IPBPBD 55🔐

chapter 55

Emily, having arrived at the reception room, was able to meet the middle-aged knight with the eccentric personality that Lockbell had warned her about.

With his dignified appearance and stubborn mouth, he immediately gave off the impression that he would be a difficult person to deal with.

Naturally, Emily felt a little tense, but the middle-aged knight glanced at her stiff posture, straightened his own body into a proper stance, and then, in a deliberate motion, bowed slightly and spoke in a low voice:

“Madam Duchess, I extend my greetings. I am Heinkel Marcus, Commander of the Dietrio Knights. Please forgive the rudeness of my sudden visit.”

Emily looked at him with slight surprise. Despite Lockbell’s warnings meant to frighten her, the knight introduced himself with a calm and composed demeanor.

But that composure lasted only a moment.

Heinkel did not straighten his bent posture, leaving Emily in a rather awkward position. She was about to reassure him that it was fine and ask him to rise, when Lockbell suddenly approached with a worried expression. He whispered quickly into her ear:

“Madam, Sir Marcus is about to pledge his loyalty to the new mistress. Though it is ceremonial, you must accept his greeting to complete the oath.”

Emily felt as if cold water had been poured over her face. The weight of the term “loyalty oath” pricked at her conscience.

She was, after all, a duchess for no more than a year, and it was difficult for her to casually accept a knight’s pledge of devotion.

Still, after a brief moment of hesitation, Emily made her decision. She steeled herself, extended her hand, and accepted his greeting. She could not reveal the true nature of her relationship with Kirzen to anyone else.

Just as Heinkel knelt on one knee to place the pledge upon her hand, there was a loud bang as the reception room door swung open.

“Haah… haah… I told you to wait!”

A fierce voice followed.

The one who appeared was none other than Kirzen, looking disheveled as if he had just rolled through mud. He was breathing heavily, appearing almost in distress.

Yet his eyes were far from ordinary—they were sharp and intense, as though he intended to tear someone apart.

Emily blinked, startled by his glaring gaze.

“Oh.”

“What does the order matter?”

Heinkel lightly scoffed while kissing her hand. Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, he completed the loyalty oath.

With that done, he straightened from his kneeling position after offering a polite farewell to Emily.

Emily, having unintentionally received the pledge, looked around bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation. After a brief moment, she regained her composure and returned the courtesy, albeit with a complicated mixture of feelings.

“Yes, I… look forward to working with you.”

She then glanced at Kirzen, whose expression had twisted into one of utter frustration.

Kirzen felt an intense surge of anger. A loyalty oath—usually a mere formality when the Dietrio Knights welcomed a new mistress—was being carried out, yet the circumstances made it significant.

He had intended to show Emily his sincerity and wanted to be the first to witness the oath. He had been impatiently waiting, keeping his emotions hidden.

Naturally, he had informed the knights of the situation. Even Commander Heinkel had known this.

But the knight had ignored Kirzen’s instructions and acted while the mansion was unguarded. Kirzen cursed himself for the urgency with which he had contacted her about entering the ducal estate.

If Jerome at the palace had not given him notice, he would not have rushed here so hastily.

And now, seeing Heinkel break his orders and take the oath, Kirzen’s eyes twisted with anger.

He was genuinely annoyed by Heinkel, who often acted lightly as if mocking him, yet remained bound by loyalty, making him impossible to dismiss. Heinkel had the uncanny ability to provoke just enough to irritate him thoroughly.

As he restrained his rising anger, he noticed Emily’s gaze upon him. Seeing her watch him with a guarded expression worsened the tense atmosphere.

Kirzen quickly wiped his mouth, forced a smile, and spoke to her with a somewhat awkward politeness:

“I apologize for the surprise. The commander acted on his own, and I hurried back to the estate. I hope he did not behave rudely toward you.”

“Oh… not at all. He only introduced himself.”

Heinkel, standing nearby, shrugged as if to say, “See?” Then he turned to Kirzen with a mischievous smile:

“What rudeness? I merely took the oath.”

“Did you forget that you came without prior notice?” Lockbell interjected, displeased with Heinkel’s insolence.

Kirzen also glared at Heinkel with a strong look of displeasure. Heinkel, with a brief remark, indicated it was time to leave.

“I’ll see you later.”

“As you wish. Then, madam, I shall take my leave. We will meet again another time.”

Heinkel smiled provocatively at Kirzen as he departed. Kirzen, fuming, sharply cut him off:

“On whose authority? Leave immediately.”

“Fate rarely follows our will. We shall meet again.”

With a cheerful laugh, Heinkel left the reception room without hesitation. Kirzen’s expression remained irritated at the knight’s teasing manner. Lockbell rubbed his wrinkled forehead, sighing repeatedly, while Emily watched Heinkel depart, thinking of him as a whirlwind of a person.

She finally understood why he had been described as unpredictable: the encounter was sudden, and the departure was just as abrupt.

After the short meeting and farewell, Kirzen approached Emily, still looking tired:

“I truly apologize. Leaving the mansion and not personally welcoming you caused unnecessary difficulty.”

“No, I’m fine. I wasn’t particularly concerned. The situation was sudden, and I understand you were busy.”

Kirzen gave a slightly bitter smile at her calm reply:

“Still… were you not displeased or upset? I effectively ignored you.”

“So you plan to ignore me too, then?” Emily’s composed reply left Kirzen momentarily speechless.

“Of course not. I asked only because I feared you might be displeased.”

“If that’s the case, I’m fine. It was an unavoidable situation, and I understand.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Kirzen looked at Emily, her attitude composed yet distant, and could not shake the complicated thoughts clouding his mind.

Her behavior seemed to draw a boundary, as if she were a temporary presence, someone who would leave soon. He felt as if he were being punished for deceiving her with lies.

“No, I can resolve this misunderstanding from now on,” he thought. The relationship had never been normal from the start. He would have to slowly win back her heart.

Since Emily had strongly resisted marrying him, any acceptance was temporary. If she considered divorce, the duration would likely be just over a year. During that time, he could reveal the truth and try to have her see him anew.

Kirzen, estimating the period, considered her potential resentment. She might even leave, claiming she had been deceived. It was not the outcome he wanted, but it was possible.

Determined, he resolved to do everything to keep her from leaving, even if it meant appealing for her sympathy.

Finally, speaking slowly, he said:

“The evening approaches. Would you join me for dinner? I’ve prepared a meal for you.”

Emily paused, considering the invitation. Their relationship was still awkward, and answering immediately was not easy.

Still, having explored the mansion and without a reason to refuse, she had little choice. Dining separately would signal a distant relationship to those around them.

“Yes, I’d like that. Let’s eat together.”

She nodded, having stories to discuss and growing slightly hungry.

Meanwhile, Heinkel had left the reception room, received reports from several subordinates, and stopped briefly in the garden to admire the sky.

The sunset viewed from the expansive garden was breathtaking.

His thoughts turned to Flora Dietrio, the only woman he had ever cared for—Kirzen’s mother and the late duchess. The red twilight reminded him of the few memories he had shared with her.

Yet these were not personal feelings but part of his sworn loyalty as a knight. He had merely brought Flora to the ducal estate and acted as her protector when she had no one else.

When Flora’s sudden death came, he refused to believe it at first—it felt like losing a younger sister. The last words she spoke as she boarded the carriage became her final testament, burdening Heinkel with a heavy heart.

Her warning to protect her son haunted him, especially since her health had weakened due to childbirth and Kirzen’s special condition. She had given her strength to the child, who would have died otherwise.

Knowing this, Heinkel could not help but regard Kirzen with a critical eye. Yet Flora never ceased caring for Kirzen, even defying the duke to watch over him.

Heinkel, recalling these memories and the son who bore her features, was drawn back from his reflections by Lockbell’s voice:

“Sir Marcus, I thought I’d find you here.”

Heinkel turned slightly to face the aging man, sighing with a tone of mild annoyance.

“I do not feel like listening to scolding, but…”

“Then you should not have acted this way. Madam would have been startled.”

“You seem displeased in other ways as well.”

“You understand me well,” Lockbell replied.

“Then let’s get straight to the point. You intended to provoke your master, didn’t you?”

“Provoke? The order means nothing. I simply acted first because I wished to.”

“That’s exactly the problem. You knew he would be angered and still chose to provoke him.”

Lockbell spoke in a tired tone. Heinkel shrugged, recalling his conversation with Kirzen that morning.