Chapter 19
The knight swallowed dryly.
‘Ah. If I say it, I’m dead.’
For some reason, the knight felt as though Roshanne had just threatened to kill him.
“There… there isn’t, isn’t any.”
He barely managed to force out the muttered response.
Please spare me.
He substituted those words with something else.
“Really?”
Roshanne smiled as she released her hand from pressing down on the sword’s hilt. As the oppressive force vanished, the knight dropped to both knees right then and there.
“Heuk! What are you doing, Captain!”
“Captain!”
Shocked voices from the knights behind him called out. But he paid them no mind.
With trembling eyes, the knight looked up at Roshanne.
Roshanne was smiling.
The difference was overwhelming.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Miss!”
The knight prostrated himself flat on the ground.
Watching the flattened knight, Roshanne indifferently dusted off her palms with a few light slaps.
“Captain! What’s wrong! What happened?”
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden, Captain!”
The other knights, clueless about what had transpired, grew noisy and confused.
But the prostrated knight, without explaining a thing, just kept his head buried and trembled violently.
“All of you, all of you, hurry and greet the miss properly!”
The prostrated knight bellowed in a quivering voice.
“What?”
“Greet the miss…? What are you talking about, Captain?”
The other knights, still not grasping the situation, asked in bewilderment.
“If you don’t want to die, greet her quickly!”
The knights’ world was ordered solely by strength and hierarchy. Since the strongest among them, the so-called ‘Captain,’ was prostrating himself, the others had no choice.
Though they didn’t understand, they followed the captain’s words, one by one kneeling and bowing before Roshanne.
‘This should get the message across.’
In truth, Roshanne had no intention of actually firing all the knights. If someone really quit because of what she’d said, she wouldn’t stop them, of course.
After today’s events, those who wanted to stay here would work hard at something, and those who only cared about their pride would leave.
For now, that was enough.
That was plenty.
“Let’s go.”
Without another word, Roshanne turned away. The maid, unable to comprehend the situation, alternated glances between Roshanne and the knights before hurriedly following.
“But miss, the butler and the duke haven’t arrived yet… They might not know the situation and could fail to deliver the dismissal notice.”
“It’s fine.”
“Huh? Then why go through all this…”
The maid tilted her head with an expression of utter incomprehension.
“Ah.”
Roshanne halted her steps mid-stride. As Roshanne stopped, the maid simultaneously ceased her question and closed her mouth.
“What’s your name?”
Roshanne asked, looking at the maid.
It was the very maid who had taken the three jewels earlier.
“Ri, River.”
“Yes, River.”
Roshanne removed the earring she was wearing and held it out to River. River instinctively opened her palm and accepted the earring Roshanne offered.
“I’d prefer if what just happened didn’t get out.”
If the knights could be managed through strength, this maid could be easily handled with jewels alone.
“Yes, yes!”
River clutched the earring tightly with both hands and nodded vigorously.
Rather than some vague trust relationship where you believe in each other or not, a visible one like this was better.
Unless someone offered her even more money, this maid wouldn’t betray Roshanne.
Roshanne, who had never once built a relationship with anyone in her life, firmly believed that.
“Miss, when you head back, please take the carriage!”
The maid River, her eyes sparkling, attended to Roshanne with utmost sincerity.
‘So, who should I send out for the duel? Should I just put myself forward after all?’
Indeed, the only thing you can trust in this world is yourself.
Roshanne nodded slowly, her expression unreadable.
***
The rumors spread like wildfire through the capital.
“Did you hear? Lady Railaten’s knight is set to duel Lady Fortlen’s guard!”
“Lady Fortlen’s guard? Isn’t that Sir Mark?”
“Exactly. They say he turned down a chance to lead the Golden Knights just to serve as Lady Fortlen’s protector.”
“Is there even a knight in the empire who could best Sir Mark in a duel?”
“Who’s representing Lady Railaten?”
“They haven’t chosen a knight yet, it seems.”
“Hmm. The outcome’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
“And after that broken engagement scandal not long ago… Lady Railaten’s been the talk of the town lately.”
Everyone predicted that Brina’s guard, Mark, would emerge victorious, and they mocked Roshanne behind her back.
“My lady…”
The whispers, as they always did, circled back to Roshanne’s ears.
“What are we to do? Everyone’s laughing, saying you’re bound to lose! They’ve even started a betting pool on the duel, and the stakes are getting high! The problem is… no one’s betting on your victory.”
“Is that so?” Roshanne replied, her voice calm and unshaken.
Her maid, River, clutched her chest as if her heart might burst, stepping closer to Roshanne with urgency.
“My lady! You need to go out and hire a mercenary, right now! Please? The date’s already set, so if you act quickly—”
“A mercenary?” Roshanne’s tone sharpened.
“Yes! If you offer enough coin, surely even a renowned mercenary would take up the cause!”
“You’re suggesting I throw money at those shameless rogues?”
“…Pardon?”
Roshanne’s face, usually composed, twisted with rare anger.
“Don’t ever mention mercenaries in my presence again.”
When Roshanne had been a hero, she’d occasionally hired mercenaries with hefty sums to resolve matters swiftly. And time and again, those wretched scoundrels had taken her gold and vanished. They’d pocket the payment without lifting a finger—disappearing into the night. The bitterness of those betrayals still lingered, sharp and heavy.
“I’d sooner shower you with gold than waste a single coin on a mercenary.”
At least this girl works for what she’s paid, Roshanne thought.
“…!! Oh, my lady!” River’s eyes welled with tears.
“You were planning to give me such a fortune!” she exclaimed, her face glowing with a misunderstanding so earnest it was almost endearing.
River nodded, deeply moved, oblivious to Roshanne’s true meaning.
“And River,” Roshanne continued, “what’s so bad about losing?”
“…Pardon?”
“Does victory always mean something good? Is losing forbidden?”
Roshanne leaned back in her rocking chair, swaying her foot lightly. A gentle breeze swept through, setting the chair creaking softly back and forth.
“It’s not a war where lives are at stake. It’s just a duel. Losing doesn’t mean death.”
If it were a battle for survival, she wouldn’t have been so lenient, of course.
Her gaze drifted upward, cold and distant as she stared at the sky. River, oblivious to the subtle shift in her lady’s demeanor, furrowed her brow in confusion.
“But, my lady, losing would tarnish your honor!”
“Is there any honor left for me to tarnish?”
“Well, that’s…!”
“That’s what?”
“It’s just…!”
“What?”
“…”
This time, it was River who fell silent, words failing her.
“Don’t get so hung up on winning or losing,” Roshanne said, her voice soft but firm. “Life has its defeats, its moments of retreat. You don’t always have to stand and fight. It’s fine.”
She murmured the words with a yawn, her tone so casual it stunned River, who stared at her lady in disbelief.
In all her years serving in noble households, River had never met an aristocrat like this. To not care about winning or losing? For nobles, wasn’t honor as vital as life itself? To speak so lightly of defeat, of running away—it was unheard of.
“And yet…” Roshanne’s voice broke the silence as she stirred, pulling herself up from the rocking chair where she’d been half-buried.
“I’m a bit curious about that betting pool.”
“…Pardon?”
“I want to join in. You said the stakes are high? Has it closed yet?”
“…”
“Where’s it being held? How do I get in?”
“My lady, are you joking?”
“Joking? Didn’t you see the uproar when I sent that stack of bills to the duke? He threw a fit over me selling off his things without permission. So, naturally, I’d love to have some extra coin in my pocket.”
If she could gather enough, maybe one day, when the sealing magic broke and the leash around her neck was gone, she could leave this manor and buy a small house of her own.
Roshanne’s thoughts drifted to a distant future.
“So, where’s this betting pool? If the pot’s big, there’s plenty to win, right? Who’s running it?”
“My lady…” River sighed heavily.
But in the end, unable to withstand Roshanne’s relentless prodding, she relented and spoke.
***
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
“I’ll join the bet too! I’ll wager a million gold on House Fortlen’s victory. It’s a sure thing, so let’s raise the stakes!”
“Oh, come now! If everyone bets on House Fortlen, the pool won’t even work!”
“But who’d bet on the losing side in a wager meant for winning? Hahaha!”
Laughter echoed endlessly beneath the glittering chandeliers.
“Lady Fortlen, come place your bet!”
“Hmm… should I?” Brina set down her champagne flute and smiled gracefully.
“Then, in support of Sir Mark… I’ll wager ten million gold on House Fortlen’s victory.”
“Wow.”
The crowd erupted in excited laughter at the sudden jump in the stakes. Ten million gold—an amount that could buy a house in the capital and sustain a commoner’s lavish lifestyle for a year without lifting a finger.
“Lady Fortlen doesn’t hold back, does she?”
“No wonder they call her the ‘Milky Way of the Heavens.’”
“Could there be a lady more suited to be the crown princess?”
“If Sir Mark wins, House Fortlen will have bested House Railaten, and their prestige will soar even higher.”
The crowd laughed and showered Brina with praise. She dipped her knees in a shy curtsy, as if such adulation were second nature.
“Congratulations on your victory in advance, Lady Fortlen.”
Viscount Zichelia, the host of both the ball and the betting pool, grinned with delight. He had orchestrated this wager to publicly humiliate Roshanne, who had broken off their engagement. And his plan was unfolding perfectly. Viscount Zichelia chuckled to himself.
If only she’d married me back then, she wouldn’t be facing this disgrace.
At that moment—
Bang!
A loud crash echoed from beyond the closed doors of the ballroom.
