Chapter 18

After washing in their outer palace room, Adi returned to the Duke’s residence with their hair still wet, where they met Bert who had just woken up.

Upon seeing Adi, Bert advised that properly drying one’s hair prevents catching cold. When he added that while youth might make it seem trivial now, it would be different at his age, Adi simply nodded in agreement.

As Bert yawned widely, he showed none of the dignity expected of a guard knight. Then again, most people were only perfect while working – those who maintained perfection in private were rare.

“Have you eaten lunch?”

“No, I just finished running.”

“Training the moment you get some rest? Impressive. Then you need to eat more.”

Bert led the way to the dining hall. When asked about the wet hair, he said it would dry on its own at this point. Though Adi wondered how to respond to that, hunger won out and they followed Bert without protest.

The inner palace dining hall was quite impressive – more so than the outer palace or Third Knight Division. While the knights’ dining hall was content with simple meat dishes, this place pursued culinary aesthetics. Adi wondered if guard knights always ate such fare. Of course, the sweet desserts weren’t to their taste.

“Palesa is fine overall, but the food is mediocre. If I had to compare, Ionad’s food is better.”

“Is that so?”

“Woodpecker’s is delicious too.”

“Grimaldi’s isn’t good.”

“Grimaldi… that place isn’t known for its food. What was it famous for again?”

“Witch hunts?”

“…”

Right, that’s what the place was famous for. Bert pondered how to respond before snapping his fingers.

“Ah right, it’s famous for beautiful people!”

“Many died during the witch hunts, but I’ve heard it’s been known for beautiful people for generations.”

“Looking at your face, that seems true. Are the men there this pretty too?”

“I wouldn’t know, I haven’t paid attention to men’s faces.”

“So you’ve been looking at women’s faces then?”

Well, at least more than men’s faces, given there were maids. When Adi didn’t respond, Bert clapped their shoulder, saying they were still a man after all.

Though Adi thought whatever Bert was imagining was quite different from reality, they remained silent.

Bert dominated most of the mealtime conversation. He complained that nothing changed here year after year making it boring, and that there were no more places left to sightsee. Upon learning that Adi hadn’t properly explored the area, he offered to show them around some good spots.

While continuing to eat and stoically ignoring these suggestions, Adi thought this might be an appropriate time to bring up what they’d been wondering how to ask. Adi interrupted Bert’s chatter.

“Sir.”

“What? Is there somewhere else you’d like to go?”

“Has the Duke suffered many assassination threats?”

The sudden shift from tourism talk to assassination threats seemed odd. But considering it part of their duties, it made sense.

Bert considered telling them not to discuss work during meals, but since Adi rarely initiated conversation, he responded with “That’s right.” Thinking this might be a good way to gradually become closer, Bert leaned in as if asking if Adi had more questions.

“In Palesa as well?”

“Yes.”

“Day and night, I assume?”

“No, they discriminate. Assassinations usually happen at night, don’t they?”

“Is that why you handle the night guard duty, sir?”

It was a pointed question. Bert narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t tell if this was a probe or had some other intent. Direct confrontation was always best. Bert asked bluntly without hesitation.

“Are you suggesting I don’t let you take night shifts because I don’t trust you?”

“No.”

Adi answered. No? But there must have been some intention behind such a question. Just as Bert was about to speak, Adi continued.

“I think it’s natural not to trust me. I’ve only just been assigned to the Second Knight Division after all.”

As they spoke, Adi lowered their gaze. What if the real Adrian were in this position?

Adrina hadn’t received much of Adrian’s education. Despite working hard and studying through the nights, there was a clear difference between naturally absorbing knowledge from childhood and acquiring it later in life.

What if Adrian had been born stronger and they had been the sickly one? If they had been the one lying in that grave?

How would Adrian have handled this situation? The Count’s orders?

“Only just been assigned, and?”

“And I’m a Grimaldi.”

“I thought you weren’t well-versed in politics.”

“While I may not know much, I’m not completely ignorant either.”

Bert nodded at Adi’s honest answer. That man wouldn’t have raised his child carelessly. Yet there was something oddly lacking in the Adrian that Bert saw – a certain naturalness, you might say.

“Given how many people in Palesa are hostile in various ways, and considering my Count…”

Not ‘father’ but ‘my Count’ – it sounded more like addressing a superior.

“I assumed we wouldn’t be on good terms.”

“You don’t seem to be on good terms with your Count either.”

Bert said with a puzzled expression. At least from the letters they exchanged, their relationship didn’t seem that bad. The content suggested that even Spencer Grimaldi showed affection to his child, but now…

“How could we be on good terms?”

…Were those letters just for show?

“We’re just Grimaldis, that’s all.”

Adi said. Adi hated the Count. More than the discriminated Adi. Perhaps the favored side was just as uncomfortable. Though whether it could be called favoritism was questionable. …Was that what the guilt meant?

Looking at it that way, the Count probably didn’t like either Adi. What use was like or love anyway? The Count would have chosen based on who was more useful, who could be the heir, who needed to be empowered. And that had been Adi.

After one Adi died, another Adi took over. Perhaps that was the purpose of the name.

“But why bring this up suddenly?”

After a moment of silence, Adi began with “Just…” An assassin, to prevent.

“I was thinking we should strengthen the guard.”

Would questioning how they knew about this constitute defying the Count? But they were curious. Was this what “wait in Palesa” meant? If so, how did the Count know they would enter the Second Knight Division? Could the Count’s influence extend that far? As that page had said.

“Strengthen the guard.”

Bert said, looking at Adi. It was strange, considering they had recently suggested guard duty wasn’t necessary.

Bert observed Adi. He could see their steady gaze meeting his. Though their eyes met, neither could read the other’s thoughts. Neither Adi nor Bert.

* * *

After finishing their meal, Adi and Bert returned to the residence. As guard duty time approached, Adi changed clothes and moved to the reception room. Roy Gaillard stood beside the sofa. The door across the reception room was closed. Roy spoke to the approaching Adi.

“I saw you earlier?”

“The weather was nice, so I was looking out the window and happened to be there.”

“I know.”

Though he didn’t know Adi well, Roy had observed that they seemed generally indifferent to others. After meeting someone’s gaze, they probably found greetings or simple eye contact too bothersome and preferred to draw the curtains for isolation. Roy felt something slightly off about such behavior.

“The person you met today was Lintuga’s second daughter. She’s liked the Duke since childhood.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s from the South.”

Who was from the South? The Duke and Lintuga would be obvious, but was he also telling Adi that he was from the South?

“Were you acquainted?”

When Adi asked, Roy frowned and sharply turned his gaze away.

“Why?”

“Sometimes I feel you don’t know proper etiquette.”

“…”

“Was there something wrong with Grimaldi’s education?”

“There was. They didn’t teach properly.”

Only Adrian had received an education. Even then, its thoroughness was questionable. After all, while Spencer Grimaldi had ordered Adi to be educated, he had never directly taught them.

“Since I spent more time in the royal capital than the territory.”

Adrina had only been re-educated by those who had taught Adi. They had no hesitation in calling Adrina “Adrian.” They all seemed like puppets for the Count.

“Is that why you received your knighthood from the Crown Prince?”

“Yes. From the Crown Prince I met for the first time during my first visit to the royal capital.”

In truth, Adrian had never gone to the royal capital. The knighthood and sword had simply been passed down through Spencer Grimaldi. Even if the Crown Prince were standing before them now, they probably wouldn’t recognize him.

“Who did you have lunch with?”

“Kenneth Marx.”

“Who’s that?”

“You don’t even know your superior? He’s the Second Knight Division Commander. We discussed guard duty.”

Roy clicked his tongue after saying this.

“Seems that bastard wasn’t planning to send me to the Duke.”

“That bastard didn’t tell me about the Second Knight Division’s private training grounds. That’s why I went to the North Palace and got into trouble.”

“…They probably thought you came looking for trouble.”

Though Adi hadn’t thought it was that serious, seeing Roy’s reaction made them wonder if they had made a mistake.

“Come after your shift ends. I’ll show you where the training grounds are.”

Roy said.

“It’s not a favor – I owe you one. This is repayment.”

Adi raised an eyebrow. They thought that perhaps Roy might turn out to be not such a bad person after all.

—

TL Note: I will starting using they/them in the text when referring to Adi, instead of swapping between she/her and he/him for different perspectives