Chapter 20
When Adi returned to their quarters after changing shifts with Bert, Roy Gaillard was in the knights’ lounge.
Roy was writing something in his knight’s notebook. Though Adi also had such a notebook, they had never written in it. Spencer Grimaldi had forbidden leaving any such traces.
Does he not realize that if that gets stolen, everything he knows will be exposed?
“Finished?”
“Were you waiting?”
“To show you the training ground location.”
Was there really any need for this so late at night? Even without that, just drawing a map would have sufficed. Roy yawned as he got up.
“Follow me quickly. Time’s short. Need to sleep if I’m working tomorrow.”
“Wouldn’t a map be enough?”
“Just follow when I tell you to. It’s not far, being in the inner palace.”
“Knights go to train in the inner palace?”
“It’s a kind of privilege. That’s why everyone wants to join the First or Second Knight Division.”
Roy stretched as if his body was stiff, then his expression hardened as he said, “If you do well, you might catch someone’s eye.”
“Whose?”
“Royalty or high nobles.”
“Is that why people train there?”
“They work harder, to get noticed.”
How could one get noticed at a training ground? A place full of sweat, dirt, and dust flying around. Was it gilded or something? Adi wondered.
The training ground was some distance from the Duke’s residence. While the Duke’s residence was in the deepest part of the inner palace, the training ground was on the outer edge of the inner palace, closer to the outer palace. It was a place any noble could access.
“Here it is.”
“They really did gild it.”
The courtyard looked more like a well-decorated park than a training ground. It had colonnades overlooking it from all sides, decorated with marble and gold. In the center stood a massive stone statue of a sword.
“Is it okay to have grass laid out like this?”
“It’s pleasing to the eye.”
Eye candy. Not a place for actual training.
“…I’d prefer to use the North Palace training ground.”
“Even though they might think you’re looking for trouble?”
“This doesn’t seem suitable even for running.”
“It’s made for wielding swords.”
“Where am I supposed to run?”
“…I’m not fond of physical training. But if that’s what you want, there’s also the underground. Down there, below.”
“Underground?”
“They used to keep animals and monsters down there. They’d release them one by one for fights. Nobles would watch for entertainment, but since that’s rare these days, they converted it to a training ground. If you exercise shirtless here, sometimes noble ladies will summon you at night.”
Adi frowned. Was that from personal experience?
“Still, it’s not just for show. Everyone here is skilled. Good for sparring too. It’s packed with no space to train by dawn, right? Though the underground’s quiet. Not many use it.”
“I’ll use the underground then.”
“You won’t catch the royals’ attention there.”
“I have no desire to catch their eye.”
At Adi’s words, Roy shrugged. He figured this was enough. Though he’d brought them once, knights were trained to navigate the palace using maps, so returning wouldn’t be difficult.
“Going to exercise? I’m heading to bed.”
“I’m heading back too.”
Adi answered. They left the training ground. The moment of walking toward the residence without conversation felt awkward. Unable to bear the silence, Roy scratched his head and asked,
“What were you going to say earlier?”
Adi glanced at Roy once before looking ahead again. The inner palace corridor was deserted. No one stood guard. Perhaps because the path from outer to inner palace was complicated enough, or maybe they thought such measures unnecessary in these peaceful times.
“Just wondering if there’s any need for it to be Duke Woodpecker. There must be many other guard positions.”
“Nobles and royalty rarely come at this time of year.”
“Still doesn’t have to be Woodpecker.”
“You think I have ulterior motives?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Don’t people usually speak more indirectly? There’s no need to state suspicions so bluntly. Roy, thinking this person must have a difficult life, retorted, “So?”
“What would you do if I did?”
“What could I do? It’s not my business.”
Adi spoke as if indifferent. If he had ulterior motives, it only mattered that the Duke didn’t catch on. But if even Adi could notice, surely the Duke already knew.
“Do what you want. It’s just seasonal guard duty anyway. Once this is over, I’ll be guarding someone else.”
Distrust was evident in Roy’s gaze. That look suggesting it couldn’t be true – was it because that’s what he intended?
“You won’t?”
“…”
“If you say you demanded that position from me to follow Woodpecker, I’d understand.”
“Is that why you mentioned me?”
“That wasn’t the reason. It was also too much work for two people.”
“Right. I want to go to Woodpecker with the Duke.”
Roy said. Adi looked at him, curious about his expression given his resolute voice.
“That territory is my destination.”
Everyone must have a past, but perhaps something even more significant was hidden.
“I’m going to start over there.”
“I’ll root for you.”
“…Thanks. But does Count Grimaldi know about what you did?”
“He probably doesn’t, but does my action matter?”
“Kenneth Marx.”
“What about him?”
“You don’t know about Marx and Grimaldi’s relationship, do you?”
Not just their relationship – Adi hadn’t even known his name. Seeing Adi’s reaction, Roy smiled faintly and asked, “Want me to tell you?”
“Marx and Grimaldi were in the same knight division.”
“…”
“They were in the current king’s guard division. Marx was from Palesa, Grimaldi from Ionad. Though Palesa and Ionad don’t get along, being in the same place tends to align interests.”
“Interests?”
“I mean that the current king wasn’t originally the crown prince. They were both far from the succession line – how do you think things ended up like this?”
“You mean?”
“Grimaldi didn’t just establish himself through witch hunts. Your father was capable in many ways. Like a snake. That insufferable Count Grimaldi.”
Adi knew their father wasn’t well-regarded. In their territory, he at least had the pretext of serving his people, and as lord, people couldn’t speak freely about him, but to hear such direct criticism…
“You say such things in front of me?”
“You two don’t seem close anyway, so what’s the problem? They were quite friendly, so Marx probably had a hand in you coming to Palesa.”
“…”
“Marx not putting me on Woodpecker’s guard means Grimaldi didn’t want that either. Or maybe it’s unrelated, what do you think?”
“If you’re right, my Count must be furious.”
“Oh? What then, Sir Adrian Grimaldi? Scared of getting scolded by father?”
“Scared of what retaliation I might face.”
“…You’re being this honest? And retaliation seems harsh, even for a child. Wouldn’t it just be a scolding?”
“A scolding, you say.”
No, Spencer Grimaldi had never scolded Adi. Whether it was Adrina or Adrian. Instead, he would retaliate in ways that made them regret their actions. Subtle ways, without physical harm. He would create chaos until they regretted and knelt before him.
“You think a man who spread rumors that his own child was cursed would stop at just scolding?”
“You’re still hung up on that? You were born twins anyway. The birth itself was a curse, so what?”
“…”
“Though it is surprising. I’d have thought Grimaldi would kill one twin, lock them in a tower, or treat them as nonexistent, but he acknowledged you as his child and even gave you a name?”
“…Because we were twins of different sexes.”
“Would it have been more tragic if you were the same sex?”
“Outwardly, no. He would have announced only one birth and kept the other locked in a tower or underground as a replacement.”
“Then that could have been you?”
It’s still a replacement now.
Sometimes Adi wondered. If they had been even slightly shorter, or had terrible stamina like Adrian, if their health had been even slightly worse, what would Spencer Grimaldi have done? Killed them too? Or…
“But you’re the one who survived.”
“…”
Could this really be called survival?
Adi gave no answer. They had reached the Duke’s residence anyway, making further conversation unnecessary. Opening the quarters door, Adi let Roy enter first, then followed into the lounge before immediately standing before their room door.
“Good night, Roy. Thanks for today.”
“Rest well, Adi.”
Adi closed their door. Instead of entering his own room, Roy sat at the lounge table. After staring at the firmly closed door, Roy sighed.
“Still haven’t gained trust, it seems.”
No, perhaps Adi had gained even less trust than himself. Otherwise, Bert wouldn’t have made such a request.
“Asking me to watch them.”
Surveillance of Adi Grimaldi. Since they had no close relationships and didn’t seem to meet with others much, it would be easy to notice if someone approached them.
“I wonder if they know.”
If Adi Grimaldi was in this position because of their influence, surely Adi must be wary too. But what could be done? He could only blame himself for knowing nothing.
