Chapter 101
By the time Velia’s large eyes rolled in her usual way, Lude finally opened his mouth.
“Um… My lady.”
“Yes?”
Velia swallowed nervously for no reason.
“How do you feel?”
“Huh?”
“I mean… about me becoming your escort knight.”
His tense voice came out barely above a whisper.
Velia, who had intended to face any question with calm indifference, looked at him with startled eyes.
At her puzzled gaze, Lude panicked, thinking perhaps he had said something wrong.
“It’s just that… I’m really happy about it, but you might not be, my lady…”
Avoiding her dark eyes, Lude lowered his head, his ears turning red.
No matter how you looked at him, he was the very picture of a bashful knight.
Watching him, Velia recalled the questions she had braced herself for — the ones she had expected him to ask.
“What kind of relationship do you have with the young master? Why were you two…”
“What happened to Tove…?”
“Did you really plan all this yourself, my lady?”
“The young master tried to use me, didn’t he? When did you find out?”
Whatever questions he asked, Velia had resolved to answer Lude honestly.
Even if he showed resentment or unease, she had decided to accept that too — as something natural.
He might not remember now, but countless moments were engraved upon his soul. Lude was capable of anything.
And yet… he asked how she felt about him.
Seeing that shy, earnest face, Velia was caught off guard.
In all the countless timelines, not once had she seen this side of him. That alone made her uneasy.
She had never doubted the loyalty of this lovely knight — but surely, even he might be disappointed in her now.
The young lady he once thought pure and innocent had plotted in the shadows and turned her blade on her own blood.
But the question was so disarmingly simple, so Lude, that Velia slowly opened her mouth.
“…Are you okay?”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
“Are you okay with me?”
“Me? Of course I am! I’m so happy to be your escort knight, my lady!”
Lude’s head shot up as if startled by her question, and he hurried to explain himself.
“I’m really, really happy! I mean, someone like me doesn’t deserve this position at all! But I’m overjoyed! Yes! I’m perfectly fine!”
After his loud and emphatic declaration, silence once again filled the carriage.
Then, as soon as their eyes met, Lude quickly bowed his head — but still insisted firmly, as if to prevent misunderstanding:
“I truly mean it! I’m happy! Because I get to protect you, my lady!”
Looking down at the crown of his round brown head, Velia felt a laugh bubbling up inside her.
“Even if I’m not a good person?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Even if I’m not someone worthy of your protection — not kind, not innocent, not pure?”
“What does that matter?!”
Lude lifted his head sharply again.
“I want to protect you because you’re you, my lady! Not because you’re kind or good…”
There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Velia, realizing she couldn’t keep pretending to be indifferent, met his gaze softly.
“You’re not surprised?”
“…Are you talking about the order you gave me, my lady?”
“Yes. First, thank you — for obeying it. Thanks to you, I avoided serious trouble. And, um, I’m sorry.”
“What for…?”
“I put you in danger without asking your consent. And Tove… he was your comrade.”
“Wait, my lady.”
“What is it?”
“I’m your knight. You don’t need to apologize for that.”
“You weren’t, back then. I did order you to betray your master.”
Looking truly remorseful now, Velia’s tone softened — but Lude quickly waved both hands.
“No, my lady. The wrongs were committed by the young master and Tove. Why should you apologize? And yes, I did betray them, but that’s my burden to bear, not yours. You gave the order — but I accepted it. The responsibility is mine.”
It was such a Lude-like answer that Velia felt embarrassed.
She already knew how pure-hearted this knight was, yet she had still tested him.
She felt a pang of guilt toward his soul — one that had sacrificed itself for her through so many lifetimes.
“And, um… I wasn’t going to say this, but…”
His ears flushed red again.
“To be honest, I never thought of the young master as my true master. I… I always wanted to be your escort knight. That’s why I joined as his guard in the first place.”
“What?”
Velia’s eyes widened.
“Tove, that bastard — he said he had a plan. Since he’d gone from being the young master’s guard to your knight, he told me I could do the same. I was stupid enough to fall for it.”
Lude scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“I’m sorry that I, someone so insignificant, was used to drag you down — that I was a tool in their scheme. That was my stupidity.”
“No, that wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m the same as you, my lady.”
“…What?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong to me. On the contrary, I’m glad. You fought back brilliantly — I admire you for that. Tove is just paying for his sins. Please don’t burden your heart with it.”
Lude’s earlobes were glowing red now.
“Honestly… I’m truly happy to be your escort knight. I really wanted this. You might not remember, but…”
“I know.”
“Sorry?”
“The flower — Rudbeckia.”
Velia smiled faintly at his surprised face.
Once, she had thought she didn’t deserve such a fine knight by her side — not as a fake marquis’s daughter.
She’d regretted naming him that flower — thought that if she hadn’t, he wouldn’t have become entangled with her, wouldn’t have hastened his own death.
But now, looking at this moment, she couldn’t help but think — maybe this was fate.
“How…?”
“How do I remember? How could I forget? I’m the one who gave you that name.”
Velia grinned brightly, her expression innocent and radiant.
“My lady!”
Lude, overwhelmed by emotion he couldn’t describe, fidgeted nervously — which only made Velia laugh more brightly.
“My lady, did you know? The bond between a knight and their master can be as strong — sometimes even stronger — than the bond between lovers.”
He was the kind of person who would stay by her side to the end, even if the world thought his master dead.
“Lude, you’re right. It really is a strong bond. Looks like we can’t be separated even if we tried.”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
“There’s something — something you’ll say someday.”
As Lude looked confused, Velia straightened her posture.
“Then shall we make a vow?”
“A vow?”
“We’ve skipped the knight’s oath ceremony because of all the chaos in the family lately — with Tove and everything.”
“Ah! Right!”
Understanding dawned on Lude’s face as he stood, then knelt down slowly before her.
Velia extended her hand.
“Knight Lude swears to serve as the loyal blade of Velia Arphedi, and to dedicate his life in her defense.”
“Velia Arphedi, as master, appoints Lude as her escort knight.”
As his lips brushed lightly against the back of her hand, Velia realized — now that she knew she was truly the daughter of House Arphedi, she could lose nothing and no one again.
“In this life, I’ll protect you.”
“Sorry? But protecting you is my job…”
Velia burst out laughing — that was so like Lude.
She wouldn’t run anymore — not from Varun, Bain, or René.
This time, she would face them head-on.
Because everything — these people, this life — belonged to her.
“Let’s protect each other.”
Velia reached out and gently ruffled Lude’s hair.
“I’ll definitely protect you, my lady. I swear it.”
His face flushed bright red as he made his promise with conviction.
“Good.”
The two looked at each other and smiled.
“Ah, then, my lady — about that important thing you’re searching for in Revron…”
“Kyaa!”
“Are you all right?”
The carriage jolted violently, and Lude quickly caught Velia as she stumbled.
“I’ll check what’s—”
He froze mid-sentence.
Something sharp and chaotic pricked at his senses.
“My lady—!”
His hand went to his sword hilt—
“Uwaaagh—!”
A blood-curdling scream from the coachman pierced through the carriage.
“Don’t come out, no matter what.”
Velia nodded silently, holding her breath.
She had known the journey to Revron wouldn’t be easy… but danger had come far sooner than expected.
As Lude leapt swiftly out of the carriage, multiple screams erupted outside.
In their midst, Velia closed her eyes tightly — then opened them again.
