Chapter 85
The Charlotte he remembered from five years ago had been a little smaller than she was now, with a slimmer frame. She used to shrink under people’s gazes, shoulders slightly hunched, and her eyes—dark like the night sky—looked downward more often than straight ahead. She had been a timid and quiet girl, but when she smiled, it was as if sunlight shone only on her. Her brightness was so radiant it made everything else fade from view.
But the Charlotte standing here now was different. Her shoulders were open, her chin held high instead of facing the ground, and she looked others straight in the eye. Her voice, once soft and murmuring, had become clearer and more defined. What had changed the most, however, was her aura. Calm, but almost cold at first glance—yet if you drew closer, you could feel the elegance and grace flowing from her. It was a positive change, though he thought he might miss the young Charlotte a little… until he realized that her smile was still exactly the same.
Still so beautiful and lovable.
As Theodore guided Aria around the training grounds, showing her every corner just as she wished, Charlotte watched her daughter with a fond smile. And Theodore—who watched Charlotte watching Aria—looked at Charlotte with a gaze overflowing with affection. Whenever she happened to turn her head toward him, he would quickly look away.
If their eyes met, he was sure his heart would pound so loudly he wouldn’t be able to control his expression.
“Sir Knight, can we go in there too?”
Finished with her tour, Aria hugged Theodore’s leg tightly and pointed at the last remaining room. But Theodore picked her up and shook his head.
“It’s dangerous in there. That’s where we keep the weapons—you could get hurt.”
“But I want to see…”
“Then instead, how about I show you the practice swords we keep on the field?”
Though it hadn’t been long since he first met Aria, Theodore handled her with natural ease. Aria, who seemed to like him, nestled quietly in his arms every time he picked her up. Charlotte watched the two for a moment—until she suddenly realized something. Aria’s eyes… looked similar to Theodore’s.
She halted.
Aria’s eyes were bright blue—a vivid blue like a clear sky, shining like glass. Theodore’s eyes were also strikingly blue, brilliant under sunlight or shade, so vivid they could be seen from far away. But somehow… Aria’s seemed lighter. Clearer. Almost Theodore’s shade of blue.
“Theodore, hold on.”
Charlotte called him, then reached out to gently stroke Aria’s cheek and study her eyes. They seemed lighter, but then again maybe not—she couldn’t be sure. Weren’t they normally a deeper blue? Was she imagining things? When she tilted her head, Aria mirrored her exactly.
“Charlotte? What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Aria’s eyes?”
“No, nothing. I thought there was something on her face.”
It must be her imagination. People’s eye color didn’t just change out of nowhere.
Charlotte kissed Aria lightly on the forehead, then followed Theodore back toward the training grounds.
Aria touched the spot her mother had kissed, blinking her long white lashes. The bright blue in her eyes slowly shifted toward a sky-colored hue.
* * *
The training ground had swords of every kind. Even though they were used for practice, Charlotte worried Aria might get hurt running around them—thankfully, Theodore kept her securely in his arms while showing her the weapons. Aria watched the polished blades gleam under the sunlight and wiggled her fingers, wanting to touch them.
“Aria wants to hold a sword too.”
“No, Aria. It’s dangerous.”
“Uuung…”
When Charlotte firmly shook her head, Aria whimpered in frustration and sought a new target to plead with. Theodore couldn’t bear the pleading look in her eyes, but he couldn’t just treat the weapons like toys, either.
So he tried to negotiate.
“That one is real steel—it’s dangerous even if it’s for practice. How about a wooden sword instead?”
Apparently, a real sword wasn’t essential—Aria’s eyes lit up instantly. Charlotte also nodded, approving the idea.
“There are wooden ones too?”
“Yes. They break after a swing or two, so they aren’t used often, but I keep a few.”
Theodore opened a large oak chest near the weapon stand and pulled out a wooden sword. Yet even for a wooden blade, the craftsmanship was impressive—smooth, well-formed, with a clean sheen. The grip bore only the engraved star emblem of the Argent Empire, simple but refined.
“Here you go, Aria.”
When Theodore set her down and carefully handed her the sword, Aria grabbed the handle with both hands, looking back and forth between the weapon and Theodore. But the wooden blade was heavier than she expected; after wobbling a bit, she tumbled onto her bottom.
“Hiing… hiiiing…”
Tears forming, Aria whimpered until Theodore hurried to lift her up. But even that didn’t seem enough—so she pointed at her head, signaling she wanted to be petted. When he gently patted her, she burst into giggles. She cried easily, but she laughed just as quickly—just like Charlotte.
He dusted off her clothes and handed the wooden sword back.
Meanwhile, Charlotte wandered around the training field, her eyes drawn to the swords’ glimmer—just like her daughter. That was when Siveron approached.
“Lady Charlotte, careful—real blades can be dangerous.”
Charlotte stepped back.
“They polish them so meticulously. They shine so much.”
“They’re made of pure silver, my lady.”
Charlotte remembered the silver arrows she’d seen while confronting monsters on the cliff. She knew they made weapons of silver, but she had never actually seen a silver sword before. No wonder it shone like that—so sharply beautiful it seemed it might slice you just by looking at it.
“Can I try holding one?”
“…Pardon?”
“Oh, I once saw my father swinging a sword. I wanted to try holding it, but I was about Aria’s age at the time, so I wasn’t allowed. Would it be rude to touch one?”
“Not at all. But pure-silver swords are very heavy. Perhaps you should try a steel blade first?”
“That’s fine. Thank you.”
Siveron brought over a rack of iron swords. Charlotte hesitated briefly before reaching toward a slightly lighter-colored blade.
At the same moment, Siveron grimaced.
Isn’t that a silver sword?!
I told them—clearly—to keep them separate!
He tried to stop her as quickly as he could. Even knights struggled to wield silver blades for long—they were incredibly heavy. Only elite paladins handled them comfortably.
“My lady—that one is a silv—”
But Charlotte had already drawn the blade from its sheath and lifted it high with ease. Her eyes sparkled like a cluster of stars.
It’s light.
Charlotte had thought it better to pull it out confidently rather than timidly, given the weapon’s presumed weight—but to her surprise, it felt remarkably light. When she gave it a small test swing, the air split with a crisp whoosh. She had assumed paladins simply received good-quality weapons. She never imagined this was a silver sword.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“That is a silver blade. It must have been mixed in by mistake…”
“…What?”
A silver sword?
Only then did Charlotte notice everyone in the training ground staring at her—wide-eyed, silently asking, How did she lift that? Theodore was among them. Aria dashed over and clung to Charlotte’s leg.
“Mommy, you’re so cool!”
Theodore approached too, laughing in disbelief.
“Charlotte, wasn’t it heavy?”
“…Was it supposed to be?”
When she whispered back, Theodore shook with barely-contained laughter.
“I forgot, for a moment. You’re Lord Ronan’s daughter.”
An unintended talent had just been revealed.
* * *
“So then—bam!—the giant black mage fell! And the monsters behind him—”
“Woooow!”
“And the silver arrows poured from the sky like shooting stars!”
“Aria wants to see too! Aria wants to see!”
Aria had somehow become fast friends with the paladins. Sitting right on one of their laps, she listened to monster-subjugation stories with shining eyes, balling her fists in excitement. Despite the frightening content—black mages and monsters—she wasn’t scared at all. The paladins, amused by her reactions, eagerly continued their tales.
Charlotte returned from a short walk with Theodore and smiled at the lively scene.
“I wish I could have seen it.”
“The monster subjugation?”
“No. The blessing ceremony.”
Charlotte turned to him, voice tinged with regret.
“When you returned from the subjugation and received everyone’s cheers… and when you received the holy blessing… I wish I could have been there. But living in Nostrie, the news came late…”
And she had been afraid of people’s eyes—too afraid to return to the capital. How wonderful it must have been—the empire praising him as a hero, the solemn ceremony, the grand celebration where people adored and revered him. The more she imagined it, the more she regretted not going.
“If I had known I’d regret it this much, I would’ve gone.”
“Even if it’s late… I want to give you a congratulatory gift too. Something you want—”
