# 88
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At the knights' residence, knights were sitting around with serious expressions, conversing as if they were holding a meeting.
“Sirius. Make sure you properly train the youngest son of the Count Isaac family. I really can’t stand the sight of him lately.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. There were signs from the moment you glared at me and told me to watch my mouth back then.”
Then Sirius narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“I’d like to do that, too. But Andrew, that bastard lives like he has two lives these days. He criticizes my posture, my behavior, and even my tone of voice. It’s all annoying, but the worst of them all is…”
Sirius, drawing out the end of his sentence, rubbed his chin and muttered ominously.
“The point is that I am certain I will be selected to be the Duchess’s bodyguard.”
As the knights' mouths curled up in unison, a chilling silence fell. The eerie sound of knuckles snapping echoed, and someone let out a hollow laugh. Just then, someone broke the silence by glancing around the crowd.
“Is that how you should do it? You have to decide fairly. Life is based on experience, you know?”
“Senior, since we are knights, wouldn’t it be fair to prioritize merit?”
“…Bang your head.”
That's too much!
The official residence suddenly became bustling with activity.
“Ah, I’m dying of jealousy, Andrew Isaac! While I’m in this mess here, that bastard must be serving tea to the young lady!!”
“Then since they plan to conscript guards for the Grand Madam as well, volunteer for that. You can serve tea.”
“…….”
“Since there is an escort for His Excellency, volunteer for that too.”
"shut up."
"Well, that’s Joseph’s business."
Just then, Joseph Rexton, with a ghostly expression, appeared silently and thrust his wide-eyed gaze forward.
Why are you doing this to me?
“Aaaargh!!!”
With dark circles under his eyes from accumulated fatigue, hollow pupils, and rough lips, he looked like a figure terrified to appear in one's dreams. Joseph, who had been rolling his eyes wildly, suddenly flopped down on the sofa and grinned. Those nearby frowned at the sight.
“I must be crazy…….”
Regardless, Joseph spoke with earnestness.
“I’m going to agree to be assigned to escort the Duchess this time, too.”
“That won’t do. Without you, who will assist Your Excellency, huh?”
“Shut up. I’m going to improve the work environment too. Seriously, what’s wrong with you lately…….
It was right then.
“Who said they would pick Grace for escort?”
The moment a low, cool voice like a deep valley pierced the knights' ears, the dark knights sprang to their feet as if they had springs in their buttocks. They assumed a proper posture in the blink of an eye, making their earlier laxity feel like a lie.
“Who said they were assigning Grace to escort her, so why are you doing this during working hours?”
A tiger with a cruel expression appeared at the entrance of the back door, though it was unclear when it had been there. The knights instinctively sensed that his mood was very, very low.
Sure enough, he chuckled, nodded, and gave a command.
Arm yourself.
“…….”
“You should run a bit when you’re bored. Thirty laps around the training ground. I’ll give you an hour.”
Just like a tightly stretched rubber band snapping back in an instant, the knights armed themselves in the blink of an eye and rushed toward the training ground. Soon, a spectacular scene unfolded with dozens of armed knights circling the training ground, and Ares watched the sight with his arms crossed.
"her……."
It was so absurd that I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
What? Improved working conditions? Not a single one of you says something like, "I have the skills to protect Grace well," but instead just spouts nonsense about working conditions and attending to the young lady. Isn't that just saying you want to be her bodyguards because you want to stay by her side?
If it were just the knights, the reaction of the bureaucrats was even more outrageous. In fact, the knights were better in that they at least paid a little attention to my feelings.
Moreover, Eliza acted as if she had no intention of letting Grace go. There was no distinction between day and night. Because he could not give this gift to Grace in front of Eliza even if he were to die and come back to life, Ares could only swallow his groans.
So, whenever Grace came to see me regarding marriage, it was a sort of opportunity, and whenever that happened, the vassals would be frantic to greet Grace, their eyes sparkling like children waiting for candy.
That was already unsatisfactory enough, but today, they asked very blatantly, "If you get married, who will be in charge of the paperwork?" Behind the vanguard, Baron Rexton, the bureaucrats cast pleading glances.
Please, Duchess.
Must be the Duchess.
Nevertheless, the Duchess.
Please.
At this point, Ares reached the point where he wanted to grab Grace and ask her what the secret was.
How on earth did you manage to win the goodwill of so many people in less than a season, let alone a year?
Ares, who had been lost in thought while watching the knights running wildly around the training ground, was able to find the answer within himself, ironically.
How should I put it?
Just as the raging cold is driven away by a warm spring breeze, it was so natural that it was actually difficult to explain in words.
Congratulations!
Thank you.
Even when the person who had offered congratulations offered them again, Grace warmly returned them. She would not know. The fact that people offer congratulations simply because they want to hear a response.
Ares put his hand in his jacket pocket and clutched the gift he could not give tightly.
It’s like they’re all trailing behind Grace like dogs chasing their master.
Ares rubbed his chin for no reason, feeling as though he were one of the dogs chasing its master, and his eyes sank deeply.
Grace, who had been occasionally staring blankly into the air for the past few days, did not come out of her room all day today.
* * *
That day, after the first snow fell, winter took over Richmond. However, despite the whole castle worrying and saying "it's cold, it's cold," Richmond was not cold.
Grace had only recently discovered that the end of Jessie's voice rose when she laughed out of genuine joy. Since she had always seemed somewhat tense—like a cat with its fur standing on end—Grace felt that even her demeanor had changed recently.
“Hello, Miss? How are you feeling this morning?”
Mrs. Rexton prepared her meals every morning on the orders of the godmother.
You like stew, don't you? This time, it's beef stew. It just melts in your mouth. Please have some. Oh, wait, it's hot, so be careful.
Mrs. Rexton had an uncanny ability to sense Grace's taste and prepared meals centered around the foods she particularly enjoyed. Moreover, the portions were quite large, so at first, one wondered if she would be able to eat it all. However, the plates were always completely emptied.
“Oh ho ho ho! Success again today!”
Mrs. Rexton, who had the appearance of a chubby squirrel, would smile happily and clear the dishes whenever that happened, and Grace would also find herself feeling proud for no reason.
Many people involved struggled with the rushed wedding preparations led by Eliza. However, Grace herself didn't realize how difficult it was.
Eliza was a strict yet kind person. Whenever I entered her room, Eliza would call out to me in a higher tone.
“Grace—!”
And the Richmond knights encountered on the road from time to time somehow managed to bend their fierce faces into smiles, and the officials also expressed their delight. Furthermore, Andrew had been making earnest requests for several days.
“I wish to guard the Young Lady until the day I die! Please make me your bodyguard!”
People expressed their goodwill without hesitation and smiled naturally when they saw her. She herself was able to accept their kindness without reservation.
As the warm kindness I received with comfort gradually filled the large pit inside me, the tension that felt like walking on a knife edge slipped away, at least for a moment, and the biting cold that always gnawed at me from deep within also vanished.
However, even so, at some point, an emotion would suddenly surge in without warning and consume me. That strange feeling, as if it were melting my stomach, came more and more frequently as the wedding approached.
Congratulations!
At first, the words of congratulations didn't bother me at all, but as time went on, hearing them made my heart feel like it was shrinking. Especially today, the day before the wedding, I was consumed by that feeling all day and couldn't even eat.
Grace gazed intently at the beautiful wedding dress occupying a corner of the room. Then, she opened the treasure chest left to her by Eliza. Historic treasures, each with its own significance, shone brilliantly. Furthermore, the jewels she had purchased from a jeweler amounted to several chests.
Why are you walking around without wearing anything?!
Eliza scolded me for going around without wearing jewelry, but strangely, I couldn't bring myself to touch it.
While she was staring blankly at the jewels, the sun sank below her ankles, pushed back by the darkness that had descended like a curtain. Mrs. Rexton, who had brought dinner, noticed her subtle mood and quietly left the food behind, and Grace left almost all of the food uneaten, just as she had at breakfast and lunch.
Do you have something on your mind?
Jesse asked cautiously, but Grace shook her head. Everything was going smoothly.
And how much more time had passed? It was just when I reached the point where I was considering going for a walk, overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of frustration.
Grace.
He came without warning.
Ares stood by the door with a very relaxed expression and grinned playfully. Perhaps because that smile was light, she strangely felt the inexplicable energy that had been tormenting her gradually fading.
"dismissal."
Are you busy?
"no."
“I’m going to look around the chapel. Would you like to come along?”