Sigrid

“Beramund, pull her over here.”

At Serios’s words, accompanied by a sigh, Beramund smiled and tugged on Sigrid’s arm. When Sigrid was three steps closer, she knelt on one knee again.

Tap—

The sound of Serios moving a chess piece on the table echoed through the quiet garden. He left Sigrid kneeling for a moment before addressing Beramund.

“How was the journey here?”

“Quiet, Your Highness.”

“I’d expect so. I told them I wanted to cool my head here in peace.”

“Doesn’t that usually attract more attention?”

“What does it matter? And that formal speech gives me goosebumps. Stop it.”

“I’m trying to show you proper respect for once, Your Highness.”

“When you do it, it sounds like mockery. Quit it.”

“If that’s an order.”

Beramund chuckled, assuming an at-ease posture. By the time Sigrid’s knee had become damp from the dewy grass, Serios addressed her.

“Lady Ankertna.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I suppose I should thank you for saving my life. And my wife’s life too.”

“I merely did my duty, Your Highness.”

“Yes, as a knight of the Imperial Order.”

“Indeed.”

“I find you suspicious.”

Tap—

The sound of another chess piece being moved rang out. Sigrid remained motionless.

“Do you have any connection to the Western Nobles Alliance?”

“I’ve sworn loyalty only to the Imperial family, Your Highness.”

“There are various factions within the Imperial family, aren’t there?”

“I know of only one Imperial family, Your Highness.”

“Is that so? Who might that be?”

“It’s not a who. It’s all members of the Imperial family.”

“Very well, then.”

Serios turned to face her.

“What if I were to demand personal loyalty from you, Lady Ankertna?”

Sigrid felt her breath catch in her throat.

A new master.

This might have been what she had hoped for. No, no, maybe she hadn’t hoped for this. Sigrid liked things as they were now. There was still so much to learn—

“I am far too inadequate to serve Your Highness personally.”

“Is that a refusal?”

“That is not what I mean.”

“Are you rejecting my words right now? Lady Sigrid Ankertna? Or is there someone else you serve? In the Imperial family— I am the second highest person. To reject such an offer from me…”

Serios looked down at the crown of her bowed head and asked:

“Do you serve His Majesty?”

“No, I do not!”

An intense denial burst out before she could stop herself. Sigrid flinched at the sound of her own voice and said:

“I apologize, Your Highness… I, I am merely of the Imperial…”

Serios gazed down at Sigrid for a moment before speaking.

“In any case, you saved me, Lady Ankertna. Whoever the enemy was, you were seen as being on my side. And since then, you’ve grown close to Lord Lunatil as well.”

Sigrid’s shoulders trembled slightly. Serios sighed and picked up the sword he had placed beside him.

“Lady Ankertna. Raise your head.”

“I am honored, Your Highness.”

As Sigrid raised her head, Serios extended the sword to her.

“This is a token of my gratitude, anyway.”

“There’s no need, Your Highness.”

“Do you intend to make me keep holding this heavy thing?”

“I am deeply humbled.”

Saying this, Sigrid accepted the sword. Its substantial weight felt good in her hands. Serios gestured for her to leave.

“Beramund, you stay.”

At those words, Beramund nodded with a stiff face and called a servant to guide Sigrid out. After Sigrid bowed deeply and disappeared, Serios snorted.

“She dares to refuse me?”

“Serios.”

“She dares to judge and choose, a mere subject. Indeed.”

Serios moved another chess piece with a smile that might have been a sneer. Beramund glanced in the direction Sigrid had gone and said:

“You gave her the sword.”

“I did. That’s Berada steel.”

“Serios!”

Beramund called his name in a reproachful tone. Serios smirked.

“What? It’s appropriate, isn’t it? It’s as good as a nameplate saying ‘This person belongs to Prince Serios.’ Only I or Father could give such an item as a gift. It’s perfect. A good bait; I hope it catches a fine fish.”

Beramund frowned.

“You—”

“She has no powerful backing. Even if she dies, no one would suffer a loss. Plus, her abilities are decent. It’s a good card to play.”

“Serios.”

This time, his tone was warning. Serios looked up at Beramund.

“Oh, what? Did you like the girl?”

“You really…”

“She didn’t even agree to serve under me. So I have no obligation to protect her.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s okay to use her as bait—”

“I’m going to be Emperor.”

At Serios’s words, Beramund fell silent. Serios looked down at the chessboard. The pieces lined up on the black and white board.

“People aren’t chess pieces; it would be nice if they moved according to the rules, but they don’t. My job is to minimize losses.”

Serios flicked a pawn with his finger. The piece flew off the board and fell onto the garden floor.

“Should I grab each fallen piece and cry over it? I can’t do that.”

Serios smirked.

“And I shouldn’t.”

Beramund picked up the fallen pawn and placed it back on the board, speaking heavily.

“You shouldn’t be indifferent either.”

“That’s your job to remind me. You and Erial.”

Serios said, looking at the pawn Beramund had replaced. If a person stabs another person, it would be quite a visceral experience. But as one’s position rises, instead of direct murder, one starts looking at dots. And the unit those dots on the map represent grows larger.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand—

If one reacted to each of those, they’d develop an ulcer, and if they became completely indifferent, they’d turn into a monster.

“Well, even if I endure a bit of stomach pain, I can’t safely keep Sigrid Ankertna at arm’s length. That knight will eventually catch someone’s eye.”

Serios flicked the pawn off the board again and laughed.

“Let’s hope it’s not our enemy’s.”

Beramund picked up the pawn once more.

Thunk!

He placed the pawn back on the table with a louder sound than before and silently turned to walk away. He walked quickly, so it didn’t take long for him to catch up with Sigrid, who was ahead.

“Sigrid.”

Ah, Sigrid turned to look at him.

“Is your conversation already over?”

“The sword.”

“Yes?”

“Give me the sword you received.”

At those words, Sigrid held out the sword she was carrying. Beramund took the sword, but Sigrid didn’t let go.

“Sigrid?”

“If keeping it would help His Highness the Crown Prince, then I’ll do so.”

“You—”

You knew and still accepted it?

The words rose to his throat. Sigrid continued quietly:

“If I can do anything for the Imperial family, I’m willing to risk my life.”

Beramund’s expression hardened at those words, and he forcefully took the sword. Then he sharply rapped Sigrid on the head.

“Ow— Beramund?!”

“Don’t casually talk about dying. What nonsense, dying for what? What are you dying for?”

Beramund’s outcry sounded like a whisper but was clearly audible.

“And if you knew and accepted it, you should have made that clear to Serios! Otherwise, how would he know?”

“It doesn’t matter whether he acknowledges it or not.”

Beramund felt anger surge at Sigrid’s words.

“Ah, so you’re going for the pitiful image of ‘noble me, unacknowledged by anyone’ to gain sympathy? From whom? There’s no audience here.”

His words came out sharper than he intended. Sigrid looked at the sword in his hand, then at her own empty hands, and smiled.

“You’re right. Actually, I wanted to be acknowledged. I wanted to be acknowledged, but trying to be acknowledged isn’t knightly, is it?”

“……”

Beramund was silent for a moment. Just then, they heard the servant swallow nervously, and both looked up. Beramund quickly bowed his head.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Sigrid felt her heart stop.

No, she thought it had stopped. She hadn’t even meant to kneel. Her knees just gave out like a newborn fawn’s.

‘Breathe, breathe, Sigrid. Breathe.’

Her vision seemed to distort.

“Lord Lunatil, and—”

The Emperor looked down at the kneeling female knight. When no response came, Beramund quickly answered for her:

“This is Lady Sigrid Ankertna, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, a lovely lady knight.”

The same voice.

The same tone.

—You’re all I have.

—My only, trustworthy knight.

I could have died for you. I could have. I could have, I tell you.

As many times as—

But not that death.

Did I betray Your Majesty’s expectations? Am I a disloyal knight who couldn’t quietly become a scapegoat under that false accusation?

Their conversation sounded like a distant murmur. Beramund was flustered, seeing Sigrid’s unusual state as she sat motionless.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth between Sigrid and Beramund, then smiled slightly.

“It seems she’s too nervous.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was quite satisfied with Beramund’s flustered appearance.

“No need. I’ll overlook it. Haha, I’m just a human too, so there’s no need to be so tense, Lady Ankertna. Take care on your way back.”

Only when Beramund nudged Sigrid’s leg did she startle and blurt out a brief “Yes, Your Majesty.” The Emperor smiled and passed by them, disappearing.

Beramund bent down and grabbed Sigrid’s shoulder.

“Sigrid?”

Sigrid shook off Beramund’s arm and sprang to her feet. He stared blankly as she sprinted across the garden at full speed, then began to chase after her. Soon, he caught up with her.

“Sigri—”

“Bleurgh—”

Beramund closed his mouth. Although her breakfast had long since digested and there was nothing to bring up, Sigrid kept retching. He patted her back.

‘Why is she like this?’

He was perplexed. The pale Sigrid raised her head.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, are you alright?”

“Yes.”

Beramund had a mountain of things to say but held back.

Words like, Serios isn’t usually like this, the people we firmly believed were on our side have backstabbed us—

“Let’s rest for a moment—”

“No, no. I want to go back quickly.”

To my home. I want to go back, quickly, now.

Beramund swallowed all the questions he wanted to ask. He grabbed her arm and started walking quickly. Sigrid stumbled several times. After putting her, seemingly completely out of it, into the carriage, Beramund looked at her for a moment before closing the door.

He told the coachman to go as fast as possible, and after watching the carriage depart, Beramund returned to the garden. Serios was still sitting in the same place. He looked even more displeased than before, suggesting he had met with His Majesty.

Clang!

When Beramund placed the sword on the table, Serios looked at it and then at Beramund.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Serios asked in a hard voice.

“I know you’re not in a good state right now.”

Beramund said coldly. Serios’s eyes were fixed on the sword.

“Not good? Yes, not good. Not good at all. My court physician was supposed to be someone trustworthy. Even Erial didn’t know about the pregnancy, but the enemy already knew. The Western Nobles Alliance— Damn it! My paranoid father is obsessively trying to kill me. Ah, he killed my mother and my brother too. Yes, my state is not good right now. So what is the meaning of this?”

“I’ll vouch for her.”

At those words, Serios looked at Beramund and then back at the sword.

“Do you know what that means?”

“I do.”

Serios let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.

“Alright. If you believe in her, then fine.”

Beramund patted his shoulder and said:

“Go get some rest.”

“If I rest, rumors will immediately spread that I’m ill. There are people who analyze every syllable of every word I say.”

Beramund smiled bitterly at Serios’s words. He sat down opposite the chessboard and said:

“Then allow me to be your opponent, brother-in-law.”