“You are under suspicion, but you are not a criminal. Until your wrongdoing is confirmed, it’s right to protect you.”
“However, I know that there are many who are interrogated in prison with just the justification that they acted in a way that aroused suspicion. I believe I am receiving excessive treatment.”
“I am someone who believes that those who have rendered meritorious service should receive appropriate compensation. If Sir Aila is innocent, wouldn’t punishing someone who has rendered service be wrong?”
His Highness once said that delaying punishment can be remedied later, but delaying the commendation of achievements means losing people. Recalling that, I couldn’t say his current words were entirely empty. Even so, something still didn’t sit right with me. That was because this situation was somewhat ambiguous to be called a reward.
‘Of course it’s excessive. It is excessive, but… normally knights wouldn’t enjoy this kind of situation.’
Unless one had impure intentions toward His Highness like me and whose heart pounded just from seeing his face, it would only be a burdensome situation.
“If you’re convinced, won’t you answer my question first?”
“Yes, ah, you mean about the walk.”
His Highness cut me off as if to interrupt my train of thought. Moreover, the proposal was quite tempting.
“Um, if it’s alright, would it be okay to go to the training grounds instead of a walk? If you’re still suspicious, you don’t have to give me a sword. I just want to loosen up my body a bit.”
“It seems Sir Aila can’t stand it if he doesn’t move his body for even a day.”
I thought that would be the case for most who could enter the Imperial Guard. Not only would one worry about their skills getting rusty if they rested even for a day, but the body would actually feel more uncomfortable.
‘Though Aila’s body didn’t seem to be like that at all.’
There were always exceptions.
“I apologize if I made a difficult request. Just allowing me to take a walk would be sufficient.”
That said, I had no intention of doing something His Highness would dislike. As soon as I changed my words, His Highness lightly tousled my hair. It was an action he used to do often when I was young, but never after I grew up, so my eyes widened.
“What’s so difficult about it? Get changed.”
His Highness, who I thought wouldn’t permit it, readily changed his mind. At the unexpected words, I hurriedly changed into the clothes the attendants had brought. And to put it simply, His Highness granted only half of my request.
* * *
“I can’t allow you to train yet. Just watch today. Understood?”
I thought the clothes the attendants brought were excessively luxurious silk garments, and as expected, training was not permitted.
‘Well, I suppose so. If I trained wearing clothes like these, I wouldn’t be able to move properly just from worrying about damaging the fabric.’
If I had known this, I wondered if I should have just taken a walk instead, but I didn’t feel like requesting it while changing my words again.
‘In any case, with clothes like these, I’ll look less like a guard knight and more like just an attendant. A very extravagant attendant at that.’
Since I was following right behind His Highness, I kept being conscious of it. Even if his close associates knew my circumstances, I worried that others in the palace might find it strange. In that sense, the training grounds where many people could see seemed less burdensome than the gardens.
“Your Highness! What brings you here today……”
As we opened the door to the First Knight Order’s training grounds and entered, the commander who had just finished warm-up exercises came rushing out to greet us.
“You may raise your head. I’ve merely come to observe, so don’t mind me.”
“Yes! I will do as you command!”
Unlike the commanders of other knight orders who were of noble birth, the commander of the First Knight Order was the first commoner-born knight to become commander. I heard he received his title for rendering distinguished service on the battlefield alongside His Highness. For someone like that, he always seemed intimidated by Crown Prince Kairen.
“Let’s go up.”
Even knowing that everyone in this training ground couldn’t help but be conscious of him, His Highness leisurely headed to the second floor. But suddenly I felt dizzy and almost stumbled. If His Highness’s arm hadn’t supported me, I surely would have.
“Oops. You should be careful, Sir Aila.”
“Th-thank you.”
A sweet yet somehow floral scent briefly brushed past the tip of my nose. Heat suddenly rose in my body.
‘What’s this? Has my body not fully recovered yet?’
Leading my wobbling legs upstairs, I noticed faces I couldn’t usually see in the First Knight Order.
‘Why are people from the Second Knight Order here? Did something change without my knowledge?’
Now that I thought about it, I couldn’t see the regular knights.
“Today is a joint training day for the First and Second Knight Orders. Knights below the rank of junior knight have gone to the Second Knight Order’s training grounds.”
Somehow noticing my confusion, His Highness kindly informed me.
“Joint training?”
Joint training was conducted once every three months, but this wasn’t one of those times. That’s because right now, having just finished the swordsmanship tournament, was the period for appointing and deploying new knights.
“That’s right. This month I ordered it specially. Thanks to Sir Aila, I’ll be able to watch the training I specially ordered in person, so this worked out well.”
“Ah, I see.”
Having thought that far, I discovered a familiar silhouette and unknowingly straightened my back. Kaeun hyung-nim was approaching the First Knight Order commander. Since the Second Knight Order’s commander was directing the other side, it seemed he had come as the representative.
“Sir Kaeun is coming up.”
His Highness looked down at hyung-nim walking with disciplined steps as if finding it interesting, crossing his legs. My slightly gaunt hyung-nim immediately bowed his waist and showed proper courtesy upon seeing His Highness.
“I greet Your Highness on this day blessed by the sun. I heard you would be observing today’s training. I will show you a performance without shortcomings.”
Unlike the knight commander, it was a polite noble-style greeting, but His Highness did not easily tell him to raise his head. Hyung-nim also maintained that posture as if he would do so indefinitely until permission was granted.
“You may raise your head. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this. I’ll watch with anticipation to see how much your skills have improved today.”
“Yes. I will not disappoint.”
If it had ended there, it would have been an ordinary greeting.
“I wonder. Those don’t look like the eyes of someone who doesn’t want to disappoint.”
“What do you mean……”
“Aren’t your eyes filled with a blade? It must be difficult even in the Sayus Family to be unable to hide one’s emotions like that. You must have been raised quite preciously.”
A spark flashed in hyung-nim’s eyes for a moment. I had thought that if you were to pick the person in our family with the highest loyalty to the Imperial Family, it would undoubtedly be Kaeun hyung-nim, but it was such an intense emotion that it changed that thought. If I could notice it, everyone around must have noticed it too.
‘All the guard knights are on edge.’
It was strange that the relationship between the Sayus Family and His Highness had deteriorated to this extent. I knew there had been discord over Tienas, but if it was enough to show such an unrefined appearance at an official event like this, something had gone seriously wrong. As I looked at the two anxiously and nervously, Kaeun hyung-nim bowed his head once more.
“Your Highness, I am always Your Highness’s faithful sword. I am confident I will not be swayed by personal emotions.”
“So you admit you have personal emotions.”
“It’s because not much time has passed since I lost a precious younger sibling. I will manage my emotions well.”
It was crude speech that couldn’t properly hide his completely twisted inner feelings. Really, the fact that he had a completely different personality from Darian hyung-nim and Jane noona was palpable. Most of all, the words that he thought of me as precious felt as if they contained no lies whatsoever.
‘Even if Kaeun hyung-nim’s handling of the aftermath is somewhat crude, won’t this situation settle down with this much? I doubt His Highness would become more emotional, even if Kaeun hyung-nim might.’
I briefly forgot that since entering Aila’s body, His Highness had not moved according to my expectations for even a single moment, and caught my breath.
“I see. Then I’ll give you a chance to vent your personal resentment.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll give you the opportunity to spar with me.”
A declaration that was essentially no different from a provocation was pronounced.
