Shadowless Night

Leticia and Eberhard were in charge of night watch at the castle where Balta’s Prince Haqab and Princess Ganje stayed.

Leticia and Eberhard couldn’t understand why they had to stay up all night to guard that guy, so they directly protested to Knight Commander Starz and got scolded. He asked if they could take responsibility if a war broke out, and naturally, the answer was negative.

They nodded. We’ll do our best to guard him. Knight Commander Starz put cookies in Leticia and Eberhard’s hands and let them go. The two made strange faces as they left the knight commander’s office.

“…”

“… He seems to be treating us like Sir Rosaline?”

It bothered them that everyone carried snacks these days. Leticia and Eberhard called these compliment snacks. Anyway, it was reasonable to enjoy them since they’d gotten them.

Leticia’s was a macadamia cookie, and Eberhard’s was a cookie with cheese blocks. They shared them in half, ate them amicably, and put them in Hessa’s mouth upon meeting him. Hessa’s, carrying a lot of luggage, cheeks were stuffed like a squirrel.

The two who came to Haqab’s castle replaced the two lesser knights of the Spindrift Knights. Knights drawn from various Imperial Orders were placed here and there.

There was nothing as arbitrary as time. The night was long. Even though it was the same six hours, the night felt much longer than the day. The silence created by everyone was dull. The two were bored and played rock-paper-scissors and word chain. They also played the thread-knitting game that Eberhard had been learning from Hessa.

Even late at night, the maids of the castle roamed around. They were in a similar situation, so they lightly greeted each other and passed by. The maids secretly peeked at Eberhard while squealing. Eberhard pretended to be cool and stretched his shoulders. Leticia squinted because she didn’t want to see it.

“Did you see that, Leticia?”

“Yeah… Your stupid appearance…”

Eberhard gasped. He’s grown a lot lately but still looked like a country bumpkin and an idiot. She couldn’t figure out what they liked about this guy.

“Excuse me…Leticia. What kind of man do you like?”

“A man who never asks questions like these.”

Eberhard was dumbfounded. But in an instant, his mood changed. The sharpness right before the battle surrounded Eberhard. Leticia, noticing the abnormality, widened her vision. Something bothered her.

“Leticia.”

“I know.”

The chirping bugs stopped. Two birds frightened by something suddenly flew up and crossed over them.

“Number three, major escort point!” Eberhard screamed and drew his sword. At the same time, five assassins poured from the trees. Perhaps realizing they could not avoid the knights, they rushed toward Leticia and Eberhard.

Leticia roared to inform the other soldiers and knights guarding at a certain distance, “Number three, major escort point! Five—no.”

Her eyes moved quickly.

“Two intruders inside!”

The moment she finished speaking, an assassin swung a short sword. Leticia breathed in and stepped on the floor.

Thud!

Her feet were firmly planted on the floor. The taut power transmitted from her entire body carried her sword. A destructive force that could shatter even a stone cut off the man’s arm and his weapon. Blood splattered all over Leticia’s face.

“Aagh!”

Leticia kicked the man with the severed arm off his feet and grabbed the assassin’s hair as he tried to throw a knife at Eberhard and smashed him against the wall. Eberhard, who quickly neutralized one of them, thanked her with a glance.

Leticia gnashed her teeth. How dare they make my first actual combat on escorting Haqab. These useless punks…

Heavy attacks loaded with emotion poured into the assassins.

Whoo!

An unusual sound came from the sword she wielded. Leticia’s sword attack scattered the assassins like fallen leaves in the wind.

Even if some long-ranged projectiles came flying by, she immediately noticed them like a ghost, knocked them out, and changed flexibly depending on the situation. The solid foundation unique to the imperial knights also shone through, making finding gaps difficult.

By the time other escorts came to their aid, the assassins had already been cleared.

Eberhard brushed his disheveled hair up. His attitude of kicking the wriggling assassins was natural. The knights who came to support trembled. They were also lesser knights, but they felt strangely intimidated.

Leticia captured the two living assassins at the same time. She smiled slightly and greeted the knights who came to her aid.

“Thank you for your hard work. This should be our first time meeting. I’m Leticia, a lesser knight of the Knights of the White Night.” With a bloodstained face, she held out her bloodstained hands carefreely.

***

The Imperial Palace was flipped upside down. A foreign royal family received an assassination threat the night before. Fortunate or unfortunately, there were no casualties thanks to the 2nd Prince Ricardis, who had increased the number of escort troops in advance with the cooperation of the Imperial Knights. Moreover, since it was two lesser knights of the Knights of the White Night who caught the assassins this time, it was only natural that Ricardis’ evaluation would go up a notch.

Five assassins were killed on the spot. Two were captured but committed suicide by biting their tongues during torture. The reason behind it has not been revealed. The incident only hinted that someone wanted to kill the Balta’s successor.

Prince Haqab tried to finish the case with a generous attitude even though it was a matter of his safety. He briefly mentioned that there would be only a result that made everyone happy since they were all there to celebrate the founding day of Illavenia.

But everyone knew he wasn’t being gullible under pressure from great powers. He was a sharpened weapon in a scabbard. An incomplete sword cannot enter its scabbard. It was evident that he had prepared for everything.

Even those who desperately wanted Haqab’s death to the point of sending assassins into the night crouched down. It was as if they had finally realized that what they were touching was a beehive.

Ricardis ran wild, questioning if they had just found out. He also called them ‘retards’. He cursed that they would never have thought of such a foolish plan if they were a human.

Haqab looked at Ricardis, who visited where he was staying, with moist wet eyes. Impressed, moved, delighted. Those eyes seemed to ask, You even spared your own bodyguards to protect me?

“Prince Ricardis, for me…”

Hearing Haqab’s sincerely trembling voice, Ricardis clamped his own mouth shut very firmly, not letting the foul language get out of it.

Listening to Haqab’s gratitude right after he shook Rosaline with all sorts of tricks and at the point where his own emotions worsened, Ricardis grew increasingly furious. He knew in his head that Haqab should not suffer bad things in Illavenia, but he couldn’t help but secretly wish for the success of the assassins.

Haqab, thrilled by this cross-border friendship, hugged Ricardis. He even kissed both cheeks. Ricardis looked back on his life, contemplating that he had never been so murderous in 25 years of his life.

Of course, his face facing Haqab was as calm as ever. Haqab gently stroked Ricardis’s hand, inviting him to eat with him. Ricardis smiled brightly.

“A guest who came to the empire almost got into trouble. I’m grateful for your consideration of covering up bad things for the festival of Illavenia, but I felt the need to reorganize so that this does not happen again. That’s why I have business to take care of and I have to go back urgently, Prince. Please invite me to dinner next time. You must have been very surprised, but I hope you take care of yourself and welcome me with a smile next time.”

“You worked so hard for me… I thought too much. Of course, Prince.”

Haqab held Ricardis’s hands tightly and peered at him. Ricardis’ face was handsome and beautiful as usual. No ripples could be read from his cool-headed behavior.

Haqab has been keeping an eye on Ricardis ever since the delegation. Without digging deep, the fact that Ricardis was tightly protective of Rosaline was evident from his actions. It was too much for just a subordinate.

He didn’t know if it was a mind of keeping a sharp sword or a different kind, but it was so.

So, if Haqab were to take Rosaline away through marriage, Ricardis wouldn’t be able to smile like this. Had he really heard nothing from her?

‘Oh dear… Can I really hope?’

Haqab’s smile deepened. Putting Rosaline aside, he also wanted to see this man shaking. It was a bit disappointing.

Then Ricardis exclaimed. He searched his sleeve and took out a pocket with delicate embroidery.

“Looks like you lost this in the commotion, Prince. This is what my knight picked up.”

Haqab was passed the pouch from Ricardis’ hand. He could feel a small pile of metal rolling around inside the single layer of fabric. Haqab noticed its true identity.

‘Oh, dear. This is…’

Opening the pouch, he found his necklace, as expected. The token of marriage proposal he had given to Rosaline was shattered horribly. Haqab laughed dumbfoundedly.