“My escort knight is Yan.”

“Ah, hello.”

Even knowing I was a princess’s daughter, Shankez who never raised his voice, respectfully lowered his head at the sight of Yan.

Yan seemed displeased by this, but I had already spoken to him beforehand, so he did not immediately point out the attitude.

“What I propose is this: Don’t go to the monastery, stay here. I will provide a bed and food. Of course, it’s not free; you will train under Yan. Joining the Leviche Knights is my condition.”

Shankez’s face was filled with disbelief.

“What? What nonsense is this?”

“You heard. Stay here, train under Yan, and join the Leviche Knights.”

“You’re proposing this to me now?”

“Yes.”

Shankez’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe it. There were two ways to join a noble house’s private knight order.

One was to graduate from the Knight Academy and get scouted or apply to the desired family.

The second was to be directly sponsored and raised by that family as a knight.

And the way I was proposing to Shankez was the latter.

“Of course, if you wish.”

“I’ll work hard! Really, really hard!”

Before the words had even finished, Shankez leapt from his seat. It felt like I could see his future changing before my eyes.

Outlaw Shankez would no longer exist in this world.

‘It’s not Outlaw Shankez anymore; it’s Knight Shankez!’

A smile spread across my lips. Shankez, who was hopping with joy, suddenly asked,

“But why are you offering this to me?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, it’s great, really great, but it’s strange. I don’t have any special talent, and you barely know my background.”

The reason Shankez could gain fame as a thief was due to his natural reflexes, agility, and excellent snap judgment.

‘You’re talented, and I know your background.’

I swallowed all these reasons and provided another.

“I think we’re friends….”

“!”

“Because we’re friends, I think I can do this….”

“!”

I left the annex with light footsteps.

I recalled the last thing I emphasized when holding Shankez’s hand.

‘But moving to another family is not an option! Well, not forever, but you must work in the Leviche Knights for at least 10 years!’

‘Don’t worry, Miss! I’ll lay my bones in this family!’

Shankez immediately began using honorific language towards me after receiving brief training from Yan.

Yan immediately decided to take Shankez to the training ground. As a friend, I asked Shankez for a handshake before he left.

Eventually, under my urging and Yan’s watchful eye, Shankez reluctantly shook my hand.

“This will be the first and last time you’ll hold my hand,” Yan said coldly.

“Of course, Master!”

Despite Yan’s cold warning, Shankez’s eyes were filled with passion.

Yan seemed displeased with Shankez’s casual tone towards me but appeared a bit excited to have a new disciple to train.

“Then we shall take our leave.”

After escorting me to my room, Yan took Shankez straight to the training ground.

I had been hesitant to make this offer to Shankez.

Shankez was a character with an undeniable presence in the original work.

The reason he could become the male lead’s supporter was due to the skills and information he had accumulated in the underworld.

A Shankez who failed to develop his skills as a thief would not approach Eliazer first.

Even if he did, it was uncertain whether he would be helpful to Eliazer.

‘Eliazer is losing one supporter.’

But the loss of one supporter wouldn’t affect him greatly. There probably aren’t as many enemies for Eliazer here as in the original story.

‘My staying in this noble house is proof of that.’
Heehee, my mood improved. From now on, I’ll be able to prevent the Duke Crustel from mistreating Eliza.

However, in my immediate excitement, I overlooked one fact.

That there weren’t just Clements and the Duke in the mansion.

I woke up early, my throat parched.

“Water…”

It was a situation where I could call the maids, but not wanting to wake them, I went down to the living room alone. A startled voice shrieked.

“Hey!”

Turning around, I locked eyes with an ashenhaired boy.

“You, you!”

The boy who spoke to me had knelt in a corner of the living room, both hands raised.

Beside him, another boy with identical features sat in the same pose.

‘Twins, huh?’

“Come here!”

One of the twins pointed at me. It seemed he had run away from the auction house only to be caught again.

‘Am I in trouble?’

I had finished the academy semester but hadn’t come home immediately.

The punishment I was now facing seemed to be for running away without saying a word.

‘At least I’m being punished.’

Thinking about the twins’ future personalities, I figured they’d likely bolt, yelling, ‘Why should I take this kind of punishment!’

Just then, one of the twins beckoned me again, impatiently.

“Hey, come here!”

The other shook his head impatiently.

‘Why is he so angry?’

I cautiously glanced around. Though young, they were the famous twins from the original work.

If they lifted a finger, someone like me could disappear without a trace.

I approached them cautiously.

“Did you call me?”

“Yes!”