Shadowless Night

The days when ‘Rosaline’ was Raymond’s apprentice knight. She could hardly integrate into the Knights of the White Night and wandered around. She constantly tried on her own, but the situation only worsened day by day because people around her did not support her.

Her friends, with whom she had some exchanges, were the daughters of families of the 1st Prince faction, so news of them was cut off immediately. She couldn’t even rely on her family as they opposed her decision to join the Knights of the White Night.

Raymond, her superior, took good care of Rosaline. But he couldn’t fully show his pampering in an armed group where weakness was not tolerated. It was Chloe who found her at that time.

She was no better than Rosaline’s teacher. If Raymond was an outside teacher, Chloe taught her how to organize the inside and build it one by one. Even so, in recent years they hadn’t seen each other once or twice a year because they’d been busy working in each other’s positions.

A lot of time had passed since then, and even the memories of Rosaline now were vague, but only her feelings, trust, and favor remained.

Rosaline stammered before bringing the topic up. She looked at her several times and paused a few times, but the conversation continued, albeit slowly. Once the water was opened, it was an instant.

A carefree smile appeared on Chloe’s face, but her hands were tearing at her own thighs.

So… Before the battle when the envoys returned to Illavania, he blessed her by kissing her on the forehead, and he kissed her once more on the forehead before the recent martial arts competition. ‘I haven’t seen him do that to other knights, is this weird?’ was the gist of a long talk.

The teacup trembling from Leticia’s hand bumped into the cup holder and made a clattering noise. Chloe suppressed a smile and lowered her gaze. She couldn’t blame Leticia for this moment. Her hands were trembling, too.

‘Your Highness…’

Is he just playing house with that great face? How can the other person be so blank?

“His Highness seems to care very much about you.”

Rosaline smiled brightly. It seemed to be a pleasant word for her.

“His Highness often kisses the foreheads of knights like that.”

It was a lie.

“It is to wish you good luck and bless you. But it’s not for everyone, really, it’s only for knights that His Highness trusts and relies on, so I haven’t seen it often.”

It was a lie.

Rosaline listened while nodding. His Highness relied on me so much! Rosaline didn’t even try to hide her excitement. Chloe held back her laughter.

“You know what, sir?”

“Yes?”

“Just as His Highness does to you, you can do that to him, too.”

“Really?”

No way! Leticia opened her mouth wide. Chloe opened her eyes wide and put her palm lightly on her cheek. How could she lie without blinking an eye with such an innocent face? Leticia was nervous because she couldn’t intervene hastily.

“Similarly, you can wish His Highness good luck. How reassuring would he be if a knight he trusted and relied on wished him luck? Don’t you think so?”

“Oh, I see. He would be very happy.”

“Of course. He’ll faint from liking it so much.”

He would faint from liking it. Rosaline nodded with a serious expression as if she had heard great information. Chloe burst out laughing.

***

Rosaline took off her uniform top. Her toned body was exposed.

“Will you raise your arms?”

Standing in the middle of the drawing room, she raised her arms like a scarecrow as the little women clung and measured her here and there with a tape measure.

“Truly, the indifference of men.”

Chloe sat down on the sofa and shook her head.

“The ball is just around the corner, but the dress isn’t here yet.”

“I had something set before, so…”

“Please don’t say that you were going to wear it. I think I will seriously consider whether I should present my wedding dress.”

Rosaline shut up. She couldn’t take away the bride’s wedding dress.

This was the reason Chloe had invited Rosaline to Marquis Cimmaron’s mansion today. The National Foundation Ball was just around the corner, but nobody had even considered preparing a dress. She could understand Count Radwiell, but even Calyx? His side of pretending to be sharp and having a strong corner was the same as his sister’s.

Rosaline’s mother, Edelweiss, was a little better. She showed great interest that she sent a new dress once a month. However, it was impossible to say that a dress in pink and light yellow, a style that would be worn by 16-year-old girls who were just making their debut in the social world, would suit Rosaline even with a lie. Chloe thought she would rather take it off than wear it.

Today was a time when Rosaline’s fame spread widely, especially after winning the martial arts competition. At this time, everyone’s attention was focused on her. She couldn’t wear such dresses at a time when she was like the main character of the National Foundation Ball.

A wooden torso in the shape of a woman’s torso was hung with a dress brought by Rosaline. Leticia brought a few dresses that Rosaline owned, the ones Edelweiss had bought. Chloe closed her eyes tightly. What is this? Nightmare?

“Madam, please…”

The baroness, who ran the dress shop, nodded in understanding.

“Perhaps there is still a perception that the more flashy, the prettier in the older generation, so there still remains a tendency to prefer frills and ribbons… This is seriously…”

She looked as if she wanted Rosaline’s dress right away.

“If you wear this to the ball, it would have been a topic of conversation for generations, Sir Rosaline.”

“Is it a good thing?” 

The baroness widened her little eyes.

“No!”

Her reaction was very intense.

“No, it’s not!”

“Oh…”

Rosaline took notice of her passionate reaction. It was the most brilliant and splendid among the clothes sent by Edelweiss, and a pretty dress for her aesthetic…

Rosaline and Leticia didn’t even seem to understand what was wrong. Chloe was heartbroken. As expected, the knights only have swords in their heads whether they’re men or women.

The baroness removed the drapery and torsos from the room. The size had been measured, and she had seen the person who would wear it, so from now on it was her domain.

“Looks like I’ll have to stay up all night.”

She looked haggard. Rosaline felt sorry for nothing and handed her a cookie. The baroness left the drawing room, chewing on the cookie.

After dinner, Rosaline was taught various things by Chloe. Points to note when wearing a dress, behavior, etiquette, etc. Even the details that she knew but were easy to miss. She was worried that she would have to inject all 1 through 10, but fortunately, Rosaline remembered the etiquette to some extent, so the time was shortened.

Thanks to this, they got time left. Chloe pulled out a fan.

“Let’s learn how to use a fan.”

The two students came and clapped loudly.

“Sometimes aristocratic women use a fan as a substitute for words. Do you know anything, Sir Rosaline, Sir Leticia?”

Rosaline frowned and pondered for a while. She soon tapped the spare fan on her right cheek. It was generally an action used to affirm words.

“Great. If you fold a fan and lightly touch it to your right cheek, it means yes. Left means no. It is the most basic movement.”

Leticia was shocked. Why can’t they just say it? Why the hell…?

Rosaline quickly absorbed what was taught. There were so many different fan languages, to the point where Leticia shook her head in disgust.

Chloe opened her fan wide, covering her nose and mouth.

“When using this motion with the opposite sex, ‘Please wait. I’m opening up to you’. But recently, another meaning has emerged.” Chloe then slightly frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed. “This means, ‘Wait, I want to hit you.’ I feel bad because you behaved very rudely to me… You’re just not saying it out loud. It’s similar to before, but the meaning is slightly different with just one expression, right?”

Rosaline immediately opened her fan and made the same movements as Chloe. The glare from the sharp eyes flashed fiercely. Chloe was silent for a moment.

“… Sir Rosaline. Would you like to say, ‘Please wait. I’m opening up to you’?”

Rosaline tilted her head.

“I’m doing it.”

It was clearly the downside of the ferocious eyes. All Chloe could see was, ‘I’m going to kill you, so tilt your neck and wait.’ Chloe shook her head.

“That’s… Come to think of it, it’s not a well-used expression these days. Just don’t use it.”

Rosaline nodded. She held her fan with her left hand, turned it, half-opened it, and fanned it quickly. She used it in a variety of ways.

“Good work today. Sir Rosaline, Sir Leticia.”

“Yes…”

“Yes…”

Both were exhausted. Chloe laughed at the depressed appearance of two knights much bigger than her.

“Oh, and.”

Chloe folded her fan halfway and brought it to her lips.

“This means, ‘Please kiss me.’ It would be nice if you could use it at this ball.”

Leticia, who had been depressed, was resurrected in panic. Rosaline nodded, her eyes shining. It was a strangely excited gesture. Leticia, who saw Rosaline practicing ‘Kiss Me’, snatched the fan from her hands. Chloe watched them with a smile.