Previously
Cecilia recalls a scene from the original novel where Emily is intimidated by the cold and obsessive Rosivius before being rescued by Leoport. In the present, Cecilia reflects on Rosivius's tragic past and realizes his eye color differs from the book's description, suggesting the story is changing.
“A guard your age? But don’t you already have your own knight detachment?”
Roselia—commander of the Holy Knights’ Third Battalion, which oversaw my personal guard squad—asked with concern.
She seemed surprised, as though there were an issue with the knights.
“It isn’t that I don’t trust them. It’s just… no other child my age is only ever surrounded by grown-ups.”
“That is for your safety, Cecil.”
“Still, like this, no matter how hard I try, I’ll never look like an ordinary girl…”
“There is no helping that. Even if you conceal your appearance, you are still an imperial princess.”
“I only worried about drawing unnecessary attention.”
“Having your knights with you is enough.”
…Yes, exactly as I expected.
At Roselia’s firm reply, Father merely nodded in agreement.
Steeling myself for the decisive stroke, I lowered my voice slightly.
“The knights… are so big… It feels embarrassing to walk beside them.”
Forgive me, Lancel, Branden! I have a grand plan…
At those words, Father and Roselia’s expressions clouded over.
‘There really is no denying it when I picture how towering and rugged they look on the training grounds…’
A pang of genuine guilt struck me.
As I silently apologized to them, a quiet fell over the table. Father broke it first.
“Or how about making a companion who is talented in the martial arts?”
“I need someone who can accompany me at all times. Noble children my age will be entering the Academy before long…”
I said, putting on a sorrowful face.
Even if imperial family members were allowed to attend the Academy, I would never be permitted to go.
‘Am I laying it on too thick…?’
Lowering my head, I toyed with my spoon and read the room. Meanwhile, Father and Roselia exchanged subtle glances.
They were willing to listen.
‘I’ve got their attention—half the battle is won!’
True, I had badgered them for months just to go outside, but… wasn’t it about time for the youngest daughter to show a bit of rebellion?
“Cecil, someone your age would barely be an apprentice, or at most a knight’s page.”
I smiled internally. Finally.
“Even a page would be fine. Besides, the Sixth Squad isn’t a combat unit, and they don’t have pages assigned to them. I’ve always noticed the knights handling chores all by themselves—”
“Your guard duty only takes eight hours, and they work in shifts. They have plenty of time.”
Roselia cut me off firmly.
‘Only eight hours…?’
True, their whole lives were their work, but… it didn’t sit right with me.
‘And it’s not as if they became knights just to watch over me…’
I had felt indebted to them in my heart for ten years.
“This isn’t just for my sake.”
I pressed on.
“I am ten now. My activities will only increase, and their workload will grow along with them.”
“Which is why we assigned eight guards to you until you come of age.”
Father nodded in agreement.
Eight guards really were quite a lot…
“Nor can we bring a total stranger into Freesia Palace out of nowhere.”
There it was—the biggest objection.
Everyone around me now had been handpicked by Roselia and my nanny.
“If I train those pages well, won’t they grow into dependable attendants even after I come of age?”
“Do you dislike the knights of the Sixth Squad?”
Roselia asked cautiously.
“Of course not.”
I smiled and added,
“But they won’t stay at Freesia Palace forever. Someday they must return to the First Battalion and support you once you become commander.”
Surprise registered on both their faces.
‘They didn’t expect me to say that.’
My squad wasn’t a combat unit; it was administrative. But they were far too talented to be kept here.
For their sake and for Roselia’s, they would have to leave one day.
“Cecil, they chose to serve you of their own free will.”
“But that was when I was very small.”
Roselia replied,
“Do you remember the storm when you were a year old?”
“…A little.”
“Back then, you asked that all the victims be treated equally.”
“Yes.”
“And among those victims were friends of your knights.”
“Perhaps…”
“Ever since that day, they resolved to serve you with all their hearts.”
“I was already in their debt to begin with…”
“That may be so, but they have never once taken their duty to protect you lightly.”
At Roselia’s words, a wave of warmth stirred in my chest.
I had merely spoken from the values of my past life, trying to look precocious and gain favor…
‘In truth, they said the imperial family’s decision back then moved the common folk, driving up enlistment from the lower classes into both the Holy Knights and the Imperial Army.’
Yet I had never imagined it would touch the hearts of the very people guarding me.
A strange tickle crept across my chest, and I twitched my interlaced fingers beneath the table.
“So, Cecil, there is no need to worry over them so much.”
“Still, I mean it when I say they should one day join you in the First Battalion, Sister!”
“Haha, it seems Cecil is already looking out for the future of her knights. You truly have become a lady.”
Father looked at me with pride. At the same time, he gave a slight nod to clear the soup and bring out dessert, dismissing the attendants from the room.
Once the servants withdrew, he turned to Roselia.
“Even so, there is some merit to what Cecil says. The current knight commander, Duke Carel, may well retire in a few years, will he not? Shouldn’t you start preparing?”
Yes, exactly. I nodded in agreement.
Roselia was originally supposed to become knight commander within ten years. Yet she remained in the Third Battalion solely to manage my guard squad.
‘Because she takes such immense pride in the duty of protecting me…’
Gratitude was one thing; duty was another.
Looking at her, I chimed in,
“I’m not saying to make the change right this moment. But when the day comes for the knights of the Sixth Squad to return to the First Battalion, wouldn’t it bring peace of mind if they handed their duties over to knights they had trained themselves?”
I delivered the line with my eyes shining in Cecilia’s signature innocence. Roselia gazed at me for a long moment, unable to hide her inner conflict.
Reassigning her subordinates, reshaping her own future… it was no simple choice. Yet nothing I had said was wrong.
A brief silence passed.
“…And you would select pages who could double as your playmates?”
Roselia said slowly, having mulled it over.
“Hehe, yes.”
“Well, you’ll be a young lady soon enough. You can’t go on trailing after those smelly old men forever.”
She teased in her usual deadpan, candid manner. Her rare gentleness made me smile happily.
“Very well. Let us grant Cecil’s wish and begin recruiting pages for the Sixth Squad.”
“Yay! Thank you, Sister! Thank you, Father!”
I clasped my hands together, my face beaming with delight as I looked back and forth between them.
And there it was—Cecilia’s ultimate charm offensive!
Seeing how thrilled I was, both of them broke into smiles.
‘In the end, this was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.’
My knights couldn’t stay by my side forever.
“Now then, how shall we recruit them? Should we summon some pages from the Imperial Army?”
“No!”
Oh dear, that came out a bit too fast.
Father gave me a startled look.
‘I won’t be able to bring Cain in like that.’
I quickly unfurled the next part of my plan.
“I want to give many people a chance, Father.”
“Many people?”
“Those who came to the capital despite harsh hardships, all to chase their dreams…”
Before long, an imperial edict was issued announcing the selection of apprentices for the Third Battalion’s Sixth Squad.
Children who traveled to the capital aspiring to become knights often worked as pages for nobles if they couldn’t get into the army.
‘And Cain was one of them before he became a knight…’
At first, the nobles wondered why an imperial decree would be issued merely to recruit pages for an insignificant unit. But the moment they learned it was the Fourth Princess’s personal guard squad, they began scouring the notice with keen interest.
“I prefer candidates from distant provinces. With no connections here, they’ll be far more loyal to me. And if they come from impoverished regions, it will make for a heartwarming story, too.”
The announcement caused quite a stir among the aristocracy.
Becoming a page to the Holy Knights was a guaranteed path to knighthood.
On top of that, it meant serving the Fourth Princess. Naturally, everyone scrambled to push forward someone they knew.
“They say Her Highness, the youngest princess, will personally sponsor pages from impoverished provinces!”
“And she’ll make them attendants to her knights—what remarkable foresight.”
“But what if their backgrounds can’t be verified?”
“They’ll bring letters of recommendation from their local lords. It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone.”
“Even the nobles who previously employed them will be rewarded.”
“Won’t some people try to take advantage of this?”
“Never. The Emperor would never permit such a thing.”
It quickly became the talk of high society. Rumors spread like wildfire across the capital… all in an overwhelmingly positive light.
“Thanks to the reputation I’ve built… and my fairy-like charms.”
“Anything I do turns into a lovely story.”
“Even if Cain hasn’t joined any noble house yet, with word spreading like this, he’ll certainly be able to apply.”