Chapter 14
I sat back down in the carriage and replayed the strange encounter from earlier in my mind.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t even asked the man his name.
“Definitely suspicious.”
I shook my head hard, forcibly pushing thoughts of him away. It had been a novel experience, sure—but right now, figuring out how to deal with Alonso Vargas took priority.
Before I realized it, the carriage arrived at the castle and came to a stop. I followed a familiar path toward Commander Alonso’s office.
And the moment I threw open the familiar door—
Crash!
Something fell over loudly.
The scene before my eyes was… spectacular, to say the least. Wondering if I’d seen it wrong, I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
Commander Alonso was sprawled flat on the floor, limbs splayed out. And someone was nudging him with their foot, as if checking his condition.
Thinking I’d picked the worst possible timing, I quietly tried to close the door—
But my eyes met those of the person pressing her foot firmly into Alonso’s back.
“…….”
A woman with black hair twisted up high tilted her head as she looked at me.
Then suddenly, her eyes lit up and she pointed at me.
“Ah-ha! You must be the commander of the Third Knight Order! Your name was—your name was…?”
Despite her confident start, she trailed off uncertainly, so I supplied it myself.
“Shiona Rodriguez.”
“That’s it! Shiona Rodriguez. I’ve been wanting to meet you for quite some time, and what luck that this chance finally came. As a matter of fact, Alonso and I were just having an honest conversation about that very topic.”
Alonso was still lying motionless on the floor. No matter how I looked at it, this did not seem like a situation where conversation was possible.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand the situation. I was merely testing the effects of a recently developed medicine. Alonso and I go way back, so I’m sure he understands this much.”
That sounded very much like something that happened regardless of Alonso Vargas’s consent.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at the vial in the woman’s hand. Inside the clear bottle, a purple liquid sloshed faintly.
I suspected it was the same medicine my younger brother had used on me.
As I considered how to escape this uncomfortable situation, I spoke.
“I came to report something to Commander Alonso, but it seems today isn’t the right day. I’ll take my leave now. Please forgive my inability to greet you properly, Your Highness.”
The First Imperial Princess of the Perunia Empire—
Benedetta Ortiz.
I had no idea why she was doing something like this in Alonso’s office. In any case, I didn’t want to get involved.
“There’s no need for that. I don’t care much for formality in private settings. I thought we might become good friends, you see. That’s why I tried so hard to meet you—but Alonso kept you hidden away and wouldn’t show you to me. Wouldn’t that upset anyone?”
“Ah… yes…”
I had nothing meaningful to say. Becoming friends with the imperial princess was exactly the kind of uncomfortable situation I wanted to avoid.
That was probably why Alonso—who understood me well—had never mentioned her to me.
“Alonso told me you’re terribly busy and have no time to come see me. I understand. Truly. After all, you’re the finest knight in the Perunia Empire.”
Even her smile made me uneasy. Perhaps because I knew the rumors that circulated about the princess.
“But I never imagined your loyalty to the Empire was so lacking that you’d refuse my request.”
She lightly nudged Alonso with her foot once more and walked toward me.
“Isn’t all of this simply the result of Alonso’s deceitful scheming? That’s why I decided to seek you out personally.”
As she took a step closer, I stepped back.
“And yet—you came to me yourself.”
She smiled brightly.
“Doesn’t it feel like fate?”
Hardly. The person I’d come to see wasn’t the princess, but the man collapsed on the floor behind her.
And I had no intention of wasting something as precious as fate on nonsense like this. Unfortunately, before power, I was nothing more than a helpless lamb.
Forcing a smile, I replied to the princess, who had somehow taken hold of my hand.
“H-ha… yes, I suppose so.”
This was not a situation where I could afford to offend the imperial princess. If she became my enemy, she would undoubtedly be someone beyond my ability to handle.
Princess Benedetta didn’t even appear in the original novel, and because she traveled constantly, very little concrete information about her was known within the Empire.
All I knew were rumors—
That she was eccentric, emotionally volatile, and made life miserable for those around her.
That was everything I knew about her.
Of course, in a place where baseless rumors ran rampant, I didn’t believe them outright.
Still—
“So, how do you feel?”
“…Pardon?”
“How do you feel, having met me? Would you like to entrust yourself to the swirling currents of fate?”
She was definitely unhinged.
“I’m not sure what you mean—”
“Are you going to make me say it outright? How cruel. Though I suppose that’s part of your charm.”
I carefully reconsidered her words, trying to grasp what I might have missed.
Entrust myself to the currents of fate? No matter how I looked at it, the meaning wasn’t clear.
As if reading my thoughts, the princess answered.
“I want to make you mine.”
—!
At that moment, Alonso, who had been lying behind us, twitched and let out a strange noise.
I tried to check on him, but the princess blocked my path and continued.
“How long do you plan to stay under Alonso? Isn’t it a waste to let your talent rot away like this? Join me. If you do, what could I possibly fail to give you?”
“Ah…”
“Of course, I can’t give you the imperial throne.”
She laughed as if it were a joke, sending a chill down my spine. Joking about the emperor’s seat—no matter how you looked at it, she was no ordinary person.
This woman was dangerous.
At this point, the only thing I could do was feign ignorance and hope the matter passed.
“I don’t quite understand what you mean—”
“Be my bodyguard.”
“I refuse.”
Ah—too fast. I should’ve at least pretended to consider it.
But the request was so absurd that the words slipped out before I could stop them.
I belatedly lowered my head and pretended to think seriously, but there was no way it would work.
“To reject my request so decisively. You’re colder than I expected.”
She continued.
“But I like that about you. A bodyguard must be capable of calm, rational judgment. Though, if you were truly a thoughtful person, you wouldn’t have refused me.”
Was this persuasion—or a threat?
“You simply lacked time to think. Take a moment and consider it more carefully.”
“Surely Your Highness already has more than enough guards. Is there a reason you insist on taking me specifically?”
“A good question—but the answer is so obvious it’s boring. If I tell you, will you accept the position?”
Shameless. I did my best to maintain a pleasant expression.
“If your reason is convincing enough. However, as you know, I’m busy every single day. I scarcely have a proper day of rest. Everything I do is in service of the Empire—I hope you understand that.”
“Oh? That’s not quite what Alonso told me. I heard you were lazy enough to skip even your assigned training.”
That bastard—
Pretending it was an accident, I gently stepped on Alonso’s hand.
“Ghk—”
A faint groan escaped him.
“You’re mistaken. I’m shy, so I train diligently where others can’t see. If the commander truly knew how much I practice and how much time I spend agonizing over the Empire’s future, he’d be shocked into fainting.”
Which he already was. Internally hurling curses, I shot Alonso a resentful glare.
“Very well. Then I hope my reason will be enough to persuade you.”
The princess moved toward the window and gazed outside in silence. Then she asked in a low voice—
“Who do you think I am?”
“The imperial princess of Perunia… Lady Benedetta.”
She smiled faintly, not seeming intent on using her status to threaten me.
“Not only that—I am the sole legitimate heir of the current emperor. One day, I will become the ruler of this Empire. Shouldn’t the one who stands beside me be the strongest warrior in the land?”
If she weren’t a princess, I’d have fled long ago.
At this point, even this felt like part of Alonso’s scheme—perhaps a ploy to force me into a private meeting with the princess.
Even though I’d barged in on my own.
That was how flustered I was.
Desperately searching for a way out, I finally spoke—though even I thought it sounded ridiculous.
“You’re mistaken. Who says I’m the Empire’s strongest knight?”
“Everyone says so. Though I’ve never seen your skills firsthand, I’ve heard countless people speak of you. They say you possess talent unlike anything ever seen.”
“Rumors are unreliable. After all, there are rumors that Your Highness is an immature, violent madwoman—but I don’t believe those either.”
The princess continued smiling, intrigued.
“Oh? Such bold words. Then who do you believe is the Empire’s greatest knight?”
“Without question—Alonso Vargas. After him, Ricardo Berg. Then perhaps Aber Lindgren. Compared to them, I’m nothing more than a novice who’s only just learned to wield a sword.”
“I already know Alonso’s strength. But he’s unbearably stubborn. He refuses to listen to me, leaving me with no way to control him.”
“Then Aber Lindgren would be an excellent choice. He’s highly skilled and just as loyal to the Empire as Commander Alonso. He would never refuse Your Highness’s command.”
“Aber Lindgren… the commander of the Second Knight Order, was it?”
I couldn’t recommend Ricardo, the heir of a ducal house—so Aber Lindgren was the next best option.
He was the Second Knight Order’s commander and played a significant role in the novel.
I’d encountered him several times myself. He was wary and sensitive, and we’d never properly spoken.
“He’s kind-hearted and well-mannered. I’m sure he’d suit Your Highness perfectly.”
All I wanted was to escape this situation. After that, I could simply make sure never to cross paths with the princess again.
“Hm… what a shame.”
Standing before me once more, the princess said—
“But I like you very much.”
This was driving me insane.
