Chapter 5

My name is Ricardo Ella Reise.

If someone were to suddenly ask, "Who are you?" I would say that I am the second son of the Reise Marquess family and a knight serving as the deputy commander of the Royal Knights.

Due to being the youngest to ever hold the position of deputy commander, people often say I'm a prime catch, but I get so many marriage proposal letters every day that I'm utterly fed up.

Living such a life, it was rare to see a woman run away from me.

Her name was—Liliane Perleza.

Her current name is Liliane Gaialon.

I first met her two years ago.

Invited to a ball hosted by a noble family, I found myself surrounded by women.

I wondered what charm I, a man with no interests other than swords, could possibly have, but it seemed that the good looks I inherited from my parents were a bit better than average.

When the flattery started to wear thin, I shamefully slipped out of the party venue.

It was then that I met her in the moonlit courtyard.

Compared to the women I had interacted with at the party, she wore a very simple and modest dress, and her silver hair made her look like a celestial being.

Her expression, which seemed to carry a shadow, was mysterious and made me stop in my tracks.

When I noticed her sitting on a bench, gazing at the moon, and saw that she had taken off her shoes, it seemed she had a blister.

Concerned that she was alone, I asked, "Are you okay?" She shrank back and replied in a small voice, "I'm fine. Please don't worry about me..."

Her long bangs hid her beautiful eyes, which was a bit disappointing.

Her delicate and fragile appearance, as if she could disappear at any moment, gripped my heart and wouldn't let go. Despite thinking it might be meddlesome, I knelt before her and wrapped my handkerchief around her heel.

Facing her confusion, I introduced myself and said that if we met again, we should have tea.

Surprised that such words came out of my mouth, even though I had been tired of dealing with women just moments before, I saw her smile hesitantly and happily, and I fell in love with her at first sight.

After that, we met at tea parties, balls, and other events, and we talked more and more.

I wanted to see Liliane, who usually looked down, smile, so I gathered various topics and gave her small gifts.

However, she began to avoid me.

Even from the beginning, Liliane never looked at me the way other women did, but it wasn't that.

She avoided any contact with me.

As a knight and a gentleman, I wanted to believe I hadn't done anything to make her uncomfortable, but it was clear she was avoiding me.

In the end, I couldn't confess my feelings to Liliane.

Then, she got married.

To that monster duke, no less.

Albert von Gaialon, the monster who kills power with power.

That fragile woman married a monster of all people.

Since becoming a knight, I've learned that there is no more troublesome sword in this world than power.

The monster duke is the prime example of someone who wields that sword.

Although the king turns a blind eye, and we, the Royal Knights, follow suit, what he does is vigilante justice.

He deals with evildoers that the law cannot punish.

To put it bluntly, it's not legitimate.

Liliane ended up marrying such a man.

Knowing that her husband rarely attends parties and doesn't know how to escort women, I regretted not confessing earlier.

I couldn't give up.

Until I saw with my own eyes that she had truly chosen that man for her own happiness, I couldn't let go of my feelings—

...

That's what I thought...

Conclusion. The person who made her smile happily wasn't me.

At the garden party held twice a year at the palace—a covert investigation in disguise—

that day, the monster duke appeared with Liliane.

He, who had always worn a mask until recently, showed his true face, and she looked completely transformed, radiant.

The two of them leaned close, and the monster duke whispered something to her, making Liliane smile like a blooming flower.

Seeing such a loving couple, I couldn't find anything to criticize.

I never thought it would hurt so much to see that it wasn't me by her side.

"Please, give up."

"——!?"

I was startled when someone suddenly said that to me as I stood there, stunned, watching the two of them.

Turning around—rather, looking down—I saw a young lady with aqua hair and amber eyes.

"I can't have you causing unnecessary trouble for her, Sir Ricardo."

It was as if she had read my mind.

"——Y-You are?"

"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Marca Sarge Perleza."

She lifted the hem of her chic gray dress and performed a graceful curtsey that belied her youthful appearance.

—Perleza.

I couldn't possibly not know that name.

The young lady who suddenly appeared was Liliane's sister-in-law.

* * *

"......What did you mean by 'give up'?"

In a different place, I asked her.

The garden party was held in the vast palace garden, with many parasol-covered tables and tents for breaks.

Of course, these were also used for private conversations.

I had heard through the grapevine that after Liliane married the duke, her younger sister would inherit the baron's estate, but I never expected to be spoken to by the lady herself.

"Exactly what I said. Liliane has already married the duke, so please give up."

"——!?"

She bluntly hit my sore spot, something no one had ever done before.

I was thoroughly shaken by her accurate assessment, even though she was a stranger and Liliane's sister-in-law.

"Why... why?"

I couldn't hide my flushed face as I said to Marca.

"I had already investigated you. There's no way a man who gives Liliane gifts doesn't have ulterior motives."

She sipped her tea without changing her expression.

Despite being eight years younger than me, she was a very mature girl.

Her calmness made me feel like a child in comparison.

As I tried to calm myself, I asked, "Why did you investigate me...?"

Gripping my fist, I tried to remain calm.

"I chose her fiancé."

She answered matter-of-factly, with a hint of certainty.

"......What?"

I couldn't hide my surprise.

"You were one of the candidates, but you were too weak, so I left it to the duke. It seems a more assertive person is better for the timid Liliane."

Suddenly, the small girl in front of me seemed much larger.

Who is this girl—?

"Even if Liliane's husband was your old classmate from school, please don't try to interfere."

Her large eyes, which seemed about to spill over, looked at me.

Though not her sister, she resembled Liliane in a way, but she was different.

Her gaze was so intense, it felt like I was being swallowed whole.

"Then. That's all I have to say."

Marca put down her now empty cup and stood up.

"——W-Wait!"

I unconsciously stopped her as she was about to leave.

"I know that you and your sister didn't get along. ...But why—"

"Are you asking, 'Why are you suddenly concerned about your sister-in-law now?'"

"......"

I was read again.

With her straightforward answer, I could only nod silently.

She looked down at me, still seated.

"Because I made a promise."

"......A promise?"

Her amber eyes gazed into the distance.

"Yes. 'I'll do everything, so please make Liliane happy.'"

It was an expression that didn't suit a young girl who had just come of age, carrying a hint of melancholy.

Who could have made such a promise to her?

It sounded like something a father would say to the man he was entrusting his daughter to.

She was a young girl who should be protected.

"——Miss Marca, it's time..."

"I'm coming."

A maid called her.

Marca stood up from her chair and looked at me again.

"So, Sir Ricardo. It is my duty to be concerned about her. Please understand."

—Then, I understood.

She didn't need anyone to pull out her chair; she stood up on her own, and she didn't think of herself as someone who needed protection.