Chapter 8
After that, Aileen fully returned to her daily routine.
She resumed her morning training sessions and even attended a tea party hosted by a neighboring noble family.
Of course, she wouldn’t have gone if the Duchess hadn’t accompanied her.
— Oh my, Lady Revart has grown even more beautiful since I last saw her. There’s something different about her aura now.
— She seems more mature… almost graceful.
— I wish my daughter Emille could be even half like her.
At a glance, they sounded like compliments. But in noble society, flowery words often carried double meanings.
If not for the Duchess smiling graciously each time someone flirted with crossing the line, things might have turned ugly.
Aileen still hadn’t grown used to this way of speaking—smiling while slipping in subtle stabs. No, more than anything, it was exhausting.
This tea party only made her resolution firmer.
She needed to join the knights again—without hesitation.
If her marriage with Carlisle had gone ahead as planned, she likely would’ve stepped back quietly, giving in to the concerns of her family and Carlisle’s strong opposition, and fulfilled her role as Countess of Aiberg.
Though, even then, Carlisle had insisted that such duties weren’t necessary.
— You don’t have to stay cooped up in the mansion just because you’re married. As long as it’s not dangerous, I don’t mind if you lead the knights.
Carlisle had always put her wishes first.
He was against her becoming a knight because of the trauma from when she nearly lost her life, but he had supported her enjoying swordplay in moderation.
So their shared future, post-marriage, had felt like a thrilling promise—one they looked forward to with hope. After the ceremony, Carlisle was to be appointed as a Border Duke.
They had planned to leave the capital and settle near the frontier bordering the northern tribes. Aileen had hoped to live more freely, away from the pressures of the city.
But everything had fallen apart.
That evening, the whole family gathered for dinner. As Aileen slowly began to regain her energy, the atmosphere around the table also became noticeably lighter.
“This is good. Try it.”
Ashite plopped a piece of dried apple onto her plate. Aileen frowned, easily reading through his obvious motive.
“You just gave it to me because you don’t like it.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then take it back.”
“I just want you to enjoy something tasty.”
The Duke watched his children’s back-and-forth with amusement. Brushing away a strand of pink hair from Aileen’s forehead, he gently changed the subject.
The once lighthearted air suddenly shifted.
“I’ve arranged an audience with His Majesty for next week. I’ll formally declare House Revart’s allegiance then.”
His voice was resolute. Knowing the weight those words carried, Ashite looked at his father with wary eyes.
“This decision wasn’t made out of personal emotion, Ashite. Don’t give me that look.”
“I wasn’t, Father.”
“I would’ve stepped forward even if this incident hadn’t happened.”
“No one’s arguing.”
The Duchess, who had been quietly listening, suddenly set down her teacup with grace and opened her mouth for the first time.
“Let’s give Aileen permission.”
Her unexpected words drew all three sets of eyes to her.
“For the knights,” she continued calmly. “Let her do what she wants.”
The Duke was the first to react. Gone was the man who’d just been exchanging banter—his face stiffened with shock.
“Esilly… Did I hear that correctly?”
“You did.”
“Esilly! You know exactly what happened to her before—how can you say this so casually?”
The Duchess responded sharply.
“Yes, Laildro. But Aileen is no longer a child. She’s old enough to decide what she wants. Our job now is to support her.”
“Mother!”
“Ashite, don’t worry. I’m absolutely not letting her join your Lail Knights. So you can relax.”
With a soft smile and an even softer voice, she shut Ashite up like a snapped clamshell.
Aileen, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone, didn’t know how to respond at first. But there was one thing she knew for sure:
Her mother was standing on her side—willing to make her wish come true.
Now it was Aileen’s turn to speak. As if it had been planned between them, she continued smoothly.
“Then… I’ll join the Khan Knights. They’re based in the capital, so it’s safer, and I’ll be able to commute from the mansion.”
“Still…”
“My dear.”
At Esilly’s gentle call, Laildro Revart—known across the Empire for his fearsome presence—closed his mouth, wearing a deeply displeased expression.
He had never imagined Esilly would suddenly suggest granting permission without even a word of discussion beforehand.
Was it a relief, at least, that she had chosen the Khan Knights?
The Imperial Knights of the Diert Empire were divided into three major orders: Khan, Lil, and Sel.
The Khan Knights, whom Aileen had mentioned, mainly dealt with issues within the capital. Their operations rarely extended beyond the city walls, and their missions were hardly ever life-threatening.
In contrast, the Lil Knights, where Ashite served as vice-captain, were frequently dispatched to far-off regions outside the capital. Due to the nature of their missions, travel was common, and injuries were not unusual.
Lastly, the Sel Knights, led by Carlisle, were practically made for war. They were known for their strength against the northern tribes, and their reputation had only grown under Carlisle’s command.
Stationed mostly in the capital, the Sel Knights dedicated themselves to intense training—until word of an invasion came. Then, they would depart for battle without delay.
Among the three, the Khan Knights were the safest. That was exactly why Aileen had brought them up—her indirect way of expressing compromise.
Glancing briefly at her father and brother, she offered only her mother a faint smile before continuing:
“I understand your concerns. But I’ve grown a lot since then… and with everything that’s happened, I want to do something for myself. Please try to understand.”
“All of this happened because of that bastard! And that woman from Hessiden!”
Ashite slammed the table in fury, his voice rising.
The image of Aileen, lying pale as a corpse after the incident, was still burned into his mind. He couldn’t forget how terrified the entire family had been.
No matter how noble the position, he never wanted her to go through that again—especially because of people like them.
From the looks on both their faces, Aileen knew this discussion wouldn’t end with easy agreement.
So she let out a faint, bitter smile and revealed a piece of her long-buried truth.
“You’re both knights, too. You’ve been injured multiple times. Do you have any idea what that felt like for me?”
“……”
“Even if I’m assigned to fight the tribes again… I don’t mind. That’s part of what it means to be a Revart—and I take pride in it.”
“But still—”
“I’ve thought about this for a long time. I’m a Revart too. Why is it that I’m the only one expected to stay safe? I know you say it’s because you love me… but I still want to do this. Please, let me.”
“……”
“It’s not just because of Carlisle. Even if we had gotten married, this still would’ve happened in the end.”
This was the first time Aileen had spoken so openly about her true feelings since she’d quit the knights.
Her voice remained calm, but her words were sincere—so much so that silence quietly fell over the four of them, like a soft blanket.
No one said it out loud, but they all knew. She was precious to them—an irreplaceable daughter and sister. That’s why they had kept quiet for so long.
Even when she casually brought it up before, they’d sensed it. They had braced themselves. They just hadn’t expected the Duchess, Esilly, to be the one to support her.
After a long pause, Duke Laildro Revart finally gave in with a resigned expression.
“All right. Do as you wish. Just promise you’ll be careful… and never get hurt like that again.”
“Don’t worry, Father.”
Just as the conversation was starting to wind down in a warm and peaceful tone, Ashite suddenly cut in and shattered the mood.
“If I so much as see you hanging around that bastard Carlisle in the palace, you’re on your own.”
“Brother…”
“You know I’m usually at the palace when I’m not away. Be smart, Aileen.”
Grinding his teeth, Ashite made no effort to hide his hatred for Carlisle. But he was still her only brother.
And because Aileen knew that even his temper was coming from a place of care, she simply nodded.
“…But don’t you need to pass the entrance exam to join? Isn’t the recruitment period still far off?”
“Oh, I’ll just speak to His Majesty.”
“What?”
“I made a promise.”
A few years ago, when Aileen had announced she was stepping away from the knights, the emperor had tried to stop her.
Emperor Edys Diert, who had watched her since her academy days and knew better than anyone what she was capable of, had tried everything—persuasion, offers, and reassurances.
In the end, he’d failed—because Duke Laildro had stepped in.
But even then, the emperor had made one last request: “If you ever change your mind, come back.”
And that promise still held weight.
“I’ll go see him before Father’s audience and ask him directly to accept me into the order.”
Just in case… it was wise to have a fallback plan.
“There’s no point pretending to ask my opinion at this point, daughter. You were going to do whatever you wanted anyway.”
When the duke feigned disappointment, Aileen smiled sheepishly in apology, and the tension eased once more.
“Well, I suppose that means we all agree. Aileen, you may head up to your room.”
Thanks to the kindness of Duchess Esilly, Aileen was spared any more arguing and quietly returned to her room. The two men were clearly continuing the conversation downstairs, but… oh well.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Aileen stared at the sword she had carefully stored away.
If she were to face Carlisle in the palace again someday…
“…Then.”
She’d do her best to ignore him.
It pained her how stubborn these emotions were, how they refused to fade.
Aileen rose early at dawn and began preparing herself.
She was going to the palace.
She spent just as much effort getting ready as she did in those early days with Carlisle, when they had first fallen in love and everything had felt fragile and new.
“You look absolutely stunning today. I bet even His Majesty won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”
Sera fussed over her outfit one last time, while Aileen quietly stared at the letter of annulment tossed in the corner of the table.
Once she received that, they said preparations for the engagement would begin right away.
Her heart throbbed again.
Aileen turned her gaze away from the letter and headed for the palace.
It was time to meet the emperor.
