Chapter 121
The knight rubbed the spot where he had been hit, grimacing.
“She is indeed the lady of the castle. But as you know, Sir, several of our knights were killed at the hands of Duke Ergen, her brother. They were all our comrades.”
“…”
“The marriage may have been for reconciliation, but who knows? Caverion Ergen might have planted a spy among us.”
The knights’ gazes towards Raylenne were sharp. If Aiden were here, they wouldn’t dare speak so rudely, but without him to rein them in, they acted like wild horses.
Cashwood, however, remained calm and laid down his wooden sword with a steady hand.
“I understand. But the same goes for the Duchess. Knights of the Ergen family also died at the hands of the Bedeusian forces.”
“That’s…”
The knight who had been speaking couldn’t immediately respond this time.
“It’s Duke Ergen himself who is trying to end this tiresome cold war.”
The training ground fell silent.
Raylenne, who had waited for Cashwood to finish speaking, then raised her voice.
“I understand that you all do not welcome me. But please watch and see. My becoming part of this place is not just for show.”
“…”
“My brother has also promised that there will be no more unnecessary wars. No more bloodshed under the guise of power.”
Despite her heartfelt appeal, the knights remained cold.
‘Of course, it’s not like they would believe me just yet.’
Raylenne, having anticipated this, said no more and left the training ground. It would take time for their hearts to change. It wasn’t something that could be forced.
Telling Aiden would make no difference. He would sternly warn the knights, but that would be all. They might even grow more hostile, thinking she had tattled on them.
‘I should thank Cashwood later.’
She hadn’t expected him to take her side. She thought he didn’t like her.
As the training began again, loud shouts filled the practice field. Raylenne walked back to her room, leaving the noise behind.
* * *
The knights removed their helmets after training. The air still held a chill from winter, but their foreheads were damp with sweat.
Knight Langrin wiped the sweat from his hair. Looking around to ensure Cashwood wasn’t nearby, he spoke up.
“Why does the master defend the new Duchess so much?”
Langrin had been the knight who mocked Raylenne earlier. Another knight nodded in agreement with Langrin’s words.
“Maybe because he didn’t participate in the territorial war with Duke Ergen’s house? He doesn’t hold a grudge against them because he didn’t experience that terrible war.”
“No, I heard that the master did participate in an old territorial war with the Ergen house.”
Langrin sighed deeply.
“Then why does he defend her? He must hate the Ergen family as much as we do.”
The knight shrugged.
“Who knows? But I’m glad she approved the beef. Without her, we’d have to rely on beans for protein.”
“…Just for some beef?”
Langrin crossed his arms and pouted. The other knight patted his shoulder.
“I understand you don’t like the Duchess, but don’t show it in front of the Duke. Remember how Eric got severely scolded for his careless words?”
Langrin remembered that incident well.
Eric had been severely reprimanded for making a snide remark in front of Aiden while he was introducing the new Duchess.
‘It was the first time I saw Aiden with such a cold look.’
It was as if he was fiercer than when facing enemies on the battlefield.
Langrin had no intention of experiencing that. He knew better than to speak carelessly in front of the Duke.
In frustration, Langrin grumbled.
“What is the Duke thinking? Marrying a woman from the Ergen family.”
He had suggested that the new Duchess might be a spy for the Bedeusian family, but he knew his lord was not foolish enough to miss such a thing.
“Maybe he really did fall in love with her? She is exceptionally beautiful.”
Langrin shivered at the knight’s words.
“Do you think the Duke is the kind of person to be swayed by a woman’s face? Absolutely not.”
“Then… It must be for political reasons. For reconciliation.”
Langrin nodded.
Yes, that made more sense.
But for him, there would be no reconciliation. He still saw the faces of his comrades dying on the battlefield.
Langrin thought of Raylenne’s face and kicked a pebble embedded in the ground. It flew with a ping, hit a wooden post, and fell to the ground.
* * *
Janie brought a warm cup of milk tea to Raylenne, who was engrossed in a book.
“My Lady, did you return from the training ground?”
“Yes, well…”
Raylenne thanked Janie. Janie, holding an empty tray, sat down across from Raylenne.
“How were the knights?”
Raylenne took a sip of the warm milk tea before slowly speaking.
“They don’t like me.”
Janie’s eyebrows drooped.
“I was worried about that… Are you hurt?”
It seemed Janie was aware that the knights disliked her.
‘Well, of course…’
After all, maids often picked up gossip quickly. Raylenne briefly wondered if Janie had more than two ears to catch all the rumors.
“Of course, it doesn’t feel good, but it’s not enough to hurt me.”
“Yes… But to offer some comfort, the knights are all on edge right now. They’re about to face the bandits.”
Raylenne had considered that. It explained why their emotions were heightened today.
“Rumor has it that one of the bandits is an Awakener, right?”
Raylenne paused, mid-sip, and looked up.
“What…?”
“You didn’t know…? It seems the master didn’t tell you to keep you from worrying. I heard the leader of the bandits is a mid-level Awakener.”
Raylenne blinked.
‘A mid-level Awakener…’
“But don’t worry. The master is a Heaven-sent Awakener. It will be no problem for him.”
Despite Janie’s reassurance, Raylenne remained silent, more preoccupied with a part of the original story that came to mind.
‘A bandit leader who is an Awakener…’
This must be the villain ‘Elan’ whom Aiden encounters midway through the story.
Elan kidnaps the heroine to lure Aiden, hoping to claim the bounty on his head.
Aiden had a bounty on him because, during a fit of rage, he annihilated the Ergen Duke’s household.
Elan sets a trap to capture Aiden and turn him over to the government, but the trap is well-planned and nearly succeeds.
Of course, as the male protagonist, Aiden escapes the trap and rescues the heroine.
Recalling the original story, Raylenne frowned slightly.
The thought of Aiden saving the heroine was not a pleasant one.
“I guess I shouldn’t have said anything… I thought it was better for you to know…”
Misinterpreting Raylenne’s hardened expression, Janie stood up with a downcast face.
Raylenne adjusted her expression and held Janie’s hand.
“No, thank you for telling me, Janie.”
She meant it. If she hadn’t known the bandit leader was an Awakener, Aiden might have fallen into the same trap.
Although he was an Awakener, Elan had a unique ability unlike Aiden or Caverion.
Raylenne decided she would mention this to Aiden as soon as he returned.
* * *
Aiden would finally return tomorrow. Raylenne had been eagerly waiting for his return.
In the meantime, she had visited the knights again to ask if they needed anything and how the training was going, but she was met with cold responses.
Seeing Cashwood awkwardly caught in the middle, Raylenne decided not to visit the training ground again.
She thought she needed to find another way to get closer to them.
‘When Aiden returns, I’ll have to discuss this issue with him.’
He didn’t like her meeting with the knights, but avoiding them wasn’t an option either.
Raylenne stared at the ticking wall clock.
Was it because she had been waiting for Aiden too long?
As evening fell, time seemed to slow even more.
‘Maybe I should take a walk.’
A walk around the castle might make time pass faster.
With that in mind, Raylenne grabbed her coat and was about to leave the room.
Bang, bang!
Someone knocked on the door roughly.
Who could be knocking so rudely at this hour?
Raylenne opened the door with a stern expression, only to be surprised by the unexpected visitor.
“Cashwood…?”
There stood Cashwood, panting heavily as if he had rushed over.
He looked very different from the last time he came to get approval for the beef purchase.
