There is a prison in the castle basement. Currently, only a few petty thieves are locked up there.
Violent criminals are killed as soon as they’re caught, so it’s empty, but putting Lucas in there is a bit… I don’t want to get locked in there with the rats.
I answered vaguely.
“I will think about it.”
“Do you remember what you said when you chose me as your aide?”
Scarlett asked, staring straight at me.
At times like this, Scarlett looked just like a knight.
Even though she didn’t know how to use a sword at all.
“You told me to become your sword.”
I remember.
I told Scarlett to become my sword.
I told her to watch over me from my side, and if I were to head in the wrong direction, to stop me—even if it meant cutting off my head.
I told her to be the sword that cuts me down to protect this family. I wasn’t confident I could do well.
That’s why I wished someone would at least threaten to kill me.
“I haven’t forgotten that, but before such a thing happens, I wish you would open up to me. If we think about it together, won’t we find an answer?”
Scarlett’s remonstrance ended with words of worry for me.
I felt sorry for Scarlett.
I had burdened her with difficult tasks, yet I didn’t tell her anything honest regarding Lucas.
“I will try to be able to say it someday.”
“I will wait.”
I didn’t apologize.
Truly, I do intend to tell her someday.
With that, Scarlett didn’t mention Lucas again.
After finishing my morning work, I ate and went for a stroll.
I wondered where to go, so I headed to the training grounds.
I was curious if Lucas was wearing the crown properly and if he was doing well helping with the training.
Lucas was visible from afar at a glance.
He was tall, and the flowers were very eye-catching.
I didn’t intend to tease him, but with Lucas surrounded by knights, he looked just like a prince being courted.
Tyros discovered me and approached to greet me.
“You here?”
“Yes. Is Lucas doing well?”
“He always does well. And what in the world is that flower crown? You can’t imagine how surprised everyone was when they first saw it.”
As I got closer, the knights couldn’t even meet Lucas’s eyes.
Lucas was explaining something earnestly with hollow eyes. It was a bizarre sight.
“I had to give him a punishment, so I did. I thought it was a decent punishment, so why do the knights look more distressed?”
“A punishment is only a punishment if it makes you look ugly. If you know that, tell him to take off the crown. I can’t even look at his face. Can you?”
Why couldn’t they look?
Can’t you just look?
The knights who discovered me bowed and greeted me.
Lucas also saw me and bowed.
The moment he lifted his head, I averted my gaze without realizing it.
I realized what the phrase “dazzlingly beautiful” meant when I saw Lucas.
Literally, it was blinding.
Tyros was right.
A punishment should make you ugly; this was a punishment that made those watching feel even more tormented.
Lucas said to me, “Is something wrong?”
“Just… I was curious if you were doing well…” I said vaguely, trying to avoid his gaze.
Lucas looked even more beautiful under the sunlight.
It was as if a flower fairy had evolved into a god of flowers.
It wasn’t like this in the office, so I don’t know what happened.
Was light the key?
Was he looking this pretty just because of the sunlight?
You can kidnap a flower fairy, but if you dared to stare at a flower god, you’d probably go blind.
Lucas said grumpily, “I am wearing the crown well, as you ordered.”
“Are… are you uncomfortable?”
“The maid is skillful. It’s well-fixed so it’s comfortable. It’s not heavy, either.”
I was going to suggest he take it off by pretending to be considerate if he said it was uncomfortable or heavy, but now I didn’t even have a pretext.
I awkwardly nodded.
Lucas sensed something was strange and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Ye, yes. Then, I am fine.”
“If you are on a walk, shall I accompany you?”
He meant he would keep me company.
Tyros poked me in the side.
It was a signal to take him away and get out of there quickly.
“Sure. Let’s go together.”
Suddenly, I ended up taking Lucas for a walk.
We left the training grounds and walked toward the garden.
Lucas said, “When should I start teaching you swordplay?”
“Teach me whenever you’re comfortable.”
“Then, are you free this evening?”
“After dinner is fine. I’ll tell the butler, so let’s meet at my private training ground.”
It was a relief that we were walking side-by-side.
Since we were both looking straight ahead, there was no need for us to look at each other’s faces.
We just needed to walk like this until we reached the office.
As I was thinking that and feeling relieved, Lucas said, “It is so peaceful here that I feel strange.”
“Huh?”
“I have always lived my life blocking monsters.”
Coming from a battlefield to our quiet, secluded territory, it must feel unfamiliar.
“Everyone here is a good person. The knights are well-trained, too. I was thinking that if they harassed me, I would break one of their arms as an example, but no one did. I suppose it’s because you are such a good Captain of the Knights.”
He wasn’t feeling alienated; he was in awe. The knights… Tyros did train them well.
However, my conscience pricked me at the idea that they were all “good people.”
Lucas had been beaten severely by the attendants and servants not long ago.
There were good people, but I couldn’t say everyone was good.
“Still, just in case, be careful. You were hurt badly not long ago… It’s because I failed to manage them. It’s late, but I will apologize. I’m sorry.”
“I was the one who didn’t tell you. It’s also my fault. I underestimated them. I thought I could hold out.”
Still, hitting someone with a club, not just bare hands, was excessive.
So it was only right that I apologized.
“The person who was hit shouldn’t be saying things like that. I’ve dismissed everyone who caused trouble, so don’t worry.”
Lucas laughed softly and even brought up the past.
“I am also reflecting on the time I sparred with the Captain. There won’t be any more incidents like that in the future.”
“A, ah… no… why again? Why all of a sudden?”
“I felt like I wouldn’t be able to say it if I didn’t say it now. I apologized to the Captain as well.”
Lucas seemed liberated, or perhaps detached.
What had happened during the week I told him to rest?
Fearing something, I stopped walking and asked, “Are you not ill somewhere? Or… are you thinking of running away from here? Is this a final greeting before you leave?”
If that happened, it would be a disaster.
I’m sorry, but it’s all my responsibility, so I can’t let you go even if I die.
I’d have to break his ankles if I had to.
My own ankles… I’ll have to sacrifice one.
There is no other way.
I made up my mind firmly.
I won’t be lenient this time.
The fate of my family depends on this.
Lucas burst into laughter at the thought of what I might be thinking.
Then he spoke gently, “I think you’ve forgotten that you put a magical device on me.”
“…”
Indeed. Since he always has it on, I seem to have forgotten.
I felt embarrassed.
Lucas waited for me to calm down and said, “You told me you’d help me if I prepared here for a year. I have no intention of leaving for the time being.”
That’s a lie…
“…”
Scarlett said I was generous.
Am I really?
Could it be that I am the cruelest person in this world?
If Lucas knew, he would resent me.
He would resent and hate me.
It seems I have succeeded in taming a beast into a cat.
I should be happy, so what is this feeling?
My heart felt complicated.
Suddenly, I saw a butterfly flying by.
The butterfly drew closer to us and landed on the flower crown on Lucas’s head.
It must have been because of the scent of the flowers.
It was a dreamlike sight.
At that moment, Lucas smiled faintly.
I felt like touching him.
Even when I first saw him, I had wanted to reach out my hand and touch his face like I wanted to right now.
Lucas, who had been smiling, looked bewildered when my hand touched his cheek.
“Count?”
When I came to my senses, I was touching Lucas’s face outside without permission.
I hurriedly pulled my hand away and stepped back.
“I, um, this is…”
“Yes.”
Lucas waited for my words calmly.
He didn’t suspect me.
Receiving that gaze, which believed I would never harass him, made my face flush with heat.
“I, I’m sorry.”
I ran away. Like a fool.
