I carefully sat on my bed. So as not to wake the Grand Duke. Then I quietly gazed at his sleeping face.

The sleeping Grand Duke’s face was beautiful but somehow looked sad.

Suddenly I felt the urge to kiss his lips.

“I am your holy sword.”

I muttered without realizing.

You gave up the holy sword and saved me. So from now on, I will become your new holy sword.

May I become a holy sword that can converse, cry and laugh together.

I kept staring at the Grand Duke as if enchanted.

[Only Belfast can draw the handle of that sword.]

I wonder why I said such a thing in the great assembly hall.

It’s not like I can live a thousand years like the real holy sword Lapis.

It’s not like I can live a thousand years and protect not only you but also your descendants. That eternal sword disappeared because of me.

You said.

[The holy sword answered my prayer and came down from the highest place on its own. For our North.]

Grand Duke, what was the prayer you made?

I’m curious.

What prayer did you make for the holy sword to come down on its own for someone like me?

Why… did you plead with the holy sword for someone like me?

I asked in my heart. Because these are words I can’t ask when you wake up.

Because I don’t have the right to dare ask.

I was also afraid to hear that answer.

For fear of confirming that I’m nothing more or less than someone useful to you.

Harboring any hope is my selfishness towards you.

‘In this life, I will just assist Your Highness. I’m happy just being able to see this defenseless side of you.’

I quietly lay down on the bed. And faced the sleeping Grand Duke.

How long had I been like that?

When the cold air began to seep through the window cracks, I covered him with the blanket I had been using.

Then after hanging another black curtain over the curtains covering the window, I quietly went outside. It was before dawn.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Esther, let’s see. Wow! You’ve grown a bit taller already!”

My father, Michael Belfast, measures my height with his hand and smiles brightly.

“Her face looks better too since I’ve been feeding her well. Michael, please convey our gratitude to the Northern Grand Duke.”

My mother, Agnes Fleur, holds my father’s hand tightly as she touches my cheek.

I woke up from the dream.

A week has passed since I regained my memories and face thanks to the holy sword.

Every night, I meet memories of my childhood in dreams. In dreams, I’m with my mother and father.

‘I was quite a happy child, wasn’t I?’

I felt joy every time I woke up from the dream. To the point where I wondered if it was okay for such happiness to be allowed to me.

And I marveled anew at the power of the holy sword Lapis. Then I question the black magic that had covered me.

What kind of magic was it that even the empire’s greatest magician couldn’t break it?

Who, and why, cast such a spell on me?

The one who made me forget who I was and erased my original face.

Most likely, the one who ordered the magic was Lahert.

And.

I wanted to meet Eodel again, if only to find out the meaning of what he said when we first met, that the black magic cast on me was not unfamiliar.

But since I woke up, continuously, even after Julia left, the boy magician was nowhere to be seen. No one knew where he was either.

“He’s probably holed up somewhere again. He’s got an unsolvable problem, that’s all.”

“An unsolvable problem?”

“Yeah, it’s that guy’s habit. He won’t show up until the problem is solved.”

Arcadia laughed as if it was amusing.

“Is that problem perhaps.”

“That’s right, you. Blowing the empire’s strongest magician out of the carriage, nearly killing him, and getting him scolded by His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“Stop it. It wasn’t me, it was the black magic…”

“I know.”

Arcadia chuckled again.

“What’s so funny?”

“Do you laugh because it’s funny?”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s good to laugh…”

He says something nonsensical. Saying it’s good to laugh while suddenly making a sad face.

‘Arcadia, you’re still having a hard time, aren’t you?’

“Vice Captain, will you be coming to Count Antoine’s reinstatement ceremony?”

“No. How could I go there, being the family of a criminal? I’d just be a nuisance to His Highness if I went.”

Arcadia muttered while looking at the distant sky.

I lightly punched his arm with a bit of force.

“Ouch!”

He looked at me with a surprised face.

“That didn’t hurt. I hit you very lightly.”

“A Sword Master hitting people.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Cheer up. It’ll be hard, but… maybe it’ll get better with time.”

He stared at me intently.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

“You, don’t be nice to me.”

“Why not?”

“I chose loyalty.”

What are you saying, I saw the knight’s oath you made to the Grand Duke while crying. Why so serious?

I grinned.

“I know, your loyalty. And that you’ll continue to be loyal in the future.”

“…Fool.”

“Fool? Even though you chose loyalty, I thought you at least had some friendship towards me. Calling me a fool.”

“Friendship?”

It’s my wish to share friendship with Arcadia.

I asked with a small hope.

“Was there none of that between us?”

Arcadia looked at me for a moment, then touched his forehead. Then.

“Haha, hahaha.”

He laughed wholeheartedly.

“Yes, friendship. There is, between us. You onion-like Sword Master.”

“Don’t call me an onion.”

“No. You’re still very onion-like, peeling layer after layer and still finding more.”

He turned away from me. Then he waved his hand, saying goodbye.

‘Arcadia, your back looks so lonely.’

At that moment, he who had been walking silently turned back.

“You, are you going to keep wearing the mask?”

“Ah. It’s become a habit.”

In truth, it was because of the desire to hide.

The fear that if I completely reveal my real face, someone might recognize my true identity.

I want to remain not as the imperial princess, but forever as these people’s friend and colleague, a knight of the North.

“Are you wearing it because you’re an onion? The skin?”

He asked, pointing at my mask.

When I pouted, he waved his hand and laughed again.

“Oh my, the onion might ripen. I’ll go ahead then.”

‘If I’m an onion, then the Vice Captain is… right, a leek. Green eyes and white skin, he’s a leek, a leek.’

Watching him walk away, I made a resolution.

If he teases me as an onion one more time, I’ll retort by calling him a ‘leek’.

[This is the timeline separator]

The day of Count Antoine’s reinstatement ceremony arrived.

Servants and maids moving flowers and decorations to the great assembly hall where the ceremony will be held.

Leading the work was the head maid, Lewine.

I quickly returned to my room after tending to my horse, Greynie, with Yora.

I hadn’t even washed properly, so there was a lot to prepare. Then I was caught by Major Moby near the kitchen.

“Miss Esther! If you’re not busy, would you like to see whose dessert is more delicious?!”

The major was preparing food with Frolo, the castle’s head chef.

“Ah, I haven’t prepared for the reinstatement ceremony yet.”

“It’ll only take a moment!”

Frolo shouted.

Moby and Frolo held out a dish to me.

It was a fruit pudding dessert so beautiful it seemed a shame to eat, in two different styles.

“Hmph, how could the food of a field cook compare to my hi~gh class cuisine?”

Frolo, the castle’s head chef who was as big as Moby, placed a honey-candied lily of the valley on top of his dessert.

It was my first experience of feeling like I might get sick from eating fruit pudding.

“Whose is more suitable for the end of the banquet?!”

Moby shouted.

The eyes of both men blazed like flames towards me.

“They’re both fantastically delicious. *cough* Really delicious.”

I gave a thumbs up to both of them and then ran away. Moby shouted from behind.

“Still, judge which is better! Miss Esther! Also which steak is more delicious!”

I fled to my room and caught my breath for a moment.

After it was revealed that I was a Sword Master, my lodgings changed from the dormitory for trainee knights to inside the main castle.

One floor above where Arcadia stays, on the 4th floor, a south-facing room.

It was a cozy and beautiful room, as much as my room in the northern mansion on the island.

A soft green marble floor, a thick white rug laid on top, a warm brick-colored fireplace that never goes out, and in one corner of the room near the fireplace, a comfortable and spacious bed.

But what I liked most was that it was closer to the Grand Duke’s quarters.

The Grand Duke’s bedroom is on the floor right below where the holy sword Lapis was. Although it’s several floors above where my room is, it’s much closer compared to the trainee knights’ dormitory.

Outside the window next to the bed, a large tree with green leaves despite the cold weather could be seen.

The tree with snow-white bark was beautiful, resembling white snow.

After gazing at the scenery outside the window for a moment, I lightly patted my cheeks.

‘Esther, there’s no time. Focus.’

I need to choose what to wear for Count Antoine’s reinstatement ceremony that will be held soon.

After quickly washing up, I opened the overwhelmingly large wardrobe placed in the middle of the room.

Inside the wardrobe hung several outfits that butler Hans had carefully prepared.

Madame Lumière’s dresses, several comfortable and beautiful casual outfits, and my favorite northern uniform.

For a very brief moment, I thought about trying on a dress.

I wanted to take off my mask and try on ‘Spring Dream’ with its pink sheer fabric studded with pure white pearls.

But.

‘I’m not a young lady. I’m a knight and a Sword Master.’

Pushing aside my regretful feelings, I carefully took out the uniform I wore when I went to the imperial palace.

Tight-fitting white pants with a light pink tinge, a white top.

Small transparent blue sapphires set in the collar that wraps around the neck and at the ends of the sleeves. The empire’s shield emblem embroidered with sapphires on the chest.

And the black cloak, symbol of the northern knights.

This is enough.

But just for a moment, wanting to see myself in the mirror, I also took out the dress ‘Spring Dream’.

I stood in front of the mirror holding Spring Dream against my body. Then I took off my mask.

I was a bit surprised.

In the mirror stood a beautiful woman with a white and delicate figure.

That’s when it happened.

“Wow!”

A small exclamation mixed with admiration came from behind me.

I turned around.

Through the slightly open door, there was a young girl looking at me.

Small stature, light pink hair, a pink mini dress matching her hair color. And a bouquet of sky-blue baby’s breath in her hand.

“Who are you?”

At my question, the girl startled and smoothed her clothes. Then she bowed her head.

“Ah, hello. I’m the youngest daughter of the Antoine family head, ah, Count Antoine who’s being reinstated today? I’m Daisy Antoine.”

‘The Empress’s niece!’

I see, that subtle and beautiful pink hair. The symbol of the Antoine family.

The girl was extremely cute. A young lady who looked to be about 12 or 13 years old at most.

As I hesitated for a moment wondering what to say, the girl spoke again.

“Ah, um… Eodel suddenly appeared and asked me to pick some sky-blue baby’s breath. I got them but I can’t see where he is. I ended up here while looking around. I’m not very familiar with the main castle. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“Do you perhaps know Eodel?”

I smiled without realizing.

“Yes, I’ve been looking for him for several days too. But he’s nowhere to be seen. So you’re the youngest daughter of Count Antoine, Lady Daisy Antoine.”

“Ah, yes!”

The girl suddenly stood at attention. Then she raised her hand to her forehead.

“?”

“Father told me to be polite everywhere. Let me introduce myself again. I’m Daisy Antoine. I’m thirteen years old. I’ll grow up quickly, and my dream for the future is to become the strongest, no, the second strongest magician in the empire!”

“The second strongest magician?”

Then her bright and cheerful voice rose high.

“Yes! If I become the strongest in the empire, Eodel might be a little sad, so second. But actually I want to be the strongest. That’s… right, unofficially the first. Hehe.”

The girl smiled brightly like a young flower petal opening wide to see the sun. Then she turned her gaze to my uniform hanging on the chair in front of the wardrobe.

“But…”

The girl looked back and forth between me, the uniform, and the dress ‘Spring Dream’. Then she asked with reddening white cheeks.

“But…”

“Please speak.”

“Perhaps… perhaps are you a knight, sister? You’re a knight, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Esther.”

Then the girl gasped and dropped the sky-blue flowers she was holding.

“Ah!”

She carefully picked up the flowers again and said.

“I knew it! I thought it might be. You’re that amazing knight who eliminated those monsters in one stroke and saved the Grand Duke, right? With beautiful silver hair and sky-blue eyes.”

Ah, so that’s how the story was passed on.

‘Eliminated the monsters in one stroke and saved His Highness.’

I smiled awkwardly. Remembering myself struggling on the verge of death after being hit by arrows.

The girl looked up at me with admiring eyes.

“Um… I’m not an amazing knight though.”

“No, you’re so cool. After father told me that story, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. But to meet you by chance like this! It’s like a dream.”

Daisy Antoine held out the bouquet of sky-blue baby’s breath to me.

“I’ll give this to you, knight.”

“But the magician…”

“It’s okay, this is my first flower to give to the knight. Please accept it.”

A smile spread across my face without me realizing.

“Thank you, little lady.”

“Will you be my first dance partner at the ball that will be held after today’s reinstatement ceremony?”