Chapter 45

“I cannot do that.”

“What?”

“I am currently Lady Weiand’s escort knight.”

It was a piece of news that even Prillance was hearing for the first time. Her face turned to Ver at once.

“So I can’t leave the lady’s side. Even if she’s just here in the house of the Marquis.”

The reason why he became Prillance’s teacher was not just because he took proper etiquette classes from an early age, but also because he was an excellent knight. And for Jack, the latter was more important.

A person who was capable and reliable. Ver, possessing both, had always been a perfect fit to be an escort for his daughter, whom he had been anxious about.

“My ears are closed.”

“That’s right. Well, my question isn’t something you won’t be able to answer.”

Roman’s eyes turned to Prillance again.

“Can I hear what oath he just swore? No, why did he swear an oath in the first place?”

Even before he had left the capital, the two weren’t in a situation where Ver would have given a knight’s vow to Prillance. At least, Roman thought so.

What had happened while he was away? He was curious about the fact.

Ver’s body flinched at his overly straightforward question.

It was absurd to ask for the reason why he gave a knight’s vow. But now that he stated he would not join the conversation, he looked anxiously at Prillance.

“He swore to do his best as a knight.”

That was the meaning of Ver’s words. At the surface. However, after reading that part of the novel several times, she knew all too well the deeper meaning behind those words.

‘Why do you pledge those words to me…’

And that was why she was confused. Because she knew. If his pledge held the same meaning as the oath she had read in the book…

Her gaze turned to Ver. And their eyes met.

‘Then, that means…’

She couldn’t hold his gaze and quickly bowed her head. Ver looked worriedly at her behaviour, but Roman was staring at her ears. Her shy red ears represented her current state.

“You wouldn’t be so flustered if it were just because of that.”

“That’s because…”

She lengthened the end of her words. It was directed at Ver rather than Roman.

Did Ver notice she was flustered? Her gaze shifted to Ver and then returned to where it was before.

Roman didn’t like the sight. Why was she looking at Ver, and not himself? He took a few steps closer to Prillance.

It was only when Ver was about to move to block Roman’s persistent steps did her eyes turn to Roman.

“Perhaps, is it an oath you can’t tell?”

After looking at Roman, her racing mind began to calm down a bit.

“I don’t think I have any reason to tell you.”

Prillance, who had pondered over the words Ver had declared, answered. As she was feeling a bit embarrassed, it suddenly occurred to her.

Did she have to tell Roman of Ver’s oath?

“Why?”

Roman’s forehead crumpled at her words.

“Because Viscount Grant is the commander of our family’s order of knights, he doesn’t have to explain this situation, does he?”

“…I see.”

“Moreover, a knight’s vow is an individual’s prerogative.”

Several people often misunderstood a knight’s vow. In reality, however, most of the high-ranking family’s knights swore their oaths to their wives. High-ranking nobles like Roman, Prillance, and Ver knew what it meant.

Although the oath has lost its essence among lower-ranking nobles’ knights, to say that it was not a pledge of love, but a vow to do his best as a knight,

Prillance’s words left the two men speechless.

Roman was the one who had blatantly misunderstood Prillance and Ver’s relationship, rather than taking in the meaning of the oath in the sense she had spoken about.

Since then, no further answer had been heard from her. She just looked at Roman.

Roman understood that he could not say anything more. Because he knew that his relationship with Prillance was just being her partner for the imperial ball.

Ver was looking at the two.

“Yes, you’re right.”

Roman stepped back first. In this situation, he had nothing else to refute.

“I think I should leave for today.”

He thought if he stayed any further, he would want to change their current relationship and browbeat her. He needed time to sort his head. Yet even now, he was thinking about what he could do in order to change their current dynamic.

Roman left first, and only Prillance and Ver remained in the hall. However, as if Roman was a typhoon that had just left, the hall became quiet. The two were looking at each other.

“I think we should end the day here.”

Prillance was the first one to speak.

“I will escort you to your room.”

As they walked together, the two were lost in their own thoughts. Ver glanced at Prillance. It looked like she was frustrated about something.

He assumed it would be about Roman.

He knew he could not ask her directly about Roman. If his speculation was right, he wasn’t confident enough to talk to her about him.

Directly asking Prillance about it was akin to revealing how he felt about her, so he couldn’t bring himself to ask anything more.

“Thank you.”

As soon as the door closed, she leaned against the door and sat down. Then, she gathered her knees and buried her face in it. When she raised her head again, her face, even her ears, turned crimson.

“What to do…”

It wasn’t until she was alone in the room that she expressed her elation.

The person she liked also liked her back. It was the first time she experienced such a thing. She felt overwhelmed by the fact and a smile formed by itself.

Prillance decided to put off thinking about their complicated ties. For now, while she was alone in this room, she decided to rejoice to her heart’s content. And for a long time, she didn’t realize there was a wide smile around her mouth.

[End of Volume 1]