NRAL | Chapter 145

Chapter 145 

A New Relationship 

Russell was moved almost to tears, slowly lifting his large body upright when—

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded, and a maid’s unfamiliar voice came from behind the door.

“His Highness’s aide and direct knight have arrived.”

“Oh. They’re my colleagues. They’re the people who work closest to His Highness, so they said they should come greet you since you’ll be seeing them often.”

Russell explained with a bright smile.

Come to think of it, Karsian had said something similar before: that Russell was one of the three subordinates he trusted most, and the other two would be introduced once she arrived at Royster.

“Please, come in.”

When Eleanor gave permission, two men stepped into the room.

A red-haired man and a blonde man wearing glasses each bowed in turn.

“Greetings. I am Seth Merveny, a direct knight serving the Grand Duke.”

“And I am Adrian Light, working as His Highness’s aide. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

Did he choose the people by their looks?

As she listened to the introductions, the thought rose naturally in her mind.

It wasn’t without reason. Including Russell, the three men standing before her all had appearances that were far above average. If Russell had a refreshing, open, and cheerful handsomeness, then Seth was a slim, sharp-eyed, rebellious-looking beauty for a knight. In contrast, Adrian had the gentle charm of a calm librarian.

‘Hmph! They’re all well enough, but none of them beat Sir Ernst.’

Hilda unexpectedly felt proud as she thought of Ernst. Just like Ernst was secretly fond of Hilda’s fiery personality, being surrounded by strangers in a strange place made her feel even more attached to someone from the same homeland.

“I’m Eleanor. I look forward to your help.”

Eleanor bowed her head lightly and quietly observed Seth and Adrian.

Adrian, the aide, looked warm and kind, but Seth’s silver-gray eyes were filled with wariness directed completely at her. Perhaps because of his sharp features, his suspicion seemed even stronger than when she first met Russell.

She decided she should keep a low profile for a while. She was thinking just that when Seth suddenly spoke.

“From now on, either Russell or I will be in charge of guarding you, my lady. Please choose whichever of us you prefer.”

“Oh—I already have a personal knight, so that won’t be necessary.”

Maybe he didn’t like that answer, because Seth’s already sharp eyes became even fiercer.

“…I do not doubt your knight’s abilities, but in Royster it is unthinkable for a noble of your status to be guarded by only one person. Someone from Juvenile would also need time to understand Royster’s environment. And this order comes directly from His Highness the Grand Duke. So I must ask you to choose one of us.”

Ernst frowned deeply.

‘How dare this mere knight…’

How dare he show such an insolent attitude to the lady? Anger surged inside him, his body tensing sharply.

In truth, Seth’s tone was only a bit stiff—he was still polite. And calling him “a mere knight” was inaccurate; Seth was one of the three most skilled knights in all of Royster.

But Ernst was furious simply because Seth had shown a harsh expression toward Eleanor. He looked ready to challenge him to a duel at any moment.

To prevent such trouble, Eleanor quickly answered.

“I don’t mind either of you. Please assign whomever is less busy.”

“…Very well. We will discuss it and inform you soon.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

After the short conversation, heavy silence filled the spacious bedroom.

Seth and Ernst exchanged looks sharp enough to spark a fire, while Russell and Adrian glanced nervously at Eleanor, checking her reaction.

Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, Adrian smiled gently and spoke.

“The head butler and the chief maid will attend to you with all sincerity, of course, but since the three of us are the people closest to His Highness, if you ever need anything, please come to us. If it’s something requiring strength, call these two. If it needs thinking, call me.”

Unlike Seth, his tone was remarkably kind. At least Adrian didn’t seem to dislike Eleanor.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, my lady. You must be tired after your journey, so we’ll take our leave here. Please rest well.”

“We’ll see you again soon, my lady!”

Adrian bowed politely, followed by Russell’s loud, boisterous farewell. Seth simply gave a curt nod and exited.

Thud.

The soft sound of the door closing echoed behind them.

At the same moment, the three most famous men in Trava Palace—after Karsian—strode down the hallway.

They only spoke once they reached Adrian’s office.

“She seems nicer than expected, don’t you think?”

Russell immediately spoke up, unable to hold back, and Seth frowned hard.

“I knew it. You already fell for her just because she smiled?”

“Don’t call her ‘that woman’! Watch your mouth. She’s His Highness’s intended partner. And you can feel it, can’t you? She’s nothing like the villainess from the rumors.”

“Hah. You’ve known her for what—two days? And you’re already attached? Get a grip, Russell Kaur. Your duty is to protect His Highness, not follow behind a woman grinning like an idiot.”

“…What?”

“Honestly. How did you even become a knight with that half-empty head of yours?”

“You bastard—!”

An enraged Russell lunged, reaching for Seth with his enormous hand. Despite the intimidating size difference, Seth only snorted, completely unfazed.

It looked like they would start punching each other at any moment, but Adrian, clearly used to this sort of scene, stepped in quickly.

“Both of you, stop. If you have that much energy, I’ll ask His Highness to give you both a special sparring session.”

At the words special sparring, Russell and Seth shut their mouths immediately. Though it was called sparring, it was really one-sided beating—practically torture. They had no intention of suffering through that again.

“Seth, you should choose your words more carefully. If His Highness heard what you just said, you wouldn’t survive the day. And earlier, that glaring contest with the lady’s knight—why do you insist on acting without thinking?”

“He spoke arrogantly first.”

“Please. You’re the one who looks more fragile.”

A childish argument? Russell snorted. This time Seth grabbed him by the collar.

Adrian sighed heavily, his patience thinning.

“According to the reports, that knight is well-known in Juvenile too. He’s someone the young lady trusts deeply. Don’t provoke him.”

“Hmph. Being famous in Juvenile means nothing.”

“And just as Russell said, many rumors about the young lady are false. So don’t judge her by gossip. Watch her yourself.”

Adrian Light, the Grand Duke’s direct aide, held more information than anyone in Royster. He was the only one in the palace who knew Eleanor’s true circumstances. Karsian had ordered him to investigate her years ago.

That was why his attitude toward her was unusually gentle. He knew how difficult her life had been. And he felt guilty, knowing he had hidden her situation from Karsian for years for the sake of peace.

“…Besides, the most important thing is His Highness’s feelings, isn’t it? You both know very well how deeply he cares for her.”

The three men all thought of Karsian at the same time. Adrian remembered how Karsian nearly expelled him when he found out Adrian had hidden information about Eleanor. Russell and Seth recalled the terrifying moments they had seen from Karsian before.

They didn’t know everything—but one truth was painfully clear.

Karsian loves Eleanor more fiercely than anyone.
And at the same time, he is obsessed with her. If anyone displeased her even slightly, Karsian would remove them without hesitation.

“So please—behave normally. Don’t get too close, don’t be rude. Just… normal.”

Adrian advised sincerely. But even as he said it, he knew neither knight was likely to listen.

One would get too friendly and annoy Karsian.
The other would be overprotective and cause trouble.

His predictions were usually accurate — and this time would be no exception.

* * *

Eleanor didn’t get to have dinner with Karsian that evening.

That afternoon, a group of demonic beasts descended from the Stella Mountains and appeared near Royster Castle.

For trouble to strike the very day Karsian arrived… in a way, it was good luck. If he had arrived even a day later, the damage would have been far worse without him.

So Eleanor spent the day without seeing him, and the next day he still hadn’t returned. Someone else had to give her the promised tour of the castle.

That much was fine. She wasn’t childish enough to complain about something with unavoidable circumstances. It didn’t matter who showed her around anyway.

“Seth Merveny, greeting you again, my lady. I will guide you through the castle.”

But the person giving the tour was someone who clearly disliked her—a bit troubling, honestly.

“For your information, I will also be in charge of your protection from today onward.”

And if she had to see that person every day? Even more troubling.

‘I thought Russell would be assigned as my guard…’

Even at a glance, it was obvious how much Seth distrusted her. She assumed Russell would be chosen because of that. She hadn’t chosen on purpose because the answer seemed obvious.

But Seth was even more determined to be wary of her than she expected. Claiming Russell was too soft to be left by her side, he volunteered for the position.
In other words — to watch her closely.

“I look forward to working with you.”

The red-haired knight brushed back his hair neatly, his gray eyes glinting coldly.

Though his words were polite, the stiff expression showed no intention of hiding his distrust. His aura felt strangely oppressive—as if he was trying to dominate the atmosphere from the start.

But Eleanor had been through too much in life to shrink back from something like that.

“And I look forward to working with you as well.”

She had promised herself she would behave quietly here.

But Hilda knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise for long.

Eleanor was the type to stay quiet like a gentle lamb—
But when cornered, she turned into a clever fox who lured her opponent straight into a trap.

Royster would be no exception.
Hilda predicted as much, and like Adrian’s predictions, hers was usually correct.