However, this is actually just a playful response—she has heard certain words far more frequently, almost like greetings.

Whether meeting people for the first time or after a long while, they generally brought up swordsmanship as a topic. They probably had nothing else suitable to talk about. What other word could encompass her identity more broadly than the sword?

So Tatiana didn’t try to assign meaning to each instance or figure out their intentions. She tried to let praise, warnings, and sarcasm all flow past her.

After all, it was a situation repeated over thousands of times, and even she couldn’t explain herself separate from the sword.

But what part of the Queen’s words bothered Duke Muller so much? He smirked and muttered.

“Even so, swordsmanship is nothing more than the art of killing people……” 

 “……”

Tatiana hesitated, then stared directly at the Duke. He just asked “What?” with a self-deprecating expression. As if saying, tell me if you think my words are wrong.

For a moment, Tatiana felt as if a very tiny scratch had formed in her heart. Because it was still difficult for her to separate herself from the sword.

She knows that swords aren’t always just. Not everyone picks up a sword for grand causes, and strictly speaking, it is indeed a technique for slaughtering people.

But is that really all there is to it for knights? When the Royal Guard Commander speaks like that, what does it make of the knights training outside?

Though she felt antipathy, Tatiana bit her lip and shook her head. Then, as if wanting to quickly escape this topic, she changed the subject.

“I met the Second Prince outside. He mentioned something about a knight’s oath to me.”

The Duke gazed intently at Tatiana as she stepped back with a controlled emotional response. Then he nodded readily and said:

“Yes, Her Majesty the Queen told me to offer my oath to Prince Vaikal. But Prince Vaikal came to me saying he won’t accept it.”

Then whose words should I listen to? How far can Prince Vaikal go against Her Majesty the Queen’s wishes? Whose will appears stronger to you?

I don’t know. This father is honestly skeptical.

Prince Vaikal’s life is no longer his own.

Duke Muller seemed to think Tatiana knew everything when she came. There was no hesitation in his voice as he revealed how the situation was unfolding.

But Tatiana felt her breath catch for a while and couldn’t make any response.

She understands well what symbolism the Royal Guard carries. She can also see what the Queen wants to utilize now. This was a nasty plan that would trouble too many people.

“Father, are you going to do it?”

“Well.”

“You shouldn’t. You’re the Royal Guard Commander. That will give nobles the wrong impression.”

Could the Queen really extract a knight’s oath from the head of the Royal Guard? Gideon certainly wouldn’t stand idle.

This matter was perfect for arousing antipathy even among nobles who had maintained neutral positions until now. It went against established customs.

The Queen must be anticipating obstacles. Perhaps she’s considering failure more than success.

But would that really be a failure? If this incident imprints Vaikal in people’s minds as another candidate for the throne, the Queen would have achieved her purpose sufficiently.

Just becoming a topic of debate was an attempt where the Queen’s side had nothing to lose.

Tatiana wanted to point out this danger, but the Duke countered. His question left her completely dumbfounded. 

 “Wrong impression?”

“Yes, an impression.”

“Why?”

“……”

“You seem to think I should serve His Highness Gideon.”

“……Father?”

Tatiana wanted to ask if that wasn’t obviously the case, but the Duke remained remarkably calm. A crooked smile even played at one corner of his mouth.

“Because Bloom did, I should too?”

“That’s not what I……”

“Though it’s true your father was a great knight, even his will couldn’t represent the entire knight order.”

Of course, that would be true.

But back then, were there any members who objected to the deputy commander supporting the firstborn prince who was likely to succeed? Besides, now……

“I’m the First Prince’s consort. Duke…… you’re my father.”

She meant how could he think of standing against her husband’s side now.

But Tatiana felt her own voice lacked conviction in calling him father. The Duke seemed to think similarly as he let out a laugh.

“You still call me father until the end. Do you really think that?”

“……Of course. Where has the time I spent at the ducal residence gone?”

“You’re too kind, just like your father. Bloom was always like that too.” 

 Tatiana lowered her head at his voice reminiscing about the deceased. Yet worried that the Duke might make a dangerous decision, that he might make an irreversible choice, she hurriedly continued.

“Please lend your strength to His Highness Gideon. His Highness said so at the dinner table last time too.”

“……”

“Is there still room for hesitation?”

In Tatiana’s opinion, Gideon was more than qualified to ascend to the throne. Not only in terms of legitimacy, but his abilities had never been met with unfavorable evaluations. Such a prince had, albeit indirectly, proposed cooperation to the Duke.

 Tatiana couldn’t understand if there was still a need to approach that proposal more cautiously. She was even more uncertain if there was anything to gain by choosing the opposite side.

However, Duke Muller thought for a while, then shook his head and said:

“Tatiana. His Highness Gideon didn’t extend his hand to me.”

“……Then?”

“He extended his hand to you. Since when he proposed to you.”

“……”

“To take just you away.”

From me. To retrieve what’s his.

The Duke, lost in thought, seemed to grow increasingly convinced of his own words.

Indecipherable emotions dwelled in his eyes as he looked at Tatiana, and he spoke as if giving advice:

“You should be careful too.”

“……”

“I mean don’t take His Highness’s words at face value.”

Tatiana met those gleaming eyes with a confused face before lowering her head. But the Duke’s words lingered in her mind for a long time.

That all of His Highness’s actions had hidden intentions. That royalty inevitably wants their own sword. 

 When Tatiana opened the quarters’ door and stepped outside, Kay immediately followed.

Earlier, he had even requested to enter together, so he probably hadn’t been far away. Yet she couldn’t figure out where he had been hiding.

Normally, she would have asked curiously ‘How did you hide?’ but Tatiana lacked both the energy and presence of mind. Her mood had strangely sunk, and she was unconsciously sighing deeply.

However, after continuing like this for a while, Tatiana exited the barracks and stopped abruptly in her tracks. Kay also stopped, frowning at the sudden action. Tatiana spoke without looking his way.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Will you spar with me?”

Kay pondered for a long time what this meant. Finally, he deduced the answer.

“Do you mean…… sparring?”

“Yes, sparring.”

“……”

“Or will you be my conversation partner?”

Kay already seemed troubled just by the word ‘conversation partner.’

Tatiana hadn’t expected much in that regard from the start. Though they hadn’t been together long, it was enough time to realize he was a man of few words.

Of course, he occasionally spoke first, but the words that flowed from those lips were invariably stiff and businesslike. 

 He was terribly boring as a conversation partner. But perhaps that very point was what made him interesting.

Unable to shake off this troubled mood, Tatiana dragged Kay to the training ground and made him her sacrificial lamb. When the mind is complicated and mentally exhausted. At such times, making the body more tired than the mind works.

When breath rises to the throat and you think ‘Ah, I might die like this,’ no other thoughts remain after that.

Conversely, sleeping well or eating and filling the stomach also helps.

Still troubled by thoughts chasing each other’s tails? That means you haven’t exercised enough to die yet. Or haven’t eaten enough, so let’s eat more diligently…… though that’s not what she’s trying to argue.

It sometimes feels absurd that humans are such simple animals, that our worries lose their power in the face of bodily rhythms.

But isn’t the fact that we can recognize and utilize this mechanism proof that we are higher beings? Eating, sleeping, sweating.

Although the method might seem base, resembling beasts too closely, humans know how to manage their feelings in a more ideal direction. The same was true for Tatiana.

She charged at Kay making ‘bang, bang‘ sounds as if about to break her sword. However, at some point, Kay relaxed his body and took a passive stance, focusing only on defense. He knew. That she wasn’t in a state to wield her sword rationally right now.

Tatiana soon lowered her sword tip slightly and apologized glumly.

“Sorry.”

“……”

“My sword carries emotion right now.” 

 He was an excellent swordsman, not someone to be her emotional punching bag. Sparring like this was discourteous to her opponent too.