Episode 9
Adora calmly answered that he had seemed perfectly healthy.
She even added that he appeared to have recovered quite a lot, but Carlton still looked utterly unconvinced.
She understood his reaction. Truthfully, the person who found Prince Lionel’s proposal hardest to believe was Adora herself.
Awkwardly, she rubbed the back of her neck.
“When— no, why did he propose? Ah, no. That’s not to say you’re unsuitable for His Highness, of course.”
“I understand what you mean. It hasn’t been long since I received the proposal, and I wasn’t told the reason.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“It’s not that I didn’t, but…”
She had asked, but she never got a proper answer.
Prince Lionel had said only what he wanted to say before leaving, leaving all the questions behind for her to deal with.
Adora frowned as she recalled that dazzlingly beautiful face.
Watching her, Carlton cautiously asked again,
“Are you going to accept?”
“For now, I told him I’d think about it.”
“…I see.”
Carlton looked troubled.
Being proposed to by royalty meant her standing had risen significantly, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
But of all people, it had to be that Fourth Prince.
Adora Alfred had been an exceptional knight.
A knight with extraordinary potential.
As though reviving the former glory of House Alfred—a family once renowned throughout history—she had distinguished herself as a knight despite her young age.
At fourteen years old, a young noble lady had applied to become a royal trainee knight.
Every year, the four royal knight orders recruited trainee knights.
Applicants had to be at least fourteen years old and either come from a martial background or have trained under a warrior from a young age before receiving a recommendation letter upon reaching the required age.
Those selected would train in the royal palace and, at eighteen, be officially knighted.
But every applicant had always been male.
“I know very well the prestige of House Alfred. It was a remarkable family that even left its name in the kingdom’s founding history. How could I not be pleased that the direct heir of such a family wishes to become a knight? But women cannot become knights.”
Knowing she would be rejected, Adora had stubbornly submitted her application anyway.
Carlton had rebuked her coldly, as though scolding someone for walking down a hopeless path.
Around them, people criticized her.
Does she think being a knight is a joke?
Others clicked their tongues in disapproval.
“Then I will give up being a woman.”
But Adora boldly fired back.
Her glaring eyes held a spirit far too fierce for a fourteen-year-old girl.
“I will train exactly the same as the other recruits. I do not want special treatment. Especially not because I’m a woman.”
“…”
“If you determine that I lack the qualifications to become a knight, I will gladly give up. But if you see even the slightest potential in me as a knight, then please allow me to devote my life to serving the royal family.”
Carlton had hesitated.
She was the last direct heir of House Alfred.
The Alfred family had produced many great warriors, so it was difficult to deny her potential.
And since members of House Alfred trained in swordsmanship from childhood, she technically met all the qualifications.
Still, Carlton hesitated.
Reading his hesitation, Adora raised her voice again, this time as though scolding him.
“Are you saying I cannot become a knight simply because I am a woman? My father taught me as a child that chivalry is defined not by gender, but by the heart. If that is true, then I see no reason why being a woman should disqualify me.”
Carlton let out a quiet sigh.
If she had stubbornly insisted for selfish reasons, he had intended to send her away without hesitation.
But her words about true chivalry moved him.
Chivalry was not something divided by gender.
And there truly was no law that said women could not become knights.
If someone was qualified, they deserved an equal chance.
In the end, Carlton accepted her application and put her through the selection process.
Adora passed with flying colors.
And just as she had promised, she trained alongside the boys without asking for special treatment.
She never once complained, no matter how brutal the training became.
The sight of her running toward the finish line with a sack larger than her own body strapped to her back—passing fellow trainees who had already collapsed from exhaustion—was enough to leave people speechless.
She had perseverance.
Endurance.
And the ruthless determination to tie it all together.
When necessary, she even had enough guts to beat up larger male trainees despite the obvious size difference.
Her skills far surpassed those of others her age.
And on top of that, she possessed unwavering integrity.
There was nothing about her that Carlton disliked.
That was why he promoted her to vice commander despite public opposition.
And later, he even handed over the commander position to her.
So when, after returning victorious from war, Adora suddenly announced she was retiring from knighthood to get married—
Carlton had been genuinely shocked.
She was still young as a knight, and marriage had never seemed like something she even considered.
But everyone had their own life to live.
And this war had been painful even for someone as experienced as him.
It was understandable that she had a lot on her mind.
Even if she resigned now, she could always be called back later when the time was right.
Marriage wasn’t a reason to never wield a sword again.
But being proposed to by the Fourth Prince?
“Don’t accept it.”
Carlton advised in a low voice.
Adora paused mid-sip and looked at him.
“It’s what’s best for both His Highness and for you.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
Carlton could say it with complete certainty.
This would benefit no one.
More precisely, Adora might end up being harmed.
Even those who once disliked her had come to acknowledge her after this war.
If she married the Fourth Prince, he could already imagine the criticism people would throw at her.
It would undoubtedly become something that held her back in the future.
“If it’s difficult to refuse, tell me. I’ll help.”
No matter his reputation, the Fourth Prince was still royalty.
Being proposed to by royalty was an honor.
But rejecting royal marriage proposals could be troublesome.
Especially now that rumors had already spread publicly.
Carlton seriously added that, if necessary, he was prepared to personally petition His Majesty.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Yet his former subordinate was sincerely considering even such a troublesome royal proposal.
Carlton looked at her with pity.
Knowing her family history, he worried this situation might only reopen old wounds.
Even after Carlton left, she continued receiving visitors.
By the time she alternated between guests seeking marriage and guests fishing for gossip, even Adora had grown exhausted.
Her final visitor was her close friend, Terik.
He was waiting for her in her office.
Without even looking at him, Adora sank deeply into the sofa and rubbed her face.
“You already look completely worn out.”
“You’re the last one.”
She had no intention of seeing any more visitors today.
Hooking her hand over the bridge of her nose, she let out a deep sigh.
“Why is everyone so interested in someone else’s marriage?”
“Well, people are bound to be interested when Lady Alfred is getting married.”
“What’s so special about me?”
“You really don’t know? People are calling you a war hero. There’s already a story spreading across the kingdom that you personally beheaded an enemy commander.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Adora scoffed.
People used to call her the Red Beast of the Battlefield.
Now she was suddenly a war hero?
The first nickname was bad enough.
The second made even less sense.
She hadn’t fought the war alone.
Others had suffered just as much.
“Can’t help it if that’s what the people think.”
“Easy for you to say when it’s not your problem.”
“Yep.”
His teasing tone irritated her.
She glared at him.
Only then did she notice he was still wearing his knight uniform.
Didn’t even have time to change?
Or was he simply too lazy?
Looking closer, he seemed even more exhausted than she was.
“Busy lately?”
“Thanks to someone abandoning her duties and running off.”
“Having a lot of work is a good thing.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Yes.”
She answered shamelessly.
He shot her a look of complaint.
Though the war was over, there was still endless work to do.
The kingdom’s defenses needed rebuilding.
The knight orders needed reorganization.
They had to decide what to do with prisoners of war.
And countless other matters remained.
Each knight order had its own responsibilities.
And all that burden now fell onto Terik as commander.
Adora felt guilty about that.
“What was so urgent that you came all this way? Did something happen?”
She wanted to ask how he’d been, but he looked like he needed sleep more than conversation.
So she got straight to the point.
At the same time, she worried something might have happened to the Green Knight Order.
“You’re getting married.”
“I said I was planning to.”
His question felt oddly obvious.
Then his face hardened.
“I heard you’re marrying Prince Lionel.”
Ah. Of course.
That was why he came.
Before he could say anything else, Adora rapidly recited answers to the questions she’d been endlessly hearing.
“I’ve only received a proposal. It’s only been a few days. I wasn’t told why he proposed. And for now, I said I’d think about it.”
Terik raised an eyebrow, then laughed knowingly.
“Looks like you’ve been thoroughly harassed.”
“I’m sick of it.”
She had reached the point of seriously considering giving up marriage entirely.
Spending the rest of her life resting instead of marrying didn’t sound bad at all.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
Adora answered flatly.
“You’re rejecting him?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, reject him. There are better men out there.”
“What’s wrong with the Fourth Prince?”
He was still royalty.
The king’s illegitimate son.
For someone like him to personally visit and propose was an honor for any noble.
But Terik looked dissatisfied.
“You know as well as I do… he doesn’t suit you.”
Adora glanced at him.
He wasn’t trying to insult the Fourth Prince.
He was genuinely stating what he believed while worrying for his friend.
As evidence surfaced that the enemy nation had long been sending spies, suspicions arose that they had been doing so for years.
Naturally, the tragedy of House Alfred resurfaced.
That tragic, unresolved incident where the culprit was never found.
Rumors began spreading that enemy spies had been responsible.
Though it remained only rumor, anyone perceptive enough could guess the truth.
At the time, Adora said nothing.
She neither confirmed nor denied it.
She had told only two people the truth.
One was Carlton.
The other was Terik.
“He might be trying to use you.”
“Marriage is about exchanging mutual benefits anyway. It would be stranger if he wanted nothing. I’m not from some immensely powerful family, and His Highness knows I can’t grant impossible requests.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“…He said he didn’t have bad intentions.”
Terik scoffed.
“And you believe that? People will say any lie if it helps them get what they want.”
Even someone who appeared kind on the outside could secretly be a murderer.
And he was royalty.
Half of his blood still belonged to the king.
He might seem harmless now, but who knew what he was really thinking?
If he wanted to use her, nothing would stop him.
Rumors about the Fourth Prince were impossible to avoid.
The son of the woman most beloved by the king.
A prince of breathtaking beauty.
The one who would bring misfortune to the royal family.
The stories were as common as children’s songs.
That prince was famous for never leaving the palace.
Yet he had personally left the palace to propose to a woman.
To some, it sounded romantic.
To Terik, it sounded ominous.
And of all places…
“Don’t do it. What will people say? The war hero who led the kingdom to victory by beheading an enemy commander marrying a prince who carries that enemy nation’s blood? It’ll become nothing but gossip. House Alfred could suffer because of it.”
“You’re overthinking.”
“If there’s even the slightest chance of future problems, it’s better to avoid it. And if something does happen, he won’t have the power to protect you.”
“It’s fine. I’m strong.”
“….”
Terik was momentarily speechless.
Adora had meant it as a joke.
But it was also hard to deny.
Strength wasn’t determined by physical power alone.
Yes, there were physical differences between men and women that even Adora couldn’t completely overcome.
But she made up for it with skill.
Even opponents far larger than her were helpless before her.
Her swordsmanship ranked among the best even among knights.
And as time passed, fewer and fewer people dared underestimate her.
Terik, who had lost to her multiple times in sparring matches, let out a quiet groan.
Honestly, he knew she was stronger than most men.
But that didn’t make him worry any less.
Life and death weren’t decided by strength alone.
“Even putting all that aside—you used to hate him.”
“……”
“Can you really see his face every day? Eating with him, holding hands…”
He hesitated before continuing.
“And doing even more than that?”
That was true.
And Adora knew it herself.
She gave no visible reaction.
That indifference made Terik even more anxious.
Knowing that Adora always went silent when she was deeply thinking, he finally snapped and demanded,
“Why do you suddenly want to get married so badly?”
