About Things That Haven't Occurred Yet
Chapter 2
Everyone who heard the story made the same expression, echoing his own thoughts: ‘It’s not all that special.’
Yet Adelheid listened with rapt attention, as if determined not to miss a single word from Dominic.
And she maintained that same attitude until the tale was finished.
He figured that having grown up sheltered within the palace walls, she must find everything in the world utterly fascinating.
Dominic was by no means an entertaining storyteller, nor was he particularly good at offering lively reactions.
While he disliked talking, that did not mean he lacked eloquence.
The position of Captain required far more than just skill with a blade, and fittingly, Dominic was quite proficient in statecraft as well.
Heather, a warrior to the bone, often used to say:
‘Taking off a head is much easier than a headache-inducing battle of wits. Faster, too.’
Dominic agreed with her sentiment, yet one could not clash swords over every matter in the world.
Adelheid, who had been quietly pondering something, suddenly asked:
“……Did the dragon say anything to you, Captain? I heard that was what happened when it bestowed its Blessing……”
“That is merely a myth.”
“Is that so.”
She must have been imagining a dragon straight out of a children’s fairy tale. Dominic sighed inwardy.
Rumors outside claimed the King was captivated by the woman’s seductive wiles, while others said he was enchanted by her innocent, maidenly charm.
To add to the latter rumor, they said he doted on her obsessively, keeping her sheltered in his embrace just to preserve that purity forever.
In Dominic’s view, however, this wasn’t innocence—it was sheer foolishness.
Adelheid seemed completely unabashed, simply smiling with fresh charm.
Dominic felt exhausted by both his company and the present situation.
It also weighed heavily on his conscience that he was neglecting his duties from the very first day. The King had commanded Dominic to guard the entrance of Mont Palace.
To ensure those inside the palace could not leave, and those outside could not enter.
Calling it escort or security was mere flattery; in truth, he was nothing more than a doorkeeper.
The only curious thing was that he was a doorkeeper tasked with barring Adelheid from leaving as well.
Nevertheless, it was a royal order all the same, and Dominic intended to carry it out to the letter.
Even without that, standing guard at the gate was far preferable to conversing with Adelheid.
Perhaps his displeasure had shown on his face, for Adelheid, still smiling, rested her chin on her hand and tilted her head.
“It seems you do not find our conversation very enjoyable, Captain.”
“……That is not true. It is only that I have duties commanded by the King.”
“Ah, the royal command. Right.”
Her gentle blue eyes gazed at him. Feeling uncomfortable, Dominic cast his eyes down toward his teacup.
After a brief silence, Adelheid let out a soft chuckle.
“……You are a diligent man. That puts me at ease.”
Her lips parted as if she meant to say something more, but soon she simply gestured that he could take his leave.
She let him go unexpectedly easily. Dominic bowed stiffly and made a hasty exit, pretending not to rush.
A lingering gaze seemed to cling to his back.
The breeze drifting through the open window tickled Dominic’s hair.
An unpleasant person. He muttered to himself.
Uncomfortable under the unwarranted glances of the maidservants coming and going through the front garden, Dominic fixed his gaze solely on the tightly closed door.
Fortunately, the perimeter wall blocked the harsh sunlight. Otherwise, he would have spent the entire day under the sun, baking in its heat.
Though it had only been two days since his arrival, Dominic felt stifled. It was not because the work was arduous.
Rather, it was having to stand completely still.
Since the day he first picked up a sword, he had never been idle, nor had he ever indulged in laziness.
Dominic’s inherent diligence made such an idle situation utterly suffocating for him.
And so, for a task that merely required standing in place, Dominic performed it with rigid perfection and unrelenting focus.
“Sir Knight, aren’t you thirsty?”
Dominic accepted the cup offered by a bashful maidservant and drank without much of a reply.
At that, the maid checked her widening smile and exchanged glances with her companions.
“Are you truly the Captain of Legenon?”
“I’ve heard…… so much about you. Though I had no idea you would be so handsome. Aren’t you tired? Perhaps a chair……”
Dominic shook his head as he returned the empty cup.
Her face flushed red, the maid took the cup while continuously stealing glances up at him.
In her distraction, her hand slipped, and she dropped the glass.
Unluckily, the fragile glass struck a broad boulder and shattered into pieces across the dirt ground.
Letting out a soft gasp, the maid bent down to pick up the shards.
Just as Dominic was about to tell her not to pick them up lest she cut her hand, another voice cut in first.
“You all seem rather carefree, not knowing when the King might arrive.”
Before Dominic could even open his mouth, the maid straightened up in sheer panic.
A heavy silence instantly descended upon her and the other maidservants gathered nearby.
It happened almost the moment Adelheid began to speak.
Dominic thought the atmosphere was overly tense for a master simply reprimanding negligent maids.
“Everyone, go inside.”
Without even answering, the maids bowed their heads and rushed inside in a swarm.
A strange tension rippled through the air.
Adelheid watched the backs of the retreating maids until they completely vanished from sight, only then turning her gaze toward Dominic.
When their eyes met, Adelheid offered a faint smile.
Unlike yesterday, there was a chilling coolness to it.
“……Do not entertain them. I believe I told you before…… Captain Legenon, you are my escort.”
It sounded like a child throwing an unreasonable tantrum.
The familiar distaste he always felt when dealing with her crept up inside Dominic.
He replied in a rather stiff tone.
“I am Your Highness’s escort, not Your Highness’s property.”
“I never said you were my property. But shouldn’t my escort protect me?”
“Are you telling me to protect you from your own maidservants?”
“It is an order. Do not speak with anyone in this palace other than me.”
Adelheid was treating him like a servant, not a knight.
One wouldn’t even treat a pet this way.
She could not have been unaware of Dominic’s displeasure at this, yet she remained shameless.
“……I cannot understand your reasoning.”
“There is no need to understand. Did you come to Mont Palace because you understood the King’s orders? No, you didn’t. It is the same. Obey my command even if you do not understand it.”
He might be Adelheid’s escort, but he was not Adelheid’s knight.
An escort and a knight were by no means synonymous, and Dominic was the King’s knight, having sworn fealty only to his monarch.
Yet he offered no further rebuttal.
In any case, since the King’s decree made him Adelheid’s escort knight at least in name, her words were not entirely wrong.
“……Understood.”
At his reluctant response, Adelheid’s expression softened in an instant.
Then, with her usual gentle face, she casually stepped closer to him.
“I’m sorry for being so harsh.”
“It is fine.”
“Fine, indeed.”
Murmuring softly, Adelheid sat modestly upon the broad boulder.
Uncomfortable with her proximity, Dominic took an unnecessary step back and pressed against the wall.
Whether she noticed his reluctance or not, Adelheid stared at the gate and asked quietly,
“……Will the King visit today? It has been quite a while since his last visit.”
“He is likely busy. It has not been long since the war ended.”
Dominic’s words carried the implicit meaning that she should not summon the busy King for no good reason.
He did not want his lord to become so infatuated with a woman that he neglected affairs of state.
Even now, rumors were beginning to circulate that the King was neglecting governance.
But the King was ruthless and cruel, so no one dared voice their grievances before him.
“Then…… will he not be coming for the time being?”
“I do not know.”
“Could it be that he has found another woman?”
Dominic pressed his lips into a flat line before letting out an imperceptible sigh.
Adelheid merely gazed blankly at the closed door with an unreadable expression.
Her intricate gaze lingered across the surface of the door for a long while before slowly sliding downward.
“……What order did the King give you, Captain?”
“To guard the gate.”
“Meaning no one may leave, and no one may enter, except for the King.”
“…….”
“No outsiders will ever come here. All you have to do is watch those inside, Captain.”
“…….”
“There is a fairly sizable library inside. If you enjoy reading, you are welcome to use it whenever you like. At night, the palace itself is locked, so there is no need to guard the door.”
A handful of sunlight rested upon her beaming face.
“It is quite a boring place, after all.”
