Chapter 22
Having achieved his main goal of meeting with Aileen, Emperor Edys quickly returned to his office.
“You’re early.”
The moment he opened the door, he saw Carlisle standing with his back to the window, waiting for him.
“Have a seat.”
Edys casually walked over and sat down first on the main sofa. Carlisle followed and took the seat to his right.
“I just came back from announcing the swordsmanship tournament. The response was better than I expected. I thought they’d complain about being pushed into competition, but not a word.”
“I told you it would be fine.”
“Still, it’s the first time we’re holding something like this. Of course I’d be nervous. Yet here you are, acting cold just because we discussed it a few times.”
“If by ‘a few times,’ you mean—”
Carlisle began to sigh and respond, but Edys cut him off mid-sentence.
“Never mind that. Just make sure you participate. That’s an imperial order. Even if there’s a monster subjugation or northern tribal incursion during the tournament, I’ll send someone else.”
Edys waved a hand as if brushing off the issue.
“To be honest, you two are a big reason why I planned this tournament.”
“……”
“I wanted the two of you to face each other.”
“You’re calling that bringing us together?”
“Hey, even if it’s with swords drawn and trying to kill each other, it still counts as meeting, doesn’t it?”
Carlisle, who had been silently watching Edys grin, shifted his gaze away toward some empty spot beside him. He couldn’t openly argue with the Emperor.
“Clashing is necessary. It’s all for your sake, you know.”
“You’ve done something unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary? What could be more worthwhile than this?”
“It ended badly between us. Forcing us to meet won’t do any good. If that’s your real reason, then just cancel the tournament—or I’ll withdraw.”
Carlisle turned back to Edys, cutting the conversation short with a cold finality. His reaction was sharper than expected, and Edys quickly raised both hands in a flustered gesture.
“I was joking. Surely that’s not the only reason. This is all for the good of the Empire, so just take part and help make it a success. Right now, everyone says you’re the Empire’s top knight, but wouldn’t it be better to prove it clearly?”
“…….”
“There are too many loudmouths with no skill, and they’ve been getting on my nerves. Same as always.”
Edys’s eyes briefly sharpened before softening again. Carlisle stared at him quietly with a calm, unreadable expression.
He knew exactly what Edys meant—because it was his own story.
The truth was, the Empire’s Academy accepted students based on skill, not status. Anyone talented enough could be admitted. But that was where fairness ended.
In reality, most of the students were from noble families. Naturally, the atmosphere of the Academy revolved around them. And many of the young nobles were arrogant.
Carlisle, who had entered the Academy as a commoner and rapidly outperformed many with his overwhelming talent, became the target of envy. The subtle exclusion and hostility grew more cunning and vicious by the day.
He had only enrolled because he’d heard that someone with his skill could live there for free—food, clothing, and shelter included. That was all he wanted.
He’d known they wanted to bully him, but his naturally calm and indifferent nature led him to focus only on his own goals. After all, he planned to make a living with the sword once he graduated.
But his silence only provoked more rage. When he overheard that someone planned to steal his sword—his only one—he couldn’t stay quiet anymore.
He had been ready to defend it. But before he could act, he heard someone else’s voice, cold and threatening, speak up on his behalf.
—What the hell do you think you’re doing?
It was Aileen.
Carlisle had instinctively frozen mid-step. Her voice, usually soft and kind when speaking to him, now cut like ice.
—I guess in your family, theft is considered a noble tradition? No, actually… calling you ‘noble’ is an insult to that title.
Her pink hair, tied up high, fluttered like petals in the cold wind. Her voice, once gentle to him, now carried a fury sharper than any winter wind.
The boys facing her turned pale, scrambling for excuses.
—You’ve misunderstood, Dame Aileen!
—He dropped his sword, and we were just trying to pick it up—
—Funny how it’s spotless for something that supposedly fell in the dirt.
—No, it’s just—
Aileen raised a hand and waved dismissively, cutting them off.
—Enough. Let’s start with a beating and go from there.
What followed was completely one-sided. Calling it a “duel” was generous—Aileen didn’t have a scratch on her. It might have been labeled training, but it was basically a public punishment.
She had thought he didn’t know.
But Carlisle had always been aware—that behind his back, Aileen revealed a ferocity few ever saw.
Unaware that Carlisle was nearby, having completely concealed his presence, Aileen unleashed her full fury on the culprits. After the long bout of sparring finally ended, she looked down at the battered boys sprawled across the ground and spoke in a chilling tone.
“Just because we’re not allowed to carry swords when meeting with professors doesn’t mean you get to exploit that rule like this. Am I right?”
“We were wrong.”
“If anything like this happens again, you’d better be prepared. I’ve made sure to remember each and every one of your faces.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Get lost.”
With a flick of her chin, as if even speaking to them was a bother, Aileen dismissed them. The boys scrambled away without even glancing back.
“Pathetic.”
Now alone, Aileen muttered under her breath and gently picked up Carlisle’s sword, gazing down at it silently—for a long time.
Eventually, she turned her head slightly to brush away a few strands of hair stuck to her cheek. The sunlight poured down in a vertical shaft, illuminating her calm profile with a soft glow.
“I should return this. I better hurry.”
She didn’t give herself time to linger. With a quick scolding to herself, she disappeared in an instant.
It was a strange feeling. Foreign, almost unreal.
Carlisle, who had been treated worse than dirt every day of his life, couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. He knew Aileen was kind to him. Unlike the others who kept their distance, she always approached him—talked to him.
He had never once found it bothersome. But he’d also never felt his heart pound quite like this before.
When the sunlight struck the side of Aileen’s face as she turned her head, Carlisle felt, for the first time, like he truly understood what it meant to be breathless.
Back then, he hadn’t realized what that feeling meant. He had always been alone.
It wasn’t until much later—after countless stumbles and missed chances—that he understood. And by the time he returned to Aileen, she welcomed him without a trace of resentment.
It had been a hard-earned happiness.
Carlisle clenched and released his fist. A dark urge stirred within him—he wanted to wipe the Marquess of Hessiden and the northern tribes clean off the map. Even his body, no longer what it used to be, irritated him.
Edys, who noticed the shift in Carlisle’s expression, shook his head with a deliberately exaggerated sigh.
“Oh dear. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
“It’s fine,” Carlisle replied calmly, having already reined in his emotions.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
“Then… can I ask you one more thing?”
Edys watched Carlisle cautiously, trying to read his mood.
“Ahem. Well, it’s just… the Duke of Revart keeps dropping hints to me.”
Edys cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. Carlisle slowly blinked and opened his eyes again. If it involved the Duke of Revart, there was only one thing it could be about.
The letter of annulment.
That was the only recent matter that might have stirred the Duke’s dissatisfaction.
“He said it’s been quite some time since Dame Aileen sent the annulment letter, yet there’s still been no reply. He claims he was just venting, but the way he looked at me—it’s driving me insane.”
“……”
“To be honest, he was so furious my knees nearly gave out. You should’ve seen the fire in his eyes.”
Edys rubbed his arms dramatically as if shaking off a chill.
“You did receive the annulment letter, right? It’s not like a servant misplaced it or anything?”
“I received it.”
“Then why haven’t you responded yet? From what I heard, you pushed Dame Aileen quite harshly.”
And after all that, you call the swordsmanship tournament a waste of time?
Carlisle ignored Edys’s pouting lips and held his silence. Edys gave a shrug and, instead of pressing further, offered his own conclusion.
“Well, there’s only one possible reason. What else could it be? You don’t want to. That’s all there is to it. I always knew you were frustrating, but I didn’t think you’d stay this stubborn for so long. This must be chronic—it’s the only explanation.”
Clicking his tongue, Edys shook his head in disbelief. At least it seemed he wouldn’t ask anything more. Carlisle chose to stay quiet.
“You take everything too seriously. You try to shoulder everything alone. I get why—but that’s not what Dame Aileen wants.”
“I know.”
Carlisle’s curt response took Edys by surprise. He’d expected more silence.
“You’re mad I said that, huh?”
“……”
“Who said you didn’t know? I just said it to show that I care about my knights. Now you’ve hurt my feelings.”
“That’s not it.”
“Anyway… just so you know, I’m on your side. All of you. I want you to be happy. I want you to stay by my side as my knights—until the very end.”
Edys’s voice took on a rare seriousness. He was no longer just a friend—he was the Emperor now, speaking with the weight of his crown.
“Keep tracking the Marquess of Hessiden. Keep a close watch. Things are quiet for now, but he’ll show his true colors soon. With the upcoming tournament, and the announcement that all three knight orders will join the subjugation campaign in the North, something’s bound to happen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“It’s a different approach from before. That side will be preparing countermeasures soon.”
As the Emperor’s voice dropped to a cold murmur, Carlisle gave a small nod in agreement.
Let them move. The moment they do, I’ll strike.
