Translator: Nox

Chapter 46

#046. Affection Even for the Caught Fish

"Dian. Aren't you training?"

Howard nudged Dian. After Grand Duke and Madeleine left, the training grounds, which had resumed, were once again filled with noise. However, instead of blending into the noisy atmosphere, Dian stood facing the path towards the main castle, where His Highness and 'Madeleine' had disappeared.

As if unable to believe it, Dian's brown eyes stared blankly at the main castle.

"…Pleased to meet you, Miss. I am Dian Szelin, a Knight of Vikander, loyal to Grand Duke."

Morning training time. Leaving the lined-up Knights behind, Dian paid his respects to Madeleine. Her green eyes widened slightly. She seemed to remember their eye contact from last night. It was worth suppressing his anger to pay respects to Madeleine.

Olivia Madelaine.

The eldest Madeleine, head of the Emperor's faction, and the Crown Prince's fiancée.

At the same time, the sister of Jade Madeleine, the uncontrollable vice-commander of the Imperial Palace's Third royal guard.

And.

…A bewitching and headstrong bastard who arrogantly looks down on people with green eyes, the symbol of a lowly dancer.

Although he hadn't told anyone, Dian knew more about the rumors surrounding Olivia Madelaine than anyone else.

Even though he loathed the Imperial Palace, he would secretly gather information about her through Jade's newspaper whenever he went to the bar.

That's why Dian couldn't trust Madeleine.

Madeleine, who loved the Crown Prince so much that she even tolerated his lovers, suddenly changed her attitude and came down to Vikander with Grand Duke. She must be plotting something sinister.

Besides, according to the rumors, Madeleine should be lashing out at him right now.

Dian hoped that Madeleine would get angry at him. So that the beanstalks in the eyes of the respected Grand Duke could fall off.

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Szelin."

However, when Madeleine parted her lips, Dian's face twisted for a moment. Contrary to his expectations, it was a polite and courteous greeting.

This wasn't it. Dian inadvertently looked at Madeleine. At that moment, Dian felt as if his breath was caught in his throat.

Her green eyes, looking at him, were filled with a dignity that no one could easily disregard. Those eyes were clearly saying as they looked at Dian.

"I look forward to working with you."

Looking forward to working with him. What on earth did she mean? Dian hurriedly lowered his head without realizing it. Dian Szelin, the great, bowing his head first to someone other than Grand Duke, Bethany, and his sister, Daisy.

Belatedly cursing himself for his unsightly behavior, he raised his head, but His Highness and Madeleine had already entered the main castle.

Only then did Dian exhale, feeling a surge of shame, and glared at the main castle.

She's bewitching!

"Wow, damn it. What the, ack!"

Before he could finish speaking, Dian clutched his throbbing head. Not only had something strong hit him, but his knees were also kicked hard.

A heavy shadow fell over Dian, who had fallen to the training grounds in an instant.

"Watch your mouth about Madeleine."

It was Howard. Dian blinked. So, the person who knocked him down was Lord Interfield?

Howard nonchalantly tossed the large gauntlet he was holding with his characteristic indifferent face. Someone shouted, "Nice catch!"

Only then did he come to his senses. Dian, who quickly got up with agile movements, lowered his body and glared at Howard.

Howard shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his lips at Dian's reflexively assuming a battle stance.

Anyway, His Highness had a good eye. He scouted talented guys while wandering the battlefield and increased the power of the Grand Ducal family. Even picking up a dying guy turned out to be quite a venomous one.

Now his eye level and physique were equal to Howard's, but Howard still clearly remembered when he first found Dian.

A body so thin that you could clearly see his ribs puffing out with every breath. Bruises all over the place. And even the faint green eyes that were barely closing. The guys who surrounded Dian were loud even as they ran away.

"How dare you, a lowly green-eyed thing! Your mother abandoned you because you have green eyes, didn't she?"

Only when Dian growled lowly did Howard come out of his reverie and face Dian. The brown eyes in his fiercely raised eyes gleamed sharply.

"Now, Madeleine,"

"Not Madeleine, Miss."

But just because he felt sorry for his past didn't mean Howard had any reason to let him off. Especially if the target of his disloyalty was Madeleine to whom His Highness had sworn allegiance.

…Especially now that he had decided to pledge allegiance to Madeleine.

Howard snapped his fingers. At the same time, Dian's sun-tanned face turned as red as his red hair.

A tense atmosphere formed in an instant. Unlike Dian's angry panting, his brown eyes grew cold.

Soon, people gathered around Howard and Dian in a circle in the training grounds. Someone among them said to an apprentice Knight, putting on airs.

"Watch closely. Lord Interfield and Lord Szelin's bare-handed combat is the real deal."

"Surely not. But I heard that Lord Szelin is Lord Interfield's disciple. Would he be that harsh?"

The apprentice Knight shuddered and looked at the senior Knight. At the same time, seeing Lord Szelin rushing in as if to kill him, the apprentice Knight had to correct his thoughts.

Dian Szelin's fiery temper, who rushed in to tear apart the Heferti army on the battlefield, applied equally to the fearsome Howard Interfield.

* * *

Loud cheers echoed from the training grounds left behind.

Entering the garden of the main castle, Olivia glanced back. She could see sand dust swirling like a tornado in the wind. Amidst the enthusiastic cheers, she vaguely heard the names of Howard and Dian.

Dian. Dian Szelin.

Olivia repeated Dian's name in her mouth. Then, Edwin suddenly brought his face close to her.

Only 10cm away. Olivia caught her breath for a moment at the close distance where she could feel his long eyelashes fluttering.

Edwin tilted his beautiful face. Unlike his innocent expression, his red eyes were deeply sunken and persistently drew Olivia's gaze.

"If you're interested in Knights, there's one right next to you, Olivia."

It was a bewitching voice that made her ears tingle. The look in his eyes was incredibly sweet. Olivia inadvertently recalled last night. Feeling a strangely feverish gaze, Olivia looked elsewhere and replied.

"…Well, the Knight next to me is already so interested in me that I'm confident."

Unlike her playfully retorting voice, her peach-colored cheeks flushed red.

And Edwin loved that answer. Only now did it become clear that this suspicious Madeleine trusted his heart, even if indirectly.

Edwin swallowed his laughter and made a heartbroken expression.

"Does that mean you don't feed a fish you've already caught?"

"Of course not. I just want to love everyone in this Vikander where my fish lives, ah!"

Olivia, who was retorting to Edwin's words, was startled and widened her eyes. Her casually waving hand was caught by Edwin's hand.

It was the hand she held every time he escorted her, but for some reason, her heart pounded as if it was the first time. Edwin's hand felt particularly hot.

She couldn't still be drunk. She had tomato soup early in the morning.

Even though she tried to think of other things, she kept being conscious of Edwin's hand and gaze. The moment their eyes met, Olivia gasped. Edwin mischievously dragged out the end of his words.

"Why do you have such surprised rabbit eyes?"

"Because you suddenly grabbed it."

"So, do you dislike it?"

At the same time as his worried voice, the hand that had been firmly holding her loosened slightly. Feeling sorry for the hand that was retreating as if to let go at any moment, Olivia grabbed his hand again, and Edwin's eyes curved kindly.

"Knowing how to use me so easily."

Use him easily. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was out of breath.

But instead of speaking, Olivia pouted her lips.

"Welcoming you to love Vikander."

"……."

"As much as you care about the Territory of Vikander, show some interest in this caught fish too."

Olivia's cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple every time his intense gaze touched her. Edwin decided to play a trick, knowing that this rabbit-like Madeleine would run away, because he loved her small hand trembling in his hand so much.

"…To explain further for my shy Madeleine."

Edwin pulled Olivia's hand closer to him. When her surprised green eyes widened, Edwin kissed her delicate wrist, where her pulse was beating rapidly.

Only after the sound of his lips touching her skin echoed strangely did Edwin lower his eyes and let go of Olivia.

"I'm saying, cherish me properly."

A piece of red temptation hung on the end of his lips. His terribly languid voice rang in her ears.

Olivia, who pulled her arm away from Edwin's hand to her chest, felt that the tender flesh above the pulse inside her wrist was as hot as if it had been burned.

Not knowing what to say, Olivia turned around. Madeleine's elegant steps towards the Ducal Palace quickened.

As she ran past the passing servants and maids without knowing that they were bowing to her, she heard a loud laughter from behind.

.

.

.

"Madeleine?"

Bethany, who was sitting on the balcony, called Olivia with a puzzled face. Of the two people who had gone out together after breakfast, saying they were going to see the Knights, only Madeleine, with a flushed face, had returned, and the Grand Duke was nowhere to be seen.

"Yes? Ah, Bethany."

Her white and pretty face was somehow dazed and excited. It couldn't be the heat in this cool north. Suspecting, Bethany soon caught on and smiled subtly. As expected, Edwin's laughter was spreading pleasantly in the distance.

But Bethany, like a wise adult, pretended not to notice and pulled out Olivia's chair. Olivia, who sat down in the chair, fanned herself, acting hot.

"Did you see the Knights you can entrust with escorting well?"

"Ah, yes."

That's right. Only then did Olivia think again about why she had come to see the royal guard.

"Territory inspections are good too. However, go out with a dedicated lady-in-waiting and escort Knights."

She remembered what Edwin had said at breakfast. Recalling Edwin's voice, she felt an unknown heat rushing to her cheeks again. Olivia fanned herself and cleared her throat. Feeling Bethany's gaze on her strangely, Olivia said to herself.

"…The north isn't as cold as I thought."

"Not cold. That's a relief, Madeleine."

Olivia's conscience pricked a little at Bethany's face, which looked truly relieved. Olivia quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, how are dedicated ladies-in-waiting assigned? It's still ambiguous to receive a young lady from the families of vassals since I haven't become the Grand Duchess yet."

The Grand Duchess's dedicated lady-in-waiting was usually a young lady from the Grand Duke's vassal family. But Olivia knew very well that the Grand Duke's vassal families had also participated in the war in which the previous Grand Duke had died, and their lineages had been cut off one after another. She had spoken indirectly, so if Edwin came later, Bethany would take her side…

"Then I can take on the role of dedicated lady-in-waiting!"

Olivia blinked at Bethany's lively clapping.

"But, Bethany is a butler, a northern magician, and…"

Ah, right, there was one more thing.

"…You also have to do needlework."

But Bethany shook her head as if there was no problem.

"Don't worry. I originally came to Vikander as the dedicated lady-in-waiting of the late Grand Duchess."

The late Grand Duchess. The last princess of the ruined Duchy of Lowell.

Stories about the Duchy were generally treated as taboo. She heard that the reason why the late Grand Duke went to the battlefield was also because of the late Grand Duchess.

Olivia maintained her silence at the vaguely recalled story. Soon, Bethany's eyes, which had become moist, smiled brightly.

"…Ah! Madeleine, what about the escort Knights? I heard that you were comfortable with Winster in the Imperial Palace. Until he comes, will you have Howard as your dedicated Knight?"

Olivia didn't bother to ask about the late Grand Duchess. Instead, she looked at Bethany's face, which was full of longing, and smiled playfully.

"I want to get along with everyone."

Bethany tilted her head in confusion. What did getting along with everyone have to do with choosing an escort Knight? Then, she looked at Olivia with a look of, could it be.

Olivia widened her eyes and smiled as if she had guessed correctly, and nodded.

"I'm thinking, what if we take turns being escort Knights?"

"That's a good idea. Madeleine?"

"Starting with, Lord Szelin."

Olivia smiled and looked towards the training grounds. The moment she recalled Dian Szelin, who had been glaring at her, it was as if she could hear a faint scream from afar.