Princess Shu

At that moment, Valia raised her head. A sense of surprise spread to her silvery-gray eyes. Schuden sat in a maid’s seat after the latter got up. Valia did nothing but blink until he took the medicine bowl and spoon.

Valia was surprised that Schuden had suddenly appeared, but she was also surprised to see him fully armed. It was the first time she saw him wearing armor. At the same time, she thought that it looked very good on him.

While Valia stared at him, Schuden scooped a spoonful of a dark brown herbal medicine. Just as the maid did, he blew and cooled it down before taking it to Valia’s mouth.

Valia’s face was filled with helplessness. She had hesitated and refrained from receiving the medicine quickly, but eventually, she held her breath and opened her mouth. The bitter taste, stronger than the smell, hit her tongue.

“…It’s bitter.”

“You have to eat it to get better.”

“But it’s really bitter…”

Valia frowned. The doctor had worked hard on making the medicine for hours, and yet it was so bitter that it was literally assaulting her sense of taste. If the food she made was a serious disharmony of various flavors, then the medicine only had a consistent bitter taste. Schuden asked Valia.

“Is the medicine really that bitter?”

“Yes…”

“Hmm.”

Schuden took a spoonful of medicine and brought it towards himself. The bitter smell suddenly came up but he tried the medicine without hesitation. His eyebrows slightly wriggled, it was of the same color as his hair.

Valia had some hope in his reaction. She thought Schuden would tell her to eat only half of the medicine because it was too bitter. Then, she planned to hesitantly drink only half of it  

There was a moment of silence. Schuden stirred the medicine and said.

“It’s not that bad. Eat it.”

“…”

Value eventually had to drink the medicine with a teary face. Whenever she shut her mouth and shook her head in the middle, Schuden did not nag much. However, he ate a spoonful instead. There was not even the slightest bit of agitation in his face as he swallowed the medicine. The whole scenario made it out as if Valia was acting up. In the end, she had to empty a bowl of herbal medicine without saying a word.

‘How can he eat such bitter things so well?’

Valia thought as she rinsed her mouth. She knew Schuden was an exceptional man in everything, but she did not think he needed to be good even at this. Putting aside the empty medicine bowl, Schuden held Valia’s hand. Thanks to his quick-wittedness, Paul had already told the maids to leave the room. In just an instant, only Schuden and Valia remained in the once-crowded room. 

There was no peculiar atmosphere in the room, Valia was a patient and Schuden was donned in armor as he was about to leave. However, the affection that was hard to describe in words wandered around them. The way they looked at each other was similar, but some parts were different. It was because of this that they did not notice the feelings of their loved ones.

“Valia.”

“Yes?”

“While I’m away…”

Schuden paused for a moment. Valia blinked still without rushing him.

“Will you go to the Marquisate?”

“…Marquisate?”

“That’s what the doctor recommends. It’ll be winter soon, so the Marquisate will be a better place for you to recuperate.”

Valia did not answer Schuden immediately, her silvery-gray eyes looked at him still. Valia remembered what she heard from Shaun—the fact that Garth’s castle was closed and the story behind it. Valia asked in a calm voice.

“Schu, is it okay for me to go to the Marquisate?”

“Is there any reason that the lady of Garth can’t go to the Marquisate? It will take some time to clean up and tidy up the castle though.”

“Then, I will go there.”

Valia nodded her head gently. Schuden glanced at her. He thought that she might have already heard from Paul or Sarah that the castle in the Marquisate was closed, but then assumed she still did not know about the tragedy behind it yet. He wondered how she would react when she found out about the secret.

At first, Schuden was afraid that Valia would be trembling in fear. But after facing her, he thought that maybe it would be okay. 

Those calm silvery-gray eyes. 

Strangely, he felt sick, but he also felt comforted. Valia blinked at his red eyes, fixed on her, and her only.

“What’s wrong?”

Schuden tilted his chin to Valia without an answer. However, his attempt to kiss her was quickly stopped, for Valia had pushed Schuden’s chest away.

“I caught the flu, Schu.”

“Does it matter?”

Valia forced a smile at his calm counterpoint. Despite intending to kiss someone with the flu, Schuden was still a great man in many ways. But it was the opening ceremony today, what if he got infected? Valia lightly pushed Schuden’s fiddling hand away from her chin.

“I’m already worried about you. Don’t make me worry about you catching the flu.”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m going to win.”

Despite saying that, Schuden let go of Valia’s chin after hearing that she was worried. He just got by with kissing her cheeks, earlobes, and forehead. Valia just calmly accepted his kiss, considering those parts were okay.

It was a little later that Paul’s voice was heard outside the door.

“Your Grace, the knightage has just arrived.”

“I’ll go out.”

Schuden would enter the palace with the Knights of Garth and hold the opening ceremony. Their arrival at the Garth manor meant that Schuden had to leave for the Imperial Palace. Valia immediately rang the bell to call the maid. Schuden frowned a little at her instructions to bring her a thick shawl.

“You don’t have to come out, Valia.”

“How can I not do that? I can’t even go to the ceremony.”

“I just need a warm welcome from you when I come back later.”

“But I’m not that sick, Schu.”

Schuden was dumbfounded and laughed. He wondered how could Valia say that when she needed to take medicine three times a day and even had to go to the Marquisate to recuperate.

“My dear.”

Schuden held her still hot hands. Both of Valia’s soft and smooth hands could be held with only one hand of his.

“You can see me off here.”

“How can seeing you off from the bedroom be called seeing off?”

Even though Valia could collapse while walking, she still wanted to see Schuden go. If she could not see him off now, she would regret it for a long time. With the help of a maid, Valia wore a thick cotton shawl. She was determined to see him off. 

Looking at Valia’s silvery-gray eyes shining with passion, Schuden could not say no. After he had given up halfway there, Valia smiled in a good mood.

There were already a lot of people waiting in the spacious yard of the manor. Everyone was standing in a row, not only were the Knights of Garth there, including Shaun—the knight commander, but there were also all of the employees of the manor. Valia walked together to the front, where Schuden needed to ride his horse.

“Schu.”

“Hmm?”

Valia hesitated a little. She then motioned to him,

“Your forehead.”

“My forehead?”

“Bend a little.”

Schuden wondered if he had something on his forehead. He bent a little towards her. Valia stood on tiptoe. Her soft kiss passed over his forehead for a moment. It was itchy, as if a butterfly sat down before flying away. 

Schuden touched his forehead without realizing it. He saw Valia. Her face, which was somewhat pale due to her sick complexion, was turning red. Valia avoided his gaze and muttered.

“This is how to wish good luck to a knight in Gel… But since you’re tall…”

“Is that so?”

Schuden’s voice contained a faint smile. Valia’s ears got hotter, she felt a rush thinking that she could not see him for a while. 

She had been contemplating for a long time on whether she should do it or not. She finally decided to just do it, but after actually doing it, she remembered that the employees were not the only people in the yard and that the knights were also present to view the scene she made. Valia could not even muster up the courage to look around.

“…You might get late, so hurry up and go.”

She said something that she did not even mean out of embarrassment. After saying that, Valia added in a small voice.

“…Don’t get hurt.”

“Do you want me not to get hurt?”

“Of course!”

Valia opened her eyes wide. She had a look that asked; ‘why else would I kiss your forehead at the expense of shame in this crowded place.’ 

Schuden smirked and grabbed Valia’s chin. He kissed her without giving her any time to push him away.

Schuden hesitated for a moment, but he moved his lips away before touching her thin skin.

Those soft, cold lips. Was it because it was a light kiss? Or was it because they were in the yard? Whatever it may be, Valia recalled the kiss they had at their wedding ceremony. The difference was that their wedding was in spring. Now, it was autumn.

“I have something to tell you when I get back.”

Valia blinked. She did not ask what it was. However, she smiled brightly.

“Yes, I will be waiting.”

The smile of the woman he loved easily passed on. The best knight of the Empire in black armor and a blue cloak smiled in front of her. Valia stayed in her position until she could see the man she loved disappear out into the horizon.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Schuden Garth—the youngest Marquess of the Gel Empire and the sole owner of the Knights of Garth.

The legendary knight had participated in numerous wars since his days as the heir and had never been defeated. He was entrusted with full military command by Emperor Edgar VII. With the commander-in-chief’s insignia on his chest, he knelt down in front of the Emperor and vowed to bring back victory.

With numerous troops, Schuden headed to Rief Plain—a huge plain located East of Gel and West of the Eastern Kingdoms Union. The flag of the Eastern Kingdoms Union was seen from afar. Looking at the numerous flags that had to be broken, Schuden drew the future. The day he returned home after this war.

On that day, he would confess his love to her.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

After sending their master to the battlefield, Garth’s manor was busy with other things. Because after having been closed for several years, the castle located in the Marquisate of Garth had finally been renovated. In addition, it was a place where the lady of the house would go to recuperate. Sarah, the housekeeper, had gone to the Marquisate first to organize the castle.

“Have you sent all the letters?”

“Yes, Madam. I sent everything.”

Valia was about to send letters to the noblewomen whom she had acquainted herself with. She would be away from the capital for a while, so they would not be able to share news as actively as they had done before.

The contents of the letter to Diana were slightly different. She learned from a letter not long ago that Diana had also caught the flu.

In response to her worried reply, Diana sent another letter.

‘Everything is good except that I feel a little sore as my husband won’t let me out of bed. Rather, I’m worried about you, Valia. So get better soon.’

“Sir Robin.”

Valia called Robin, who was next to her. He was the only knight in the Knights of Garth who did not participate in the war and was ordered by Schuden to escort Valia.

‘I was worried that he’d be upset…’

For a knight, the outstanding service they would do was as important as their lives, and the battlefield was the most suitable place to build meritorious service. Valia was worried that Robin would be disappointed having to miss the war to escort her. However, the young knight was just looking around with sharp eyes without any sign of disappointment.  

‘…This is Garth’s manor. But why is he so wary?’

Robin paid close attention to each maid who brought porridge and herbal medicine to Valia. At first glance, he looked at the maids as if they had swords with them. No maid was offended by his piercing gaze. They just giggled at the burning wariness of the young knight.

“Madam!”

“Yes?”

Robin clenched his fist once and shouted.

“I will risk my life to protect you even when you go to the Marquisate!”