Chapter : 57
The nobles merely exchanged cautious glances with one another, unable to answer easily.
I smiled gently and asked again,
“Surely you’re not suggesting that His Excellency the Commander made the wrong appointment?”
“N-No!”
“How could we possibly think such a thing…!”
The nobles hurriedly tried to deny it.
After quietly watching them for a moment, I finally smiled brightly.
It was a gorgeous smile, like a rose hiding poisonous thorns.
“You’re absolutely right.”
I drove the point home.
“The former Fourth Knight Commander committed a grave offense, so His Excellency had no choice but to make that difficult decision, despite how painful it was.”
“…”
“…”
A chilling silence settled over the group.
I took another step forward.
Click.
The sharp sound of my military boots echoed through the air.
At the sound, the nobles stiffened as though they had just been struck with a whip.
“And yet all of you are dragging the Blue Dawn Knights into this when they have absolutely nothing to do with it, gossiping behind their backs?”
“…”
“…”
Not a single noble dared to open their mouth.
Tilting my head slightly, I continued,
“And you’re saying all of this right in front of the Administrative Supply Officer of that very knight order.”
The instant those words left my mouth, every trace of color drained from the nobles’ faces.
One after another, they lowered their heads.
“We’re sorry!”
“W-We didn’t mean it like that…!”
I looked leisurely over the nobles bowing before me.
Seriously… who told them to press someone’s berserk button?
If I’d finally decided to become a better person for once, shouldn’t the people around me cooperate a little?
Did they really have to keep bringing out my bad side?
Then, just at that moment—
“Administrative Supply Officer Astrid.”
Someone called out to me in a deep, composed voice.
The moment I heard it, my whole body froze.
N-No way…?!
My movements became stiff as I slowly turned around.
At the same time, my vision went dark.
I’m doomed.
Standing there were Duke Diaz and Giscard, both staring at me with astonished expressions.
Damn it.
I was supposed to make a good impression on Duke Diaz so I could visit the Imperial Institute of Supernatural Research.
And instead…
He had just witnessed me tearing people apart with my words.
After all the discussions in the study had concluded,
Duke Diaz and Giscard headed toward the garden, where the tea party was being held.
Then—
“What is all that commotion?”
Duke Diaz suddenly stopped walking.
In the middle of the garden, several nobles had gathered together.
Hm?
Giscard instinctively frowned.
Among them, one woman’s back looked strangely familiar.
Brilliant golden hair that seemed spun from melted pure gold.
A slender figure that even the knight uniform couldn’t conceal.
Beautiful like a single rose crafted from gold and rubies…
That person was…
“Administrative Supply Officer Astrid?!”
Giscard’s eyes widened.
At that exact moment, Casia smiled pleasantly as she rebuked the nobles.
“And yet all of you are dragging the Blue Dawn Knights into this when they have absolutely nothing to do with it, gossiping behind their backs?”
“…”
“…”
The nobles obediently shut their mouths and shrank into themselves.
No way…
Giscard’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Is Administrative Supply Officer Astrid… standing up for our knight order?
Even if it means offending all those nobles?
“And you’re saying all of this right in front of the Administrative Supply Officer of that very knight order.”
Casia declared it confidently.
In front of everyone, she openly announced that she belonged to the Blue Dawn Knights.
Almost as though she were proud of that identity.
Just then, Duke Diaz spoke in a calm voice.
“Administrative Supply Officer Astrid?”
Casia quickly turned around.
At the same time, Giscard doubted his own eyes.
For a brief instant she seemed startled…
Then the corners of her eyes softened.
The rigid expression covering her face melted away in an instant, like snow beneath the spring sunshine.
A radiant smile bloomed across her beautiful face.
C-Can someone’s expression really change that quickly?
The woman who had just been relentlessly cornering the nobles had completely disappeared.
Instead, Casia greeted the Duke and Giscard in a voice as soft as a feather.
“You’re here, Duke? Commander, you’ve arrived too!”
She hurried over to the two of them with quick little steps before awkwardly shifting her gaze.
“Umm… well, about what just happened…”
“You did well.”
“…Huh?”
Caught completely off guard, Casia stared at Duke Diaz in shock.
Huh?
Even though he had just seen her verbally tear the nobles to pieces…
For some reason, the Duke looked to be in an exceptionally good mood.
At the same time, Duke Diaz cast a sideways glance at the nobles.
“From what I heard, they were making insulting remarks about the Blue Dawn Knights.”
“…”
“…”
The nobles all shrank even further.
After all, they really had been speaking ill of the Blue Dawn Knights first.
Looking at them with an icy gaze, Duke Diaz nodded firmly.
“A knight should naturally correct what is wrong. Exactly so.”
Huh…?
Casia cautiously studied his expression.
She wasn’t entirely sure why, but Duke Diaz seemed extremely satisfied with how she had handled things.
If that was the case…
“I merely said that something wrong was wrong.”
Casia deliberately straightened her back as she answered.
“The Blue Dawn Knights have devoted themselves to protecting the Empire all this time. If people can’t even acknowledge their contributions, the very least they can do is refrain from slandering them behind their backs.”
Her cool crimson gaze swept across the nobles.
“If you’re someone whose safety is protected by the sacrifices of those knights, then all the more reason.”
“…”
“…”
The nobles desperately avoided her eyes.
Meanwhile, Duke Diaz looked at Casia with distant, nostalgic eyes.
Watching her brought someone dearly missed to the forefront of his mind.
Angelica.
His younger sister, who was no longer in this world.
Angelica von Diaz.
Beautiful.
Brilliant.
Righteous.
He had cherished that child with all his heart.
“If something is wrong, then you have to correct it somehow. Don’t you agree?”
Even now, Angelica’s clear, spirited voice echoed vividly in his ears.
That lovely child should never have met such an end inside the Imperial Palace.
The Duke was overcome by old regrets.
That was why he had paid such close attention to Casia.
And why he had been equally disappointed.
His niece had inherited only his sister’s appearance, while her personality had been arrogant, selfish, and extravagant.
Still…
Casia was the only blood relative his sister had left behind.
He simply couldn’t bring himself to abandon her completely.
She didn’t inherit only her appearance.
Perhaps…
The Casia standing before him had inherited Angelica’s heart as well.
With a satisfied smile, Duke Diaz nodded warmly toward Casia.
Casia, however, only looked more confused.
What suddenly got into the Duke?
As the once-distant uncle and niece awkwardly began sharing a surprisingly warm atmosphere—
Terrence, who had arrived a little later, casually greeted Giscard.
“Commander of the Blue Dawn Knights. Fancy meeting you here.”
“Ah, Sir Heinemann.”
Giscard returned the greeting with a slight nod.
The two men already knew each other.
More accurately…
They had been forced to become acquainted because of Casia.
After all,
one of them had been Casia’s former fiancé,
while the other had once been the object of Casia’s relentless obsession.
