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Chapter 19
“Thank you.”
As I replied, swallowing a smile, Tev began to eat his share of the cake with a satisfied expression.
But he ate so quickly.
By the time I, who usually eat slowly, finished one piece, Tev had devoured almost an entire plate of cake, leaving just one piece.
“I’m really full now,” Tev mumbled as he patted his round belly.
He slouched in his chair like a contented cat on a lazy afternoon.
Just watching him made me feel drowsy as well.
It was teatime under the warm sunlight, with a semi-tamed cat sitting across from me.
Having enjoyed sweet dessert, my mood was even sweeter.
‘Perfect.
This is the happiness I’ve always longed for.’
I wished every day could be peaceful and serene like this.
“But…”
“Huh?”
“Why did you bring me… my lady?”
Tev, whose drowsy atmosphere vanished before I even realized it, sat up straight in his chair and asked a question.
“It’s been a week since you brought me here, and all I’ve done is eat and laze around.
If that’s all, why did you bring me… my lady?”
“I told you.
Because you look just like the cat I used to have.”
“That’s not true.”
Tev’s expression turned serious.
“Tell me the real reason… my lady.”
Although Tev awkwardly spoke formally, his eyes were unwavering and firm.
Those eyes of his seemed to be asking me, ‘I’ve come all the way here, so stop lying and tell the truth.’
Was genius talented in other areas as well?
He was also very quick-witted.
‘Hmm.
What should I do?’
I observed Tev carefully.
He had gained considerable weight since I first saw him, but his body still appeared somewhat not healthy enough.
I spent a week feeding and caring for Tev, making sure he ate, slept, and rested regularly, in order to strengthen his body sufficiently for rigorous training, but…
‘It’s still not enough, but maybe it’s okay?’
I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my legs.
Then, I threw a question to Tev, who was trying to interrogate me awkwardly.
“Do you want to be my guardian knight?”
Instead of answering my question, Tev quietly stared at my face.
He seemed to be trying to gauge whether I was serious or not.
Did he find something in my face?
Tev finally broke the silence.
“…Why?
Why me, of all people?”
Because I knew what your future held.
In the near future, you would blossom into a talented, great knight, and… As the crown prince’s guardian knight and closest confidant, you would repeatedly foil Sylvia’s evil deeds against Eileen, the crown prince’s fiancée.
I swallowed those reasons and smiled.
“Because you seem talented.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just know.”
Tev frowned as if he didn’t like my simple response.
I didn’t elaborate.
Instead, I asked a very important question I hadn’t asked before.
“But do you like swords?”
Tev looked at me blankly, then gave a small nod.
“Good thing you like swords.
Then how about learning swordsmanship, becoming a knight, and being my guardian?
Does that sound good?”
He nodded again.
“Alright.
We made a deal.
After you become a knight, you will protect me.”
Would he nod as he had done so far?
But Tev didn’t nod.
He lowered his head as if pondering for a moment and then lifted it with a determined expression.
“If that’s what you want.”
His pitch-black eyes flickered a mature-looking, unwavering determination.
…What did Tev think just now?
What crossed his mind to make him show such a look in his eyes?
I felt curious, but somehow I didn’t want to know, so I stood up from my seat.
“Well then, shall we go now?”
“Where?”
“To the training ground.”
“Training ground?”
“It’s where the Knights train.”
Tev’s eyes sparkled at my words.
“The Knights?!”
“Yes, the training ground of the Atlante House Knights.”
“Wow!”
As he said, Tev seemed to really like swords since he was thrilled just at the mention of going to the training ground.
‘Look at him excited so much.
I almost made a huge mistake by not bringing him there.’
Tev, who had been excited like a child, stiffened when he saw me looking at him with satisfaction.
He didn’t want me to catch him being excited like a kid, but showing it so obviously made him look even more like one, which he didn’t seem to realize.
“But why are we going to the training ground… my lady?”
Why we were going to the training ground?
There was a reason we came unnecessarily to the training ground crowded with knights.
Not because I wanted to draw people’s attention as an attention seeker, of course.
But there was someone here qualified to teach Tev.
After bringing Tev to our house, I pondered who would be a suitable mentor for him.
To teach Tev, who had the potential to become a genius swordsman, well enough without picking up bad habits, the person needed exceptional skill––not just moderately exceptional, but outstandingly remarkable.
And, of course, the mentor couldn’t have a bad character either, since there was a risk of developing crooked habits under the guidance of a bad-tempered instructor during one’s period of growth.
The most important last condition––the mentor had to be a trustworthy person to ‘Sylvia.’ Someone who wouldn’t harm Sylvia.
And someone who didn’t dislike Sylvia.
Only then could I entrust Tev, who would become my guardian knight, with confidence.
And only one person met all these conditions.
‘Let’s see…’
‘There you are.’
“Sir Joseph!”
I walked straight across the training ground and approached him.
Sir Joseph, who had been training the knights, found me getting close to him and warned solemnly.
“… Outsiders are not allowed to observe the Knights’ training.”
“Is it still not possible to observe even if I’m not an outsider?”
“Not an outsider?”
“Yes.
Oh, you don’t recognize me?”
Sir Joseph shook his head as he stared at me intently.
“I apologize, but I think this is the first time we’ve met.”
“I can understand why you wouldn’t recognize me.
I’ve changed a bit recently.”
With a grin, I offered my hand to Sir Joseph.
“My name is Sylvia Atlante.
It’s not our first encounter, but it’s been a long time.
So, shall we shake hands to greet each other?”
“Sylvia Atlante… Lady Sylvia?”
Sir Joseph finally recognized me after murmuring my name a few times.
“If I may speak frankly, I do believe that you have changed a little.”
“Yes.
I’ve had some slight changes.”
I heard some murmuring from afar.
“She changed a little?
Isn’t the commander’s eyesight bad?”
“Exactly.
If she had just made a slight change, Hans wouldn’t have had to buy us beer, lose a month’s salary, and become broke.
He could have simply insisted that she hadn’t changed!”
As their conversation ended, laughter erupted among the knights.
‘What are they saying?’
At first, I listened carefully, thinking it was about me, but I couldn’t understand the conversation.
“Those bastards…!”
He turned around and glared at the chuckling and laughing knights.
“Silence, everyone!
From now on, anyone who opens their mouth will not be able to walk back soundly to their quarters tonight!”
Then, the loud whispers immediately subsided.
After silencing the knights, Sir Joseph turned his head back to me.
“May I ask what has brought you here, Lady Sylvia?
As you may recall, it is currently training time.”
He frowned, visibly displeased by my unexpected presence and interruption of the training.
Tev tensed up and positioned himself protectively in front of me, shielding me from Sir Joseph’s imposing presence.
It was as though he was a cat with its fur standing on end, facing a ferocious foe in the wild.
I could understand Tev’s reaction, though.
Sir Joseph, who seemed to combine the size of two men, had a fierce expression and a bushy beard that made him look like a bandit leader.
Given that he was a person who could make any stranger wary, and his frown certainly added to that effect, how intimidating would he have looked?
However, Sir Joseph was the commander of the Atlante House Knights.
He was also the person I was looking for.
I gently nudged Tev on the shoulder, who was blocking my way, and then looked straight into Sir Joseph’s eyes before speaking.
“I need you to teach how to use the sword.”
“… Pardon?”
His gaze shifted to my slender arms and hands without any callouses.
Sir Joseph examined me from head to toe and then frowned deeply.
Because I didn’t have the body of someone who came to learn swordsmanship, untrained and even wearing a flowing dress.
‘He must be thinking how dare I make such a request when I’m not even prepared to learn how to use a sword.’
Feeling the misunderstanding would deepen if I left it like this, I quickly opened my mouth.
“Ah, not me, but him.”
“What do you mean……”
“I mean it literally.
This is Tev, he’s talented in swordsmanship.
Not just a little, but to an extreme degree.
So, I want you to teach him swordsmanship.”
Despite my explanation, Sir Joseph still wore an expression of incomprehension.
So, I explained once more.
“Tev is a once-in-a-century genius.
So, I would appreciate it if you could teach him swordsmanship.”
“A once-in-a-century genius?
Me?”
I made the remark to catch Sir Joseph’s attention, but the unexpected response came from an unexpected source.
It seemed that Tev thought my words were excessive praise since his ears turned red as he glanced at me from time to time.
‘Maybe he feels embarrassed because he thinks I’m lying to convince Sir Joseph.’
It was like a child twitching his body, being embarrassed to death when seeing his parents go to his teacher and say, ‘Our child is a genius!’
However, I didn’t feel ashamed at all.
Because everything I said was true.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s possible.”
Sir Joseph firmly refused, seemingly regaining his focus after hearing Tev’s mumbling.
“I would kindly ask you to leave now so that we can continue our training.”
He displayed an unyielding attitude, leaving no room for compromise, but I didn’t back down.
Just one rejection wasn’t enough for me to give up.
“Why?”
“… As a knight of the House of Atlante, I must fulfill my duty to protect this place.”
“Teaching Tev swordsmanship is exactly that.
Tev will become my guardian knight, so his skills must be top-notch to ensure my safety, right?
Since I am also an Atlante, ensuring my safety becomes part of protecting the Atlante family.”
At my counterargument, Sir Joseph’s mouth opened slightly.
‘What kind of expression is that?
Is it a look of not knowing where to start refuting?’
As if my guess was correct, Sir Joseph began to stutter.
“Why would that boy, of all people, be your guardian knight, no, and why would ensuring your safety protect Atlante, no, that is correct, but…”
‘Good.
He’s starting to get flustered.’
I couldn’t lose the momentum.
I pressed on him relentlessly.