

“……I.”

About to answer straightforwardly, Flora hesitated when she saw Baren subtly shaking his head.

Master and maid.

Realizing it might look suspicious, Flora hesitated briefly before giving a different answer.

“I’m in charge of Duke Heinst’s protection.”

“Then do you hold a knight’s title?”

“……No, I don’t.”

Strangely, at some point, the emperor had tightly sealed his lips. Despite being the one who invited her, he neither explained who she was nor why he had invited her. He merely watched with his lips drawn into a smile, as if finding the situation interesting.

Judging she wasn’t such an impressive guest after all, the nobles began to add comments one by one. The first were the ladies who were friendly with Rosaline.

“Doesn’t the Heinst duchy have any decent knights?”

“That’s not true. There are many excellent knights in the Heinst Knight Order.”

“Oh my, isn’t that even stranger then?”

“Indeed. Despite not lacking knights, to entrust a woman with protection……”

The conversation gradually took a strange turn. Even Baren’s stoic face slowly began to crack.

The men kept quiet, conscious of Baren, the knight commander of the duke’s household present at this gathering, but the ladies who understood Rosaline’s subtle nuance did not.

“You must be different from how you appear.”

“Does that mean your skills are extraordinary?”

As the conversation continued with this appropriate topic, Rosaline, seeing her chance, brought up the main point.

“If you’re so outstanding, I’d like to see it too. How about competing with the knight who came as my family’s escort?”

“Rosaline…… Garret is the strongest in our family.”

Andrean, who had been sitting properly, restrained Rosaline by grabbing her arm.

“That’s even better, Brother. I really want to see it. Just how excellent the skills of Miss Flora, who is in charge of the duke’s protection, are.”

“Lady Sternbrow, let’s stop this.”

At that moment, Baren, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke up.

He had not the slightest desire to advocate for Flora’s position, but if things continued this way, it could tarnish the reputation of the entire Heinst Knight Order, and even the duke’s honor.

“Oh my, Sir Baren. What have I done to make you look at me with such a frightening face? I was merely asking out of curiosity.”

Rosaline lowered her eyes pitifully. To anyone watching, it appeared as if a man was being rude to a delicate young lady.

In the end, seeing Baren’s face showing signs of awkwardness, Flora expressed her willingness to accept.

“……I’ll do it.”

“Oh my, you will?”

Rosaline quickly erased her gloomy expression and asked with a bright smile.

“If His Majesty permits.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the emperor, who had been watching the situation all along. Though they expected him to refuse, his answer was the complete opposite.

“I permit the match between Sir Garret and Flora.”

The servant standing beside the emperor approached as if he had been waiting and handed Flora a long sword. It was the sword she had seen during her previous private audience with the emperor.

* * *

The midday sun shone intensely. Standing in the middle of the lawn outside the canopy, Flora silently looked down at the sword given to her.

She recalled what the emperor had said last time.

‘I want to see you wielding my sword.’

She had agreed at that time, but since there was no specific mention of exactly when, she had forgotten about it for a while.

But now she seemed to understand. Perhaps the emperor, who secretly wanted to see her swordsmanship, had arranged this gathering.

As if to prove this, the dueling clothes she changed into after removing the cumbersome dress fit her perfectly.

‘So you wanted to see my swordsmanship from the beginning.’

Not having anticipated the situation would turn out like this, Flora felt somewhat nervous. She even felt as if she had caused something that might not have happened if the duke were present.

“Even now, if you speak to His Majesty, he will understand.”

Just then, Baren, who was serving as the referee, approached and said in passing.

That it wasn’t too late to forfeit.

“No. They insulted not only me but the Heinst Knight Order.”

Since they had belittled the skills of the knights who had treated her kindly, this was something she rightfully needed to address.

“Garret is quite a renowned knight from the eastern region. No matter how skilled you are with a sword, there’s no chance of victory.”

Baren again advised Flora, who showed no intention of withdrawing, to give up.

But Flora firmly shook her head. The memory of the duke getting angry when she drew her sword at the banquet flashed before her eyes, but it was too late to turn back now.

“Don’t worry. I absolutely won’t lose.”

Baren frowned uncharacteristically. He had ultimately failed to persuade the woman who had no idea how far the ripples of this incident would spread.

The emperor grinned with the most delighted expression of the day. His eyes sparkled with excitement as if watching an interesting spectacle.

Who would have thought that the dress and dueling clothes he had prepared would suit her so well.

Next to the nobles who were puzzled yet intrigued by the unfolding situation, Rosaline watched with upturned lips.

“Oh my, she’s really going to do it.”

“No way. She’ll probably just pretend to hold the sword and then give up.”

Several women who naturally assumed Flora’s defeat giggled.

The sight of a woman with a small frame holding a ceremonial sword studded with ruby jewels looked quite out of place. It was obvious she wouldn’t even be able to properly swing a sword, which naturally elicited mocking laughter.

‘Too embarrassed to admit you’re a maid, so you make up ridiculous excuses? Not a chance.’

Rosaline, who was well aware that she worked as a maid at the duke’s residence, hadn’t believed the claim about being a bodyguard from the start.

Yet she still refused to reveal her identity even in this situation, so Rosaline felt she needed to teach her a lesson to be satisfied.

“Rosaline…… You went too far this time.”

“Brother, just watch.”

The pretense of being a fragile lady had long since disappeared.

“Father will have something to say when he hears about this later.”

“She’s the one who agreed to it; I didn’t force her.”

Facing this absurd duel, Andrean let out a long sigh. He knew better that his sister had deliberately set up this situation.

He looked at Garret with troubled eyes. Garret’s face, having somehow ended up in a duel with a woman, was the epitome of bewilderment. Even though it was his superior’s order, he probably wasn’t too pleased about it either.

“Begin.”

At that moment, the emperor’s command fell. The murmuring noise immediately stopped, and everyone held their breath.

After steadying her breathing, Flora slowly drew her sword with a calm face. With the sound of the sword scraping against its scabbard, her gaze changed.

Flora, who had been standing firmly on the ground, quickly lifted her feet.

* * *