ATPL 16

Anais, no longer wanting to be the center of attention for the servants in the Great Hall, retreated to the drawing room. Anne, unable to step forward because of the jostling creditors, finally managed to bring the medical tools with a sigh of relief.

After the servants nervously served the tea, Anais untied her disheveled bonnet.

It was only when Anne gently dabbed the oozing wound with a gauze cloth that the pain truly hit.

“Ouch.”

Elliot sighed as he watched her wince in pain.

“Shall I come back later?”

It was a thoughtful suggestion, knowing Anais might prefer not to reveal her wounds. However, Anais looked at him and sighed.

“Thank you. I owe you more than words can say.”

“…Yes.”

His words conveyed the understanding that he didn’t need to leave and his appreciation of her gratitude. Elliot sat down in front of her.

“Isn’t Eternal Snow the heirloom of the Resaloniki family?”

“It is.”

“I’ll ask directly. Why did you do it?”

“Because Lady Fleur was being treated unfairly.”

Atlas, standing behind, raised an eyebrow.

He worried that Elliot might mention the magic word, but Elliot said no more.

“Just because Anais was being treated unfairly?”

“There is also the reason I need to bring you before the Dragon Lord.”

It made some sense but still didn’t quite add up. Was he truly risking the heirloom just for that reason? The entire Resaloniki name?

Some might think so, but Anais knew better. She was the daughter of Belfast.

A place where sailors came and went, and where rough men could easily be seen just by walking to the port in front of her house.

People from Belfast, used to the harsh sea winds, didn’t act without clear reasons.

Even those who loved Anais were no exception. People often called her the princess of the Belfast social scene, hoping to get a piece of the Fleur family’s fortune.

Anais was no stranger to such calculations.

However, Elliot Lesaloniki was beyond Anais’s calculations. She understood that the Dragon King maintained order across the continent and that the Black Dragon Knight Order followed him, but she still couldn’t fully grasp the motivation.

Why would Elliot risk his heirloom to help her because she was treated unfairly?

But in reality, Elliot had helped Anais, and now she was sitting in front of him. She truly wanted to understand why.

‘But I don’t understand!’

“Look, miss. It may be hard to believe, but the Black Dragon Knight Order is a place of righteousness. We always follow what is ‘right’.”

“Atlas.”

Atlas stepped forward, clearly frustrated, but Elliot held him back.

Anais, however, suddenly spoke up. A look of realization crossed her face.

“Perhaps…”

“Perhaps?”

Elliot was intrigued, but if he had known what Anais was about to say, he would have reconsidered.

“Excuse me, sir. Have you perhaps been in love with Anais for some time?”

Atlas made a choking sound, and Anne flinched, her attention still on Anais’s cheek. Elliot, meanwhile, looked completely caught off guard.

“What?”

He stared at Anais as if she had just said something unbelievable. But Anais blinked as if to say, “Why not?”

“Isn’t that so?”

For Anais, it seemed like a very plausible guess. After all,

‘Anais, listen. This old man hesitates to say this, but if a man generally does something you like, it’s because he likes you!’

‘Really?’

‘Eighty percent of the time! The other twenty percent is because he wants to marry you and swallow the Fleur family! Those scoundrels!’

In conclusion, her grandfather insisted that all men had some ulterior motive toward her, so she should not fall for it.

And the men of Belfast acted exactly as he described.

Therefore, all the kind actions shown to Anais always seemed to have a hidden agenda.

Picking up a handkerchief, offering a gift, or asking to kiss her hand.

However, Anais had noticed that Elliot Resaloniki was different.

‘The Resaloniki family is much better than ours. They don’t need to swallow the Fleur family!’

“So, the only thing left is that Sir Elliot must have been in love with the adorable and lovely Anais, hearing of her charms. Anais has that much discernment.”

“You seem to misunderstand the meaning of discernment.”

Elliot rubbed his face, exasperated.

“I didn’t even know your name before coming here.”

“Oh, even the young master of the Thompson family, who always followed behind Anais trying to pick up her handkerchief, said the same thing.”

“Commander, if you permit, I will officially consider filing a defamation suit against the Belfast Royal Family. Calling Belfast a backwater…”

“Calling Belfast a backwater! Where is the lieutenant from?”

“From the capital!”

“The imperial capital is a backwater compared to Belfast?!”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

“In Belfast, Anais is the standard!”

“Who says so? When and where?”

“I, Anais, say so! Right now, in the Fleur mansion!”

Elliot’s head spun. As Anais and his lieutenant bickered, he didn’t have the energy to intervene and explain, “Unfortunately, Lady Fleur is not my type…”

In truth, he found it rude to discuss his preferences in front of a lady.

However, seeing Anais hold her cheek and say, “Oh, the popularity of Anais,” made him reconsider whether she deserved to be treated as a lady by Elliot Resaloniki.

His lieutenant, Atlas, would certainly disagree.

“Do you know how many marriage proposals Anais has received from central imperial noble families ?”

“Our commander has probably received far more proposals than those!”

“But since the commander likes Anais, Anais wins?”

Even as Elliot was in agony, his proud lieutenant and Anais Fleur continued their pointless bickering.

Eventually, Elliot came to a conclusion. The best way to handle this kind of endless bickering was simply not to feed it.

“Regardless, it has nothing to do with Lady Fleur needing to go before the Dragon King. So…”

But Anais was a lady who could create something out of nothing.

“What are you talking about? It matters! How can I travel with a man who likes Anais?”

Atlas shouted.

“The Black Dragon Knight Order is not a group of bandits kidnapping women! We are just protecting Lady Fleur!”

“I swear I didn’t accuse you of being bandits! I know Sir Resaloniki has shown me great kindness! I am not someone who repays kindness with enmity!”

“You don’t seem to know that!”

“But the previous head of the Resaloniki family ended up marrying Princess Lidens, didn’t he?”

Elliot had often resented his parents’ fame.

But never more than in this moment.

In any case, his father had fallen in love with the woman he was protecting, and ended up marrying, violating many aspects of chivalry.

Elliot clutched his throbbing head and said,

“I swear I will not lay a finger on Lady Fleur, so please rest assured.”

Then, gritting his teeth, he added,

“I never thought I’d make this kind of vow as the commander of the Black Dragon Knight Order.”

Anais tilted her head nonchalantly.

“Even if you don’t lay a finger, you could still like Anais in your heart, right?”

At that moment, if the Black Dragon had been present, the Dragon King would have surely clapped its giant clawed forefoot and burst out laughing.

To shake Elliot Resaloniki like this!

The southernmost region of the continent had certainly hidden a remarkable woman, he might have thought. That’s how annoying it was.

Why add another reason to doing the right thing?

The words, “Lady Fleur, have you never received natural kindness and good intentions from people in your life?” rose to his throat.

But he knew that if he started arguing again, it would never end.

In any case, Elliot wanted to leave Belfast as quickly as possible. That’s why he had driven out the creditors, even embedding the Eternal Snow in the Great Hall.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and answered,

“I! Will! Absolutely! Not like you, so please! Rest assured!”

Atlas clicked his tongue.

To make the commander, harassed by ladies begging him to like them, say such things… Anais was certainly no ordinary lady.