Chapter 35

After finishing breakfast while waiting for Elina, Alvis moved to a smaller salon with her. There were several salons available, but this was one of them. As Alvis sat down on the sofa, Elina also took a seat next to him. While they were having their post-meal tea, Iesra entered the salon. Approaching Alvis and Elina, Iesra bowed and greeted them.

"Good morning, Lord Alvis, Lady Elina."

"Yeah, good morning."

"…Good morning, Iesra."

Elina returned the greeting with a slight look of confusion, probably because Iesra had not called Alvis by his nickname. In the past, Iesra was the only maid who called Alvis by his nickname, "Al." This was allowed because she was like an older sister to him, having grown up together. However, she changed the way she addressed him after the marriage, as Elina had become closer to Alvis. Understanding Iesra's intention, Alvis just smiled wryly.

"Lady Elina, please call me Iesra. You are also our master, Lady Elina."

"Iesra… Yes, I will. I look forward to working with you, Iesra."

"Likewise, I look forward to working with you."

Though still a bit hesitant, Iesra smiled and bowed when called by Elina. She then looked up and turned to Alvis.

"Lord Alvis, Captain Umbral has given his approval. However, the capital is a bit restless, so he suggested that the hills outside the city might be better. What do you think?"

It seemed the aftereffects of yesterday were still lingering. Even though the capital was not in its usual state, it was better to avoid going out in a carriage. If Luke said so, it would be best to follow his advice.

"I see… Alright. That works. Tell him we'll leave in two hours."

"Understood. I will inform him."

Iesra left to relay Alvis's instructions. After seeing her off, Elina turned to Alvis.

"Lord Alvis, are you going somewhere?"

"They said you should take a break today. How about we go out for a bit to clear our minds?"

"Can I come too?"

"Yes."

When Alvis told her she could come along, Elina smiled happily. Given the events of yesterday, she was likely still tired. He would have to consider her condition. Alvis called Sara, who was standing beside Elina.

"You don't need to dress formally, but please prepare something to wear over your clothes just in case."

"Understood."

"I'll come to fetch you when everything is ready. I'm going to the office for a bit, but I'll be back soon. Please wait in your room."

"Y-Yes."

"Lady Elina, let's go."

After Elina left with Sara's encouragement, Alvis also stood up. He was heading to the office inside the castle, which was outside the Crown Prince's palace. Ignoring the discontented look on Edward's face as he followed, Alvis entered the office.

"Lord Alvis, I thought you were told to take the day off?"

"I know. I just need to check something."

"What are you checking?"

Ignoring Edward's complaints, Alvis stood in front of the bookshelf in the office. Finding his target on the middle shelf, he picked it up.

"Is that the roster for the new recruits of the Royal Guard and the Knights this season?"

"Yes."

Both the Royal Guard and the Knights reported to Alvis once their assignments were decided. Flipping through the roster, Alvis found what he was looking for.

"Lord Alvis?"

"Ed, I want these two to accompany us. Can you run to the Knights' quarters and inform them?"

"The Knights, you say?"

"Yes."

"…Understood. I will inform them immediately."

Without asking more, Edward left, understanding Alvis's intention. Alvis was thinking about Elina's protection. Alvis had his own dedicated guards, including Dain and Rex, and a few Royal Guards who were always with him. However, no one was assigned to Elina yet. While it might not be necessary within the Crown Prince's palace, it would be better to have a guard when going outside the palace. As the Crown Princess, Elina needed protection. Even with maids accompanying her, it wouldn't be enough.

Currently, almost all female members of the Royal Guard were assigned to the harem. Given the small number of women, there weren't many in the harem either. Even if some were reassigned to Elina, it would only be one or two. Alvis had some ideas, but it still wasn't enough.

The dedicated Royal Guards assigned to Alvis also had the duty to protect Elina, but it was necessary to have someone solely dedicated to her protection. In an emergency, Rex and the others would prioritize Alvis over Elina, as that was their primary duty.

"Uncle said there's no rush…"

For now, there were no public duties as the Crown Princess, and Elina wouldn't leave the Crown Prince's palace often. Alvis intended to carefully consider and match Elina with her dedicated guards, considering her compatibility. However, this was a good opportunity to observe the candidates' abilities and movements.

Thinking about this, Alvis looked at the roster again. It listed the names, ages, personalities, and strengths and weaknesses of the individuals. He focused on one of them. She was 21 years old, the same age as Alvis. This woman was an acquaintance of Alvis, a classmate from his academy days. It was rare for a noblewoman to join the Knights, but it made sense in her case.

Reading the description of her personality, Alvis couldn't help but laugh.

"Extreme dislike of men. That's just like her, joining the Knights."

Knock, knock. The door was lightly tapped, and after Alvis responded, Edward entered. He was slightly out of breath, having rushed. Behind him stood two women in Knight's uniforms. Alvis gestured for them to come into the office.

"Good work, Ed. Did the captain say anything?"

"…He said he'd prefer if you took them permanently."

"Typical of the captain."

Suppressing a laugh, Alvis closed the roster and walked over to the women. One was a tall woman with black hair, her confused expression evident. The other had deep green hair tied in a single braid. She gave an ethereal impression, but her eyes were sharp, almost glaring at Alvis. This hadn't changed since their academy days.

"Sorry to call you here suddenly. And… it's been a while, Amour."

"It's been a while, Your Highness Alvis. I heard you called, so Filareta von Amour is here. I'm late, but congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you. …Though it doesn't seem like you really mean it."

"I do congratulate you. It's just… I feel sorry for the princess."

"Hey, Filareta!?"

The black-haired woman tried to pull on her sleeve to stop her, but Filareta didn't look away from Alvis. This was familiar to Alvis, and he smiled wryly. The black-haired woman quickly placed her hand on Filareta's head and bowed, along with her own.

"I apologize, Your Highness. I am Muse Arby. It's a pleasure to meet you. I will make sure to reprimand Filareta, so I truly apologize."

"Pleasure to meet you. And don't worry about her. I'm used to it."

"Um, that…."

Muse looked surprised, then suddenly remembered something and opened her mouth in shock. Filareta, seemingly losing her strength, pushed Muse's hand away and looked up.

"Amour and Arby. Did the captain tell you why I called you?"

"…Just that we are to follow you, Your Highness."

"I see."

Since they were still candidates, the details hadn't been shared. Alvis didn't need to explain further.

"In an hour, we'll be leaving the city. I want you to accompany us. Elina will also be coming, so be prepared for that."

"Will this be a guard duty for both of you, Your Highness?"

Muse asked for clarification, and her question implied a doubt. It made sense. Guarding the royal family was the duty of the Royal Guard, not the Knights. However, Alvis didn't intend to explain.

"No guard duty is needed. Just accompanying us is enough."

"…."

The two women exchanged glances. They had questions, but there was no option to refuse. After a moment, Muse nodded to Filareta, who also nodded. This was their signal, and they looked back at Alvis.

"…Understood."

"Understood."