WTSP - 60

“......Your Majesty!”

“I asked what you were doing, Rovair.”

“Her Highness the Empress was injured, so I was examining her wound.”

I wasn’t the only one surprised by Serdel’s sudden appearance. Why had he suddenly come to the training grounds? I looked up at Serdel with wide eyes.

Rovair seemed surprised, but he soon reported the situation to the Emperor in his usual calm voice.

Serdel’s gaze, as cold as if it would freeze everything, turned towards my knee.

The skin wasn’t peeled off too badly, but it was a wound that looked like it would scar at first glance. My knee was a mess, covered in dirt from the training ground floor.

Rovair remained kneeling on one knee and paid his respects to Serdel. Nevertheless, Serdel did not withdraw the blade aimed at him.

‘This is a situation ripe for misunderstanding...’

Although I had vaguely noticed just before that Rovair had feelings for me, he hadn’t directly expressed his heart.

Rovair wasn’t the type to show affection to someone who was already married, and he was a rigid person who fulfilled his responsibilities according to his position.

However, there was no way of knowing if Serdel knew that.

To resolve the situation that had ample room for misunderstanding, I stood up and faced Serdel. As I straightened my knee, the scraped skin creased, and the injured area throbbed.

“Your... Your Majesty, I fell by mistake while doing swordsmanship training with Sir Rovair. I wasn’t greatly injured, but Sir Rovair was just looking at the wound.”

“I believe the person I questioned was not the Empress but the Deputy Commander of the Knights?”

“......Your Majesty!”

I hadn’t expected this situation at all.

Even at a glance, Serdel looked displeased. He knew very well that Rovair hadn’t done anything more than examine the wound.

However, he seemed to have felt displeasure in Rovair’s eyes. Or perhaps, the act of kneeling and caressing the area around the wound itself was irritating. The light in his vivid green eyes disappeared.

Rovair simply kept his head bowed, waiting for Serdel’s words.

“You do not understand your place.”

Serdel, who had been looking down at Rovair with a displeased expression, sheathed his sword.

I didn’t think he would really cut Rovair down, but despite that, a faint sense of relief washed over me momentarily. Serdel was someone with the ability and audacity to eliminate anyone who stood in his way.

But before I could fully catch my breath, Serdel narrowed his brow and commanded Rovair.

“As a member of the Imperial Knights who has failed to fulfill his given responsibility for the safety of the Imperial Family, you are hereby forbidden from all future swordsmanship training with the Fourth Empress. Furthermore, your position as Deputy Commander of the Knights is also revoked.”

“That’s absurd, Your Majesty!”

“......Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”

“You should consider yourself fortunate that I have not relieved you of your knightly rank, Millein Rovair.”

“Sir Rovair was merely looking at my condition... Please withdraw your command, Your Majesty. I beg you.”

I lightly clenched my fists and looked up at Serdel. I was so stifled that I couldn’t even speak properly.

What on earth had he done to deserve being dismissed from his position?

He seemed outwardly calm, but Rovair, too, had his lips tightly shut as if he couldn’t obey the order. I didn’t know much about the system of the Knights, but even to me, it was a truly unfair command.

“Your Majesty, it is my fault for conducting swordsmanship training for Her Highness the Empress without formal permission. It is also my fault that Her Highness sustained a graze during training today. However...”

Rovair bit his lower lip once and then opened his mouth.

“While I acknowledge my fault, I swear that I have not neglected my responsibilities as the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Knights. ...Her Highness the Empress possesses considerable talent with the sword and will develop her abilities further if she continues to train. Please, reconsider Her Highness’s training.”

His suppressed voice, as if he wanted to say more but was holding back, flowed out slowly.

But even at his reaction, Serdel’s face was as cold as winter frost.

Soon, the corner of his mouth twisted crookedly. It was as if he was saying that he disliked this situation very much.

“I have no desire to hear your excuses. If you add even one more unnecessary word, even your knightly rank will not be safe.”

“......”

For a moment, I read a faint determination in Rovair’s eyes.

Was he willing to defy the will of the Empire’s highest authority for my sake? He was like a pine tree, unwavering even in a strong storm.

But I couldn’t allow Rovair, who had worked so hard to achieve his knighthood, to be stripped of it because of me. I knew well how he had climbed up to this point, being born the illegitimate child of a Count’s family.

I bit my lower lip and looked at Rovair. It was a silent plea for him not to step forward.

“Follow me, Empress. We are going to see the imperial physician.”

“......”

At the unilateral command, I tightly shut my mouth.

My pride was hurt by the fact that I couldn’t protest Rovair’s punishment. Did I have to obey such an unreasonable command just like this?

I glanced once more at Rovair, who was still kneeling on one knee, and then followed Serdel out of the training grounds.

It wasn’t that I was agreeing to see a physician or give up training with Rovair. It was just that I didn’t want to involve Rovair in my relationship with Serdel and hurt him.

Serdel seemed to have come to the training grounds alone, without Harpin, who always accompanied him.

I couldn’t tell if he had come looking for me or if he was just passing by. A question arose briefly, but now was the time to focus on another issue.

‘No one’s here.’

As soon as we arrived at a place somewhat far from the training grounds, I turned my head to look around.

“Walls have ears,” as they say, so I had to be careful. Moreover, this was the Imperial Palace. That meant it was a place where rumors could spread from anywhere.

“Your Majesty!”

Not sensing any particular presence, I called out to Serdel, who was walking ahead. I wanted to converse as rationally as possible, but the end of my voice trembled faintly.

He turned around without a word and stared at me.

His face was still stiff, as if he was displeased. The ends of his eyebrows, straight as if drawn with a brush, formed a diagonal line.

Determined not to lose, I glared at him with strength in my eyes.

“Please retract your decision, Your Majesty! I was the one who fell, and I was the one who requested the training. Why should innocent Sir Rovair be stripped of his position as Deputy Commander?”

“It seems you wish to have even the remaining knightly rank taken away. I clearly warned you.”

“He was faithfully fulfilling his assigned role, befitting his position. He was merely dedicating his spare time. I was the one who first requested the training...!”

“Speaking of which.”

Serdel visibly furrowed his brow. A faint wrinkle appeared and disappeared on his flawless, handsome face.

He took one step towards me and lowered his gaze. As if he didn’t want to argue about the same topic anymore, Serdel let out a bitter chuckle.

I noticed the small twitching of the muscles around his mouth.

“I was already aware that you were spending time alone with Rovair. An Empress, who is not just some noble lady, spending time alone with the Imperial Knights’ direct Deputy Commander, under the guise of training. Furthermore, isn’t Millein Rovair someone who has benefited from the Meredith family?”

“It’s true that I’ve known him for a long time, but there were absolutely no personal feelings involved. It was truly just for training, and he was in charge of my protection from my family...”

“Thinking it was something you desired, I did not interfere even though I knew the truth. I considered it might be permissible... However, from some point onwards, Rovair crossed the established line. It has been consistently irritating. Moreover, he caused you to be injured. How much more must I endure?”

“......Your Majesty!”

Serdel wasn’t the type to show his emotions easily. But now, he was openly displaying his displeasure.

A low voice flowed from between Serdel’s lips.

“It means I dislike the fact that you spend time alone with that man.”

“It sounds like you’re jealous. Otherwise, there’s no way you would make such an irrational judgment.”

“Think as you please. The outcome will not change no matter what you think.”

“......Was Your Majesty always like this? You seem different from the Your Majesty I knew. I thought you were a rational person, even if not benevolent.”

Normally, I would have chosen each word carefully before speaking. I knew there was no benefit in provoking Serdel.

But right now, I didn’t have that mental余裕. How hard Rovair had worked to climb up to the position of Deputy Commander.

Serdel was ruining Rovair’s past life, his efforts, for the sole reason that he found him displeasing.

I retorted sharply, looking straight into Serdel’s eyes.

He, too, had no intention of yielding to me. Rather, my words seemed to have provoked something deeper within him, and he twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Hah, it seems he is a very precious person to you.”

“Yes, he is precious. He is a member of the Meredith family and a loyal knight of this Empire. Is there any reason why he wouldn’t be important?”

I clenched my fists tightly.

Even if the other person wasn’t Rovair, such treatment would have been unfair.

Perhaps my words had displeased him even more, as Serdel gritted his teeth. He seemed to be suppressing his rising anger.

“Let’s stop here, Empress. There will be no benefit in provoking me further.”

“I’m not provoking you. I’m telling you that I need swordsmanship training. I’ll ask you one last time. Please withdraw your command.”

Serdel furrowed his brow once more, as if he couldn’t understand. Could he really not comprehend?

“That swordsmanship training of yours, I don’t understand that either. There are over a dozen knights assigned to the Empress’s palace alone. What on earth is the reason you need swordsmanship training? Do you not trust the military power of the Imperial Family?”

“That’s not what I meant. I simply want to be able to protect myself. Is that wrong? Your Majesty always has escort knights with you, but you still practice swordsmanship diligently!”

“That is an absurd argument. How can you place the Emperor and the Empress on the same level?”

I couldn’t hide my cold expression.

At the same time, a surge of emotion welled up from the depths of my heart. ‘An existence to be protected like a flower’ - that was the modifier that had always preceded Ophelia Meredith’s name throughout her life.

I suddenly realized how stifled and oppressed the original owner of this body must have lived. ...To think that Serdel was also one of those with such narrow-minded thinking.

Facing my slowly hardening expression, Serdel added one more word. It was as if he was doing me a favor.

“If you absolutely must have swordsmanship training, I will assign another knight to you. If you wish, you may practice with Harpin. He is an unparalleled and excellent instructor.”

“No. That is an issue to be addressed later. First, please reinstate Sir Rovair as the Deputy Commander!”

“You are kicking away even the remaining opportunity with your own feet.”

Serdel muttered to himself with a coldly hardened face. Soon, he issued a command to me as if there were no more chances.

“From now on, you are forbidden from entering the training grounds. Not only swordsmanship, but also refrain from leaving the Empress’s palace unless it is absolutely necessary.”

It was a final notice.

Anger, injustice, frustration, and other randomly tangled emotions settled on my face.

And at that moment, I intuitively felt it.

That returning to our previous relationship would not be easy.