Chapter 3
It was early morning. A dim blue light filtered through the thin satin curtains. Adi, sensitive enough to wake at such a small change, covered her eyes with her arm. Her eyes felt damp. She had dreamed something, but it didn’t seem to be a good dream.
“…How annoying.”
It seemed to be a dream of some terrible winter day. In truth, she couldn’t remember it clearly.
Adi got up from the bed, took off the muslin nightgown she was wearing and left it on the bed, then moved to the bathroom and turned on the water. Warm water immediately fell on her body. Her light blonde hair got wet, clinging to her nape and cheeks.
Adi lowered her gaze. Her protruding chest seemed to announce that she was a woman. Frowning, Adi quickly raised her head as if she hadn’t seen it. After standing under the water for a few more minutes, Adi came out, roughly dried her body, and put on a chemise.
Over it, she fastened a leather chest protector and tightened the fabric connected to her shoulders and sides. The muscular knights had chests more ample than women, so this much was enough to avoid suspicion.
Water dripped from her wet hair, soaking the chemise. Where the water touched, it became transparent, revealing her skin.
Adi fixed her hair up, then put on stockings and secured them with a belt. Over that, she put on socks and trousers. Then she put on boots, wore a vest over the chemise, and examined herself.
If Adrian Grimaldi had grown up properly, would he have looked like this?
Being a man, his features might have been more pronounced. Despite being over twenty-five, she still had a boyish face. Would it be different after thirty?
Adi sighed as she stroked her smooth cheek, without even a trace of stubble. After thirty, the difference might be even more noticeable.
She thought it might be better if that day came quickly so she could finish everything and return to the Grimaldi territory. But still, there was no contact from the Count.
Adi raised the collar of her chemise, then put on and tied a pristine white cravat. She attached a cameo engraved with the knighthood’s emblem above the knot, brushed up her wet hair once more to fix it, then looked in the mirror again.
She thought she might look more threatening if she had some scars on her face, but whether due to good healing properties, wounds disappeared easily even with just water. Her body’s healing ability was absurd. There was no point in trying to look threatening by frowning.
After sighing, Adi put on the formal jacket hanging in the closet, then sat by the bedside and picked up the scabbard placed beside her. As she drew the sword, it made a sharp sound.
Maintaining the sword every night was a knightly virtue, so Adi too would oil and tend to her sword until late at night after finishing all her daily tasks. Although nothing bad would appear overnight, Adi thoroughly checked for any issues before putting the sword back in its scabbard and fastening it to her waist.
Then she quietly looked at the bedside. There were small framed portraits of Adrina and Adrian standing separately.
The young twins wearing the same colored clothes were never painted together. Adrian had a picture with his family, but Adrina was never given such an opportunity.
Yet, the one living now is…
Adi’s gaze turned back to the bed. Under the bed were two more swords. But they hadn’t been taken out for a long time. Adi slowly turned and walked to the door.
“I’m off.”
And she greeted.
To Adrina, or perhaps to Adrian.
* * *
The administrative officer looked at Adi Grimaldi with a troubled expression. He couldn’t remember how many times Adi’s affiliation had changed since her appointment to Palesa. Originally, she was assigned to the 11th Squad of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Knight Order of the Guard Palace.
“I heard you caused trouble again.”
At the officer’s words, Adi scratched her ear with an annoyed expression. The officer shook his head. Her appearance didn’t match her behavior.
Adi Grimaldi, who looked like she couldn’t even properly wield a sword, had a fierce temperament, was self-centered, cruel in her actions, indifferent to others, yet never avoided a fight that came her way.
Her height was exactly that of an average adult male, with a slender body. With that pretty face, if she smiled sweetly, she would surely be adored everywhere, but she didn’t take that easy path. Is this what it means to be a Grimaldi?
“Even so, how could you burst someone’s testicles? He’s the only legitimate son of that family.”
“How should I know?”
“Last time, didn’t you burst someone’s eyeball in a fistfight?”
“It was an orbital fracture, not a burst eyeball.”
“I don’t know how many times I’ll have to correct your knight’s record. And what about the knighthood emblem? How many times are you going to have your jacket refitted?”
“The knighthood doesn’t change, does it? It’s just changing battalions, what’s the big deal?”
“No, this time you’ll be changing your knighthood emblem too.”
“……”
Adi hesitated at the officer’s words.
There are three knight orders in Palesa Palace. Unless in special cases, most knights belong to the 3rd Knight Order. One cannot enter the 1st or 2nd Knight Order unless certain conditions are met.
Changing the knighthood emblem… does that mean she’s being expelled from this palace? What should she do then? Become a free knight and leave this place? There was also the option of escaping this damn country.
Adi doesn’t like Palesa. She hates Palesa. As Adrina feels this way, Adrian probably wouldn’t be much different.
Her heart started pounding. Perhaps she could escape from that yoke. No longer bound to him, no longer bound… could she?
“So, am I being expelled?”
What should I tell the Count?
“Expelled? You’re going to the 2nd Knight Order.”
“……”
This was unexpected. Seeing Adi’s eyes widen in surprise, the officer clicked his tongue again. If she showed such an expression to her colleagues, she wouldn’t have to suffer at all. Though she might be adored in a different way.
The officer had no intention of saying anything to Adi Grimaldi, who was deliberately choosing a difficult path when an easy one was available. She must know best how to live comfortably, yet she chose not to.
Adi Grimaldi’s face twisted strangely.
“Shit.”
He knew something unpleasant would come out, but a curse right off the bat? She really never fails to meet expectations.
“Are you crazy?”
“Blame that pretty face of yours.”
“Do the noble ones overlook even vulgar speech if the face is pretty enough?”
“You’re the one who should be mindful. If you don’t want to lose your head.”
“…Don’t they only recruit skilled ones there?”
“You’re skilled too.”
“If that were true, I would have been assigned there from the start.”
“Back then, no one knew you were skilled.”
The rumors about Adi Grimaldi were not good. It was said that although she received her knighthood from the Crown Prince, in reality, Adi Grimaldi and the Crown Prince had never met.
Adi Grimaldi’s knighthood was processed through paperwork, all thanks to Spencer Grimaldi’s influence. So when it was said that Adi Grimaldi was transferred to Palesa, everyone thought her father’s influence extended even here.
The actual Adi Grimaldi was also too pretty, and everyone thought she would surely fail to adapt here and fall crying, so they threw silver and gold coins betting on it.
Where exactly did those rumors go wrong?
Adi Grimaldi didn’t need the Grimaldi Count family’s influence. Adi was quite skilled, enjoyed fighting, and when provoked, far from ignoring it, she would return it twofold, showing a cruel and cunning side.
“Can’t you just expel me instead?”
“If you want to leave, there’s always the option of desertion, Sir.”
At the officer’s words, Adi spat. The officer swallowed hard at the foreign substance that landed on his office carpet, and finally shook his head.
“If I desert, will you let me go with a smile? The guards and knights would be thrilled to chase me down. Among them, dozens want me dead.”
“That’s why I asked, why did you make so many enemies?”
“Those bastards started it first, damn it!”
“Watch your language. Where you’re going next, if you swear like that, you might really lose your head.”
“If they want to cut it off, let them.”
After saying this, Adi spat again. The officer, thinking he’d have to change the carpet on the floor anyway, had a small question about what made Adi Grimaldi like this.
That pretty face must have come from her mother, but while Spencer Grimaldi was known for being cruel, he wasn’t known for being unreasonable.
“Damn it all.”
“Speak more prettily.”
“Isn’t a pretty face enough? Do I need pretty words too?”
“…Right. Keep living up to that face, Sir.”
The officer didn’t deny it. No, he couldn’t deny it in the first place.
“You’ll be assigned to the 1st Squad of the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Knight Order. Here’s your new knight’s notebook.”
The recruitment conditions for the Palesa Palace 2nd Knight Order, to which Adi Grimaldi was reassigned, were only two.
“That’s great. It’s a place where those who live up to their faces gather.”
One of them was appearance.
The 2nd Knight Order is where knights who exclusively escort high-ranking nobles visiting Palesa are gathered. Outstanding skills and appearance. If one lacks either, they cannot enter the 2nd Knight Order. That’s why a transfer from another knight order was also unheard of.
The 1st Squad was especially stringent.
“Here’s your assignment order.”
The officer handed over a document with an indifferent expression. Adi stared at the document quietly.
“Don’t cause trouble there.”
Even if she refused, she couldn’t undo the order already given.
“No, you won’t be able to cause trouble.”
Without answering, Adi snatched the document and stood up. The officer called out, “Grimaldi,” as Adi was leaving. Adi stopped and turned her head to look at the officer.
“I hear Duke Woodpecker is coming.”
As he said this, pointing at himself, Adi slightly opened her mouth, then closed it and turned to leave. Watching the door close with a thud, the officer smiled faintly.
