Chapter 6
—
Lucas was walking through the corridors of the archducal castle with Serena.
“To storm out during a meal with the Archduke, that was reckless.”
“I’m sorry, brother.”
Serena admitted her fault with a sullen face. But soon, she narrowed her eyes and complained.
“But that lowborn keeps acting so uncouthly!”
“Serena… Sir Marion is the empire’s greatest sword, a Swordmaster. Even if she’s of commoner origin, treat her with respect.”
As Lucas covered his forehead with one hand and cautioned her, Serena pouted.
“Tch. We don’t need a Swordmaster like that.”
Lucas felt a headache coming on as he looked at his immature sister.
There was nothing to gain from being at odds with a Swordmaster. To counter the Crown Prince and Empress’s schemes, the siblings needed to win over strong allies.
That’s why they had come all the way to this far northern land to meet Kaiden Baltstein, another Swordmaster and the Archduke.
But at today’s meal, it was clear that Kaiden cared for Marion.
That’s different from what I heard. I thought they didn’t get along.
Lucas had noticed Kaiden paying attention to every little action of Marion’s, looking after her.
It felt similar to how he himself watched over Serena.
They’ve been together for ten years. Well, that’s long enough for camaraderie to grow beyond just comrades-in-arms. The Archduke is 28, and Sir Marion is 23, wasn’t it?
Lucas weighed whether he could bring Marion to his side.
But everyone knew Marion was fond of the Crown Prince. And the Crown Prince was his enemy.
For now, it seemed he needed to focus more on securing a marriage between the Archduke and Serena. Though there were hushed rumors that the Archduke was impotent…
At that moment, Serena grabbed his arm and shook it.
“Brother, look, the Archduke and Sir Marion are passing by.”
Lucas turned his head. Beyond the corridor, he saw the two walking through the garden.
Kaiden, with a slight smile, was saying something, while Marion appeared to be angry.
The Archduke’s gaze is too…
Warm.
The look he gave Lucas and Serena at the banquet hall had been utterly cold. The contrast made Lucas uneasy.
At that moment, both turned sharply to look at Lucas and Serena. Lucas hurriedly put on a smile to greet them.
“Die, Second Prince!”
Suddenly, an assassin appeared out of nowhere and lunged at Lucas.
“Ugh!”
Everything happened in an instant.
“Are you alright?!”
The nearby guards rushed to Lucas and Serena.
The assassin was already down, with a fist-sized rock lying beside him. The soldiers swiftly bound and dragged the assassin away.
Lucas, comforting his startled sister, looked around to make sense of what had happened. His eyes met Marion’s.
“Are you alright, Your Highness, Your Grace?”
By now, the Archduke and Marion were nearby.
“That was… an assassin?”
“It seems so.”
It was even more incomprehensible.
“An assassin, you say…? Then why did he go down so quickly?”
It was completely different from the battles Lucas had experienced. Those fights were always bloody, with life and death hanging in the balance.
Even though Lucas was an exceptional swordsman himself, he hadn’t noticed this assassin. That meant the opponent was undoubtedly formidable.
And yet, they were taken down in the blink of an eye? Without spilling a single drop of blood?
Marion shrugged and answered.
“He was pretty weak for an assassin. Going down from just a pebble.”
“A pebble…”
Lucas muttered in disbelief. And without realizing it, he looked at Marion with sparkling eyes.
Is this what a Swordmaster is?
At that moment, Marion spoke in a light tone, as if she’d finished her task.
“Your Grace, I’ll be going now.”
“Where to.”
Kaiden turned his head sharply. Lucas and Serena seemed to be the last thing on his mind.
“Home.”
“Stay in the archducal castle.”
“No, I need to go home…”
“It’s an order.”
“I don’t want to.”
Tension crackled between them. Lucas felt a strange sensation in the midst of their silent bickering.
Are they dating?
The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he quickly shook his head.
Why would the Archduke, who lacks for nothing, be with Marion?
Lucas slowly observed the two. Kaiden and Marion were glaring at each other as if they might tear each other apart.
It was indeed a fierce standoff, as expected between Swordmasters.
In essence, Marion was defying her superior, Kaiden.
Yet Marion didn’t seem intimidated at all, giving the impression she was on equal footing with the Archduke.
Who would dare speak so casually to the Archduke of Baltstein? Not even the Emperor of the empire could do that.
There must be something only Swordmasters share.
A sense of kinship. Competitive spirit. Mutual respect.
There was a bond between them that ordinary people couldn’t understand. Lucas scolded himself for briefly doubting them.
I was foolish. They’re just comrades. I’m sorry to Sir Marion, but there’s no way the Archduke would see her as a romantic partner.
It wasn’t that Marion was unattractive. With her red hair and ash-gray eyes, Marion was undeniably a captivating woman. But…
Her origins are too low.
If she had at least been born to a lesser noble family, he might have considered the possibility with the Archduke…
But what’s impossible is impossible.
—
Another uncomfortable dinner began.
Since Kaiden wouldn’t allow me to go home, I was forced to eat dinner sandwiched between the Second Prince and the Fourth Princess.
I wanted to stay as far away from the original story as possible, but being constantly entangled with Lucas, the male lead, was unsettling.
I glared at Kaiden, the culprit, while chewing my meat.
Making me a sacrifice just because he doesn’t want to be alone with the royals…!
Our eyes met. Kaiden raised an eyebrow, his expression saying, So what?
I barely restrained myself from throwing the spoon and knife I was holding. If Lucas and Serena weren’t here, I would’ve thrown them already.
“Thanks to Sir Marion, we could spend this afternoon in peace. Thank you so much.”
Lucas spoke to me. He was referring to saving him from the assassin earlier.
I wanted to say, If you’re grateful, pay me. But I did my best to act politely, as Madam March had taught me.
“No need to thank me. I only did what was expected.”
Lucas responded with a smile.
“That’s reassuring. The future of the Gratie Empire looks bright.”
…He’s handsome.
As expected of the male lead, even the sheen on his face was extraordinary.
In contrast to Kaiden’s dark hair, Lucas had silver hair and stunning red eyes, making him an extraordinary beauty.
Serena, with the same hair color and eyes as her brother, was also beautiful, but she lacked the same sparkle as Lucas.
Is that the male lead buff? If Kaiden is ruggedly handsome, Lucas is the pretty type. How beautiful must the female lead be to monopolize the love of guys like these?
At that moment, Lucas looked at Serena and said.
“Serena, you should thank her too.”
Serena, sitting next to me, glanced at me with a haughty expression and spoke.
“Thank you, Sir Marion.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I replied halfheartedly, and Serena shot me a glare.
I didn’t feel like being nice to someone who kept bringing up my lowborn status.
“Taste it.”
At that moment, Serena spoke to the maid who brought her food. All eyes turned to her.
“Is something wrong?”
When Kaiden asked, Serena widened her eyes and said.
“After that assassin this afternoon, I’m scared to even eat a bite. I’d feel better if the one who brought it tasted it first.”
That sounds like she doesn’t trust the archducal household.
The thought briefly crossed my mind, but considering the assassination attempt earlier today, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
Kaiden seemed to think similarly, as he gestured to the maid to taste the food.
The maid approached Serena and slowly scooped a spoonful.
“Kyaa!”
“Marion!”
It happened in an instant. The maid aimed the knife in her hand not at the plate but at Serena’s throat.
I tried to knock the knife away, but as Serena moved, the knife pierced through my left hand.
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By Anna
