Chapter 36
Chapter 036. People Whose War Has Not Ended (9)
“Ahem, ahem.”
Rosalyn let out an awkward cough in the silence that followed. She felt a little embarrassed, thinking her words sounded grand despite having lost all memories of the war.
“It’s late. Let’s go to sleep now.”
Just as she withdrew her hand—
Sionne grabbed it and asked,
“Must I sleep on the sofa again tonight?”
Without hesitation, he buried his face into her palm. His soft cheek rubbed against it in a playful way.
They had shared a room even when they first arrived at Anata Castle. But at the time, the only space allowed to Sionne was the sofa.
“Tonight, I want to stay by your side.”
Sionne Feitan, as if his earlier gloom had never been, now set his sights on the bed.
“……”
Rosalyn couldn’t answer right away. But soon, as she climbed into the bed, she muttered softly,
“I already made space for you. Go to sleep.”
Sionne, seeing the red flush on her ears, shrugged his shoulders and laid down on the bed.
Rosalyn let out a quiet sigh and leaned over to blow out the candle by the bedside.
“Sionne.”
Lying flat on her back, Rosalyn opened her eyes and called him.
“Yes.”
Sionne replied as though he’d been waiting, keeping the same posture—facing her in a way that felt a little too much.
But there was something else that was more pressing.
“How long are you planning to hold my hand?”
Rosalyn shook their awkwardly clasped hands. His hand, which had been gently tickling hers, had tightened its grip at some point, and she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Is it uncomfortable for you?”
Sionne shamelessly asked something obvious.
“Wouldn’t it be?”
“You could think of it as me staying by your side for comfort… and holding your hand for the same reason.”
“The comforting part ended earlier.”
Rosalyn waited quietly for him to speak again. Surprisingly, she was enjoying this back-and-forth more than she thought she would. She was also curious what sort of nonsense he’d come up with next.
“Then… let’s say I’m the one holding your hand instead.”
“What?”
“You’re probably worried I might try to attack you or something. So, I’ll let myself be held all night to ease your anxiety.”
He acknowledged the suspicion still directed at him.
“So hold on tight so I can’t try anything foolish.”
And not just with words—he pressed his large hand over Rosalyn’s, securing their grip.
At the fidgety movement, Rosalyn let out a soft laugh. Her pleasant vibration traveled through their joined hands and reached Sionne.
“Sionne.”
Rosalyn turned her body to face him.
Their eyes met, now adjusted to the darkness.
Under sunlight, their eyes looked completely different, but in the dark, that difference vanished.
Only the emotions they carried reflected off one another.
“…Yes, Rosalyn.”
It felt just like the Anata region—this place where the wounds they couldn’t face outside could finally meet.
“Sleep now. We really do have a lot to do tomorrow.”
It was Rosalyn who closed her eyes first.
“……”
Sionne looked at her face in the dark, his expression contemplative.
Her eyebrows drew graceful lines.
Her nose stood straight, her jawline was smooth.
Even the slight curl at the corners of her lips.
Altogether, her features—eyes, nose, lips—left a bold and vivid impression.
Just then, a faint breathing sound came from Rosalyn. Contrary to her sharp appearance, the sound was so harmless.
“Looks like her insomnia’s gone. Come to think of it, her hand tremors have eased a lot too.”
As time passed, the twenty-one-year-old Rosalyn was slowly becoming someone different from the twenty-eight-year-old version. The traces of her at twenty-eight were disappearing one by one.
As if she were turning into someone else entirely.
And the real problem was that Sionne found himself separating the two versions in his heart.
“No, it’s soon now.”
Rosalyn de Anata had definitely opened her heart to him.
With resolve, Sionne lifted his head slightly and glanced toward the desk piled with documents.
“Soon.”
He slowly pulled his hand out of Rosalyn’s grasp.
“This relationship is coming to an end.”
As he withdrew, her ring finger came along with his fingers. But without hesitation, he let it go.
* * *
A few days later, the day of the Anata Knight Order’s founding ceremony arrived. Things were still chaotic due to their failure to catch the intruder, but they couldn’t delay the scheduled event.
Banners bearing the crest of House Anata were densely hung on both walls of the banquet hall.
On either side of the central aisle sat the new inductees of the ceremony, dressed in white with red robes draped over them. Everyone looked nervous, staring at the floor.
In front of them stood the knights of the conquest unit, lined up in armor.
‘Finally, the all-nighters will be over.’
Sionne, seated in the witness gallery, rubbed his eyes as he thought to himself.
“Her Grace, Grand Duke Rosalyn de Anata, is entering.”
Moments later, with the chamberlain’s announcement, Rosalyn entered the banquet hall.
Wearing a shining golden crown on her head, Rosalyn walked with her head held high down the central path.
Once atop the platform, she slowly looked around the hall before taking a seat on the throne. Then she spoke.
“Let us begin the founding ceremony of the Anata Knight Order.”
The ceremony consisted of an oath of fealty accepting the conquest unit knights as retainers, and a knighting ceremony for the selected individuals.
“Jacob Moore, step forward.”
At the chamberlain’s call, Jacob, who stood at the front, stepped forward. He knelt before Rosalyn and placed his hands between hers.
“Your Grace, Grand Duke Rosalyn de Anata, I humbly wish to become your vassal.”
The act of crossing hands symbolized protection and submission, a visible sign of the master-servant bond.
“Upon what do you swear your loyalty?”
Rosalyn asked as she wrapped her hands around the large, rough hands of the man.
“I swear upon the holy temple that shall never change. I vow that I and my house will forever remain loyal to Anata. Should I break that vow, may the sacred god bring punishment upon me.”
Looking into Jacob’s resolute eyes, Rosalyn nodded. At her gesture, the chamberlain brought forward a pine branch resting on a cushion.
“In recognition of the loyalty of my vassal Jacob Moore, I appoint him Commander of the Anata Knight Order.”
Rosalyn placed the pine branch into Jacob’s hands.
“I grant him the village of Norhin, with its lush forests and flowing rivers, and the surrounding lands.”
The pine branch was symbolic of the land being granted to Jacob.
“Thank you.”
Jacob received the branch and bowed his head. It was the moment his lord changed from the Emperor to the Grand Duke of Anata.
“I’m counting on you, Jacob.”
Rosalyn offered him a quiet greeting.
Several more oaths of fealty followed. Even though the proceedings were simplified due to the number of participants, it still took a considerable amount of time.
As soon as the oaths were complete, the knighting ceremony began.
The vagrants recited the code of chivalry they had memorized over the past few days. Their solemn voices filled the banquet hall.
“Ahem.”
Seizing the opportunity amidst the commotion, Sionne rose from his seat and quietly slipped out of the hall.
He passed by the guard at the door, who looked at him in confusion, and headed toward the main building.
With everyone preoccupied by the ceremony, now was the perfect time to rifle through the drawers of Rosalyn’s desk.
‘It’ll take a while to tap each one on the shoulder with a sword.’
Since he had helped prepare the ceremony alongside Rosalyn, he could roughly estimate how much time he had.
Suppressing his impatience, he moved toward the entrance of the main building. It would be worse to draw suspicion by rushing.
“Huh?”
But the moment he stepped through the door, Sionne was forced to halt in place.
“Sir Sionne.”
A noblewoman in a fur hat recognized him and smiled.
“Madam…”
She was the only noblewoman from Hernia whom Sionne knew—Meriwood Mason.
Beside her stood a soldier with an awkward expression. After greeting Sionne, he continued speaking.
“Um… We were told you might arrive, but we weren’t informed you would be bringing mercenaries.”
The soldier added hurriedly, clearly flustered.
“Someone has gone to confirm with Her Grace now. Please wait a moment.”
“Phew, alright.”
Meriwood sighed and took off her hat.
The Anata soldiers were more strict than she had expected. Even after presenting the family’s seal, her carriage and the mercenaries still waited outside the gate.
“Once Her Grace confirms, please allow the mercenaries in from outside the castle.”
“Understood.”
It was troublesome, but reassuring in a way to see that Rosalyn’s soldiers were so disciplined.
“By the way, it’s been a while.”
Meriwood offered a casual greeting to Sionne instead of the typical Hernian one. She couldn’t very well say “May you find peace in the arms of Hernia” to a prince of the enemy nation.
“…It has. Have you been well?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Meriwood smiled as she replied.
