Afterwards, Winter proceeded forward with the three knights. Soon, without any hesitation, they all knelt on the grass.

Normally, they would exchange handshakes and finish greetings after receiving a salute on the back of their hands. However, she bent her waist, aligning herself with their eye level.

Numerous faces passed by through her sea-blue eyes. Although the expressions on the knights’ faces were different, the emotions reflected in their eyes were poignant.

Reading the signs of respect, Cloé smiled kindly.

“Nice to meet you all. I assume Winter has explained, but it would be proper for me to introduce myself as well. I am Cloé Friede.”

Usually, after receiving the knight’s handshake first, they would respond with a brief greeting, but Cloé’s approach was novel.

The knights hesitated, feeling awkward in this unfamiliar encounter. Eventually, she extended her hand first. Only then did they read the situation and quickly followed suit.

“Oh, yes! I am Héras Tarik. It is an honor to directly meet the new sun of the Empire.”

“I am Martin Scale, respectful to Empress.”

“…Everett Violet.”

Finally having received the handshakes, she stood up and approached Winter, who was waiting behind.

“….”

The three people stared in awe at the sacred sight, as if observing a well-sculpted statue.

‘Empress?’

The three of them simultaneously had the same thought. Even to the Knight Commander and to the Empress herself, it was an unfamiliar situation despite receiving a general announcement.

‘That small, cute… lady?’

Moreover, she was unusually kind compared to others.

For most of the Imperial Knights, it was their first time encountering the current Empress, despite having received announcements from the Knight Commander. As Winter had feared, Kun had not introduced the Empress to the Imperial Knights for his own reasons. They had only occasionally spotted her from a distance, and the Knights had no way of knowing her appearance directly.

‘Come to think of it, her stature and back view seem similar. Even the hair…’

Héras thought quietly about the past. It was about the time when the current Empress entered the Imperial Palace as the Emperor’s lover.

Héras had coincidentally, and from a distance, spotted the woman. He was only curious about the existence of the Emperor’s lover, not particularly interested in her appearance.

However, the back view he had briefly seen left a lasting impression. In a moment, he became curious about the person behind that appearance.

The golden hair alone was enough for a description.

A lady with elegant and beautiful features.

The golden hair reflecting the sunlight, radiating brilliance, had shocked him. It was astonishing that a human could have such silky hair.

“So, Empress has come to find us…”

“…What should we do from now on.”
They belatedly stood up from their seats and exchanged foolish words.

Whether it was before entering the palace and dreaming of becoming knights, or now, as actual knights who were devoted to training, the only unfamiliar male figures in their human relationships were men like them.

Unfamiliar, peers with not much age difference, and pretty women.

Unfortunately, the Empress was someone they couldn’t easily approach.

It’s not that they didn’t want to become close, but they kept their distance, watching each other cautiously.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

“As expected, it’s Héras! Our light and salt!”

Eventually, the relatively mature Héras stepped forward.

Walking confidently toward Cloé, even Héras seemed embarrassed when he got close to her. Constantly clearing his throat, he finally opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty, we should have come to greet you first. We apologize for making you come on your own.”

“Thank you for saying that. I was also late in my greetings, so let’s not worry about each other.”

“Thank you for your broad-mindedness, Your Majesty. Oh, if you have any questions about the Knights, please feel free to ask at any time. Anything welcomed by Your Majesty’s attention is appreciated.”

Thanks to Héras’s thoughtful words, Cloé seemed to relax, and she attempted to start a conversation.

“I appreciate the best consideration for someone who admired the Imperial Knights. By the way, it seems like everyone trained outside today. Is it okay? The sun seems stronger than usual, and I’m worried.”

“Oh, even knights are human, so they feel the heat. But training the body is one way to endure it. If it becomes unbearable, we have our own methods to deal with it.”

Héras explained, avoiding mentioning that they were walking around without their upper garments. Still, he seemed to catch on, and he glanced at Winter.

“As for the method…”

“It’s a secret plan of the Knights.”

Winter, who intruded unexpectedly, responded to her question. The emphasis on the word ‘secret’ indicated that asking about it was discouraged.

Fortunately, Cloé seemed uninterested in the topic, and she briefly responded before moving on.

“If it’s okay, could you tell me about the Knights? Training or other activities… Even a brief story is fine.”