Chapter 38
“Let’s get Rude from Rudbeckia!”
Even if it was just a name dropped in passing, it became the most precious gift in my life.
Rude had trained diligently at the marquis’s house for years, dreaming of this very day.
Rude carefully opened the basket and slowly took a bite of the sandwich inside.
A little while ago, the maid who had handed the basket to Rude checked on him and then immediately headed to the training grounds.
“Milady, Anne came by.”
Soo looked at Bellia with a worried expression, as if concerned about her whereabouts.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Bellia nodded, rising to go to the workshop. Soo followed closely behind, constantly stealing glances.
“Um… Milady.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you give that kind of order?”
Soo was tense. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand Bellia’s instructions.
“It’s surprising that you even know a mere knight… but why insist on such a thing…?”
“Soo.”
Bellia interrupted her firmly.
“It’s difficult to explain the reason. I hope you can trust me the way I trust you.”
“Yes…”
Soo closed her mouth, feeling dejected.
Seeing her like that, Bellia smiled faintly, almost sadly.
‘It must hurt.’
If nothing unusual happened, Rude would be the victor in the duel, and as expected, he would become her personal bodyguard.
Bellia had given the instructions to change that natural outcome.
“This is the right thing to do.”
Bellia sighed and left the mansion.
“Hey!”
“Brother?”
It was only after sunset that Bellia returned to the mansion, having finished her work. She turned at the call.
Bedol, who must have been waiting for her the whole time, quickly ran up and stood beside her.
“You’re back? Even if you were busy, this is your bodyguard’s duel—why didn’t you at least watch?”
Bellia’s shoulders visibly twitched at Bedol’s words.
“I had urgent matters… Has the duel finished?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To your office. Your bodyguard is waiting.”
“Who?”
“Go see for yourself and greet him. Everything’s done, even your father’s funeral rites.”
“Oh, okay.”
Seeing Bedol so lively, Bellia awkwardly smiled and followed.
“For now, only the winner will be your personal bodyguard. I’ll choose the assistants later.”
“Ah, okay. Um… How was the duel?”
“The duel? Well, it was intense. Everyone seemed so eager to become your bodyguard, I almost felt it was better that you weren’t there—it was that fierce.”
“Were there… any injuries or casualties?”
Bellia pressed her pounding heart as she asked. She had been at the mansion all day, focused on the duel.
Even though she had tried to prevent Rude from becoming a bodyguard, she couldn’t help worrying if he might have been hurt.
“No serious injuries. Just minor scratches. Oh, someone did collapse.”
“Who?!”
“Why are you so shocked?”
Bellia’s voice echoed through the central hall, startling Bedol instead, who looked at her.
“Oh, just… I heard someone got hurt.”
Bellia smiled awkwardly.
“It’s nothing serious. I think he wasn’t feeling well from the start. The physician said it was a stomach issue. Normally, he would’ve become your bodyguard.”
“Why?”
“He collapsed in the finals, right before the last match. I thought he would win, but tsk—he fainted. He’s really good, though… His status is a bit questionable, but he’s diligent and skilled, definitely not lacking in the knights’ order.”
“What’s his name?”
“Who?”
“The knight who collapsed.”
“Oh, his name’s Rude.”
All tension drained away.
“Thank goodness.”
“For what?”
“Just… because he wasn’t seriously hurt.”
“Right.”
Bellia gave a weary smile.
“Now, let’s go. Your bodyguard has been waiting since earlier.”
“Ah, okay.”
They soon arrived at her office, and Bellia nodded.
As Bedol opened the door, the newly appointed bodyguard came into view.
Bellia’s expression instantly stiffened.
“Here’s the master you’ll be serving.”
At Bedol’s playful announcement, the waiting bodyguard bowed politely.
“Greetings.”
Bellia couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“My name is Tob Tenner. I will serve you loyally from now on, Milady.”
His sharp eyes and the grotesque scar beneath them were painfully familiar.
“Bellia?”
“Oh, yes.”
Bellia, staring blankly at Tob, snapped back to reality at Bedol’s call and forced a smile.
“Nice to meet you.”
The brief greeting left the office in a momentary silence.
“That’s it?”
“Ah, yes.”
Bedol rolled his eyes.
‘I thought she’d at least smile brightly if it was her bodyguard. Did something happen outside?’
He glanced subtly at Bellia’s expression.
“You must be tired. Today, just a brief greeting. The official appointment will be tomorrow. Tob, wait at the training grounds.”
“Yes.”
Tob bowed politely and left the room.
Bellia watched his back as he exited.
“Is this the knight who won the duel?”
“Yes. Why? Don’t you like him?”
Bellia bit her lip.
“Wasn’t this knight my elder brother’s bodyguard?”
Seeing the familiar knight, her eyes widened in disbelief.
How could she forget Tob, who under Baron’s orders, had tortured her and even tried to kill her?
“How did you know? Yes, he was my elder brother’s bodyguard, but last month, my brother sent him back to the knights. Maybe he made a mistake or something, so he was removed from the bodyguard position.”
“Really?”
Bellia clenched her fists.
“It doesn’t seem like a major mistake. I think it might just have been my brother’s whim. I asked him before putting Tob in the duel candidate list, and he said it was fine. That guy is really skilled.”
“What exactly did my elder brother say?”
“Huh?”
“When you asked if it was okay to include him as a candidate, what did he say?”
“He said his skill is excellent, and if Tob became your bodyguard, he could be at ease.”
Bellia gave a bitter laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing.”
Her clenched fists trembled slightly.
Bellia took a sip of orange juice and frowned.
“Tob, this isn’t right. Can you bring a different fruit juice?”
Soo, standing beside her, tensed in the icy atmosphere.
“You’ve been unwell for a few days, so Tob, it’s better if you handle this.”
“Yes, Milady.”
Without changing his expression, Tob left the room again, as if this were routine.
“Milady, why have you been like this for days? Don’t you like your bodyguard?”
Soo was at a loss. Bellia, who had been appointed bodyguard less than a week ago, was behaving hysterically in ways she never had before.
“I don’t know.”
Bellia replied in a bored tone, thinking of Tob’s face.
He never complained, even when repeatedly sent on tedious errands. His impassive demeanor irritated her.
Tob could never truly be hers; after all, he belonged to Baron.
“I didn’t expect my elder brother to act so quickly.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Bellia tapped the armrest. Even if their relationship was tense, this was the first time she had someone from him this close at this time.
Bellia frowned. Could it be the hostility revealed during the textile business incident?
“Soo, when did Baron Batulu say he’d return to the territory?”
“Um, I think next week.”
“Really?”
Bellia picked up a pen and quickly wrote something on a parchment.
“Soo, send this to Baron Batulu. As quickly as possible.”
“Yes, Milady.”
Soo took the parchment and left the room.
“What could this be about?”
Thinking of past lives, Baron had always been cautious. Before the events at sixteen, he never showed ambition for the family nor hostility toward her.
It was curious that he now placed someone close under the pretext of a bodyguard.
Knock-knock—
“Come in.”
Tob entered, holding a glass of purple juice. Bellia pouted.
“A new juice? Good.”
Now satisfied, she nodded approvingly. Tob quietly sighed.
After drinking, Bellia spoke.
“What kind of person was my elder brother?”
“Pardon?”
Bellia’s question caught Tob off guard, asking about the brother under whom he had served.
“I was curious. You were under him, right?”
“Oh, yes.”
“What kind of person was he?”
“…A good person.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“But why did you become a bodyguard for me?”
Tob paused, closing his mouth.
