The trembling voice’s vow contained many things. Like overturning Nerea’s fate decided by her father and Helen, or the rightful succession to the count’s position.

And Nerea believed all of it was possible.

“You’ll regret it. Stop what you’re trying to do while you still can.”

No matter how much Brianna cursed, it didn’t change the fact that the emperor himself had held a victory banquet for Nerea.

But at that splendid victory banquet, the emperor appeared with the hand of the prince born from the empress’s womb. And he subtly praised his son.

“If the prince hadn’t boldly changed the route of supplies to send to the border, could the knights have held out until the end of this hundred-year war! With this, I hereby declare Claude Castarty, who made this great decision, as the future of the empire and crown prince!”

“Glory to the Castarty! Long live Crown Prince Claude Castarty!”

At the gathering to promote the prince who had insisted on sending supplies to the battlefield as crown prince, Nerea kept being pushed to the edges. But she still endured, because the emperor kept glancing at her.

After waiting, the opportunity finally came.

“Come to think of it, we had another hero. Count Nerea Esteban. Come forward.”

In fact, Nerea knew. That the emperor’s words were a provocation. The emperor was weighing now. Whether to side with her father who had already established himself in noble society, or to support her who had newly returned.

Those sharp eyes were saying this:

Show me. The reason why the emperor should choose the eldest legitimate child.

But at that moment.

Clink – a sharp sound rang through the hall. Shards of a broken glass flew mercilessly.

Oh my! As exclamations like screams were heard and the hem of white uniform pants turned golden, Nerea thought she had missed her chance in this moment.

The emperor’s twisted smile proved it.

Her ears rang dully, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

The war hero was falling apart uncontrollably. The nobles who had been expressing admiration quickly sent sympathies.

The girls who had been expressing envy with excited faces covered their mouths and teared up, and the noble knights who had been tense threw mockery disguised as elegance.

Sympathy and pity.

Those were emotions Nerea didn’t want at all.

“Nerea! Darling, it’s alright.”

“We apologize, Your Majesty. Our Nerea, due to post-war trauma…”

Her father, stepmother Helen, and half-sibling who timely wrapped up the daughter’s pitiful appearance showed the solid Esteban family.

In an instant, Black Knight Nerea Esteban was branded as a retired knight who could no longer wield a sword. Sensational headlines spread throughout Castarty as if they had been prepared.

-[BREAKING] Black Knight Nerea Esteban. Collapses at victory banquet due to severe war trauma. Chooses seclusion.

-Acting Count Esteban. Knocks on daughter’s door daily in sorrow. Known to strive to prevent soft-hearted daughter from making wrong choices.

In the stigma that she couldn’t escape no matter how much she struggled, Baron Jenax was injured while protecting her, and at the same time, hope was completely crushed.

* * *

Now Alejandro would return to the islands. He may have completely detached from her.

She left the window open so she could tell if the carriage left, but on the quiet night, only the sound of insects chirping was quiet.

In the unlit room, Nerea gazed at the window. Then she tilted her head.

The faint light of the carriage did not spread over the water stains on the window. Since when? The round water stains that had always been there were gone.

Come to think of it, the dust that had hollowly gathered on top of the lamp was gone too. Places Heather’s hand couldn’t reach used to gather dust.

Sometimes Nerea would clean it, but mostly she had let it be, yet everywhere was clean now. Not just the rug and curtains, but even the creaking of this house had disappeared at some point.

“I heard news that father is walking with a cane.”

Though she hadn’t sensed any presence, Alejandro’s voice was heard from outside the door. Nerea hurriedly opened the door.

In the darkness, Alejandro stood motionless, quietly gazing at Nerea. Before his intense gaze, Nerea watched as Alejandro pointed to himself.

“And I’ve grown this much.”

A new gust of wind blew in through the open window.

Nerea suddenly recalled the cracks in her daily life. The clean window, the dustless lamp, and the baron said to be walking with a cane and the grown Alejandro.

At that moment, Alejandro’s Adam’s apple slowly moved.

“But knight.”

His hand slowly reached out towards her hand.

“Can you really not wield a sword?”

As his enchanting voice entered her earlobe, the untouching heat was hot. Soon, every part where skin overlapped became sensitively alert. Nerea held her breath.

“These fingertips, these joints all prove it.”

I should push him away… Alejandro’s eyes glistened black as they followed his touch that caressed as if precious.

“That you, knight, have never let go of the sword.”

Bang-.

Even after the sound of the door closing, Alejandro couldn’t take his eyes off the door.

As if longing for the warmth that had disappeared in an instant, Alejandro left his hand empty of its size, then turned at the familiar approaching presence.

It was Johnny.

“If you’re done, come out.”

As soon as they left the cottage-like house, Johnny lowered his voice and snapped.

“I thought you weren’t going to act like a kid.”

“I was trying really hard not to.”

“Ah. That was you trying?”

Johnny let out a hollow laugh, another letter in his hand. Alejandro frowned. It was surely from Grace without a doubt.

“Tell her to stop sending them. Ten year anniversary or whatever, I’m sure they’ll do fine.”

“Does Grace listen to me? She’ll listen to you.”

Johnny shrugged. The vice-head of the Rosa Group and more famous as the Black Lion of high society. Grace Lancaster.

“And you think that’s all? Today there are two more, hey hey hey!”

Johnny was startled as he watched the emperor’s letter, which had been crumpled up and thrown away as soon as it was handed over.

“You crazy bastard. No matter how much you hate it, that has the emperor’s seal. Don’t crumple it carelessly.”

“The last one.”

“A telegram from Anjer. Seemed to be news about the border.”

While Johnny hurriedly smoothed out the crumples in the letter, Alejandro unfolded the telegram. With each moment of confirming the unruly handwriting, Alejandro’s face hardened.

-Ongoing uprising near border for restoration of Prince Gauwe. Small-scale riots occurring wherever the Grand Duke’s relief efforts continue. Unable to identify the instigators of riots.

Alejandro stroked his jawline. Sensing the serious atmosphere, Johnny glanced carefully and said:

“By the way, there’s continued noise near the border. If Nerea had brought the king’s head, our beloved emperor should have finished the rest. It’s only recently that there’s talk of the prince being alive. Whether the real prince is alive or not, it’s strange that the Gauwe restoration movement is suddenly expanding the situation by saying the prince is alive.”

“…”

“But now for such talk to come out that it’s because Nerea didn’t completely wipe them out…”

“Tell them to catch at least five people without fail in the next riot.”

“Five people? They could be civilians.”

“What civilians create an atmosphere with riots. If we dig, we’ll catch someone’s tail somewhere.”

Hearing the cold voice, Johnny shook his head. Looking like this, there was no childish behavior at all, but it was inexplicable why he only acted spoiled in front of Nerea.

That’s when it happened. With the sound of urgent hoofbeats, someone appeared from over there. At the sight of the group employee who had delivered the telegram earlier, Johnny blinked.

“It seems urgent news that you need to see right now.”

“What is it.”

“The lily of the islands is coming to Alpern.”

At the words referring to the crown princess, Brianna, Alejandro’s face hardened grimly.

* * *

The next day.

Heather was sitting at the table reading a book. As if sensing a presence, Heather raised her head.

“Looks like you’re all finished?”

“Finished…”

Heather’s smile was bright. Nerea, standing in front of her, just shrugged her shoulders awkwardly.

“Sir Alejandro and Sir Johnny went out for a bit last night. They said they’d be back soon, but they haven’t come back yet.”

Not curious at all. Not knowing her gaze was directed at the door, Nerea changed the subject.

“What were you doing, Heather?”

“Studying spelling. Sir Alejandro and Sir Johnny said they’d help me study sometimes. We negotiated last time.”

Negotiation.

“It was the negotiation about bathing assistance.”

Nerea chuckled. To that laughter, Heather innocently asked:

“But did you tell them? That I get confused with herb name spellings.”

“…What?”

“Since you told me not to, I didn’t say anything about the decoction or herbs. Except for mentioning herb gathering at first and briefly touching on detoxification.”

Heather added her verbal slips with a giggle.

“But Sir Alejandro knew that I brew decoctions for you, and that your body is almost detoxified.”

“That you, knight, have never let go of the sword.”

Alejandro’s voice overlapped Heather’s voice.

Right. That might have been her carelessness. Twelve years ago, on the day of the expedition ceremony. Baron Jenax had noticed she had been training steadily just from a handshake.

Alejandro may have felt her calluses through their touching hands as well. Nerea tried to rationalize her doubts somehow.

But even so, the herbs… Did he really figure it out just from Heather’s slip of the tongue?