After a brief wedding ceremony, the two walked slowly toward the Grand Duke’s fortress.
The black gravel path lay softly blanketed by snow.
Side by side, their footsteps left prints along the trail.
Iris gazed at the picturesque scenery, overcome by a wave of nostalgia.
‘After finishing sword training, I always walked this path.’
Though her time away had been brief, this place held far more memories than Valentine ever did.
Cedric called to her as she paused.
“My lady.”
Though he spoke, when Iris met his eyes, he awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Do you find the Leontheim Duchy to your liking?”
She sensed him carefully watching her reaction.
As before, this attentiveness struck her as unusual.
‘Maybe it’s because no one has ever cared for me like this.’
Her father never spared her a thought; Orchid and Liliana only gave hollow words of concern.
‘Compared to them…’
This man expressed his care with his whole being—not just words but actions, impossible to ignore.
“I like it.”
“What? What?”
Cedric stammered like a broken automaton, his face flushing slightly.
Iris gave a faint smile at his reaction.
“The Leontheim Duchy seems a good place. Everyone here smiles.”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant.”
“And?”
“No, nothing. Still, my lady.”
Cedric paused as if lost in thought.
Iris stood quietly, watching him until he spoke again.
“If there’s anything uncomfortable or troubling, please tell me freely.”
“I will.”
A pleased smile appeared on Cedric’s face.
“Thinking about it, moving to a new place can be unsettling. If it’s troublesome, would you prefer to have your own room until you adjust?”
Iris nodded slowly.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“It’s nothing. If anything else comes to mind, feel free to tell the other servants without hesitation. They will make the necessary changes.”
Cedric remained gentle—too good for Iris.
‘Is that why he’s the protagonist?’
Watching him, she finally understood what it meant to be truly loved by the world’s chosen hero.
Among countless people, he stood out as a uniquely splendid man who drew every gaze.
Like a noble black wolf in the snow-covered landscape, he bore a pride that seemed unyielding to anything.
Iris slowly parted her lips.
“My lord.”
Her voice cracked from the first syllable.
Memories she had buried surged up, shaking her very soul.
“Thank you.”
Cedric raised one eyebrow, crossing his arms.
A mischievous curiosity gleamed in his eyes as he looked at her.
“For what, exactly?”
Perhaps this was a tale you would never know—
And one you should never learn.
Iris gave a faint smile.
“Everything.”
Your love was what destroyed you.
If only you hadn’t tried so hard to protect me, you wouldn’t have died.
“Are you really grateful for what I just said?”
“Maybe I am.”
In the hazy landscape, Iris seemed almost translucent, as if she might scatter like dust between her own eyes.
Her faintly glowing, translucent skin.
Her soft lavender hair fluttering gently, she stood drenched in an inexplicable sorrow.
How much pain is this person carrying inside?
Cedric couldn’t understand Iris’s reaction at all.
Yet, despite knowing nothing, his heart inexplicably ached.
“...My lady.”
Cedric spoke with a faint stiffness on his face.
“There’s no need to be so grateful over this.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Really? Because I intend to keep watching over you.”
“Yes, I’ll let you.”
Crossing his arms, Cedric tilted his head to meet her gaze.
He spoke with a serious expression—yet oddly, his tone sounded teasing.
“I suppose from now on, I must make it so you take everything as a given.”
Furthermore, as they looked at each other, a mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
For some reason, Iris felt embarrassed.
She quickly avoided Cedric’s gaze and walked toward the manor.
Thankfully, Cedric didn’t stop her.
Thank goodness.
If he had, she wouldn’t have been able to hide the fluttering in her heart.
Is it even okay for me to think like this?
Cedric constantly draws out the fragile parts of her heart.
He fills the emotions she believed had long since withered, revealing facets she never knew she had.
I want to stay by his side.
But in Cedric’s ending, Iris does not exist.
In the past, Iris did nothing.
Yet simply being beside him shattered Cedric’s conclusion.
Don’t be greedy, Iris.
Her desire to remain by his side till the end is an unworthy ambition.
By what right?
Don’t forget, Iris.
Regrets flowed like sand slipping away.
No matter how much she tried to cast them off, despair swallowed her whole.
No matter how hard she ran, the end of tragedy seemed unreachable.
This fragile chance was all she had managed to create.
How could she forget?
The sharp cold that pierced her skin, the countless moments she blamed herself in misery.
Iris pressed down the tears threatening to fall.
“...Cedric.”
She glanced back at the figure who still followed her.
Cedric smiled gently where her eyes met his.
Seeing that face, a pang of pain struck her heart.
Even if there’s no place for me at your end, it’s alright.
A passing breeze stirred Iris’s calm hair.
I will protect you.
Even if it means eliminating every enemy that stands before you.
The knights of the Valentine clan were required to begin their morning training at dawn.
Even Orchid, the heir and young marquis, was not exempt.
It was only fitting for a scion of the great Paladin family.
That day, as usual, Orchid made his way to the training grounds for morning drills.
But today, the training hall was unusually chaotic.
‘What’s going on?’
Inside, lower-ranked knights and trainees scrambled to arrange wooden practice swords, but their efforts were haphazard and disorganized.
When they finally noticed Orchid’s arrival, their faces went pale.
“Y-Young Marquis!”
“W-why are you here so early today…?”
Though it was slightly earlier than Orchid’s usual training time, this disorder wouldn’t have resolved itself simply by him arriving later.
“What is this mess?” Orchid demanded.
The lower knights exchanged uneasy glances, unable to answer directly.
Their hesitation only fueled Orchid’s anger.
“Are you all out of your minds?” Orchid’s voice thundered.
“When did the discipline of the Valentine Knights fall to such a state?”
“We humbly apologize, Young Marquis!”
“It is entirely our fault!”
Orchid, usually gentle and kind when leading the knights, was now visibly enraged.
The knights were unsettled, unaccustomed to this fierce demeanor.
‘The Young Marquis never used to lose his temper like this…’
‘He seems especially sensitive today. Something must be wrong.’
Unaware of their thoughts, Orchid strode forward, his hawk-like eyes scanning the swords’ condition.
It was dreadful.
‘This is basic maintenance, yet it’s completely neglected.’
The training hall was cleaned by the Valentine household servants, but the care of practice wooden swords and real blades was entrusted to the lower knights and trainees.
This was to teach them the weight and humility of the sword.
‘Judging by their condition, they haven’t been tended to for days.’
Especially the real swords — rust from sweat corrosion was clearly visible.
“Where is Iris?” Orchid asked sharply, his displeasure rising.
“How could the lower knights fail to uphold even the simplest duty of sword maintenance?”
“U-um, Miss Iris has already married and left the family…”
Indeed, Iris had long since left the clan after her marriage.
‘Why did I even mention Iris?’
Probably out of habit.
Trying to mask his embarrassment, Orchid looked around the knights.
“Who was responsible for maintaining these swords until now?”
The knights began looking at each other, searching for an answer.
“That would be the newest recruit…”
“Yes, the last recruit took care of it…”
Many answers came, but no one claimed responsibility.
“No one’s in charge? Surely someone last tended to these blades.”
A chilling silence fell.
“I-I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“That’s just how it’s always been. When I joined, the swords were always prepared.”
Orchid’s disbelief only deepened.
Could it really be that no one here knew?
Such a thing defied all reason.
Then what about the swords that had always been kept impeccably maintained until now?
If such a sudden problem arose, there must be a reason behind it.
“Then who was the first trainee to arrive?”
The junior knights hesitated at the question before answering.
“Well, about that...”
“It seems it was Miss Iris.”
“Iris?”
Orchid frowned, unable to make sense of it.
“What on earth was she doing?”
At that moment, the image of Iris always arriving first at the training grounds flashed through Orchid’s mind.
Had Iris been cleaning up everyone else’s tasks all along?
“No way.”
He couldn’t believe it.
“There’s no reason for her to do everything while other junior knights are here—”
But actually, there was.
After finishing training, Orchid would often be approached by Iris, who would speak frankly.
“Brother, the junior knights keep arriving late to training and aren’t properly prepared.”
“So?”
“I think the discipline of the knights needs to be reinforced.”
Orchid ignored her words completely.
“If the others won’t do it, it’s your responsibility to handle it somehow.”
“Are you saying I have to take responsibility for what other knights should do?”
“That’s exactly why you’re failing.”
Orchid clicked his tongue and scolded her.
“How incompetent must you be for mere junior knights to disrespect you? If you do it right, they’ll follow your lead.”
And yet...
“Was Iris really the one who always tidied everything up?”
All these tasks.
All by herself. Back at the Leontheim Duke’s mansion, Iris quickly regained her composure.
Suppressing emotions was something she was very accustomed to.
“My lady, you have returned.”
Vincent, the steward waiting at the mansion, greeted her.
“Would you like to rest immediately, or would you prefer a brief tour of the estate first?”
“I’ll tour the estate.”
The steward guided her skillfully.
“Very well. I will take you around right away.”
Like water flowing naturally, he led Iris through various parts of the mansion.
“This is the reception room, and connected to it is...”
The Leontheim Duchy was a forsaken land.
In fact, the title was largely symbolic—often granted to royal blood exiled by the crown.
Because of that, the Duke’s mansion was focused purely on practicality and lacked the grandeur of other noble houses.
Still, Iris found it pleasing.
It had always been so.
Though not lavish, the mansion showed care in every corner.
Chapter 13
How to Protect My Male Lead — Chapter 13
Translator's Note:
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