Chapter 58

Let me take you back a bit. This is a story from the perspective of Via's guard knight, Sais Ebeck (later known as Kamie). It describes how Via appeared to Sais and provides some additional details that were not fully covered in the main story.

"Can you entrust Via's protection to someone reliable? Can you do it?"

Sais still vividly remembers the day he received the order from Prince Alek, who was then the First Prince.

Princess Via.

She was the stepdaughter of the Empress Dowager Tzitee, who had built an era in Ansheze, and was welcomed into the royal family as the adopted daughter of Emperor Paresis.

The princess, who had never appeared in public due to her frail health, accompanied Prince Alek when he visited the Antore Knight Order on a day that was not yet early summer, as the wind rustled the green trees.

---

Reflecting on it, this day was different from the start.

First thing in the morning, Deputy Ammon appeared at the training ground and ordered all knights who had been full knights for less than ten years to gather.

Then the spear training began.

To be honest, Sais was not very good with spears.

While his practical skills as a knight were above average, and he was particularly proud of his swordsmanship, he was not skilled with spears.

He had to demonstrate his spear skills in front of the deputy, of all people... Sais sighed and his hand holding the spear was sweating when his name was called by his superior.

Deputy Ammon lined up each knight and had them spar, observing their stances and movements closely.

Sais swung the spear desperately, but in his anxiety, he inadvertently displayed the bad habits that he was usually told to correct.

The result was eight losses out of ten, and after the sparring, Sais, who was given an unusually stern look by Deputy Ammon, bit his lip in frustration and hung his head.

"One year below... I believe it was Ebeck, right?"

When called, Sais hurriedly saluted.

"Yes, sir."

"I see, so you were the one who struggled with the spear...

But you excel in swordsmanship. Focus on that."

Surprised by the unexpected words, Sais looked up.

During his time as a junior knight, Sais had won a sword competition once. The deputy must have remembered that.

However, Sais only won in his final year.

The year above, where Deputy Ammon was, was a class of exceptional talent, and during their time, the underclassmen were not allowed to break into the top ranks.

The deputy was particularly outstanding in that golden generation, his skills far surpassing the others.

As a successor to the name of Antore, the deputy must have undergone rigorous training from a young age.

When Sais paid renewed respect to his unwavering effort and determination, a small murmur began to spread among the aligned full knights.

Following their gazes, Sais saw Prince Alek, accompanied by a guard, escorting a woman towards them.

Prince Alek, the First Prince with the Empress as his mother, was the leading candidate for the next emperor.

Although he was known to have many romantic affairs, he had never had a specific lover. The fact that the prince had brought a woman to the training ground caused quite a stir among the members.

Since he brought her to such a place, she must be his lover.

Even from a distance, it was clear that she was a beautiful woman, and her figure was especially impressive. Her chest was full and her waist was slender.

The Antore Knight Order was supposed to be a gathering of well-born noble heirs, but they could not resist the male instinct, and their eyes were glued to the woman.

If it had been a group of women, they would have screamed in delight, but since only men were present, the air was filled with deep, thick voices like "oooooh" and "awesome."

Soon, the three approached the place where the members were lined up, and they straightened their posture to welcome them. Unexpectedly, Sais was called by name.

Hiding his confusion, Sais ran forward and stood before the prince and the deputy.

It was not permitted to look directly at the prince's face, so Sais folded his right arm in front of his chest, showing the highest form of respect as a knight.

Therefore, he did not notice that Princess Via, who had just confirmed his face, swayed slightly as if she had a dizzy spell.

After a moment, it was Prince Alek who spoke.

"What is your name?"

"I am Sais Ebeck."

"This is Princess Viatora."

At that moment, a loud murmur ran through the knights, but Sais did not remember it.

He was so surprised by the unexpected name that he raised his face and looked directly at the woman's face.

She was a princess of miraculous beauty, with the delicate charm of a bud that had not yet fully bloomed and the complete beauty as if created by a god, with a soft smile on her lips.

Her hair, which framed her face, was a pale, beautiful golden color that seemed to be translucent in the sun, her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were large and the color of a lake.

Her overwhelming beauty, which exuded elegance, captured Sais's heart at first sight.

All the sounds around him disappeared, and nothing but the princess appeared in his eyes.

He fell in love instantly, and at the same time, Sais realized that this love would never be fulfilled.

This princess was the one cherished by Prince Alek.

She was not the kind of princess he could have romantic feelings for.

She was a high and distant flower that he could never reach, yet his heart could not help but soar when her gaze met his directly.

This was the first meeting between Princess Viatora, who would later become Empress Viatrix, and Sais, which would lead to a lifetime of loyalty.

---

It was that evening when Sais realized that she was not just a beautiful flower.

Sais, who was ordered to guard the princess, began to visit the Purple Jade Palace where she resided from that day on.

Sais was not alone; Sir Johan Seldor, the deputy commander of the Third Battalion of the Antore Knight Order, also visited the palace with him, as he was ordered to guard Prince Seltis, the stepbrother of the princess.

Seldor was one of the top ten swordsmen in Antore, but more importantly, he was a senior officer in the knight order, and it was unusual for him to be assigned to such a guard duty.

However, it seemed that the order's intention to assess Prince Seltis's character and abilities took precedence this time.

Sais wondered why the guard for the prince, who had been secluded in the Purple Jade Palace for years, was suddenly needed, but it turned out that the queen had secretly approved of Princess Via becoming a consort to the prince that morning, and as a result, Prince Seltis, the princess's half-brother, was also to be placed under Prince Alek's protection.

When Sais first stepped into the Purple Jade Palace with Seldor, he was struck by the palace's desolate state.

Most notably, the number of servants was extremely low.

Despite the palace's grand and spacious appearance, there was hardly any sign of human presence.

They were greeted by a middle-aged chief steward, who welcomed them courteously and led them to a spacious hall to wait until the prince was ready.

The hall was furnished with elegant furniture and sofas, and a painting was displayed on the mantelpiece above the fireplace.

The landscape in the painting was vastly different from that of Ansheze, and upon closer inspection of the hall, the interior design seemed to have a foreign touch.

Sais and Seldor wondered which country it might be from, but soon the chief steward came to call them, indicating that the prince was ready.

The room they were led to had a high ceiling and large windows, giving it a bright and open feel.

Prince Seltis was seated on the opposite side of a round glass table in the center, and Princess Via was standing behind him.

Prince Seltis, whom Sais met for the first time, was a twelve-year-old boy with an innocent and refined air, and his sister had a fresh and lustrous beauty.

Together, they looked like a beautiful pair of paintings.

Sais stood there, dumbfounded by their beauty, and it seemed that Seldor, the famous swordsman of Antore, was also speechless, completely captivated by their otherworldly beauty.

"Johan Seldor and Sais Ebeck, I presume. Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."

When addressed by Prince Seltis, the two finally regained their composure.

When the prince looked up at his sister, Princess Via smiled gently and sat beside him, and Seldor and Sais awkwardly took their seats on the prepared sofas.

"Um... It seems there are very few servants here."

When Seldor hesitantly spoke, the two princes exchanged glances and smiled.

Their soft smiles brightened the room, and their radiance was overwhelming.

"We rarely went outside the palace, so this number of servants was sufficient for us."

"Indeed, we were both very frail."

Prince Seltis added gently, and the princess continued.

"Prince Seltis was so weak that it was rumored he wouldn't live long."

"Yes, well..."

"Our late mother worked hard to spread that rumor.

We spent most of our days in bed, and sometimes we even teetered on the brink of life and death when we were exposed to a slight cold wind."

Hmm? Sometimes?

Sais furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Yes, just walking a little would make me short of breath. I would be overwhelmed by dizziness, headaches, and nausea.

I often had high fevers, couldn't eat properly, and frequently worried those around me about my fragility..."

Prince Seltis continued in a dramatic tone, but there was a smile on his lips.

He looked healthy, with no signs of illness.

Glancing at Seldor, Sais saw that he finally understood and let out a small sigh, looking at Prince Seltis with a somewhat exasperated expression.

"I see. In that state, it would be impossible to meet with other nobles.

That explains why all those who requested an audience were turned down."

At this point, Sais finally understood the truth.

In other words, these two had pretended to be frail to avoid being drawn into political struggles.

Upon reflection, it was impossible for a princess who would collapse from a slight breeze to visit the knight order with Prince Alek.

"Getting back to what you said earlier, having few servants suited us.

When our mother was alive, the palace was always overflowing with people.

She made a living space for us in a corner facing the inner courtyard, and she was determined to keep us out of the public eye."

Not only did they pretend to be frail, but to avoid drawing attention to their beauty, the princess used to draw freckles on her face and make her eyebrows a bit thicker, Prince Seltis laughed.

"After our mother's funeral, people began to leave one after another.

Father had little interest in me, and we thoroughly excluded any nobles who tried to cozy up to us.

We were hated by the faction supporting Prince Alek, and those who saw a dark future in serving an isolated second prince were desperate to escape a sinking ship."

"The late head maid, who was our mother's confidante, gave generous severance pay to those who wanted to leave.

As a result, the palace became almost empty, and now only those brought by the head maid remain.

The chief steward and his wife, the cook and his wife, and the two daughters of the former head maid. Others come from the main palace to do the work."

"You lived a life of hardship."

When Sais, who had been raised with plenty of attention, interjected, Princess Via widened her eyes slightly and laughed joyfully.

"Not at all. I had friends of my age and lived quite happily.

Even after our mother's death, I always had this child by my side...

But for Seltis, it must have been a difficult twelve years. There were no boys for him to play with here."

As she gently looked at her brother, Prince Seltis shrugged lightly.

"I'm tired of this cramped world.

I want to join the Antore Knight Order as soon as possible."

While Prince Seltis was declaring his desire for freedom, Sais did not notice the unnatural silence from Princess Via.

The truth would be revealed a few days later.

When Princess Via visited the Crystal Palace to thank Prince Alek for his gift, Sais would open a new door to the truth.