“Commander Gabriel, you’ve arrived.”

Gabriel, who entered the Guardian Knights’ headquarters, lifted his gaze to look at Renart.

“Is Randolph inside?”

“Yes, he’s waiting for you.”

The place Renart indicated with his eyes was the commander’s office. Gabriel let out a soft breath before moving his feet.

“You come along too.”

Renart, who had bowed his head, followed behind Gabriel and stepped ahead to open the door of the commander’s office.

“Come in and have a seat, Gabriel. Are you on your way back from an audience with His Majesty the Emperor?”

“That’s right. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Randolph, who had set down his teacup, let out a short laugh.

“You still don’t like staying with the Guardian Knights, do you?”

“Isn’t it mutually uncomfortable for both of us?”

The smile faded from Randolph’s lips.

At one time, both men were knights belonging to the Guardian Knights.

There was a time when they bickered over who would become the commander, but Gabriel, with his open-minded thinking, dreamed of change, and the conservative Guardian Knights did not respond to that.

In the end, Gabriel left the Guardian Knights of his own accord, and he still looked unfavorably upon the Guardian Knights, which only allowed men of noble birth to join.

‘That goes beyond simple discrimination; it’s a case of missing out on talent hidden behind class and gender.’

Gabriel, stroking his beard, swallowed a bitter smile.

“…His Majesty the Emperor is greatly concerned, so it seems we should move up the subjugation of the magical beasts. What do you think?”

Randolph spoke cautiously.

“I agree. Given the unusual situation, it would be best to depart as soon as possible.”

“The Guardian Knights have already compiled a list.”

Gabriel nodded at Renart’s careful words as he stood stiffly beside the sofa.

“The White Knights will also compile a list soon.”

“By the way, I heard that it was a female knight from the White Knights who slew the magical beast this time. Is that true?”

“That’s right. It was Dame Rosebelia Winters from our order.”

Renart, who had been quietly listening to the two men’s conversation, widened his eyes.

‘Rosebelia Winters… ‘

She was the noble young lady of the Winters family who had saved Daisy in the square.

“Are you perhaps referring to the noble young lady of the Winters family?”

“I thought you might think differently, but it seems the thoughts of Guardian Knights are all the same.”

“Pardon?”

Gabriel burst into laughter as he observed Renart’s expression, which seemed not to understand what the problem was.

“I’m not talking about a noble young lady right now, but about the knight Rosebelia Winters who slew the magical beast that appeared in the village. I’d appreciate it if you used the proper title in official settings.”

“Use the proper title? Is there a separate title for female knights? As you know, we don’t have any female knights in our Guardian Knights…”

Renart’s brow furrowed gradually at Randolph’s words as he stroked his beard.

“There’s no difference in title for female knights. Don’t we generally attach the title ‘Sir’ to knights?”

“That may be so, but how can we call a lady ‘Sir’ no matter what?”

Randolph rubbed his forehead as if troubled. Gabriel, who had been watching this, swallowed a low sigh.

“Rosebelia Winters is clearly a woman, but she is undoubtedly a knight. And His Majesty the Emperor also referred to her as Dame Rosebelia Winters. Are you saying you can’t address her that way?”

The commander’s office fell silent at Gabriel’s rebuke. Randolph quickly opened his mouth after observing Gabriel’s hardened expression.

“If His Majesty addressed her that way, then we should do the same. But won’t the lady feel uncomfortable hearing it?”

“Don’t worry. The knights I know in our White Knights would much prefer the title ‘Sir’ to ‘Lady’.”

At that moment, Renart’s lips parted slightly. Recalling how he had addressed Rosebelia, Renart pressed his forehead.

‘I either omitted her title or called her Lady Winters.’

He had been treating Rosebelia as a noble young lady rather than a knight without even realizing it. He might have unconsciously hesitated over how to address her and ended up treating her as a noble young lady.

In fact, Rosebelia was the first female knight Renart had properly encountered.

He knew there were female knights in the City Guard or the White Knights, but they were so few in number that he never had the chance to meet one.

‘Even so, I should have addressed her as Sir. Why did I do that?’

Was it because he first met Rosebelia at a banquet? To say it was because the image of Rosebelia in a dress was deeply imprinted…

Renart shook his head briefly. No matter what reason he gave, it was nothing more than an excuse.

This was not just his clear mistake, no, it was intentional, born from his own prejudice.

The reason he tried to stop Daisy from learning the sword without thinking was because he had the underlying thought that ladies do not suit swords.

From a very young age, he had been taught that women were beings that men should protect, and he had taken that teaching for granted.

“You there, why are you like that?”

Renart, who had been roughly rubbing his cheek, bowed his head deeply to Gabriel.

“I have received a great lesson from you, Commander. To think that Dame Rosebelia Winters single-handedly slew the magical beast that even the Guardian Knights and City Guard couldn’t handle. She must be truly exceptional.”

Gabriel’s face brightened for the first time as praise for Rosebelia came from Renart’s mouth.

“You’ll see for yourself when we go on the magical beast subjugation together this time.”

*

“Ho ho, Nathan, to think you had such a misunderstanding.”

“You had the prejudice that someone more skilled than you couldn’t possibly be a woman, right?”

Nathan’s face reddened at Ian’s question.

“To be honest, I didn’t dare imagine it could be a woman. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“I hear from Commander Gabriel that it was a female knight from the White Knights who slew the magical beast that came down to the village this time…”

Before Callisto could finish speaking, Ian answered.

“That’s right. It was Dame Rosebelia Winters, who Nathan misunderstood, who slew it.”

Nathan, who had been hanging his head in remorse, suddenly lifted it slightly and asked.

“Your Highness, wouldn’t the title ‘Sir’ be disrespectful to a lady, even if she is a knight?”

“Being a woman doesn’t mean she’s not a knight. Then what should we call her?”

Ian asked back with furrowed brows.

“…That’s true.”

“Ho ho, to easily defeat you in a duel and even slay a magical beast alone, she must be a knight of truly great skill. A female knight is still a knight, so of course we should address her as ‘Sir’.”

“You are indeed wise.”

Callisto quietly observed Ian, who was now smiling from ear to ear.

“Ian.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ian also faced Callisto, who was sitting in front of him. He could feel the deep anxiety permeating the gaze looking at him, even if others couldn’t.

“Are you feeling alright? Nothing unusual anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good then. There’s not much time left until your twenty-second birthday, so we just need to wait a little longer.”

Callisto often said such incomprehensible things like this.

He would come secretly like today and ask if there were any changes in his body, and when told there was nothing unusual, he would show visible relief before leaving.

“You still can’t tell me?”

“When the time comes, I’ll tell you everything.”

Callisto, with a somewhat relieved face, stood up and turned to Ian again. His eyes were filled with mirth.

“As a father, I’m glad that you’ve taken a liking to someone.”

“What do you mean? Taking a liking…”

Callisto pressed his forehead as he observed Ian’s bewildered expression.

“Don’t tell me you don’t even know your own feelings yet?”

“…”

“If Violet were alive, she would surely have liked it.”

Ian’s eyes sank wistfully at the name Violet.

Unlike the current empress who was a political marriage partner, Violet was the only empress Callisto had personally chosen and Ian’s birth mother.

“You must guard it well.”

Callisto lightly patted Ian’s shoulder before leaving the office.

Forgetting even to offer a farewell greeting, Ian sank into thought alone.

“My feelings…”

“Don’t tell me you really don’t know?”

Ian tilted his head at Nathan’s sudden words.

“What exactly don’t I know?”

Unable to bear it any longer, Nathan rushed up to Ian. As if trying to express his frustration, Nathan beat his chest before finally opening his mouth.

“How do you feel when you think of Lady Rosebelia?”

“Lady Rosebelia?”

As Ian frowned with one eyebrow, Nathan cleared his throat and answered.

“I’m not part of the knights, and she is clearly a noble young lady, so it’s fine to call her that, isn’t it? I’m not used to the title ‘Sir’ yet.”

“Then use her full name.”

“Yes, yes. How do you feel when you think of Rosebelia Winters?”

Ian’s prominent Adam’s apple moved greatly. The first thing that came to mind was her face looking up at him with round eyes in his arms.

Following that, as he recalled her small body fitting snugly into one of his arms and her breath that had lingered near his lips, his heart began to race as if it weren’t his own.

‘Why am I like this again?’

As soon as Ian clutched his chest, Nathan nodded as if he had expected this.

“This is surely a miracle.”

“A miracle?”

“I thought I would never see Your Highness take someone to heart before I died.”

“…Take to heart?”

So.

Taking to heart means…

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“…”

Speaking of admiration…

“You’ve begun your first love.”