Chapter 54
“Duchess. I have something to ask.”
“What are you curious about?”
The duchess kindly asked me.
I carefully pointed to the dessert in front of me and asked.
“These desserts. They taste so good… Could you possibly share the recipe with me?”
“That’s not difficult, but… why do you ask?”
“Ah, I think our knights would like them too. I was thinking of baking some for them.”
Our knights absolutely can’t resist sweets.
Just imagining the delighted faces of the knights made me smile faintly without realizing it.
Meanwhile, the duchess widened her eyes in surprise at my response.
“For the knights?”
She seemed completely caught off guard.
‘Wait, is that really so surprising?’
I answered, feeling a little puzzled.
“Well, I am the administrative officer of the Azure Dawn Knights. Distributing snacks to the knights is part of my job, isn’t it?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
The duchess, looking a bit flustered, quickly nodded.
Even so, her eyes took on a strangely fresh look as she looked at me…
‘Well, I appreciate you finding it admirable, but…’
Is there a need to make your surprise that obvious?
Moments like this really make me feel how messed up the original Cassia must have been.
Just thinking about all the prejudices I’ll have to overcome ahead… makes my vision go dark!
My face was just starting to burn up with embarrassment when—
‘Hm?’
I felt a prickling gaze nearby.
When I glanced over, Terence was staring at me intently.
‘Ah.’
Our eyes met.
Rather than looking away, Terence smiled softly with his eyes at me.
‘What now, why’s he looking at me like that?’
I felt strangely uneasy.
It was the same kind of look the duchess had given me just now.
More precisely, it felt oddly like he was finding me admirable.
Look, I feel a bit awkward saying this, but…
We’re not that close, are we?
That look—it’s a bit too much, you know!
* * *
Meanwhile, as Cassia found herself in a staring contest with an unexpected guest during tea time…
A long silence hung in the study of Duke Diaz.
‘Why did the duke call me here?’
Giscard looked curiously at the duke sitting across from him.
Even though the duke had summoned Giscard to his study on purpose, he hadn’t uttered a single word yet.
Instead, he had deep wrinkles between his brows and occasionally sighed deeply.
That appearance was somehow…
‘Is he about to bring up something serious?’
Giscard unconsciously tensed a bit.
To the Azure Dawn Knights, Duke Diaz was quite a significant figure.
And with good reason—there were very few high-ranking officials who were favorable toward the Azure Dawn Knights.
Duke Diaz was one of those very few.
In fact, when the Azure Dawn Knights received virtually no support and was struggling terribly at the Northern Command Headquarters—
The only noble house that didn’t turn their backs on them was Duke Diaz’s household.
However, even the support from Duke Diaz had its limits.
And the reason for that was…
‘Because of the Imperial Family.’
For a grand noble house like Duke Diaz’s to openly support a knight order belonging to the empire—
It could be misunderstood as trying to bring a national military force under the House’s influence.
It might be accused of overstepping authority and end up in conflict with the imperial family.
‘Maybe he’s about to say it’s getting harder to support us.’
Just as Giscard’s eyes began to darken—
“First of all, thank you.”
A calm voice expressed gratitude to Giscard.
“Thanks to the Azure Dawn Knights’ efforts, we were able to keep the portal sealed safely again this time, weren’t we?”
At that, Giscard quickly shook his head as if coming to his senses.
“It was simply our duty.”
“Even so, it doesn’t erase the credit you deserve.”
The duke added with a slightly cynical tone.
“Maintaining the portal’s seal was originally the duty of the 4th Order to begin with.”
“……That’s true.”
“The Northern Commander treasures his nephew quite a bit. And yet he dismissed him.”
The duke gave a faint smile.
It was a smile laced with icy sarcasm.
“That in itself is proof that the 4th Order has been neglecting its duties all this time, isn’t it?”
“…….”
At that remark, Giscard remained silent.
As expected of Duke Diaz.
The recent incident regarding the portal—no matter how you looked at it—was nothing short of a scandal for the Northern Command Headquarters.
That’s why, in exchange for quietly burying the incident, Cassia had requested the dismissal of the 4th Order’s commander—someone who had long been a thorn in her side
‘To deduce the 4th Order’s negligence just from that one personnel change alone…’
After finishing his words of thanks, Duke Diaz shook his head and shifted the topic.
“Well, I didn’t call a busy man like you just to say that.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
Giscard straightened his posture.
At the same time, the duke’s expression grew a little more complicated.
After silently moving his lips for a while, the duke finally spoke with an awkward voice.
“So… about Cassia. I noticed she’s wearing a uniform?”
Ah.
At that moment, Giscard understood why Duke Diaz had been so hesitant.
‘He’s concerned about Administrative Officer Astrid.’
Up until now, Duke Diaz had publicly distanced himself from his unruly niece.
And to be fair, considering the outrageous things Cassia had done so far, it was understandable.
Still…
‘After everything that happened with the portal, it must’ve become hard to keep pretending he didn’t know her.’
Not to mention, Cassia was the only remaining blood relative of the late former empress.
Giscard gave a faint smile.
“Administrative Officer Astrid made that choice herself.”
“……Cassia did?”
“Yes.”
Giscard nodded and added.
His tone was full of conviction.
“She said that before being a princess, she is a member of the Azure Dawn Knights. That she would stay true to her role as a knight.”
“…….”
Already wearing a complicated expression, Duke Diaz now looked deeply troubled, as if facing an unsolvable riddle.
“Cassia… really.”
The duke asked with a doubtful voice.
“She’s not indulging in luxury?”
“She isn’t.”
Giscard replied immediately.
“I heard she sold off all her dresses and luxury goods before joining.”
But Giscard’s expression didn’t seem entirely bright as he said that.
It had suddenly hit him.
How much Cassia had given up to become a member of the Azure Dawn Knights.
How willingly she had let go of all the privileges she once enjoyed.
He couldn’t be unaware of all those sacrifices…
And somehow, his chest felt heavy.
On the other hand, a faint glimmer of hope appeared on Duke Diaz’s face.
‘Could it be… Cassia’s finally matured a bit?’
In truth, Duke Diaz had once adored his young niece very much.
She was the only remaining family left behind by his beloved sister, who had died so tragically—so it was only natural.
And she looked so much like her mother, too.
But then—
“Why did my sister have to die like that!”
In his struggle against the imperial family—
By the time he came to his senses, Cassia had become completely twisted.
“You’ve never cared about me at all, Duke Diaz.”
Cassia, who had grown up arrogant and extravagant, once said that to him coldly.
“You only loved my mother. Isn’t that right?”
The duke had tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but Cassia only grew more rebellious.
And so now—
‘No way…’
Catching himself hoping again, Duke Diaz shook his head and gave a bitter smile.
It was true that recent rumors about Cassia had been somewhat positive.
She had tackled long-standing abuses in the Azure Dawn Knights’ barracks—
And had even moved personally to check on the outpost conducting portal watch duties.
He had been worried when he heard she’d faced a life-threatening situation during that time, but…
People don’t change so easily.
‘Anyway, she seemed uninjured and in good health.’
At least that was a relief.
Duke Diaz spoke politely.
“Even if our Cassia doesn’t meet your expectations, I do hope you’ll continue looking after her.”
“That’s not true.”
To his surprise, Giscard shook his head.
“Rather, it’s we who should be thankful to Administrative Officer Astrid. She’s a talent far too good for our order.”
