“I find you quite comfortable, you know.”

“Yes.”

“But at times like this, I’m reminded that you’re still an officer’s daughter.”

“……”

“They can only breathe when you disappear from their sight, how can you bring out the Commander too? Don’t you feel sorry for them?”

If Her Highness the Princess Consort had arrived and the Commander, who was far above them in rank, also came out, the trainees would have to endure their worst day.

Tatiana got up with a slight smile. Though he talked about ‘kids these days,’ she could feel that he cared for and looked after his juniors.

Tatiana knew well how knights changed everything from their posture to their gaze in front of superiors. She hadn’t meant to make the knights suffer. Perhaps she felt slightly burdened at the thought of talking alone with her adoptive father in an enclosed space.

However, shouldn’t Tatiana acknowledge the warm heart of this training instructor who cares for his juniors, even if the trainees themselves don’t know it?

She waved to Sir Samson and ordered her maids not to follow. Then she slowly walked into the official residence. 

 When was the last time it had been ventilated? The room where the Commander of the Royal Guard stayed was full of stale air.

Duke Muller, who had been holding a pipe, widened his eyes at the sight of Tatiana and stood up from his seat.

“Your Highness, how did you come here……”

“I came alone. Please speak comfortably, Father.”

Tatiana went behind Duke Muller, drew back the curtains, and threw the windows wide open. As sunlight and fresh air rushed in through the gap, Tatiana felt she could breathe again.

However, when she turned around taking a deep breath, she discovered an amber-colored liquor bottle on the desk. For a room belonging to the head of the Royal Guard, it wasn’t a very appropriate sight. In fact, it was a violation of military regulations.

But Tatiana wasn’t shocked or surprised. She had often seen similar scenes when she was at House Muller.

After her biological father passed away, her adoptive father had suffered greatly mentally. Sometimes even like someone with mental issues.

When Tatiana went to the desk and smiled slightly without showing any reaction, Duke Muller leaned back in his chair as if sinking into it. And as she had requested, he asked comfortably, as he used to when she was his adopted daughter before marriage.

“What brings you here? Did you come to see your old father’s toothless face?”

It was a sarcastic reference to Tatiana’s comment during their last meal, ‘Father, you’re not at an age to be active in the field anymore.’

Tatiana hesitated, but that was really what had been bothering her.

How bitter must it be for a knight who has lived relying only on their physical abilities to face declining physical capabilities? She could somewhat imagine it since she too had nothing to boast about except swordsmanship learned through physical training.

Tatiana felt a bit sorry for saying something that knights would hate most to her adoptive father just to avoid an awkward situation.

“Were you very upset?”

“Well, isn’t it true? I’m a has-been now.”

He must have been really hurt.

She lowered her head solemnly, then carefully made an excuse.

“How can you say that? His Highness Gideon seemed to be showing interest in strange things, so I was just trying to cut off the conversation.”

“……”

“How could I possibly defeat  the commander of Valter?”

However, excessive modesty can also draw criticism.

Duke Muller snickered and looked at her with narrowed eyes, as if measuring her.

“Do you really think that?”

“……”

This time, Tatiana was truly at a loss for words. Her adoptive father had asked too sensitive a question about what she had said out of courtesy.

When asked so directly about their abilities as swordspeople, she could no longer say empty words of politeness. That would be the truly discourteous thing to do. Honestly speaking, Tatiana was confident she would never lose to her adoptive father.

Duke Muller seemed to read the answer in her uncomfortable silence.

He snickered while looking at her, but his eyes seemed to be seeing someone else in her.

Sure enough, the Duke mentioned the name of his old friend.

“You really take after your father.”

“……”

“Do you still cling to that swordsmanship manual Bloom left behind?”

Tatiana thought for a moment before lowering her eyes.

She could neither confirm nor deny that question. It would be a lie to say she had left no regrets. The realm her father had achieved was incredibly fascinating. She had been completely captivated just by glimpsing it from the side. It had been her only ideal that she wanted to reach since childhood.

But perhaps it was time to look for new methods.

She had once been disappointed about not having magic, but her mother used to say there would be other ways to work with magic.

Similarly, there would always be ways to work with the sword, anywhere and everywhere.

She just needed to research and create swordsmanship more suitable for herself.

But what was Duke Muller thinking as he watched Tatiana maintain her silence? He let out a long sigh.

It was a long, tired sigh that could have meant either relief or regret.

“Tatiana.”

“……”

“Don’t live like your father or me.”

At his iron-like voice, Tatiana raised her head to look at Duke Muller. His yellow eyes were starting to glisten, perhaps from the alcohol.

When she met his bloodshot eyes, she felt uncomfortable and avoided his gaze. She grabbed the neck of the liquor bottle on the desk and hid it behind the sofa.

“Father, please cut down on the drinking.”

“Why, are you worried I’ll be dismissed for negligence of duty?”

Duke Muller snickered, but Tatiana shook her head.

“That’s not it, it’s just bad for your health. They say mages and swordsmen typically have shorter lifespans. My birth parents also passed away early.”

“……” 

 “But I like cases that break people’s common beliefs and statistics. So I want you, Father, to live a very long life.”

Tatiana deliberately spoke in a bright voice and forced a smile. Then she walked toward the door with her back to the Duke. It was to avoid the atmosphere that was gradually becoming heavy.

But the Duke’s voice finally stopped her steps. His low voice sounded particularly painful today.

“Tatiana. Your father died with a sword in his hand. I’ll probably end up the same way someday.”

“……”

Her adoptive father was broken. Since his friend’s death, he would sometimes be caught by Tatiana living in nightmares while drunk like this. The death of the knight Valter loved had left such scars in so many people’s daily lives.

Hadn’t Gideon said something similar? That while he didn’t always live in the past, he couldn’t forget it either.

‘Your father died with a sword in his hand……’

Tatiana’s face contorted at the words that kept echoing in her ears. However, she quickly shook her head several times as if to shake off that sound.

Though a bitter smile remained on her face, her steps toward the door were calm and straight. 

* * *

 After finishing the talks with the Grand Duke, Gideon only stayed in the principality for a few days.

Among the northern vassals, there were some who wanted to keep him longer. They hoped the prince would take this visit as an opportunity to examine the principality’s affairs more carefully.

However, Gideon’s attitude was sharp as a knife. He was the type who never wasted time once he felt his business was done. 

 Gideon traveled separately from his attendants through the magic tower’s gate and met up with his staff who had come to greet him near the castle.

The staff member who led the guards glanced at Gideon.

The prince was lost in thought while holding an unfamiliar pendant.

“That’s…… Ah, a magic stone.”

“Yes. I’m going to give it to my wife.”

“Is it a gift?”

Well. Could this really be called a gift? This was originally Tatiana’s possession.

To be more precise, it was the magic stone her mother always carried, and it was also found among the belongings on Sir Bloom’s body.

A magic stone used by a grand mage throughout their life has great value in itself.

The magic tower had requested the transfer of the magic stone for research purposes, and Gideon had granted permission. It was due to the expectation that they might find clues about the incident, but that was already three years ago.

Gideon asked the mages who had come to greet him with a cold face. Wasn’t it about time they returned it?

‘We apologize, Your Highness. The research isn’t finished yet.’

‘What have you been doing until now? I gave you enough time. You haven’t brought me any results.’

‘……We have nothing to say.’

‘If you haven’t found anything by now, there’s nothing here.’

‘……’

‘Or you’re not capable of finding it.’

Did he really have to criticize them so harshly to feel satisfied?

The high-ranking mage who the magic tower had put forward as their scapegoat was insufficient to handle the prince’s scathing criticism. The result would probably have been similar even if the eighty-year-old tower master had desperately clung to the hem of his trousers saying absolutely not.

Gideon carefully observed the pendant that glowed blue with Lady Bloom’s magic.