But Lucia, looking straight at their foolish faces that would soon be embarrassed, said,

“That’s right. I will quit.”

…This easily?

The impact of her words was tremendous.

That Lucia would actually say she would quit being the captain.

Having taken maternity leave, they had never thought that she would quit her job, as she had a child.

Soon the disciplinary committee understood her intention, and a smile bloomed on Count Rendor’s face.

No matter what happened to the country, his goal was for his inadequate son to take the place of the knight’s captain.

But the rest of the nobles were different.

They had only thought of tying her hands for a few months and making her do disgraceful things to shame her.

If she quits now, the angry Emperor and Prime Minister might take all their property as military funds, deprive them of their positions, or even worse, they did not know.

The foolish nobles who realized the reality now began to open their mouths desperately toward Count Rendor one by one.

It was then.

Bang!

After the sound of the door being opened hastily, there was the Crown Prince, his eyes sparkling like a pink puppy invited for a walk.

The moment Prince Airen entered the conference room, he quickly sensed the atmosphere of the meeting.

Though he expected this, there was still no satisfaction in rushing to find Lucia’s face still serene.
And unlike the placid her, the nobles across seemed to have forgotten even to greet, as if fire had fallen on the top of their feet, despite the crown prince’s intrusion.

And as she finally got up from her seat,

“Whwhere are you going! Sit for a moment!”

“That’s right! It’s not over yet. Let’s talk more…!”

“What will the troupe do if you quit like this! How can you be so irresponsible!”

Middleaged men with thoughtful expressions suddenly rose and began to dissuade Lucia, as if they had been tormenting her.

But Count Rendor was different. He seemed ecstatic, as if everything had gone according to his plan.

Lucia looked at him disdainfully and quickly stepped away.

Then, Aileen blocked her way.

“Wait. Come out and talk to me first. And you all, I have something to do with Commander Lucia, so let’s put an end to this grand preparation. How about that?”

He enticingly halfclosed his pretty eyes and snatched the order from Lucia’s hand, tearing it up in front of them.

Then, Count Rendor cried out.

“Ah, no! Your Majesty! How can you tear an official order like that? Even if you are the sovereign…!”

“Be still! Count Rendor!”

“Do you not see that the precious crown prince himself has come?!”

“Commander Lucia. Hurry, hurry and take care of your urgent duty!”

Those shallow ones, who merely wanted to humiliate Lucia, interrupted Count Rendor’s words and scrambled to see her and the crown prince off.

As Lucia and Aileen left the conference room under their watchful eyes, the nobles wiped the streaming sweat from their flustered faces.

“…How can you all do this! If a committee has convened, we must impose punishment, big or small!”

The leader of this matter abruptly stood up and yelled.

“Count Rendor! Can’t you still tell right from wrong? What a disgrace!”

“I will no longer talk to the count. There is no face to carry around!”

“Let’s end today’s matter by overlooking it. Come on, everyone, get up.”

As if they had been scolded, they brushed themselves off and scrambled out of the conference room.

The persistent one was now alone in the conference room, merely making the table ring violently.