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Chapter – 06
The Marquis’ Order of Knights
I slowly followed Anna, who was guiding the way ahead. An elegance emanated from her with every step, causing the passing footmen and maids to stop and look at her. Their pleased faces were filled with pride for Jessica.
The knights, who had been enjoying a leisurely break after their morning training, shot up from their seats at Jessica’s sudden visit.
“Young Lady, what brings you here?”
As the knights’ gazes subtly shifted, Sern, the captain of the Marquis’ Order of Knights, stood up. When the large-framed Sern stood in front of Jessica, her body was completely obscured. One might expect her to be intimidated by such a large man standing right before her, but seeing Jessica remain in place, her expression still holding a slight smile, Sern inwardly expressed admiration.
‘She’s grown up so much.’
The Jessica of the past would have been busy running away, avoiding the large knights, but seeing how much she had grown, standing there before him, filled him with a poignant sense of emotion.
“I have a request for Sir Sern.”
“What might that be?”
“I wish to go out, and I require a knight.”
“Ah, for a guard knight?”
Instead of answering, Jessica simply nodded. A sense of reproach seemed to emanate from her. Sern felt pressure, as if a noblewoman frequenting the imperial palace was exerting silent pressure on him. Jessica’s gaze was calm and composed, but the weight contained within it was immeasurable.
“…… Is there a specific knight you desire?”
“I would prefer someone whose face I’ve seen a few times.”
At Jessica’s words, which blatantly requested Alter, Sern narrowed his eyes. Jessica didn’t avoid his probing gaze, trying to discern if she had any other intentions, but he could find nothing in her eyes.
Sern raised a hand and rubbed his chin in thought. If he sent Alter alone, it could cause talk within the Order of Knights. It was a problem that could potentially be fatal for Jessica, who hadn’t even had her debutante ball yet.
“Would Sir Sern like to come along as well?”
While Jessica’s suggestion was the correct answer, Sern couldn’t go. The 1st Prince was scheduled to visit today to inspect the state of the Order of Knights. That was also one reason why he couldn’t assign many personnel as guards. And Jessica knew all of this.
‘After all, he can’t go.’
She had overheard the maids chattering busily while adorning her this morning. The maids’ information could sometimes be very useful. The Jessica of her past life had only realized that fact long after entering the Ducal household.
‘I realized it too late.’
She had realized too late that people other than the direct servants employed by nobles could provide her with useful information. If she had known earlier, she could have gathered more information and perhaps not been betrayed.
Feeling her thoughts drifting towards a dark place, Jessica closed her eyes slightly and then opened them. Her wavering pupils now looked straight ahead, but Sern, lost in thought, failed to see them.
“Is it not possible?”
“My apologies, Young Lady, but I have a prior engagement.”
“Then it can’t be helped.”
The movement of Jessica’s hand as she opened her fan was fluttery, like a butterfly. The knights watching her movements were mesmerized by her elegance. Had Sern seen them, he would have shouted for them to assemble and lecture them about mental discipline, but unfortunately, Sern had his back to them and couldn’t see.
As her beautiful smile was hidden behind the fan, a few of the knights let out disappointed sighs. Some knights even blushed when her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
“Sir Sern.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“I understand you have much to consider, but I don’t have much time.”
Her attitude, speaking with her face half-hidden by the fan, carried an undeniable authority. It was an authority Sern had only seen among the imperial family during knight inaugurations. Cold sweat trickled down his back. The knights behind him, sensing Jessica’s imposing manner, also closed their mouths and watched the standoff.
“What are you doing here, Jessica?”
“Father.”
“What business could you possibly have at the Order of Knights, a place teeming only with men?”
At Marquis Viterne’s words, which seemed to reproach her for coming here, Jessica smiled slightly and parted her red lips.
“Then, shall I go out alone? Without a knight?”
Her brightly smiling smile was terrifying. There were reasons why a knight hadn’t been assigned to Jessica yet, despite it being a long time since she requested a guard knight.
The first reason was that Jessica rarely went out, and the second was that the Marquis disliked the idea of an unmarried man being by his daughter’s side.
“No, Jessica! That won’t do!”
“Then please assign me a guard knight, Father.”
“Father? I told you to call me Dad!”
“I’ll think about it after I return from my outing.”
At Jessica’s words, which implied it was out of the question if her mood soured during the outing, Marquis Viterne made a sullen face.
This left him with no choice but to assign a guard knight to ensure her outing was pleasant. Marquis Viterne turned to Sern.
“How many personnel remain available, Sir Sern?”
“Excluding the knights scheduled for dispatch this afternoon, only two or three remain in total. If we send them all out, the Marquis’ estate will be left empty, Your Lordship.”
“Then we shall reduce the number of dispatched knights.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s my daughter’s first outing. I cannot let her go out with less than two guard knights.”
“If we do that……”
“Good.”
The Marquis made the decision on the spot, not even pretending to listen to Sern’s opinion.
“The guard knights shall be at least two or more.”
“It seems you are busy today, so one should be sufficient, Father.”
“My daughter is going out for the first time; I cannot allow that.”
His words were firm, but the affectionately ringing tone made Jessica almost tear up. How sorrowful had she been after losing such a father? A mistiness clouded her eyes, and the Marquis, seeing her face, flustered and fussed, pacing back and forth in front of her.
“It’s not that Dad intentionally didn’t assign a guard knight……”
“Please stay by my side for a long, long time.”
At her soft words, Marquis Viterne’s body stiffened. His heart ached. His young daughter had grown up so capable that she didn’t seem to need help after his wife, Mielle, had passed away. For him, who had returned after hearing of his wife’s demise, it was a bitter-sweet thing; on one hand, he thought it was fortunate.
Since he always had to be at the border, if Jessica could manage well on her own, it would lessen his burden. But it seemed her mother’s absence hadn’t left her unscathed. She just hadn’t expressed it. At her words stating she still needed him, Marquis Viterne grabbed Jessica’s hand.
“Of course, where would I go?”
“You’re not leaving for somewhere again, are you?”
“…… I won’t go.”
After a brief hesitation, the Marquis answered her. As if satisfied, even if his words might be a lie, Jessica lowered her fan and beamed. It was an open secret that her face shone as brightly as a painting.
“Then, regarding the guard knight…”
“I would like it to be Sir Alter.”
When his name was mentioned by the precious young lady of the Marquis household, Alter was startled. Then, he hurriedly straightened his head. Alter was the third son of a Baron family—noble in name only, possessing nothing. When the succession dispute between his older brothers grew excessively intense, he left home and sought refuge with the Marquis household.
The only thing he possessed was his swordsmanship skills. The sole reason he could enter the Marquis household was to fill the vacant positions left by knights who held important posts being dispatched to war. Despite the disdainful looks from senior knights, Alter’s expression remained unchanged.
“Hmm……”
The Marquis, who had been observing him slowly, spoke after a moment of contemplation.
“Do you like that knight?”
At his direct question, Jessica smiled faintly.
“Isn’t it a matter of my safety, rather than like or dislike?”
“But there are many knights with greater skill than him.”
“However, the others have just returned and need rest, don’t they?”
At Jessica’s unexpected point, Sern’s flustered expression was plain to see. Marquis Viterne also looked at Jessica with surprised eyes.
“It’s not that I doubt their skills. It’s just that, as a member of the Marquis household, I cannot inconvenience those who have just returned for my personal outing.”
At her logically perfect words, Sern and the Marquis fell silent. A victor’s smile played on Jessica’s lips just as permission fell from the Marquis’s mouth.
“You are right.”
“Your Lordship!”
Marquis Viterne raised his hand to stop Sern’s words.
“Go out with Sir Alter today, and we will select a permanent guard knight later. Will that suffice?”
As if understanding Sern’s concern, Jessica nodded with a flower-like smile. Seeing her smile, the Marquis smiled back and gently patted her shoulder.
“You’ve grown up so much.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Father.”
The faces of the Order of Knights watching the harmonious father and daughter also bloomed with smiles.
“Sir Alter!”
“Yes, Your Lordship.”
At Marquis Viterne’s call, Alter answered and stepped forward.
“Take good care of my daughter for just today.”
At the Marquis’s words, which explicitly stated ‘just for today,’ Alter placed his hand over his chest.
“I accept the command.”
As he moved to stand behind Jessica, she whispered to him with a smile.
“Please take care of me, Sir.”
Alter couldn’t understand the situation, but he didn’t show it outwardly. Including today, he had only met Jessica three times. Yet, he couldn’t fathom the intentions of this precious young lady showing him favor. To think she had feelings for him… the affection in her eyes wasn’t that between a man and a woman.
In truth, Alter was quite popular with noblewomen. So much so that his eldest brother’s wife had once made advances towards him. He had left home to escape those advances.
‘It’s definitely not that.’
But the favor she showed wasn’t like that. Jessica looked at him with warm eyes, as if he were a long-known friend, making a corner of his heart ache. Having abandoned his home, he had cut ties with his friends as well. The way Jessica looked at him like an old friend wrapped him in an indescribable emotion.
“Where do you intend to go?”
Just before boarding the carriage, at Alter’s question, Jessica lifted the corners of her mouth and answered lightly.
“Moncherto Sundries Shop.”
