Chapter 7
A person who is upright and steadfast, knowing how to bow and show respect even to a criminal who threatened the throne.
I chose him out of the belief that a man with such convictions would at least not violate me or mindlessly assassinate me. Furthermore, the Black Eagle Knights were a unit directly under the King’s command, composed only of the best knights in the royal family. Since the current Commander of the Black Eagle Knights is nearing retirement, this man before my eyes is scheduled to rise to the position of Commander within the next few years.
In other words, Lucian is the finest knight in Elobis—a giant who will hold immense power and the heavy duty of being responsible for the security of the entire royal family in the future. Moreover, he is widely praised as the model of a knight for his characteristic silent loyalty.
“I’m sure you’re not thrilled, but I look forward to working with you, Sir.”
“Yes, Princess.”
When Ioreth held out her hand, Lucian obediently kissed the back of it. However, there was not a hint of goodwill in the gaze he directed toward her. But then, from the start, no one in this royal castle looked upon Ioreth with favor. The reality of it stung her heart once again.
Ioreth returned to her quarters with Lucian. Lucian seemed somewhat surprised by the interior of the gloomy tower. The only servant in the tower was the single Chief Chamberlain.
“Are there no other maids?”
“There were, but not anymore. She was kicked out today.”
It wasn’t as trivial a matter as she made it sound. Even looking from the doorway, one could never imagine Ioreth’s bedroom was the residence of a princess. Gloomy stone walls, old furniture, and a floor that radiated a chill. There wasn’t even a fire lit in the fireplace. It was a tiny room without even a separation between the living area and the bed.
The only thing worth looking at was a single, luxurious wedding dress hanging on a rack in the corner. Even that looked ridiculous because it didn’t match this shabby room.
“Your room is on the floor below, and you should bring whatever items you need to live there yourself. I’m sorry, but there are no servants or squires here to attend to you.”
Then what exactly is here? Lucian was bewildered.
“Then who attends to the Princess…?”
Ioreth, who had walked into the bedroom first, stared intently at Lucian. Lucian was doubly flustered by her gaze. Who? Surely not me?
Ioreth answered casually.
“I told you. The only person who did those things was kicked out today.”
“The only one? Do you mean to say you do not keep any other servants?”
“Yes. You just need to light the fire in the fireplace and heat my bathwater. I’ll do the rest.”
“It is highly prone to misunderstanding for a guard to enter the Princess’s quarters without cause.”
Lucian’s tone became stiff. Ioreth didn’t know it yet, but rumors that she was committing immoral acts in the tower had been spreading among the royal servants since last year. The theory that her conduct was the reason why she suddenly broke off her engagement with Duke Valere, and why the Crown Princess pushed for a marriage with the elderly Earl Castlein, was quite popular.
Starting with her mother, Queen Charlotte, who was ousted due to a scandal with a guard, for that reason, no knight in the castle wanted to be entangled with Princess Ioreth.
“It doesn’t matter, since there is no one to spread rumors. Even the Chief Chamberlain barges in whenever he likes. Benedix, too, always…”
Ioreth trailed off as she replied flatly. A useless memory had surfaced. An awkward silence passed for a moment. It was not a silence that favored Ioreth. Lucian’s tone turned even more aggressive.
“Humoring the Princess’s personal curiosity is not within the scope of my guard duties. I have no wish to bring shame upon the Princess’s dignity, nor do I have any intention of lowering the prestige of the Knights. If you truly wish, I will bring a servant from the main palace.”
“Personal curiosity? Are you afraid I might drag you into my bed?”
Lucian answered by not answering. Ioreth, who had suspected as much, gave a hollow laugh. Ah, Catherine.
‘That damn woman…’
She was the one who stole someone else’s fiancé, yet she framed me with such scandals? It was obvious that all the nobles entering the castle knew this false rumor, even if it hadn’t reached the King’s ears. Ioreth’s insides began to boil.
“Sir, how old are you?”
“I am twenty-five.”
“I am eighteen. My birthday hasn’t passed yet.”
“…Pardon?”
“Are you so unscrupulous that you view a young princess, who isn’t even an adult yet, as a woman?”
Lucian was, for once, lost for words. The Princess was looking at him as if he were trash rolling around on the side of the road.
“Believe it or not, I have no desire to be vulgarly entangled with anyone.”
“Vulgarly…”
“Besides, if I were performing such filthy acts with someone in a cold, cramped place like this, would that really be by my will? In a place where a servant can’t even enter without my sister’s permission? It would be one thing if I were a victim, but ‘performing’ them?”
“What? What do you mean by that…?”
“Sir Ferrain. Are you of the same sort as those perverts or people with abnormal sexual desires? Did I choose the wrong person?”
Perverts, abnormal sexual desires—. Lucian fumbled, unable to answer quickly. He was a man born into a prestigious family and raised as an elite knight. Although it didn’t show on the outside, his mind was reeling at a treatment he had never experienced or heard of in his life. More than that, what did she mean by being a “victim”? Surely…
However, when the Princess interpreted Lucian’s silence, she strode past him and out into the hallway. There wasn’t even time to stop her.
“Fine. I will go to the main palace right now and ask Father to change my guard. It seems Sir Ferrain is a very low-quality person, contrary to the rumors—”
“I will!”
Lucian hurriedly blocked the Princess’s words. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had been caught. But it was too late to turn back.
“I… spoke out of turn. Please forgive me. I will take any punishment.”
The Princess stood still for a while without responding. It was hard for Lucian to guess what thoughts were floating around in that small head. Before long, Ioreth murmured gloomily with slumped shoulders.
“Just light the fire in the fireplace, then. I won’t ask for more.”
“Yes. I will also prepare the bathwater immediately.”
“…Right, thank you.”
Returning to the room, Ioreth buried herself in an old armchair. Buried in the backrest where the cushions had all gone flat, her body was barely visible. Lucian could not easily take his eyes off that weary figure.
‘Was she eighteen…’
His mouth felt bitter with dismay. He felt he had said things he shouldn’t have to a girl who wasn’t even an adult yet. Born with a sense of justice, he was infinitely weak toward the vulnerable—it was his strength and his weakness at the same time. After hesitating for a while, Lucian finally crossed the threshold of the door.
There were only a few things Lucian had to do as the Princess’s guard. When the sun rose, he would knock on the Princess’s bedroom door, enter the room, check the fireplace, and quietly leave. Surely the fire must have gone out at least once during the night, so the Princess was likely rekindling it herself. If the maids at the main palace saw this, they would fall over in shock.
Princess Ioreth spent most of her time inside her room, except for when she ate in the dining room at the bottom of the tower. During that time, Lucian guarded the outside of her bedroom.
“You don’t need to work so hard, Vice Commander. That Princess has nothing to do and knows how to do nothing anyway. She’s someone who doesn’t say a single word all day.”
The Chief Chamberlain yawned widely and glanced sideways at the bedroom door. The way he hung around the Princess’s room was subtly irritating.
“Do you have business with the Princess? I will convey it.”
“Ah, well. It’s nothing special. I was thinking of giving her some snacks. Usually, Duke Valere would bring refreshments, but since the engagement was broken, he’s been quite scarce.”
“I will take them in, so please prepare them.”
“Goodness, I’ll report to the Crown Princess myself, so just go get some fresh air for a while…”
It seemed the Chief Chamberlain was also one of the Crown Princess’s people. When Lucian remained unmoved, the Chamberlain clicked his tongue. Lucian watched the back of the Chamberlain’s head as he grumbled and moved away down the stairs, lost in thought.
‘So it means no one enters this place except for Duke Valere. And even he hasn’t visited in a long time. Then why did the rumors of the Princess being promiscuous spread? Unless someone intentionally spread them…’
Just before Lucian came to the tower, Crown Princess Catherine had called him and ordered:
“While you are guarding Ioreth, watch her every move closely. Observe everything—whether she does anything suspicious, whether she tries to contact someone, or whether she writes a letter to anyone. And report to me immediately on the day your duty as a guard ends.”
He had thought it was an order to manage the reputation of a beloved younger sister, but from the beginning, everything happening in this tower was under the Crown Princess’s permission and silent approval. The Princess had described everything here as being a “victim.”
‘Could it be that something happened that should never have happened…?’
If she had been violated, or at least had been living in such danger? Had the Crown Princess been standing by and watching such a situation all this time? An irreverent suspicion reared its head. Lucian gritted his teeth.
He needed to closely grasp the situation during this week. He could not tolerate such a disgraceful thing happening, at least while he was guarding her. Never.
